Asuga Horatio's Sworkz S35 T2E Pro Build

[Horatio]

Now Christmas is done, I took the time to choose a decent steering servo. After careful consideration - I've gone with an AGF 81BHMW. At £84, this is far from a budget option - but the spec and waterproof design appeals over the Protek 170 SBL at £150.

Receiver had to be FASST compatible - very difficult to source now. The only receiver I could find is the Frsky TRF6 - which is a 7 channel receiver. TRF4's no longer exists. Why?

The TRF6 fits in the box on the chassis and is cheaper than the TRF4. Twin diversity aerial needs more than 1 aerial tube, ideally mounted at 45°. This is fairly straightforward to organise on an airframe - but not so easy within the confines of a Bruggy body.

I'm looking at all manner of 3D printed mounts and drone aerial mounts - but I haven't settled on a solution, yet. It still needs some thought. The aerials need to be arranged nearly, optimally and away from the motor and ESC.

However, good diversity aerial arrangement will help with range on speed runs.

 

[Horatio]

Ok, so looking through the specs again to refresh my memory...

AGF A81BHMW - £85

Operating Voltage: 4.8-8.4 V

Operating speed: 0.115sec/60° @ 6.0V

Operating speed: 0.100sec/60° @ 7.4V

Operating speed: 0.085sec/60° @ 8.4V

Stall Torque: 34 kg-cm (473 oz-in) @ 6.0V

Stall Torque: 39 kg-cm (542 oz-in) @ 7.4V

Stall Torque: 45 kg-cm (625 oz-in) @ 8.4V

Gear: Steel

Motor: BLS

Waterproof: IP67

Size: 40*20*37.2mm (1.57 x 0.78 x 1.46 in)
Weight: 83gConnector Wire: JR 300 mm



Protek 170 SBL - £150

Operating Voltage: 4.8V - 7.4V

Operating Temperature: 14° to 140° F (-10 to +60° C)

Operating Speed @ 6.0V: 0.09/60° sec

Operating Speed @ 7.4V: 0.08/60° sec

Dynamic Torque @ 6.0V: 458 oz-in (32.9 kg-cm)

Dynamic Torque: @ 7.4V 535 oz-in (38.5 kg-cm)

Motor Type Brushless: Digital

Output Shaft: 25 Tooth

Gears: Metal

Weight: 72g


My new AGF 81BHMW is on the way. I'll most likely be running it on 7.4v. Can't wait to get this rig blasting around.....

 

[KnowAir]

Ok, so looking through the specs again to refresh my memory...

AGF A81BHMW - £85

Operating Voltage: 4.8-8.4 V

Operating speed: 0.115sec/60° @ 6.0V

Operating speed: 0.100sec/60° @ 7.4V

Operating speed: 0.085sec/60° @ 8.4V

Stall Torque: 34 kg-cm (473 oz-in) @ 6.0V

Stall Torque: 39 kg-cm (542 oz-in) @ 7.4V

Stall Torque: 45 kg-cm (625 oz-in) @ 8.4V

Gear: Steel

Motor: BLS

Waterproof: IP67

Size: 40*20*37.2mm (1.57 x 0.78 x 1.46 in)
Weight: 83gConnector Wire: JR 300 mm



Protek 170 SBL - £150

Operating Voltage: 4.8V - 7.4V

Operating Temperature: 14° to 140° F (-10 to +60° C)

Operating Speed @ 6.0V: 0.09/60° sec

Operating Speed @ 7.4V: 0.08/60° sec

Dynamic Torque @ 6.0V: 458 oz-in (32.9 kg-cm)

Dynamic Torque: @ 7.4V 535 oz-in (38.5 kg-cm)

Motor Type Brushless: Digital

Output Shaft: 25 Tooth

Gears: Metal

Weight: 72g


My new AGF 81BHMW is on the way. I'll most likely be running it on 7.4v. Can't wait to get this rig blasting around.....

Did you get the "Party Edition"?

 

[Horatio]

Did you get the "Party Edition"?

No - I got the boring, CNC machined black and silver one. It will have to do!

And it's definitely a servo, rather than just a programming card!

I used:

SMC Direct

Run by none other than Jamie Booth!

"Jamie has finished 3rd place In the IFMAR World championships for both 1/8th off road and 1/10th electric off road, been European champion in 1/10th off road and won numerous national championships in both 1/8th and 1/10th off road."

There's been talk about the A80 series of servos failing in 1/8th size vehicles, detailed by a respected racer and thread contributor, Bill Delong.

I've never used the A80 - only the A81. They've been flawless, so we're not really comparing apples with apples. However, Bill Delong highlights the poor service he received from AGF directly.

