Big Squid RC

For Bashers, By Bashers!
Recent Reviews

What's new: Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

Have I mentioned to yall how much I love the Aluminum Bling? Well I was tickled a bit when Brian asked me to toss on all the Hop Ups just released for the Dominus 10SC and the soon to be released sibling the 10TR. As a relatively new name in the RC World I was anxious to see what benefit these hop ups would offer the entry level market this truck is geared towards. Keep reading to find out…

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Venom Stronghold 25 amp dc battery charger
Are we looking at the future of battery charging? The latest battery charger from Venom, the new Stronghold 25 Amp DC Charger, is not only quite powerful to get your Lipo’s charged quickly but also comes with the Stronghold battery containment system for added safety. Some of the key features include-

* IR-Mode, an internal resistance test to help evaluate your battery
* Backlit LCD screen makes the readout easy to see
* Up to 500 watts of charging power
* Up to 25 amp charge rate
* LED lights in the Stronghold Battery Containment Box make it easy to keep an eye on your battery
* Baffle in the box eliminates external charge or balance wires
* Accepts up to 26 volts DC of input
* Part #VNR0667

Street price is $199 and you can get more information on Venom’s Official Website.

Looking for more Venom/Atomik news? HERE is the link you want.

What's new: Monday, December 3rd, 2012

traxxas tire glue

The folks from Traxxas want to make sure your tires stay on at high speeds! Welcome the new Ultra Premium Traxxas Tire Glue that is Certified for 100+mph use! That sounds like a nice challenge we might have to put to the test. The PR says it’s the only glue certified for the Traxxas XO-1.

You can hit the Traxxas Website for details. Retail price is at $9.99

Check out all of our other Traxxas news right HERE on BigSquidRC.

Traxxas 2wd Nitro Slash 44054
It has been a few days since we posted the rumor, but Traxxas has finally released full information on their new 2wd Nitro Slash. The Nitro Slash comes with the powerful TRX 3.3 engine, and should be nuclear fast at your favorite bash spot. Some of the highlights of the new Nitro Slash are-

* TQ 2.4GHz Radio System
* High-Torque steering and throttle servos
* Oil filled ultra shocks
* Dual stage air filter
* Slipper clutch
* Officially licensed BFGoodrich tires
* Race Replica SCT wheels with color-coordinated centers and beadlock trim
* Metal gear diff
* Double deck 6061-T6 aluminum and composite chassis
* Aggressive, authentic Pro 2WD body design
* TRX® 3.3 engine with EZ-Start® electric starting
* Tuned exhaust system with blue-anodized aluminum header
* Compact enclosed receiver box
* High-flow dual-stage air filter
* Large capacity 150cc fuel tank
* Heavy-duty drivetrain with rubber-sealed ball bearings
* Ready-To-Race® with race replica factory-finished and decaled body
* Gear ratio- 2.81
* Length- 22.24″
* Track- 11.65″
* Height- 7.4″
* Wheelbase- 13.07″
* Weight- 7.78 lbs
* Includes- EZ-Start® Power Cell and Charger, Fuel Bottle, Extra Glow Plug and Air Filter, Precision Tool Set
* Part #44054

Updated Price:
Street price for the Nitro Slash is said to be right at $600 $399 and you can expect a late January release date. For more information hit up the Traxxas Website.

We have lots more Traxxas news right HERE on BigSquidRC.

Venom Stronghold Solo Lipo Charge Box
Looking for a safe place to put your batteries while you charge them? If so Venom has announced their new Stronghold Solo Charge Box. The box is made out of stamped aluminum and features a self extinguishing polycarbonate window in the top so you can keep an eye on things inside. Some of the other features and specs include-

* Aluminum carry handle
* Designed for LiPO packs up to 60-watt hours
* Balance block has extra long leads
* Hinged lid with polycarbonate window for battery observation
* Rubber feet on bottom
* Positive snap latch makes it a great carrying case your Lipos
* Does not wear out like charge sacks can
* Part #VNR0672

Street price for the new Venom battery box is $60 but we have not received information on when they will be shipping. For more information on all of Venom’s fine products hit up their Official Website.

Looking for more Venom news? Click HERE for more Venom/Atomik news on BigSquidRC.

