Andy W
Apr 19, 2004, 11:40 PM
!Introduction
| spec2
| @906790
| Image courtesy of Duratrax.
|> <b>Length:</b> |< 9.375” (240mm) w/body
|> <b>Width:</b> |< 4.0” (100mm)
|> <b>Wt.:</b> |< 13.25 oz (375g)
|> <b>Front Track Range:</b> |< 3.8”-4” (96-101mm)
|> <b>Rear Track Range:</b> |< 3.8-4.2” (96-107mm)
|> <b>Wheelbase:</b> |< 5.5-6” (140-150mm)
|> <b>Transmitter:</b> |< Included Duratrax 2-ch by Futaba
|> <b>Receiver:</b> |< Included Duratrax RX100 BEC
|> <b>Battery:</b> |< Incl 6-cell 600mAh NiCd & 3 Hr. Charger
|> <b>ESC:</b> |< Incl. Duratrax ESC1000 w/ reverse
|> <b>Manuf.:</b> |< <a href="http://www.duratrax.com">Duratrax</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href="http://www.gpmd.com/cgi-bin/wc569010ap.pgm?V=DTX">Great Planes Model Distributors</a>
Duratrax boasts, “At less than 10" long, the Micro Street Force is sized for exciting electric racing action almost anywhere.”
I can attest that hallways and living spaces with hardwood or tiled floors are perfectly suited to indoor electric racing at any time! Running on the track is equally enjoyable. I’m getting ahead of myself, however, and should tell you a little about the kit before I expand on the fun you’ll have with it.
!Kit Contents
@906791:The box
@906792:The neatly packaged kit.
@906793:Everything needed to run!
@906794:Image courtesy of Duratrax.
The kit is provided in a single suitcase-style box. Everything you need is, quite literally, contained in that box. No tools, additional accessories, etc. are required to prepare the model to run – although you will need a pair of scissors to remove the car from its packaging.
!!Enough Information to Rebuild The Entire Chassis At Any Time!
Inside, you’ll find the chassis and body, a battery, a decal sheet, several bags of accessories, a box with a wall-charger, another box containing the transmitter and antenna. A comprehensive assembly and operation manual is included as well. I was somewhat surprised to find a 20 page manual with a ready-to-run kit, until I realized that only 4 pages were required to cover final assembly and operation, including setup, charging, etc. A couple of pages cover the track and wheelbase adjustment procedures, and the remaining portion of the manual details assembly of every component of the chassis. Every component is presented in an exploded view, with details covering lubrication, part alignment, and assembly sequence. There is also a complete parts list, exploded view, and 1:1 hardware chart (for accurately identifying those bolts and screws!) With this information, a complete rebuild of the chassis could be performed with the confidence of knowing how to re-assemble each component when required.
!Features
@906795:Image courtesy of Duratrax.
Although this car is small in size, it’s not short on features. It provides adjustable wheelbase, track and body mounts. The included ESC 1000 Micro ESC includes reverse. The chassis has independent, horizontally-mounted front suspension, a large foam front bumper, belt-driven 4WD drive train, a durable gear diff, and ball bearings on the major drive train components.
!!Assembly
@906796:The chassis is fully assembled, with Rx and ESC installed!
@906797:Belt-driven 4WD drive-train
@906798:Just needs decals!
@906799:Decals attached!
Preparing this model for its first run was simple. The most frustrating part was waiting for that first charge on the battery! The included charger takes three hours to fully-charge the battery. Although I have several alternatives available to me, for a review, I always use the provided equipment to ensure my experiences would match those of the typical reader. The first step would be to charge this battery, and I am happy to say that, apart from removing the Micro Street Force from its packaging, this was indeed the first step listed in the assembly and operation manual.
