What's this?
 

I just received my replacement V3 from the mail today. I thought the motor or batt wires will be soldered directly to the board instead of bullets? Check the little flux or whatever it is that ran down the side of the bullet too :intello:. Now, I just have to wait for the Medusa 36-70 that was shipped yesterday so I can install them on the revo :yes::party:.


http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...Picture049.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...Picture048.jpg

By the way, props to Castle for using a better shipping foam instead of the old one :intello:.

it looks like thermal paste from under the heatsink

yeah i got the same thing too on my MMM. as long as the insides of the bulllet connectors are fine , not worried.

Good to hear that.

Any word on direct-soldered wires instead of bullets?

why did you get one with bullets?? i got mine like two weeks ago and mine has the battery leads directly soldered! I want bullets, George16 wanna trade? haha

I got mine direct from Castle 2 weeks ago and it came with bullets all the way around. I was a little disappointed and seriously thought about removing them in favor of wires, but decided that these MMMs are a little too volitaile yet to risk the warranty.

I have a little solder drool on one of my bullets too. It's no big deal as it is on the outside of the connection point.

I would love too trade it with you but I'm stationed overseas. Shipping will be another 6-10 days. Is yours a V3?

Brian, I'm dissappointed too. I wonder if these are just recycled parts from the V2's.

Well see how it does when I receive my Medusa next week. It will be used on the Revo.

HUH? Did you buy a combo? I just got mine last week, and it has bullets also.

yea i bought the combo, no bullets on the battery wire side.

V3 Monsters with or w/o power wires.
 

The first 1,000 or so V3 monsters that went out had bullet connectors on the battery side. We had originally planned to make all of our V3 Monsters in this fashion; but our engineers found there was a very small percentage of the power connectors popping out and causing problems. This generally happens because people were connecting and disconnecting their battery using the plugs on the board, and soldering the bare end directly to their batteries, instead of soldering on a Deans or Traxxas connector. We didn't design that part to be plugged and unplugged every time you connected a battery.

Because there was even the slightest risk, it was decided that all Monsters going out now and and all in the future will have power wires soldered directly to the circuit board. The motor side will continue to have female bullets on the board as we have not seen a problem with these.

Our engineer suggested that you can solder the 6.5mm male connector on the power wires directly to the female connector on the board. This will prevent it from having any chance of coming out. Do not unsolder the connector and solder the 10 gauge wire into the female connector, it is better to leave the male connector on the wire.

**All Monsters that were shipped with combo packages have the power wires soldered directly to the circuit board.**

Just for clarity, we are not recycling old V2 Monsters. Every V2 that has come back is sitting in two large tubs right now, collecting dust. We may do something with them in the future, but I guarantee we will NEVER sell a used product or older design as new.

I hope this helps clear things up a bit, but if you have any questions, just let us know. Thanks fellas!

Thomas Porfert
Castle Tech Support

Hey Thomas, if the first 1,000 or so V3 monsters had bullet connectors on the battery side like you stated, how come mine that was sent by Castle on Dec 8 came with bullets instead of the wires directly soldered?

How did brooklyrcer end up getting a V3 without bullets 2 weeks ago while I just got mine today? Something's not right based on what you just posted.

There's nothing wrong with what I stated; we don't work on a first in first out inventory. We just starting using the wire on the board about 2 weeks ago, I don't have an exact date, but it is right around the time both of you got yours. He just got one off the shelf that was from the "newer" batch, you got one from an "older" batch

When the order comes in they pull them from the shelf and put them in a shipping box. The one that was grabbed for yours was one that was made before we did the wires on the board, the one he was shipped was made after the switch. Simple as that.

Shipping dates do not reflect manufacturing dates; his was simply made after yours, when we started soldering the wires on the board. Theoretically we could still have controllers on the shelves with all 5 connectors and ship them out next week. But the controller on the shelf next to it could have power wires soldered to the board. It would be random chance, as in the case with you and brooklyrcer.

Hope this clears things up.

Oh well, I guess I need to buy a lotto ticket. With my luck, I might become a millionaire.

Thomas, I can live with the MMM bullet connector. Hopefully, if this one breaks down, I'll get a V3 with wires directly soldered to the board for replacement.

Hopefully that one doesn't break down, but if it does, I can guarantee any Monsters being shipped out right now are the new style. That's because we are sold out on Monsters, so any controllers shipping from Castle from now on will be the new style.

Thanks a lot.