THE Dynamite SpeedPack 3S 50C 5200 mAh Lipo Battery Review

Dynamite SpeedPack 3S 50C 5200 mAh Lipo Battery Review

Intro: The Dynamite SpeedPack Lipo’s have developed a good reputation among the bashing crowd of being reliable, go to cells that put out good power. Today we’ll be taking a look at their hard case 3S 50C 5200 mAh Lipo. Does it put out insane power? Can it take a beating? Let’s find out…

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Thunder Tiger eMTA video Cap
The guys over at Thunder Tiger have released a new video for their latest uber basher, the e-MTA monster truck. The video showcases some of the features of the new Thunder Tiger e-MTA and also contains some pretty sic bashing footage. The e-MTA looks impressive in the video, with lots of wheelies, and standing back and front flips. But just a little warning- watching this video will make you wish you were at your favorite bash spot right now!

Looking for all the latest Thunder Tiger news? We have it right HERE.

THE Cub Report, King CubbyHello everyone, it’s yet another Monday and time for another Cub Report, the finest example of sarcasm (and bull) that you’ll find in the rc world. I hope THE Cub Report gets you all off to a great start to the week.

First up, best of luck to all the American racers down in Argentina right now going for the IFMAR 8th scale buggy championship. Yes, that race lasts about 9 days too long, but best of luck guys and bring that trophy back home with ya to the states.

Next up- I hope you caught our BigSquidRC Live show last Wednesday night on Google Plus and YouTube. We’ll be doing another show this Wednesday night, this time an hour earlier at 9 pm CST, so I am cordially inviting you to join us. This week we’ll announce another recipient of our “Basher Approved” award, and yes, we’ll be giving away another brand spank’n new truck! We hope to see you there, and while you are at it check out BigSquidRC HERE on Google +. Oh and- get your own G+ page rock’n! The real goal of our live show via the Google + “hangout” is to have live interaction with our readers, meaning at some point (in the not too distant future) you guys (yes, YOU) will be invited into the hangout with us to bench race, ask questions, or to just talk rc smack.

Now to get to what this Cub Report is all about- each year I go around the office and ask our Bash Crew, cost being no object, what rc product they’d like their loved ones to get them Christmas, and why. Yes, we’ve certainly got quite a diverse crew around here, sometimes they want very different things, other times they are amazingly the same. Let’s take a look and see what the BigSquidRC bash crew members would wish for in their stockings this year…

Iron Mike- Seeing as how Mike always Bogarts our Pro-Line tuned Traxxas Slash everywhere we go, his answer was no surprise to me. If cost were no object Mike would pick a Slash fully decked out with Pro-Line hop-ups. A Pro-line Pro-2 Slash is not only an animal on track, but one seriously tough truck, so nice pick ya made there Mike. Maybe before next Christmas Pro-Line will release an entire truck? Hummm….

Hawaiian Chris- Chris had a fast response for me, if he could get any rc product for X-mas it would have to be a Losi 5T 4wd gas truck. No doubt the 5T is a beast and fun to drive, but Chris put it on his list because its price point is so high that it is something he would never buy for himself.

Craig The Uber Ramp Guy- The Losi 5T also made Craig’s list, but he wants his converted to insane brushless power. Also on Craig’s list is a full head tracking FPV system. The Losi 5T is quite insane on gas power, and about that times 2 on brushless, so I can see why it would make his list. Craig didn’t say which of his vehicles he would install the head tracking FPV system in, but hopefully not the big BL Losi, at least not if I am standing anywhere near. :)

Jammin Jim Swift- There is no Losi on Jim’s list as he told me his Christmas present of choice would be a LCG Traxxas 4×4 Slash. Jim wants one because the LCG chassis would help make it more competitive on track, it should be super durable, and when you do need a part they should be easily found at nearly any local hobby shop.

Tim Mohr The Pro Driver Guy- No Losi or Traxxas was on Tim’s list, he told me a new Durango DEX408 8th scale electric was what he was looking for. Tim’s the kinda guy that is totally into hitting the track every day and quad’ing every double on the track, and no doubt the Durango would bust out lap after lap with him being pinned WFO everywhere.

Adam The Intern- Adam is sort of our resident scale/crawler type guy so his answer was no surprise to me, it was an Axial XR10 crawler. Adam says he doesn’t have an MOA so an XR10 would be neat for him to find out just what it could do that his other Axial trucks could not.

Brian The Editor- Brian has a couple of things on his list. The Losi 5T also made Brian’s list because it is such a big beast of a bash machine, but he also listed a GPS enabled quadcopter. If you’ve never flown a GPS quad, it’s almost like cheating because they can be extremely easy to fly. Brian has been flying a bunch of different quad’s lately, so he’s certainly been bitten by that bug, but will quads be able to keep him interested or will they just be a short term thing for him?

