Asuga Horatio's Sworkz S35 T2E Pro Build
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CCB-MN
Well-known member
Dang, sounds like you stumbled into some voodoo magic with that build!
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If that thing runs as well as it looks I might have to start keeping an eye open for a new kit.
@Horatio ain't no noob, no accident I'm sure. A man with a plan, I love it!!Dang, sounds like you stumbled into some voodoo magic with that build!
VaporTrail
Well-known member
Ok, so final installation bits have been done. Just got to bind the Rx and then centre the steering servo - and it's ready to rock n roll!!
View attachment 5255
Soldering setup, which I have to say has been excellent throughout all my FPV drone building stuff.
View attachment 5256
XT90'S suck some heat, but these joints are looking alright.
View attachment 5257
ESC plate is a tight fit - but it's in. Just!
View attachment 5258
The Sworkz battery tray has inserts for 2x2s packs, or one 4s pack. I've removed 1 of the four spacers and have no trouble fitting this 6s pack.
Time to get my Futaba 3VCS Transmitter out and setup a new model profile!
Lookin absolutely beautiful. I gotta say...the S35 is one gorgeous piece of kit. Maybe with the rumored new release coming up, the prices will go down a little and they'll be within reach for me.
Sheesh. My Shogun is 9.26lbs with no battery in it.Dang, sounds like you stumbled into some voodoo magic with that build!
If that thing runs as well as it looks I might have to start keeping an eye open for a new kit.
It is rather nice. Meanwhile, on this side of the world, I seemed to have stumbled upon doodoo magic with the new-to-me ET48.3. Bent shock shafts, different standoffs in the front, different shock cap bushings, a clicking diff. The PO told me he took care of it and didn't race it hard, but I see a cracked wing and a bent wing mount.
All replaceable. If the price was right, can't go wrong with a Tekno. While I can appreciate the Mugen, Sworkz, Xray and other world class brands, here in the states Tekno is more widely available for parts, and a tad cheaper as well. Then there's the aftermarket support. M2C has a nice catalog for Tekno upgrades that turn a capable racer into a beefcake basher with solid pedigree if one desires. A nice sprinkling of upgrades can retain a fairly light and very capable machine. Truthfully though, for me and my use, I haven't found a need for upgrades on either of my Tekno rigs.Lookin absolutely beautiful. I gotta say...the S35 is one gorgeous piece of kit. Maybe with the rumored new release coming up, the prices will go down a little and they'll be within reach for me.
It is rather nice. Meanwhile, on this side of the world, I seemed to have stumbled upon doodoo magic with the new-to-me ET48.3. Bent shock shafts, different standoffs in the front, different shock cap bushings, a clicking diff. The PO told me he took care of it and didn't race it hard, but I see a cracked wing and a bent wing mount.
Horatio
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So, back to the finishing touches on the S35 T2E.
Apparently, my FRSky FASST TRF6 receiver is junk and simply will not pair up. I wasted well over an hour of time, check my Tx's modulation, resetting it - it just would not pair up.
I elected to remove it from the build entirely and the receiver has been replaced with a unicorn receiver - the R603FS. They're brilliant, but discontinued. Examples on eBay are double the price of Frsky stuff, even when tatty and secondhand. However, it works perfectly, proving that the TRF6 needs to be hit with a large fixing hammer
. Twice.
Erm... modern receivers are very small. The R603FS - not so much. It barely fitted in the radio box, but with some 'super glide' - it's in.
Next - the ESC. The mounting plate lifts the ESC up and because of this, the steering horn was fouling it, when turning left.
So, the ESC will now fit directly to the chassis, using UHB Dual lock. This drops it down by about 5mm - enough to clear the horn.
Calibration of the Castle system was..... interesting. The manual says one thing, but the ESC does something entirely different. I had to reverse the throttle channel apparently. But I have brakes and full throttle.
Steering endpoints have been set (the steering bellcranks and ackerman plate on the T2E are very good. The speed and power from the AGF810BHMW is very impressive and without a doubt are the quietest servos I own.
The Truggy is now fully operational. I just need to charge things up and give it a shake down.
Apparently, my FRSky FASST TRF6 receiver is junk and simply will not pair up. I wasted well over an hour of time, check my Tx's modulation, resetting it - it just would not pair up.
I elected to remove it from the build entirely and the receiver has been replaced with a unicorn receiver - the R603FS. They're brilliant, but discontinued. Examples on eBay are double the price of Frsky stuff, even when tatty and secondhand. However, it works perfectly, proving that the TRF6 needs to be hit with a large fixing hammer
. Twice.Erm... modern receivers are very small. The R603FS - not so much. It barely fitted in the radio box, but with some 'super glide' - it's in.
