Archive for March, 2009
The Traxxas Jato RC nitro 3.3 is one of the finest RC trucks on the market! That is my opinion and I am sticking to it. This Traxxas model is really fast and the tops their line of fast Traxxas models by a mile The Jato is the current leader for a company that has two other quality rc models. 
Here are the other features that set it apart:
Great tunable options, this allows you to fine tune the motor and recalibrate settings to meet your specifications. It always starts up easily, now that is a big plus for me.
Tough with great durability, this baby will last a long time! Short of being smashed by a hammer’ it will not break! Parts protection must have been a major objective as this is achieved with a high degree of quality.
Ready to run (RTR), the Jato comes with the famous Traxxas chassis and is ready to go right out of the box. I love the EZ start system which is found in Traxxas products. This is a super stud rc stadium truck, nitro powered with two LEDs to keep you up to date on the operating system. You will love this feature!
The Jato comes with a two speed transmission and adjustable suspension, something that is missing in most RD truck models. The variable tune suspension and the two speed transmission will take your nitro speed to new heights to new records.
This is a jamming truck for its price. Great styling and (RTR), you are destined for an eye waking fun filled experience with this great rc truck.
Electric RC Drift Cars are lighter in weight and easier to drive making them ideal for drift car competition. With their tough engines and throttle control these sliding devils avoids burning out the clutch and engine overheating common with Nitro cars used for drifting.
RC cars with stock motors don’t have what it takes for drifting. Drifting requires the ability to get rear tires to slide more than front tires which means that you must power much faster through corners than stock cars can handle. RC electric drift cars will give you consistent torque and quicker throttle response which and make them a better choice. With an electric motor you can efficiently produce instant torque, nitro engines, require time for the engine to rev up and for the clutch to engage. High capacity compact batteries are used to drive a brushed or brushless motor through an electronic speed control. A shaft drive will give you better throttle response when compare to belt drives however, belt drives are often successful. If you are just starting out with drifting, I recommend the shaft drive and a 4WD vehicle for better control.
My favorite RC electric drift car is the HPI E10 Mazda RX-7 RTR drift car because of its flexibility with adjustments and customization features. Great for beginners and (RTR) ready to run out of the box, it’s a great looking drift car and adjustments can be made for the width of the car and new body mounts.
RC electric cars have a lot to offer to those that have been spending their time with toy rc cars or newcomers who have just discovered this exciting hobby. The easiest way to get started is with a Ready-to-Run (RTR) electric rc car. That is where I started and I can honestly tell you that it is the fastest way to success. Later, I moved on as you can to building your own model with an unassembled kit. If you are already into modeling then this is a no brainer, you build it! If you are new to assembling vehicles you should be prepared to take the time to read and understand the manuals for assemble care of your vehicle. RC electric cars are not easy to drive! It will take you time and some bumps and bruises to get your act together but once mastered the real fun begins.
The most popular rc cars are well known and include the /10th Scale Electric Touring RC Cars sedan body, 2WD or 4WD with belt or shaft transmission.
I find the belt drive to be more stable when cornering while the shaft drive is much faster. 1/10th Scale Off-Road RC Electric Trucks are the off road giants. They can handle any terrain and love to get it on with all of the, mud, rocks and water that you can find. They are well known for their jumping antics, which add to the excitement.
The difference between the on-road and off- road vehicles is found the suspension system. Long shock absorbers are the key in to the rc electric trucks stability over rough surfaces.
The tires are also larger and have deeper threads or spikes that are made of rubber. 2WD still leads the pack but there are a number of 4WD cars available.
1/12th Scale On-Road cars are run indoors and outdoors, on asphalt or on smooth surfaces. Pan chassis with direct drive transmission are usually on these vehicles’ with foam tires and lightweight Lexan bodies. This small size rc, is lightweight, and has good power-to-weight ratio, with 30+ mph speeds achievable with the basic in stock motor.
Electric motors range from the modified, high-torque electric motors, used with high capacity batteries to the standard 540 electric motor powered by 4 or 7 cell batteries.
