Review: Are The FMA Revolectrix Powerlab RC Lipo Battery Balance Chargers The Best In The Hobby?

fastharry.com — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:57:11 +0000

We think they just might be! Our racing team has started looking at upgrading our racing equipment and the first area we want to address is the Lipo charging department. The past couple of years have seen an explosion in lipo battery technology with increased C rating charging capabilities and increased battery capacities. Lipo chargers that were manufactured a mere two years ago are outdated. With brushless motor electric RC racing exploding like never before even the average RC hobbyist and racer needs a lipo charger that is capable of charging multiple batteries at a high enough rate so you can make those heat races in time or enjoy an afternoon of bashing your monster truck. With RC cars like the Traxxas 100 mph XO-1 and their new funny car coming out, 1/5 scale electric cars from HPI, and a slew of stuff from other companies as well, RC racers are in for a treat when it comes to speed and power in a RC vehicle. And it is only going to get better in the future. New battery technology, new battery chemistry, increased capacities, higher power output and charging rates and lower prices are going to be the future of RC cars and you are going to need a lipo charger that not only meets these needs today but in the future as well.

We love to do research and after spending more than a few days reading RC car and helicopter forums, talking to friends and racers and speaking directly to customer service reps selling the wide selection of chargers available we have to be honest. Revolectrix, a Singapore USA company whose slogan is “leading innovation” hits the mark dead on in our opinion. So many factors, from safety in charging and overall charging technology to a USA support line that someone actually answers who knows what the hell he is talking about has us thinking about their PowerLab (PL6 and PL8) series of chargers.

Listen, Here is the bottom line. High powered chargers have always been something RC car guys didn’t worry about and the RC flying guys always have. But in this day and age, the car guy needs the power of a high end charger too. A Lipo charger is one of the most essential pieces of RC gear you can own and with only a few dollars separating below average chargers to high quality chargers, it is important to know where to spend your dollars.

Stayed tuned to fastharry.com and watch this space for a full review. We are gonna put one to the test. You know….the how’s , why’s and what fors in terms and words you can understand. We plan to show you more than the specs. We want to show you how the charger operates in actual racing conditions at the club level where so many racers are involved in the RC hobby!

In the meantime, head over to http://www.revolectrix.com and check them out.

For Sale: Vintage Tamiya White Body Monster Beetle RC (Radio Control) Kit #58060 and Tamiya Monster Beetle Body Kit

fastharry.com — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:27:11 +0000

fastharry.com Tamiya Monster Beetle 58060 For Sale

Here’s your chance to own of the first 100 Tamiya collectible vintage classics. Purchased on Ebay about 10 years ago and approx 24 years old, they are part of the large RC collection featured on fastharry.com.

This is your chance to get an extraordinary piece of Tamiya history.

An original White Body Tamiya Monster Beetle #58060 Rc Kit AND, something you never see offered for sale anywhere, an original Tamiya White Body Monster Beetle body kit. White Body Monster Beetles are the rarest and were part of the first production runs. Later Monster Beetles were red molded plastic.

Both kits have been in our possession over 9 years and have been stored in a smoke free room.

The way you see the items is the way they were purchased at the time. Both boxes are a little rough with creasing and soiling over the covers and bottoms and sides. The Kit White box is does show a little age and is not perfectly pristine white. One side has a small piece of tape on it with a small crease also. If you need more pics, let us know. The kits inside are fine with sealed bags. The body in the 58060 kit has some slight markings/soiling on it from rubbing the kit box. All vintage Tamiya kits suffer from this from the way they were packed, BTW.

SOLD!…You guys gotta pay attention, ya missed a great kit!..Write us for details about shipping and payment details.

