Team Losi Desert Truck LOSB0102 User manual

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Not responsible for errors. All prices subject to
change without notice.
Losi, a Division of Horizon Hobby, Inc.
TM
LOSB0102 1/10th Desert Truck RTR

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Thank you for purchasing the Losi™Desert Truck. We are
confident you will be satisfied with the performance in this
durable and resilient vehicle.
Understanding that you are anxiously wanting to get your
Desert Truck ready for the open road, it will be to your long
term benefit to make the effort and read through the entire
manual. In the following pages you will find all the information
you will need to set up as well as operate your new Desert Truck
to its full potential.
If you are an experienced RC hobbyist, or new to RC vehicles,
it will benefit you to read all enclosed information.
From everyone at Losi we would like to thank you again for
choosing the Desert Truck. Our goal is helping people have fun
and enjoy using our products.
Register your Losi Product Online
Register your Desert Truck now and be the first to find out
about the latest options parts, product updates and more.
Log on to www.LOSI.com and follow the product registration
link to stay connected.
Losi/Horizon Support
If you have any questions concerning setup or operation of
your Desert Truck RC please call Horizon Customer Support at
1-877-504-0233.
Hours:
Monday thru Friday from 8:00am CST to 5:00pm CST
You are welcome to call us with any support issue, or question
you may have about the Desert Truck.
Getting Ready
Thoroughly read all the enclosed material, precautions and
follow instructions to avoid damaging your new RC vehicle. If
you choose to not follow these steps or instructions, it will be
considered negligence.
If after review of this manual and prior to running your Desert
Truck, you determine this RC vehicle is not what you want—DO
NOT proceed and DO NOT run the Desert Truck. If the Desert
Truck has been run, your local hobby shop will not be able to
process a return or accept it for exchange.
Caution:
THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TOY. This product is not intended for
use by children without direct adult supervision.
When driving the Desert Truck it is important that you take
measures to avoid someone being hit by the vehicle. You may
cause serious injury to another person, or to personal property
should you make contact while running the Desert Truck.
Introduction .................................................................................................2
Safety Precautions:.....................................................................................3
Supplied and Required Equipment .....................................................4
Battery/Charging........................................................................................5
Technical Overview...............................................................................6–8
ESC Overview/Requirements.................................................................9
Transmitter Battery Installation...........................................................10
Vehicle Battery Installation ...................................................................11
Quick Start ..................................................................................................12
Losi DSM Radio System..........................................................................13
Driving the Desert Truck ........................................................................15
Tuning, Adjusting and Maintaining the Desert Truck .................16
Troubleshooting your Desert Truck...................................................20
Warranty Information .............................................................................21
RC Terminology .........................................................................................22
Parts Listing ................................................................................................24
Optional parts Listing .............................................................................26
Exploded Views .........................................................................................27
Table of Contents Introduction

