Beginning RC Cars 101
Things I wish someone would have told me.
Things I wish someone would have told me.
Thinking back when I re-entered R/C there were a bunch of informational voids of what, how, when, and where, which would have been nice for someone to fill in for me. I have also realized that I perhaps skipped a step or two on this site for the beginners out there that are just getting into the hobby for the first time. I would recommend reading this article in its entirety as everything kind of links together. Hopefully this overview will clarify a few things and answer some of the mystical questions that come up initially.
Considerations
Are you wanting a little RC toy that is under $100 that you can drop a couple AA's to have your kid run indoor to keep them mildly entertained? If yes, a real RC is probably not the best choice.
See this - RC Safety - No sense repeating myself.
I will get into this more, but basically what you want to look for is an electric RTR or "Ready-to-run" package. Traxxas definitely has the most complete packages. RTR systems come with everything you need, are usually even assembled, and only require batteries and a charger. There are a number of parts and terms that most non-mechanic are not familiar with.
Batteries are the life blood of an electric RC, if you use cheap batteries or improperly charged ones, the RC will not perform as well as it could - you will be much happier if you buy the best ones available.
Like you I was a little confused about what tires and rims/wheels fit what vehicle. The older Stampede, Rustler all feature 2.2 inch wheels and tires. The newer versions of these same R/Cs features newly created 2.8 inch wheels that accept only Traxxas' Stampede, Rustler, and Jato 2.8 inch (inside diameter) tires. Then there are all those great Maxx/Revo family tires that won't fit at all on a Stampede or Rustler. Other considerations are that although there is some industry standardization, many other brands don't use the same wheel adapter/hex hub. Some RC's use more efficient "in the wheel" bearings and don't use a hub. Then there is the different front and rear wheel offset issue with the Stampede and Rustler (basically the front hub is deeper than the rear and requires special Stampede/Rustler specific front and rear wheels).
Are you wanting a little RC toy that is under $100 that you can drop a couple AA's to have your kid run indoor to keep them mildly entertained? If yes, a real RC is probably not the best choice.
See this - RC Safety - No sense repeating myself.
I will get into this more, but basically what you want to look for is an electric RTR or "Ready-to-run" package. Traxxas definitely has the most complete packages. RTR systems come with everything you need, are usually even assembled, and only require batteries and a charger. There are a number of parts and terms that most non-mechanic are not familiar with.
Batteries are the life blood of an electric RC, if you use cheap batteries or improperly charged ones, the RC will not perform as well as it could - you will be much happier if you buy the best ones available.
Like you I was a little confused about what tires and rims/wheels fit what vehicle. The older Stampede, Rustler all feature 2.2 inch wheels and tires. The newer versions of these same R/Cs features newly created 2.8 inch wheels that accept only Traxxas' Stampede, Rustler, and Jato 2.8 inch (inside diameter) tires. Then there are all those great Maxx/Revo family tires that won't fit at all on a Stampede or Rustler. Other considerations are that although there is some industry standardization, many other brands don't use the same wheel adapter/hex hub. Some RC's use more efficient "in the wheel" bearings and don't use a hub. Then there is the different front and rear wheel offset issue with the Stampede and Rustler (basically the front hub is deeper than the rear and requires special Stampede/Rustler specific front and rear wheels).
| A1 | 26.995 |
| A2 | 27.045 |
| A3 | 27.095 |
| A4 | 27.145 |
To begin with real RC cars are not toys for inside the home in any sense of the imagination - they are simply way too fast and powerful for indoor use. Not heading this recommendation will cause much damage... believe me I know. The exception being the multitude of indoor RC car tracks and rock crawler courses but you probably don't have one of these installed inside your home - yet.
Real RC vehicles are not cheap, even your garden variety Wally World or Radio Shack RC is going to lighten your wallet by at least $50-$100 not including batteries and a charger. The problem with all of these R/Cs is that once broken they are un-repairable – and yes every RC will eventually break. At that point you have a thrown away that investment, will probably get a little frustrated, and call it quits on the whole RC thing.
