Do you need Help with choosing the Right RC Vehicle?

You have many decisions to make when you are choosing a RC Vehicle. Let us explore many of these options together.

So you are thinking about your first rc vehicle. Choosing one that is right for you can be a difficult task.

You have many options on the kind and or type of remote control vehicle you choose. There are a few things that you need to understand first before you jump into this hobby.

A radio controlled vehicle does require a lot of maintenance and repair. You will be spending just as much or maybe more time doing repair and maintenance work on your remote vehicle as you will driving. The maintenance and repair aspect of this hobby, in my opinion, is the most time consuming and enjoyable.

So, do keep in mind that you will be investing a sizable amount of money in rc tools to work on your radio controlled vehicle. This investment will more than likely be almost as much, if not more than the cost of your rc vehicle.

Depending on the type of rc vehicle you choose the investment in rc tools is going to be large.









If taking things apart and rebuilding them is not your thing, then this hobby may not be the right one for you. I am not trying to discourage anyone from getting into this hobby, just letting you know up front the cost and time that is required to enjoy a radio controlled vehicle.

On the other hand if you do enjoy tinkering with things owning a rc vehicle can be very rewarding. Taking your rc vehicle all apart and rebuilding it, repairing what you broke or adding the latest hop-ups.

Then having it run better and faster, hopefully, but sometimes that will not happen. Your changes or modifications could and will make it handle poorly and run slower. Just part all of the fun.

Just like a full size race car, do all the adjusting and changing and the thing just will not preform. So back to the drawing board so to speak and try something different.

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The cost comparison of electric and nitro. In my opinion I feel that the initial cost and operating cost of each of these is close to being equal. I know this is going to get some arguments from a few of you, but if you look at the total dollar outlay for both it will be close to the same. So, with that in mind I will not get into the difference in cost between electric or nitro.

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With taking out the cost factor, what is the difference between these two types of radio controlled vehicles?

The Electric Rc Vehicle:

1. Can be run anywhere, indoors or outdoors, on-road or off-road.

2. Little or no motor noise.

3. Just charge your batteries and go, no messy fuel to deal with.

4. Many variables in speed and power. Having motors of different winds or turns is not a huge investment.

5. Will require a few more specialty tools - soldering gun, comm lathe, discharger.

6. Will require a few skills or learned skills - wiring and soldering of electric connections, programming of electronic speed controllers.

7. The option of having brushed or brushless electric motors.

8. Will need to master battery technology, be it for NiMH's, Li-Poly's or Li-ion's.

9. Mastering your battery charger and discharger to get the most out of your batteries.

10. Learning how to rebuild your brushed motors.

11. Little or no break in time required.

12. Do require maintenance and cleaning after each and every time they are run.

Learn more about your RC Batteries Here!

Information on the RC Battery Charger

1. Limited to running outdoors. There are a few indoor race tracks for nitro vehicle's. The exhaust fumes are dangerous and deadly.

2. Very noisy, they tend to upset neighbor's. The noise is part of the fun.

3. Nitro fuel can be messy. The oil in nitro fuel has a tendency to get on everything.

4. Need a general knowledge of batteries and battery technology, be it for NiMH's, Li-Poly's or Li-ion's.

5. Nitro engine's can be and are temperamental. Require constant tuning for weather conditions.

6. They require knowledge of handling and storing of nitro fuel.

7. Can have lengthy run times, just refuel and keep going.

8. Require the knowledge of glow plugs and how they work.

9. Knowledge of what glow plug to use with which nitro fuel.

10. Do require a lengthy break in procedure.

11. Do require maintenance and cleaning after each and every time they are run.

12. Nitro engines can be expensive to replace or rebuild.

That was just a very basic description of both electric and nitro radio controlled vehicles. I will let you use your as to the pros and cons. What could be pros to me could be cons to you or vice versa.

I feel both are great fun and have huge potential. With the advancements in technology both electric and nitro rc vehicles have become very reliable, fast and great fun.

The fun aspect of this hobby is an area that I hope you never loose sight of. This hobby can be and is great fun, you can involve the entire family if like or just keep to your self.

To me this hobby is not about being better or faster than the next "guy", just going out, having fun and making new friends.

The on-road rc vehicle is designed for use on hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete for outdoors and racing carpet for indoors. With on-road rc vehicles designed for smooth surfaces they will have a short suspension travel distance, but will still have many ride height settings.

Also they will have a lot of adjust ability for camber, caster, toe-in and toe-out. Too add to this they could have many chassis setting for length, weight transfer or chassis roll or sway.

Many on-road rc vehicles are engineered for speed and handling. Some of the advertised speeds out of the box with factory settings can be from 60 to 70 mph.

So, with some tweaking and tuning here and there they can and will be much faster. These high speed on-road rc vehicles are not a good place to start. I would recommend starting with something a little slower and working up to a faster on-road vehicle if you like.

To put this in perspective, let say you have a 1/10th scale sedan that is capable of 40 mph, that would translate to 400 mph in a full size sedan. So, even at 40 mph, these are some amazing speeds and can make handling and controlling very difficult. One very small misjudgment or wrong turn can translate into a huge crash with many broken parts or a totaled out rc vehicle.

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One other thing to keep in mind, a rc vehicle be it an on-road or off-road, weighing 4 to 8 pounds and going 40 mph can do some bodily harm if you run into yourself or others. Don't laugh too loud, most of use have done this and you could very well do the same thing. I have read about individuals breaking feet, toes, ankles and legs when they run into themselves. So, do be cautious when you are operating your vehicle. I have not broke anything, but I have had many black and blue feet and ankles. It happens much quicker and easier than you would think. So, do be cautious!

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Last, but not by any means least, the off-road rc vehicle. They are designed to go just about anywhere. The surface or terrain you can run on is just left up to your imagination, grass, dirt, rock, mud, bumps, dips, jumps, hills or what ever.

Just remember the rougher the terrain the greater the possibility of breaking parts. An off-road rc vehicle is designed for large over-sized tires for added traction. Suspensions with over-sized shocks and springs that have a huge travel distance.

Most off-road vehicles will have many different suspension settings to handle almost any type of condition. Also, the chassis will also have many adjustments as to chassis roll or sway, length, for weight transfer or center of gravity.

The off-road rc vehicle just amazes me as to where it can go, get through or over and survive.

A small change in spring and shock angle can do drastic things in your cornering ability and speed. Add to that an increase or decrease in shock oil weight or spring weight. The list is almost endless as to what you can change or adjust.

Both off-road and on-road rc vehicles are scale model race cars and have an endless amount of adjust ability build into them. If you need help on suspension tuning check out my page on suspension tuning.

Need to Learn more about RC Nitro Engines? Then click Here!

Need to learn more about the RC Electric Motor? Then click Here!

The last thing I want to remind you about is that any rc vehicle does not like water. The on board electronics they carry does not react nicely to water. Servos and receivers short out when they get wet. So, if you think that you are going to be running on a wet or muddy surface do protect your electronics.

I have some ways and how-tos about ways to keep your electronics dry on the pages about electronics. Just remember none of them are guaranteed to keep every thing dry, just that they help. If you do run in a lot of wet conditions you are going to ruin a servo or receiver now and then!

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