Talion Talion: My first Rc Car in 12 years! Buying tips?

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Braam

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Hi Guys,

As some of you know, I'm from South Africa, I've been out of RC for 12 years ( had Thunder Tiger EB4 Nitro and RC10 Team Associated) , marriage, motorcycles, drones, chainsaws and guns happened. 35 years old now, getting back into RC - because like my Uncle always said " When a man stops playing,he might as well be in the ground. "

Thanks for the help on getting me to make up my mind on what RC rig to get. Decided on the Talion as it seems to be the best all rounder. Faster than the Kraton, better handling, better look ( only my opinion) and while not as good for bashing as the Kraton, it sure can still bash! Looking forward to running it on our Wildlife Farm here on the dirt roads, beaches in Cape Town and just in the street outside my house ☺

So, questions:
1. Where to buy ? I need a reliable place that ships internationally.
2. What version ? I'm guessing the V4 ?
3. Warranty - do I get one no matter where I buy from ?
4. Batteries - How many and which ones ?
5. Lipo Charger - Which one ?
6. Spare parts - Tower links ? Aluminium Chassis support ? Anything that WILL break ? Tyres ?
7. Transmitter - I hear it sucks - which should I get ?

Thanks for the help guys !

Regards
Braam
 
Hi Guys,

As some of you know, I'm from South Africa, I've been out of RC for 12 years ( had Thunder Tiger EB4 Nitro and RC10 Team Associated) , marriage, motorcycles, drones, chainsaws and guns happened. 35 years old now, getting back into RC - because like my Uncle always said " When a man stops playing,he might as well be in the ground. "

Thanks for the help on getting me to make up my mind on what RC rig to get. Decided on the Talion as it seems to be the best all rounder. Faster than the Kraton, better handling, better look ( only my opinion) and while not as good for bashing as the Kraton, it sure can still bash! Looking forward to running it on our Wildlife Farm here on the dirt roads, beaches in Cape Town and just in the street outside my house ☺

So, questions:
1. Where to buy ? I need a reliable place that ships internationally.
2. What version ? I'm guessing the V4 ?
3. Warranty - do I get one no matter where I buy from ?
4. Batteries - How many and which ones ?
5. Lipo Charger - Which one ?
6. Spare parts - Tower links ? Aluminium Chassis support ? Anything that WILL break ? Tyres ?
7. Transmitter - I hear it sucks - which should I get ?

Thanks for the help guys !

Regards
Braam
1) Do you have a local hobby store?
2) V4 for sure
3) Depends on #1
4) I prefer single hard pack lipos. Many here use dual soft packs. Comes down to preference.
5) There are tons of threads here covering this.
6) Wait until they bend or break, but if you want to get ahead, chassis, chassis braces, towers, tower brace, wing mount, servo mount, servo, radio, hinge pin braces, Ackerman plate, etc..... Tires, check out the Backflip LPs from the Outcast 4s truck.
7) If this is your only RC, anything will do. The Tactic is what used to come with the Arrmas and works fine. A Dumborc is $30 new and is well liked. If you’re going to buy more, get a radio that handles multiple models. I have the Futaba 3PV. The Spectrum DX5 models are popular too. The Flysky Noble is well liked. A budget choice would be the Radiolink RC6GS.
 
1. Where to buy ? Support a local hobby shop, if not possible anyone who is reputable and can ship to you.
2. What version ? I'm guessing the V4 ? Yes
3. Warranty - do I get one no matter where I buy from ? Email Horizon and check
4. Batteries - How many and which ones ? Turnigy Panther 6s 5000 mAh is my favorite. Turnigy Heavy Duty is my cheaper LiPo of Choice (5000mAh) you can go with a single 6s or two 3s packs. Along with these you will want a LiPo safe bag of some sort. Read up on LiPo storage voltage. Battery connectors? Many run IC5 to be easily compatible with what is on the RC car already.
5. Lipo Charger - Which one ? https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/recommend-me-a-battery-charger.1079/
6. Spare parts - Tower links ? Aluminium Chassis support ? Anything that WILL break ? Tyres ? Aluminum chassis braces will be a good start. Maybe get some metric screw sets. MIP hex wrenches!!!!
7. Transmitter - I hear it sucks - which should I get ? Futaba 3pv is future hobby proof yet budget friendly. Cheapest bang for the buck yet dead reliable, would be the Tactic from the earlier Arrma models.

Does dealing with AUS distributors/shops work better given your location? We have a few Aussie and NZ members here.
 
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As Jondilly says above but I'll just add a few points..

....
4. Hard pack lipos are better suited but soft pack lipos can be used if you are careful or can add some extra protection. You can use 2 x 3s packs or a single 6s pack. A single 6s pack usually works out cheaper but no real difference otherwise.
Go for a highish C rating around 50C or above.

I've only broken a top tower suspension bolt so far but some of my track rod ends are beginning to elongate a bit now.
Tyres... you will go through tyres like nothing else on tarmac. A set every 5-6 bashing sessions on tarmac is not unusual. The loose is a lot more forgiving and mx type tread offroad tyres are generally longer lasting and suit a wider variety of surfaces than the stock Katars in my experience.

You will want to invest in some diff and damper silicon oils at some point. They can massively improve performance and change handling characteristics to suit your preferences. Great bang for buck improvements to be found here.

Another radio to consider is the Flysky GT5. Great gyro inbuilt to the receiver and it has TSM and AVC style steering/throttle priority controls which can be adjusted on the TX. Receivers are cheap too.
 
