Mini-x tech questions
 

No one replied to my questions from my earlier thread, so I'm reposting them here. That last thread was pretty long-winded, so I wouldn't blame anyone for failing to miss the fact I actually asked questions at the end!

1. I could not get the esc to setup properly, and I tried dozens of times. The directions claim that, after the red light stays on and the green light goes out, to pull the trigger all the way full-throttle until the green goes on and the red goes off. Then move the throttle full reverse until the motor beginss spinning in reverse. This never worked for me, and the car only seemed to run well after I turned it off and just turned it back on, without attempting to set it up. Even then, reverse never really works well (full forward works fine, but it just sputters in reverse, and very slowly). I tried every combination of throttle-channel reversing, messing with the throttle trim, and so on. I am suspecting that the radio I'm using (I'm using an AM airtronics blazer temporarily) is just not compatible with the receiver, as I notice people are having good luck with Futaba's and those Perfex ones that come with mini-z's. What do you all think? Is the red light supposed to come on during full forward throttle, which mine does, or is the green supposed to, as I would have expected? Perhaps the esc is accidentally wired backwards to the motor (I can't tell, since the motor doesn't have any marks to distinguish between + and -)?

2. After 3 batteries, I burnt out the motor. I noticed it got very hot, but just ignored it as nobody seemed to have any problem with this. There is an enormous amount of clearance between the long side of the armature and the motor's bushing, but I figured this was just sound engineering as the motor easily could bind if the alignment was not perfect (which it can't be, given the fact the shaft is so long). What do you all think about this?

Thanks for your time,
Bravin Neff

Full throttle will show a red light, reverse will show a green light. Is the throttle trim on your transmitter set to neutral? Was it when you set the speed controll up? The motors due get hot, you should keep the motor clean and oil the bushings. Also make sure the front shaft holder is not twisted and binding the motor shaft.

Yes and yes. Given that, do you suppose the transmitter may not be compatible with the receiver, or the crystal that came with the car? Or do you think the esc is flawed?

I didn't oil the bushings, nor did I check the front shaft rest/mount for binding. But I only ran the car with three battery charges, which seems premature to me. But I think it's most probably due to the fact I was running the car on a semi-deep shaggy carpet, where the bottom of the chassis was constantly rubbing and forcing the motor to work harder. That thing got so hot that it probably would have caused a first degree burn had I not released my figer less than a second after I touched it!

Anyway, thanks for the response.

Regards,
Bravin Neff

HUM, The carpet thing would aid in motor heat. IM not sure about the TX causing a slow reverse.

I burned out my first motor on carpet, too. Good thing they are only $3.00!

Did you loosen and lube the diffs?

I just put in a motor modified with super magnets and two ball bearings. If it ever stops raining I'll test it out and let you know how it behaves.

Who knows how to remove the weels ?

I have tried out with the Mini-Z tire tool but no way !

Is possible to adjust the high of the suspension, like in the Epoch?

Just tested my Mini-X for few minutes ... and I see that the fron brace from the diff to the weel can easily get out of his place and/or get in a crapping stopping position !

e_lm_70

Wheel nuts take a 5.5mm hex driver, but you have to grind it down in diameter to fit (or buy the mini-x driver).

Ride height can be lowered with the screws on the bottom arms. It can be raised with taller tires, or by grinding off some of the chassis where the lower arms hit. For carpet, I like the taller foam tires for mini-z's, along with the 36 tooth diffs front and rear to help gear it back down. Sounds like it is time for you to email Tiny!

Look around for other posts about putting in a small spacer to keep the dogbones in place.

Danke dgilpin.

I thought the nut driver was included like in a Mini-Z.

I guess that the small bearing that I got in the package are for the weels ... but not able so far to remove them ...

I have seen these "ride height" screws only for the rear axe non for the front !

Mini-X in theory is far better then a Mini-Z, but the manual & packaging from Mini-Z are far better the Mini-X.