The included transmitter is a DuraTrax-labeled Futaba 2-channel AM unit, and the kit even includes 8 AA Alkaline cells to power the transmitter – a nice touch. The transmitter simply needs to have the antenna and cells installed. The receiver pre-installed on the chassis is a DuraTrax RX-100 BEC unit. The BEC feature allows the receiver to be powered directly from the main battery, from 4 to 6 cells (4.8-7.2V), although in the case of this model, the DuraTrax ESC 1000 Electronic Speed Controller utilizes its own BEC to power the receiver through the throttle channel. The receiver antenna is routed through a typical plastic tube, which pokes up through the body when installed in the appropriate mount location. The decals are provided die-cut, and ready to apply – another nice touch for those of us used to the process of painstakingly cutting decals from a sheet! I trimmed the pre-painted body to my liking while waiting for the battery to charge.
@906800:Ready to Race!
@906801:Pretty Cool, eh?
Once the battery is fully charged, you install it into the chassis and program the ESC to the transmitter’s throttle end-points. This is a simple process requiring just a few button presses, outlined clearly in the manual. There is a small on/off switch attached to the ESC – it’s a good idea to not only locate this and ensure it’s turned on, but to secure this away from the wheels and drive belt with one of the twist-ties used to keep the wiring neat and tidy. With the ESC programmed, you center the steering using the trim settings on the transmitter, and – as the manual also clearly points out – go HAVE FUN!
!Running
Assembling the kit only takes a few minutes, and once the battery was charged late one evening, I decided to see how the car would run on the hardwood floors in our living room. The answer is – GREAT! The smooth surface provided just the right amount of traction for some exciting driving, but the model had sufficient power to break traction if sufficiently provoked!
Running the car in a parking lot is great fun too. Without the worry of hitting barriers or other obstacles, you can run pretty much full-speed around a makeshift track dodging plastic cones. Being all-wheel-drive, the car under-steers in tight corners under power – all of my other cars are 4WD too, so I like this. The product literature claims that the included 600mAh NiCd battery will provide “up to 30 minutes of run time” – I can validate this claim, running at almost full speed for more than 27 minutes in an open parking lot! Believe me, that’s a LOT of run time for such a small battery. The real concern with extended runs like that is motor heat, but I was happy to find that despite a noticeable drop in speed over the length of the run, the motor was never hot to the touch.
Great fun is to be had tearing up and down hallways or parking spaces, but the real test would come on the track. I headed to my local raceway – Toys for Boys in Kennesaw, GA - and after a few minutes of running myself to get the feel of the car on a track, I enlisted the skills of a more experienced driver to put this little model through its paces.
Gabriel Gordinho has raced RC for more than 15 years, and has placed 2nd and 3rd in Tamiya Cup qualifiers in South Africa. After a short run, we had both found the car was sliding around like a rally car. A quick application of Paragon, and traction was much improved. There was another racer at the track that morning, and he also thought the car ran well – rolled nicely, just the right speed for a tight track with the stock gearing. Again, the motor stayed cool, even though we ran the car for much longer than a typical heat.
I asked Gabriel for some comments when he was done. With a smile on his face, “Good fun” was his first response. They don’t race this class of car here, but he thought it was something different, and could make a great racing class, especially with a better motor. We discussed the battery run time, and they couldn’t believe how long it could run on a single charge. Finally, I told him how much the kit was and that it came with everything required to run, and he too thought it was great value.
@906802:Still clip from the video.
+906803:Video of this great little car in action!
!Tuning
Although the car ran great right out of the box, there are plenty of tuning options available if you desire. Front and rear track may be adjusted between 3.8 and 4.0 (front) or 4.2 (rear) inches by locating the rims on one of three mounting positions on the hubs. This is accomplished by simply popping off a wheel cover, removing three screws, repositioning the rim, and re-installing the screws and cover. Three track settings are provided to support different body styles, but can also be utilized to adjust roll rate and suspension response.
Wheelbase is also adjustable to support other bodies, although it requires additional parts and a smaller servo, and a more comprehensive rebuild of the chassis. The front ride height may be quickly adjusted by installing any of an assortment of provided shock collars. It is fixed at the rear, however.
A universal battery case is provided, which allows the model to be run on 4 AA-sized batteries. A couple of spare pinions are provided so that the gearing can be tuned to your tracks requirements, or allow for different motors.