Next - the ESC. The mounting plate lifts the ESC up and because of this, the steering horn was fouling it, when turning left.
So, the ESC will now fit directly to the chassis, using UHB Dual lock. This drops it down by about 5mm - enough to clear the horn.
Calibration of the Castle system was..... interesting. The manual says one thing, but the ESC does something entirely different. I had to reverse the throttle channel apparently. But I have brakes and full throttle.
Steering endpoints have been set (the steering bellcranks and ackerman plate on the T2E are very good. The speed and power from the AGF810BHMW is very impressive and without a doubt are the quietest servos I own.
The Truggy is now fully operational. I just need to charge things up and give it a shake down.
VaporTrail
Well-known member
Very true. I was just a little surprised when I started to come across one thing after the other since he said it was a well-sorted truck. Lol. As for pricing, I suppose it could have been a bit more friendly, but we pay for what we want, I guess. I bought a MT410 and a ET48.3, and together they cost me nearly a grand.
And I agree; I can appreciate those higher level kits, but wooo mama...they sure can put the hurt on a wallet. And the parts availability can get a little dicey sometimes. Tekno seems to be fairly good in that regard, with the exception of some knick-knacks here and there.I'm going to run the ET48 as it is and see how much of a difference there is between it and the Shogun and then figure out how to best annoy my fellow racers.
So, back to the finishing touches on the S35 T2E.
Apparently, my FRSky FASST TRF6 receiver is junk and simply will not pair up. I wasted well over an hour of time, check my Tx's modulation, resetting it - it just would not pair up.
I elected to remove it from the build entirely and the receiver has been replaced with a unicorn receiver - the R603FS. They're brilliant, but discontinued. Examples on eBay are double the price of Frsky stuff, even when tatty and secondhand. However, it works perfectly, proving that the TRF6 needs to be hit with a large fixing hammer
View attachment 5260
Erm... modern receivers are very small. The R603FS - not so much. It barely fitted in the radio box, but with some 'super glide' - it's in.
Next - the ESC. The mounting plate lifts the ESC up and because of this, the steering horn was fouling it, when turning left.
So, the ESC will now fit directly to the chassis, using UHB Dual lock. This drops it down by about 5mm - enough to clear the horn.
Calibration of the Castle system was..... interesting. The manual says one thing, but the ESC does something entirely different. I had to reverse the throttle channel apparently. But I have brakes and full throttle.
Steering endpoints have been set (the steering bellcranks and ackerman plate on the T2E are very good. The speed and power from the AGF810BHMW is very impressive and without a doubt are the quietest servos I own.
The Truggy is now fully operational. I just need to charge things up and give it a shake down.
View attachment 5261
Veeerry nice, Horatio! Stunning piece of kit! And lol on the fixing hammer...I know exactly what you mean.
I've been tempted to use it when calibrating my Castle escs. Why does it have to be tricky to do so? I just calibrated my XR8 Pro last night; it was a very simple process. Hold the set button until the esc light blinks, release. Press again to set neutral, hold full throttle on the Tx and press, then full brake and press. Castle? hold until you hear the proper beep series, but don't hold it one beep longer or else you'll end up in programming mode. Accidentally go into programming mode and then turn off to reset. Repeat the process about 5-6 times until your ears finally catch on to the ring sequence. Then calibrate. Can't wait to hear how the maiden voyage goes!
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Agree on parts.. I have an old Xray XB8. I'm impressed by how many parts are still available, and shocked at pricing. Thankfully it's of such a high standard in quality that it doesn't eat alot of parts like some lesser quality brands. I think this holds true for almost any race level brands though. Tekno is surely more pricey on replacements than say an Arrma, TC or TRX, but let's face it, there's no real comparison In quality either. I suspect if the ET48 and Shogun are running similar gear, the ET will walk all over it. I know mine does, but that's apples to oranges.Very true. I was just a little surprised when I started to come across one thing after the other since he said it was a well-sorted truck. Lol. As for pricing, I suppose it could have been a bit more friendly, but we pay for what we want, I guess. I bought a MT410 and a ET48.3, and together they cost me nearly a grand.
I'm going to run the ET48 as it is and see how much of a difference there is between it and the Shogun and then figure out how to best annoy my fellow racers.
Veeerry nice, Horatio! Stunning piece of kit! And lol on the fixing hammer...I know exactly what you mean.
Can't wait to hear how the maiden voyage goes!