The Talion v3 was my first Arrma truck and now I have six. The Talion is still my favorite of all and least amount of repairs of any so far.
I bought chassis braces first and waiting for shock towers.
Upgraded servo mount is a good investment and with the lighter tires I was fine on stock servo for a long time.
I prefer running single 6s packs at around 5000mah.
I really like the Flysky Noble and their antennaless receivers are waterproof and inexpensive.
The Backflip LP tires are excellent on the Talion but the stock tires are great too.
 
I'm excited to have another member join the Talion fleet! It's so much freaking fun. There's already all the basic info in this thread but one recommendation that I promise you will save you MASSIVE headaches at some point early in your ownership of an Arrma:

Even if you have a set of hex drivers 1.5mm-5mm that cost $200usd ---- any time you first try to unscrew something that's going into metal in these and you get even the slightest hint of more resistance than you thought it would have -- hit it with a soldering iron tip turned up to like 400f or so for like 10-15 seconds, or a lighter or whatever before continuing. They use a gigantic butt load of red loctite on these and stripping out a screw for your first maintenance session is a major buzzkill. Ask me how I know
 
1) Do you have a local hobby store?
2) V4 for sure
3) Depends on #1
4) I prefer single hard pack lipos. Many here use dual soft packs. Comes down to preference.
5) There are tons of threads here covering this.
6) Wait until they bend or break, but if you want to get ahead, chassis, chassis braces, towers, tower brace, wing mount, servo mount, servo, radio, hinge pin braces, Ackerman plate, etc..... Tires, check out the Backflip LPs from the Outcast 4s truck.
7) If this is your only RC, anything will do. The Tactic is what used to come with the Arrmas and works fine. A Dumborc is $30 new and is well liked. If you’re going to buy more, get a radio that handles multiple models. I have the Futaba 3PV. The Spectrum DX5 models are popular too. The Flysky Noble is well liked. A budget choice would be the Radiolink RC6GS.


Thanks Guys ! Now that I have actually decided which model - I want the car like YESTERDAY ! ☺

1.) Yes we do have local hobby shops - few stock Arrma and those who do add 35% to the price I can get it for myself. I'm all for supporting local shops but not at such a premium. Anyone here who has ordered from online shops that can recommend one ? @LibertyMKiii I'm open to deal with any reputable, reliable international distributor AUS or NZ or US ☺
2.) V4 it is ☺
3.) Waiting on Horizon to get back to me
4.) Yea Batteries will be 6s hard packs for sure. Thanks for the battery tips ( and for letting me know that the car comes with IC5 connectors).
5.) Have a Lipo bag and charger (Turnigy Accucell 6) . The charger will work right ? Just considering an upgrade if you recon it is needed ?
6.)Spare parts: Thanks guys ! Tyres - boy, new set of tyres after every 5 batteries on tar ?! Are there not on-road tyres available ?
7.)Transmitter - what is wrong with the stock one exactly ? Range ? Tuning limitations or what ?

Thanks again guys !

Braam
 

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The STX2 is fine as long as you don’t want your rig to go where you want it to when you want it to. Otherwise it’s the bees knees.

As far as tires, for on road the GRP tires are the most popular.
 
5.) Have a Lipo bag and charger (Turnigy Accucell 6) . The charger will work right ? Just considering an upgrade if you recon it is needed ?
6.)Spare parts: Thanks guys ! Tyres - boy, new set of tyres after every 5 batteries on tar ?! Are there not on-road tyres available ?
7.)Transmitter - what is wrong with the stock one exactly ? Range ? Tuning limitations or what ?

The charger you have will "work"
However, with its 50 watts max output it will struggle with 6s packs. (charge times around 2 hours)

I think road use is depending on what you are doing. If you are drifting and doing doughnuts then yes they wont last long. GRP 1/8 tires are good for street use and offer something like 7 different compounds, but have a smaller diameter and would require a larger pinion gear to stay the same speeds.

For the Transmitter - it randomly drops coms, jumpy, not linear, just overall problematic!
Some reported settings in the ESC failsafe being wrong. The scenarios is when the coms are lost with the TX the RC would take off full throttle. Definitely go through the manual and confirm the ESC settings.

-Liberty
 
Do you have a link perhaps ?

Thanks @LibertyMKiii - could I also ask you for a link ?

GRP 1/8 comes in compounds S1 (softest) through S7 (hardest)
They also come in various rim colors (White, silver, yellow, and black) These have been proven well into the 140-160mph range.
https://www.hobbyheroes.com/product...ires-grpgtk01-s5?_pos=26&_sid=1b9df1c12&_ss=r

Alternatively you can get the GRP 1/5 tires but will require a 1/5 square wheel hex adapter.
These are taller and heavier, but wont require as much of a gearing change. Overall these are not the best option for peak speed, but would be great for general street use.

https://www.hobbyheroes.com/products/grpgwh02-s7?_pos=5&_sid=1b9df1c12&_ss=r

When I say the GRP 1/8 are smaller than stock tires....
speed 1.jpg

This Kraton went 96mph with the original ESC and motor.
If speed is your thing feel free to shoot me a Private Message and I can walk you through setting it up for 100mph.
 
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Do all Kraton Tyres fit on the Talion ? Say these :

https://www.amazon.com/ARRMA-AR5100...n&qid=1571333219&sr=8-1-fkmr0#customerReviews
I see there are more than one 3PV version. I also see the 3PR as way more and better reviews - will it work ? https://www.amazon.com/Futaba-3PRKA...1_3?keywords=Futaba+3PV&qid=1571340261&sr=8-3

Do you need to buy a separate receiver & if so which one ? Link ? ;)

Sorry for all the questions but I'm keen to order it all tonight :p
 
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