How to Get the Most Out of Your Mabuchi 540 Rs Johnson

The Mabuchi 540 RS, a.k.a. The “Johnson motor” is the standard motor that comes with most beginner kits, they are also cheap and often given out at race events so that no one has a competitive edge. There is a secret to getting a lot more power out of you 540, it’s called dipping, while this will reduce the life of the motor if you plan on competing at any point this is a critical step.
A little background.
There are two main types of motors, rebuildable and the solid can motors. The main difference (apart from not being able to pull the sealed can motors to bits) is that in the closed end bell motors you can’t replace the brushes, the brushes are the contact between the communicator and the electricity. Now to get the most performance out of your motor you need to get the brushed moulded to the communicator, the generally accepted method is to run your motor for a short time on low power, I normally use 2 AA batteries which give me about 3 volts. I run this for about 2-3 minutes then give it a break and run it for another 5 minutes.
The secret of dipping
By dipping you motor you speed up the process of moulding the brushed to the communicator, in sealed can motors the brushes are very hard, because the need to last a very long time. The trick is to submerge the motor in a glass of water, holding it by two wires at the back. Don’t worry it will run perfectly underwater and there is no risk to the motor. Do not use WD40 or any other lubricant, these tend to burn at high temperatures, and the inside of your motor will get very hot. It’s even possible to melt the brushes to the comm. Which is not so great for performance.
The real secret of dipping
Well to be honest it depends who you ask, but the actual solution used by the pro`s is a closely guarded secret, some people use a little soap in their solution, you can also buy commercial solutions which claim to give and extra 20%, personally I always use water, and if I’m only bashing with it I’ll just use the 3 volt dry method above.
A lot of the high end information is impossible to come across, people just don’t want to share their winning tactics with the world, the best option is experiment, by joining a racing club you get a lot of people who are more than happy to give you all the advise in the world, but one thing you’ll notice is that the advise will differ depending on who you ask. In most cases everyone is right and there isn’t a wrong way to do things in RC, you need to get out and see what works for you. Using basic guide like this to give you a head start, but the actual discovery of information is a big part of the fun.
If you invest the time you will get results.

Where To Find Hidden Treasures

If you were to look for hidden treasures near where you live, you might check the attic of an old house, as well as some old garages. Soon you might run out of ideas. But treasure hunters know there are hundreds of places to look.

For example, they know the most common hiding places for money and valuables around a house. They know where things are commonly buried, and that people regularly die without telling a soul they have buried something there. They know where to point their metal detectors when at the beach or in the park. In other words, they have developed special knowledge.

Being a successful treasure hunter involves more than a few tricks and reading a few books though. It takes the right mind set. It requires patience, for example, to dig up fifty almost-worthless coins just to find that one that‘s worth something. It takes the ability to put oneself in the past and in the head of the person who buried a stash, in order to guess where to dig or search. It means habitually thinking about how to apply what is learned from one treasure hunt to the next.

The following is an example of one kind of hidden treasure, and a few places you might find it.

Coin Dumps

Coin dumps are places where people throw, collect or hide coins. A jar in the attic or basement is a common coin dump. So is a coffe can in the garage. There are many other potential locations.

Some treasure hunters used to find valuable old coins by kicking old gas tanks to listen for the rattling of coins. Why would there be coins in the gas tanks of old cars? Because of bank failures. You see, during the Great Depression people threw coins in their car gas tanks for safekeeping, having watched thousands of banks fail (and without FDIC insurance on their accounts). The gas tanks back then were easy to remove for later recovery, and gas doesn’t hurt coins.

It seems likely that almost all the old gas tanks have been kicked and emptied by now, but it should make us think about where else people might put coins. When we were young, my brothers and I used to throw pennies into a hole in the kitchen floor from time-to-time. I honestly don’t remember why we did this. We didn’t know where they went, but into the ceiling space in the basement is a likely guess.

There are probably only 30 or 40 pennies there, and this was in the 1970s, so it isn’t likely that this hidden treasure is worth much yet. On the other hand, what if kids did something like that in the 1920s, with some of the pennies dating back to the late 1800’s? Coins that old would have some value to collectors. This might make us look at the odd spaces in old homes differently.

Years ago I overheard a woman saying she was throwing her spare change into a hole in the wall. Why would she do that? Because she wanted the room remodeled, and filling the wall with money was her way of making sure her husband would eventually tear out the old drywall. Who knows how much money accumulated there before the wall was finally opened.

Or was the wall opened? It may seem a morbid thought, but what if the couple died before remodeling the room? Did they tell anyone else about the coin dump? And was the drywall then simply repaired rather than replaced by the next owner? People dying without telling anyone about their stashes is one of the most common reasons there are hidden treasures out there waiting to be found.

