SCX 10 Mods

Our first weekend with the rigs…pre-modifications

There is nothing like pulling your new rig out of the box for the first time. It’s like a new-born. It even smells new. So many unknowns, especially if you are new to the RC adventure world. Like parenting, there are so many opinions out there. So many directions to take your rig.

My first piece of advise, just drive. Go have fun. As you see the need or things break, then replace the parts. Go to any hobby shop or RC event, and just like in raising kids, you get advise. I have a hard time over-looking the advise-giver’s screaming brat as I grow old of the spontaneous Parenting 101 class.

Other accessories like sand ladders not only look great, but also useful to the scale experience.

I have been asked to share modifications and upgrades I made to my SCX 10 Wrangler. While Melissa and Abby went the route of RTR (Ready-to-Run) I opted for a kit. I was not interested in a used rig since 1) every owner wants what they put into it-and they are never worth the asking price and 2) I specifically wanted a fantasy version of my new 1:1 JK Wrangler.

 First, I built, well had lots of help building, OK, Troy from Team Dewey built my ride from a kit. But I did help. OK, I stayed out-of-the-way mostly. He let me do the body and put some stickers on…and the shocks…

 We ordered my rig as a kit and I provided the electronics. Originally it had a Traxxas ESC, which has now been upgraded to a Castle Side Winder 3. The upgrade was based on the need to run 3S LiPo batteries. Using 3S has had its own love/hate relationship. I like the Castle since it is both waterproof and programmable. I can set everything from LiPo cut-off to braking power.

 The Vanquish LED light-bar requires 3S to run. The ESC was really designed for 2S, but held well on 3S. The lights require 3S and provide enough illumination on the trail that I really don’t need a headlamp when doing night adventures. I have also used the lights on my RC to sift through the camper at night. It is seriously bright.

 Another 2S/3S battle I fight is with my winch. I use the RC4WD Bull Dog. This winch has been debated to no end, specifically from the guys who crawl. I was advised against it, specifically from a local Treasure Valley shop that also earned my distrust on so many other issues. The winch is designed to run on 2S, a direct conflict with my 3S battery selection needed to power the lights. So I use a BEC from Castle to power the winch. The BEC draws power directly from the battery and places it into a usable power source for winching. RC4WD now has a new WARN winch that will handle 3S. My hopes are to get one soon to test. I really like my RC4WD winch.

Drive stock until it breaks. By then, you will have a better idea for your needs

Why the crawling communities shy away from the winch is beyond me. All three of the AIQ rigs have one and we have yet to have any issues. They pull well, easy to use, and look great. I had push back at one point that it will lift only 6lbs. My rig weighs in at just over 6lbs. I cannot think of a situation where I would need to lift my entire rig up at 90°. If I did, well that’s what pulleys are for. I drive scale trails in scale conditions. The day I find an obstacle that is a 4x the height of my rig that I have to winch strait up, I will start doing it in the scale world. I am in this to keep it real. I don’t take my 1:10 rig over tree stumps.

Speaking of weight, that seems to be the first question I get from comp crawlers. To be honest, I don’t know, nor do I really give a rat’s hind quarters. It seems like there is some kind of weight envy out there, like these guys convert the weight of their rig to penis length. Okay, I come in at over six, but I’m happy….with rig weight that is…

 For the power plant, I started out with a Thunderbolt 55T motor. I moved to a 35T because I wanted more speed on the trail and still have torque when I needed it. My wife and kiddo still have 55T on their rigs, and this summer I want to see how the rigs perform when running wide open on trails. Heat could be an issue as they drive wide open to keep up speed.

I have tested a few wheel and tire combos since getting the rig. Right now I am running RC4WD Super Swampers and very happy. They work great in sand, snow, rock, and gravel. When they get wet, they get super sticky.  I have minimal wheel weights from Axial up front. Again, the comp guys swoop in for the attack…but I don’t run wheel weights on my 1:1 rig…I mainly have weight in the front of the 1:10 to simulate the weight disbursement of my 1:1. Running bead-lock wheels are from Axial.

