Betwen Mini Z and Epoch
 

Any suggestions on what kind of car to start with. If i'm correct the mini z has lots of options but the epoch has few. I am new to this hobby car thing. I would appreciate any information/suggestions.

What are you expecting from your RC car? Meaning, where and how to you intend to use it?

There is a HUGE size and speed difference between the two. Here is a picture for comparison. The Mini-Z is yellow and the Epoch is white.

Here's a nice side shot:

(the ride height on my Epoch happened to be set unusually high)

I want to have a car I can race in small spaces. I've seen Namuna's video on his site of his epoch and it seems faster than a microsizer (2.2). I want a car that has nice detailing on the body and can upgrade if I choose.

You should check this out....I watched this video (uses realplayer) that covered a race in France.

http://www.motorstv.com/tv2.php3?id_...d=1&debit=high

I was impressed but the epoch is only 10 dollars less.

The Epoch are very fun BUT you can make the Mini-Z alot faster alot easier.

The only upgrades currently offered (besides cosmetic) for the Epoch are: different springs in front, and the 4cell mod.

gertman you know what's funny. I looked at dinball and and toyeast and they have models that the US website don't have.

http://www.kyosho.com/cars/kyod01x3.html ---- learned hobbico markets for US

I was wondering if dinball and toyeast have a good reputation?

why is that funny?

Of course over-seas sellers have more models to choose from. Lot's of Japanese RC stuff isn't officially imported here: Epoch's, Digi Q's etc........on ABC stuff, the "official" American distributor doesn't carry a lot of parts that are availble in Japan and else where.

Just remember, the only difference in the Mini-Z's are the bodies. I think maybe the Mercedes DTM and one other have widder tires in the back.

I did it!!!!
 

I just ordered a red Ferrari 360 Modena for $121 w/ shipping. Is that a reasonable price with shipping? I did get the insurance because heck anything could happen between here and China.

Hi deadite, I have the same chassy you really going to like the style! vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........:D The Price is not Bad with shipping good Job:D

Sad sad sad Usagi I'm over on the Mini-z board now. I may not be coming back here since I ordered the other car. :(

oh too bad deadite:( we will miss you.

Come back anyway
 

I dont have a mini z or an epoch yet but i surf all the forums im getting a mini z first second a epoch or digi q tanks and a bit/micfrosizer not nessarly in that order

so im here to be here

Here is are some videos of a 4cell modified Epoch and a highly modified Mini-Z going around my track.

4-Cell Epoch

Modified Mini-Z

Nice .... I can hardly waith for my Ferrari 360. I ordered it from dinball.com

Got finally my two Epoch Spec 2.

Made the 4 cell mod (it worth , but it take time and isn't so easy, and for rebuild the car is necessary to remove the to wires to the servo engine and connect again at the end !)

The Epoch with 4 cell is comparable in speed as a Mini-Z with a X-Speed.
Acceleration look better on the Mini-Z since it has more grip, and the Epoch isn't as light as the dimension would suggest.

For play in a standard flat the best car is a Epoch, for a dedicated place the best is the Mini-Z.

On the tamiya speed checker I registered 29km/h top speed for the Epoch, almost the same of my Mini-F1 with X-Speed (but not 100% buttery charged and just NiMh).

The good things of Epoch is the lower gravity center, and a pretty soft and well shaped tyres !

e_lm_70

P.S: I suggest to get both Epoch & Mini-Z (the F1 is cool)

Where on earth did you get your Tamiya speed checker??
TinyRC maybe an item you guys can carry?
Can you tell me what site you got yours from?

Honestly, this device annoys me to no end, as many people don't realize that it's measurements are nothing to do with real life performance, so I don't think we'll carry it - but if we find one that actually works, we'll stock those! :)

Hi,

I got the speed checker for 15$, so for 15$ is ok that is more a toy then a reliable speed tester.

Made a mistake on checking the speed of my Epoch, I got 29km/h with one weel keeped stopped, so the free weel was running twice the motor speed due to the differential.

So the "real" speed of a Epoch 4 cell is 17km/h, like a stock Mini-Z.

I have seen the use and abouse of Tamiya Speed Checker on a Auldey mod site. In this site thay have used it also for measure a 1/10 scale up to 90km/h !!!

The speed that I mesured so far are:
9km/h Bit-CharG 3.0 Fast gear.
12km/h Digi-Q
17km/h Mini-Z stock
17km/h Epoch 4 cell
22km/h Mini-Z 9T pinion
24km/h Mini-Z 9T pinion Turbo (stock motor)
28km/h MiniZ F1 X-Speed

All these data are pretty reproducible on the speed checker, so the Tamiya doesn't show random number.

The roll in the checker look pretty accurate for reproduce the real effort for the car to run on a flat flor. (Aerodinamic effect are missing, but with a speed of 28km/h they are till pretty small)

The 17km/h for a stock Mini-Z is also the official declared speed for the Mini-Z.

Every budy is free to think what he want about this type of data, but for me it is a good system for compare mods over cars.

e_lm_70

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that it's random, just that it's not applicable to real race conditions etc. - I can make a Mini-Z motor that will read 100km/h on the Speed Checker, but won't be able to move its own weight once it's off of those rollers. ;)

Yes and No :

Yes it is possible to make tricks for let the Mini-Z run over the speed checker without having the gravity force over the ruller.

No, the Mini-Z if well positioned over the checker, it has his natural gravity force between weels and rullers. So the speed is pretty accurate.