Some people also go way overboard on their first RC and buy something that is far beyond their abilities as a operator and RC mechanic. For your first RC I would not suggest a gas/nitro RC, or one that exceeds 35-40 MPH. Most stock RC's today advertise those speeds, but most starter kits offer some sort of governer... yet another reason to start with something simple such as Traxxas Stampede or Slash. Yes the ability to top out at over 60+MPH is very enticing, but if you don't know how to drive R/Cs yet, there are going to be a series of very expensive and spectacular crashes not to mention if you hit someone bodily injury will occur. Aside from being more challenging for the beginner, Gas RC's have some limiting factors due to the noise and where they con be driven.
RC Safety and Where to Play
Recommended 1st RC Car
My advice is to go with a real repairable electric RC car purchased from a reputable hobby shop or online. I think you will find these R/Cs to be much less expensive in the short run, are FAR more durable and fun and greatly enhance your long-term enjoyment of the hobby.
There are lots of brandss out there; the four major manufacturers I would recommend for a beginner would be Traxxas, Axial, Losi and HPI in that order. My favorite for the beginner would of course be the Traxxas VXL Stampede (Model 3607 - $350 from Tower Hobbies or HobbyTownUSA stores). This kit includes a top to bottom upgraded Stampede, assembled with everything you need ready to run right out of the box, and even includes a nice battery and charger.
The Stampede also allows you to king of figure out whether you enjoy dirt, road, or the grassy back yard, or you plan on living at the track. If you plan on just being a track guy, you may want to start with the same basic package from Traxxas but a model called the Slash VXL which was designed as an inexpensive short course trophy truck. This model won't run as well in the grass and will mostly be a driveway, dirt, and road RC when you are not at the track.
Both these Traxxas' entry line models, feature a 50% power training mode for beginners and youngsters but offers more than enough speed up to 60 MPH as you advance to keep the attention of an advanced driver. Enough fun that almost every hard core R/C'er owns at least one of each.
Want to get into road racing? Touring cars or TCs, are another option. Traxxas' Electric 4Tec and Sprint are good starter vehicles, but I would recommend the HPI/Hot Bodies Cyclone for TC fans. TCs are a little limiting in that they cannot go off road and in generally are not as fast as the souped up off road kits.
What do I need to get started and how much will it cost?
The first purchase total is usually around $350. If you kit didn't include batteries or a charger. Adding a good idiot proof charger such as a MRC 959 Super Brain $50-$75, and a couple 7.2V 6 or 7 cell battery packs for about $30-$50 each sounds like a lot of money stacking up. However when you consider that RC will easily outlast any big box store RC, the investment is actually cheaper, because you are not buying whole new RC every time something breaks. Consider also that you would typically still need to purchase batteries and a charger for any RC and a good charger and set of rechargeable batteries will pay for themselves very quickly vs having to keep buying pounds of disposable batteries.
The first purchase total is usually around $350. If you kit didn't include batteries or a charger. Adding a good idiot proof charger such as a MRC 959 Super Brain $50-$75, and a couple 7.2V 6 or 7 cell battery packs for about $30-$50 each sounds like a lot of money stacking up. However when you consider that RC will easily outlast any big box store RC, the investment is actually cheaper, because you are not buying whole new RC every time something breaks. Consider also that you would typically still need to purchase batteries and a charger for any RC and a good charger and set of rechargeable batteries will pay for themselves very quickly vs having to keep buying pounds of disposable batteries.
What are the major components of an RC car?
- Body - The cover that does little else except make the RC look like a real car.
- Body Clips - The little metal clips that hold the body on.
- Chassis - The main "skeleton" or "Backbone" of the car.
- Bulkhead - Usually just up front - the shock tower, suspension arms, and chassis attach to this.
- Shock Tower - The thing that attaches to the chassis that the shocks attach to.
- Shocks - The springy things.
- Tires - If you don't know this...
- Wheels or Rims - Tires mount to these.
- Axels - Things that the tires spin on.
- Carriers (bearing carriers) - the thing that holds the axel.
- Hubs or Hex Hubs - The hex thing that goes on the axel that meshes with a recess on the inside of the wheel.
- Caster Blocks - The things that hold the carriers.
- Suspension Arms - The skeleton of the suspension and attaches to the chassis or bulkhead.
- Camber links - Attach from the shock tower to the top of the caster block
- Drive Shaft - The thing that spins the rear axels and in turn the tires
- Transmission - The thing the motor hooks up to with lots of gears inside
- Motor - Uhh you probably know that one.
- Battery Tray - Where the battery goes.