The RC4WD winch sits happily on top of a RC4WD shorty bumper for the JK. It mimics the Rugged Ridge bumper on my 1:1 JK. Abby and Melissa are also using bumpers from RC4WD, but all three of us chose different styles.

At the heart of all that tugging power is a Pull Pal land anchor. Both Melissa and I have one. (Abby keeps saving up for one, but never gets there…) I have tested 4-5 other land anchors and the most happy with the Pull Pal.

On the back I have added a dual gas can rack from DS Pro. They build great stuff. It will also hold two shovels but they either fall out or break on a roll. No big deal, I moved the items into a new location. The team from DS Pro is awesome and they really back up their products. The stuff looks and funtions well.

I replaced my sliders with an aluminum set from BPC. I won these at a G6 and love them. The only downsides have been 1) they don’t come with compatible screws to attach the sliders to the chassis, and the Axial screws are too short to bite and hold in place and 2) The angle you have to get the driver to engage the screws is impossible to get at. I will run them until I get a custom set. I have the Castle ESC and my water-proofed radio receiver servo-tapped to each one.

Speaking of Radio, I use a Spectrum that I bought used from Troy. It has a programmable channel that I operate the winch from. I have it tied to a lanyard, which stays clipped to a D-Ring on my day pack.

 This week I did add aluminum C-Hubs in the front from Axial. Testing…testing..testing…

 As for Servo, I have an unknown servo I rebuilt a few years ago. When it dies, a Savox water-proof unit is going in.

 Accessories include ice chest, shovels, Hi-Lift jack, sleeping bags, etc. I change this stuff out often, including a few rafts and canoes. I swear by my sand ladders from DS Pro and an MaxTraxx. I also use a yank strap that I made for getting others unstuck. I get asked how many scale points I rate….who freek’n cares! Other great items are from Awesome Action RC and Scott Anthony.

What I place on the rig depends on my groove. Taking extra batteries– add a few fuel cans… Eating lunch on the trail- throw on the ice chest- My 4-legged buddies hanging with me as I hike- yep- I even have a scale Trigger-Dog!

The crawling crowd around her scoffs the RC4WD winch, but my little rig is on the trails nearly every day and has not seen any issues to date. Here it is “winching-down” a fellow G6er

 The whole thing is powered up with a flick of a huge switch in the back. The light bar also has its own power switch. Everything is double water-proofed with Plasti-Dip.

Three G6s and hundreds of hours on the trail, pretty happy with my rig

The important point is get out and enjoy your rig. At the end of the day it is a toy. Be thankful that you live someplace where you can get out and simply enjoy the outdoors and you have the means to purchase a simple hobby.  Don’t get wrapped around the axle (no-pun intended) on brands, weights, points, etc. It’s about the experience.

Get out and adventure!

Tough Love-Babes in the Woods

Lighting a fire in wet conditions, and not rescuing from the failures is tough…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This goes along with our podcast- you can find it at http://www.Adventure IQ.com)

I have never been a fan of the notion everybody wins. When coaching youth roller hockey in San Antonio, I had one of the few, and eventually the only program that still kept score in the YMCA portfolio of sports programs.

I believe that you need to give kids a realistic view of their performance, but done so in a way that you leverage their strengths in whatever evaluation you are doing. I don’t believe in sugar coating the feedback, or playing with soft gloves. I also don’t believe in being harsh on them either.

In all my workshops, coaching endeavors, or training I do with kids, military leaders, new adults to the woods, etc is the same… I define the conditions and expectations, allow them to perform, allow them to self evaluate, and then provide guidance and feedback.

The other aspect is tough. I don’t rescue. I allow failure as long as safety is not compromised. Nothing is learned if I am constantly helping a participant to a point I am completing the task them.

Let’s discuss two situations where I have to guide a participant differently.

The first is a fire building scenario. The participant has a good grasp of the concept, understands how to use flint and steel, knows the type of tinder and has been highly successful in starting fires in the past. But this has all been in controlled conditions when it has been fair weather and dry materials.

Survival fires though are most often needed when conditions are wet and clammy. To really test skills, I have to put the participant into real conditions so they not only have the ability to start fires and get warm when most needed, but to have the confidence to do so.

