Felony Arrma Felony Has Become the most unreliable RC I ever owned in 40 years HELP!

[NYFelony]

Oh I was always under the impression that it had both steering and throttle but the knob adjusted both at the same time on the rtr radios as the AVC is in the receiver and not the radio.


Max6 4985 1650 combo gets my vote.

ok with that motor esc combo can i run a 16-20 pinion and keep everything else stock or do i need to mess with the spur as well?

An 8s ESC will afford some amp headroom while running only a 6s lipo. Commonly done. ESC will run cooler and more efficiently. I don't feel running 8s is necessary for plain bashing drifting and all. Will just eat up tires and the drivetrain. For speed running 8s, has its distinct advantages depending on your speed target/ goals.

Thats probally why the Firma 160 i dropped in ran so cool on 6s

i cant wait to swap out the transmitter i hate the DX3

 

[SrC]

Oh I was always under the impression that it had both steering and throttle but the knob adjusted both at the same time on the rtr radios as the AVC is in the receiver and not the radio.


Max6 4985 1650 combo gets my vote.

Why does the RTR manual never addresss Thr AVC???
Only the Spektrum DX5C/ Rugged and Pro have the distinct and separate Prority and Gain AVC controls for both AVC Thr. and ST.
I have only been able to notice Thr AVC activation when running my DX5C. Not with the RTR radio's. Very noticeable that it is there. Horrible that I feel it is, at that.

1650kv/Max6 absolutely.

 

[NYFelony]

Guys that Hobbywing Max6 esc looks really similar to the Firma 160 i just got, is it worth selling the Spektrum 160 in favor of the Max6 is it built better or can i just grab that 1650 motor and use the Firma 160 i have. Not sure the resale market of the Spektrum 160 i paid like $273 for it and it has 7 minutes of run time on it before motor failed.

 

[Speed/267]

Guys that Hobbywing Max6 esc looks really similar to the Firma 160 i just got, is it worth selling the Spektrum 160 in favor of the Max6 is it built better or can i just grab that 1650 motor and use the Firma 160 i have. Not sure the resale market of the Spektrum 160 i paid like $273 for it and it has 7 minutes of run time on it before motor failed.

Wouldn’t it be under warranty? Just my two cents but I’d try to sell the spektrum gear and switch to hobbywing. A lot of people run the hobbywing gear over spektrum for better reliability.

 

[slick2500]

ok with that motor esc combo can i run a 16-20 pinion and keep everything else stock or do i need to mess with the spur as well?

Thats probally why the Firma 160 i dropped in ran so cool on 6s

i cant wait to swap out the transmitter i hate the DX3

I'm not sure I know on the Kraton and Outcast most of us run a 20T pinion and that equates to about the same top speed as the stock 12T pinion.

Why does the RTR manual never addresss Thr AVC???
Only the Spektrum DX5C/ Rugged and Pro have the distinct and separate Prority and Gain AVC controls for both AVC Thr. and ST.
I have only been able to notice Thr AVC activation when running my DX5C. Not with the RTR radio's. Very noticeable that it is there. Horrible that I feel it is, at that.

1650kv/Max6 absolutely.

Strangely I couldn't find this anywhere on the Spektrum or Horizon websites https://www.rccaraction.com/spektrum-dx3-smart-3-channel-transmitter-sr315-receiver/

The DX3 transmitter’s AVC system works behind the scenes, making hundreds of minute steering and throttle adjustments per second to keep you precisely on the line you want to hold.

 

[NYFelony]

Wouldn’t it be under warranty?

The 160 esc is fine the motor blew this time around i bought the 160 after seeing few videos on the suggestion since the 150 grenade so easily

 

[slick2500]

Guys that Hobbywing Max6 esc looks really similar to the Firma 160 i just got, is it worth selling the Spektrum 160 in favor of the Max6 is it built better or can i just grab that 1650 motor and use the Firma 160 i have. Not sure the resale market of the Spektrum 160 i paid like $273 for it and it has 7 minutes of run time on it before motor failed.