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Review: We Found The Perfect Little RC Pit Box Radio for Thirty Bucks..Great for Emergencies, Fishing, Hobbies, etc.

fastharry.com — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:22:02 +0000

Coolest Little Radio on the Planet

Hey Everyone…One of our crew members brought one of these little Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160R Microlink AM/FM Radios with him racing and left it on his table. We all checked it out and knew we should review this and share it with our readers. We all went on Amazon the next day to buy one and have been extremely happy with our purchases. Get this..it does not use replaceable batteries. It uses a rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride battery that has 2 ways to charge it. The first way is a dynamo style hand crank. We cranked it for a minute and 30 seconds and were able to listen to the Am/Fm Radio for 45 minutes. But that’s not the best part. It also features a solar panel. So while the radio is on the pit table, it is also charging. We went the whole day with solar power and a little bit of cranking. All without having to worry about whether or not the radio had fresh AA batteries. It also has Weather Band, and flashlight and a USB charger for emergency charging for your cell phone.

We have had the radios for about a month now and have had no issues. They are well built, sturdy, and have decent sound for a little radio. We are all buying them as a second radio for our house too..just in case of a power outage. How many times has your radio gone dead and you didn’t have batteries? This radio solves that problem…

We Have 2 Bad Ass RC Cars For Sale: A Kyosho RC Electric EV Blizzard Snowcat and a Tamiya 30th Anniversary Turbo RSR Porsche TA 05 #49400

fastharry.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:51:49 +0000

One of our our crew members is selling 2 great RC cars from their collection. Here is your chance to pick up 2 great classic Radio Control vehicles. The first one is a

Kyosho Electric EV Blizzard snowcat. New in box, it features a single 540 motor. Kyosho is only selling the RTR Blizzard (try finding one one of these electric blizzards) that has 2 small 380 motors and dual ESC’s. Very expensive to upgrade that kind of set up. This one uses a 540 motor (included) and single ESC (which you have to add with the other radio gear). Also, the RTR’s are already painted. With the clear body in this blizzard, you can paint it like you want.

The other car is a factory sealed Tamiya 30th anniversary RSR Porsche which was bought new upon release, bagged, and stored. It has not seen daylight until these pictures were taken. Box is a 9/10 as a cople of the corners have slight bending. Email for more pics.

The Tamiya is being offered for 598.00 SOLD!. The Kyosho Blizzard is offered at 450 (BLIZZARD has been sold). Both will be well wrapped and shipped in new boxes with insurance. Adult signature required upon UPS delivery.

Keep checking back as we have other kits that will be offered!…

write us for payment details… supportATfastharry.com

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WoW! Check Our Recent Garage Sale Finds! Vintage Electric RC Cars and Trucks. All For Sale!

fastharry.com — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:52:16 +0000

fastharry.com Vintage Tamiya Porshe 949 4wd

We thought our readers would love to see these really cool RC cars and trucks….Many of our crew love garage sales (OK, maybe their wives do, LOL) so we are always on the lookout for cool finds. And it doesn’t get any cooler than vintage RC cars and trucks. We found these in a period of two days. A Vintage Tamiya Blackfoot with Clodbuster(or Nitro Crusher/Marui Big Bear) wheels and tires, AND a whole box of original parts, decals, tires and manuals.

Also, a vintage Futaba FX10 in nice shape. The FX 10 is cool in that it was based on the Tamiya Stryker. The beauty of the bunch is an original vintage Tamiya Porsche 959. Sitting next to the Porsche was an original Tamiya Fox. How cool was that?

And rounding out the package was an all original Aristocraft vintage Monster Truck Sled for pulling competitions. The sled actually still works and has all the decals intact.

All of these vehicles are classic cars from the 1980′s and all will be offered for sale at fastharry.com. Write us for details and pricing.

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Updated: Dices Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Is Awesome, For Sure! Pete the Pro Has His Thoughts and Review!

fastharry.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:30:45 +0000

A lot has been said about Dices new Xbox 360 video game, Battlefield 3. How great is the game? Should there be a prone position? Hey, how are the damn graphics? Is it better than the bug ridden Operation Metro beta? Read on for a realistic mini review by our resident gamer, Pete The Pro.

The following review is based on the newly introduced EA/DICE video game Battlefield 3 Multiplayer (MP) . While the whole game is awesome, I have not played the single player campaign yet. When I do, this review will be updated.