!Stress-Tech™ parts
One of the most frustrating aspects of this hobby is having parts break, and then trying to find replacements. DuraTrax is so confident of the quality and durability of many of the parts in their kit, that they will replace certain parts at no charge if broken within 12 months of purchase. The parts covered include not only the drive train and chassis parts likely to break, but miscellaneous other items such as the body posts, the wing and its mounts, the hinged battery retainer, and even the wheels (not the tires, however – as these would be considered wear items.) This is a great service for the beginner, who can feel confident that any damage sustained during their “learning period” will most likely not incur significant expense in parts replacement.
!Conclusion
I love this car. Its size and speed make it great for both indoor and outdoor running. It’s tough – can handle some pretty violent impacts without damage, so I was never able to test the Stress-Tech™ parts replacement program. The 25-30 minute duration on the provided battery is fantastic – there’s nothing more frustrating than a 5 minute run, then having to wait hours for a battery to recharge. The tuning options give you plenty of flexibility to adjust the car to your needs, but the car actually needed no tuning to run really well on an indoor carpet track.
The battery should not be charged more than three hours. I can happily report, however, that accidentally leaving the battery on charge overnight had no ill effect on its performance! I would not recommend this practice, however.
The only complaint I could find with the stock kit is that the provided charge takes three hours to recharge the battery. Being used to more rapid charging, I would like to see an adapter provided to allow the user to charge the battery with their existing peak charger. A maximum fixed charge rate of 1.5A seems to be ideal for this pack, reducing charge time from 3 hours to a little under 30 minutes.
I did note that the pinion could come loose from the motor in a hard collision. This did not occur at the track, however, but only during a couple of the many hard impacts I subjected the model to during my “parking lot trials”! A drop of CA helps here, however.
Overall, I was very pleased with this car – it delivers everything it claims - exciting racing almost anywhere! The duration on the provided battery is amazing, and providing everything you need to run for one reasonable price makes it excellent value. It would be ideal as a first car for a first-time driver, or as a “change of pace” for a more experienced racer - especially on a tight, indoor track. "Good fun!"
<I>NOTE: Specifications, features and noted images courtesy of DuraTrax.</I>
| spec2
| @906790
| Image courtesy of Duratrax.
|> <b>Length:</b> |< 9.375” (240mm) w/body
|> <b>Width:</b> |< 4.0” (100mm)
|> <b>Wt.:</b> |< 13.25 oz (375g)
|> <b>Front Track Range:</b> |< 3.8”-4” (96-101mm)
|> <b>Rear Track Range:</b> |< 3.8-4.2” (96-107mm)
|> <b>Wheelbase:</b> |< 5.5-6” (140-150mm)
|> <b>Transmitter:</b> |< Included Duratrax 2-ch by Futaba
|> <b>Receiver:</b> |< Included Duratrax RX100 BEC
|> <b>Battery:</b> |< Incl 6-cell 600mAh NiCd & 3 Hr. Charger
|> <b>ESC:</b> |< Incl. Duratrax ESC1000 w/ reverse
|> <b>Manuf.:</b> |< <a href="http://www.duratrax.com">Duratrax</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href="http://www.gpmd.com/cgi-bin/wc569010ap.pgm?V=DTX">Great Planes Model Distributors</a>
Duratrax boasts, “At less than 10" long, the Micro Street Force is sized for exciting electric racing action almost anywhere.”
I can attest that hallways and living spaces with hardwood or tiled floors are perfectly suited to indoor electric racing at any time! Running on the track is equally enjoyable. I’m getting ahead of myself, however, and should tell you a little about the kit before I expand on the fun you’ll have with it.
!Kit Contents
@906791:The box
@906792:The neatly packaged kit.
@906793:Everything needed to run!
@906794:Image courtesy of Duratrax.
The kit is provided in a single suitcase-style box. Everything you need is, quite literally, contained in that box. No tools, additional accessories, etc. are required to prepare the model to run – although you will need a pair of scissors to remove the car from its packaging.
!!Enough Information to Rebuild The Entire Chassis At Any Time!