This make the different from a RC car for all and RC car for freaks ... and the freak market isn't so big ...

e_lm_70

P.S: Got too many mini RC in once ... Mini-X + puchi + Mini-Z stufs + Mini-Z F355 + Radi-Book + LXX .... little time to check everything . ... plus comming F201 + TB-01 Enzo + losted Bit from Japan.
I guess I need ASAP a good lub for the 2 diffs.


PP.SS: Which diff is the default on a mini-x 34T 35T or 36T ... I will guess it is the 36T ... I think I will go for a 34T plus 9T gear and 8cell + ESC FET update ... soon

I believe the 35T is the stock diff.

Also if you want to buy the diffs...remember to get 2 they are sold singularly!

Mine has the holes for a screw in the front arms, so I think you could make them adjustable, too.

Hi,

I have finally almost finish my Mini-X ... also added a plug for charging the cell without remove body and/or cells !

So far: I have the same problem of Bravin Neff with my Mini-Z TX !

On set up the ESC, if I do either Full forward or full reverse .. the set up is terminated ! I need to try to get close to the max in both case ... thing that isn't trivial .

With a lucky set up I can get full reverse working fine ... but I never got full forward fine ... with 3/4 forward on TX I get the red light on the ESC ... and over that I will get a stop and little reverse !

My motor get very hot too (6 cell) ... so far it is till alive !

Front Dogbone are tricky to handle ... had to put spacer inside the diff ... but is tricky to get the best size for it ... too much spacer end with less turning possibility ... too less spacer end with loosing dogbones !

Change a front right dogbone is a pain ... the servo connector need to be removed ... do it too often will end up on new fine readjustment in center steering and servo stufs .

I tried to adjust the front and rear weels suspension with 4 little screw ... First thing to screw these inside the plastic is a pain ... it look that it will soon get the plastic enogh damage for let the screw turn empty ! ... Second on the front putting the screws will limit a lot the stearing possibilty ... as result these screw sistem sucks a lot ... better to find little spacers to put below the base suspension ... at the end I removed all 4 screw in my mini-x

The Mini-X electronic doesn't look to allow smoth control like the Mini-Z ...

About top speed, stock 4wd motor + 6cell just 22km/h ... far slower then my 36km/h with Mini-Z F1 XSpeed 10T ... but accelleration is impressive fast and stable !
OK I till need to oil better diffs and other parts ! But doesn't look promising !

Not sure anymore if I can put up to 8cells ... I will kill the motor ... maybe I can go to 2WD with a nice 130 motor ...

In all I'm not very satisfy about my mini-X... only positive things it is that it cost just 77$ (all the parts w/o TX) (so 92$ with TX) ... so it is close to a Mini-Z F1 ... but I think Mini-Z F1 RTR for 95$ is a better money value !

Am I doing something wrong on my Mini-X ... what need to be done for have a fully throttle working with Mini-X rev2 ESC ?

e_lm_70

I have the 1.0, so I can't help much. With mine, I believe I had to slowly move all the way each direction to the stop and then hold it there until it beeped. I have never had to do it again! - and that is with a Mini-Z radio!

I have never driven the F1, so I can't compare. You did loosen and lube the diffs? Did you install all the bearings and lightly oil them? Also, things tend to work in a little over time. Mine runs smoother now than ever. You should consider running in the motor with no load, too.

I have been running the equivalent of 7 cells with no problem, but I did retrofit a heatsink. And now I have the Neo magnets in there. Seems to run cooler yet, but you loose a little top end, if that is what you are after.

As for suspension, I always needed more clearance, not less! I tend to run mine on concrete driveways which are pretty rough, have cracks, and have leaves and sticks to contend with. I'd like to see the F1 handle that. My Mini-Zs look like cheap toys next to it. I haven't worked on a Mini-Z (I have 5) since I got the X!

Same problem here with the Mini-Z TX (Perfex). Works perfectly when using a Futaba Megatech.

What range are you guys getting with your Mini-X using the V2.0 electronics? I'm only getting about 15 feet, maybe 20. Definitely less range than I get with my Mini-Z.