- ESC & Speed Control - Also called an ESC, (Electronic Speed Control), or simply a Controller. This handles managing how much power goes to the motor, how fast or slow you go, reverse, and braking. There are brushed and brushless - just know for now brushless is the better of the two and less expensive in the long run.
- Servo - This is basically a little geared electric motor box that turns left or right and is typically used to move the steering linkage back and forth to steer.
- Servo Saver - Attached to the servo and designed with a little spring inside to prevent damage to the servo when your crash or hit something.
- Steering Linkage - Attaches from the servo saver to the carriers for steering
- Spur Gear - I know what you are thinking like a cowboy spur, so it must be the little gear in the transmission, actually it's the big one.
- Pinion Gear - the little gear that attaches to the motor shaft and meshes with the spur gear.
- Slipper Clutch - This is unit is designed to slip a little to prevent damage to the transmission from impact or sudden starts and stops.
- Parts inside the Transmission that you can't see - Idler gear, top gear, and differential.
Basic RC Terminology (have more ideas send them to me)
- Kv, 15T, 14T or some other number with a T or KV - 15T Indicates a 15 Turn Motor for example, and 5700Kv indicates how many revolutions per second per volt the motor will spin. The Lower the "T" or Higher the "KV" the faster the motor.
- Motor Turn - The number of winds on a motor. Generally the fewer winds the higher top speed and less runtime you will have and vise versa. Typically you get what you pay for with motors a quality motor will cost you some money. 14T is usually the lowest turn motor that you can gear properly on a Stampede or Rustler unless you move to a brushless system
- Brushless Motor or System - See this
- Bashing - playing rough with your RC, attempting to break something or in general doing nothing other than just driving it around in a non competitive situation.
- Racing - Racing in a competitive situation
- ROAR - One of the governing RC Racing bodies - www.ROARRACING.com
- Peaked Pack - Means roughly the battery pack is charged to the maximum with a Delta Peak type charger.
- Bowties or Step-Pins - A type of tire pattern used for racing
- M2K or Moabs - Tires from Proline Racing that are considered some of the best for the Stampede and for bashing.
- 2.2s - The industry standard tire size, although Traxxas just introduced a 2.8 inch tire on the new Jato, Stampede and Rustler.
- 5 Second Rule - If you can't hold your finger on a motor, speed controller, or battery for more than 5 seconds without it hurting, it's to hot. Usually an indication of over stressing, running to fast of a motor, or under gearing. Suggested that you gear down to a bigger big gear and smaller little gear or go to a smaller sized tire.
- 2 Tooth Rule - A good starting gearing is to start with the stock spur gear (the big one) and install a pinion gear with two teeth less than the number of turns on a standard 540 motor. For example a 15T motor would be geared 13/87 on the Stampede or 13/84 on the Rustler.
- 7 Tooth Rule - Longer 550 motors such as the Titan 12T should be gear up 7 teeth from the number of turn on the motor. It's a torque thing.
- Deans Plugs or Traxxas Connector - These are special high current battery to controller to motor connectors the greatly improve performance and are made by "Deans" or Traxxas.
What are the best batteries to buy?
Most R/Cs are typically run on six cell (1.2 volts each) rechargeable battery packs rated at a total of 7.2V. Some RC speed controllers and motors can handle more cells and total voltage such as the Castle Creations Mamba Max or Tekin R1 Pro which can handle up to 12 cells (14.4V). Depending on wiring (parallel versus series), the extra cells can either provide longer runtimes or more power, just assure you are under the manufacturer's recommended input or you will blow the speed controller.
Batteries are broken down into three basic types, the old NiCd (Nickel Cadmium), the current main stream NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydride), and newer LiPo (Lithium Polymer) or LiIo (Lithium Ion).
I would avoid NiCd and LiPo batteries to start with. NiCd is an old technology and LiPo can be a little finicky for those new to RC. NiMh batteries with as high a Mh rating as possible are what you want to purchase.
A higher Mh (Mili-Amp) rating equates to more run time and typically more power. You will usually be able to tell the Mh rating by the battery name such as IB4200, GP3300, ...etc.
MaxAmps.com is a great source for high performance batteries and accessories of all types. Other top brands to specifically look for are Trinity, GP, IB, and Sanyo.
