yoster

Well, after endless back and forth as to what my next rc purchase should be, I settled on a savage X today. I couldn't be happier!!!!!!! MAN, talk about night and day compared to the stadium-trucks I had before. That engine is LOUD!! I broke it in according to the manual.. I usually heat-cycle my engines but decided to do the idle for 1 tank then drive it at half throttle for the next three, then start to lean it out. Everything went without a hitch. Started bashing on the 6th tank with it running slightly rich still around 212 degrees F. On the 8th tank, my stinking fuel tank cracked!! Oh well.

Now for a few questions, which all have to do with this quirky roto-start. First of all, I pulled the wires out of the connector on my battery by mistake trying to disconnect it from the roto-start to charge. Does anyone know of an easy way to disconnect it?? The latch is inside the housing, which you can't get to when the battery is in. Also, I noticed a charge jack on it, but it doesn't look like a standard Tx charging jack. How are you all handeling this?

Thanks

burnchassis3

Pull start.
CS

yoster

Thank you for the oh-so useless reply

-SomeGuy-

Its not a charge jack but a jack for a glow stick attachment. From what I've seen though they are only available on German sites [sm=confused.gif].

Call up HPI and tell them of your problem, they will probably offer you a new one. I never had any problems with mine except with the crappy button, so far...

yoster

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, I just need to know how you're getting the battery out to charge it. The connector clicks into position inside the roto-start once the battery is in. I can't however seem to figure out how to get the connector back out. That's when I pulled on the wires which came out, leaving the connector in the roto-start. I have since gotten it out, but was curious how you were getting the battery out for charging

Mspeed

I unscrewed the whole roto start in half to put a new switch in mine. If your careful you can take it all apart to fix it? I am not sure if yours is just pulled out of the system and needs to be put back in or if its just down in there like it is from the get go. I know they are a pain sometimes to get the battery cliped in. I take my battery fully out to charge mine. I did not like the Hpi switches they use, they are junk, my switch is great, no more roto button issues.

Mspeed

After re-reading your post, I understand, they are just annoying to get out thats all. I am sure you can take it all apart and just extend the wires and just have the back open the whole time with tape or something so its easier to disconnect.

burnchassis3

lol
I didnt mean to hurt your feelings.
rotostart is junk.
First good compression engine you get will destroy it.
Youll see.
Batteries...chargers...carrying the roto.
useless haha
CS

yoster

After thinking about it, I think I'm going to make a timaya to deans adapter, stick it in the roto-start (it will act as a lead), then convert the battery to deans female. This will let me use it in my other applications and whatnot, and will be easier to disconnect.

Thanks for the help

Argess

Those pesky battery connectors....I actually find them more of a pain to connect, than disconnect. A new type connector is a good idea.

As far as the Roto-start goes, I find it absolutely essential. When an engine is cranky, such as one that sint' broken in yet, or when the tune is out due to a weather change, or when it's very cold out, the roto-start saves me from bleeding blisters.

Yes, it's not well made. The switches "stick", but can easily be replaced with a better one. And the motors will self-destruct if they get too hot (soldeer on armature melts). The trick is to remember not to crank continuously. If it doesn't catch after a couple of seconds, stop, wait (until the glowplug burns off excess fuel and glows red again), and then retry.

I like pull-starts, but only for warm wearther and a well broken in engine. And as I put a roto-start backplate on to break-in the engine, I just don't bother taking it off.

OOPS....I am digressing...back to the topic....always pull at the battery connector, not the wires....and I know that's not alway easy. Also make sure if the battery connector has a locking clip on it, you squeeze the lever to unlock the connector before trying to pull it out. It amy help to cut the locking lever off the connector in that case.

twomanytoys

As for charging the battery I take the wire from the switch and run it through one hole on the right of the box and then run the battery wire through the other hole on the left of the box. now the connector is on the outside of the box so all I have to do is disconnect the connector and attach the charger. Both my savages are setup this way and never had a problem. So you will have a wire sticking out from both sides of the box with the connector on the top of the box.

yoster

That's the problem.. the locking part can't be accessed when the battery is in.. it covers it (note I'm referring to the rotostart2.. not the original rotostart). I can't remove the battery until the connector is disconnected though.. so it's stuck! Shaving the notch off the battery-side is a good idea though, so it doesn't lock into place.

twomanytoys - you're referring to the Rx pack.. we're not talking about that right now

Argess

Ahhh.....I see. I have the original Rotostart. But you can open your unit up and shave off the locking tab. Might be all you need to do.

drivefastgto

It's interesting that you have a locking connector in your starter...I have the Rotostart 2 also, and the connector has no locking tab...I even looked again to make sure. The tab is there, but it was made without the little tooth on the end so it can't lock. I wonder if HPI went to the spare parts bin when they made your unit, those things happen sometimes.

go-to

My Feedback: (2)

Really...don't hold back...just tell us how you feel already!

I've had (3) engines well beyond what's used here and not trashed a single roto-start backplate OR starter. And I have the old roto-start 1 system.

Many many people use the roto-start man...it most certainly isn't useless. Batteries and chargers go with the TX and Rx as well dude.

yoster

That's exactly the stupid part - it definitely has the locking connector. What a dumb idea that was.. you're stuck once it's locked since the battery covers the part to unlock it. Even if it didn't lock, the connector is flush with the housing, forcing you to use needle-nose pliers or something to get it out. I checked out the original rotostart and you wouldn't run into this problem on that one.

Note: All my other trucks (stadium trucks) use pull-starts. I honestly like this roto-start much more. I always manage to burn myself, cut myself, or do SOMETHING to my hands when using those pull-starts.

Vigilante212

They need to make bump box compatible savage. I got a buggy and bump box I dont think I ever wanna go back to pullstart or rotostart . Although each has its own advantage and disadvantage.

Mspeed

I love box starts too, no more oneway bearings, bit better performance, and no worries of backplate bushing airleaks. Roto is my choice for hard to reach areas that boxes cant get to as easy. I still have my orginial roto that my savage x came with and its roto 2 with no locking tab. I think yours got put together on a Friday yoster. Tried a pull, not my cup of tea. The less it resembles a lawnmower the better.[sm=49_49.gif]

rcnitrohead

Another Rotostart supporter here.. I use the original Rotostarter, the one that came with my Savage, the button mechanism fell apart. I paid $40 at my LHS (rip off..[:@]) for an identical Ofna unit, and after one season of light use the button is starting to get stuck again.. Other than that I have no complaints. I bought myself a pair of 3800mah NiMh batts from some chinese source on ebay for a cheap $22, and I havent even used the second batt yet. Those will last on the roto start for a while unlike my crappy NiCd 1500mah batts from the LHS that I paid for $20 each. Rotostart FTW! I have P/S on my Sirio and its a high pinch engine, pain in the arse to start and the cord/spring are messed up too, doesnt retract 100% anymore[&o]

Mspeed

I switched out the button on my orginial roto and its great now. I dont understand why they feel the need to put junk switches/buttons in those roto's. My orginial button was not working from day one.

BudBud

I have an STS 30 and a Hpi K4.6 with rotostarts. I have been running an extension cord from a 12 volt motorcycle battery to my roto start after repeated dead battery issues. It works super!