HobbyKing TrackStar D-Spec Drift Gyro V2

This is specifically for helping an RC car "drift," but it also works to make an RC car more stable while driving in loose material (like asphalt, dirt, grass ... pretty much everything).I tried a less-expensive heli gyro: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00URCN3Z0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1it didn't work. That one needs a 3rd channel to control gain. Our little 1/18 RC18s don't have a ch3.THIS gyro, on the other hand, was designed to work well with 2-ch cars, and it's tiny. Easy to install in our RC18, and I'll soon move it to an HPI Mini Recon (also 1:18 scale).Installation was very simple. The unit comes with 2 servo-style cables, pictured. One connects from ch1 (steering) in the receiver to the gyro, and if you use the ch3 for gain, connect that side. The steering servo plugs right into this thing.I hooked it up like that, stuck it on the chassis with foam tape, and fired it up. It worked perfectly without changes; we have not tried adjusting the gain (it has a screw / pot for that) and the direction was already fine.My 11yo loves it. I love it. It takes a few seconds to get used to the idea that the car won't just go bananas with throttle; for a few seconds we were still trying to overcompensate for the gyro. It didn't take long for us to adjust tho, and now it's just natural.neat side-effect, he's now getting pretty good at drifting the car around the driveway. I'm probably gonna get 2 more to cover all our cars, this is a must-have for fast RC cars.

Have it on a Traxxas Slash 4x4 and it is awesome. Quick setup and now I hardly ever lose control or flip.

UPDATE 1/28/1821 days after purchase and the gyro failed. Steering service stopped working. I removed the gyro from the system and steering servo worked again. Gyro is being returned. Too bad, I liked it.PERFORMANCEWorks better than expected at 50% gain set manually on the gyro. See UPDATE at the end of this review,INSTALLATIONInstalled in minutes. I positioned it on top of the receiver cover and affixed it to the surface using 3M exterior grade two side foam tape.ADJUSTMENTSGain pot and reverse switch are accessible from the top using a very small jeweler size screwdriver.. Each of channels / connecting ports and adjusting pots are labeled. However, the print font size is very small and “squintworthy.”USAGETo use you simply power up your transmitter, turn on the vehicle receiver, let the gyro initialize and verify it countersteers in the right direction. If not reverse it. Once initialized and operating the gyro counter steers when uncommanded changes in direction are sensed by the gyro. The gain is adjusted either by a pot on the gyro or remotely using a spare channel on your radio. To get max stabilizer adjust the gain upward until it oscillates the vehicle then lower it slightly which should eliminate any oscillations.The included instructions state it has heading hold but I don’t think so. It is simply a rate gyro. I installed it on a nitro TMaxx running slicks for pavement. So, no testing for me since it is zero degrees F. And there is snow on the ground.Pictures show how small it is compared to a dime.UPDATE: 55 degree temp for one day melted the snow and ice on my driveway. However, the tarmac was wet and muddy. Undaunted, I charged the RX battery pack, poured in some 20% nitro fuel and fired it up. With the gyro gain set to 50% the TMaxx drove straight and true on the wet tarmac with the throttle wide open. It never did that before. Without gyro stabilization this truck was “squirrelly” at high speed. This gyro works great. The paperwork or instruction says it has a heading hold function. It is not. This gyro is just a rate gyro that corrects for uncommanded change in direction. And, it does it quite well. However, like any gyro connected to a steering servo it can only do its best job of stabilizing with simply counter steering.2nd UpdateAlthough temps were in 30 deg F range the last few days the rain has stopped so my 150 foot driveway was dry so I decided to run a half tank of 20% nitro the motor. Once again, the gyro worked great shooting up and down the driveway. But wait, there is more. I found that boring so I took the nitro TMaxx for a spin on the 150 foot by 50 dry grass. What a blast. The gyro made driving the slick tired TMaxx easy to drive. It was very predictable for a 4WD off road nitro vehicle wearing slick tires on grass or dirty tarmac.

Does the job.

Works great never had enough control of my car until now. Thanks again

So far so good. I attached it with 3M double sided foam tape, I hope it lasts!!

Amazing works well,keeps my 5900kv redcat volcano epx in line now.

If it worked it would have been interesting.Mine was defective. The tires would correct in the wrong direction. A reversing switch on the gyro was supposed to fix this but the switch did nothing. Beware if you get a defective one you will pay to have it returned.This little adventure cost me $$ and complaining about paying to return a defective item will fall on deaf ears.