Redcat Caldera SC 10E Short Course Truck Review - Newest Version

The Redcat Racing Caldera SC 10E 4WD Brushless 1/10 RC Short Course Truck has been revised several times over the years so I felt it was time to review the newest version to see what it has to offer.  Also, this same Caldera 10E platform is available as a buggy and a monster truck with the main differences being the body, wheels and tires.

Upon opening the box, everything seems well packed and I was impressed with the paint job of the body which looks much better in person than the pictures I have seen on the internet.

I removed the truck from the box which is twist tied to the bottom cardboard tray.  Looking the truck over, I noticed an issue with the front wheels rubbing right behind the front wheel well area on both sides.  At first, it appeared the body hole locations were off.  Upon further inspection, the front body posts were angled forward somewhat.  It's hard to tell if the one body post is like this from the factory or if it has been tweaked slightly from being in the packaging.  The solution I came up with was to swap the two body mounts so the one with the angled body posts was on the rear.  This moved the body back about an 1/8 of an inch.  Additionally, using some curved scissors, I cut out the front wheel wells right on the mold line.  After doing this, the tires had plenty of clearance.

The next step was to install the antenna tube to the antenna tube holder.  I had to use a small flat blade screw driver to open up the clamp for the plastic antenna tube.  Then it was a matter of feeding the antenna wire into the tube, pushing it into the holder and tightening the nut.

I was impressed to find mounted in the Caldera chassis a Hobbywing 60 am brushless ESC combined with a 3421KV 4-pole brushless motor.  The ESC is easily programmed with a SET button that is held down with blinking lights to confirm each setting.  The ESC has the ability to program - 2 running modes, 4 maximum brake settings, 8 drag brake settings and 4 punch settings.  The included battery is a Hexfly 7.2V 3200 Mah LiPo battery with a deans plug.  A Redcat female T plug to 4.0 banana plug adapter is included so you can also run a Hexfly 7.4V LiPo that has a 4.0 banana plug with the Caldera SC 10E.  The AC charger puts out 900mA, so more of a slow charger that will take about 90 to 120 minutes to fully charge the battery. 

Moving onto the radio gear is a really nice 2.4GHZ transmitter that has a flip up cover for adjusting steering trim, throttle trim, steering dual rate and reverse for both channels.  The radio takes 4 AA batteries and has a really nice feel to it, very well balanced.  The servo is just a plastic gear 3KG Hexfly servo but so far has held up okay.

After charging the battery, I was checking the steering and noticed that the steering rack was contacting the front center drive cup when turning all the way to the right.  The solution was to readjust the steering links so they were both the same length and I also set the links so the front has about 1 degree of toe out.  You can also turn down the steering dual rates which will limit the maximum travel each direction.

The truck has plenty of adjustments which gives a lot of tuning options to help fine tune the handling.  You get 3 shock mounting options on the shock tower and on the arms both front and rear, as well as an adjustable camber and two inner upper link mounting positions front and rear.  While the Caldera SC 10E is primarily made for bashing, it's good to know that you can fine tune the handling to get the car dialed in on your chosen surface.  A tuning manual is also included which has setup sheets which could come in handy when trying different set ups.

Speaking of the tuning manual, it covers adjusting gear mesh.  I did find the gear mesh to be just a tad on the loose side.  Ideally, the spur gear should just have the slightest amount of wiggle as you check it in several different spots.  If the gear mesh is too tight, it will feel locked in some spots without any play between the gears which are 32 pitch (mod .8).

Everything on the truck is heavy duty including the shocks which are big bore size.  They are plastic but feel pretty good.  The 4wd drive train consists of front and rear gear diffs with a center spool.  Power is transmitted to all four wheels with CVA drive shafts.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the axles are 5mm compared to most 1/10 vehicles this size that come with 4mm axles.  The rod ends do feel a little tight but don't seem to affect the suspension movement or the steering.  Plus they will loosen up as they wear and I would rather have them a little tight than with too much slop.

 

 The wheels and tires are soft and seem to provide good traction on most surfaces but have a really tall profile.  Since the tires are so tall, I moved the lower shock position to the outer most hole on each lower suspension arm.  This lowers the truck slightly and also helps to reduce the side to side body roll.  Switching to a more traditional SCT tire will lower the truck and will also help the handling. 

