Six Shifter

Super Scale GP (SSGP), Round 2 @ Kota Raja Track

2010-03-26T14:40:00.012+08:00

Entered my 1st race for SSGP which was held on 21st March 2010 at Kota Raja track. It was Round 2 with Round 1 being an endurance race which I didnt take part.

A few main R&R of the race are 48T handout brushed motor, realistic bodyshell and spoked wheels. Yes, holy cow, WTH is a 48T brushed motor in doing an 1/10th onroad race right?! Well, the organizer said that this was proliferated from Yokomo Japan. And dont get me started on what the batts were for the novice class - it was 1400mAh NiCD! Talk about back to the future!

Nonetheless, the race turned out to be great and a new experience for me. The 48T turns out to okay in pace given the fact that my FDR was ~3.2 while those top racers which on 2.9 to 3.0! There were three 5 mins heats and the final was ten minutes which was really nerve wrecking. Somehow, I felt that the pace of 48T motor with 10mins final make them a good combo.

For the 1st heat, I finished 2nd out of 10 racers in my group. I was on 3.36 FDR.

On 2nd heat, I was 2nd as well and on 3.3 FDR. Overall, my time has slight improvement. I am kinda happy with my progress but after seeing the time sheet, those top guys from other groups were 0.8s faster than me! Crap...

On 3rd heat, I screwed up and got 4th due to my taller ratio of 3.4! I have no idea what has gone into my head.

The heats were completed and I qualified 1st in starting grid for B-main. The 10mins finals didn't go as well as I was involve in an accident with car #2 in the first or second turn. Then rear of the car was very loose which I had never encountered during the heats. Because of these incidents, I dropped to 4th. After some time and accidents involving other cars at the front, I got into 3rd position and was battling with the car in front for 2nd position. In the end, he was unfortunate and I got the 2nd position. :)

Overall, the race was great and the final was nerve wrecking. I wished I could have gotten into A-main or at least 1st in B-main. Oh well, there's always next race.

My pit area

Some pics from the organizer. I really like the Porsche and it clean cut livery.

It's been a long time...

2010-03-26T14:27:00.000+08:00

I know it has been a long time since I updated the blog but didn't realize that the last posting was in July 09!!

Since then, I have:
1) Got a M05 Pro
2) Went to Japan for holiday, super disappointed for not going to Akihabaraarea and more importantly, RC Champs. However, for small consolidation, I bought a Gundam set
3) F104 Pro
4) Hop-up the M05 Pro with new diff, full alu steering system but had no chance to test them yet!
5) Moved back to my hometown which has 3 tracks within 30 mins drive and at least 4 LHS within an hour drive! :)
6) Modified a PC power supply to power my RC equipment
7) Entered my first race...

More updates coming up...

My M03 Setup

2009-07-31T15:57:00.003+08:00

Here is my M03-M Suzuki Swift setup. Track condition is low grip and bumpy. Take note that I am using 1/10 Sorex tires and not mini tires. This is because 1/10 tires are cheaper to play :)

Front
Ride height: 5mm
toe out: 14.5mm turnbuckle gap length (based on 53601 Low friction 5mm adjuster)
Shock piston: 2 holes
Oil: 50wt Team Associated
Spring: Tamiya yellow short
Red sponge
No stabilizers
Ball diff (tight)

Rear
Ride height: 5.5mm
standard rear upright with 2deg toe in
piston: 2 holes
Oil: 50wt
Spring: Tamiya blue short
No stabilizers

Motor: 540-J Johnson

Tamiya M05 Pro!!!

2009-07-28T12:48:00.003+08:00

Its here!!! Here is a picture of the M05 Pro box.

Build is still work in progress. Currently, rebuilding the TRF shocks will which be transfered to the M05 Pro. Other items to be transfered include ball diff and electronics.

I got a new shell to go along and its a HPI Civic EK9.

More details to come...

Franziskaner Weissbier and Eurodeli @ Damansara Kim

2009-07-15T19:53:00.005+08:00

Tried this German beer which was on tap at the Eurodeli in Damansara Kim. Our usual pub was unfortunately close today so no Guinness and thus, we resorted to restaurant-cum-bar place.