What I don't understand is why, as a consumer, would Bill Delong be wasting his time by directly dealing with the stroppy communists at the factory, rather than the seller/retailer where he bought them from. Or is it just me?

If my servos fail within 60 days - SMC will see me right. Provided the reason why my servo died wasn't my fault.

AGF have a 1 year warranty, with all the normal caveats. If my 81BHMW can haul my Jetkos around at 60+mph, it will do just fine in the S35 T2E.

 

[Horatio]

AGF 81BHMW has arrived. My last one came in a plastic box, this one arrived in a neat little cardboard box.

AGF stickers

Quality CNC machined case and AGF alloy clamping servo horn - included in the box. That's a £10 part plus postage. I'm glad that hasn't changed.

Mounting grommets and additional plastic horns....

You know what? If this servo performs like the last one - which has been high performance, silent and smooth - there really isn't a better deal.

My suspicion is that AGF make Protek servos for Amain.

 

[Horatio]

AGF 81BHMW has arrived. My last one came in a plastic box, this one arrived in a neat little cardboard box.
View attachment 5059
AGF stickers
View attachment 5060
View attachment 5061
Quality CNC machined case and AGF alloy clamping servo horn - included in the box. That's a £10 part plus postage. I'm glad that hasn't changed.
View attachment 5062
Mounting grommets and additional plastic horns....

You know what? If this servo performs like the last one - which has been high performance, silent and smooth - there really isn't a better deal.

My suspicion is that AGF make Protek servos for Amain.

Ok, my Castle Cremations MMX 8a and 1515 2200KV combo has apparently been tracked and should be in the UK by the 18th January.

In light of the issues, I won't name the retailer involved, but on 2 occasions I made contact and asked 'where are the goods?' and each time the answer was 'we'll give you free 24 hour shipping'. Which is not an answer to the question asked.

So, time to phone-up and lay the smack down.

Predictably, using the automated system in relation to order queries, my phonecalls went to a mail box that was 'full' and hung up.

So I contacted the sales line which was answered immediately. I got through to an indifferent female member of staff that merely stated 'I don't have the information that you require'. There was no sense of 'oh, that sounds like a problem - we need to find someone to resolve this issue' or 'I'll get a manager to help sort this out'.

When they called me back, I was in a teams meeting, so couldn't take the call. At the earliest opportunity, I returned the call and I got through to an American chap.

I explained that my previous 3 contacts failed to convince me that the goods ordered were any closer to the UK. I also reminded them that it was a legal requirement to list the item was a backorder item (or special order) - on the website, this was not listed in accordance - as shown below:

After 5 minutes - the chap talking to me announced that he was shocked and disappointed to hear of my experience. He also happened to be the managing director of the company!!

The glitch was identified, I was given specific details of where the item was coming from/to and when. The listing was changed. I was immediately refunded 20%.

I then had a phonecall from a cockney geezer going by the name of 'Pedro', who gave me the answers I'd asked 3 times previously. I believe the MD made staff respond out of principle.

So, it looks like the MD has made stuff happen and really tried to put things right. I quipped with him 'you know things have gone wrong when the pay in 3 is finished before the goods arrive'.

So, speed runs will re-commence when the bits get here. 0-60mph will be very rapid in the T2E - it's very lightly built.

I will try the 1515 in the XTR, too.

 

[KnowAir]

The incompetence in the world today is just scary. I get the same type of responses routinely when I reach out to vendors at work. No answer, or transferred to dial tones..the whole world is back ordered it seems! LOL
Can't wait to see those 0-60 times!!

 

[Horatio]

The incompetence in the world today is just scary. I get the same type of responses routinely when I reach out to vendors at work. No answer, or transferred to dial tones..the whole world is back ordered it seems! LOL
Can't wait to see those 0-60 times!!

I think certain people feel so entitled, they never 'own their job'.

Funny - once the MD happened to hear of the issue, everything was resolved within the hour. What a coincidence!

 

[KnowAir]

I think certain people feel so entitled, they never 'own their job'.

Funny - once the MD happened to hear of the issue, everything was resolved within the hour. What a coincidence!

Indeed. I'm glad he got things back on track for you. Let's face it though, if he were on top of things to start with, the whole thing shouldn't have been so messed up. Hard to blame any one person though, we go through so many bodies here at my employer it's dizzying.. I've been here for over 26 years..need 15 more to retire and I have zero confidence the company will survive that long. Scary.

 

[Horatio]

Indeed. I'm glad he got things back on track for you. Let's face it though, if he were on top of things to start with, the whole thing shouldn't have been so messed up. Hard to blame any one person though, we go through so many bodies here at my employer it's dizzying.. I've been here for over 26 years..need 15 more to retire and I have zero confidence the company will survive that long. Scary.

