Well, It's mine now....may need help.

[TwiztidMetal]

Well, Just picked it up yesterday, HPI NITRO RS4-3 SS edition. $50. Motor runs. but the servos are glitchy? I can't get any thing to respond to my transmitter.. did all the normal stuff, switched the crystals, fresh batteries in the car and transmitter and the servos turn on but turn the wheels to the right. and it wont respond.... This is my first Nitro vehical so is there something that im missing? are the servos bad? steering and throttle both dont respond, but they do buzz. Also came with Dynimite glow igniter and charger and a quart of 20% fuel.

But im using my TQ 2ch remote and crystals, so could somebody maybe help me out. and here are some pics.

Its currently in tear down mode, getting it all cleaned up!

[Philderbeast]

Check your reciever antenae, be sure there are no breaks or anything in it, including within the case, check the soldier where the antenae connects to the board. Check that the steering servo is centered on the servo saver, take the saver off, check the servo center, adjust trim ect to be sure it is not just improperly installed. Sounds like the other servos may be having the same issues, or they may all be bad. Start with a known good reciever if the centers are not the problem, see if that helps. If not, try known good servos. It may be a combination of both bad servos and bad reciever. Also, be sure the reciever is not a 75 mhz. I have ran into that with kinda similar results you are having.

[TwiztidMetal]

So far I have pulled them outta the car, compleatly removed the servo saver, then hookd up the battery pack to the reciver then tried 1 servo at a time, and no results, turns all the way one way. non responsive. Then i tried hooking them up to my rustler reciver and wont do anything.?....

I then tried to hook up my Traxxas servo to the HPI Reciver but it wont fit. differant shape...

There are a few cuts in the anntena but i coverd them with electrical tape. but nothing is broke on the anntena. (could be the problem)

so....im wondering since im using traxxas crystals (yellow). that HPI may be differant.? but i did a search and found they crystals are the same as traxxas so thats not the problem..

Broke open both servos and reciver, nothing looks damaged, and nothing looks wet or even had moisture in them.

[Maxx man]

hm... Im stumped

great find for $50 though even if the electrics are bad

[OldSchoolRC]

If you have a spare receiver, might want to swap it out and give it a shot. Sounds like the receiver is either bad or just not getting signal. With the crystals, make sure you have the one marked TX in the radio and RX in the receiver. (if you're not sure, swap them and try it out) - found out this weekend that it does make a difference.

[Philderbeast]

Here is how I remember that, I found out the expensive way too, TX...T=Transmitor, RX...R=reciever. HPI and Traxxas Recievers are a different shape for sure, but can be modded to work as long as you keep in mind how the servo is suppost to plug in. Just trim off the little nitch on the servo plug. I have done this to many servos in an effort to share components. It sounds to me like you are having issues with all of the electronics, probly why it was that cheap. What you should try is become a member of tower hobbies, look at their scratch and dent section, members only section, ect. They usually run some radios with recievers and servos very cheap. I had bought a 130.00 A.M. system for 35.00, nothing was wrong, it was just discontinued. It came with 2 Futaba servos, 1 futaba reciever, 1 futaba radio, crystals, and channel flag. It worked very well. Do something like that, and by the way, the 10.00 member fee pays for itself and then some. Then you will have new electronics in that bad boy, and can run worry free.

[TwiztidMetal]

I think today, im gona take the electronics to my LHS and see if he has any HPI servos just to see if the reciver works. If the reciver works then im just gona buy the HPI servos for cheap, like $7 on ebay i belive. Moddifying things for me dont ever end up well haha. but yeah, I alway look at the scratch and dent and stuff on TH too see what kinda deals they have.

[TwiztidMetal]

WOW....you guys confused, because I sure am. OK i took all my electronics to the LHS and had the guy check them out. I didnt take the reciver, didnt think i had too, but the guy pluged in a set of his LOSI crystals, and used a spectrum transmiter and BOOM it all worked, everything worked great.

he told me it shouldnt be the transmiter. could be the crystals. OK so i came home and tried differant crystals. (i know these work since i use them all the time) and same thing. nothing, no responce nothing.... Looks like Traxxas Crystals & transmiters dont work with HPI receivers even if you use the same crystals....WTF? But to make sure of that, im gona take It all back to the LHS and have him try differant crystals in my TQ transmitter and see if that works....

Un less im stuck in a VERISON commercal and a DEAD SPOT.

[Philderbeast]

I know a TQ2 radio, futaba servos, and a hpi reciver work together. I ran that system in the wheely king a few times. I was useing traxxas stock green crystals. No problems. Sounds like it is your reciever man, it is toasted. Probly had some water damage. My Hpi reciever got water logged, and it was very glitchy afterwards, and I even came straight in after hitting that water puddle and stripped it down, and cleaned the reciever with alcohol as soon as the body came off. I have had 1 or 2 bad experiances with HPI electronics, usually caused by manifacturer error.

