Horizon Hobby Vaterra Kalahari Owner's Manual

OWNER’S MANUAL

BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG MANUEL DE L’UTILISATEUR MANUALE DELL’UTENTE

™

KALAHARI

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND GUIDELINES

» Always keep a safe distance in all directions around your

model to avoid collisions or injury. This model is controlled by a radio signal subject to interference from many sources outside your control. Interference can cause momentary loss of control.

» Always operate your model in open spaces away

from full-size vehicles, tra c and people.

» Always carefully follow the directions and warnings for this

and any optional support equipment (chargers, rechargeable battery packs, etc.).

» Always keep all chemicals, small parts and anything electrical

out of the reach of children.

» Always avoid water exposure to all equipment not speciﬁ cally

designed and protected for this purpose. Moisture causes damage to electronics.

» Never place any portion of the model in your mouth as it

could cause serious injury or even death.

» Never operate your model with low transmitter batteries.

Register your vehicle now and be the ﬁ rst to ﬁ nd out about the latest option parts, product updates and more. Click on the Support tab at WWW.VATERRARC.COM and follow the product registration link to stay connected.

NOTICE

All instructions, warranties and other collateral documents are subject to change at the sole discretion of Horizon Hobby, Inc. For up-to-date product literature, visit www.horizonhobby.com and click on the support tab for this product.

WARNING: Read the ENTIRE instruction manual to become familiar with the features of the product before operating. Failure to operate the product correctly can result in damage to the product, personal property and cause serious injury.

This is a sophisticated hobby product and NOT a toy. It must be operated with caution and common sense and requires some basic mechanical ability. Failure to operate this Product in a safe and responsible manner could result in injury or damage to the product or other property. This product is not intended for use by children without direct adult supervision. Do not attempt disassembly, use with incompatible components or augment product in any way without the approval of Horizon Hobby, Inc. This manual contains instructions for safety, operation and maintenance. It is essential to read and follow all the instructions and warnings in the manual, prior to assembly, setup or use, in order to operate correctly and avoid damage or serious injury.

MEANING OF SPECIAL LANGUAGE

The following terms are used throughout the product literature to indicate various levels of potential harm when operating this product:

NOTICE: Procedures, which if not properly followed, create a possibility of physical property damage AND a little or no possibility of injury.

CAUTION: Procedures, which if not properly followed, create the probability of physical property damage AND a possibility of serious injury.

WARNING: Procedures, which if not properly followed, create the probability of property damage, collateral damage, and serious injury OR create a high probability of superﬁ cial injury.

AGE RECOMMENDATION: Not for children under 14 years. This is not a toy.

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GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

» Read through the wet conditions maintenance procedures

and make sure that you have all the tools you will need to properly maintain your vehicle.

» Not all batteries can be used in wet conditions. Consult the

battery manufacturer before use. Do not use Li-Po batteries in wet conditions.

» Most transmitters are not water-resistant. Consult your

transmitter’s manual or the manufacturer before operation.

» Never operate your transmitter or vehicle where lightning

may be present.

» Do not operate your vehicle where it could come in contact

with salt water (ocean water or water on salt-covered roads), contaminated or polluted water. Salt water is very conductive and highly corrosive, so use caution.

» Even minimal water contact can reduce the life of your motor

if it has not been certiﬁ ed as water-resistant or waterproof. If the motor becomes excessively wet, apply very light throttle until the water is mostly removed from the motor. Running a wet motor at high speeds may rapidly damage the motor.

» Driving in wet conditions can reduce the life of the motor.

The additional resistance of operating in water causes excess strain. Alter the gear ratio by using a smaller pinion or larger spur gear. This will increase torque (and motor life) when running in mud, deeper puddles, or any wet conditions that will increase the load on the motor for an extended period of time.

WET CONDITIONS MAINTENANCE

» Remove the battery pack(s) and dry the contacts. If you have

an air compressor or a can of compressed air, blow out any water that may be inside the recessed connector housing.

