Looks like the novak site is down. I was wondering if the new xbr speedo is just as good as the gtb but with a cheaper price tag, or is the gtb that much better of a speed control.

Thanks for the input
Bryon

If you are racing I would recommend the GTB. I think it has a brushless motor limit of 8.5 just like the old SS which it replaced.

if you are only racing 10.5 or 13.5, is the gtb faster then the xbr?

Byron,

We've got a couple guys that are running in our series that just picked up the XBRs to find the answer to that question.

Being that most of us are only racing with 10.5 motors and HIGHER (ie: 13.5, 17.5, 21.5) the motor limit won't be an issue.

The XBR does have some easier programming functions, it's easier to use if you plan to do Brushed and Brushless racing, and most of it's features don't look like they would be an issue on performance.

The XBR does come with LIPO cut off built in, where with the GTB's you can get some with, some without, etc.

NOVAK also offers their 'original' GTB on their web site, rebuilt...for I believe 119.99 if price is your concern. (The original GTB's work great - and I've never seen one of those go up in Flames yet)

Also looks like the XBR has a higher on power resistance. not sure how much that really matters..

Also looks like the XBR has a higher on power resistance. not sure how much that really matters..
yes it does, but I wouldn't think you would notice it on the track, XBR I think is a good spedo that's fit's the budget...

I know the XBR that i have been using is just as fast the GTB in the straights,with the 17.5 motor.

I know the XBR that i have been using is just as fast the GTB in the straights,with the 17.5 motor.

Great news!! thanks that is what I wanted to know...

I don't know about this taste test, but in my experience cheaper ESC's are cheaper for a reason.

That is most likely true Jason , but i don't plan on running any bigger then a 17.5 motor , so that is why i tried the XBR ( and the other reason is I'm a cheapo)

The Novak site was not available yesterday because of some problem with the web host. It is back up now, but the photos are unavailable. Here is the paragraph about the new features. The XBR is a newly designed esc and contains some features that will be incorporated into the GTB with a future re-design.

NEW NOVAK FEATURES INTRODUCED IN SPORT ESC
The XBR has the distinction of being the first Novak ESC to include two great features new to Novak products. Because the XBR is compatible with both brushless and brushed motors, the first feature is especially ideal. The Auto-Detect Brush Mode detects when a brushed motor is connected, and automatically switches the ESC to its Brush Profile to ensure the system will run at the optimal settings.

The next feature to make its debut in a Novak ESC is the Built-in Motor Rotation Selector. This feature enables the user to easily select the direction of the motor rotation. This feature is ideal for vehicles with drivetrains that require the motor to rotate clockwise (rather than its normal counter-clockwise rotation).

thanks to all that replied, and to swtour for saving me $80

so we can get the old left side drive cars out now. cool

Just a note about the GTB vs XBR.

We've got a couple drivers in our series that are now running the XBR. One of them upgraded from the old SS Esc, the other bought his XBR as a second ESC (his other is a GTB)

Both of them say they really like the XBR and it's performance. One of them set a NEW record in our NASTRUCK class on the Velodrome a couple weeks ago (for a short time anyway...it was re-broken later in the day)

I love my XBR .

I'm one of those guy's that tried the XBR at the last velodrome race and was very happy with the performance. This was the only change I made to the truck and improved by one lap to temporarily take the track record. My one concern though is that of shock resistance, I hit the wall in the second round and was not able to run the rest of the day. I changed the reciever, crystal, and the servo and still have "nervous" steering. Just a little jitter at a medium distance, but enough to cause problems. I am going to try another speedo to see if that solves the issue. I have hit the velo wall my share of times, but never had this kind of problem, broken chassis parts yes, but the electronics always survive. I will post my test results when I have time to try it, but even if the XBR proves to be the problem, it does not diminish my opinion of it and will probably end up with a second one to use in my 10.5 lipo car.

Brad

Xbr Good To An 8.5 Too