The Venom Creeper Rock Crawler is on my mind. Why you might ask? Well, each spring, I reward myself with a new rc something and this is a rc vehicle that I have had an interested in for while now. I get a big kick watching rock crawlers on TV and decided, I wanted to try it in my rc world. Rock Crawlers have come a long way and continue to gains more fans every year! New models are available which has made my search more difficult. As always with us rc fanatics, we are looking for the best performance that we can get for our almighty buck.
I feel good about the Venom Creeper Rock Crawler, given what I have learned. This is a kit project but, I am ready for the challenge. The kit does not come with some things that I will need, i.e., a standard size high torque servo, 6-7 cell nimh or 2 cell lipo battery pack, 2 channel radio system (3-4 for remote locking diffs), motor, and ESC. I have most of these, so that is not an issue. No one in our local club has one so a hands on trial is not happening. Here is some other stuff, I learned about the Vernon Creeper! It has differentials that can be remotely locked with an optional kit that can be manually locked and unlocked via a switch on the axle case. I really like the creative design of the chassis specs! If you are already a crawler fan maybe you can give me some information on how well it looks and performs. I hear it is easy to drive for us newcomers to the sport.
What do you think? Information and tips are appreciated.
Getting a quality rc battery charger
is a must if you are going to really exercise the full performance of your rc vehicle. RC chargers can be somewhat costly however; the saving you get taking care of your rechargeable batteries (longer battery life) will reward you in the end.
RC chargers come in A/C or D/C charger types. There are many with great options and styles. It all depends on what you are looking for and are willing to pay. AC battery chargers can only be powered by 110v outlet while DC chargers must have a power supply or a 12v battery for power. Others can use either AC or DC as their power supply.
The simple wall mounted charger just plugs into an outlet with your batteries with no other options adjustments required. These are called Analog battery chargers. The down side is you can’t judge peak power. This may be good choice in some instances. One thing for sure, they cost less. With this type of battery charger there will usually be an indicator when the charging cycle is complete. The problem is you don’t know when you are at peak charge; they also lose information and are impacted by heat. The chargers rate will often drift which makes it hard to get peak detection. With Digital battery chargers things are a bit more complex. Everything is stored as a digital binary number. This number will not drift over time and is normally not affected by heat. This is truly the only way to achieve an accurate peak charge. With this type of charger you get a good idea of how your batteries and battery packs are performing. The computerized type of battery chargers is the top of the line with charging rate, capacity, voltage and other information stored digitally. You get the options of charging all types of batteries and battery packs with the information on different batteries being stored for later use. This is really a computer that analyzes your batteries and packs and gives you information on performance. Some can measure battery and battery pack temperature which is a good thing because you never want to over heat your battery or pack. This type of charger is great for (NiMH, Li-ion or Li-poly) batteries and packs which eliminates the need for owning different types of rc chargers. Using any of these battery chargers can be dangerous. It is very important to read and follow the instructions supplied by the manufacturer.
If you are into the rc hobby chances are you have more than one type of rc vehicle around. Right or wrong that’s how it is. If you looking to add to your rc selection look in to rc boats! The power of the run with your racer or a relaxed day of sailing all awaits you with an rc boat. They are available in electric or gas models and offer different power options and hull designs. I know you like nitro boats but don’t dismiss rc electric boats. They’re cheaper to buy than a nitro model and much easier to run, with less maintenance needed.
RC electric boats are usually best for beginners and include sailboats with a small electric motor. Electric boats are delivered RTR, and provide the best option if you’re not into modeling because you are ready to go for the water right out of the box! Electric motor and rc gear are fully installed by the manufacturer and the body is pre-finished. With some models you have to apply the included decals. RC electric boats are available in smaller than nitro which makes them great for pools and small ponds. You can get larger electric boats models that have more powerful motors that can reach speeds up to 30mph. Make sure you have the boating area to get full enjoyment. If you are a beginner, choose a electric boat that’s about 24 – 30 inches long with some where between a’550′ or ‘700′ size electric motor. You should not have any trouble finding these sizes of motors since they are available in most models. Usually, called sports boats they are super for racing! The ABS plastic materials used for rc boats is tough and very light with a long life span. You have heard it before, the lighter the load the faster we travel on less power. Some rc electric boats come with batteries for the radio gear! You may want to upgrade the battery for maximum power. Poor batteries poor performance! Buy a good charger for the motor battery pack, if it is not supplied with RTR version. Your charger is your rc boats life’s blood.