» Remove the tires/wheels from the vehicle and gently rinse

the mud and dirt o with a garden hose. Avoid rinsing the bearings and transmission.

NOTICE: Never use a pressure washer to clean your vehicle.

» Use an air compressor or a can of compressed air to dry the

vehicle and help remove any water that may have gotten into small crevices or corners.

» Spray the bearings, drive train, fasteners and other metal

parts with WD-40® solvent or any other water-displacing light oil. Do not spray the motor.

» Let the vehicle air dry before you store it.

Water (and oil) may continue to drip for a few hours.

» Increase the frequency of disassembly,

inspection and lubrication of the following:

• Front and rear axle hub assembly bearings.

• All transmission cases, gears and di erentials.

• Motor—clean with an aerosol motor cleaner and

re-oil the bearings with lightweight motor oil.

WATER-RESISTANT VEHICLE WITH WATERPROOF ELECTRONICS

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Your new Horizon Hobby vehicle has been designed and built with a combination of waterproof and waterresistant components to allow you to operate the product in many “wet conditions”, including puddles, creeks, wet grass, snow and even rain.

While the entire vehicle is highly waterresistant, it is not completely waterproof and your vehicle should NOT be treated like a submarine. The various electronic components used in the vehicle, such as the Electronic Speed Control (ESC), servo(s) and receiver are waterproof, however, most of the mechanical components are water-resistant and should not be submerged.

Metal parts, including the bearings, hinge pins, screws and nuts, as well as the contacts in the electrical cables, will be susceptible to corrosion if additional maintenance is not performed after running in wet conditions. To maximize the long-term performance of your vehicle and to keep the warranty intact, the procedures described in the “Wet Conditions Maintenance” section to follow must be performed regularly if you choose to run in wet conditions. If you are not willing to perform the additional care and maintenance required, then you should not operate the vehicle in those conditions.

CAUTION: Failure to exercise caution while using this product and complying with the following precautions could

result in product malfunction and/or void the warranty.

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Vaterra™ Kalahari™ 4WD Desert Raider 1/14th RTR. This guide contains the basic instructions for operating your new Kalahari vehicle. It is critical that you read all of the instructions in order to operate your model correctly and avoid unnecessary damage.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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QUICK START

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Please read the entire manual to gain a full understanding of the Vaterra Kalahari 4WD Desert Raider 1/14th RTR vehicle, ﬁ ne-tuning the setup, and performing maintenance.

1 Read the safety precautions found in this manual. 2 Charge the battery. Refer to the included charging

warnings and instructions for battery charging information.

3. Install the AA batteries in the transmitter. Only use alkaline or rechargeable batteries.

4 Install the fully charged battery in the vehicle. 5 Power ON the transmitter and then the vehicle. Always

power the transmitter ON before the vehicle and power it OFF after the vehicle has been powered OFF.

6 Check the steering and throttle control directions.

Verify that the servos are moving in the correct direction.

7 Drive your vehicle. 8 Perform any necessary maintenance.

Introduction Quick Start Components The Vehicle Battery The Transmitter Transmitter and Receiver Binding Control Test Before Running Your Vehicle Run Time Tuning, Adjusting & Maintaining Your Vehicle Dynamite Fuze Mini Waterproof Sensorless

Brushless ESC Adjusting the Transmitter Dynamite Fuze 280 4500Kv Mini Sensorless

Brushless Motor Troubleshooting Guide Limited Warranty FCC Statement Compliance Information for the European Union Fasteners Replacement Parts Optional Parts

6 6 7 8 9 11 11 12 12 13 14

14 16

17 18 20 20 75 76 89

REQUIRED TOOLS

» Soft bristle cleaning brush » #0 or #1 Phillips screwdriver

OPTIONAL TOOLS

» Nut driver: 5.5mm - DYN2803 » Hex driver: .050 - DYN2820

* Use only Dynamite tools or other

high-quality tools. Use of inexpensive tools can cause damage to the small screws and parts used on this type of model.