After checking the truck over one more time, it was time to have some fun.  The truck has really good acceleration and top speed.  Very minimal cogging with the sensorless motor.  The brakes were too strong with the default esc brake setting, so I adjusted it from 75% to 50%.  Handling was really good but the truck was loose while turning off power.  You can get a sway bar as an option which I will try in the front to take out some of the off power steering.  The truck really rips around and seems very composed over the surfaces that I ran it on.

Some tips:  use some blue thread-lock on any of the screws that go into metal and be careful not too over tighten any of the screws.  You only need to tighten them until they feel tight and don't need to tighten any further.  The electronics are listed as waterproof but I would take care when driving in wet conditions to only drive over really shallow puddles since most electronics aren't made to be fully submerged.

Recommended upgrades would be

1. The Hexfly 15KG metal gear servo which is much more durable than the stock plastic servo.
2. A faster charger such as the Hexfly HX-403 LiPo charger which is 3 times faster than the stock charger.  
3. The Redcat BS903-111 metal steering knuckles are a good option to beef up the front end even more.  
4. Something else worth considering would be to get the sway bar which you can try in the front or back or both to help get the handling to your liking.  To make one sway bar unit you will need one Redcat BS905-009 anti roll bar and two Redcat BS903-029 anti roll bar links.

Overall, I am quite happy with the Caldera SC 10E it really offers a great value considering what you get.  It has more tuning options and a longer wheelbase than the Redcat Blackout SC.  The longer wheelbase helps keep the front end down under hard acceleration.  Really the only downsides are the plastic gear servo which is easy to upgrade for around $18 and the tall tires which may be good enough for bashing but generally I find a lower profile tire will provide better overall handling.

My out of the box ratings for the Redcat Caldera SC 10E are

• Speed  =  4 out of 5
• Handling  =  3.5 out of 5
• Durability  =  4 out of 5
• Electronics  =  4 out of 5
• Upgrade Part Options = 3.5 out of 5

TOTAL = 19 out of 25

This Redcat Caldera SC 10E Short Course Truck is available for purchase right now at BRS Hobbies for $ 249.99 with FREE shipping within the United States.  Here is the link - Redcat Caldera SC 10E Brushless 4WD 1/10 RC Short Course Truck

Redcat Radio Control 1/10 Vehicles

Established in 2005, Redcat Racing has become the premier name for Fast- Affordable - Fun ready to run, electric powered remote controlled surface vehicles. All Redcat Racing vehicles come fully assembled and ready to run right out of the box making it simple for anyone to get started in the R/C hobby. Redcat Racing has a complete line of parts and accessories as well as a wide selection of vehicles, ensuring that there is a Fast-Affordable-Fun vehicle for everyone.

To see all the Redcat Racing RC vehicles available at BRS Hobbies, please click on this link - Redcat RC  

NEW AFX Mega-G+ Mustang Mach 1 & Camaro SS 350 HO Slot Cars

The new AFX Mega-G+ Mustang Mach 1 & Camaro SS 350 HO slot car comes with all new 5 spoke wheels and is expected to ship out to customers mid to late February of 2018.  For more information - AFX Mega-G+ HO Slot Cars

Carrera GO Plus Night Chase Race Set Review

Carrera GO 1/43 slot car products have been around for quite some time and have been providing a lot of fun to families and friends.  Carrera has recently launched Carrera GO Plus in the USA which adds a lot of new features including a 1 player mode in which you can race against a ghost car (autonomous car) as an opponent and the ability to display race information on a phone or tablet.  This Carrera GO Plus Night Chase 1/43 race set review will walk you thru all that Carrera GO Plus has to offer.

To get started, here is a picture of the front of the race box.

Then to open up the race set you need to open up one of the side flaps, then slide out the cardboard tray that holds the contents out of the race set box.  It's important to pull the handle out as you do this, otherwise the cardboard tray will hang up on the ends of the handle that are inside the race set box. 

The cardboard tray does a nice job of holding the contents of the race set and each type of track piece is nicely shrink wrapped together.  I found some care needs to be taken when removing the shrink wrap from around the track.  I recommend cutting the shrink wrap off rather than just trying to puncture and pull it off by hand.  This will help to protect the track tabs that stick out on each end. 

The assembled track layout size is 9.02 x 4.17 feet so be sure you find an area large enough for the layout.  You could also alter the layout slightly to change the footprint size as needed. I chose to set up the track in our basement on a carpeted floor.  Before doing so, I recommend vacuuming the carpet and then setting down a tarp or heavy duty plastic table cloth.  This will serve as a barrier between the carpet fuzz and the track and cars.  Carper fuzz can get in the car's wheels and axles over time which can eventually slow the cars down and diminish their performance.