Most fail in getting the fire started in these conditions. Many times, I fail. It is a difficult test to complete. But the real learning is through the debrief with the participant and allowing them to do it again.

Watching a participant unnecessarily expending energy to grab materials, using the wrong materials, standing by and watching the fire not start can be irritating and the desire to jump in can be powerful. But I have to let them fail. This is because the participant has acquired a level of mastery in controlled conditions that can lead to over-confidence which is just as dangerous as not having the skills at all. Here you have to have the tough love and not jump in, allow them to identify their own mistakes, and then provide guidance.

In the other situation, a participant who is new to GPS navigation. In this scenario, the participant is just learning, and allowing them to fail outright as they work to program coordinates, follow the gps to a target, and try to find the best path to get to the target can be overwhelming. In this case I will work closely with the participant and provide constant coaching and working them to success. I still use the same debrief techniques of “what, so what, now what” that I have discussed in the blog and podcast in the past.

Building a solid toolbox of skills is an on-going exercise. As a team, constantly work on our skills to either keep them sharp or learn new techniques. It is also what helps us in communicating with each other and building our team and our families to a tighter cohesive group.

I am not a fan of the everybody wins philosophy. In the back-country people die. There is no second place with mother nature, just a body bag.

Original article: http://waukeefamilyymca.blogspot.com/2011/09/everybody-plays-everybody-wins.html

For more information about us, please checkout http://www.AdventureIQ.com for other blogs, podcast, and videos.

Top Gun – I Feel the Need for Speed

Another geek confession. I loved Top Gun. I saw it 26 times in the span of three weeks. Most pilots over the age of 40 remembers Top Gun. This was the 1986 blockbuster with Tom Cruise that encouraged many people to learn to fly. I was one. Though it was something I had wanted to do before, but the movie sent me over the edge. I took initial lessons, joined Civil Air Patrol, talked to professional liars (military recruiters).

 I naively joined the Air Force thinking this would be my path to flying, in both the military and general aviation. I didn’t realize at the time I would spend my career in the field, eating MREs, and only talking to pilots.

Fast forward and the movie has been re-mastered in 3-D and will return to about 300 IMAX theaters beginning this Friday (Feb. 8) for a six-day engagement.

Though my love for Kelly McGillis has faded because she isn’t interested in my type, and Tom Cruise is a dweeb, Val Kilmer is fat, and Meg Ryan in her small role still makes my heart thump. But it still has Goose, AKA Anthony Edwards—who played Maverick’s back-seater/radar intercept officer. Edwards recently became a private pilot who drives a serious a Cirrus SR20.

The movie follows the story (kind of far-fetched at the end) of elite Navy Aviators competing to be the best in their air combat maneuvering class. The blockbuster earned more than $300 million in box offices worldwide. It can be corny, and if you forget everything you know about military discipline, aviation, and beach volleyball, it’s a great movie. Plus the Navy has always been great at allowing Hollywood access to ships, planes, and other aspects that incorporate real footage.

Not sure yet which Imax theaters will feature, really hoping I get to see it in BOI and introduce my kiddo to one of my own influences in becoming a pilot.

Road Trip Tunes

So how many of you did this at a point in life- had that special tape that you played endlessly on a road trip…okay, allow me to modernize…a cd….wait…a set of tunes on your mp3?  I admit to the mp3, but there is something really special about sifting through a box of old crap and find that special tape that you played so much you know EXACTLY the point it is going to drag or skip.

I love music. Road trip songs were an important part of my youth and a tradition I carry on today. When my family moved from Arizona to Texas in 1979 I listened to Bobby Vee the whole way. It was my Mom’s favorite…… 8-track. Yes, I even know where the songs break in between tracks 3 and 4. For my Dad it was Roger Whitiker, Neil Diamond, and Alabama. Dad and I are allot alike in that we have a variety of taste.