The Spektrum Firma 160a is at it's base a Hobbywing Max6 that is why it looks so similar. The Firma 160a seems to be more reliable than the 150a is for sure, so you should be okay keeping it and just getting the motor.

 

[SrC]

I agree how it works.
Just the RTR manual is only focused on the Steering aspect of AVC. Never mentions Thr AVC at all. And I never noticed any Thr AVC with the RTR radio. But when I changed out to a DX5C, Thr AVC was clearly active. So very obvious you couldn't miss that it was there .Throttle cutting was horrendous. And overly so at that. A PIA for me. Did not like it at all. No matter what I did with the Thr. priority and gain settings. I just disabled AVC with a rebind altogether. Way better for me.

 

[NYFelony]

The Spektrum Firma 160a is at it's base a Hobbywing Max6 that is why it looks so similar. The Firma 160a seems to be more reliable than the 150a is for sure, so you should be okay keeping it and just getting the motor.

When i used the programming card for the Firma 160 i did not know prior that the BEC and motor timing could not be programmed exactly the same as the out of the box set up In the owners manual,not sure how much that matters

i set my timing to zero on the Firma 160 and i still cooked the stock motor.

 

[slick2500]

I agree how it works.
Just the RTR manual is only focused on the Steering aspect of AVC. Never mentions Thr AVC at all. And I never noticed any Thr AVC with the RTR radio. But when I changed out to a DX5C, Thr AVC was clearly active. So very obvious you couldn't miss that it was there .Throttle cutting was horrendous. And overly so at that. A PIA for me. Did not like it at all. No matter what I did with the Thr. priority and gain settings.

The only rtr radio I have with AVC is the DX2E but it for sure only controls the steering as it says so in the manual and the description on the AVC receivers.
I disabled the AVC on my SRS6000 receiver as I hated driving my car with it turned on.

Everything I find says that the DX3 controls both the throttle and steering and both are adjusted via the AVC knob.

 

[SrC]

Yeah the SRS6000 were the early AVC variants. Have several of them. Best only witha RTR radio. Seems Thr AVC does not play into a RTR radio. But I run No AVC enabled with my DX5C now.
My one V1 Infr with a DX2E is the only setup where AVC runs fine. And I see no Thr autonomy at all. Just Steering. Thr AVC seems to not be there.

 

[Gonz.]

Motor kept clean and lubed. Trust me they can last for a long time.

I'm all for proper maintenance, so I'm not trying to detract from your advice at all, but I have a Turnigy TrackStar 4068 2560KV motor from 2011 that's been run in the wet plenty of times, has never been taken apart, and is still going strong.

I am going to change the bearings in my son's Hobbywing 4985-1650kv because it gets a little too warm for my liking in his K6S with a 20T pinion and a decent 27k Thunderoos fan on the motor -they are about half the cost of the motor. Some decent high speed bearings should do the job. I should probably do the same on the TrackStar motor too.

I do feel the OP has been really unlucky with their kit.

 

[slick2500]

Yeah the SRS6000 were the early AVC variants. Have several of them. Best only witha RTR radio. Seems Thr AVC does not play into a RTR radio. But I run No AVC enabled with my DX5C now.
My one V1 Infr with a DX2E is the only setup where AVC runs fine. And I see no Thr autonomy at all. Just Steering. Thr AVC seems to not be there.

Yes is has been established that the DX2E only controls the steering inputs and has no input for the throttle.

 

[Moirae]

The AVC now might be the issue, my Losi Super Rock Rey started acting bonkers one day wobbling like a mad man in the snow then it never happened again it was like a glitch that day and made me crash badly. So if some of you say the Felony is still controllable without AVC il ditch the DX3 because i hate the response and low range. I assumed AVC was the only way this car can stay on the pavement.

Good to know are the Toyos the best or stick to the stock ones?

I actually haven't tried the toyos yet but I wanted to. Can't seem to find the front tires in stock. I'd give them a shot if I were you. Proline typically makes really good tires so I'd assume they're better than stock.

ok with that motor esc combo can i run a 16-20 pinion and keep everything else stock or do i need to mess with the spur as well?

