remote control

[Matty]

hello i was going to get a remote control car
i want some advice
under $400aus

[veteq]

what kind? Electric or Nitro?

[Matty]

eledtric

[Kangaroo Boy]

Is that 400 dollars AUSTRALIA???If so I guess you could look here www.frontlinehobbies.com.au and see what they have...

[stracing]

pm kablookie, i know he's into that stuff

[666fast]

That might seem like a good amount of money, but when you break down everything you are gonna need, you really are on a tight budget.
Try and find a local hobby shop that sells used cars and trucks. Don't be ashamed, most people buy used ones. Most shops make sure they are in good running condition, so you won't have to worry about broken stuff.
If you want a new one, try to aviod buying a ready to run (RTR) car or truck. if possible, try to get the kit. I know you'll want to take it out of the box and start playing with it. But, you will break it, it's inevitable. By buying a kit and having to put it together you'll know what to do to get at a certain part or how to fix something.

Anyway, with electric RC cars you will need the following:
1. Rechargable batteries for the car itself. There are different kinds of batteries, so pay attention to what you are buying. There is NiCD and NiMH. NiMH is better, but also far more expensive. Stick with the NiCD's. You will also need batteries for the transmitter (the thing you control it with) they usually take about 8 AA batteries. You can get rechargable ones, but I stick with normal ones, they last longer and I can get them cheap

2. A Battery Charger. This is where you need to pay attention. If you get the NiMH batteries, you need a charger than can charge them, as not all of them can. If you stick with the NiCD (most common battery) you can get just about any charger. Make sure you get a peak charger and not one with a timer. That way the battery will get a full charge everytime.

The next bits will depend on what model you buy. If you get a RTR, you won't have to worry much about most of this. but reading it might be helpfull anyway.

1. Transmitter or Radio, whatever you want to call it. There are many different channels and there is also AM fequency or a FM frequency. FM is far better, but also more expensive. It also depends on where you drive it, you might have no problems with an AM radio. You will also need servos and a reciever. Odds are though, the transmitter will come with them.

2. Tire Glue. It's cheap but you will want it. Having to stop and readjust the tires back on will get annoying.

3. Servo Tape. Another essential item. It's cheap, you use it to secure speed controls and recievers to the chassis of the car or truck.

4. Electronic Speed control (ESC). They can be confusing and sometimes very expensive. When you go to a hobby shop to pick up your car or whatever, just ask what ESC they recommend. Tell them you are on a budget and you only want one that will work but won't cost a whole lot of money. I'm sure they can help you find what you need. If you buy a RTR model, it should come with it. So you won't have to worry.

All yo have to ask yourself now is whether you want a truck or a car. The cars are faster, but you'll get bored unless you have a track you can go to. It just isn't that much fun to cruise around your street with one. A truck however is far better in my opinion. You can take it off of jumps and drive it on the street. I think you would have more fun with a truck, at least I always have.

If you want a car, I would rcommend the HPI Micro RS4. It's 1/18 scale (about 10 inches long) they aren't as fast as a normal 1/10 scale but they are fun. I've had one for about a year or so and it's quite a bit of fun. One of the best things being that you can drive it inside and not have to worry about breaking household items. It's too small to cause any real damage to anything in the house. With $400 you could easily get one. If you bought the ready to run model, all you would need then is batteries and a charger. If you get the kit, you'll nedd a lot of the stuff I listed above.

If you want a truck, then take a look at the Associated T3. The base model can be had for very little money. They are pretty tough too. I had one but sold it to buy my Emaxx. They also have a RTR model where again, all you would need is a battery and charger. You would also need tire glue.
If you like the idea of being able it run in it the house when it's crappy outside, Losi made a new Mini Truck. I'm told it's pretty fun. It's basically the same as the HPI Micro, except it's a little truck. It should be about the same price as a Micro RS4.

I know I said to stay away fromt he RTR models, but the ones I mentioned are incredibly easy to fix. You should haven't any problems.

If you need more help, feel free to ask!

[Matty]

thank you for your help

[stracing]

ooo..didn't know you were into rc cars as well 666fast.
i've always wanted to get into it, but when ppl mention the stuff you just said. it kinda turned me off that i need this and that. probably when life settles i might go for it

[Kangaroo Boy]

Nope,Don't buy second hand stuff.Some might be good,but most are duds.Believe me,I used to own TA0-1 Tamiya CLK GTR(I used to race them).I knew plenty of people who brought second stuff and where wrecked in couple of days.Most things have either been smashed up and then sold off or parts have been wored down and need to replace and the parts are expensive(like a new chasis).If you looking to buy something to started with,400 dollars should be fine(I bought A mini Cooper S as my first RC Car)and see that if that comes with Charger and Remote..If you want to get serious and do them up etc you looking at more than 1 grand...Shop around and see whats for offer.

[kramerman]

Matty, i've got a second hand remote control car that i'm willing to sell. I'll PM you as well with more details, and we can see how thing go from there.

[SDK2003]

Remote control cars are for n00bs, you guys mean Radio Control cars :wink:

[666fast]

I know quite a few people who bought used cars and never had a problem with them. I guess it depends on the shop you buy it from. I know the one I go to keep the car overnight and tests it before buying it from you.

Hey SDK, I did call it a radio :P

stracing, yea, I have been into them for awhile. They are quite fun, dont' worry about all the bits and pieces you will need. You will get it all figured otu pretty quickly. Radio controlled cars may seem a bit childish, but they are pretty damn fun. They can also be damn fast if you feel like spending the money. I've seen them go over 100mph!

[Sachmo12345]

dude go for a nitro i dont know a lot but i think gas is a lot faster and its makes an engine noise

[Sachmo12345]

check that "RADIO CONTROL" car http://www.rcmodels.com/rc-yok-gt4rtr2.html

[666fast]

dude go for a nitro i dont know a lot but i think gas is a lot faster and its makes an engine noise

It's also more expensive. You all also have to learn hwo to tune the engine, everytime you want to dink with it, you have to putz with it. I wouldn't recommend one to a newbie.

[CMatulac]

If you're buying new.. My past dealings in kits to assemble are with the Associated products, namely the RC10 line. The RC10L, or the street car, and the RC10 Team car, for a dirt vehicle. Both were solid and not too expensive. Peeking around online, the new equivalents can be had for $150 US, which should leave you just enough left over to cover your other basics as listed by 666Fast above. Building was half the fun for me, which is why I personally would go with a new kit, but other than that, I've never had any problem picking up used other pieces.