What is the best charger? The MRC 959 SuperBrain is the #1 RC charger and a stellar charger for the cheap price. The SuperBrain will take you all the way into serious racing and will charge NiCd and NiMh batteries but will not charge LiPos. On other models, look for an automatic sensing "Delta Peak" charger that automatically senses cell type, Mh rating, and automatically applies the best type of charge and stops when the battery is charged. A really good charger can also charge LiPo batteries and can set you back a couple hundred dollars but will give you the best charge on each respective battery pack.
Understanding Tire & Wheel Selection
So what to choose. If you want to stick with the 2.8 inch wheels, you are also stuck with Traxxas 2.8 inch wheels and tires for the moment. If you want to go the industry standard 2.2 inch tire and wheel on a stock Stampede or Rustler you are limited to your choice of wheels/rims. Aside from buying more stock Traxxas front and rear specific wheels (which is fine), RPM is about your only other manufacturer option but you might have to look hard to find them. The good news is that any 2.2 inch tire your can muscle and glue onto a 2.2 inch wheel/rim will work at that point. If you do widen your Rustler or Stampede you can use any standard rear hex wheel on both front and back (this is nice to be able to rotate tires for wear.)
Recommendations for the Stampede are the Proline Moabs or Masher 2000s. On the Rustler the Dirt Hawgs and Dirt Works are tough to beat for an all around street and dirt tire that will offer lots of life. For racing some directional Losi or Proline Edge Tires on the front and bowties or step-pins on the rear is a good starting setup. Getting the Rustler moving on grass can be challenging and the TractorGators or Dirt Paws are a great option.
This area of the site will give you some additional tire and suspension suggestions.
The 60+ MPH Full Monty
This used to be a very long list that would set you back around $750, now Traxxas has it all wrapped up and added even more all for $350.
Transmitters & Receivers
The TQ series of transmitters that come with the Traxxas products are some of the best inexpensive RTR radios in the business for general bashing and trashing... good, cheap, and durable - I own about eight. Most companies now provide their 2.4 Ghz transmitters which provide interference free use with many models.
The older AM radio, in-expensive RTR AM 27Mhz radio systems specifically do have their limitations, especially noticeable when you go to the track or get more than a couple people bashing at once or any situation where a couple people could end up on the same frequency. 27Mhz specifically regardless of AM or FM only has 6 "bands" frequencies, so if seven people are running 27Mhz radios, there will be a conflict. Additionally because most RTRs only ship with one of three standard channels the likelihood is greatly increased. Best advice I can give for newbie's is figure out what channels ship with the standard RTR that you and four of your buddies all got for Christmas and then go buy a different channel set (about $20), because if you are both on the same channel you are both driving the same car or cars. Better yet buy an RC with a 2.4Ghz transmitter and never ever worry about run away RCs again.
The older AM radio, in-expensive RTR AM 27Mhz radio systems specifically do have their limitations, especially noticeable when you go to the track or get more than a couple people bashing at once or any situation where a couple people could end up on the same frequency. 27Mhz specifically regardless of AM or FM only has 6 "bands" frequencies, so if seven people are running 27Mhz radios, there will be a conflict. Additionally because most RTRs only ship with one of three standard channels the likelihood is greatly increased. Best advice I can give for newbie's is figure out what channels ship with the standard RTR that you and four of your buddies all got for Christmas and then go buy a different channel set (about $20), because if you are both on the same channel you are both driving the same car or cars. Better yet buy an RC with a 2.4Ghz transmitter and never ever worry about run away RCs again.
| A5 | 27.195 |
| A6 | 27.255 |
The Basics
Your radio system is made up of a TX (Transmitter) and RX (Receiver) and no matter how you slice it these will be the two mandatory components in any RC system regardless of price. Radio systems can transmit in a wide range of bands including AM, FM, and 2.4Ghz bands and also in a wide range of frequencies the most common being 27Mhz in AM radios, and in FM radios 72Mhz (Air RCs only) and 75Mhz (Surface RCs only) being the most common. The confusing part is that AM, FM bands and Frequencies are independent of each other. You could have a 27Mhz AM or FM radio and/or a 75Mhz AM or FM radio, however if you buy a radio for surface boat/car use it will most likely be a AM 27Mhz radio or a FM 75Mhz radio. Although generally more money, the 75Mhz band rules because you have over 30 channels to choose from versus six in the 27mhz range. The more channels means the less probability that you of you sharing a channel with someone - but still a good idea to carry a couple extra crystals for other channels.
