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Radio Control Car

Ever since the invention of cars, people have been fascinated with them. In the past few decades, this fascination has expanded to include radio control cars. These are essentially miniature toy cars that you can control remotely from a distance using a transmitter.

Is Radio Control Car a Good Hobby?

There are several different things to consider when thinking about this hobby.

The good

  • Can Be Inexpensive: One of the great things about radio control cars is that they can be very inexpensive. You can find radio control cars at almost any store that sells toys. You can also find them online and in catalogs. If you want to get into the hobby a little bit more, you can buy a kit that has everything you need to get started. 
  • Can Be Customized: You can buy different parts and accessories to change the look and performance of your car. You can also paint your car to make it look however you want it to look. 
  • Can Be Fun: Most importantly, radio control cars can be a lot of fun! They are a great way to spend some time with friends or family. They are also a great way to relieve some stress after a long day at work or school. 

The bad

  • Can Be Expensive: If you want to get into the hobby more, you will need to buy more expensive equipment. You will also need to buy gas and oil for your car. 
  • Can Be Dangerous: If you are not careful, you could hurt yourself or someone else with your car. It is important to be safe when driving your car. 
  • Can Be addictive: Once you start hobbies like this, it is hard to stop! You will want to spend all of your free time driving your car around. 

Overall, there are both pros and cons to consider when thinking about getting into the hobby of radio control cars. It is important to think about what is important to you and what your budget is before making a decision.

4 Benefits of Remote-Control Cars for Kids

The appeal of these toys is undeniable and it’s easy to see why they’ve become so popular among kids in particular over the last 20 years or so: who doesn’t want to feel like a real-life car racer?

At times, this hobby can also seem pretty expensive but thankfully there are ways for parents to save money on buying their children one of these RCs as well as other parts and accessories in order to keep their kid’s interest going strong for many years without breaking the bank.

Having fun

Kids can enjoy the fun of playing radio control cars with their friends. Adults will also enjoy watching the excitement as they race and compete to see who is the winner. There are many models that have been created for different levels of expertise, so there is something for everyone.

RC rally cars are a great way to spend time with your family growing closer in the process.

With a high-quality car, children can improve their motor skills by assembling and disassembling parts anytime they need to because this type of activity is like an educational experience that prepares them for life where they can fix a car at a professional level.

Excercising

Radio control cars are a great way for kids to have fun with their friends and family. They will also benefit from the exercise they get as well as feeling accomplished after being able to work on building or racing these cars.

Make Friends

With RC vehicles, your child will meet new friends and work on their social skills. You can join an RC club or group for weekend gatherings where they have a great time playing together with these cars. These little toys are so realistic that elderly people also play with them, which is a good way to make acquaintances since many of those groups like getting out too!

Teach your kids about engines

Playing rc toys can help young children develop their skills, including the ability to control cars efficiently. A two-year-old child is able to perform tasks like assembling or disassembling a car when necessary which stems from these early motor abilities.

This long term advantage comes with short term disadvantages because they learn about vehicle components at an earlier age than expected.

For today’s children, it is as critical to their development and happiness than any other toy or hobby out there. It is not just a plaything; it brings about an intense feeling that radiates throughout the child’s being: one of adventure, fun, excitement- all things necessary for healthy psychological growth in young kids.

Taking Your Radio Control Car Hobby to the Next Level

There are a few things you can do to take your RC car hobby to the next level.

  • Join an RC Car Club: There are RC car clubs all over the world, and joining one is a great way to meet other like-minded people who share your passion for RC cars. club membership also gives you access to exclusive events, competitions, and discounts on parts and accessories. 
  • Build Your Own Car: One of the best ways to truly customize your experience is to build your own car from scratch. This can be a daunting task for newcomers, but there are plenty of resources available online (as well as kits that come with everything you need) to help you get started. 
  • Get Involved in Competitive Racing: Competitive racing is a great way to take your RC car hobby to the next level. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been racing for years, there’s always room for improvement. And who knows? With enough practice, you might just find yourself winning a few races! 
  • Try Different Types of Cars: Just because you’re a fan of one type of RC car doesn’t mean you have to stick with it forever. There are all sorts of different types of RC cars available on the market, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect fit for you. 

