So the other day a coworker stumbled into a place with an indoor, offroad R/C track looking for robot parts. This got my juices going again.
Waaay back when the RC-10 was king, Team Losi was newer and Traxxas had just started I 'raced' 1/10th off road. Batteries were Ni-Cad and motors had brushes.
So I started looking over current stuff.... and seems I need a primer on the current tech. Lots of different battery chemisty. Different motor set ups. And now it seems like you don't buy a kit, but everything comes preassembled - with radio gear even!
So anyone currently play with overpriced toy cars ;D?
Great...this thread is going to make me want an R/C car! [laugh] Back in the day I was into Kyosho stuff, and my buddy was die hard RC-10. Good times! [thumbsup]
Good times indeed - probably where my mod bug really got it's start.
Dad helped me drill out the AL chassis of that RC-10 to shave weight.
sounds like you need to drive to your nearest Hobby Works and get some learning in person on hand...
http://www.hobbyworks.com/default.cfm/Content/Stores
Fair City Mall
9650-42 Main Street
Fairfax, VA 22031
Phone: (703) 426-8600
Store Manager - Courtney
Hours: Monday - Friday (10:30am - 8:00pm); Saturday (10:00am - 7:00pm); Sunday (12:00pm - 5:00pm)
Kamaz truck.
http://youtu.be/82xrP47sNaA (http://youtu.be/82xrP47sNaA)
I dabbled with battery power way back when traxxas first started. Year after I went gas so all the battery I use is for controls. The hobby has come a long way. Now battery is just a fast if not faster than gas. Doesn't sound or smell as cool though. The technology is just crazy. Super light, super strong and extremely fast. Be prepared to open your pocket book. Top end kits still come unassembled with out electronics or motors/engines. 1/8th scale is all Balls but pricey.
Quote from: kopfjäger on January 22, 2013, 03:43:45 PM
Kamaz truck.
http://youtu.be/82xrP47sNaA (http://youtu.be/82xrP47sNaA)
That was cool as shit!
Quote from: zooom on January 22, 2013, 01:09:55 PM
sounds like you need to drive to your nearest Hobby Works and get some learning in person on hand...
http://www.hobbyworks.com/default.cfm/Content/Stores (http://www.hobbyworks.com/default.cfm/Content/Stores)
Fair City Mall
9650-42 Main Street
Fairfax, VA 22031
Phone: (703) 426-8600
Store Manager - Courtney
Hours: Monday - Friday (10:30am - 8:00pm); Saturday (10:00am - 7:00pm); Sunday (12:00pm - 5:00pm)
They don't have a track... at least they didn't last time I went by. Well they did, for 1/16th road i think.
The one with the off road seems to be up your way in Gbergistan.
Quote from: scduc on January 22, 2013, 04:01:05 PM
Top end kits still come unassembled with out electronics or motors/engines. 1/8th scale is all Balls but pricey.
For example? Seems everyone has got 50 different models these days that are only slight variants. I'm getting a bit lost.
Quote from: Slide Panda on January 23, 2013, 05:34:36 AM
The one with the off road seems to be up your way in Gbergistan.
well....I guess that gives opportunity to stop by for beers and whatnot then....and there's a couple spots in the open around my hood where you can throttle and open it up for sure!
Funny you bring this up. I have mine hanging on the wall like art (Kyosho O/R truck and Bo-link Graphite pan car) I figured I would get some new batteries and take them out about 2 months ago. The helper-bee at my local hobby store looked at me like I asked him to explain Lady Gaga when I asked for 7 cell battery packs. He said if it isn't gas it isn't worth the effort.
They are still on the wall.....
Ha yeah... in looking at new batteries 2-cells? 3-cells? Wait what?
Wonder why folks are so down on electrics.
My dad had an electric sandrail that he used to race in Tucson about 20 years ago. I haven't had any interest in them until I saw one about 2 months ago at the park. It looked similar to the new Batmobile and a lot faster than the sandrail! I don't recall the specific term the guy used when he said what type of electric R/C it was though?
probably describing one of the new battery chemistries. 20 years ago, Nickel Cadmium, NiCad cells where the thing. Now there seem to be a few. LiPo and NiMH
Quote from: Slide Panda on January 23, 2013, 11:56:40 AM
probably describing one of the new battery chemistries. 20 years ago, Nickel Cadmium, NiCad cells where the thing. Now there seem to be a few. LiPo and NiMH
Right. We were talking about battery life and how fast it went which seemed ridiculously high.