Inside, you’ll find the chassis and body, a battery, a decal sheet, several bags of accessories, a box with a wall-charger, another box containing the transmitter and antenna. A comprehensive assembly and operation manual is included as well. I was somewhat surprised to find a 20 page manual with a ready-to-run kit, until I realized that only 4 pages were required to cover final assembly and operation, including setup, charging, etc. A couple of pages cover the track and wheelbase adjustment procedures, and the remaining portion of the manual details assembly of every component of the chassis. Every component is presented in an exploded view, with details covering lubrication, part alignment, and assembly sequence. There is also a complete parts list, exploded view, and 1:1 hardware chart (for accurately identifying those bolts and screws!) With this information, a complete rebuild of the chassis could be performed with the confidence of knowing how to re-assemble each component when required.
!Features
@906795:Image courtesy of Duratrax.
Although this car is small in size, it’s not short on features. It provides adjustable wheelbase, track and body mounts. The included ESC 1000 Micro ESC includes reverse. The chassis has independent, horizontally-mounted front suspension, a large foam front bumper, belt-driven 4WD drive train, a durable gear diff, and ball bearings on the major drive train components.
!!Assembly
@906796:The chassis is fully assembled, with Rx and ESC installed!
@906797:Belt-driven 4WD drive-train
@906798:Just needs decals!
@906799:Decals attached!
Preparing this model for its first run was simple. The most frustrating part was waiting for that first charge on the battery! The included charger takes three hours to fully-charge the battery. Although I have several alternatives available to me, for a review, I always use the provided equipment to ensure my experiences would match those of the typical reader. The first step would be to charge this battery, and I am happy to say that, apart from removing the Micro Street Force from its packaging, this was indeed the first step listed in the assembly and operation manual.
The included transmitter is a DuraTrax-labeled Futaba 2-channel AM unit, and the kit even includes 8 AA Alkaline cells to power the transmitter – a nice touch. The transmitter simply needs to have the antenna and cells installed. The receiver pre-installed on the chassis is a DuraTrax RX-100 BEC unit. The BEC feature allows the receiver to be powered directly from the main battery, from 4 to 6 cells (4.8-7.2V), although in the case of this model, the DuraTrax ESC 1000 Electronic Speed Controller utilizes its own BEC to power the receiver through the throttle channel. The receiver antenna is routed through a typical plastic tube, which pokes up through the body when installed in the appropriate mount location. The decals are provided die-cut, and ready to apply – another nice touch for those of us used to the process of painstakingly cutting decals from a sheet! I trimmed the pre-painted body to my liking while waiting for the battery to charge.
@906800:Ready to Race!
@906801:Pretty Cool, eh?
Once the battery is fully charged, you install it into the chassis and program the ESC to the transmitter’s throttle end-points. This is a simple process requiring just a few button presses, outlined clearly in the manual. There is a small on/off switch attached to the ESC – it’s a good idea to not only locate this and ensure it’s turned on, but to secure this away from the wheels and drive belt with one of the twist-ties used to keep the wiring neat and tidy. With the ESC programmed, you center the steering using the trim settings on the transmitter, and – as the manual also clearly points out – go HAVE FUN!
!Running
Assembling the kit only takes a few minutes, and once the battery was charged late one evening, I decided to see how the car would run on the hardwood floors in our living room. The answer is – GREAT! The smooth surface provided just the right amount of traction for some exciting driving, but the model had sufficient power to break traction if sufficiently provoked!
Running the car in a parking lot is great fun too. Without the worry of hitting barriers or other obstacles, you can run pretty much full-speed around a makeshift track dodging plastic cones. Being all-wheel-drive, the car under-steers in tight corners under power – all of my other cars are 4WD too, so I like this. The product literature claims that the included 600mAh NiCd battery will provide “up to 30 minutes of run time” – I can validate this claim, running at almost full speed for more than 27 minutes in an open parking lot! Believe me, that’s a LOT of run time for such a small battery. The real concern with extended runs like that is motor heat, but I was happy to find that despite a noticeable drop in speed over the length of the run, the motor was never hot to the touch.