I think your ESC is all radio based. My friend tried his perfex on my Mini-X and same thing you guys mention. But my POS Traxxas 27 works great anyway i do it.
Also the 10Turn Xspeed...yeah cool but remember the Mini-X is a 70T...lets compare apples to apples...A stock Mini-X will destroy a stock Mini-z (not sure about F1 though...). And we all know a stock Mini-X will destroy the entire Mini-Z series when traction is very limited!

I like the Mini-X and think it is a great value. If you think your F1 is so great (which it might be) come race me out on my ROAD...not a 3000000% smooth costly track. My friends mini-Z gets torn up and jumps alot on the road. We are of course now stuck inside, and the Mini-X always wins on our make shift track (~40% carpet, ~20% crappy linoleum, and the rest is nice smooth painted concrete) **REMEMBER his is a stock Ferrari Mini-Z (not F1, which would never make it on the carpet.)**.

I don't mean to be rude or mean, just i want to stick up for the Mini-X. It is a phenominal vehicle for the cost. Sure its not perfect, but come on...you Mini-Z lovers don't think your Mini-Z's are perfect stock, hence the $300 alot of people add to the Mini-Z's.

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS AS A FLAME OR BEING MEAN IN ANYWAY...

I want to see what a 10 turn motor in the Mini-X would be like!

How fast is the F1 with a stock motor?

That radio problem really sucks! The Perfex radio made it so easy to get into the Mini-X 1.0. Did anyone try Mini-Z crystal sets instead?

Range with the 1.0 is not as good as the Mini-Z, but I would say around 40 feet (outside). But I live in a screwed-up area interference wise. Alkalines (12volts) in the TX give a little better range than NiCads (9.6volts).

I think he meant 10 tooth when he said 10T - 10 turn would be crazy! :eek:

That is what I assumed, too, utill I saw binaryterror's post!

Yeph ... I was meaning 10T pinion ... my F1 has till the original PCB ... just got now the 7389 going to update the PCB soon !

About range ... my Mini-X was having less range them my Bit ! So what I did and has turned to work very fine ... it is just to let the antenna go out straight from the RX ... made a hole ín the front (close to the left mirror) and the range is 5x now ... maybe even more ! Defenetly the standard position for antenna made the range very poor. ... I guess that now the range is close or more then a Mini-Z

For the TX I found out that the Epoch TX with throttle set to L it will work fine with the Mini-X, but the control is not as smoth like the Mini-Z.

At the end the Mini-X now isn't so bad ... but it was far to be a RTR ... it was just RTF (read to freak).

I till have to tried out it on track and see if my Mini-X can get closer to the WWS them my Mini-Z F1.

e_lm_70

P.S: Where I can found the Neo-Magnet for put in tze Mini-X ? I guess it should be the same of Mini-Z ... but not 100% sure where I can found them for a reasonable price from Austria !

Sobh ... I burn my 4WD motor !

I just run (pretty intensive I have to say) 1/2 charge , over a super flat and sliding surface !

The connection between batteries and ESC got in fire !

Luckily the ESC is till alive ... the motor in the best case must be re-winded .

I put my 2WD motor in now ... I have to order a (better some) 4WD motors.

Also my 2WD is getting hot ... too much hot !

I have bearing around the diff ... I don't know if I have bearing around weels (no nut screewer for remove and check/replace) ... I was having bearing in the front axe holder !

The only things that I can guess could help are: Bearing motor case and Neo-Magnet ...

Again ... where I can find neo-Magnet ?

I also believe that 6cell is maybe too much for the motor.

I also think that it will be better have a 6T pinion and a 36T diff ... to lower down the gear ...

Or re-wind the motor with better wire and 80/90T ...

Again the X is not more a RTF is a RTB (read to burn) .

OK ok the 2 minutes that the car has runned properly it was cool fast and stable ! Got a new TX that has double range a no more problem for the ESC .

e_lm_70

P.S: I didn't lubb the diff ... but it should only effect the stability ... not the resitance for the engine !