» 1/14-Scale Kalahari 4WD Desert Raider RTR » Spektrum

™

DX2L 2.4GHz DSM® Radio System

» Dynamite

Fuze™ Mini Waterproof Sensorless Brushless ESC

» Dynamite Fuze 280 4500Kv Mini Sensorless Brushless Motor » VTR11000 Mini Waterproof Servo » Dynamite 7.2V 1200mAh 6C Ni-MH Battery » Dynamite 10W Ni-MH AC Peak Charger » 4 AA Batteries (for transmitter)

COMPONENTS

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» “L” shaped hex wrench

• 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm

» 4-way wrench

• 7mm, 5.5mm, 5mm, 4.5mm

» Slipper adjustment tool

SUPPLIED TOOLS

CHARGING WARNINGS

» Read all safety precautions and

literature prior to use of this product.

» Never leave the battery and charger

unattended during use.

» Never allow children under 14 years

of age to charge batteries.

» Never attempt to charge dead

or damaged batteries.

» Never charge a battery if the cable

has been pinched or shorted.

» Never allow the batteries or charger

to come into contact with moisture at any time.

» Never charge batteries in extremely

hot or cold places (recommended between 50–80°F (10–26°C)) or place in direct sunlight.

» Always use only Ni-MH rechargeable

batteries. This charger cannot charge batteries such as “heavy duty”, “alkaline”, “mercury” or “lithium” batteries.

» Always connect to the charger

correctly.

» Always disconnect the battery and

charger after charging and let them cool between charges.

» Always inspect the battery before

charging.

» Always terminate all processes and

contact Horizon Hobby if the product malfunctions.

» Always make sure you know the speci-

ﬁ cations of the battery to be charged or discharged to ensure it meets the requirements of this charger.

» Always constantly monitor the tem-

perature of the battery while charging.

» Always end the charging process if the

charger or battery becomes hot to the touch or starts to change form during the charge process.

1 Connect the AC power cord to

the power slot on the charger, then connect the other end of the power cord to an AC power source.

2 The Power LED and Charging LED

will turn green when the charger is connected to the AC power source.

3 Connect the battery connector

to the charger connector.

4 Press the Start/Stop button to

charge the battery. The Charging LED turns red.

5 When the battery is fully charged,

the Charging LED will turn green.

6 Press the Start/Stop button to stop

charging. Disconnect the battery pack connector from the charger connector.

7 Disconnect the AC power cord

from the AC power source.

A Power LED B Start/Stop Button C Charging LED D AC Power Slot E Charger to Battery

Connector

Refer to the charging warnings. It is recommended you charge the battery while you inspect the vehicle. The battery will be required to conﬁ rm proper operation in future steps.

WARNING: Failure to exercise caution while using this product and comply with the following warnings could result in product malfunction, electrical issues, excessive heat, FIRE, and ultimately injury and property damage.

CAUTION: If at any time during the charging process the battery becomes hot to the touch, disconnect the battery immediately and discontinue the charging process.

Charge only batteries that are cool to the touch and are not damaged. Inspect the battery to make sure it is not damaged, e.g., swollen, bent, broken or punctured.

THE VEHICLE BATTERY

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INSTALLING THE VEHICLE BATTERY

1 Ensure the ESC is powered OFF. 2 Remove the clips from the

battery strap posts and remove the battery strap.

3 Install the fully charged battery into

the chassis as shown. Ensure the battery is lying ﬂ at on the chassis.

4 Connect the battery to the ESC. 5 Reinstall the battery strap and clips. 6 Power ON the transmitter,

then the vehicle.

CAUTION: NEVER remove the transmitter batteries while the vehicle is powered ON, as loss of control, property damage or injury may result.

THE TRANSMITTER

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INSTALLING THE TRANSMITTER BATTERIES

1 Push in the battery cover a small

amount to release the retaining tab, then remove the cover.

2 Install 4 AA batteries, taking care

to align the battery polarity to the diagram in the transmitter’s battery case.

3 Carefully reinstall the battery cover

by aligning the tabs with the slots on the transmitter.

