Breaking iHobby Expo News! Guessing at the name on this one, but I think it’s the DuraTrax MX450. The video of this off road dirt bike in action was pretty cool! The fact that it’s brushless, AWESOME! Looking forward to bashing the heck out of one of these! Will get all the details when the show opens.

Remember, where to get your iHobby news first! This iHobby Expo 2009 link will get you all the 2009 updates as we post them! So keep an eye on it.

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Breaking iHobby Expo News! I waited till after midnight to post this, so Durtrax couldn’t yell at me too much, but here is probably the first picture of the new DuraTrax Vendetta SC 1:18 Short Course Truck! The show isn’t open yet, but as we were doing some investigative reporting, we spotted this. It’s a pretty sweet looking body on there! We’ll get all the details when the show opens.

Remember, where to get your iHobby news first! This iHobby Expo 2009 link will get you all the 2009 updates as we post them! So keep an eye on it.

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Ok, this caught our attention today for sure! It looks like DuraTrax is coming out with a whole new line of RC Rock Crawling products under the name DuraTrax “GateKeeper” products! These new RC crawling products are coming from Austin “GateKeeper” Dunn who’s a pretty big name in the crawling scene! First up with the GateKeeper Mini GC-3 Chassis Kit with everything you need to turn the Losi Mini Rock Crawler into an uber 1.9 setup! The kit has gunmetal side plates, axle mounted servo plate, and rear axle link plate among other things. Looks pretty sweet.

Check the DuraTrax web page for more details.

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Looks like DuraTrax is really starting to crank out the liPo packs! Their 1600mAh LiPO packs can be bought with a mini plug, or Traxxas plugs, and their 1800mAh hard case packs come with a female bullet setup. All for a pretty low price point. They say the packs are designed for the Mini Traxxas Slash VXL and Mini E-Revo VXL 1/16th scale vehicles.

Check the DuraTrax web page for more details.

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DuraTrax has just announced their new 2500mah 7.4v LiPo Packs that can be bought with standard or Traxxas connectors. They come in the same size and shape as their NiMH packs, and are wired for balancing.

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The New DuraTrax DTX5000 NiMH Stick Packs mean longer run times than ever before! Ideal sport packs for cars, buggies, trucks and boats, the packs are available in 7.2V and 8.4V, flat, stick, and hump configurations. You can choose from Traxxas-compatible plugs, Deans, or other popular plug choices.

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It’s been a while since we have seen a vehicle release from DuraTrax, so this is a welcomed press release. The Duratrax Vendetta Rally Car is 1/18th scale and RTR. Some of the highlights, 2.4GHz radio system! It’s compatible with many of the already existing Vendetta hop-ups, oil filled shocks and diffs, 380 motor.

I have always been a big fan of Duratrax’s 1/18th scale stuff, and I’m sure this will be no exception.

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Is it just me or are there some really Fugly trucks being released this year? It might just be me, but it seems like 09′ is a banner year for ugly truck releases. I tell ya, every week there seems to be another one that tops the previous fugmaster. This week it happened to be the CEN Matrix SC truck. Wow, one look at that thing will make you rip your own eyeballs out with the nearest rusty nail. Seriously, doesn’t anyone at CEN look at the body they are gonna put on their new truck? Anybody there realize that looks are half the reason a typical buyer parts with his hard earned cash? Anyone even think to just source a short course body from Pro-Line or JConcepts, both of which do incredibly good looking bodies? Some things you can’t unwatch, wish I’d never opened that email with the picture of the CEN SC in it.

Ever notice how “trophy race” entry prices are just INSANE now days? Just FYI local track owner guys, $75 per class for a local-joe-blow-trophy-race in sh!tkicker BFE is WAY too much. What are some of you promoters thinking? Yes, we know keeping a track going is tough. Yes, we know you aren’t making much money, even at that price point. But, for $75 per class to race hobby grade rc cars, your race had better be perfectly run, with a Perfect track, Zero computer errors, no hacking allowed, my pits better be air conditioned, the T-shirt you give me better be top notch, and I better be getting a BIG bag full of swag when I show up.

Neither of the big left coast hobby shows got much press last week. You’d think with all the time, money and effort they put into those shows they’d have better coverage for the bulk of the country that could not attend. Maybe next year they’ll fly BigSquidRC out for proper coverage. Just say’n….

Hobbico/Duratrax showed us their new 18th scale Vendetta based rally car this week. Rally car = low sales, short course truck = huge sales. The rally car genre has never been super hot, but it makes you wonder why they didn’t elect to pwn the small car crowd by being the first company to market with a short course mini. Just think’n out loud, thanks for listening.