So far the data get out of the speed checker are consitent with the real speed comparison of the cars:

New data:

7km/h iRacer
9km/h Bit-Char-G booster 3.0 Fast gear.
12km/h Digi-Q
17km/h Mini-Z stock
17km/h Epoch 4 cell
22km/h Mini-Z 9T pinion
24km/h Mini-Z 9T pinion Turbo (stock motor)
28km/h MiniZ F1 X-Speed

I think it sounds like it can just be a gauge if you can see significant amounts of change of speed between cell mods and so on. I want one. Anyone out there can recommend a site to purchase one!!!! Or does anyone have one for sale?

e_lm_70, it's not a case of tricking the unit, but rather that the unit is by design "tricked" - take a look at Mini-ZRacer.com Forums and you'll find plenty of Speed Checker owners that concede that the unit is useless for measuring realistic speed. :)

Hmm...
 

I actually wondering about this too.

I can get Mini Z parts locally, but the only real famous car here is the Micro RS4.

I'm also thinking between Mini Z and Epoch.
For me, it's a used Mini Z or a new Epoch 1/43. My only fear is if my Epoch breaks or something, then I'm in trouble and I'll have to buy another car to replace it.

How to get replacement parts? And does the Epoch have problems?

Okay, here's a run down on the Epoch from another place. I wrote, so I'm not ripping it off:

The day I got my Epoch was the day I put down my Bits. I realized I spent more time modding than having fun racing them. I now have a Bit track and mess with them now and again, but my Epoch collects no dust.

Why do I tell it to you this way? I can't sleep and it's late, I'm bored and I want to bore you too...

Okay, here's the deal. A stock Epoch was pretty dissapointing to me speed wise 7mph. But then I looked back on a stock bit, and they're doggy'er than my worst blind date 1-2mph. Anyway, as soon as you open the box on the Epoch, you notice a definate quality un-associated with bits. You will absolutely LOVE the proportional control of the Epoch. As soon as you do a 4cell mod on the Spec2, you will never want to put it down. I added a 100mah Zap cell to mine at first, but I got noticeable performance increase when I just threw down some cash for a pre-made 4cell pack. Installation was slightly tedious, but worth it.

Stock Spec2 goes in the neighborhood of 7mph (which really isn't that bad, but didn't make me pee my pants). 4cell will bump it up to approx 10mph (oops, now I dribbled). That's way out of control for your standard "Bit", but the Epoch handles it well. It is controllable beyond anything I have owned to date.

From what I hear, adding a 5th cell is sketchy. Some have fried stuff, some haven't. One guy added FET's to his current Spec2 PCB and was able to get 7cells on that bad boy. He said the car was virtually uncontrollable because it was sooooo fast. (on all tracks I have used so far, I didn't want any more than 4cells anyway)

You can purchase lot's of factory repl. parts if you screw up. The only way to get the FET's so far from what I can tell, is to buy a repl PCB for around $8 and just take them off.

You can buy different suspension springs which help out tons on handling, depending on your driving surface. There are 3 different compounds of knobby tire to buy. Std. hard, med., and soft. I want to get the soft one's, but haven't yet. The Med and Soft actually have 2 tire sizes within the kit. You can put the small ones on front and big on back for speed and cutting donuts, or the small on back and big on front for torque and umm.... cutting donuts'er. Either way, this thing will smoke 'em if you're on a smooth surface. I usually run mine on tight weave carpet now, because I have worn my back tires bald within a month.

Bit Mod's vs. Epoch...

Range mod- none needed Range is excellent stock
speed mod- 4cell is fairly easy. more cells=considerable more work
Traction- Epoch tires are great!
Other mod's? What are there? Beauty upgrades, I guess. You can do that to anything.

Drifting you ask? I can make my Spec2 stick to a corner HARD, or power into it and slide that Sukka where ever I want to. (I don't like that term. I prefer the old Skidding Terminology )

Jumps...hmmm...ummm... Most definately!!! I made an oval in my kitchen with a couple of double jumps, and jumped all night. At 10mph, you can launch the snot outta the thing, but it cleared my jumps at half speed. I jump mine all the time, and thanks to the plush suspension upgrade I did, my car still works like new. Better than new.

I don't know what else to tell you, except for the Mini-Z issue you are dealing with.
From what I hear, the Mini-Z is built better than the Epoch. MiniZ parts are thick as thieves. You can make a MiniZ go as fast as you want, I guess. Add FET's and motors and you get 30mph. Maybe more, who know's? The real issue is SPACE-TO-RACE. The MiniZ is approx 6" and the Epoch is about 4". I am limited on space, so the Epoch is pushing it for me. If you have space, get a Z. I hope to get one for my birthday in a couple months, but I don't think it will replace my Epoch.

Buy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy EpochBuy Epoch (as if I didn't waste enough space already)

Oh yeah, Mini Z is about 10mph out of the box. (I think) I smoked a stock Z speed racer set with my 4cell spec2. (not smoked, I guess. I beat 'em though)

Now against the Z... I don't know because I don't have my Z yet, but if you don't have room for a Z get an Epoch. My Epoch is ran hard every day on multiple charges. I don't have problems with it. If you need parts, buy them here at Tinyrc.com.

Sorry, but this thread was a Bit guy asking about Epoch's. Either way, it's a good description of the Indoor Racer. I love mine.

Where you can get a Epoch PCB for 8$ ???

BR

e_lm_70

Sorry, $8.95 here at Tinyrc.com