In 1994, I uprooted from Abilene, Texas and transferred as an instructor to the Air Base Ground Defense School at Ft Dix, New Jersey. Before Mapquest, Google Maps, and GPS it was just me and the Gin Blossoms finding our way both topographically and emotionally. I had just come out of an “interesting” four years that had been soured with a broken marriage, a breaking relationship, and a need to begin being the person I was meant to be and not what others expected me to be. 1500 plus miles of “New Miserable Experience” not only spoke to the present but reached back into my past. (Gin Blossoms also hail from Tempe.)

Poison’s “Flesh and Blood” or Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feel Good” would pump me up while flying nap of the earth during operations in Southwest Asia. I would blast it through my headphones as we skirted the sand in CH-53’s.

Rush always has and always will speak to me in different phases of life. Practically everything from the “Roll the Bones” reflects my life post Desert Storm and the humanitarian missions I would be involved in during both my military and post military career. When I was working through many of the distant thoughts I would carry with me, I would lay down some distance on the road with both Albums on CD.  I guess I should add the Counting Crow’s “August and Everything After” when I was deployed to Korea- right after Melissa and I met. Each word spoke volumes to me and I would fall asleep eachnight thinking of her and listening to that tape.

Currently I am threading a compilation of tunes from Creed, Tonic, Roger Clyne, The Refreshments, Foo Fighters, and Goo-Goo Dolls fill my ears. All these are on my iPod. Somehow it’s not the same as the old cassette tapes. Nothing gets stretched, worn, and it never skips. Only so much can be said for audio perfection…

Finding those old tapes and CDs brings back so many memories. Lost love, forgotten friends, goals I have strived for that mean nothing now. Words that touched my life then, and bring back the smiles and the scars of a man I used to be and who I have grown into today.

Building a Kids Survival Pack (part 1)

This has been a long but needed process.

Many of you know I teach a special session on survival for kids at places like Scooter’s Youth Hunting Camp as well as other venues. This is a course that is scaled down to the abilities and mind set of kids from 10-16 years of age. We keep it interactive and the kids get hands on experience with fire craft, water purification, and other skills. I also pass on specific advice of what to put in a kids pack as well as what not to place in there.

On the outside it may be buttons, bows, and puppy dog tails...on the inside are the skills that would put most Boy Scouts to shame

As a parent of a soon to be 11-year old who has grown up with the advantage of not only seeing her dad use these skills in the real world, but has also been a student of mine. But instead of the abbreviated session I do for Scott’s camp, I get a more in-depth opportunity to ensure she masters various skills.

My approach has been simple, and also teaches her responsibility with the tools she is given. Let’s face it- most people cringe when you tell them your kiddo has a knife and knows how to start a fire. Each tool is thoroughly trained and mastered and even monitored for proper use. The last thing I want is her cutting herself or starting a wildfire. So let me walk you through the tools and the methodology I have used along the way.

Hydration Pack

This is the building block of her survival training. If I can keep her drinking water then she will always increase her odds of living should she get separated from us. This started out with a small Camelback designed specifically for kids and did not hold any items in it- it was just a water bladder with straps. Since she was 4 or 5 her responsibility was to make sure it was always full when we went out. As she grew more responsible we added a name tape for her on it as a symbol of getting wiser on trips. She was also keeping her “Junior Ranger” badges on it that she earned at various national parks. She has out grown that pack and tonight she got a new Camelback (Scout) in hot pink. Great color for girls and noticeable in the woods. (There is a blue one for boys). It will hold her other basic tools she has earned to this point as well as rain jacket, gloves, wool hat, and flashlight.

Flashlight/ Headlamp

When Abby was four she started earning a headlamp of her own. This was done by turning her borrowed lamp off when not in use, not pointing it in people’s eyes in camp, and knowing how to change both battery and bulb. She received her very own lamp when she was seven or eight.

Flint and Steel Fire Starter

I still do not believe in matches- specifically for a kiddo. Through practice and increasing responsibility she earned her own flint and steel fire striker. Along with a bag full of dryer lint and bits of pencil shavings she is ready for the woods. I have given her the job of starting family bon fires in the backyard and campfires when we are in the woods. She does everything from prep phase to extinguish. She did get it taken away from her at one point and had to earn it back. Smokey Bear would be proud of her.