Thats probally why the Firma 160 i dropped in ran so cool on 6s

i cant wait to swap out the transmitter i hate the DX3

Honestly you could totally keep the 160 spektrum and just get the motor from the max 6 combo. The hobbywing equiv is considered more reliable but in terms of performance you probably won't notice a difference. If it's easier for you to just keep it then you won't be missing out on much imo.

Using the hobbywing 1650kv motor on my felony I run a 27t pinion with 2x 40mm fans on the motor and it does great. I've been doing this in rather low ambient temps though so in the summer months I might have to drop down to 23 or something. Not really sure as this will be my first summer in the hobby.

You will easily be able to run that motor on a 20t and have ZERO heat issues with fans. I'd say you could even try a little higher if you wanted. Since it's a lower kv motor you will have to gear it up higher than what you had the stock motor at to get similar speeds. It will run cooler though.

 

[NYFelony]

I actually haven't tried the toyos yet but I wanted to. Can't seem to find the front tires in stock. I'd give them a shot if I were you. Proline typically makes really good tires so I'd assume they're better than stock.


Honestly you could totally keep the 160 spektrum and just get the motor from the max 6 combo. The hobbywing equiv is considered more reliable but in terms of performance you probably won't notice a difference. If it's easier for you to just keep it then you won't be missing out on much imo.

Using the hobbywing 1650kv motor on my felony I run a 27t pinion with 2x 40mm fans on the motor and it does great. I've been doing this in rather low ambient temps though so in the summer months I might have to drop down to 23 or something. Not really sure as this will be my first summer in the hobby.

You will easily be able to run that motor on a 20t and have ZERO heat issues with fans. I'd say you could even try a little higher if you wanted. Since it's a lower kv motor you will have to gear it up higher than what you had the stock motor at to get similar speeds. It will run cooler though.

thanks for sharing your feedback on the motor and your Felony. Does anyone notice shorter or longer run times on the Hobbywing 1650 motor versus the stock Spektrum motor? keeping things cool is a bonus, will the heatsink and original fan clip onto the Hobbywing 1650 or il need to order something else?

 

[slick2500]

I actually haven't tried the toyos yet but I wanted to. Can't seem to find the front tires in stock. I'd give them a shot if I were you. Proline typically makes really good tires so I'd assume they're better than stock.


Honestly you could totally keep the 160 spektrum and just get the motor from the max 6 combo. The hobbywing equiv is considered more reliable but in terms of performance you probably won't notice a difference. If it's easier for you to just keep it then you won't be missing out on much imo.

Using the hobbywing 1650kv motor on my felony I run a 27t pinion with 2x 40mm fans on the motor and it does great. I've been doing this in rather low ambient temps though so in the summer months I might have to drop down to 23 or something. Not really sure as this will be my first summer in the hobby.

You will easily be able to run that motor on a 20t and have ZERO heat issues with fans. I'd say you could even try a little higher if you wanted. Since it's a lower kv motor you will have to gear it up higher than what you had the stock motor at to get similar speeds. It will run cooler though.

Stupid question what is the stock pinion on the Felony?

 

[Moirae]

Stupid question what is the stock pinion on the Felony?

I believe the stock motor is 1900kv and the stock pinion is 16t. For the 1650kv to reach similar mph a 20t pinion will be a little tiny bit faster than stock 16t on stock motor.

 

[jkflow]

Welcome to the forum, didn't read through all responses but some observations. 3 bad ESc's, wow that sucks.

Motor, that's on you (take it with a grain of salt, not as 'yelling'). You simply can't run these cars on high speed gearing for extended periods. They will get damaged, stated somewhere in the manual as well. 1 run and 10 min cool off is all they can take on speed gear.

Setting brakes to 100% will kill the ESC/motor, I have mine set to ~37% and works fine (Infraction), you just have to get used to it. 100% will draw insane amounts of current and will generate tons of heat.
I've been using stock motor with 18T, and Firma160 for roughly 18 months now and 'no' issues. I did add high speed fans on motor and ESC though. ESC will overheat regardless (80F ambient or above) but a Max6 was even worse. Definitely do NOT recommend the Max6, but I'm one of the outliers on that. It's reliable, but overheats quickly.