I suggest picking up an issue of rc car action, they promote both gas and electric equally. Run times tend to be shorter with electric and there is the re-charge issue, so many packs are needed to stay running. Gas is more expensive to start. engines are big money and fuel isn't cheap. Most gas racers dont use pull start, so a starter is also needed. start hitting the manufactures web sites. Losi, Associated, Traxxas, Kyosho, Mugen, etc. They all list thier kits and RTR's. FYI, I run a Losi XXT Drake 2 with an O.S. 12 engine. She'll pull wheelies on smooth surfaces and in the grass, I do all I can to keep the front wheels down. On concrete with slick tires, it will do about 35mph. There's quite a bit of people who modify engines and get big power. Then theres the up keep. Repair parts aren't cheap. Its a great hobby, just be prepared to spend $ and time learning.
.....aaaaaaaand I knew I shouldn't have looked at this thread.
Have always wanted some sort of R/C off-road thingy.
An RCXD would be, the awesome!
I was a rc-10 kid too
(http://www.teamassociated.com/pictures/cars_and_trucks/RC10/Team/rc10-team-car_md.jpg)
^^^ Aw yeah. That was my first real one. Started off with the Taymia kit like most.
-scduc you're right. I used to have a subscription to RC car action for several years - time to go back to my 'roots'. 20 something years of changes to come to grips with.
Just browsing on tower hobbies website, and it looks like team associated has a lot of both kits and ready to run cars and trucks, while Losi only sells a few RTR cars and trucks now.
Surprisingly, they don't look a whole lot different than in 1990.
I'm not shocked that a lot of the basics haven't changed. Noted that more composites are in use, shocks are bigger and better. Biggest differences for electrics seem to be the rise of new battery chemistry and brushless motor configs
I have a box of vintage RCs from the 1980s/90s that the kids didn't quite destroy before they outgrew them
stuffed somewhere in the crawl space....yokomo YZ10, RC10's, Team Assoc carpet racers, reedy motors all tricked out
maybe I will dig them out when it gets warmer and see if I can charge them up....or sell them
Looks like form factors haven't really changed so one could fit new motors and such into the older frames - so that RC-10 and others might still be viable or at least worth selling
Here is a quick catch up for you guys,
1) radio tech is up, instead of FM/AM crystals. They now have 2.4 and up Gigahertz radios with encrypted channels. SO no longer do you have any "crossing over" with two radios. You sync the receiver with the transmitter and you done.
2) car and truck chassis are now made from graphite and carbon fiber.
3) gas/nitro really hasn't changed much.
4) electric motors now come brushless, 17.5 turns is now the standard and considered stock. The electronic speed controls are all digital and you can adjust a ton of stuff thru your computer. Acceleration curves, breaking curves, turbo timing (to simulate a turbo lag). And all sorts of crazy stuff.
5) the batteries have come a long way. Now you have Lithium Polymer batteries (Li-Po). They no longer have the weakness of recharge memory and if you leave it charged at 30% and put it away, the battery will never go bad (100 years or so). The chargers are all digital and do some amazing things besides charge your batter. They can cycle charge and discharge. And charge what ever other batteries you may have lying around.
I used to race a few years ago and just tried to get back in. I have a lot to buy before i can jump back in to the local racing club here.
That's the cheaters notes I was hoping to get.
Nice that they are using some of the radio smartness. No more collection of crystals and check-in radios.
Looks like chargers are a lot smaller now- no big shocker there. Ones of my era were about toaster sized.
Dug out my rc10 last night. It is in rough shape - I really used most of the life out of it when I was younger. Raced it locally for several years, as well as shenanigans in the yard and on the street.
Handling the car and parts brought back memories and feelings that were long forgotten - kind of cool when something was that important in your life. Makes me want to go out and buy a kit for my kids, but they are too young now.
I am also finishing a RC plane kit that has been sitting 70% done in my basement for 5 years. It will look like this when finished:
(http://www.sigmfg.com/BuildManuals/photos/SIGRC74P1.jpg)
It will likely hang from the ceiling in the kids' bedroom.
mitt
How old Mitt? I was building my own by 11 and doing the solder work as well after some lessons from pop
Quote from: Slide Panda on January 25, 2013, 07:47:58 AM
How old Mitt? I was building my own by 11 and doing the solder work as well after some lessons from pop
My girl is 6, and son is 4. They are getting into toys r us type RC stuff now.
I was also probably about 10 when I got my RC10. I remember building it for days with my dad, the excitement killing me. Each shock alone took a while if my memory is right, with all the seals, orings, e-clips, etc.
mitt
This is the mini wolf RC car my son just got for his bday. It is actually pretty fun even for me to drive for a basic fixed front steering RC car.
RC Wolf MINI Countryman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=aX3s4fKANnY#)
That's a fun way to steer
Yeah probably a bit young still. Around 6 I was doing model planes with dad. Was fun and got some good skills - also let him keep an eye on what was being done.
Oh yeah each shock was a bunch of parts. E-clip 1 on the shaft. Then a piston, then the next e-clip. Now o-rings and c-clips in the body....
Here ya go! [evil]
New 1/4 Scale MX 400 Off Road Motorcycle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msULdH2Drdc&sns=em#)