I think my order is now, finally, on it's way to me!! Yay! It will probably be here with me tomorrow or Saturday.

Having spent about 10 years in retail myself, I appreciate some of the ridiculously over complicated processes involved with forward orders.

However, that does not excuse the staff for failing to answer my questions, or answering them with irrelevant, short, typed answers.

Example:

'Hi, could you tell me where my order is please and roughly how long it will take, as I've been waiting over a month?'

Answer:

'Thanks for your query. We'll upgrade your delivery to next day for you. You're welcome. Have a nice day.'

Had they bothered to check like I'd asked (weeks ago), they'd have noted the 2 errors that required amending. It was pure chance that the MD was in that day whilst I was phoning in - several times.

This will all be a distant memory when it's bolted into my T2E.

I can't wait to see how it performs.

 

[KnowAir]

I think my order is now, finally, on it's way to me!! Yay! It will probably be here with me tomorrow or Saturday.

Having spent about 10 years in retail myself, I appreciate some of the ridiculously over complicated processes involved with forward orders.

However, that does not excuse the staff for failing to answer my questions, or answering them with irrelevant, short, typed answers.

Example:

'Hi, could you tell me where my order is please and roughly how long it will take, as I've been waiting over a month?'

Answer:

'Thanks for your query. We'll upgrade your delivery to next day for you. You're welcome. Have a nice day.'

Had they bothered to check like I'd asked (weeks ago), they'd have noted the 2 errors that required amending. It was pure chance that the MD was in that day whilst I was phoning in - several times.

This will all be a distant memory when it's bolted into my T2E.

I can't wait to see how it performs.

Yeah, that's ridiculous..we'll upgrade the shipping to next day..but not fix the errors that are holding up the processing..

 

[Horatio]

Here it is.

I won't be fitting it this weekend, as we're taking a weekend trip away from home, but it might well be something I get my teeth into during the week evenings after work.

Whilst this is perfectly capable of dealing with 6S, I might get some new 4S cells to run the Sworkz T2E to begin with.

Then try Onyx 6S and see what we do.....

In the meantime, here's a nice comparison of the 1515 side by side with the Kuron 825.

 

[AngrySection8]

View attachment 5101
Here it is.

I won't be fitting it this weekend, as we're taking a weekend trip away from home, but it might well be something I get my teeth into during the week evenings after work.

Whilst this is perfectly capable of dealing with 6S, I might get some new 4S cells to run the Sworkz T2E to begin with.

Then try Onyx 6S and see what we do.....

In the meantime, here's a nice comparison of the 1515 side by side with the Kuron 825.

View attachment 5102

Make sure you jump on castles website and use your code to get the free castle link connector coming, you'll want that if you don't already have one, typically the esc's are set with punch at 0% from the factory which is pretty darn explosive at least on the mmx8s esc's, I usually end up in the 40-60% range depending on vehicle

 

[Horatio]

Make sure you jump on castles website and use your code to get the free castle link connector coming, you'll want that if you don't already have one, typically the esc's are set with punch at 0% from the factory which is pretty darn explosive at least on the mmx8s esc's, I usually end up in the 40-60% range depending on vehicle

That's good info - thanks for the heads-up! I'll be sure to get the castle link connector. Sounds like an essential bit of kit, especially for 0-60 times.

 

[KnowAir]

Seems kinda ridiculous that the combo doesn't come with the data cable? Not disagreeing that the Castle stuff is good, but not on my horizon I can confidently say.

 

[Horatio]

Seems kinda ridiculous that the combo doesn't come with the data cable? Not disagreeing that the Castle stuff is good, but not on my horizon I can confidently say.

I quite agree - it should just be in the box to begin with. Faffing about with codes/vouchers seems a bit silly!

 

[AngrySection8]

Seems kinda ridiculous that the combo doesn't come with the data cable? Not disagreeing that the Castle stuff is good, but not on my horizon I can confidently say.

Well, the reason they do it that way is because they give you the option of whether you want the free connector or a discount on the blue tooth unit so I get it however agree it would be nice if something was provided in the box

 

[KnowAir]

Well, the reason they do it that way is because they give you the option of whether you want the free connector or a discount on the blue tooth unit so I get it however agree it would be nice if something was provided in the box

Fair enough. Also once you have it, you don't need another every time you buy another Castle combo, motor or esc..

 

[Horatio]

Bluetooth or cable, I'm still likely to cremate something!

 

[VaporTrail]

Curious to hear how your S35 performs with the 1515. I'm currently using that in my Shogun and it's a perfect match. I tried putting a 4282 in my Python and I couldn't get any traction.

One day I'll own a S35. My dream rig.