n00b with some SCX24 questions

[Xx_Black-out]

Howdy all,

My son has been showing a lot of interest in RC vehicles lately, so for his birthday (he's turning 4) I'm surprising him with a SCX24 Deadbolt. He turns 4 while we're on vacation in Moab, Utah...so it's the perfect place to get him hooked on some RC action!

I had a question about quick, cheap upgrades that might make getting the hang of RC easier for him. He has really good motor skills, so I think he will be able to manage the throttle control but do you think I should go ahead and install some wheel weights to help keep the truck planted? Will it make enough difference for someone brand new into RC? If so, is it worth doing the diff covers and steering knuckles too?


Also, if I plug the supplied battery charger into a regular USB port, how long will it take to charge on average? Should I invest in a standalone charging unit or additional batteries? I'd like for him to get the most use out of the Deadbolt while we're on vacation and not be waiting on a battery to charge.

Thanks!

 

[HumboldtEF]

The provided charger is not very good, a lot of folks have had those fail immediately. Setting it up on a regular charger will allow you to storage charge which the supplied charger cant do. You will need to come up with a way to hook up the battery though as they used a very odd connector (PH2.0), I converted mine to a JST.

The biggest concern for kids driving this is the motors burning out (make sure the wheel nuts aren't on too tight) and batteries dying because the low voltage cutoff is terrible and never actually kicks in (in my experience and my brother's). I recommend setting a timer or something so that you can stop before the battery drains too low to recharge it. I think I get 30-40 minutes of crawl time but kids use a lot more throttle usually.

Personally I'd probably leave it stock and save the upgrades for later though an extra battery might be nice.

 

[Cycle.Cats]

Spare batteries should be your first upgrade, IMO. I bought a couple Lectron PRO batts from the hobby shop, they’re 450mah compared to the stock 350. I find thy have a little more punch and a good ~25% more run time. I’m still using the stock pocket charger, and it’s good for ~45min charge. I agree with the above though, the stock charger leaves a lot to be desired. If you have any further interest in RC beyond this truck, you will need a charger anyway.

I have 2 scx24s, one has all the standard brass, steel wheels, and about to get brushless setup. Also have another that’s completely stock except for RC4WD tires on stock plastic rims, and a couple washers glued into the wheels. The tire upgrade alone allows this truck to hang with the modded truck pretty well. Obviously doesn’t climb or side hill as well as a heavy truck, but it’s quicker and breaks down a lot less! I would suggest avoiding adding too much weight to the driveline until you’re ready to start replacing everything else that will break with it(servo, motors, bearings, etc)

 

[Xx_Black-out]

The provided charger is not very good, a lot of folks have had those fail immediately. Setting it up on a regular charger will allow you to storage charge which the supplied charger cant do. You will need to come up with a way to hook up the battery though as they used a very odd connector (PH2.0), I converted mine to a JST.

The biggest concern for kids driving this is the motors burning out (make sure the wheel nuts aren't on too tight) and batteries dying because the low voltage cutoff is terrible and never actually kicks in (in my experience and my brother's). I recommend setting a timer or something so that you can stop before the battery drains too low to recharge it. I think I get 30-40 minutes of crawl time but kids use a lot more throttle usually.

Personally I'd probably leave it stock and save the upgrades for later though an extra battery might be nice.

Spare batteries should be your first upgrade, IMO. I bought a couple Lectron PRO batts from the hobby shop, they’re 450mah compared to the stock 350. I find thy have a little more punch and a good ~25% more run time. I’m still using the stock pocket charger, and it’s good for ~45min charge. I agree with the above though, the stock charger leaves a lot to be desired. If you have any further interest in RC beyond this truck, you will need a charger anyway.

I have 2 scx24s, one has all the standard brass, steel wheels, and about to get brushless setup. Also have another that’s completely stock except for RC4WD tires on stock plastic rims, and a couple washers glued into the wheels. The tire upgrade alone allows this truck to hang with the modded truck pretty well. Obviously doesn’t climb or side hill as well as a heavy truck, but it’s quicker and breaks down a lot less! I would suggest avoiding adding too much weight to the driveline until you’re ready to start replacing everything else that will break with it(servo, motors, bearings, etc)

Thanks for the feedback!

I'll go ahead and look into getting a spare battery and possibly a worthy charger.