RC Oahu Style

RC Circuit Oahu is a small circuit, but what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in character. I met up with Allen Lorenzo for a look at some of Kanagawa's tracks.

Allen is still an RC beginner, but he is not a beginner with an SLR. 5 seconds after picking up my camera, these images came out.

In this shot, you can see the mini-dv camera I am trying.

It's USB port slightly visible through the window but it was pointed in the wrong direction... more experimentation required.

The 86 has ground clearance like you wouldn't believe. Got Stance? I love it.

Some people want that crisp image... I don't. I love these slow shutter speed shots.

I noticed some of my wing is missing in this shot. The 86 overhang is so short, you always hit the wing on something. "crack-a-lackin"


Typical posed shot. Awesome!

This next sequence is in the small sweeper, there's all sorts of cool in this section of the track.

Foliage, barriers, siding, drink machines, semi-naked women ...

WTF? Semi-Naked Women! better put on a show!

Two laps, Two Shots.

 I love these shots at 1/20 second exposure. with focus on the OK! Okamoto Logo!

But these at 1/10 sec will be desktops.

Transition.

Out Clip!

Cross the line.

I picked up some company in the early morning too. It was fun!

Front or Back, I don't care these days. 

But at a new circuit I prefer to follow for a while.

It's pretty hard to get serious side by side time at Oahu. The longer of the short sections are very tight. 

Thanks to the guys here. This 180SX runs a DIB chassis with about 1.8 CS.

Oahu is definitely NOT a circuit for the beginner though. You'd want to be on your game to come here or in need of some tight practice.

Circuit owner.

Got LED?

 Yes we do. Thanks for the hospitality.

Low Tec Charger.

I hate charging LiPos. Will this help?

LiPo are slow and painful. I am still not so comfortable with abusing Lipos because I always have always had charge instability on my Kyosho charger with early capacity excess before voltage peak and connection breaks for no reason. Even with new batteries. So I always charge at safe levels. once at a time.

This means charging the whole morning and then throughout the day to get 4 batteries up to speed.

I've tried power splitting boards to spread the power and charge simultaneously and speed up that 90 minute charge, but I'm still not convinced.
So, Anyway
This product was advertised in Japan in March. Then has been delayed again and again for 6 months. Finally released, so I jumped at it. Many people have been waiting as most tracks in Japan have AC outlets anyway. 3 firends have bought the same item having reserved it since March.

It's cheap too...! $220 Why? because it doesn't include enough ancillaries to be useful.

Instead of charging 4 lipo or 4 life. You can still only charge 1 because they don't include 4 connectors.
But out of the box you can charge 4 different kinds of batteries? Like I want to do that.


I only charge 2 kinds. Transmitter and Lipo. Sometimes a friends NiMh.

I think another $50 or more will see me purchase the following.
3 x LiPo connector balance boards,
2 x Euro -> Deans connectors with 2s balance wire.
2 x charge safety bags.
And
Cut and solder more deans connectors on half of the unwanted ancillary cables. (I have 3 spare luckily)

Anyway. Charger project start.

.... Update....

I went back to get the connectors... They had dropped the price by $20 GRRRRRRRRRRR!
No discount for those who waited so long.  That could have paid for my connectors.

.... Update....

All leads made up and ready to charge 4 at a time. May give it a whirl tomorrow.  

... Future plans....

Red and silver bling wire for direct charge leads.
New custom face design.

...Update...

Pins for the balance charge boards already bending.... dangerous.
The place for the charge board connectors to connect is just a big hole with no support.
I've already broken one pin as they don't line up.
so I have to be very careful as I always am with these lipos and especially this charger.

I'm also having trouble charging AA packs of NiMh that my old Kyosho charger had no issues with.

Maxination

I like this shot a LOT! I don't know why. "BOSS" Style

Today I tried to toughen up the AE86. The Deep Work XSA from Street Jam have turned it from a Race style machine to a street thumper! the 17"look on the XSA is pretty cool.

The matt bronze and red really matches the body and deeeeeeeeeep dish is cool!.

Good Morning. Touge Attack!

Wild Rusty on board welcoming you to another daily adventure.

Ishida-san joining me today along with some extra members.