Coin Agents

A coin agent’s work is basically to acquire coins you need and are having a hard time getting. The agent will have to deal with the coin sellers and if they are dealers in coins it would be best if you knew your agent well just so you don’t get swindled by both your agent and the dealer.
If your coin agent is a novice or learner they will probably not get you the right prices and will probably be getting the prices from the dealers, which won’t help you at all. The worse will be if you and your agents are both beginners coz you will both end up doing the wrong thing and use more cash than it is necessary.
How you work with your agent is important because it is him or her that ensures that you get the coin you want at the lowest price. Of course the agent might want to add their own price to the deal or reduce the price with the dealer and then tell you that the price is a certain amount so as to get more cash out of the deal.
This is why background checks and finding out if your agent has a good reputation is important.
Once you have settled for a coin agent, then your working relationship will have to be one of trust and understanding. Be comfortable with each other and don’t judge the methods the agent uses unless of course if it is illegal. If you do suspect illegal means then report your agent and quickly cut all ties.

Still Lookin’ Good at 50! – Holiday Barbie Doll

Each Christmas, shimmering in her sparkly gown is a new Holiday Barbie Doll waiting for you. 2008 was the twentieth anniversary of the collectible Holiday Barbie doll. For many little (and big) girls, Christmas would not be the same without a Holiday Barbie doll to share it with. Many of us have delightful childhood memories of finding a Holiday Barbie doll waiting for us under the tree on Christmas morning.
Following the success of the porcelain Rhapsody in Blue Barbie that was the first Barbie to be aimed at the collectible market, the Happy Holiday Barbie doll was born in 1988 and continued to grace our Christmas’ until 1998. She was not produced in large numbers and as a result quickly sold out to little girls and collectors alike. Today, this doll fetches around $500 on the secondary market.
Realizing they were onto something; Mattel designed and released the very first Holiday Barbie Doll back in 1988. With her model looks she had a bouffant of blond hair with a big silver bow. Her holiday gown is made of red tulle accented glitter and a white satin bow at the waist. She was an instant sell out and could be found almost straight away for re-sale at a vastly increased price.
The story was the same pretty much until after 1994, when the 35th Anniversary Barbie doll, a reproduction of the original 1959 doll was released. Barbie fans and doll collectors went mad for this edition and they sold out rapidly and were hoarded. The trend continued and Barbie doll collectors began to covet and collect each Holiday Barbie Doll with the intention of re-selling for a large price.
In order to counteract this hoarding behavior, Mattel simply made more of each doll and she remained as popular as ever just without the craze factor and the excessive price tag on the secondary market. After 1998 the ‘Happy’ was lost from her title and more individual designs emerged, the first of which was Millennium Princess Barbie in 1999. She was designed to welcome the year 2000 and the new millennium.
This year see’s the release of the 21st Holiday Barbie doll. It is also Barbies 50th anniversary so she is a pretty special Holiday Barbie doll this year. She is wearing an elegant pink and gold ball gown with layers of sparkling pink tulle which has pink rhinestone embellishments. Her bodice is wrapped in gold lame, which ends in a large bow at the back. And like the majority of the Holiday Barbie doll editions she is available in an African American model.
The last few years release of the Holiday Barbie Doll, while they remain a beautiful collectible doll don’t command such a high price when re-sold. Many can be picked up at discount prices on the recommended value by searching online sellers like eBay.

Pros and Cons of Playing Free Lottery Games Online

Before you play the lottery, you might want to think about trying free lottery games first. There are places you can go online that will give you the rush and experience you need with none of the cost. Here are some of the key pros and cons for why you should play free lottery games online:

Pro: No Risk

When you play free lottery games online, you are essentially enjoying all of the fun that comes with playing the lottery with none of the risk. It doesn’t matter what you are willing to lay on the line. You will be glad knowing that you can have the fun without losing the farm. This gives you a great opportunity to get comfortable with playing the odds and learning the overall flow of the lottery itself.

Con: No Reward

When you play free lottery games, it is true that you avoid the risk. However, that can also handcuff you when it comes to reeling in the rewards. Free lottery games do not require you to make actual wagers, and without wagering, there is no winning, except for the knowledge that you have beaten the computer. For those who don’t believe in the very real advantages a lottery can give to those who play it, this is no big deal. But there is perhaps no sicker feeling in the world than to know you wasted your lucky numbers on an artificial victory.

Pro: Choice to Bet

Luckily, online lottery gaming does not have to be confined to the simple free versions. If you are feeling lucky and have the extra time and money to spend, then you could reap the whirlwind of a life you never dreamed. Again, it does require some initial upfront investment, but you are under no obligation if simply playing the game is your thing. If you actually want something out of it, then it is up to you to forgo the free lottery games you will find online for the real deal.

Con: Chance to Lose

The flip side of your chance to bet at playing free lottery games is your chance to lose. When you lose while playing for free, you aren’t hurting anything. But when that desire to bet overtakes you, it’s a whole different ballgame. You will want to be careful with how much you wager and the risks you are willing to take. The reason this is a con of playing free lottery games is that playing for free will inevitably lead you to think about doing it for real.

Pro: Play Often

Playing free lottery games is great because you can play often, as much as you like without the confines of money and pressure to stop you.

Con: Play Often

Playing free lottery games is only bad if you do not know how to manage your time and you let it get in the way of the important things you have to do in your daily life.

Don’t let the negatives stop you. Know yourself and what you can afford to lose. And don’t hesitate to use free lottery games in determining whether the real thing is right for you.