Let me give you a perspective from someone who is not married to video games (play about 6 -10 hours a week), who almost always plays as a random..so my KD never gets above 1.0 (though when I am on a team, it does) and who plays COD and Battlefield because there are more important things in life then to worry about a video game and which one is best..And who also has the attitude that the whole idea of gaming on a 360 with friends all over the world is amazing..and we are lucky the darn thing works at all. And above all, I am not super critical when it comes to games, I play for enjoyment and I know how hard it is to design a game for market and the countless hours and manpower it takes to do it. Am I a hardcore gamer? I would say yes because I appreciate a video game, understand how it works and look for playability and the ever important fun factor.

So let’s get to it. Battlefield 3 is a great video game. See? That was easy. Coming from the Battlefield 3 Operation Metro Beta, it’s leaps and bounds more playable. Yes, there are some things floating once in a while. My soldier crawls about an inch off the ground (but never falls through) and sometimes the hit detection is a little off. The cars look like crapola and some of the outlying buildings and stuff look like there were lifted from Rainbow 6….

But, with all that being said, there are things about the game which really make it enjoyable and elevate it to greatness status, and they are the opposite of the negatives listed above.

When you are running full tilt down an alley, literally hopping over obstacles with your legs swinging, it feels so life like you say to yourself, wow, is this cool. When you look down at the rain puddles, and they are actually photo realistic, you say to yourself, awesome! And when you take your time to pick a guy off with a dead on shot (with a scar, not a sniper rifle) or 2 at a 100 meters, it feels great. Because that same gun, in wild spraying action, needs a half as clip at 10 feet to do the same. Very nice indeed! Your soldier reacts smoothly and the play style is very fluid and smooth.

I have played most of the maps more than a few times, and never once did I feel like I was trapped by prone snipers. There has always been a work around to either take him out of commission or avoid him entirely.

The graphics are better than OK, maybe even great considering the size of the maps and they are certainly better than Bad Company 2. There is less of the dusty graininess that Dice employed in that game. The maps have more color and the textures up close are sweet (we have the texture pack installed). It seems like the immediate playing environment always looks great, and the outlying areas a little worse for wear, but lets face it, the game has to come to market at one time or another so you have to prioritize what to spend time on when you are designing a game. The rocks you are crawling on look tremendous, the leaves you are crawling through look real and the dirt you are running on is , well, runnable. Another big feature is the sound. Yes, I know Battlefield and Dice have always been known for the great sound effects, esp in the Bad Company series. But yesterday I am playing and I duck between two rocks and all of a sudden I hear water running. I turn around and there is a small stream. Boy, did that put a smile on my face. Awesome details like that make Battlefield 3 a winner.

Even Operation Metro looks like a lush park. A very noticeable difference from the Beta. That alone makes the map more enjoyable and playable then the Beta originally presented.

The game play is, for lack of a better word, sweet. Like I mentioned previously, you never feel trapped anywhere. There is a solution to every problem. Either a different spawn point, a different route or an alternative weapon to get that camping prone sniper. And I imagine that as I rank up, the choice of weapons available will add to the solutions. All you have to do to have fun in this game is realize that this is a thinking mans game. Battlefield 3 is not spray and play by any stretch of the imagination. And, here’s the best part. The more I play, the better the game gets. I am starting to pick out the little playing nuances that Dice designed into the game to give it the fun factor and the greatness it deserves. I can see myself playing for hours, days and yes, even months to come.

All this adds up to a very playable game and more than that, a very enjoyable game. You feel a sense of defeat when you lose and a Hell, Yeah! when your team wins. And in my eyes, it doesn’t get better than that.