Another cool option is that the directions show how to set up the track with or without the loop.  The loop can be challenging for some, so if it is your first time racing on a Carrera GO track, then you may consider setting up the layout without the loop.  You can always add it later on.  The layout assembly directions are a diagram with each part lettered.  The underside of the track pieces have a letter which really helps to identify which track pieces go where. 

Assembling the track is one area that can be a bit tedious, especially the first time since some of the track pieces can be a little challenging to get together.  You basically want to push the track pieces together evenly.  I found some track pieces were really easy to put together and some were a little more stubborn.  For the track pieces that you are having a tougher time with it, it really helps to push the pieces together evenly until you get a 1/8" gap or less.  Then push one side together and then the other.  A few pieces didn't seem like they would go together so I moved them some where else in the layout and all went together just fine. The bank curves also seemed a little more difficult to assemble then the flat track pieces.  The main thing is to set up the track (especially the first time) with an adult or with adult supervision while taking a little extra care not to over stress the track connecting tabs.

This set also comes with some new easy to attach red track supports. They are easy to install once you find the place that they attach to on the underside of the track.  I tried putting the supports according to the instructions but did find that some of them weren't touching the floor so I moved them around until I found a place where each support touched the floor.

The total assembly time was about 45 minutes, I am sure subsequent assembly times will be quicker since you will have a better idea where all the track pieces go and the track pieces will be easier to put together.  The track layout itself is a fast flowing track with plenty of banked curves, R2 curves, intersection and a narrow straight.  The layout only has 4 R1 curves which are the smallest radius curves but banked for higher speeds.  This ultimately means that the cars can be driven faster with fewer de-slots than those Carrera GO layouts that use the R1 flat curves. 

This Carrera GO Plus Night Chase race set come with two Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 1/43 slot cars, the Miami Police with flashing roof lights and the street Avio with ground effect lighting.  The cars measure approximately 4.125 inches long by 1.250 inches wide.  Both cars are super cool and very well detailed.  Before running the cars, it's important to fan out the braids and position them as shown in the instructions.

The Carrera GO Plus connection track really adds to the racing experience and can be used with or without the App.  You get three race modes - 20 or 30 lap race, chase which gives one car a head start and the other car has to catch him and training with no lap restriction.  Additionally, you have the option of programming one of the cars or any other Carrera GO 1/43 slot car as a ghost car.  This is a great option for solo racing with the track.  When racing without the app, a fan fare sound is played and the winning car can continue driving while the losing car is stopped on the track.

One player mode is set up by switching to the ghost using the selector switch on the Carrera GO Plus connection section.  Then you position the car to be programmed in the red lane about one standard straight or 12 inches behind the start/finish line.  Press the Plus button on the power base and drive two complete laps stopping before the start/finish line (where you started).  You will then get a sound signal after a few seconds letting you know that the programming is complete.  Unplug the controller that you used to program the ghost car, select a race mode and then start the race.  The ghost car will actually speed up and slow down just as it was programmed around the track.  If the ghost car comes off the track, then you can restart it by pushing it at a normal running speed across the start/finish line.  In my opinion, this is a great feature and is great fun when using the track by yourself.

Now onto the Carrera GO Plus app which uses a Bluetooth connection to link your IOS and Android phone or tablet to the Carrera GO Plus connection track.  The main benefit is that you get the lap count and lap times for each car.  It also adds games that are sent randomly to one of the drivers while the race is in progress.  The driver in question is stopped on the track and the game either must be completed successfully or after 20 seconds will resume racing on the track.  This may be fun for some but I found it to disrupt the racing action too much and the games seemed to be more of a chore after awhile that you need to do just to rejoin the race.

The good news is I found a workaround for those who don't want to play the games.  In one player mode, the games are deactivated since the ghost car wouldn't be able to do them.  In two player mode, you only need to have the red lane controller unplugged when you first press the Plus button to initiate the start of the race countdown.  Once the countdown starts, you can then plug in the controller and race with two drivers without the random games coming up during the race.

This set has provided many hours of fun both racing solo and with other drivers.  The controllers also have a turbo button which gives you a higher top speed that when perfected helps getting a little extra speed and into the loop. The intersection adds a lot of excitement to the racing, since if you don't time it right the cars run into each other and will most likely come off the track.  The cars run really smooth, are plenty durable and the lights are neat for racing with low light in the room.  I find the skill level of the race set to be just right since you need to drive the cars somewhat around the track but not so much that it gets frustrating.  We have had kids and adults of different skill levels use the track and all were able to get around the track just fine (some faster than others).  The only issue is that one of the cars started making a squeaking sound.  I put a drop of plastic compatible oil at the interface of the chassis and the axles (4 spots) and the sound disappeared.  Then the car ran even smoother due to the oil reducing the friction of the axles.