Pocket Knife

Many of us had knives early in life but it is such a different world. I remember carrying a 300 series Buck Knife to school in a black case on my belt and no one cared at all. Not the world we live in today. In addition, the last thing I need is for her to make a bad situation worse. The knife has been a hard fought process for her. Just when I would think she was ready she would do something to make me think twice. But she has finally earned the privilege to carry a folding pocket knife. Tonight inside her new pack was a Swiss Army knife.

I have tried to make each stage important for her and I will continue this series as she earns other tools such as a compass, signal devices, purification tablets, etc. It is my belief that anything you put into a kids pack should be limited to ONLY the tools they know how to use and have demonstrated the proper use and car of.

I would encourage you to get you and your family trained in survival. I offer this as free service to anyone who request it (based on schedule availability). I also invite you to sign your kiddo up for camps such as Scooter’s. It is a first rate camp and we have had many success stories come out of it from both the hunting as well as the survival perceptive.

Learning water purification at survival seminar at Scooter's

Weekend Adventure with my Bride

So i will have to catch you up on how I finally finished up my pilot training and earned my Private Pilot Certificate. In the mean time I want to share this weeks adventure. Road tripping with my wife. It started out as an aviation adventure. But after having a plane on hold for a month, buying all the charts and AFDs needed, and getting additional training in a Cessna 172 the weather didn’t hold for us

Instead of bagging our trip we rented (at a very well negotiated price) a new Chevy Camaro, threw our travel bag in the trunk and sped off for then West Coast of Oregon. So over the next few blogs I will share our stops and adventures….including an awesome stay at the Columbia Gorge Hotel at Hood River….stay tuned….
….from the road on my ipad…

Post-It Notes

The past few weeks I have been dedicating myself to doing more solo time. However there was a minor miscommunication between my instructor and myself. Once I did my solo flight he gave me the green light to fly and check in with him about every other week. We agreed to this when I was only flying once or twice a week. I came into some extra funding to support my aviation addiction and well, I made seven flights without going back to my instructor.

I should point out- this isn’t because your instructor doesn’t want you to have a good time or because you are a source of income- it is primarily a safety precaution.

I had developed several bad habits that if it wasn’t for Jeff catching- I could have gotten hurt or worse- killed.

So this morning we flew again. Now this was our second flight in the past week with one solo in between. I came back from my last two flights, one dual and one solo, with my confidence shaken. I think Jeff could sense this. He knows I drive myself pretty hard and have a hard time taking feedback when I think I have been doing the right thing. He also knows that for me- I’m either making an “A” or making an “F” when I grade myself. Again- I tend to drive myself very hard. When you look for an instructor- don’t just settle for one that is technically proficient, has the best price, or is the “club recommended CFI”. Choose the one that you can build a relationship with. Remember, the CFI works for you, but make this a partnership. Jeff and I spend a lot of time crammed into the cockpit of a Cessna 152, it is important that we get along. This is the responsibility of both the student and the instructor.

Jeff set me up with some great confidence boosters. After doing a few touch and go’s, he covered up the instruments with post it notes. He let me keep the tachometer and clock. Everything else was covered. We were in real VFR mode. While we stayed in the pattern he would ask me questions about my airspeed, what altitude I thought I was at, etc. We did two landings like this. It really helped me understand what the “picture” should look like during take off, landing, and each transition.

We also did some simulated engine failure exercises. The first attempt I came up a little short of the runway and had to execute a go around. The next few times I was able to bring it back in and on one occasion landed without flaps.

My flying funds are getting tight right now and I’ve run out of things to sell, so I’m not real sure how much time I will be putting in the next few weeks. I will still fly each week, but I will be dropping my time substantially.

On a side not- I did get the new website launched and if you need training materials, please purchase it through my on-line partnership with Amazon. You will find it under the “resources” link. The website address is http://www.barnstormingblarney.com

Over the next lessons I will be working on short and soft field take-offs, more hood work/instrument flying, and practicing more stalls. At some point I want to take the Cessna 172 out again, this time with my daughter and (of course) Jeff, so she can experience flying in a small plane…but we’ll have to see.

Total Hours: 28.5
Total Solo: 7.1
Total Landings: 99