I'm glad you shared some of the Castle woes.. most Castle faithful won't ever mention such things, and I'd likely be turned off to Castle for life after going through that process. Might giver a double tap with a fixing hammer!! LOL. I like my HW stuff, simple, reliable.. well, was anyways. I'm not sold on the G2 stuff yet. Not feeling a need for sensored in a basher, nor am I accomplished enough to feel a need for it in racing. Eventually, I suspect most all our ground rc's will be sensored (censored)? LOL.
Horatio
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Yes. Castle Cremations are an acquired taste, but they are quick.
On to the coupon code to redeem a free Castle Link. So, I register, enter my details and password. Enter voucher. Unit is free. Postage to the UK - drum roll please - ......................
$72. Wait, what?
So no actually - I don't think I'm going to be ordering that. The castle link weighs like 5g. Why/how can it cost that much to ship it across the pond?
I had a Nova Rossi engine shipped to me in 2019 for $9 postage from California. It took 2 weeks to arrive but cost less to import it from the states than it did from Italy. How does that make any sense?
VaporTrail
Well-known member
Oh ho...is that right? So parts availability is still good for the older Xray models? Hrmm...that makes the playing field more diverse. Maybe I won't pass up the older Xray truggies next time. Yeah, I wish TC would have some better quality plastic in their arms; I hate having dynamic steering.
Interesting you say that about the ET vs Shogun. The Shogun currently has a Castle 1515 and a MMX 6S. The ET has an XR8 Pro and a G2 4274. I'm excited to see the difference in handling.
As for the Castle woes, yeah, I have no problems saying what the shortcomings are. Mostly because I prefer to shoot straight from the hip and I'd hate for someone to take my recommendation and then have a rough time with it. If I recommend something, I'll be sure to let you know it's pros and cons; I know I'd appreciate that info if it were me. Sensored stuff I run in my onroad cars, but not so much for offroad.
Yes. Castle Cremations are an acquired taste, but they are quick.
On to the coupon code to redeem a free Castle Link. So, I register, enter my details and password. Enter voucher. Unit is free. Postage to the UK - drum roll please - ......................
$72. Wait, what?
So no actually - I don't think I'm going to be ordering that. The castle link weighs like 5g. Why/how can it cost that much to ship it across the pond?
I had a Nova Rossi engine shipped to me in 2019 for $9 postage from California. It took 2 weeks to arrive but cost less to import it from the states than it did from Italy. How does that make any sense?
Yes. Castle Cremations are an acquired taste, but they are quick.
On to the coupon code to redeem a free Castle Link. So, I register, enter my details and password. Enter voucher. Unit is free. Postage to the UK - drum roll please - ......................
$72. Wait, what?
So no actually - I don't think I'm going to be ordering that. The castle link weighs like 5g. Why/how can it cost that much to ship it across the pond?
I had a Nova Rossi engine shipped to me in 2019 for $9 postage from California. It took 2 weeks to arrive but cost less to import it from the states than it did from Italy. How does that make any sense?
I've read about the Castle horror stories; thankfully none of my escs have gone full on Ghostrider. And I feel you on the shipping. My 48.3 came from the UK, and it cost me 55 USD to get it to the US. Then it cost me 76 bucks to get it from Washington State to here. And that was in a box that was just about the minimum dimensions.
I had a Kronos shipped to me from Wisconsin. It came in it's original box with the shipping box being a perfect fit around the original box.
The Kronos shipping box was bigger and came from a further away state. The ET box was probably slightly smaller. The ET shipping weight was 10lbs. The Kronos shipping weight was 12lbs. Both were shipped via USPS Ground Advantage.
Cost to ship the ET? 76 bucks. Cost to ship the Kronos?
28 bucks.
Anyone here work for USPS? Care to explain that huge disparity? Now before you say that maybe it's commercial rates, if you go on the USPS website and you use the new Click-n-Ship, they say you have commercial rates.
Commercial rates my fat black as.....Uga.
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CCB-MN
Well-known member
Hey H, not sure it would help much but I have business accounts, I ship internationally frequently. I’d be happy to check what I get thru UPS or FedEx via padded envelope. I’m guessing still around $25 usd but that’s a far cry less than $72. Just need the city and postal code for the Q.Yes. Castle Cremations are an acquired taste, but they are quick.
On to the coupon code to redeem a free Castle Link. So, I register, enter my details and password. Enter voucher. Unit is free. Postage to the UK - drum roll please - ......................
$72. Wait, what?
So no actually - I don't think I'm going to be ordering that. The castle link weighs like 5g. Why/how can it cost that much to ship it across the pond?