I had the dark Franziskaner cos the white beer is unavailable. Surprisingly, it is very light and smooth. Too light in fact that it could be slightly diluted. I could be wrong. Flavor is ok with the usual dark beer characteristic of bitter sweet after taste. Will try it again but next beer I want to try is the Konig Ludwig...

The restaurant also serves German style food which I would like to try one day. This pic is found on the piece of paper on the table.

Adidas San Marino 2 Trainers Review

2009-07-09T16:43:00.006+08:00

I bought these Adidas together with the Leader trainers since the shop was on sale and special prize for these older shoes.

The moment I tried those San Marino 2 on, I'd knew I want them! These are darn comfy shoes with excellent cushioning. After having to bear the obnoxious squeks made by the Leader, I felt like I am on stealth mode with these shoes! They are very quiet and light.

The leather outershell is soft and the tongue is padded very well. Arch and Archilles' heel supports are good.

Absolutely no complaints on these sneakers and well worth the price. Highly recommended but I doubt any more left in the market.

Adidas Leader Trainers Review

2009-07-09T16:31:00.006+08:00

I am in the market for new pair of sneakers as my current Puma is getting worn out. I was lucky to get a great deal on a pair of Adidas Leader trainers in white and green colors scheme.

Since its just a regular casual sneakers, the sole is quite thin and does not provide much cushioning. The outershell leather is kinda hard so its not very comfortable. What annoys me the most is the squeaky sound it makes whenever I am walking! The leather on the tongue rubs against under the shoe lace area which cause the annoy and loud squeks!

Overall, I dont expect much since I its just a casual sneakers and the good deal I had when I bought them. Its looks great for casual but I still cant get over the irritating squeaks!

What bodyshell for M05 Pro?

2009-06-24T14:16:00.008+08:00

While waiting for the M05 Pro kit to be in my hands, I have been looking around for a new bodyshell since the Pro kit doesn't include one.

I really wanted this HPI Honda Civic and it is also one of my favourite FF cars.

This Alfa Romeo from Team Atlas looks pretty cool as well:

Honestly, it is quite boring to see a sea of Suzuki Swifts each time we are playing M03s... *yawnzzzz*

The Itch to Build New Kit

2009-06-24T14:06:00.003+08:00

Its been a while since I build any new kit. I have been feeling the itch these few days particularly after viewing all the build threads regarding Tamiya's new F104 Pro. I have been wanting to get this kit to add to my collection and most likely its going to be a shelf queen.

However, priority will still be the M05 Pro. When will it be release and when can I build a new car???

The cause for the itch is also there is a Gundam fair in the mall which I usually frequent and those kit really look tempting!!

NEED TO BE STRONG TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION!!! hahaha...

It's been a while...

2009-06-18T09:07:00.004+08:00

Its been a while since I fully run the TRF 416WE after nearby track was demolished and moved to a further place.

Nonetheless,I have been quite consistent running the M03. Its one tough car and its a joy to run it!!

Had my sight on M05 Pro now and still waiting...

Orca 4000 20C lipo review Part 2

2009-01-04T14:23:00.002+08:00

After 4 runs on the Orca 4000mAh 20C lipo, I feel its crap! The punch is really poor but it did feel that it last longer. Anyway, I want more PUNCH in the lipo. Honestly, I dont think the pack is 20C at all. Even my Yeah Racing 3200 20C gives better punch than the Orca. Should have stick to Yeah lipos all the way...

TRF416 1st run with IP 3800 lipo

2009-01-03T18:59:00.004+08:00

Had my 416 first run this afternoon. One word - WOW!. The car has a lot of grip and steering even with a spool. I was using old set of tires but the car still sticks to the ground. Rear diff was really smooth and acceleration was great.

The IP 3800 was very punchy and may perhaps live up to its 35C claim. Only thing is that I have not added weights to the pack which causes the car's balance to be off during corners. I will be designing a lipo weight pack and check whether a friend of mine is able to machine it for me :)

Intellect IP 3800mAh 35C LiPo

2009-01-03T14:46:00.003+08:00

Got this new Intellect IP 3800 35C lipo pack to power my TRF416. It is hard casing with 21mm height and comes with deans plugs. Will see how it performs soon.

Projecto TRF416 WE completed!!