That HPI Formula Ten looks incredibly trick, like way super dope even. I’m very biased of course, as I’m fanatical about Formula 1 racing, but dang, can’t wait to get my hands on one of those and put some Ferrari paint on it.

HAHAHA, I think Associated did our industry a big favor recently. How? They released their new SC10 truck as a kit first, before selling it in RTR form. This forced a lot of hobbyists that have never built a kit from scratch to do so. Everyone in this sport needs to know how to build one from scratch, and a lot of post T-Maxx RTR hobbyists got their first taste of kit building with the SC10. Props to AE on that one.

One last thing before I close. BigSquidRC is doing a huge Li-po battery shootout. If you are a manufacture and want your battery part of the mix, contact Brian(@thing)bigsquidrc.com for all the details. Otherwise we’ll be shooting out invites to participate in the shooutout to over a dozen of the best Li-po manufactures and see which ones have the stones to man up and submit a pack for an unbiased comparison to the rest of their competition.

Support your local hobby shops, support your local tracks (except for when entry prices are $75!! LOL), and get those rc stickers on your 1:1’s.

Your Cub Reporter

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Could this be one of the greatest tools invented for the world of RC? DuraTrax has announced the Ultimate E-Clip Tool. It’s made from steel and can fold up to save some space. It’s built to install and remove e-clips of all sizes. Cool.

I personally hate e-clips, and cheer the companies that have been changing over to anything else. Sadly, there are still a lot of vehicles that use them, so this is probably a good tool to have. I plan on getting my hands on one, not only to check out, but just to make my life a lot easier! I hope it works!

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As another year comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to thank all the people that helped make 2008 an amazing year for Big Squid RC. We grew leaps and bounds this year, and really have started to make some waves in the world of internet RC. From our viral videos, to our very much copied style, terms, and stories. We are happy to be the leaders watching the others scramble to be just like us. We woke up a lot of companies at iHobby Expo, and we promise to keep bringing you eye opening and original work in 2009!

Thanks to all of our readers who faithfully keep coming back for more news, reviews and incite. Keep telling your friends about us!

Thanks to all of our writers: Cubby, Jason Anis, Rey (Stangrey), Wesley Dennis (Microman), and our forum moderators Bill (firespring281) and Chris (thenewguy821).

Thanks and good luck in 2009 to our Pro Driver Tim Mohr! We can’t wait to watch you take over the electric 1/8th scale world!

Thanks to everyone who helped make iHobby Expo such a success for us! We could not of done it without you all! Tim, Jason, Jim, Bill, Chris, Geno, Anna, Ewa, Alfonso, Elizabeth and Cubby!

Finally a huge thanks to all of our sponsors this year! Without you all, we wouldn’t be able to pay the electric bill to keep this place running! Make sure to go visit these sites, show your support, and buy their products! Also tell them we said hi. In no particular order:
Duratrax, Max Amps, O’Donnell Racing, Traxxas, Futaba RC, Team Checkpoint, Best RC, HPI Racing, EDS Racing Products, Team Novak, Grand MotorSports, Leisure Hours Hobbies, RC Car Kings, RC Hobbies Naperville, Buku Power, Dragrace Concepts, Acer Racing, Roy Anderson Engineering, Pro-Line Racing, Parma PSE, Schumacher USA and RC Hardware!
Thank you all so very much! Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone, if I did, send your mail to Cubby, he gets lonely.

Don’t worry, Cubby should be back from his vacation next week (fingers crossed) and you will be able to enjoy your weekly soap box once again.

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For you nitro guys in need of a new receiver pack, Duratrax has just released their new 7.2v 1600mAh NiMH receiver packs. They are available in flat and hump pack options with universal connectors.

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Duratrax has just released their new 7.2v 1600mAh NiMH packs for 1/18th scale vehicles. They are engineered for a high discharge rate to help bring out the best in those 1/18th scale models. They are perfect for the mini vehicles such as the Vendetta, Mini Quake, and Cliff Climber.

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Duratrax has put out the full press release on their new 1/18th scale Vendetta TC. It’s a 1/18th scale touring car, it comes RTR with 4WD! I got a chance to check it out at the iHobby Expo last week, and it was a pretty sweet looking car. The full press release will be posted in the NEW Product Forum.

Here are my pictures I took of the vehicle at the iHobby Expo. I must admit, the shot on the left actually looks like I know how to use a camera!