CAUTION: If using rechargeable batteries, charge only rechargeable batteries. Charging non-rechargeable batteries may cause the batteries to burst, resulting in injury to persons and/or damage to property.

1 Steering Wheel controls direction (left/right) of the model 2 Throttle Trigger controls speed and direction

(forward/brake/reverse) of the model

3 R.O.S.S. Button used with vehicles featuring the R.O.S.S.

Remote Start System

4 Antenna transmits the signal to the model 5 ON/OFF Switch turns the power ON/OFF for the transmitter 6 Indicator Lights

• Solid green (right) light indicates adequate battery power

• Flashing green light indicates the battery

voltage is critically low. Replace batteries.

• Solid red (left) light indicates good signal strength.

When the red light fades, signal strength is weakening

7 ST. Trim adjusts the “hands o ” direction of the model 8 TH. Trim adjusts the motor speed to stop at neutral 9 Steering Dual Rate adjusts the amount the front wheels

move when the steering wheel is turned left and right

10 Battery Cover covers and holds the batteries that

power the transmitter

11 BIND Button puts the transmitter into Bind Mode 12 ST. REV reverses the function of the steering when

the wheel is turned left or right

13 TH. REV reverses the function of the speed

control when pulled back or pushed forward

14 TH-F – Forward Endpoint – adjusts the amount of full throttle 15 TH-B – Brake Endpoint – adjusts the amount of full brake 16 ST-L – Steering Left Endpoint –

adjusts the amount of left steering travel

17 ST-R – Steering Right Endpoint –

adjusts the amount of right steering travel

18 Throttle Limiter limits the throttle to Low (50%), Medium (75%)

or High (full throttle is equal to the high Throttle Travel position)

19 Bind Plug Compartment

For more information on the transmitter, go to www.horizonhobby.com and click on the support tab for the Spektrum DX2L to download the instruction manual.

CHANGING THE RF MODE

The DX2L has a France RF Mode that complies with French regulations. The DX2L must be in France mode when used outdoors in France. At all other times, the transmitter should be in Standard mode.

France mode ON

Turn the wheel full left, pull the trigger full throttle and hold down the bind button while turning on the transmitter. The red LED will ﬂ ash twice.

France mode OFF (Standard Mode)

Turn the wheel full right, pull the trigger full throttle and hold down the bind button while turning on the transmitter. The red LED will ﬂ ash once.

SPEKTRUM DX2L RADIO SYSTEM

191611 12 13 14 15 18

Your Spektrum DX2L comes prebound to the vehicle.

If you encounter problems, obey binding instructions and refer to the transmitter troubleshooting guide for other instructions. If needed, contact the appropriate Horizon Product Support o ce.

BINDING PROCEDURE

1 Make sure the transmitter and vehicle are both powered OFF. 2 Install a bind plug in the receiver battery/bind port.

You do not need to remove any of the other plugs to re-bind.

3 With the bind plug installed, power ON the vehicle.

The receiver LED will ﬂ ash green.

4 With the steering and throttle in the desired preset failsafe

positions (neutral), press and hold the bind button and power ON the transmitter. The transmitter’s red LED will ﬂ ash after 4 seconds when the transmitter is in bind mode. Release the bind button once the red LED ﬂ ashes. Continue holding the failsafe positions until the binding process is complete.

5 When the receiver binds to the transmitter,

the receiver LED will turn solid.

6 Power OFF the vehicle, then the transmitter. 7 Disconnect the battery from the ESC.

Remove the bind plug from the receiver.

8 Safely store the bind plug in the bind plug

compartment in the transmitter.

9 The receiver will keep the binding to the

transmitter until another binding is done.

TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER BINDING

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CONTROL TEST

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Perform a control test with the vehicle wheels o the ground. If the wheels rotate after the vehicle is powered ON, adjust the “TH. Trim” knob until they stop. To make the wheels move forward, pull the trigger. To reverse them, wait for the wheels to stop, then push the trigger. When moving forward, the wheels should maintain a straight line without any steering wheel input. If not, adjust the “ST. Trim” knob so the wheels maintain a straight line without having to turn the steering wheel.

