We will be running a 12th scale meeting, the CARS Carpet Challenge on Sunday 28th February. This will be run on the same carpet as will be used at the Euros. Full details and online entry are here.

Apologies but we’re having to cancel the meeting on 9th January (tomorrow) due to the weather conditions.

Hopefully we’ll be back up and running next Saturday.

I’ve been trying 1S LiPo out at club meetings recently, and I was loaned a TQ voltage booster to try out. Initially this seemed OK, but I then realised that my steering servo had started hunting around centre and my transponder also started missing laps. After much swapping of components I decided that the TQ booster was the most likely culprit. From more investigation I have found that the JR servo I have been using draws more current than most others so this may be the reason the TQ can’t handle it.

Because of this I decided to try out the RC Dynamics voltage booster designed and built by Mark Jordan. After an email or two and a quick Paypal visit I had one in my hands, which was very good considering the Christmas post.

You don’t get much in the packet, not that you need any more! The booster is supplied along with an RC Dynamics sticker and that’s it. No instructions, though it is one of those things where if you need instructions you probably shouldn’t be buying it!

Onto the booster itself. There is a built in switch, which is a great idea and makes for a much tidier installation.

A piece of polycarbonate is also attached to the bottom of the booster to create a flat area for the double sided tape to adhere to, making it easy to fit onto the car.

The wires used are very stiff, which I thought may be a problem until I installed the booster. It is actually very easy to bend the wires into the required shape and position and they stay there! They are very good quality too.

There is no 1S LiPo cutoff device in this booster. This should never be a problem for me though as I’ve never come anywhere near dumping with a 10.5 motor, so it should be fine for 13.5 and 17.5 drivers too. If I want a 1S cutoff my Tekin ESC will do it for me anyway. It also means that it is specialising in the one job of boosting the voltage so in theory there can be fewer compromises in its design.

Onto installation now. All that is required is to double sided tape the booster to the chassis in a position where it is possible to reach the switch. Then the power wires need soldering to the battery connections on the ESC. Make sure the wire marked with red heatshrink is soldered to the positive connection, and the other on the negative connection. Then plug it into your receiver and that’s it! Here it is installed in the car.

A green LED should light up when booster is turned on. The first thing I noticed was that my servo was no longer hunting around centre, which was a very good sign. Out onto the track then, and no more missed laps on the transponder. Servo speed was good and no interference either. It just worked, which is exactly what it should do.

As a result I can thoroughly recommend one of these to anyone and Mark is working on making them more generally available. More news on this soon.

Technical Specifications

Contact Mark Jordan at mark@rcdynamics.co.uk for more information or look at the RC Dynamics web site at www.rcdynamics.co.uk.

We will be having a break of a couple of weeks over the Christmas holidays, so the will be no racing on the 26th December or 2nd January.

Our first meeting back will be on 9th January. We should have all of the carpet to be used for the 12th Euros by then so if you want to practice on it come and race!

I’ve now uploaded the photos and videos to the web site. The photos are in the gallery here.

Stock A

This can be seen directly in YouTube and in HD here.

Sports Modified A

This can be seen directly in YouTube and in HD here.

Open Modified A

This can be seen directly in YouTube and in HD here.

Photos by Trevor Coult

I will explain in this article the technique I use to set my transmitter up to my car. I have refined this over the years, and if followed correctly it should mean you have a good starting point to work from. I always complete this procedure when I am setting up a new car, or if I have replaced the servo, and it’s also a good idea to check the settings from time to time, as crashes and general wear and tear can cause the settings to change. I will be using the KO Universe III transmitter for this demonstration, and the page numbers below refer to the KO instruction manual. Most high spec transmitters should have the necessary settings to achieve my explanation below, and I advise you to check out your transmitter’s manual if you are unsure how to find any of the settings I talk about in the article.

Read the rest of this entry »

Apologies for the late notice but due to unforeseen circumstances there will not be a meeting on Saturday 24th October.

There also will not be a meeting on Saturday 31st October.

Racing will restart on Saturday 7th November.

Please tell anyone you know who might be going.

I’ve now uploaded the videos for all 3 A finals at the Crewe 12th scale National.

Stock A

This can be seen directly in YouTube and in HD here.

Sports Modified A

This can be seen directly in YouTube and in HD here.

Open Modified A

This can be seen directly in YouTube and in HD here.

Photos from the 12th scale Crewe National are now up in the gallery here.

There will be no racing on Saturday 17th October due to the Crewe 12th scale national. Racing will resume on Saturday 24th October.