Anyone drive their rc in the snow ?

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Matthew Drover - 27 Oct 2006 12:43 GMT

I plan on getting my first rc this Christmas. A T-maxx 3.3. There will
be a lot of snow here by then, and i can't wait till spring.

Is it safe to drive on hard snow, and does anyone have any tips on
winter driving.

thanks

-Matt

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DanTXD - 27 Oct 2006 13:24 GMT

>I plan on getting my first rc this Christmas. A T-maxx 3.3. There will be a
>lot of snow here by then, and i can't wait till spring.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> -Matt

I do :-) Although, they can be a a.s to tune, cos of the low air temps.
You may struggle to get temps up. I've heard of some people wrapping
cooling heads in socks/foil to help maintain temperature. For tuning in the
snow, as a newbie, I'd strongly recommend a temp gun.

As for driving on snow, that's fine, bare in mind electronics and water
don't go so well, so after it's done, bung it in the airing cupboard for
like, 2 days, to make sure it really is dry - but usually I never have a
problem.

Driving on hard snow and ice can give a lot of revs and not a lot of moving,
but as the air temp is usually very low overheating isn't usually an issue,
but keep a careful eye. Also, make sure not to over-rev the new engine for
a good for tanks as on ice it's pretty much like nailing it with the wheels
off the ground.

All in all, get a temp gun, follow the guide in the Traxxas book (which are
excellent for newbs), and have fun :-) I'd suggest ignoring tuning the low
end on ice, as it'll be able to spool up very easily anyway (that'll make
sense when you have it heh).

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Dan - on his PC

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Matthew Drover - 27 Oct 2006 14:37 GMT

I've read articles about wrapping components in balloons, and putting
sealant around other parts to keep out the water, Is this necessary ?

This article in particular -
http://www.rccaraction.com/articles/ht_snoproof.asp

-Matt

>> I plan on getting my first rc this Christmas. A T-maxx 3.3. There will be a
>> lot of snow here by then, and i can't wait till spring.
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> end on ice, as it'll be able to spool up very easily anyway (that'll make
> sense when you have it heh).

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Bradley V. Stone - 27 Oct 2006 15:34 GMT

> I've read articles about wrapping components in balloons, and putting
> sealant around other parts to keep out the water, Is this necessary ?
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> -Matt

I've read about this too.. but most guys I've talked to that do bash in
the snow say they don't do it... or if anything just put a little
dielectric greas in any openings (like where wires go in the receiver or
servos).

The thing they DO do is once done, have your air compressor ready to go
in a cold room and blow all the snow/water off.. then put it somewhere
to dry the rest of the way (warm/dry room). They say sometimes the
servos will be glitchy when a little wet, but once dry they are fine.

I guess I'm lucky that way. I have 2 shops. :) One isn't attached to
the house where my compressor is (my ATV shop), and in the winter I keep
at 45f. The other is my "dog house" where I work on my RC stuff
attached to the house and I keep that at 55, but it's got a heater in it
that will warm it up to 80 in 10 minutes.. lol..

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DanTXD - 27 Oct 2006 16:02 GMT

> I've read articles about wrapping components in balloons, and putting
> sealant around other parts to keep out the water, Is this necessary ?
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> -Matt

These things don't do any harm - see here for what a waterproofed Maxx can
do :-)

http://www.maxbashing.com/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=12&t=36131&s=4afc6c8d55ad49db
c4f2facc98a44388

IMHO - More important is try not to submerge it in water, and once you're
done, make sure it is FULLY dry. Take the lid off the radio tray, wipe it
all off with kitchen roll, then leave it for a good while somewhere it can
really dry like an airing cupboard.

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Dan - on his PC

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MatthewJ - 28 Oct 2006 00:38 GMT

Maxbashing... my new fav site :)

thanks for the link.

>> I've read articles about wrapping components in balloons, and putting
>> sealant around other parts to keep out the water, Is this necessary ?
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> all off with kitchen roll, then leave it for a good while somewhere it can
> really dry like an airing cupboard.

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Qwerty - 27 Oct 2006 17:47 GMT

> >I plan on getting my first rc this Christmas. A T-maxx 3.3. There will be a
> >lot of snow here by then, and i can't wait till spring.
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> end on ice, as it'll be able to spool up very easily anyway (that'll make
> sense when you have it heh).

All of above and one more point. The plastic bits become very brittle. Just
a warning.

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Richard - 28 Oct 2006 05:25 GMT

> I plan on getting my first rc this Christmas. A T-maxx 3.3. There will
> be a lot of snow here by then, and i can't wait till spring.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> -Matt

SNOW??? What is this snow you speak of?

Sorry couldn't help it, I haven't seen snow for over 20 years except for on
the television.

Tip #1 Read The Manual
Tip #2 Refer to Tip #1

There is plenty of information in the Tmaxx 3.3 manual and you can download
it from the Traxxas web site (See Page 30).

The only reason I mention the manual is because if the manual says to do it
then Traxxas should also cover the warranty when/if something should go
wrong.

Cheers

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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Land Models / October 2006

Anyone drive their rc in the snow ?