Myself- Now to finally get to the really important person around here, me. I’ve got too many cars/trucks already, so I’d be wishing for more FPV equipment. FPV has been able to make the hobby interesting for me again and it’s a whole new world when it comes to equipment. You can go with a monitor or you can go with glasses. You can go with one camera, or a dozen. The cameras can move with the steering or be fixed. There are tons of different transmitters and receivers to boot. I’ve got a small selection of FPV gear already, but if money were no object I’d sure like to try some of everything to find out the best possible combo for my personal FPV driving requirements.

So there you have it folks, that’s what the crew here at BigSquidRC would wish for if money were no object this Christmas. Feel free to shoot us an email telling us what you are wishing for to Cubby at BigSquidRC dot com.

That’s it for this week folks, be sure to tune into BigSquidRC Live this Wednesday night at 9 pm CST, and to support your local hobby shops, tracks and bash spots!

YOUR Cub Reporter

What's new: Friday, November 30th, 2012

MIP Kyosho Super Diff
The good guys over at MIP have recently announced more hop-up parts to their catalog. The first is an uber Super ball diff for the Kyosho Ultima SC/RB5-6, and RT5. The outdrives are precision machined out of hardened ally steel, the diff gear is precision molded, and it’s made in the USA. The super diff has a price of $40, a part number of #12158, and they are available right now.

MIP Losi SCTE spur gear

The MIP team has also created two new spur gears for the Losi Ten SCTE, a 39 tooth and a 41. These sport the precision uber quality you’ve come to expect from MIP, and sport a price of $15 each. Part number is #12198 for the 39 toother, and #12199 for the 41.

Hit up the official MIP Website for more information on these and all their products, and hit THIS link for a BigSquidRC TGIF mystery link.

traxxas nitro slash

There has been no official word yet from TRAXXAS, but rumors are flying about a new Traxxas Nitro Slash being announced soon! So we are going to keep this filled under the rumor mill category till we get the official word. It sounds like it’s based loosely off their new LCG style with a aluminum chassis, and the popular 3.3TRX Racing Engine. The bigger shock is the rumor of 2WD! For all those Traxxas Slayer fans looking for a change?

As soon as we get more details we will post them up, so stay tuned!

COMMENTS ON! Lets hear what you think about this one!

Traxxas is in the news all the time HERE on BigSquidRC, check it out.

Ofna TS2 Pro 2wd SCT
For you guys that have all of your own electronics, Ofna has announced their new TS2 Pro 2wd short course truck. This Pro version of their TS2 2wd short course truck does not come with electronics allowing you to pop in your own uber gear before hitting the track. Some of the features and spec include-

* Aluminum big bores shocks w/ nitride coated shafts
* Full set of rubber sealed bearings
* C-hub suspension
* Composite chassis
* Mud flaps
* CVA drive shafts
* Slipper clutch
* Black mag wheels
* High impact bumpers
* Clear lexan body
* 12mm wheel hexes
* Adjustable steel turnbuckles
* Ball diff
* Width- 11.5″
* Wheelbase- 13.25″
* Weight- 3 lbs
* Part #14308

“Retail” price for the TS2 Pro is $350 and you can get more information about it on the official Ofna Website.

Is it Friday ALREADY?

What's new: Thursday, November 29th, 2012

LCG Traxxas Slash 4x4 Platinum Edition 6804R
We’ve received news that the LCG Traxxas Slash 4×4 Platinum Edition #6804R is now shipping and you should be seeing them in your local hobby shops any day now. This is the newer version of the Platinum 4×4 Slash that comes with the LCG chassis and new GTR big bore aluminum shocks, a version that a lot of people have been waiting for. The waiting is nearly over, but until yours comes in hit up the Traxxas Website for more information on all of their products.

Traxxas is in the news all the time HERE on BigSquidRC, check it out.

Speed Passion F-68 1/10th scale Formula 1 Body
We have a lot of Formula 1 racing fans that read BigSquidRC. For you guys Speed Passion has just announced something you will be interested in, their new F-68 1/10th scale Formula 1 Body. What’s really neat about Speed Passion’s new F1 body is how much you can customize it. The body includes 4 interchangeable nose profiles and 2 interchangeable rear fins allowing you to put your personal touch on your car or to tune for specific driving conditions. The F-68 body comes with a driver helmet, double sided tape, instructions, and a decal set. Hit up the official Speed Passion Website for more information.

Looking for more Speed Passion news? We have it, take a look HERE.