Hobby RC Cars Information

Hobby RC Cars Information Guide

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Hobby RC cars

or radio control cars, are one of the hottest sports in America with kids and adults alike! There are two power sources to choose from - gas and electric and in this article I'm going to discuss only electric cars. If you're mainly interested in a gas or nitro hobby rc car, I've got another page that completely covers that topic and you can read it if you Click Here Now.

The hugely popular electric radio control cars are the most popular choice of first-timers, and for several good reasons:

1) Simple construction and operation makes them the easiest type of hobby rc cars

2) They're less expensive than similar gas powered models

3) They don't make much noise which allow you to drive electric radio control cars indoors

4) And because they aren't messy like gas powered versions, they really appeal to many people
Having said all that in favor of electric powered hobby rc cars, I will mention that they don't have nearly the high performance features of their gas powered counterparts but you can improve that with aftermarket parts and engines upgrades. Stock models, out of the box, will usually run up to 10 minutes before the batteries need recharging, which takes about 15 minutes. By having a second battery pack fully charged and ready when the battery runs low will save down time and after all, we want to be playing...not waiting!
If this is your first hobby rc car, you may want to get a Ready-to-Run (RTR) unit complete with a 2-channel radio so you can be on the road in about an hour. Speeds of between 20-30 miles per hour are common and Nikko radio control cars offer a good variety, but they're certainly not the only manufacturers out there. These types of vehicles are usually targeted at new modelers and "backyard" drivers, rather than racers bent on winning organized competitions. But again, as your skills grow, you can improve your hobby rc cars speed and operation with upgrades like a new motor.

Motors are classified as either Stock or Modified. Stock motors have plain bushings, fixed timing, and 27 turns of machine-wound wire and it usually comes with the car kit. Modfied motors have ball bearings, custom winds, and adjustable timing...offering very different performance specs for your radio control cars. Fewer winds usually equals greater rpm's and shorter run time while more wire strands usually means smoother acceleration. Some of the very best (and most expensive) electric motors available are made by a company named Hacker Brushless.
Many more hobby rc cars come in kit form. You get all the parts necessary to assemble the model including instructions. Often, such basics as the body, motor and radio control electronics may need to be purchased as extras. The benefit of the kit is that there is much to be learned about your car that you will learn during building, and this knowledge will help when making any necessary adjustments or repairs. Building time of a kit can range from 10 hours to 20 hours. The other obvious advantage here is that you can fully customize your hobby rc car to your heart's content. Of course, this is the more expensive route to go so it really depends on your desire and wallet.
"Scale" is a term with two meanings. In one sense, it can refer to the size relationship between a model and an actual vehicle. For instance, the most popular scales of R/C vehicles are 1:8, 1:10 and 1:12. The 1:10 scale category definitely provides the most choices for a first-time hobbyist. However, scale can also refer to a hobby rc cars trueness to a real car's appearance and/or features. Many popular street and racing vehicles have been recreated "to scale" for RC enthusiasts to enjoy.
What If I Want to Compete Radio Control Cars?The two main organizations in R/C racing are ROAR (Radio Operated Auto Racing)and NORRCA (National Organization for Racing Radio Controlled Autos. Visit their websites for information on racing classes, as well as upcoming regional and national racing events.
Safety tip: Whenever operating your hobby rc cars, or any RC models, the radio transmitter should be the first thing switched on (prior to switching on any receivers) and the last thing switched off.

I hope this information was helpful and...have Fun out there!