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1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 3:10 pm
by sundevil67
Very nice rig; just finished the build & its adjustment time... I'm first wondering what y'all do with these cars when it comes to securing the battery. Glass tape is very annoying & messy (especially since it is virtually impossible to find the right width, so there's cutting, etc. Zip ties aren't cutting it, and every Velcro strap I have isn't right either. Any suggestion ?
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 4:04 pm
by 1911Colt
I have never seen a Plazma in person, so this may be a stupid idea. However, from looking at the photos on Amain, I think I would use those double-sided velcro strips that IT guys use to tie up network cabling. Not the sticky backed kind; the kind that has hooks on one side and loops on the other, so when you wrap it around something it sticks to itself. A lot of RC planes use a thin crappy version of the same stuff and it works fine, even in stunt planes. For lateral support, I would put a tiny square of sticky backed velcro towards the ends of the battery where you intend to wrap it.
Anyway, it is something to think about until someone smart replies
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2025 5:19 pm
by sundevil67
Thanks.. I have some of those but they just didn't secure it well enough. I could hunt for some others but someone smarter than both of us has to have a tested method!
The last time I took my Fantom to the track, the battery-shifting was very annoying & I think I ended up using electrical tape! I guess they didn't really plan for actual battery changes...
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 10:41 am
by terry.sc
Remember it's a vintage design and back then we were using 1200mah cells, motors not too much better than a 540 and ran on surfaces with a lot less grip, back then Japan was running these outdoors on asphalt. The zip ties did the job fine.
Using a square patch of velcro between on the ends of the battery and top deck where the straps go round so you zip tie the battery onto the velcro patch usually stops the side to side movement. Put one at the connector side and it won't interfere with pushing the battery through the chassis. As you've mentioned fibreglass filament tape, rather than trying to wrap tape around the battery try cutting two short strips and sticking them from the top deck and wrap them round the ends of the battery, then use the zipties to support the weight of the battery.
The modern way that everyone uses these days instead of the zip ties is fibreglass tape. Tapes listed as specifically for RC car use have a different adhesive that stick less to the chassis and battery, but quite well to itself, so much easier to work with. Spent many years with generic filament tape until I had to fork out for a roll of Core-RC tape and won't be going back to normal tape even though it's a quarter of the price. Once you get used to working with it you can usually see how much to cut off the roll for the job without having to measure it. Not cheap though.
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 2:09 pm
by sundevil67
Thanks .. I actually wound up finding a roll of 12mm glass tape after a lot of searching. I had to buy 6 rolls, so I have enough to last through the apocolypse, but it does work better than the other options I've tried. I'm actually heading out for its maiden voyage here pretty soon...trying to get the toe-in right...wish the tie-rods were easier to adjust as I'm having a helluva time getting them even...excited to see how it goes.
terry.sc wrote: ↑Wed Mar 19, 2025 10:41 am
Remember it's a vintage design and back then we were using 1200mah cells, motors not too much better than a 540 and ran on surfaces with a lot less grip, back then Japan was running these outdoors on asphalt. The zip ties did the job fine.
Using a square patch of velcro between on the ends of the battery and top deck where the straps go round so you zip tie the battery onto the velcro patch usually stops the side to side movement. Put one at the connector side and it won't interfere with pushing the battery through the chassis. As you've mentioned fibreglass filament tape, rather than trying to wrap tape around the battery try cutting two short strips and sticking them from the top deck and wrap them round the ends of the battery, then use the zipties to support the weight of the battery.
The modern way that everyone uses these days instead of the zip ties is fibreglass tape. Tapes listed as specifically for RC car use have a different adhesive that stick less to the chassis and battery, but quite well to itself, so much easier to work with. Spent many years with generic filament tape until I had to fork out for a roll of Core-RC tape and won't be going back to normal tape even though it's a quarter of the price. Once you get used to working with it you can usually see how much to cut off the roll for the job without having to measure it. Not cheap though.
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 7:11 pm
by sundevil67
Well, securing the battery turned out not to be the problem. Since the only track in town closed, I had no choice but to try and find the smoothest parking lot I could.
This is the result of a 5-minute run and an invisible *@&#&% drain pipe. The thing was gorgeous - the shiny new (and overpriced) Kyosho electronics. I even frayed the antenna wire. I should have left the damned thing on the shelf.
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 8:14 pm
by RC10resto
Bummer
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 8:31 pm
by RC10th
If your running pan cars on asphalt always bring a blower and blow the surface firstly. Pan cars are like vacuum cleaners, I'm sure you would have seen the dust trail behind the car and tire lines as you drove.
I'm sure you'll have it good as gold in no time.....
Or.....
It's the perfect excuse to buy another one for the shelf and run the snot out of that one
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 9:26 pm
by coxbros1
It's totaled!
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 10:04 pm
by Brendan2904
That sucks dude. So sorry.
Re: 1/12 Plazma Limited Re-release
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2025 10:50 am
by terry.sc
Looks like the T-piece has snapped, a common failure on old pan cars. We used to consider them sacrificial as they usually cracked in any big accident. Should be an easy and cheap fix.