Great fun is to be had tearing up and down hallways or parking spaces, but the real test would come on the track. I headed to my local raceway – Toys for Boys in Kennesaw, GA - and after a few minutes of running myself to get the feel of the car on a track, I enlisted the skills of a more experienced driver to put this little model through its paces.
Gabriel Gordinho has raced RC for more than 15 years, and has placed 2nd and 3rd in Tamiya Cup qualifiers in South Africa. After a short run, we had both found the car was sliding around like a rally car. A quick application of Paragon, and traction was much improved. There was another racer at the track that morning, and he also thought the car ran well – rolled nicely, just the right speed for a tight track with the stock gearing. Again, the motor stayed cool, even though we ran the car for much longer than a typical heat.
I asked Gabriel for some comments when he was done. With a smile on his face, “Good fun” was his first response. They don’t race this class of car here, but he thought it was something different, and could make a great racing class, especially with a better motor. We discussed the battery run time, and they couldn’t believe how long it could run on a single charge. Finally, I told him how much the kit was and that it came with everything required to run, and he too thought it was great value.
@906802:Still clip from the video.
+906803:Video of this great little car in action!
!Tuning
Although the car ran great right out of the box, there are plenty of tuning options available if you desire. Front and rear track may be adjusted between 3.8 and 4.0 (front) or 4.2 (rear) inches by locating the rims on one of three mounting positions on the hubs. This is accomplished by simply popping off a wheel cover, removing three screws, repositioning the rim, and re-installing the screws and cover. Three track settings are provided to support different body styles, but can also be utilized to adjust roll rate and suspension response.
Wheelbase is also adjustable to support other bodies, although it requires additional parts and a smaller servo, and a more comprehensive rebuild of the chassis. The front ride height may be quickly adjusted by installing any of an assortment of provided shock collars. It is fixed at the rear, however.
A universal battery case is provided, which allows the model to be run on 4 AA-sized batteries. A couple of spare pinions are provided so that the gearing can be tuned to your tracks requirements, or allow for different motors.
!Stress-Tech™ parts
One of the most frustrating aspects of this hobby is having parts break, and then trying to find replacements. DuraTrax is so confident of the quality and durability of many of the parts in their kit, that they will replace certain parts at no charge if broken within 12 months of purchase. The parts covered include not only the drive train and chassis parts likely to break, but miscellaneous other items such as the body posts, the wing and its mounts, the hinged battery retainer, and even the wheels (not the tires, however – as these would be considered wear items.) This is a great service for the beginner, who can feel confident that any damage sustained during their “learning period” will most likely not incur significant expense in parts replacement.
!Conclusion
I love this car. Its size and speed make it great for both indoor and outdoor running. It’s tough – can handle some pretty violent impacts without damage, so I was never able to test the Stress-Tech™ parts replacement program. The 25-30 minute duration on the provided battery is fantastic – there’s nothing more frustrating than a 5 minute run, then having to wait hours for a battery to recharge. The tuning options give you plenty of flexibility to adjust the car to your needs, but the car actually needed no tuning to run really well on an indoor carpet track.
The battery should not be charged more than three hours. I can happily report, however, that accidentally leaving the battery on charge overnight had no ill effect on its performance! I would not recommend this practice, however.
The only complaint I could find with the stock kit is that the provided charge takes three hours to recharge the battery. Being used to more rapid charging, I would like to see an adapter provided to allow the user to charge the battery with their existing peak charger. A maximum fixed charge rate of 1.5A seems to be ideal for this pack, reducing charge time from 3 hours to a little under 30 minutes.
I did note that the pinion could come loose from the motor in a hard collision. This did not occur at the track, however, but only during a couple of the many hard impacts I subjected the model to during my “parking lot trials”! A drop of CA helps here, however.
Overall, I was very pleased with this car – it delivers everything it claims - exciting racing almost anywhere! The duration on the provided battery is amazing, and providing everything you need to run for one reasonable price makes it excellent value. It would be ideal as a first car for a first-time driver, or as a “change of pace” for a more experienced racer - especially on a tight, indoor track. "Good fun!"
<I>NOTE: Specifications, features and noted images courtesy of DuraTrax.</I>