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We hope you operate this RC model in a safe, reasonable
and cautious fashion so it leads to your enjoyment and
fun with this vehicle. Should you operate this vehicle
without a cautious and reasonable approach it may result
in serious injury and/or property damage. Only you can control
and make certain that safety precautions and instructions are
followed.
General:
• The Desert Truck is not a toy. This product is not intended
for use by children without direct adult supervision.
• This RC Vehicle is not intended for use on public highways
or roads.
• Avoid an area that has many pedestrians or crowds
of people.
• Keep in mind that this vehicle is radio controlled and
can experience moments of radio loss or interference, so
provide for a margin of error at all times.
• Please be aware that the motor and batteries of this
RC vehicle will get HOT during each use. Be careful not
to burn yourself.
Electronic Speed Control (ESC):
• Read all safety precautions prior to each use.
• Never leave the vehicle/ESC unsupervised while it is
switched on, in use or connected to a power source. If
there is a short-circuit or product defect, it could result in
fire.
• If there are exposed wires, do not use the ESC until you
have installed shrink-wrap or replaced the wire.
• Disconnect the battery from the ESC after use.
• The ESC is not water proof and should not be exposed
to moisture.
• Do not attempt to use 3-cell LiPo or 7-cells NiMH; doing so
will damage the ESC and could result in fire.
• Always turn on the transmitter first then the ESC to
prevent an out-of-control vehicle.
• When setting your Electronic Speed Controller:
º Please disconnect motor or remove the pinion gear
during ESC setup or calibration functions.
º Keep loose clothing, hair, gloves and fingers away
from moving parts at all times.
º Rubber tires can cause severe injury if there is a
failure while running the vehicle while on a stand or
when being held. Ensure rubber tires are securely
mounted to the rims and if not, re-glue them and
check them often for security.
Batteries and Charging:
The Desert Truck uses rechargeable batteries such as NiMH or
LiPo. These batteries all have special requirements to preserve
performance and last a long time. Read all instructions and
precautions that are provided with the batteries intended to
be used in the Desert Truck.
• Read all instructions provided by the manufacturer
of the batteries.
• Responsible adult supervision is necessary while
charging batteries.
• Always check to ensure the polarity of battery
connection is correct.
• Never leave batteries unattended while charging.
• Never charge a battery while it is installed in the Desert
Truck.
• Do not charge any battery that appears to have
any damage.
• If there are exposed wires do not charge or use the
battery until you have installed shrink-wrap or replaced
the complete wire.
If charging NiMH batteries, select a charger to meet your
requirements. Chargers can be of two primary types for
their source of power; a 100-240V wall charger, or one
which requires a 12V power supply. Follow the charger
manufacturer’s instructions and precautions during each use.
Special Consideration for Using LiPo
Batteries and Charging:
Lithium Polymer batteries have gained in popularity for use
in RC vehicles because of their size and power capabilities.
These batteries must be used with special care and handling.
LiPo batteries are only recommended for the experienced
hobbyist with knowledge of handling LiPo batteries who
completely understands the associated risk when using these
batteries. LiPo batteries are extremely sensitive to both over-
charging and over-discharging.
The Desert Truck can be used with 2-cell LiPo batteries.
However the battery plug must be changed to the Losi
EC3 plug. Also note that the speed controller is not set up
with a LiPo voltage cutoff, requiring the user to follow the
instructions supplied by the battery manufacturer.
• 2-cell is 7.4V and fully charged at approximately 8.4V
It is mandatory that if you choose to use a LiPo battery that
you (the user) read all instructions and safety precautions
supplied by the battery manufacturer. This applies to the
selected LiPo charger as well.
Safety Precautions

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Supplied tools:
2-Way wrench
Transmitter / Receiver BIND Plug
Four (4) Hex Wrench “L”shaped
.050, 1/16, 5/64, and 3/32
Flat Turnbuckle Wrench
Recommended Accessories:
- Hobby grade knife
- CA glue (LOSA7880 or LOSA7881)
- Needle nose pliers
- Side cutting pliers
- Double sided tape (LOSA4004)
- Safety Goggles
- Soldering iron
Required Equipment:
 Four (4) AA alkaline batteries for the transmitter.
 A Six (6) cell NiMH battery pack. Or with proper
knowledge, LiPo battery packs.
NiMH battery charger with automatic “peak detection”
recommended. Or a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) charger that will
charge a LiPo battery.
Using your charger:
If you do not yet have a charger a peak-detecting charger
will provide the performance required and take care of your
expensive batteries.
A popular choice for a charger would be a peak detection
charger that can be plugged into a household A/C wall socket.
The peak detection portion of the charger monitors the battery
charging and will automatically shut off upon full charge.
The other choice of peak detection charger requires a 12V
power source to charge your batteries. You would need to use
or purchase a hobby grade 12V power supply before charging.
Transmitter Batteries
Vehicle Battery
(6-Cell 7.2V “Stick Pack”)
LOSB9900
DYN4044 Vision Peak 2 AC/DC Charger
Supplied and Required Equipment

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If you are going to be using a charger other than a peak
detection charger it is important to have your battery fully
discharged prior to recharging. Many of these have a 15-20
minute timer that allows you to set to the amount of charge
time. If the battery was not fully discharged from prior use, you
can potentially over charge your battery pack.
Do not charge any battery unattended, and monitor for
heat build up. If the battery pack is more than warm to the
touch immediately discontinue charging.
Read all safety precautions supplied by the charger
manufacture, and also any from the battery manufacture.