Your radio system is made up of a TX (Transmitter) and RX (Receiver) and no matter how you slice it these will be the two mandatory components in any RC system regardless of price. Radio systems can transmit in a wide range of bands including AM, FM, and 2.4Ghz bands and also in a wide range of frequencies the most common being 27Mhz in AM radios, and in FM radios 72Mhz (Air RCs only) and 75Mhz (Surface RCs only) being the most common. The confusing part is that AM, FM bands and Frequencies are independent of each other. You could have a 27Mhz AM or FM radio and/or a 75Mhz AM or FM radio, however if you buy a radio for surface boat/car use it will most likely be a AM 27Mhz radio or a FM 75Mhz radio. Although generally more money, the 75Mhz band rules because you have over 30 channels to choose from versus six in the 27mhz range. The more channels means the less probability that you of you sharing a channel with someone - but still a good idea to carry a couple extra crystals for other channels.
CompatibilityIf you buy for example a AM 27Mhz radio you won't be able to run 75mhz by just using different crystal sets. Same goes for any FM radio. You will be able to use any receiver you have that is the same band and frequency as your transmitter. So for example, a Hitec AM 27Mhz transmitter will work with a stock Traxxas RX (receiver) which are all AM 27Mhz.
On 2.4Ghz systems, any system that says it Spektrum compatible can be used with Losi or Spektrum radios.
All servos will work with all receivers so don't worry about what band or frequency you are using, however some are optimized for better performance with 2.4Ghz systems.
Differences - Why this versus that?AM radios are very inexpensive to make and therefore typically the cheapest of the radios. FM are more complex and cost a little more. Technically FM radios do not have a stronger signal, however they seem to, because the band tends to be cleaner. Think when you are tuning in a distant AM radio station and you keep getting some other station drifting in or as you drive it will just fade out, but on FM radio it's either locked in or static - same with your RC signals. FM is a better option as you decide to compete or just increase your control and reaction speed of the RC as FM will give you a better response time than AM band radios. I have a 3-channel 75Mhz Hitec PCX radio that I love and delivers a clear glitch free signal that has outstanding range - very highly recommended.
Then there is 2.4Ghz, the holey grail of RC radios. Spektrum is the obvious answer, however there are other options. Traxxas is supposed to have a 4-channel 2.4Ghz setup by spring of 2009, and the often ebay'ed Losi DSM 2.4 gHz Transmitter & Receiver (expect about $50-$60) is 100% Spektrum compatible and worth every stinking penny for that price. I promise you that 2.4Ghz is THE way to go for a transmitter, however from a cost perspective FM is still a winner. The big advantage is that on 2.4Ghz it is literally impossible for anyone to ever be on "your" channel and with that also say goodbye to any radio interference ever. 2.4Ghz also transmits faster so you get a faster responding RC. Here is how I would rate it - Good AM, Better FM, Best 2.4Ghz.
Track & Bashing EtiquetteOnce you have your radio (stock or otherwise) and are headed to the track or with your buddies there are a couple industry wide etiquette suggestions so you will not be the asshole at the track. You should know your frequency and yell it out or otherwise ask if anyone else is on it. Some tracks post, via frequency cards, which frequencies are in use, or the really "on it" drivers will even have little flags hanging from their transmitters with their frequency hanging out there for everyone to see. Most RC manufactures have going to a color scheme, but I have found "Green" may not always be green... it might be really faded "blue" so know your frequency. If you have asked everyone and made all diligent attempts to figure out if anyone is already using your frequency and if no one answers (there is always one stump at the track who is in their own world), stand right on track watch the cars go around and fire up your radio and crank the wheel all the way to the right. If someone wasn't paying attention and is already on that frequency smacking their RC into a barrier for them will sure get their attention. If they ask why you did that, ask THEM why they were in their own world when YOU were checking frequencies to prevent that issue... then repeat the same "what channel are you on" again with a different channel - always good to have extra crystal frequencies/channels. It is polite to wait until people pit, but most people never wait. If you are running a 2.4Ghz system, you don't need to ask anyone a thing or utter a word because channel conflicts can't happen - well it can but it's about the same odds as winning the lottery three weeks in a row.
During sanctioned races, a track may halt the use of any other frequencies with the exception of 2.4Ghz RXs/TXs - some tracks may even halt the use of those as well. Not following this can get you banned from a track - when in doubt ask.