I had a Nova Rossi engine shipped to me in 2019 for $9 postage from California. It took 2 weeks to arrive but cost less to import it from the states than it did from Italy. How does that make any sense?
Horatio
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That's very kind, thanks.Hey H, not sure it would help much but I have business accounts, I ship internationally frequently. I’d be happy to check what I get thru UPS or FedEx via padded envelope. I’m guessing still around $25 usd but that’s a far cry less than $72. Just need the city and postal code for the Q.
However, I wouldn't waste your time on a £26 item. Honestly - it's cheaper for me to just buy one in the UK and forget the voucher code.
But thank you anyway, bud!
Holy crap! Talk about corporate greed! Jeez!Yes. Castle Cremations are an acquired taste, but they are quick.
On to the coupon code to redeem a free Castle Link. So, I register, enter my details and password. Enter voucher. Unit is free. Postage to the UK - drum roll please - ......................
$72. Wait, what?
So no actually - I don't think I'm going to be ordering that. The castle link weighs like 5g. Why/how can it cost that much to ship it across the pond?
I had a Nova Rossi engine shipped to me in 2019 for $9 postage from California. It took 2 weeks to arrive but cost less to import it from the states than it did from Italy. How does that make any sense?
I thought it was bad when TC charged me $25 postage for the free upgraded hubs back when.. Belgium to NY. Guess not. Wow, $72 is deplorable!
I have a 2007 XB8 EC, old is a relative term, but in the rc world, that's pretty old to be buying new parts IMO. Xray has stopped making some components from what I've found, such as the diffs. I won't pretend to know what diffs were in what models, but I was able to secure complete F/R and center diffs NIB off ebay less than a year ago for it. Haven't used anything other than the spur gear yet. What I found was that even though Xray still makes the spur, I got a complete new center diff assembly off ebay for the same cost. Though a tedious process, I think if you find a used model you're interested in, it's best to look up a parts breakdown for it and search for common wear items to see what's still available. I grabbed mine from a coworker almost 10 years ago, never even heard of Xray, but he had a box full of random NIB spares, and a quick internet search ensured it's pedigree and worth in relation to the asking price. I jumped on it. Had a Trinity Adam Drake .28 or something in it that was wore out. I bout a conversion kit from RC Monster and went brushless. While weight distribution isn't perfect, shock springs a bit on the sift side, it is a treat to run. I built it out as cheap as I could, it's just how I'm wired I guess, LOL. Had/has a Hitec servo, I put in an 80a 2-4s Redcat (HW) esc I had laying around, Turnigy 6 pole 2560kv 4068 motor, Arrma battery tray and radio box, and topped off with a Typhon 6s rtr body from JRC for $20. Paid $350 for the XB8, maybe $40-50 for the Trackstar motor, not sure. Safe to say I'm well under $600 into it.
Oh, and FWIW, RC America has an extensive Xray inventory, easy to see what's still available by model.
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VaporTrail
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Oooh...very nice! Hrmm...I wonder if there's room in the stable for a couple of XRays. Probably not. Definitely a no if I ask the wife.
Horatio
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Weather at the moment is mild but wet. Pointless taking out the T2E in this.
Drizzle, fog, rain -
I needed to get the angle of the steering link level. To do this, I used 3 washers, a conical M3 washer and an M3 countersunk washer.
The mounting lugs have been removed to 2mm on the ESC mount. Fitted to the chassis, this lowers the ESC sufficiently to avoid the steering horn fouling it.
3M Dual Lock and UHB clear double sided tape. Dual lock mounted the ESC and UHB used to mount the switch.
Layout of truck is weight forward, similar to Mugen configuration.
Sweep Crusher tyres are slightly bigger than Truggy tyres, but this will actually help increase the rollout value for speed runs.
So. Still no run time.
In the meantime, it's time to do some battery maintenance.
Drizzle, fog, rain -
I needed to get the angle of the steering link level. To do this, I used 3 washers, a conical M3 washer and an M3 countersunk washer.
The mounting lugs have been removed to 2mm on the ESC mount. Fitted to the chassis, this lowers the ESC sufficiently to avoid the steering horn fouling it.
3M Dual Lock and UHB clear double sided tape. Dual lock mounted the ESC and UHB used to mount the switch.
Layout of truck is weight forward, similar to Mugen configuration.
Sweep Crusher tyres are slightly bigger than Truggy tyres, but this will actually help increase the rollout value for speed runs.
So. Still no run time.
In the meantime, it's time to do some battery maintenance.
