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Alright just like last year when we had snow, I find myself wanting a Kyosho Blizzard ...... bad. We're getting 10 inches of snow today and I find myself watching Blizzard videos on youtube marveling at how well these things go.

It seems like this is the Blizzard kit right now to get, or are there others I should consider?

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_44_1820_2651/products_id/214454/n/Kyosho-Blizzard-SR-Search-Rescue-1-12-Scale-ReadySet-All-Terrain-Belt-Vehicle-w-24GHz

It's too bad it comes RTR but I guess that's good for me to at least have some fun from the get-go, but I know I'll want to modify it. A few questions I have that hopefully others can answer...

• 1) How well do they really run in the snow? They appear to go through almost anything but I wasn't totally sure. Running anything RC in the snow worries me about electronics and water, how tight are these to protect things inside?
  
  2) Are there any weak points that should be addressed, either with stock power or converting to brushless and lipo?
  
  3) Is there a good reference for these or forum I could learn more on, especially on modifications? I'm also interested in night LED lighting and what kinds of setups people use particularly for large light bars and keeping it all snow/water tight.

Check this thread out. Should help. They run really well in the snow. I saw a video in the past of one with Brushless in it and it flew!

http://www.scale4x4rc.org/forums/showthread.php?t=65423

Also this one. I really like how he modified this one.

http://www.clodtalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22386&hilit=blizzard&start=90

Here is the Brushless video...

http://www.clodtalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23663&p=203375&hilit=blizzard#p203375

By the way Adam, my back is hurting from shoveling already!

SFC K wrote: By the way Adam, my back is hurting from shoveling already!

Thanks for the links I will check them out. Tell your wife you need a blizzard to keep the walk shoveled!

flipwils11 wrote:

SFC K wrote: By the way Adam, my back is hurting from shoveling already!

Thanks for the links I will check them out. Tell your wife you need a blizzard to keep the walk shoveled!

LOL, I have been wanting one of these for yesrs. I might have to get one.

I've got a Blizzard and I love it. I have the previous version, the Df300 with single 540 motor and it flies. I might throw a brushless in it this winter too. I run it hard and have never broke a thing. I did a few mods on mine and my build can be found on here a few pages back.

I'd love to own a Blizzard someday. Maybe if only for the reason that we have no shortage of snow here in the winter months, and unless you have a local racetrack, your RC cars just sit on shelves or you tinker with them on your workbench. But a Blizzard you could USE.

I seem to remember one of the issues with Blizzards is the diffs, which don't function very well in stock form. If I'm not mistaken, people disassemble the diffs and re-pack them with a much thicker grease, which gets them to work a lot better.

I've been reading this forum the past few days and learning a ton. There is some great info here, cool eye candy and ideas for builds, and videos. Thanks for the link from SFC K and then that link from the scale 4x4 forums to this site.

http://s1.zetaboards.com/RCsnowcats/index/

On the thread SFC K linked to, this video on the 5th page of the thread with the first person perspective in a Blizzard is fantastic! One of the coolest things I've seen yet in RC I must say.

http://vimeo.com/37142114#at=0

BTW, Timmy2Tracks on the RC snow cat forum is a member here.

flipwils11 wrote:On the thread SFC K linked to, this video on the 5th page of the thread with the first person perspective in a Blizzard is fantastic! One of the coolest things I've seen yet in RC I must say.

http://vimeo.com/37142114#at=0

+1. That is freakin' cool!

I'm also a member on that site. Same name. And yes you wanna pack the diff with diff locker, I use 120,000wt, but thats only for the older versions. The "SR" you are looking at is a totally different Blizzard with a totally different drivetrain.

Whatever you do, don't listen to me. I am just flying by the seat of my pants on these Blizzards! Hehe

what do you guys think of the DX? ive been trying to track one down, i love the twin 380's and mechanical speed controllers. but a DF300 looks like its mechanically a lot more sound. i'd love to go super-scale on the body too, if there are any aftermarket parts for them

proffesso wrote:what do you guys think of the DX? ive been trying to track one down, i love the twin 380's and mechanical speed controllers. but a DF300 looks like its mechanically a lot more sound. i'd love to go super-scale on the body too, if there are any aftermarket parts for them

There is one cheep on evilbay only $ 795 I got one i used for 4 hours then gear box gone and the tracks split...........it's crap to run looks good on the shelf

Bo Wallen wrote:

proffesso wrote:what do you guys think of the DX? ive been trying to track one down, i love the twin 380's and mechanical speed controllers. but a DF300 looks like its mechanically a lot more sound. i'd love to go super-scale on the body too, if there are any aftermarket parts for them

There is one cheep on evilbay only $ 795 I got one i used for 4 hours then gear box gone and the tracks split...........it's crap to run looks good on the shelf

A DX? If its a DX, please send it to me! Hehe...

I'm not familiar enough with the SR, but going back to the dual-motor architecture of the 80's should help a lot of the issues faced by the DF's transmission, namely the grossly anti-mechanical "steering system" (which is realistic vs. full size tanks, but a mechanical disaster) that forces you to fill in the diff with super-thick grease, to adjust the brakes down to the micron to be able to "turn" properly (radio with EPA/expo needed), and to put the tracks back on its sprockets every 2 minutes when the snow is thick and heavy. I had a DF a couple of years (favourite pic below) and it was really good fun when I would run it, every winter I regret selling it, but then my wife reminds me I would spend more time wrenching on the darn thing than running it... Plus the SR has the front shovel...

Go for it!!!




Paul