2009-01-03T14:14:00.003+08:00

Finaly completed my TRF416 WE. Very excited and cant wait to test it at the track.

Here are some pics of it.

The electronics: Futaba 9550, Tekin RS Pro, Hacker 11.5 BL motor, Spektrum mico rx and still got a lot of space left! :)

Got a new lipo Intellect IP 3800mAh 35C to power the 416. Going to test it later and see whether it live up to the 35C claim.

Pangkor Trip (Dec'08) with BB Boys

2008-12-30T15:22:00.002+08:00

Had a blast in Pangkor island with my high school mates... spent 2 full days of chilling and pigging out. Worst part was I was down with a cold so missed out the booze session with the guys. Nonetheless, it was one heck of a trip and a great gathering.

Projecto TRF416 World's Edition (Part 1)

2008-12-30T15:10:00.006+08:00

Finally laid my hands on the TRF416 WE!

Had a very busy week while building the car. Preparing the carbon fiber parts is really a looong process but the end results is worthy. Assembly tolerance is really tight and ended up some parts binding especially on the lower arms but not a biggie with some sanding work.

Rear diff with JAAD ceramic balls, ceramic thrust bearings and diff covers

Front spool

Still work in progress...

Orca Lipo 4000mAh 20C (Stick Pack) Review

2008-12-12T15:22:00.007+08:00

My VXR 3600mAh has bloated up a little and the charge is less than 60% of the pack. I should be disposing the pack now but stubbornly using it. I am storing and charging it in the LiPoSack.

After some research and comparison, I purchased the Orca 4000mAh 20C stick pack configuration for my M03. It comes with Tamiya plugs, 12 AWG wires and some Orca stickers. It is a soft pack but I was hoping it would be a hard lexan - I was wrong! The lipo is not packed to the brim with some air gap between the cells inside and the soft casing. I really doubt this is a 4000 pack. :(

If I have time, I will cycle it and give it a full charge to see its actual capacity. Testing will be done this Sunday at the track and will compare with my current Yeah 3200mAh 20C pack.

Here are some pictures of the Orca pack

Xray T2R gone...

2008-12-12T15:19:00.002+08:00

Finally sold my Xray T2R after posting it up for months. Out goes the old and still waiting for the new! Jeez... the wait is terrible!

M03 Setup Guide

2008-12-06T15:03:00.001+08:00

Excellent guide for setting up a M03.

Now I feel like ripping up my M03 and rebuilding it...

TRF416 World's Edition

2008-11-18T21:31:00.002+08:00

I want it!! Badly!!!! Supposedly available in my LHS in 2wks but I still doubt his words. Hehe~~

Marc Rheinard's winning TRF416

Source: Redrc.net (where else? :))

M03 Swift

2008-11-18T21:17:00.002+08:00

I think I got my M03 setup nicely now. It has stopped traction rolling and I feel more confident thru the corners now.

Things that I have done to make it handle better and faster:
1) universal joints - the car is much smoother and faster thru the corners
2) ball diff - felt more traction and acceleration exiting corner
3) heat sink - thanks my Adrian bro who CNC-ed a anodized blue heat sink! Well, I dont think it helps much in heat dissipation. But, hell yeah it does looks cooler!
4) TRF shocks - good shock travel length thanks to Ben
5) Weights - tonnes of it! Car stopped traction rolling mainly due to added weights.

However, Swift still rolls a lot thru corners due to a lot of droop. Next hop up will be short springs which I tried and it works to great effect of reducing droop and roll.

Marc Rheinard World Champion!

2008-11-17T14:41:00.001+08:00

Hacker Motor update

2008-11-05T22:12:00.002+08:00

Geared that bugger at 5.3 FDR with temp max at 140F after 8mins run. Still not up to speed as my buddy on Speedpassion. All this was done with 0 timing on the Tekin RS Pro. I just had the Hotwire hooked up and set the timing at 100%. Will see how it goes this weekend...

Lexma 2.4G Nano Laser Mouse Review

2008-11-05T21:30:00.010+08:00

My reliable and faithful Logitech optical mouse has decided to be unreliable and unfaithful one day giving me non-stop glitches which irritates the crap hell of me. So I have thrown it aside since then until I finally decided to forked out some dough from my RC trust fund to purchase Lexma 2.4G Nano Laser mouse. Due to the RC trust fund is a negative ROI fund, I decided not to buy Logitech since it is more expensive for the same spec I get with the Lexma.