I like using his car as a backdrop. He is always kind enough to oblige.

The movement in the background adds to the effect.

I thy to get light and reflection. This shot is dark and light, shiny and blurred. one of those you can look at for a long time. There's even a reflection of a person in the door.

This one doesn't quite give the same effect, but that wheel dish is insane. I luv these wheels.

While I was laying on the track breaking parts of the diorama. I was getting "buzzed" quite closely. I have trust in ability.

A while ago I made some targets for Max One. Sometimes I like to put them up for practice. Usually in difficult spots recently.

This is not the usual line for this corner. It is usually an "in" clip rather than an out clip. I am enjoying trying different layouts recently.

I also tried to master the reverse anti-clockwise highway line today. I think I'm 90% there.

After practicing for a while we moved on to tandem runs with this line and a different course with a tight hairpin. We also tried some opposite direction drifting like a "show demo" with a gallery watching it was fun. We also tried "sekai ni ichiban osoi dorifuto" / "World's Slowest Drift". Drifting at 5-10% throttle is very freaking difficult and sends the gallery to sleep... hahaha!  But we were extremely close and it was very good practice. Our cars are set up very similarly and we can get almost the same angle at 10% throttle as we can at 100%. it's just much much slower.

After we came back up to full speed, I think we were both "on it" within mm of each other.

I will definitely try this again.  

These have become THE MOST POPULAR WHEEL IN JAPAN right now. Mikuni Work Genosis. It's easy to see why. They should be called "gorgeous" instead. I'm waiting to see the work ones before I part with cash, but these a +9 offset.

Takeuchi-san's Overdose DRB was wearing one set.

And his Zeon was also wearing another set.

His chassis both run Keyence Airia with boost function. They sound insane.

This is the other Overdose chassis of our Wednesday group. DRB style is varied. I definitely dont need to run extra weights or the alloy bumper weight or a bumper even up front on my chassis. but other guys run these with 3.5 rear toe while I run 0.5. Setting is all about preference.

So here is a mini feature. S15 G-Master body with Mikuni wheel.

Simple is sometimes very very cool.

The signal stripe is a nice touch to break up the expanse of white.

 Some low wing mounts are a nice touch.

High wing mounts at MAX ONE are a bit of a 50:50 gable. If you push the wide line under the expressway you will hit something.

Today's wing hit score.

1 x Street Lamp (straight)
1 x Street Lamp (PA straight)
1 x Street Lamp (top line)
3 x Express way Support (under on ramp) 2x (removing the body from the velcro mount.)
4 x Express way Support (corner lime)
1 x MAX ONE Target.

+ some more I cant remember.

The wing is probably one of yokomo's stronger items. The stays are also pretty strong and mounted securely.
I'm suprised. Normal Yokomo Stays I have broken many.

I'm also liking the door scars on the 86 too. It's a sign of close driving. Mainly Ishida-san is to blame/thank.

The RC926 tyres were quite slippery and the profile was low so I didn't like the lowered ride height. I still thoroughly  recommend Kazama Premium carpet tyres.
The raised lettering on my Kazama Premium is all but gone. too much rubbing. but it's quiet now.

one last shot.

Street Jam XSA

I can resist... I must be the wheel pimp. Add one more set to the collection. Street Jam XSA.

Only available in +10 offset and only one colour. They are painted in a way to give the 17" look. Really deep too for the offset. Street Jam XSA Press Release

they are similar to these TE37SL released a while back. 

These are paired with RC926 DT-05 for cambered setups. They are super low profile which means you loose ride height and it will effect gearing.You may need to change set.

Wilder Willy

Do you remember back in 27-Nov-1982 when the Wild Willy came out? I do. I used to build them in my father's hobby store for customers. Fun beasts but the handling was always somewhat flawed with that High centre of gravity. The willy's wheeler tried to correct that.

This machine is off the dial. Its a petrol 4-stroke engined beast on a totally custom alminium chassis with super cool suspension design. I encountered it last week at the Tamiya Festival in Ikebukuro Tokyo. Then again today at Super Rajicon.

Now I have to get and finish my wild willy 2 driver. Here is an awesome paint tutorial.