Is Carrera GO Plus worth it?  I say yes.  It adds the ability to run properly scored races, gives the option to run against a ghost car and shows lap times with the app which is good for fine tuning the cars.  The Carrera GO Plus connection track will also be available separately in the near future.  If you have one of the newest Carrera GO race sets that come with red controller plugs than you only need the Carrera GO Plus connection track to convert an existing Carrera GO track to GO Plus.  If you have a Carrera GO track with black controller plugs, then you will also need two Carrera 20061663 GO Plus Controllers.

This Carrera GO Plus Night Chase 1/43 race set is available for purchase right now at BRS Hobbies for $ 135.99 with FREE shipping within the United States.  Here is the link - Carrera GO Plus Night Chase Race Set

Estes Monarch Model Rocket Build, Part 3

By Mike Swanson

Between work and family activities, It's been a few weeks since I was able to work on the Monarch and update this blog.  From the last blog entry, it was pretty close to being ready to paint and I finally finished it up this weekend !  I started by brushing on 2 coats of sanding sealer on the fins and sanding with 320 grit sandpaper to fill in the balsa grain and make the fins nice and smooth.  I then wiped the entire rocket down with a slightly damp paper towel to remove any residual dust from sanding.  

I like to start painting my rockets by using a gray filler primer to help fill in the body tube grooves as well as any remaining grain in the fins.  Lately I've been using Rustoleum  Automotive Filler Primer for this task.  I  applied a few light coats, let the primer dry, sanded the entire rocket with 400 grit initially, and finished with 600 grit sandpaper.  I then wiped the rocket with a damp paper towel as I always do after sanding and before painting.

Next I applied a few coats of Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X White Primer until I got a nice, even white base coat on the rocket.  This time, I sanded lightly with 800 grit to get a nice smooth finish and again wiped the rocket down to remove any dust/debris from sanding. 

Finally it was time to apply the gloss white top coat.  Again, I used Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X for the job and applied 3 light coats, letting the paint dry about a minute between coats before applying a heavier final coat.  At this point I let the rocket dry for a few days before masking off the white areas in preparation for applying the green paint.  To get nice, crisp stripes between colors, I use Tamiya masking tape along the edges and 3M blue masking tape and brown paper to cover the rest of the rocket.  One way to create nice straight bands around a body tube is to use a rolled up piece of paper as a guide:

With the rocket masked off per the instructions, I applied 3 light and a final heavier green coat similar to the white.  After letting the paint dry and removing the masking tape, it looked like this:

The instructions say to mask the rocket again and apply silver paint for the final accent stripes.  Since I didn't feel like buying a can of silver paint just for a few stripes (plus I was getting a little lazy), I used some silver striping tape I had on hand.  It still came out very nice and after applying the "Monarch" decal, I sprayed the entire rocket with a few coats of gloss clearcoat to protect the rocket:

The last step was to build the parachute per the instructions and attach it and the shock cord to the nosecone.  I was really happy with the way the rocket turned out.  It's a nice looking, good size Skill Level 1 rocket that should fly very well.  I'll be sure to update the blog once I get a chance to put it in the air !



Estes Monarch Model Rocket Build, Part 2

By Mike Swanson

I had a couple of hours free over the weekend to work on the Monarch, after finishing the motor mount and prepping the body tube and fins for assembly a couple days ago. 

After letting the Fill n' Finish on the fins dry overnight (see Estes Monarch Build, Part 1), I sanded them with 320 grit sandpaper until they were nice and smooth.  I then rubbed a thin film of wood glue on the root edge of one of the fins and let it dry for about 5 minutes.  This allows the glue to soak into the wood and gives a smoother, more even surface resulting in a stronger bond when attaching the fins.  There are many different tips/tricks people use to get nice alignment when gluing the fins to the rocket.  For typical 3 or 4 fin Estes rockets, I tend to use the "eyeball method" by sighting down the body tube and making sure the fin is perpendicular.  The guidelines I drew on the body tube in Part 1 really help to make sure the root edge is parallel to the tube.  I spread another thin bead a glue along the root edge and attached the first fin:

You can also use an Estes Tube Marking Guide to hold the fin in place while the glue dries:

I repeated this process for the other two fins, periodically checking the alignment before the glue completely dried.  As a final check, I printed out a template using an online tool from Payloadbay.com.  There are a bunch of useful tools for creating jigs, templates, and guides on the site.  I placed the rocket on the printout and sighted down the tube.  Looks pretty straight and aligned to me !