Quick run down on the Lexma mouse. It is 2.4G wireless, laser, DPI settings from 1000 to 2000dpi and nanoguard technology which supposedly anti bacteria up to 99.9% efficiency. Maybe it is good for people who dont wash their hands after using the toilet. All marketing cock and bull to me.

The overall ergo or feel of the mouse is not too bad for its price. Connectivity and binding between the USB receiver to the mouse is straightforward. The receiver 'stores' itself by sliding onto the mouse externally. The mouse uses 2 AA batteries so it does not have any more room to fit the receiver inside as opposed to
some Logitech models.

The mouse wheel is 4-way. The wheel scroll can be wacky at times where it is not that sensitive. I do not use much of the left and right scroll but it would be nice to have them programable to be Back and Forward buttons when surfing the web.

The mouse glitches sometimes which puzzled me since it is using 2.4G band. Perhaps it is not using Futaba FASST or Spektrum DSM! Lol! I hate it when the bloody thing glitces!

I have yet to verify the battery consumption of the mouse as I have been using it for less than a month. The mouse goes into standby mode after a few minutes to save battery.

Overall, if you can live with the occasional insensitivity or glitch then this may be ok for you. If you have the extra dough get a better mouse such a Logitech. Well, I guess it sums up you pay what you get.

Hacker Brushless Motor

2008-10-09T10:21:00.008+08:00

Ordered the Hacker Brushless motor from US. I was really excited after following the thread in RCTech. As soon as I saw the packaging, I was quite disappointed as it didnt look very presentable. The packaging was made from cheap cardboard material and just a sticker stating Hacker motor. I was having high hopes that this motor was made in US or Germany. I was dead wrong! LoL!!

The sensor wires does not have shrink tube or the wire coil similar to Novak.

The PCB board has a flash on top which is not appealing.

Well, lets see how this motor performs in the next few weeks...

When It Falls Apart

2008-09-28T12:48:00.001+08:00

KM Racing Carbon Tools

2008-09-24T14:46:00.002+08:00

KM Racing (km-rc.com) recently released these new hex drivers with awesome looking carbon fiber handles! More excuses to change to a new set of tools~~

Source: km-rc.com, redrc.net

Rain!

2008-09-08T12:00:00.002+08:00

Damn... I hate it when it rains in the weekend. No chance to test my new ESC settings.

Well, I like when it rains since it cools down the weather but not rain on a weekend...

Team Tekin RS Pro ESC

2008-08-28T08:56:00.004+08:00

Got myself a brand new Tekin RS Pro esc. Its runs both sensored and sensorless modes which Tekin calls it Hybrid mode. It has smaller footprint and no heatsink. I bought the Hotwire also but have yet to install and tune the esc.

This is the comparison of the footprint between RS Pro vs my old (now ex) Novak GTB.

The current layout of my electronics with the Spektrum Micro RX and RS Pro. I added a fan directed to the solder posts of the esc for cooling.

Spektrum Micro Receiver

2008-08-28T08:55:00.002+08:00

Just got my hands on the Spektrum micro receiver. I made a comparison here to see how small it is compared to the Pro version. Now, this will help me to save space in my electronics layout :) Binding is piece of cake with the micro bind plug.

Australia and NZ Trip

2008-08-28T08:02:00.003+08:00

Went to Melbourne and NZ for 2 wks and took quite a lof of pics esp in NZ. Wish I had a DSLR with me! Most of the pics are not with me because I dont have my camera (had a old skool cam though). Anyway, here are some pics I took with my K800i.

It was almost 5 yrs since I had my last Krispy Kreme donuts. Finally got hold of some while in Melb. Krispy Kreme beats both JCo and Big Apple donuts anytime!

Speight's Ale - amazing ale from NZ!!

Quit RC Drifting

2008-08-28T08:00:00.003+08:00

I have stop drifting many months now and finally decided to sell off the TT01D. Figured out that drifting is really not my cup of tea... speed is the way to go!!