30 Radio Control Terms

RC: Radio controlled, or remote control vehicles.
RTR: Ready to Run (vehicle requires no assembling).
ARR: Almost ready to run vehicle. Typically requires some assembly and customization before use.
Kit: Requires kit building for completion of the model following a specific set of instructions.
BND: Bind N Drive – A term used to describe RC vehicles that only require a transmitter to power the vehicle.
SCT: Short Course Truck (vehicle designed for smooth surfaces).
ST: Stadium truck (vehicle designed for rough and bumpy surfaces).
MT: Monster truck (vehicle with off-road capabilities, used in competitions).
Truggy: Trucks that have a wheelbase of between 140mm to 150 mm. They are typically high clearance vehicles but can range from very low ground clearance to moderate. The most popular types are short course trucks or stadium trucks which compete at the same level as monster trucks do. Truggies can come equipped with different configurations such as four wheels on one side or two on each side driving by individual shafts connected by a differential gearbox, independent suspension or long travel suspension, differentials, and a wide variety of transmission ratios.
Rock Crawler: Rock crawling is an activity that takes place in the dirt or mud where heavy vehicles are used for crossing over rough terrain with no paved roads. It usually involves driving something like a Jeep Wrangler off-road vehicle at slow speeds on trails without any pavement.
Scale: The scale size of RC cars is often measured by body style, tire diameter or wheel spacing. For example, some examples would be “Tamiya Grasshopper” (scale 0), “Ferrari F40” (scale 12) and “Monster Jam Grave Digger” (scale 25). Cars built to certain scales may have been designed for use on specific surfaces such as asphalt, wood or carpet.
GHz: The frequency of an RC transmitter in megahertz (MHz) can be translated to how far it will transmit before the signal begins to weaken or drop out.
CH: Channel, referring to a specific model’s receiver and its corresponding controller that are designed for use together. For example, if you have two vehicles with receivers on different channels they won’t work.
Trim: In radio control cars, trim is used to adjust the amount of steering input needed at any given moment by altering the servo position as well as other functions such as throttle response time.
D/R: Dual rates switch – this button switches between high-speed mode and low-speed mode depending on what situation is necessary for driving a car. For example, when driving on the highway you would use low-speed mode.
EPA: End Point Adjustments – EPA adjusts the total motion of your servo in one direction before you can adjust it laterally.
Bind: The process of pairing RC receivers and transmitters for operation in your vehicle or model kit.
REV: Reverse gear setting; used in radio control cars it will make an electric motor move slower than what is set by default. This is useful if you want something like a quick reverse or don’t need that much speed for a particular situation.
NOR: Normal; refers to an electrical circuit that is on when the power switch or relay is off and vice versa.
TX: Transmitter – this sends radio signals from a controller (receiver) to various receivers in RC cars, boats, planes etc. It can be paired with more than one receiver at once but cannot control two vehicles separately.
RX: Receiver – this receives the signal sent out by the transmitter and tells your model what direction it should go in as well as how fast or slow it should turn.
PWR: The power supply for your vehicle’s battery pack determines whether you use a lipo, NiMH or niCd battery. Low voltage batteries are rechargeable while high-voltage ones are not. LiPo batteries are rechargeable and have a higher voltage than the other types.
ESC: Electronic Speed Controller; this controls how fast your RC vehicle is going by sending different levels of power to the motor.
Brushless: Brushless motors are popular in radio control cars because they don’t require brushes or gear sets, so there’s nothing that can break on them. They’re also more efficient when it comes to running at high speeds for an extended period.
LiPo/NiMH/NiCd battery: These three terms refer to some of the most commonly used battery packs for remote controlled vehicles. The difference between these three is their chemistry (lithium-polymer vs nickel-metal ion) and ease with which they can be recharged. NiMH and NiCd batteries are rechargeable, while LiPo batteries can’t be.
V: Voltage.
A: Amps (current).
mAh: For a general rule of thumb, 1000mAh = one amp-hour.
KV: Kilo volts – refers to the voltage in an RC vehicle’s motor.
Turns: this is determined by how many times a brushless motor has rotated; more turns means more power and faster speeds. However, higher turn motors require less torque, so they’re more difficult to control.

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