DHK Hobby range

Over the years i have been an unashamed brand snob when it comes to R/C brands. For many years i stuck with HPI cars and nothing else, looking down by nose at the more budget oriented brands with a look of distain. However about a year back i had an opportunity to get what in many ways was a dream job for me, to work at my local hobby shop.  It has certainly been interesting, insightful and informative being on the “other side” of the hobby.

For one thing i have a reformed attitude towards many brands. Haiboxing for example i expected to see nothing but and endless stream of broken cars coming back, however they are no less well built than the likes of vehicles from AARMA and Helion for example. One opportunity that presented itself recently was to examine and drive (in a somewhat limiited space i might add) some vehicles from the DHK Hobby range when Hobby Headquarters visited with a selection from their range.  DHK’s philosophy is to create a significant, interesting, and exciting line of R/C hobby vehicles at the highest level of reliability, performance, and value. Certainly i was surprised with what seemed to be good designs and sturdy looking parts in their vehicles from a brand i had heard very little from. Now DHK are not new, just new in the Australian marketplace, however having their own factory seems to give the, flexibility and control in the design and construction process.

Of their range i was able to have a drive of the Hunter BL SCT (reviewed in the latest racing lines as the Hunter 2 for  some reason), the Maximus brushless 1:8 truggy, the 1:10 Crosse 4×4 Monster Truck as well as have a good look at the Wolf BL 4wd buggy. On the whole i was suitably impressed with good power, strong looking designs and great looking vehicles. In many ways the range is a strong competitor to Traxxas, but without the expense associated with their vehicles, certainly a brand worthy of consideration!

Details of the range can be found on the DHK website at http://www.dhkhobby.com , or ask at your local hobby shop.

New Truggies from TLR and Associated

The last few weeks have seen new truggies from Team Associated and Team Losi Racing hit the internet, so I thought i’d round up a little on these two new machines.  Ok, when I say two, it’s technically three as Associated released Nitro and Electric versions of their machines.

So what is a Truggy, basically a racing truck. Take a buggy, put wider arms, bigger tyres and a truck body on it and you have a truggy.  So it’s not exactly as simple as that, but you get the gist of it.  All are evolutions of old designs rather than anything revolutionary, however they all have some nice new features.

TLR 8ight-T 4.0 1/8th nitro truggy kit

Features

• Durable 4mm hard-anodised 7075 T-6 aluminium chassis
• Improved suspension geometry
• 11mm narrower track for better handling on tight sections
• Reduced front driveshaft angle\
• Ball bearing throttle and brake actuators
• Large-bearing spindles and hubs\
• Revised chassis side guards
• Larger engine mount that reduces chassis flex
• 15°caster blocks with adjustable spindle height
• Aluminium shock caps with threaded bleeder holes
• Moulded driveshaft and dog bone boots
• Aluminium shock towers with updated camber link and shock location holes

 

Team Associated RC8T3e Team Kit 1/8th E-Truggy

Features

• Hard-anodised 7075-T6 aluminium chassis features an optimised weight bias layout for improved handling and stability
• New V2 diffs included for longer life and improved performance
• Front suspension features pillow ball uprights for increased adjustability and improved durability
• Lightweight ring gears and optimised precision ball bearing sizing reduces drivetrain rotational mass for improved acceleration and battery efficiency
• Gearboxes feature a 4.6:1 internal gear ratio with fast access differentials for quick removal, tuning and maintenance
• Six universal drive shafts for efficient drivetrain power delivery and ease of maintenance
• 7075-T6 aluminium 16mm “Big Bore” threaded shocks with TiN coated 3.5mm shafts, larger diameter precision springs, and optimised bladders for more precise volume compensation
• 7075-T6 aluminium shock towers front and rear feature finely tuned shock mounting and upper arm positions
• Refined suspension geometry with lower hinge pin inserts for quick and easy roll centre adjustments
• Lightweight one-piece wing mounts feature height and forward positioning adjustment for more precise handling
• Pro-Line RC8T3e clear body and Team Associated moulded wing included
• The RC8T3e shares over 90% parts compatibility with the RC8T3 nitro truggy, offering the perfect solution for multi-class racers

Team Associated RC8T3 Team Kit

Features

• 7075-T6 hard-anodized aluminium chassis features an optimized weight bias layout for improved handling and stability
• New V2 diffs included for longer life and improved performance
• Front suspension features pillow ball uprights for increased adjustability and improved durability
• Lightweight ring gears and optimized precision ball bearing sizing reduces drivetrain rotational mass for improved acceleration and battery efficiency
• Gearboxes feature a 4.6:1 internal gear ratio with fast access differentials for quick removal, tuning and maintenance
• Six universal drive shafts for efficient drivetrain power delivery and ease of maintenance
• 7075-T6 aluminium 16mm Big Bore threaded shocks with TiN coated 3.5mm shafts, larger diameter precision springs, and optimized bladders for more precise volume compensation
• 7075-T6 aluminium shock towers front and rear feature finely tuned shock mounting and upper arm positions
• Refined suspension geometry with lower hinge pin inserts for quick and easy roll centre adjustments
• Lightweight one-piece wing mounts feature height and forward positioning adjustment for more precise handling
• Two-piece sliding engine mount for easy gear mesh adjustment and motor removal
• Pro-Line RC8T3 clear body and Team Associated molded wing included
• The RC8T3 shares many parts with the RC8B3 nitro buggy, offering the perfect solution for multi-class racers
• A major feature, the use of Kyle McBride’s colour scheme in the PR images of this Truggy, Go Aussie!

Racing Lines March 2016 Edition

Issue 234 is hitting the shelves now, and this is what you can look forward to.
-The latest car news
-News on the Traxxas Anon quadcopter
-Testbed looks at the Santa MT-4s
-Tech tips looks at air filters
-RC history looks at the Castle Hill Vintage Enduro
– The RC8B3e from associated gets some track time in its review
-RR10 bomber is a great new rock racer from Axial which gets a thorough review
-A new player in Australia, DHK, gets their Hunter Bl 4×4 thrashed and reviewed, although it is referred to as the Hunter 2 in the review. Even the one I just drove is stickered a Hunter BL, maybe a typo?
-The final review is of the LRP s10 blast tc, a Brushless touring car that looks like a great unit.
-And if course all of the latest racing news and reports.