So if you have any doubts, not to worry. If you are a gamer who enjoys first person shooters, this one is the grand daddy of them all. Battlefield 3 is a true classic that will have first person shooter fans and Battlefield veterans alike clamoring for more. ~ Pete The Pro

UPDATE: Two weeks into the game has really heightened my appreciation of the work DICE has put into Battlefield 3. First off, they have done a great job of stabilizing the servers. Rubber banding and lag are pretty much non-existent. Game play is getting smoother all the time and I am starting to pick out little details that really make the game great. Playing as an Engineer and spending time in the tanks I have come to appreciate how they move and operate. The other day I flipped one going down a ravine and it almost made be dizzy and disoriented it was so lifelike. And get this…I am upside down and rotating the turret. I hopped out wondering how this could be and I saw the tank wedged between 2 boulders with the turret hanging in the space in between them so it had moving room. Now, that was cool.

And the sound effects are really coming into play too. I was in a room the other day and moved a folding metal chair. It sounded just like a real metal chair scraping on the floor. Maybe it’s just me, but I love all the attention to details in this game.

I went back to play Bad Company 2 just to compare the games and as soon as I moved my soldier I was done. BC2 is not even close to this game when it comes to in game soldier mechanics.

An speaking of soldier mechanics, as I learn the traffic patterns of the maps (and there are plenty to learn), I am appreciating all the hard works Dice put into the maps as well. Can’t wait for Back to Karkland Map Pack and Wake Island.

Dice has stated they are releasing a ton of DLC for Battlefield 3…and there are rumors that a New York City map is coming. Heli’s in between skyscrapers for the win!

Amazon has some pf the best pricing around. Free shipping too! Buy the game, send us a FR and lets get rollin’ soldier!

Vintage fastharry.com Flamed HPI 97 Corvette RC Body 200 MM Lexan with a BIG ASS WING!

fastharry.com — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:01:40 +0000

fastharry.com Vintage Flamed HPI Corvette RC Body 200 mm

Hey! We found this painted, flamed HPI 97 Corvette (#7039) RC Body in a HPI RS4 Kit box we had stored (along with other radio control bodies we will post). We painted it in 1997 for one of our RS4 nitro cars, ran it a couple of times and stored it. Out of all the HPI bodies we have painted, the 97 Corvette was one of our favorites. Back in the 90′s HPI was the company to go to for cool, detailed RC car bodies for parking lot racing. There weren’t many choices back then for great bodies and HPI did a great job of bringing realistic Lexan bodies to the nitro touring car radio control hobby.

As you can tell by our paint schemes, the crew at fastharry.com are big fans of flames and this body shows it (as well as the HPI bodied Kyosho GP Spyder Porsche we painted around the same time). And this HPI body, like the Kyosho, featured a big ass wing from BRP to help get traction on slippery parking lot surfaces. The wing inhibited steering on a tight corner, but on a parking lot sweeper you could just about drive it flat out.

Check out some of the features on the car which we were doing back then. Notice the rear vents in the back of the car? We cut off the stock spoiler mounts and put color matching screen to help vent airflow from underneath the body. Notice the rear window cut out? Same principle there. We are always pushing the envelope at fastharry.com and this shows it. How many people back then were venting the bodies through rear outlets? Not many, we can assure you.

This body, like the Kyosho Porsche, was painted with Pactra Metalflake Colors and solid reds and oranges. It has a silver undercoat to give the colors some snap.

We always tried to make our cars distinctive back then and loved applying decals from Autograhics to give our bodies an edge in the looks department. We think we succeeded. As always, comments are welcome!

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fastharry.com HPI Super Nitro RS4 RC Car (HPI Challenge Car)

fastharry.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:28:35 +0000

fastharry.com HPI Challenge Cars-Super Nitro, r40 and EVO 3

We thought you might like to see some pictures of our very special HPI Super Nitro RS4 RC Car. This car has been raced in every HPI Challenge whenever the Challenge had a class for Super Nitro, and has qualified in almost every A main. The only exceptions we can remember it not being in the A-main was the Englishtown Challenge in 1999 and the World Finals in Las Vegas. Both of these times we were in the B Main though.

