New K2 buggy!

[woody]

Greetings Gentlemen,
O.K. heres the story: I just bought a K2 used, it's only 6 months old, and really taken care of. I bought it from a friend, and he is real meticulous about his rc's like myself. This thing looks brand new. He sold it to me for a good price, with alot of hop ups. This thing was RTR!! Engine, radios, servos, etc.!! So, when I go to do my business setting up my MX3 it gives me a little headache. Mainly, because I don't know what I'm doing still!! And those Barney style instructions that the MX3 comes with are worthless. After getting things straight, steering is going well, throttle opens up all the way, brakes work, etc., I fired her up!! Damn, battery is dead!! I charge it up, and go about my way. Run a tank through her, let her cool, and then start on another tank. Then all of a sudden she stops in the middle of the street! Fail safe worked, thank god!! So, I realize the battery is dead again!!
I charge it back up, and run the rest of the tank out. Next day I start to play with it again, and the battery is dead within the first few minutes!! Now, I know I'm running digital servos and they are suppose to drain a battery quickly! But DAMN!!!! When I turn on all the radios the servos go whacky at first until they get straight. Then they just continue to make their buzzing sound. Is that normal?? I've got a supermaxx, but I only have the analog servos and they don't give me any troubles. Also, do you think I could have the MX3 setup wrong. Any suggestions on where I could start??

Thanks Woody

[robriguez]

if your receiver pack is dying that fast I would start thinking about a replacement

[uDi_MP7.5]

1. Yes digital servos "buzz" like that it's normal. It's the sound of the motor constantly centering itself, happens at a much higher rate than analogues.

2. Buy or build a new RX pack - 5 AA cells fit the Kanai box, so what I did was buy 5 2000mah AA Nimh cells and made my own hump pack. I run digital servos too and that pack doesn't go flat for a long time.

3. Try resetting the MX3 to factory settings if possible. And then just adjust the neccessaries - like EPA and trim/subtrim. Make sure EPA is set right or you will damage the digital servos.

[dgrobe2112]

or you can go to www.kinetixrc.com and get a 2250mah receiver pack for 20 bux.. and that thing will run for a solid 2 hours..

http://www.kinetixrc.com/contact/

he dotn have them on his website.. but email him.. and he will get it for you...

[Maskale]

I was having trouble with my hump packs going out on me in about 20min after a overnight charge, so I would just buy more hump packs so that I could run longer. Well I finally broke down and bought me a good charger and that made all the difference, now I can run a good while on a half hour charge and now I got more batteries than I need. So I would recomend getting a good charger if you have not already got one.

[dgrobe2112]

yeah.. definitly.. if your using a wall charger.. where you plug into the wall to charge the pack.. then that is the problem.. i use a piranha digital charger.. charges both NiCD and NiMH packs.. worth the 50 bux definitly..

[woody]

Greetings Guys,
Well, I live in Japan! So, the charger I got was the best they had in stock down at the LHS, about $70 US dollars. It's made by Kyosho, and like most other chargers over here you hook it up to your car battery, or any other type of battery to charge it. The charger, I would have to say is pretty nice. It charges both NiCD and HiMH. Has the delta peak sensor, quick discharge, quick charge, etc. So, I don't really think that is where the problem lies. Today I'm going to switch my hump pack from the SuperMaxx which is only about 6 months old and put in in the buggy and see how it works. I'll get back with you on that situation. Meanwhile, due to the Barney style instructions that come with the MX3, let me ask some questions please?? EPA or End Point Average?? Is the percentage in which you want to the servo to open the throttle/close up the brakes or left and right turning radius?? Hence the End Point right?? Well I've got the throttle set up at about I think 50%, and that is where the throttle shows fully open in the venturi area. The brakes are a different story, I think I've got them set at about 90%, for a full on lock up. Am I doing this right?? I still have not set the end point on the wheels yet. It seems to be working fine, other than when I give it gas, it veers a little to the right, which I have been told is normal. Can anybody tell me what ARC means on the MX3?? I appreciate all of you guys help!!

Respectfully,
Woody

[uDi_MP7.5]

EPA is end point adjustment. It adjusts the maximum throw of the servo to the left and the right (seperately adjustable). The point where the travel "ends" if you will.

You obviously use this to set the servo so it is not trying to push past the limits of the linkages. Eg for steering, turn the endpoints down for both left + right, and then slowly increase them till the linkage gives the maximum steering throw it allows. And for throttle, set it so that the servo is not trying to pull past the carbs fully open point (which I think youve already done as you said), and so that it is not stressing too hard when you hit the brakes.

And it the car shouldn't veer a little to one way, that simply means you have to play with your steering trim until it doesn't. Steering trim or steering subtrim, if your radio has a subtrim function you should adjust that first. If it's just veering on acceleration however and runs dead straight once it's rolling/at speed then it's okay just leave it.

And as for ARC sorry I have no idea what it stands for. Airtronics seem to use weird and non-standard abbreviations when it comes to radio functions, I live on the Futaba side of things. (The grass is greener on MY side )