[TwiztidMetal]

It cant be the receiver because it worked at the LHS with that guys transmitter and crystals.

[Philderbeast]

That is wierd...Try crystals, maybe it will help.?.:confused: This is a tough one:confused:, I would just have to fiddle with it for a bit.

[OldSchoolRC]

Might be on a different "shift" - Futaba and Hitec for example do not talk to each other, but I use and HPI receiver with my Traxxas radio on my Blitz and it's fine. HPI radios are made by Futaba.

Also, dumb question, but are the radio/receiver set up for 27 or 75mhz? The 2 are not compatable with each other....if the receiver is in the 75mhz range, it must be used with a 75mhz radio and vice versa. Should be a small sticker on the side of the receiver telling you the frequency range. Most TQ radios are in the 27mhz range, your receiver needs to be the same.

Can you get a pic of the receiver up? Just shooting out guesses at this point.

[TwiztidMetal]

OK, Both are 27mhz AM, RX in ther Receiver and TX in the transmitter.... Stoping by the LHS again today to have him try differant crystals all together in both to see if it works. But i do know these crystals work because they work in my RUSTLER, STAMPEDE, AND E-MAXX. like i said, it kinda gets a signial because the servos will buzz or humm and turn only one way. Tried adjusting the seering trim and everything, yeah, i even tried 1 at a time in both slots using throttle and steering, un responsive. This is just crazy how it dont work.

[OldSchoolRC]

Ah, the old RX-1, thats a rebranded Airtronics system...they were used before they went with Futaba radios for their RTR's. Pics are worth a thousand words!!

95% sure that's on a different shift than your traxxas radio which is your problem. Believe the old rule of thumb was JR/Airtronics/Hitec all work together and Futaba/Traxxas are compatable.....give or take, things change over the years. Makes sense then that the Losi (JR) radio your hobby shop tried would work with your receiver in that case.

So it's not a crystal issue, it's a radio/receiver compatabilty issue. Bring that up with your shop when you go - if they are at all worthy of their job, they'll know about the differences in frequency shift. You'll need either a futaba/traxxas receiver to work with your current radio or a JR/airtronics radio to talk to your receiver.

[TwiztidMetal]

Yep, thats exactly what it was too OldSchool, He said the exact same thing you did. said I would have to look for a HPI/Airtronics radio. and that it was on a different shift point. You nailed it hahaha GOLD STAR FOR YOU!:D


also, is there a website that list compatable radios and recivers? cant seem to find anything, I'm looking on ebay to pick up a HPI transmitter or Airtronics but I dont want to buy the wrong one and have the same thing happpen ya know.

[Philderbeast]

Here is a better route, get the Traxxas micro 4 channel they use in the mini revo and mini slashes. It has 4 channels so if later you want a crawler with front and rear steer and a dig, you are good to go. Also, if you use it one something like a maxx or something that has 3 channels, you are still goo to go. It will work for 2 channels too. It is inexpensive and will cost the same or less than a compatable radio, and is lighter than the larger recievers and takes up wayyyyy less space. That is the only reiever I will buy anymore because it works well, has good range and is capable of running 4 channels. Win Win all the way. Associated also has a good mini reciever, but it is only 2 channel and around the same price.

[TwiztidMetal]

eh, a Micro recevier may work. but everything works right now and i plan on flipping it or tradeing it for possibly a crawler, and i can just get a compatable transmitter for like 10 bucks.

[jwaj2002]

why not just buy this, less then 30 bucks

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-RADIO-AND-RECIEVER-FOR-SAVAGE-FLUX-TRAXXAS-E-REVO_W0QQitemZ250589927770QQcmdZViewItemQQptZRadio _Control_Parts_Accessories?hash=item3a5852d95a

[TwiztidMetal]

Well after all this B.S. With the crystals and transmitters,...The guy sold me a very old hitec remote along with the car. and i couldnt ever get it to work, fresh batteries, tinkering around with it, finaly i got fed up and slamed it down on the table and IT WORKED! lol, so now i have a compatable transmitter for the car, now Since its my first nitro car, i gotta figure out how to tune it...How to get it to idle and stay idleing with out takeing off on me. if i adjust the throttle to low it just stalls out. Maybe due to the cold ars weather outside.

[jwaj2002]

Twizted you might want to go ahead and upgrade that radio to a cheap but modern radio simply because you had to bang it to get it to work

[roadrunnr43]

Twizted you might want to go ahead and upgrade that radio to a cheap but modern radio simply because you had to bang it to get it to work

yeah, sooner or later your going to want to. though quaint, having something that needs banging to work is like a timebomb.

[TwiztidMetal]

I like to keep things interesting lol, Might have to go chasing a nitro car lol.

[Philderbeast]

Looking for parts on the ground is more like it. A cheap radio combo will save big bucks in a very short amount of time. First time that thing just takes off on ya and hits a kid or curb or mailbox or rock or a car runs over it, your gonna say, why didn't I listen to those smart arses on rcd. :D:eek::rolleyes: