Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and mini-review of each every Thursday morning!
Reedy LiPo 1800mAh 7.4v 25C
$39.99
For some odd reason mother nature has decided to bless some of us with abundant amounts of rain for days, and days, and days. This rain pretty well ruins any chance of enjoying the final weeks of summer outside driving our R/C cars, so we have turned inside...inside our home that is. We decided to dig out the collection of 1:18 scale mini's and spend some time racing around the house, chasing a cat or two, and making step-up doubles out of the recliner chairs. It has been awhile since we've seen our 1:18 scales, and therefore it took some dusting off and sprucing up before they were ready to go. We decided to equip our rides with fresh batteries, in which we chose to try out the Reedy LiPo 1800mAh 7.4v 25C pack.
This battery is specifically designed for mini vehicles, and fits right in our 1:18 scale. It comes pre-soldered with a Deans Ultra Plug connector making it easy to plug and unplug from the ESC, which ours came stock with compatible ends. The Reedy LiPo not only extended our run-time by nearly 10 minutes over the stock batteries, it also greatly increased the power we were able to lay down. More power = more fun.
The Reedy LiPo is in fact a "soft pack" and does not feature a hard case around it, however, it seems to be very durable and easy to work with. The factory installed balance plug allows for accurate charging and balancing after each run to ensure you get the most run-time and performance over and over.
Pros:
- Designed specifically to fit minis such including most 1:18, 1:16, and 1:14 scale vehicles.
- Includes factory installed Deans Ultra Plug
- Includes factory installed balancing plug
- Greatly increases run-time and power
Cons:
- Costs more than some other mini-sized batteries on the market.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Reedy 1800mAh 7.4v 25C LiPo pack made our rainy day a little brighter. While the battery does cost more than some other brands, the quality and performance is superb.
Beacon Rating: 4/5
Upgrade R/C Pit Mat
$59.99
Not many people ensure that their pit table surface is 100% level in all directions before working on their car, therefore it is easy for small parts, screws, and tools to roll off into the abyss. We got tired of foam pit mats and pit towels squishing up and making a mess, so we went all out and decided to get ourselves an Upgrade R/C Pit Mat.
This bad boy is 20" x 30" of durable rubber with recessed areas to hold your various parts and tools in place. It is available in five different colors, and fits nicely in most pit spaces. The rubber mat is not as easy to roll up and travel with like some of the yoga style mats, however, it lays in perfect form every time. It is heavier than other mats as well, keeping it in place while your working. After much abuse from tools, oils, and even a hobby knife cut or two, the Upgrade R/C Pit Mat is still holding up strong. The darker colors clean up easier as the small creases tend to collect extra dirt and oil, and show more on the lighter colors. Clean-up on all of the mats (because of the strong rubber material) is as simple as wiping it down with a wet rag, or as in-depth as blasting it off at the local carwash...the choice is yours.
Pros:
- Fits nicely in almost all standard size pit spaces.
- Fits anything from 1:10 scale to 1:8 scale vehicles.
- Rubber surface provides good grip and is very durable.
- Recessed areas keep tools, parts, and screws separated and in place.
- Cleans up quickly and easily.
Cons:
- Heavier than yoga style mats and pit towels for travelling.
- Does not roll up for storage as easily as lighter weight mats.
Conclusion:
The Upgrade R/C Pit Mat is the ultimate pit mat for wrenching at home. It keeps your pit space neat and organized, keeps all of your parts and pieces ON the table, and is easy to clean. For the travelling racer, it is slightly more difficult to pack up and take with you, however, in our opinion the little extra struggle packing is worth having such a stylish and functional mat to work on at the track.
Beacon Rating: 4/5
THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS - RANDOM ITEM OF THE WEEK:
Each week outside of the R/C world we test out and use a variety of items in our daily routines that have absolutely nothing to do with R/C, and THIS is what we think of them!
Bouncy Balls
$.25
Whether you will admit it or not, bouncy balls are possibly the greatest creation on earth. It doesn't matter if you are 2 years old and trying to eat them, 12 years old bouncing them with friends, 22 years old bouncing them through traffic, or 92 years old trying to eat them...they are a BLAST. A recent trip to the Wal-Mart left me with $1.50 in quarters. On the way out of the store was a flashy lighted sign and a $.25 vending machine that caught my attention. In the machine I had my choice of Hello Kitty tattoos, Spongebob fart putty, or classic bouncy balls. Cats scare me and I fart enough on my own, so I bought six bouncy balls.
Naturally I took the first one out of the machine and gave it a bounce. The lady who's purse it landed in ignored it and walked out with my ball. Left with only five I carefully carried them to the car where I would decide what to do next with them...
Pros:
- Always $.25 each.
- Always fun.
- Always cool looking, especially if you get the neon ones.
Cons:
- When bounced in rough terrain, such as a parking lot, they will in fact bounce in any random direction making outside an unsafe place to bounce them.
- When bounced in the car off of the dashboard, they pick up a high rate of speed which in turn will leave you with a black eye.
- Angry about your black eye, you throw the balls out the window setting off the car alarm of the next two vehicles parked beside you, creating a scene.
Conclusion:
The overall performance and durability of these bouncy balls was excellent. They have exceptional acceleration upon takeoff, I believe in the right hands their top speed could break the sound barrier, and even after hitting the ground, neighboring cars, and my dashboard, they held up great. The only downfall to them is trying to explain why you are a "grown man" setting off car alarms with bouncy balls in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
Beacon Rating: 5/5
(No matter how much trouble they get you in, they are still the best.)
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