The car was built with the HPI Challenge in mind and has not been used for any other type of racing events. It features many great options parts that were designed to produce maximum durability so it could withstand the rigors of hard Super Nitro class racing. The engine is an original HPI Nova Rossi motor with a MIP Manifold (One of the strongest made, and of course it has been ported) and an RB Pipe. We always get the question as to why we don’t have the latest high HP motor in this car. And we answer the question the same time, every time. Fast doesn’t win the race, consistency does. And with this Combo, the Super Nitro is very easy to drive, never stalls and has a very smooth power band.

The chassis on the Super Nitro car is also an option part. It was manufactured by Wolfgang Racing and has a unique design in that it is not a flat pan style but instead uses a webbing style designed for strength and light weight. Combine that with the HPI upper graphite plate and Wolfpack Schneller rear chassis brace and you have a car that is light, strong and flex free. We also used the HPI cross drilled rear disc brake, HPI aluminum alloy shocks with teflon pistons, HPI Carbon graphite arms and bulkheads, HPI lightweight flywheel, sealed bearings and HPI aluminum front hubs.

The secret to this cars success though was not only the build but the tuning setup. Unlike our other nitro cars that are tuned with a fairly stiff suspension to aid in handling and responsiveness, this car has a suspension setup that was the complete opposite. The car was was set up to roll through corners with a lot of lean which is why we are running very soft HPI Orange springs and 35 weight oil in the shocks. The car has so much traction and is so easy to drive it is like you are out for a Sunday stroll. We should mention we are even running gear diffs with 50,000 weight diff grease in the back and 30,000 in the front. No ball diff and no one way. Drive it, park it, clean it. It was quite the time saver on race day.

This set up advice came from HPI’s own Thad Garner and we are happy to share it with you.

Base Parking Lot Racing Setup
Parking lot, medium grip, medium size

Front
35 wt oil, #3 pistons, Orange Linear springs
Lowered upper shock mount (comes with V12 LMR or GT-One bodies)
Bottom of shock mounted on C-Hub
10 degrees caster, 0 degrees kick-up
Set camber so tires wear flat
Toe-in: 0 degrees
Camber link in upper position on C-Hub
8mm ride height
Nitro Handling Set (2mm roll center plate) #72515
33R tires with Firm Pro Tire Strip inserts

Rear
280mm wheelbase
35 wt oil, #3 pistons, Orange Linear springs
Graphite rear shock tower #73003, shock mounted in outer hole
Bottom of shock mounted in outer hole on suspension arm
Set camber so tires wear flat
Toe-in: 2 degrees
Camber link in stock position on rear upright
8mm ride height
Nitro Handling Set (2mm roll center plate) #72515
33R tires with Firm Pro Tire Strip inserts

Check out the video of fastharry racing at the 2002 HPI Challenge with this very car and don’t forget to check out the pics underneath the video. Just so you know, the pictures are of the car as it came off the track at the last HPI Challenge. The front belt popped off with 3 laps remaining in the A main. We still finished in 4th.

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Welcome to fastharry.com

fastharry.com — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:25:45 +0000

From the best in radio control to Xbox 360 gaming to a really nice cigar, from pickin’ to putting together Lego collections, if it’s cool we love it and we hope you do too.

Check out the site, leave comments if you wish, but most of all enjoy!

We have three ways to navigate fastharry.com. You can check out the category bar at the top, click on categories on the left or use the tag cloud at the lower left. Check out all 3 ways and enjoy!

Don’t forget to “like” us on our Facebook page…a great way to keep up with updates to fastharry.com.

Does The Crew Really Own All This Stuff?..Well, Yes We Do!..Read On!

fastharry.com — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:01:40 +0000

fastharry.com Radio Control Inventory

We received an interesting email the other day. Seems one of our readers didn’t quite believe the crew owns everything on fastharry.com. So we thought we would take a couple of pics to show you our gear on the shelf. You will also see the boxes from the equipment we use and a little bit of our extensive model and die cast collection. So yes Virginia, there really is a crew at fastharry.com, we own everything you see and more and we are constantly upgrading the site to show you all of it.

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