Correct, Firma160 settings are different. Check the latest manual on Horizon for correct settings.

Again, do not use 100% brake on your on road, it's a killer. Mine is 50% ESC and dialed back to 75% on the TX, whatever that equals is what I use.
I disabled AVC after about 4 runs, actually runs a lot better, but you have to learn how to run.
A lot pf people just do not understand that they have to use steering trim to make it run straight and freak out if they have to adjust by more than 4 clicks, no kidding. Disabling AVC is yet another pain, I just swapped to a cheap non-gyro receiver.

 

[slick2500]

16t

Welcome to the forum, didn't read through all responses but some observations. 3 bad ESc's, wow that sucks.

Motor, that's on you (take it with a grain of salt, not as 'yelling'). You simply can't run these cars on high speed gearing for extended periods. They will get damaged, stated somewhere in the manual as well. 1 run and 10 min cool off is all they can take on speed gear.

Setting brakes to 100% will kill the ESC/motor, I have mine set to ~37% and works fine (Infraction), you just have to get used to it. 100% will draw insane amounts of current and will generate tons of heat.
I've been using stock motor with 18T, and Firma160 for roughly 18 months now and 'no' issues. I did add high speed fans on motor and ESC though. ESC will overheat regardless (80F ambient or above) but a Max6 was even worse. Definitely do NOT recommend the Max6, but I'm one of the outliers on that. It's reliable, but overheats quickly.

Correct, Firma160 settings are different. Check the latest manual on Horizon for correct settings.

Again, do not use 100% brake on your on road, it's a killer. Mine is 50% ESC and dialed back to 75% on the TX, whatever that equals is what I use.
I disabled AVC after about 4 runs, actually runs a lot better, but you have to learn how to run.
A lot pf people just do not understand that they have to use steering trim to make it run straight and freak out if they have to adjust by more than 4 clicks, no kidding. Disabling AVC is yet another pain, I just swapped to a cheap non-gyro receiver.

The stock fan on the Max6 is rather pathetic and really doesn't do much if any cooling.

 

[NYFelony]

Welcome to the forum, didn't read through all responses but some observations. 3 bad ESc's, wow that sucks.

Motor, that's on you (take it with a grain of salt, not as 'yelling'). You simply can't run these cars on high speed gearing for extended periods. They will get damaged, stated somewhere in the manual as well. 1 run and 10 min cool off is all they can take on speed gear.

Setting brakes to 100% will kill the ESC/motor, I have mine set to ~37% and works fine (Infraction), you just have to get used to it. 100% will draw insane amounts of current and will generate tons of heat.
I've been using stock motor with 18T, and Firma160 for roughly 18 months now and 'no' issues. I did add high speed fans on motor and ESC though. ESC will overheat regardless (80F ambient or above) but a Max6 was even worse. Definitely do NOT recommend the Max6, but I'm one of the outliers on that. It's reliable, but overheats quickly.

Correct, Firma160 settings are different. Check the latest manual on Horizon for correct settings.

Again, do not use 100% brake on your on road, it's a killer. Mine is 50% ESC and dialed back to 75% on the TX, whatever that equals is what I use.
I disabled AVC after about 4 runs, actually runs a lot better, but you have to learn how to run.
A lot pf people just do not understand that they have to use steering trim to make it run straight and freak out if they have to adjust by more than 4 clicks, no kidding. Disabling AVC is yet another pain, I just swapped to a cheap non-gyro receiver.

Thanks so much for the advice on the braking set up i set mine high for safety since everytime i take the felony out it draws a crowd and i get nervous at the speeds this hit. I ran my felony on the high speed 27 pinion for only 3 minutes one time it killed battery so i lost interest and switched to a 20 which is a great all around gear for my shorter parking lot runs. In my area there is no safe abandoned road to even attempt a speed run safely.