What’s your recommendation?
RC helicopters can take many shapes. I was reading this article and it reminded me of this unique rc helicopter 
that was quite buggy. Here is the article!
It’s Fun to Know: Remote-Controlled Beetles
University of California researchers have figured out how to control the flight of the flower beetle by remote control. The four-inch-long insect is rigged up with a radio receiver and electrodes, allowing the controller to “tell” the bug’s muscles to move it left, right, up, down, or to hover.
The research is being funded by (who else?) the U.S. military, which hopes to turn these insects into mini spy planes by strapping cameras to their backs.
The project is ongoing. They’re still working out the bugs. (Yes, we went there.)
(Source: News of the Weird and MIT Technology Review)
Thought you might be interested.
How many times have you been asked about rc helicopters by your kids or grand children? Maybe you have been considering this as your hobby of choice. Being a lover or rc nitro cars and trucks, I was surprised when my 7 year old son asked me to buy him a rc helicopter for his birthday. I settled on an rc electric helicopter instead of nitro and this is why!
RC electric helicopters are better than gas models for beginners; they are easier to fly because they avoid having a large number of channels that make flying difficult. The good new for veteran pilots are the great variety of 3D ready electric models that are available. Gas helicopters require your attention, time and dollars for maintenance and repairs. Electric rc helicopters on the other hand were designed with low maintenance in mind. These are tough cookies and come out of most crashes in one piece. Small size rc electric are available to give you more flexibility with you purchase for your flying area. Can’t fly gas copters in the house! From micro to .50 models are there to choose from! RC gas helicopters cost much more and most come unassembled and require assembly tools and more. A good rc electric helicopter can be purchased for less than $200 and prices continue to come down. Most come ready to fly (rtf) right out of the box. Accessories and extras are usually included saving you time and money.
These are but a few reasons that I made my choice and you can bet there are others. Like the cost of gas and changes in technology. As you can see the choice of a rc electric helicopter makes flying reasonable.
RC buggies have grown in popularity since the 1970’s. Remember the buggies we rode on the sand and served as hotrod’s in the streets as well? They were hot then and they are even hotter now in fast and furious RC buggy versions! My first RC buggy was not well built or very reliable. The suspensions could not be adjusted which led to all kinds of off road trouble. Power plants had not been perfected and were not very responsive.
Today’s RC buggies are truly engineering marvels. Adjustable suspensions and tremendous power plant await you. The latest speed record for an RC car was set with a awesome speed of 161.76mph. You will not get this speed with a right out of the box (RTR) buggy. This speed was accomplished after major modifications were done to the buggy. You can however, get more than adequate speed in excess of 70 mph with some models. If you are looking to get a RC buggy you have almost an endless number of options to choose from. Electric or Nitro the glory days are back with style. What’s your choice? We all have our favorites.
I really prefer Nitro cars to electric cars even though I own both. Newcomers to the sport usually start with electric vehicles that are quieter and have a lower cost than a gas powered RC car. That is fine because electric vehicles are powered by a rechargeable battery pack that will give speeds between 20-30 miles per hour, and running times of 5-10 minutes. Batteries have to be recharged and you are down during this time unless you have a spare battery pack. This is great for enjoying the sport in a quiet neighborhood and great for the RC novices, who gets a chance to feel their way around controlling their rc without crashing the old bank account.
For me, RC Nitro cars are the power game and man do you look and sound good on the track and in the field. The primary advantages of gas remote control cars are speed and run-time. With really fast models some run up to 70mph but most will average between run 40-50 mph, refueling takes very little time, so you can keep running practically without any breaks for as long as you want. Don’t be confused, not unlike the electric cars to come there is more maintenance and hands on love with nitro powered rc car. Oh! By the way, you can’t drive them indoors. They are noisier so you do have to consider the neighbors’ rights to peace and quiet.
If you’re really ready for speed, there is absolutely nothing that can replace the smells and sounds of a nitro cars jamming down the track at 50+ mph! This hobby is more expensive than its electric option and requires more hands on contact, but in the end well worth the effort given the great fun you will have. Ready to rumble?