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Things were pretty hectic today at the iHobby 2008 show. This is the first time that Big Squid RC has had a booth, and first time we have had track time to demo our bashing ways. It’s great to see the reactions of people watching us launching vehicles into the air higher than anyone else even things about doing these first few days of the show. People just can’t believe that we are not that concerned with ‘breaking’ something, and are just there to have fun. Fun is what bashing is all about, it’s what we do, and we are glad to bring it to the world!
I didn’t get a lot of time to snap pictures today with running the booth, and the demos, but I wanted to mention some quick highlights of stuff I had the chance to see.
Team Associated had a TON of SC8’s in their booth. That was pretty much their big show piece this year, and the feeling I get is that a lot of people are pretty excited about this truck. It’s really a good looking truck, it’s got some nice features, and I’m looking forward to seeing them out in the world in action.
DuraTrax has a new vehicle called the Vendetta TC. It’s a 1/18th scale on-road vehicle based on the popular Vendetta series of vehicles. It looks like it can corner on a dime!
O.S. Engines had their new 21 VZ-B V-Spec II ABC - Hara Edition Speed Tuned Racing Engine. Well, at least the name is easy to remember. The engine is the same one that Hara won the worlds with just a few months back. This thing is probably gonna fly off shelves when it hits the streets.
Snapped a quick shot of Adam Drake over in the Losi driving one of their new Mini Rock Crawlers. There is something about watching a guy with that much racing talent drive at 2mph around the rocks. He was barely paying attention to the vehicle and he was navigating the course like it was a flat straight, pretty impressive. Maybe he’s over that whole ‘going fast’ phase.. I doubt it.
The guys from LargeScaleRC had some interesting stuff. First was a large scale electric motorcycle. These things looked pretty cool, and like they were built for off-road. They also had some sweet looking 1/5th scales that should be called the “Big Bling!” I’ll let you figure out what picture that one is.
Lastly, I had to toss in a picture of Adam from Schumacher Racing giving us the big ‘Thumbs Up!’. Nice.

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We finally have our review up of the DuraTrax RT-X 27, and guess what.. it has officially gotten a Basher Approved rating! Head over to the RC Reviews section and check it out! If you are in the mood for a new RC Nitro truck this might be what you need! Read it here: DuraTrax RT-X 27 Review.

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Ever since Traxxas decided to be different and create their own Dean’s plug, people have had to modify their packs. While I think most RC’ers and Bashers just go ahead and cut off the Traxxas plug and add a Deans on there, there are still a few people who like to keep it simple. Well for those who like less work, Duratrax is here to help save the day. They have just released a few NiMH battery packs including 7.2v AND 8.4v 4600 stick and hump pack versions that come standard with the Traxxas plug! So if you are part of the electric Traxxas brigade (and that’s most people in RC) then fear not, you won’t have to show off your soldering skills.
The full press release is in the NEW Product Forum.

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The Duratrax people have tossed their hat into the ever growing LiPo Battery ring. The packs are protected inside an impact and puncture resistant ABS case. They are wired for balancing with gold-plated bullet connectors for all terminals. They can be bought with a variety of leads such as Deans or the standard DTXC2211. I find the bullet connections right to the pack interesting.

The full press release is in the NEW Product Forum if you need all the awesome details!

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The Duratrax Cliff Climber is coming soon! If you are into the growing RC Rock Crawling scene, you are going to be excited about this one! Dual Motor and Dual battery ESC comes installed with twin 380 motors! To top that off, it has 4 wheel steering! How cool is that?! The full press release is in the NEW Product Forum if you need all the awesome details!

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Just announced from Duratrax is the Duratrax Cliff Climber! A 1/14th scale RC Rock Crawler! This isn’t your normal everyday R/C Rock crawler though, this thing has a 16.8V dual motor and dual batter ESC! Twin 380 motors for some amazing torque, and 4-wheel steering! How cool is that? It has front and rear steering servos, and even comes in almost RTR form without a radio, ESC and painted.

This thing sounds cool, and it’s perfect timing! RC Rock Crawling is really taking off, and this summer is going to be big! If you are thinking about getting into R/C Rock crawling, you should probably check out the Duratrax Cliff Climber!

The full press release has been posted in the NEW Product Forum.

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Hosted By: Leisure Hours Hobbies at the amazing Leisure Hours Raceway.

The official event page is Right HERE! Or click the new link over on the left! This event is going to be awesome! We are giving away a HPI Racing Savage Monster Truck!!! Plus a TON of other great prizes! Check out the Event Page for all the details you need! Are you planning on attending? Have some suggestions? Questions? Ideas? Post it up in the Forum!

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