Dusk

2008-08-28T07:56:00.003+08:00

Here is a picture I took from E&O Hotel towards Gurney area. Took the picture using my trusty Sony Ericson K800i.

Speedpassion 11.5R BL motor (1st run)

2008-06-08T14:11:00.002+08:00

I was lucky to buy a 2nd Speedpassion 11.5R brushless motor for a reasonably cheap price. The 11.5R is equivalent to a 23T brushed stock motor.

Installed it last week but the supplied sensor cable was too short! I had no choice but to buy a new longer SP sensor cable.

Tested the motor this morning in a small and tight track designed for Minis. The motor is really good and better than I expected. I changed the Xray multidiff from solid spool to solid one-way and I can feel the smoothness when the car off throttle and enter the corner. Run time has increased compared to the Novak 4.5R. Motor runs much cooler too with a 5.5 FDR. Overall, I am happy with it and I am thinking twice before running mod.

However, more improvements are required from grip, ESC setup, FDR and car setup.

Cant wait to get my hands on the Speedpassion GT ver1.1 ESC...

V6 cannot start

2008-05-14T13:33:00.005+08:00

Yesterday after work, my V6 cant start. Turned the ignition and not even a sound came up. Then, alarm went cranky! So, I thought it was my old battery which finally went dead. Luckily, I have a brand new Bosch maintainence free batt which I bought from my bro. So, installed the new batt while office people were passing by. :( Ironically, I still cant start with the new batt. So, after calling Kev's mech and troubleshooting thru the phone I managed to get it started. Could be the alarm system needs to be reset... not too sure what happened there. Well, so far so good now...

Thinking of buying a new car to replace the 4-yr old V6. Would really really love to own the Impreza WRX, most prob not a STi cos I simply cant afford it. Th3 BMW E46 is another option. Tough contenders... Also, Kevin has a good deal on the E36 M3. That I can afford but have to think about the maintainance. Anyway, most prob will forego the E36 as it may have conflict interest with my bro since he is dying to own that piece of ultimate driving machine. Only thing which stands in his way is financial backing...

Nagoya Motor Show 2007

2008-05-10T22:32:00.016+08:00

On my last biz trip to Japan, I took additional one day off to drop by the Nagoya 2007 Motor Show. It was a rare chance and by luck that the show coincide with my travelling dates. This motor show is the smaller version of the Tokyo Motor show.

I was contemplating whether to attend the motor show since I have to settle my accomodation in Japan which is expensive. Well, the main reason I went to the show is because the new GTR was just launched recently and I could not miss this chance! So below are some of the pics of the Beast itself...

nice cross-section view of the car. Looks like camera trick eh?

The drivetrain. Check out the CF prop shaft! There are 2 shafts there - the CF is the main drive shaft while the other one drives the front wheels if necessary.

so damn close to the GTR but yet so far! Some lucky guys were able to get into the cockpit and I think its by special invitation.

Impreza ver10 WRX rally car. I am just going to show the front. For the rear, you can have a look at the Harrier. I was disappointed with the whole Ver10 design from the hatch back design to the rear lights. But then, Imprezas is not about beauty, it is whats underneath the hood and its performance. Anyhow, I am still eyeing on the Ver8 and 9.

Suzuki Hayabusa. Bad ass bike...

Audi really scored big time with their new LED light design. Like the simple yet aggresive front spoilers with the huge ducts. Perhaps they figured out its time to mount some challenge to BMW's infamous angel eyes.

I wonder why there is no S2000 is Msia. All I see nowadays are RX8s on the roads. Amazing roadster. Wish this could be my project car.

Supra replacement model. I think its called LH-S. Very futuristic and edgy design - not sure whether the real car will incorporate this or not. I foresee it will give the GTR a challenge.

One of the best wheel design I have seen. Very nice spokes and there are CF all over the wheel. Nice! It may help if the calipers and rotors are much larger.

TheSPfiles

2008-05-09T08:58:00.001+08:00

I was introduced by a buddy of mine YW to this blog - theSPfiles.blogspot.com. It was a blog to capture all the mods by this local Penang guy, Andrew Saw on his Putra (he has sold off his Putra). I was reading thru his archive postings and was completely blown away by his level of mods. The effort, time, money and 'detail-ness' was top notch! He took into account the technical aspects of most of his mods and unlike some ppl who just dump in a massive turbocharger without considering the optimization portion of the mod.

