ASK Cub Reporter, 01.02.2014, Version- Using a Magic 8 Ball for Answers

“Cubby,

I am in need of a new power supply for my battery chargers, which one are you recommending now days?

Btw, I read your last Cub Report and I totally disagree with you on the Associated B5, I can’t wait to buy one.

Martin V.”

Cubby- Yo hey what’s up Martin, thanks for the email and be sure to shoot Brian your snail mail so we can send you a BSRC sticker pack.

Which power supply am I recommending now days? My vote goes to the Racers Edge Prime 30, you can read our review Here. No, they aren’t an advertiser of ours, I simply like their power supply, and here is why-

* It is so quiet. The internal fan doesn’t always run, and when it does, it is very soft. Quiet is a Great thing in my pit area.

* It has plenty of power for most uses. I rarely charge a pair of Lipo batteries at over 20 amps each, and even when doing that, you aren’t really pushing its power capabilities.

* It has a nice display on top that shows both voltage and how much current you are pulling from it.

Cut the check for one, for most normal uses it rocks.

About the B5, to each their own and I certainly respect everyone else’s opinions (read- not really), and in return you should respect mine. Yes, I tend to hold AE to too high of a standard, and yes, I need to lower it. But… I will never lower it to the point where I will rejoice when they come out with a vehicle that simply catches them up to where the competition has been for years.

Peace and love, peace and love my friend…

“Please pass this along to Cubby.

Cubby keeps talking about how 18th scale is dead, but how can he say that with all the new trucks on the market? Just recently there have been 3 new 18ths from Dromida and the ECX 18th Ruckus and Torment. Where I live 18th is alive and well, I don’t know how he can say its dead. I read your website every single day, but what he is saying is dead wrong.

Chase”

Cubby- Yo hey Chase, thanks for the email.

So I take you are core into 18th scalers. Good for you, I am also a big believer in them. A good 18th scaler is fast, fun, and more importantly, affordable. Where it can take hundreds of bucks to keep a larger scale running on a weekly basis, it costs only a small fraction of that for an 18th scale.

Is 18th dead? You make a great case about Dromida and ECX putting out new small scalers, they wouldn’t put them out if there wasn’t a demand, and we’ve certainly had a lot of fun with them around the office.

But… we tend to get out a lot. Whether it be the local tracks, or the local spots known for bashers to congregate, we most certainly are Not all about writing, we are all about getting out and living the lifestyle by actually driving. With that said, yes, we do see small scalers here and there, but… and there is always a but… we just don’t see them out in the wild like during their glory days in the mid/late 2000’s. Back in those days it was common to see a “Mini-T” or “RC18” class, now days about the only 18th scalers we see being raced are Losi Mini-T based oval cars. And at local bash spots, it reflects the same. Back “in the day” you would see multiple 18th scalers at a bash, now you are lucky to see a couple.

So while there have been several new models released, I think it would be a stretch to say that they are still “popular”, although we are totally for them blowing up and getting huge again. Both the Dromida’s and the new ECX’s are durable and a bunch of fun to wheel, hopefully they will help bring back some of the popularity of the small scale scene. Six months from now we would love to be able to say the mini class is more popular than it has ever been.

That’s it, I’m done. Well, for this week at least. I’ll be picking a “Letter of the Month” next week so get in those wacky emails of yours, you could win a new uber-boss BSRC t-shirt. Shoot your questions, balance inquiries, or off-beat jokes to Cubby at BigSquidRC.com.

YOUR Cub Reporter