I broke down and did it....

[ElectricThunder]

I got a 2s 1500mah apogee, a blinky, and an align 430L/quark pro car combo (the latter from B-P-P, the former from tower) for my Vendetta ST...

I have no willpower....:D

On the plus side...I won't be bored out of my skull when the girlfriend's in class and I'm not, and I also will now have a balancer for future lipo purchases....:D

All in all, this cost me about 180 bucks shipped for everything (brushless combo, lipo battery, balancer, and some deans plugs).

[SS Pede]

I wish I had your lack of willpower ET! I can barely get myself to buy anything RC-related! :(

That seems like an awesome price for all that, by the way.

[ElectricThunder]

I got free shipping from both places, and B-P-P just has REAL nice prices for their combos.

Now....how to hide it all from my parents when they come visit next week....?:D

[Duster_360]

I need to buy a new lipo for my Vendetta, how's the 1500mah Apogee fit in yours?

[ElectricThunder]

Haven't gotten it yet; it comes some time this week. It should fit fine though. I compared the dimensions to the stock battery and the apogee is supposed to be a few mm shorter, I think 1mm less in width, and roughly the same height.

I'll report back later on in the week.

[Duster_360]

Cool, once past the fit quest, the other is does the drive shaft rub or contact it?. Apogee's look like they have a cover over the basic cells and I wonder if it can rub the driveshaft. The lipos I've been using are covered by just shrink and although very close to the shaft, they don't rub.

Look forward to your report.

[t3oc45]

dubya jay packs

tha' shwoogy be shwoogin' brah

[ElectricThunder]

Duster- I'll let you know on the driveshaft rubbing. I'm hoping it won't since I THINK it's a mm or two less in width, and I know the apogee pack has shrink on it (with I think a thin layer of lexan for protection, but I'm hoping that it's either higher than the driveshaft, or not wide enough to rub).

I'm concerned with the apogee pack now though, after what neobubi posted in the Hot News New Products forum in the apogee thread in there... Apparently there have been issues with them (and I searched, and found some evidence that they swell after 30 or so cycles, but that was about a year ago that I found those posts from....sooooo..............yeah).

t3- The ST will be shwoogified hardcore this weekend. Shwoooooooogy time.

[ElectricThunder]

Ok, got my pack in today. It fits perfectly; no driveshaft rubbing at all. In fact, with the pack right up against the battery side wall, it's still got a mm or three of clearance between the pack and the driveshaft. Lengthwise, it's perfect. It fits just fine (have to put the pack in label side down though; the wires and balancing plug get in the way and won't fit if I put it in label side up).

I also stuck the pack on the blinky real quick, and both LEDs lit up solid, so each cell is above 3.2v in the pack. It's not swollen either. I gotta put plugs on everything, set up the quark procar (that does NOT look fun), and then charge the battery and I'll be in business.:)

Edit: CRAP!!!! I just broke the left rear axle (stock). It ran like a champ and was a little monster. I'm running 20/45 gearing and its got plenty of grunt to spin 'em (that's when it's not liftin' the front)....:D

Steel CVDs all around are on their way; ordered them last night.

[Adanmtxt1]

pics or it didn't happen :D Glad you got everything in. good price too.

[ElectricThunder]

Gimme a few minutes (I warn you, they'll be crappy since they're from my cell).

Edit: Ok, here are some pictures. I haven't the slightest clue why my post is so large though...

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/2963/image010jt2.th.jpg (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image010jt2.jpg)

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/8910/image011nu1.th.jpg (http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image011nu1.jpg)

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/5462/image004rg7.th.jpg (http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image004rg7.jpg)

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/1717/image008kn3.th.jpg (http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image008kn3.jpg)

[Duster_360]

Cool, thanks for the report ET. I figured there would be a preferred install for the batt - not surprising, but good to know.

Keep an eye on your batt temps for the 1st 20cycles or so - cooler the better, key to getting long life from lipo - kind of a breakin of sorts, 1st 10 are real important. If you let'em run hot right off the bat, you're kissing a lot of cycles bye-bye. Lipo temp continues to go up after running so check temps until you see it start to cool - only way to really know what temp you're running. Gear down if you have to to keep cool.

I'm guessing you're not going to be much over ambient, yours is suppoed to be a great combo.

[ElectricThunder]

I took the battery out after my run (it was about a 5 minute run of full throttle and full brake on and off; lots of acceleration and tires breakin' loose). It wasn't warm. It was like you say, about ambient (so like, 80ish).

I'm so disappointed that I broke the axle already though....:( It won't be until next week (probably weekend) until I can get the CVDs installed again. Oh well... I love the outrunner's torque....:D

[Duster_360]

Where did it break - can't tell from the pics. Did the ball rip out of a yoke and tear off an ear? Or did the pin end shear off? The ball/yoke is the weak part of the stock cvds - some say boiling the stock cvds helps, I've never done it so can't comment. The alum tbg cvd mod still leaves you with the ball and yoke arrangement at the wheel and is reason I've never tried it in spite of buying the tbg and rc18 dogbones.

Sounds like your outrunner is going to be torquey!

[ElectricThunder]

It's the pin piece (the little rectangular thing that the hex fits on to) that got sheared off. I hit the edge of a sidewalk wrong (VERY wrong) and the wheel just plain popped off. At least I didn't lose the screw though....:D

This thing is plenty fast for the time being. I cannot even begin to imagine 3s lipo...

[Duster_360]

One thing you'll find if yours is anything like mine - those wood screws that hold the wheels eventually strip - but you're waiting on steel cvds so you'll have screws shortly!! Forget what I was goingto say - mine, I've converted to studs and use nuts and a washer to hold the wheel on. The threaded stud is screwed all the way into that part you broke off back to the joint and makes it way stronger.

You can do same thing with steel, but you are limited to the size of the hole in the steel and unless I'm wrong it'll be that oddball 2.6mm that is used on the Vendetta. Good luck finding nuts in that size. With plastic, can drill them out to run 3mm and have same wheel attachment as larger scales.

[ElectricThunder]

I've read about the screws stripping out, but I'm hoping I won't have that problem with the steel CVDs (if I do, that'll really suck).

I definitely disagree with the wheel mounting setup on the vendetta ST. I'm sure I'll think of something if these screws do strip out though.

[Duster_360]

One of the probs with the poorly designed alum cvds made earlier was the wheel screws would loosen - were hard to get tight against the plastic of the wheel (use a washer - they should come with one!) and then they ran loose. Read more than one story of Vendetta running in a race only to lose a wheel. The alum cvds had other probs!

Keep eye on wheel screws after you change to the steel cvds. There is blue loctite which works, but makes wheel R&R a PIA to deal with. I don't think you'll have any probs with wheel screws stripping out after you cahnge to the steel cvds.

[ElectricThunder]

Excellent. I'll have to go to Home Depot (gotta make a run there anyway) and get some blue loctite for the axles (I'd rather the screws stay in and I have a hard time getting them out than the wheels flying off).

Thanks for all the tips Duster. Tower says the CVDs will be here next tuesday or so. :D