Thursday Testimonials: Venom 60C 2S 3800mAh 7.4 Shorty LiPo Pack and the "Random Item of the Week!"

0 Jan. 8, 2014, 3:40 a.m.

Main Photo: Thursday Testimonials: Venom 60C 2S 3800mAh 7.4 Shorty LiPo Pack and the "Random Item of the Week!"

1/9/2014

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com

Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and mini-review of each every Thursday morning!

Venom 60C 2S 3800mAh 7.4 Shorty LiPo Pack

$73.99

www.venom-group.com

In some cases bigger is in fact better, but not necessarily when you are referring to R/C car batteries. The latest craze in R/C is mid-motor configurations, which often times won't allow for a full size battery pack. We ran into this ourselves, and turned to Venom for the answer.

We equipped our mid-motor monster with the Venom 60C 2S 3800mAh 7.4 Shorty LiPo pack. This little guy is ROAR approved, and is Venom's largest capacity shorty pack at this time. The battery is completely universal right out of the package as it includes a removable wiring harness which allows you to quickly change the ends to fit Deans, Traxxas, Tamiya and EC3 plug types. In addition, this wiring harness includes a balancing connector as well.

This battery when ran in a 2wd buggy gives a strong 5-6 minute run, and an overall run time of approximately 12-15 minutes (depending on conditions and motor setup).

Pros:

Fits nicely in 1:10 2wd buggies, stadium trucks, and short course trucks.
Lighter than many shorty packs on the market, which is nice for stock class racing (7.1oz).
Includes universal plug adapters and wiring harness.
ROAR Approved

Cons:

The red translucent case is no doubt flashy, but makes us look like a Christmas tree with our flo green paint job and bright red battery.
While it is lighter than many shorty packs, it does lack in mAh's and C-rating compared to some others on the market.

Conclusion:

Overall we are quite satisfied with this battery pack. For most modified 2wd class racing this battery is an ideal weight, offers good punch, and a good overall run-time. For stock class racing it may lack a slight (VERY slight) amount of punch compared to some others, however, it makes up for it with its light weight. The included universal plug system is genius. This makes swapping this battery from one car to another simple, easy, and solder free. Simply detach the improper end, and click in place the new one! It is so easy, and so universal, that we don't mind looking like a Christmas tree just to run this pack.

Beacon Rating: 4/5

THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS - RANDOM ITEM OF THE WEEK:

Each week outside of the R/C world we test out and use a variety of items in our daily routines that have absolutely nothing to do with R/C, and THIS is what we think of them!

Flying Tiger Motorcycles Two Stroke Smoke Candle

$20.00

www.flyingtigermoto.com

Many think that candles are just for your sweetheart. Flavors like "Berry Delicious", "Grandma's Cookies", or "Soothing Cider" are what you will find around most offices and homes. While those are all nice smells, nothing beats the smell of a two stroke dirtbike firing up on a cold day. Flying Tiger Motorcycles recognizes this, and has created the ultimate man candle...the "Two Stroke Smoke".

Such a manly candle deserves to be lit in a manly way, so we used a blow torch. Fired it up, and breathed in the greatness. It's made with real live Blendzall Racing Castor 2 stroke oil with high-octane fragrance!

Pros:

Finally a candle that smells like a man, as opposed to a cupcake factory or pie shop.
Makes the office smell like the opening night of supercross at a nearby stadium.
Resealable jar to protect the Flying Tiger exhaust fumes from escaping when not in use.
Even includes instructions for those of us who aren't so experienced in proper candle care.

Cons:

Not a big hit with the ladies in the office.
Like being in a stadium full of dirtbikes, it begins to overwhelm you, and causes rising levels of dirtbike riding daydreams during the work day (resulting in a lack of production).

Conclusion:

This is such an obvious idea, but it took someone like those at Flying Tiger Motorcycles to make it a reality. Does it smell EXACTLY like a two stroke dirt bike running? No, but then again does "New Car Scent" air fresheners smell EXACTLY like a new car? Despite their variance from the ACTUAL things, they both still smell delicious. Needless to say, we highly recommend this candle to any dirtbike and/or motorsports enthusiast.

Beacon Rating: 5/5