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How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 4:48 pm
by THEYTOOKMYTHUMB
I have no idea why this question just popped into my head, but how did Trinity Turbo Drops work? I think Paragon made a version too. Basically you put this liquid on the comm before a race and it gave you a short burst of speed off the line. What was it made of? :?

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:09 pm
by ROH73
They were just a conductive lubricant that reduced the friction between the brushes and commutator.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:16 pm
by THEYTOOKMYTHUMB
Makes sense. I remember everyone carrying their 10L out to the starting line. :lol: Now we run hot laps for 3 minutes before the race even starts, and another 5 after since the rules "no longer apply" :twisted: . God bless lipos! :mrgreen:

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:21 pm
by THEYTOOKMYTHUMB
This is kind of a weird after thought, but I remember me and my 2 best friends(still are)thinking how awesome it would be to put a small sack of Turbo Drops over the motor and use a 3rd channel servo to pop it for a "Nitro Boost". Never went thru with it. Maybe we just played too much R/C Pro Am on NES(still do!) :mrgreen:

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:49 pm
by aconsola
wasn't there a contraption from revtech or some such company that did just that? I seem to remember seeing an ad for an onboard device to release comm drops during a race. Gotta go back through the RCCA archives to see if I can dig anything up.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:38 pm
by Shadow
THEYTOOKMYTHUMB wrote:This is kind of a weird after thought, but I remember me and my 2 best friends(still are)thinking how awesome it would be to put a small sack of Turbo Drops over the motor and use a 3rd channel servo to pop it for a "Nitro Boost". Never went thru with it. Maybe we just played too much R/C Pro Am on NES(still do!) :mrgreen:

When I was building brushed motors for the guys up here. I would make the "Turbo Brush". A high silver brush with a hole drilled in it. A small wad of cotton was stuffed in the hole. Before each race dip the brush into some Revtech or other comm drop. Some people used to swear by those things, saying the boost lasted the entire race.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:36 pm
by THEYTOOKMYTHUMB
Great info guys! :D 25 or so years in the hobby and I had never heard of the hollow brush trick. Sparks a new thread idea that I'll save for a slow news day... :mrgreen:

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:42 pm
by scr8p
bud's "hollow" brushes were awesome. i don't think theres a 27t motor i own that doesn't have them.

i also found a bottle of race prep comm drops in my box the other day. i forgot i even had them.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:45 pm
by THEYTOOKMYTHUMB
scr8p wrote:bud's "hollow" brushes were awesome. i don't think theres a 27t motor i own that doesn't have them.

i also found a bottle of race prep comm drops in my box the other day. i forgot i even had them.
:shock: :shock:

You bunch o' cheaters...no wonder I never won... :evil: :evil:

Oh wait, I forgot...I suck :lol:

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:04 pm
by AscotConversion
I remember one popular drop had HO train track cleaner as a major component. :shock: Some guys used Prolong oil treatment of some sort, and then there was the Tribo oil treatment stuff as well.

Either way, I remember being told to use 5-6 drops on the back of the brush so that it would sit in the brush hood, and have a better chance of keeping the brush wet. Most of the time the drops glazed the motor anyway.

The most effective stuff I ever used was to just break the brushes in. You didn't use it for the race.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:04 pm
by Eau Rouge
aconsola wrote:wasn't there a contraption from revtech or some such company that did just that? I seem to remember seeing an ad for an onboard device to release comm drops during a race. Gotta go back through the RCCA archives to see if I can dig anything up.
Yup, Paragon made them. I still have a NIP one. :D

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:21 pm
by aconsola
Eau Rouge wrote:
aconsola wrote:wasn't there a contraption from revtech or some such company that did just that? I seem to remember seeing an ad for an onboard device to release comm drops during a race. Gotta go back through the RCCA archives to see if I can dig anything up.
Yup, Paragon made them. I still have a NIP one. :D
I thought it was them. Got through a few issues the other night but couldn't find the ad.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 12:43 pm
by wyldbill
TRIBO is the best stuff i ever used. motors ran cooler and i could definitely go longer between rebuilds.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:43 pm
by GJW
hollow brushes with wadding/fluid in there cool, news to me as well.

Re: How did Turbo Drops work?

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:44 pm
by THEYTOOKMYTHUMB
Eau Rouge wrote:
aconsola wrote:wasn't there a contraption from revtech or some such company that did just that? I seem to remember seeing an ad for an onboard device to release comm drops during a race. Gotta go back through the RCCA archives to see if I can dig anything up.
Yup, Paragon made them. I still have a NIP one. :D
Pics, diagrams, drawings...well thought out descriptions with vivid and imaginative attention to detail enabling the listener to map a perfect picture of said product in their mind...?? :D