Well, even if you don't lube them, at least loosen the diffs. For whatever reason, most of them are way too tight. And that does put a load on the motor.

I think you had a poor connection. That will fry a motor, too.

The Neo magnets are here (in the US):

http://mini-zracer.com/shop/product.php?pid=441

I ran mine with the Neo magnets and full bearings (motor, too) this weekend. I used two lithiums (8+ volts at the start) - and the motor barely got warm! I ran it as hard as I could outside. But I do keep the diffs loose - just enough to slip somtimes from a dead stop upon full throttle.

New problem with the Neo magnets - it picks up all kinds of fragments from the ground! They are so strong that the whole Mini-x with batteries will stick to the side of my truck and stay there!

As far as I know, you keep using the 8T pinion with any of the three diffs.

OK thanks for the Magnet link...any idea about the motor can with bearings?

Thanks in advance!

Not sure that if the lithiums bat can provide the same Amp of NiMh !

It is easy to found Bearing for motor cam , or bearing motor case ... got mine from Dinb.....l There are even cheaper place like http ://mryung. ofhk.net/ minizworkshop/

I have a second Mini-X till to be completed (got in 3 parts) ... who knows if I will manage to not destroy the my last 4WD motor !

But I can't understand how it is possible that the 2WD motor get hot .... !

Have to remove the nuts to see if there is something wrong in the weels !

P.S: I have loosen the two diff ... not too much otherwise I will have lost the traction completly !

The lithiums did manage to burn out my first motor back when it was stock otherwise. So I know that the magnets and bearings have made some difference. Other factors could be the cooler weather and the added heatsink, both of which help also.

I think the 130 motors are simply too small for this car - either in 4wd or 2wd. I think you can take the front diff and dogbones out when in 2wd mode to remove some drag. Maybe version 3.0 will at least have a larger motor!

Sure in 2WD I have removed front Diff & DogBone !
No bearing motor ... no heatsink ! 6Cell and till getting very hot !

I build up my second X ... the Servo was a defected one ... had to take it from my first.

I had full bearing ... motor bearing ... 5cell ... I lubb the diffs ... and at beginning I was happy that it was not going to get hot ... but after 3/4 minutes start to get hot ... and after it get hot , no way how slow you can drive it till get hot and hotter ... so I stopped before kill my last 4WD ... sobh even with 5 cell !

Since I drive for testing inside my flat ... I test with fast acceleration and strong brake (using reverse) maybe the change from full power forward to full power backward make the engine overheating ... or just brake the engine just a little to make it getting fast hot !

Nice surprise ... on my X Body only set ... I found out that the diff were already with a spacer (also on the rear ... that it is not necessary)
My RTR set was not having spacer in the diff !

In my opinion the main problem of the mini X is that the gearing it is too direct for a standard 130 motor !
Sure with a 180 motor it should have less problem ... and in theory there is also the space for it ! ... lets hope for the Version 3 !


e_lm_70

P.S: Can you post a pic of your heatsink ... I will try to find one similar !

i found a heatsink @ tower hobbies made for tamiya dangun racers... they use 130 motors... i am going to try it out...

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bi...p?&I=LXWT60&P=7

deviant

Danke

It look good ... and it should fit perfectly as well !

... I guess it will cost me far more shipments then the goods !

... Maybe I will better put my Mini-X on eBay ... and forget about the crap !

e_lm_70

P.S: Car will need as well an intake air !

PP.SS: But I can also wait that the lake in front of my house freeze ... so I can just put needels tires and I will not have any more problems !

PPP.SSS: Mini-X is the RC ready to smoke a Mini-Z ... with the smoke comming straight out of the engine ! ... more I think about my Mini-X ... more I want a ABC x4 !

http://mini-zracer.com/shop/product.php?pid=312

;)

dgilpin, glad the neos and BB can worked well for you, that's great! :)

deviant, that looks like it could work! Let us know, we'll stock them if it works well! :)