Next, it was time to glue on the launch lug.  The instructions say to glue the lug along the root of one of the fins.  I prefer the more typical (and probably more old school) method of gluing the lug between two of the fins as shown below.  A section of 1/2" aluminum angle works great to align the lug.  I just placed the angle along the tube and glued the lug along the edge of the angle on top of the centerline I drew in Part 1:

Then I ran a bead of glue along both sides of each fin root edge and the launch lug using my index finger to wipe off any excess and create a smooth fillet.  When I was done, it looked like this:

After all the fins and launch lug joints were dry, I installed the motor mount by wiping a fairly thick ring of glue about 1" inside the aft end of the body tube using a 6" cotton swab: 

Then I inserted the motor tube so that it was flush with the end of the rocket with engine hook facing aft and aligned with the launch lug centerline: 

The last step I did today was to glue in the shock cord mount.  First I cut out the paper mount from the instructions and smeared a healthy blob of glue on one side and laid the rubber cord on the panels marked "2" and "3":

Then I folded panel "1" into "2" and "2" into "3" and pinched it together for a few minutes until the glue started to set.  Then I used a 6" cotton swab to apply a patch of glue about 1.5" down the forward end of the body tube.  Note:  make sure the shock cord mount is at least far enough down the tube so that the shoulder of the nose cone will not interfere with it when it is placed on top:

Now the rocket is essentially complete except for some final preparation before I start painting !

Estes Monarch Model Rocket Build, Part 1

By Mike Swanson

It's about time we did a blog about a model rocket build !  I have chosen the Estes Monarch because it is a typical example of a beginner, skill level 1 rocket that is currently available:

 

In addition to the kit, you need a good quality wood glue (I use Titebond II), x-acto knife, sandpaper of various grits, and paint to give it a nice finish.  There are some optional item I'll discuss later that will make the build go a little easier and result in a nicer finish.

The first step is to assemble the motor mount using the 2.75" motor tube, 2 centering rings, motor hook, motor block, and retaining ring.

I started by making pencil marks 1" and 2.5" from one end of the tube.  I then cut a 1/8"slit at the 2.5" mark and installed the motor hook.  Next, I ran a bead of glue around the motor tube near the middle and slid the ring down until it was aligned with the 1" pencil mark.  After gluing on the retaining ring, I glued the motor block flush with end of the motor tube closest to the 1/8" slit.  The next step was to glue on the two centering rings.  The first at the 2.5" mark and the second at the 1" mark.  Make sure you align the rings so they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the tube.  The final step was to add a glue fillet around the joints of the motor tube and centering rings to make it nice and strong.  It should look like this when it's finished: 

 

While the motor mount assembly was drying, I decided to work on the fins.  The fin's shape is laser cut at the factory and essentially fell out of the balsa sheet with light pressure.  You can use an x-acto knife to cut away any material holding the fins to the sheet if needed.  I sanded the leading edge round and all other edges flat with 180 and 220 grit sandpaper.  Before gluing the fins to the rocket, I like to coat them with thinned Elmer's Fill n' Finish wood filler to fill in the wood grain and any small dents: 

Out of the container, the filler has the consistency of creamy peanut butter.  I put some in a small cup and added water to make it more of a latex paint consistency.  I then brushed it on all the sides and edges (except the root edge since it will be glued to the rocket body tube later) with a small paintbrush.  If you let the fins dry at this point, they will most likely warp due to the added water in the filler soaking into the balsa wood.  To prevent this, I sandwiched the fins between two sheets of wax paper and place them on a flat surface with a flat board/weights on top and will let it dry overnight. 

The last thing I did today was mark the larger body tube with lines showing where to attach the fins and launch lug.  The instructions come with a paper alignment guide you can wrap around the tube to make the initial alignment marks, but I have found that these don't work as well as something like the Estes Fin Marking Guides: 

Once the initial marks were made, I used a piece of aluminum channel to draw a centerline and a line the thickness of the fin on either side about 5" long:

Using the two thickness lines in addition to the centerline makes it much easier to align the fins when they are glued to the tube.