Pointless R/C Car Thread

[thesameguy]

I've talked about it before, but never actually picked up RC cars again. Every time I look at the costs I shy away, but I *think* this time I might do it. I've been doing some reading on the state of the art, and I think I have a good grasp on where things are - 2.4GHz radios, NiMH and LiPo (or LiFePO4) batteries. Brushed and brushless motors. Most other details seem about the same - ESCs, 540-size motors, etc. Seems like "fun grade" is NiMH and brushed motors - lithium batteries and brushless motors are for the hardcore racers.

I may have had a little too much to drink the other night and nearly bought a Tamiya Sand Viper, but it wasn't available direct from Amazon so it would have been a more expensive Tower Hobbies order or a direct-from-Japan type affair. No instant gratification, no bueno. So I did nothing.

The attraction to the Sand Viper was that it had a decent chassis and was 2WD. I don't think 4WD really gets me anything, since I just want something to mess around with in the street. 2WD is faster and gets better battery life, so, yeah. I am really interested in building something - definitely no RTR - and that was why I was looking at new. After thinking about it some more, maybe since tech hasn't changed all that much, my money is better spent rehabbing something I already have. A new motor, battery, ESC, and radio and I'm good to go. I save the money on the car itself.

Am I missing anything in my analysis? Does anyone still mess with RC cars here?

[Godson]

I was working at getting into rc cars back in the early 200s. I started with an HPI RS4 Pro 2. 1200$ later and bad batch of batteries, I sold the car and have never looked back.

[thesameguy]

What I've got is:

A kickass vintage Bolink on-road car with a completely custom body from c1980. This was given as a gift to my dad from Bob Sharp Racing when his company (Pioneer) sponsored Sharp's car. It's irreplaceable. I'd never drive it.



A c1987 Tamiya Big Wig, which I believe was Tamiya's top of the line car at the time.



A c1996 RC/10 World's Car. This still seems new to me - as it was the last car I ever bought. Man, I was into RC cars as a kid in '87, and I bought this RC10 as an adult in '96.



Some radios, which I think are worthless. With 2.4SS radios out, radios operating in the MHz range just seem silly. The crazy square thing is the state-of-the-art Futaba radio that Bob Sharp provided with their model. I'll keep that one regardless - I think the others are probably trash at this point.



Some "wrecked" cars. One OG RC10 that I'd started to convert to a mid-engine and never finished, and the first RC car I ever got in '86, a Tamiya Boomerang, half converted into a Big Wig. I may actually have all the parts to complete that conversion, but these days a Boomerang is probably worth as much from a nostalgia perspective as a Big Wig. I'll probably never do anything with it.



Maybe I just need to go pick up a NiMH battery and a radio and see if the RC10 is still a runner?

[Leon]

I have a bunch of Tamiya's, mostly unbuilt, or in "project" status in the garage.

Mini Cooper Monte Carlo, Hummer, Pajero hardtop (basketcase), Toureg, Brat. Possibly others. I sold off a whole bunch a while ago.

Absolutely none of them get any use at all

[Random]

Picking up a battery and radio and seeing what's what seems like the easiest way to ease back into things. Plus, we've got RC Country right here in town.

[thesameguy]

Absolutely none of them get any use at all

I sold off most of mine well over ten years ago, leaving only the ones with sentimental value. I am afraid I won't use them as well, which is why I hesitate. Intellectually I know I'm just trying to recapture some fun moments from childhood - this time encouraged by some people I spotted with a track set up in a parking garage over Christmas weekend. I know I'm never going to take any to a real track - I don't have the financial interest in "getting serious." I was thinking maybe buy/build/play and then pass whatever I got onto my nephew, but honestly I don't think he'd be into it much. His family is artistic on one side and cerebral on the other. No support for hands-on stuff.

Picking up a battery and radio and seeing what's what seems like the easiest way to ease back into things. Plus, we've got RC Country right here in town.

Yeah, I was thinking about stopping by tomorrow and talking to someone. There's an advantage to me in buying at Amazon, though, and I kinda feel bad about picking someone's brain with the full intention of buying elsewhere anyway. Although, I suspect the ESC and battery would get sourced locally, so it wouldn't be a total waste of their time. I wish the RC track was still in business down on south Watt. Nothing encouraged me to spend money like watching cars rip around a track for 20 minutes. IIRC, that's how I ended up with the World's Car. Went in for an ESC, came out with a $250 RC10.

[Alan P]

I used to have a Tamiya Hornet. It was so expensive I got the car in September for my birthday and the RC controller and servos for my Christmas. Great fun!

[thesameguy]

I noticed that both Tamiya and Kyosho have some of their vintage models in reproduction which they're selling for ludicrous amounts of money. Frog, Hornet, and Supershot from Tamiya and Kyosho has the Ultima and one of their even earlier buggies. The Hornet used to be one of the cheapest buggies you could buy, but in 2015 it's more expensive that the totally superior Sand Viper. I guess maybe I should be outraged, but good on these companies for having fostered such a great relationship with their customers that they can make some money off nostalgia. If one of them was a Blackfoot (and not the lame Blackfoot III), I might go for it.

[Kchrpm]

I gave up when I bought a brushless motor setup that I could never get to work. Local shop couldn't get it to work, sent it back to the manufacturer and they said it worked fine for them. I just decided it was my sign/punishment. The car's still sitting in its luggage in my garage, I don't know what to do with it other than keep it as a reminder of my failure.

[thesameguy]

I spent a little while reading about brushless motors and it sure did sound confusing. All the howtos sounded really encouraging, but then you read mountains of forum posts about people who can't make them run right. I remember how much trouble I had as a kid getting consistent programming done on ESCs then you have to add motor timing and PWM values? Screw that noise. I saw Tekin has a computer-programmable ESC, and that's something I could maybe get into versus beeps and flashing LEDs, but it was something like $300 vs. the $40-$100 of other ones. I don't need a 60mph RC car at this point, so I'm gonna pass. I probably don't really understand the technology, but I just can't wrap my head around anything in 2016 that costs $100 and doesn't have a simple iPhone app to configure and monitor it.