FORWARD

BRAKE/REVERSE

BEFORE RUNNING YOUR VEHICLE

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TO IMPROVE RUN TIMES

» Clean and oil bearings often. If bearings are dirty, they

will increase friction and cause reduced performance.

» Keep your vehicle clean and maintained. » Allow more airﬂ ow to the ESC and motor. » Change the gearing to a lower ratio.

A lower ratio decreases the operating temperature of the electronics. Use a smaller pinion gear or larger spur gear to lower the gear ratio.

» Use a battery pack with a higher mAh rating.

RUN TIME

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1 Break in the di erential. While holding the chassis with only

the left side tires ﬁ rmly on the ground, give the vehicle about 1/8 throttle for 30 seconds. The right side tires should spin freely during this time. Do this with only the right side tires ﬁ rmly on the ground, allowing the left side tires to spin freely. Repeat this 2–3 times.

2 Check for free suspension movement. All suspension arms

and steering components should move freely. Any binds will cause the vehicle to handle poorly.

3 Charge the battery. 4 Check the calibration of the ESC. If recalibration is required,

follow the setup instructions.

5 Adjust the transmitter settings to your desired

conﬁ guration.

DRIVING PRECAUTIONS

» Maintain sight of the vehicle at all times. » Routinely inspect the vehicle for loose wheel hardware. » Routinely inspect the steering assembly for any loose

hardware. Driving the vehicle o -road can cause fasteners to loosen over time.

» Do not drive the vehicle in tall grass. Doing so can damage

the vehicle or electronics.

» Stop driving the vehicle when you notice a lack of power.

Driving the vehicle when the battery is discharged can cause the receiver to power o . If the receiver loses power, you will lose control of the vehicle. Damage due to an over-discharged battery is not covered under warranty.

» Do not apply forward or reverse throttle if the vehicle is

stuck. Applying throttle in this instance can damage the motor or ESC.

» After driving the vehicle, allow the electronics to cool before

driving the vehicle again. Remove the body of the vehicle to reduce cooling time.

The largest factor in run time is the capacity of the battery pack. A larger mAh rating increases the amount of run time experienced.

The condition of a battery pack is also an important factor in both run time and speed. The battery connectors may become hot during driving. Batteries will lose performance and capacity over time.

Driving the vehicle from a stop to full speed repeatedly will damage the batteries and electronics over time. Sudden acceleration will also lead to shorter run times.

» Examine your vehicle on a regular basis. » Use a brush to remove dirt and dust. » Look for damage to the suspension arms

and other molded parts.

» Re-glue the tires to the wheels, if necessary. » Clean and oil all wheel bearings. » Use suitable tools to tighten fasteners. » Make sure the camber and steering linkages

are not bent. Replace any bent linkages.

» Adjust the Toe and Camber settings, if necessary. » Remove the shocks and inspect them for

damage. Rebuild the shocks if oil is leaking.

» Inspect electronics and batteries for exposed wires.

Repair exposed wires with shrink-wrap, or replace the wire.

» Make sure the ESC and receiver are secure on

the chassis. Replace the double-sided tape, if necessary.

» Power ON the transmitter. If the green LED is dim

or o , replace the AA batteries in your transmitter.

» Check the spur gear and pinion gear for wear.

TUNING, ADJUSTING & MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

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SERVICE/REPAIR

If any problems other than those covered in this manual arise, please call the appropriate electronics service department. Refer to the Warranty and Service Information section for the appropriate department to contact.

CLEANING

Performance can be hindered if dirt gets in any of the moving suspension parts. Use compressed air, a soft paintbrush, or a toothbrush to remove dust or dirt. Avoid using solvents or chemicals, as they can actually wash dirt into the bearings or moving parts, as well as cause damage to the electronics.

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Horizon Hobby Vaterra Kalahari Owner's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual