rcLazy LiPo Weight ™
rcLazy LiPo Weight (tm)
Using LiPos in a touring car has one big downside: they’re too light.
So you have to add masses of weight to them. Usually the shortcut is to stick weights all over the cells.
But, if you then want to use the cells in a different car, that needs different, or no weights at all, then you’re stuck.
Until I came up with my amazingly simple rcLazy LiPo Weight ™!
Underneath, simples.
How to make one:
- Get a lump of thin lead sheet, cut it a bit shorter than your lipo, then cut it to width by weight, I needed about 150g.
- Then, just fold it over the top of your lipo, perhaps with an extra fold on the outside edge to make it fit.
- Cover it with your favourite Fablon. (I do have a roll of very choice Smarties fablon, but I decided carbon look would be more acceptable by the Touring Car fraternity.)
Negatives
It’s not perfect, the weight it pretty high up in the car, and a bit towards the centre perhaps, but, it’s easy, you just clip it on, tape it down and race.
And, if you’re running a fat lipo, it might be a tight squeeze under your top deck.
Oh, and remember, it’s very bendy, so don’t squash it.
Written by simon.
How To Add a 40mm Cooling Fan to Tamiya M03 Mini
Small fans are often used on Radio Controlled Cars, for cooling speed controls, or motors.
I was running a 30mm 3 Racing fan on my Tamiya M03 Mini, and I recently ’stuck my finger through it’. This is common occurence, where a misplaced finger causes the fan to break.
I had repaired it with superglue and it had been okay for a meeting or two.
In one run though, I felt I was down on power, and I reckon it’s cos the fan broke again, and end up looking like this…
Broken 3-Racing 30mm Fan
I think that was enough to jam it, and cause an increased power drain on the batteries, and hence a reduction in power to the motor, slowing the car.
Time to replace it, I wondered if there was a way of fitting a larger, 40mm fan in a similar place.
After some measuring, a failed attempt at a mounting bracket, I came up with a small bracket that mounts a 40mm fan above the motor.
40mm Fan and Bracket
The bracket is a simple piece of aluminium angle, with two M3 bolts securing it to the fan, and one M3 bolt securing it to the chassis.
Simple and neat. A 40mm fan is more effective and stronger than a 30mm fan.
Written by simon.
Connectors for Fans etc. on Radio Controlled Cars
I picked up some of the small 2mm ‘Corally’ type banana connectors, off of ebay [search for: 2mm gold connector], these are ideal for use connecting fans, UBECs, LiPo cut-offs, etc.
http://www.vimeo.com/2991381In my e-savage I had two fans and a UBEC I wanted to connect direct to the battery voltage. I connect two wires, one to each of the +ve and -ve on the Deans battery connectors, and run them to where I want the sockets of for the accessories.
Then, I soldered three of the 2mm sockets in a small triangle, and onto one of the power wires. So 6 2mm sockets in total, 3 +ve, 3 -ve. Heatshrink around each triangle of three, gives a nice neat 3-way socket.
On each fan/ubec I have a 2mm plug on the power wires, heatshrink them again and plug them into the socket.
It’s important that there is no bare connector showing, especially as the +ve and -ve are often positioned next to each other.