So far, I was really impressed with his carbon fiber hood. It was a DIY project and only succeeded on the 3rd time which met his expectation.

Need to continue to keep reading~~~

VXR 3600 LiPo

2008-05-08T08:34:00.006+08:00

I jumped into the LiPo bandwagon after tired of maintaining NiMh packs. So after much research on LiPo, I got the VXR 3600mAh rated at 20C. Its a pretty good deal and thin (15mm) so it can fit into my T2R without any modification. Currently, I have modified the VXR pack to fit into the Mini. T2R is using the MaxAmps 5000 *grin*

The VXR pack has decent power maybe due to the 3600mAh which lacks more amp output. About the 20C rating - not too sure how true is that. Read a lot forums saying that the C rating is more of a marketing gimmick and there is no actual standardize method to test or rate it.

So far, the VXR pack held up pretty good and quite balance thus, I only balance it once in a while. It is really light about 170g. I have shown some mods to the pack to fit int the Mini and also added about 120g. The Mini has better balance and traction rolling was reduced. Well slightly reduced due to the fact that I am using 26mm (1/10) Sorex tires and also my driving is not smooth.

Here are some mods I did to the pack to fit into the Mini...

Added 120g of weights to the top and bottom of the pack. I was very lucky to get steel weights and there are thin ones from the tire shop. Usually weights are made of lead. After adding the weights and foam tape, I shrink wrap it.

The double-sided foam tape fills in the gap between the edges of the pack and the rounded battery slot of the Mini. Also, absorb some impact since the Mini undergoes heavy impact. :-) The modded pack fits like a glove! Hehe... happy with the end result!

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Black Swift

2008-05-08T07:29:00.004+08:00

Some pics of my Tamiya Mini M03-M Swift. Again, it is very very beaten up now due to accidents and countless traction rolling... :( :(

One of the reason I got hooked to RC...

2008-05-08T07:29:00.003+08:00

is because of this video by Singaporean drifters. Saw it few years ago and it I was amazed with their drifting skills + the whole choreography of the video.

checkout soundtrack too!

Tamiya TT01-D Silvia

2008-05-08T07:28:00.003+08:00

Here are some of the pics of the Silvia... wayyyy back before I thrashed this car with my amateur control skillz :)

Setting the TT01

2008-05-07T23:06:00.001+08:00

Set the TT01 to have larger downstop now to have smaller droop. Even with the high downstop, the droop is still a lot. Also, the ride height was lowered by 1mm. Will see how it goes this Thurs night when I try the new settings.

I was quite happy on the previous setting. Significant difference was felt afetr adjusting the droop, height and spring settings. No more oversteering in the mid corners! However, need more improvement. Silvia still understeers in tight corners and in S- turns.

2 more days for RC drifting!!!

Obsession...

2008-05-07T23:02:00.001+08:00

Always wanted radio control or RC cars since I was young. Thus, when I had the chance to go Japan, I got my 1st RC kit - a Tamiya TT01-D Silvia for drifting! I love S15 Silvias!!

Its been almost a yr now and tonnes of money spent but its damn satisfying! I love cars but cant afford to buy and fully mod a real car. Also, how fast can a modded car go in Msia roads??? As for RC, I have tune different settings and use different parts to change the handling characteristics of the car. Its really great fun to have the car run the way you intend it to be.

My collection has grown from the TT01-D drift car to Xray T2R and Tamiya M03M Swift. The Swift is the cheapest and most fun to drive esp. with a group of friends. The T2R is fast and can be much faster but my skills is the limit. Needs more practice. I am eyeing a new car which is the Tamiya 416 - target to get it by end of this year.

As for real car, it have to wait... quite happy with my V6. A year to go before complete my loan. The itch is always there to get a new car. Would love the BMW E46 325i or the Scooby WRX or a Evo 8. Damn! Well, will review my options again when the loan finishes...

Virgin post!

2008-05-07T23:01:00.000+08:00

1st post on my blog! Hopefully I will be able to keep updating this blog with my jottings on life, my new found obsession - RC cars, real cars as well as gadgets...