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RC Hobbiests!!!

P

Pastore

Diamond Member
I am looking to get a beginner car, somewhere in the 150-200 dollar range. I want this to include everything I need, car, radio, battery.

I have been looking at the HPI electric 1/10 scale cars at Tower Hobbies... they are nice, and HPI's bodies are the nicest around AFAIK...

Specifically, I was looking at this from HPI Link... of course i would still need a radio...

So, what would you guys reccomend for a starter CAR?

 
Get an HPI, whatever you do. Heck, get an HPI mini -- quite fun and very fast for the small speeds. I found the HPI manuals the easiest to read and understand (especially for someone who doesn't build these kinds of toys) and the parts are available everywhere. All the local hobby places had parts for the HPI and less had parts for my buggy.

Anyone interested in a Losi XXX?

vash
 
The charger will cost you about another 50. I recommend getting a good one off ebay. That, and get a 3000mah nimh battery for another 50 and up. A cheap nicd mattery will cost you like 20 bucks, but I'd spend another 30 on the nimh, its worth it. An electronic speed controller will cost you about another 80 and a motor will cost you another 20.

Adds up, doesn't it. 🙂

EDIT: Where do you live, if you're somewhere around me, I'd happily meet up with you.
 
Here's a quick one I put together.

HPI RS4 Rally w/Mitsubishi Lancer VI Body
1 159.99

DuraTrax Panasonic Speed 3000 6 Cell NiMH Pack Flat
1 57.99

Associated TC1 10T Touring Motor
1 34.99

DuraTrax IntelliPeak AC/DC Deluxe Pulse Charger
1 69.99

DuraTrax IntelliSpeed 8T Racing Reverse ESC
1 74.99

90140 BL2PS AM 2 102Z 70 75590 *Remote and reciever
1 51.99

Sub-Totals: In-Stock Items: $449.94
Back Orders: $ .00
Combined: $449.94

That's pretty much everything you need. A damn fast car though, I'd recommend you running any stock engine you can get for like 15 bucks a while before you sticki n that 10 turn motor. 🙂 Trust me, don't start fast cuzz you'll mess up your car fast. That, and expect to spend about 50 bucks more then your total because of gas, and just other things you don't have like tire glue and stuff like that. Don't let that price scare you though, thats just what I would get if I was just now starting out. Get someone who knows RC's to go out with you to a local store to buy stuff. Don't be like me and go out by myself and just have a lot of money to burn. 🙁

EDIT: Made it easier to read the parts. All of it was off Tower Hobbies. Again, I emphasize my point on starting slow. Get everything but a fast motor, cuzz you'll need to learn how to control your car. You don't wanna run your car at 300scale mph into a concrete block. 🙂 I've messed up a couple good servos that way.
 
I was looking into 1/4th scale RC cars a while back. I think that would be much more fun than those little tiny things. They're like the size of gocarts... lol
 
Originally posted by: Beast1284
i said BEGINNER and not more than 150-200 dollars including EVERYTHING
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🙂 You'd have to go used then. Do you want to put it together yourself? If so, then you're gonna have to spend 200-300. You can get some cheap ready to run one that is all put together for you for 99 bucks, but then you won't get the "i put it together" experience. 🙂

Hell, I was ready to sell my own car for like 250 if I could, but I'm thinking of keeping it and doing some more upgrading. 🙂

EDIT: If you're interested, gimme a PM. Its this kit here, with engine and speed controller upgrades. Ferrari If I sell it to you, I'll be selling everything that you need.
 
i just want a car that i can fool around with for a while... i might not even enjoy the damn thing... i just want something that i can play with, and it wouldnt put me out 500 bucks if i didnt enjoy it... and if i got a micro RS4, it looks to me like i can get an M3 kit for 80 bucks, and a radio for 40... that makes 120 bucks... what else do i need? ive got nimh batteries...
 
You will need a electronic speed control. The manual ones that usually come with kits are extremely crappy. You can pick up a decent one from Novak for $40(Explorer II was in that price range). It is entry level. If you decide you like it you can pick up a more expensive one later on for a faster turn motor. Hope that helps.
 
Originally posted by: Beast1284
what exactly does the electronic speed controller do? is it a device that is inside the car? on the radio?
Click to expand...

Electronic speed controllers gives you the ability to control the output like the gas pedal on real cars. Very cheap RC cars are based on on or off. You let go, motor is off, push it motor is on. I'd get a RC car at Radio Shack if I wanted one for <$200 for everything..

 
Originally posted by: Beast1284
what is the actual physical device? is it on the radio or the car or both?
Click to expand...

It is basically an amplifier.

Radio receiver unit, speed controller and battery pack are connected together. Receiver and controller are usually installed at the same location on the chasis. Receiver sends the signals to the controller telling how much power motor should be fed. Since receiver can't directly drive a motor, controller amplifies the signal and drives motor from battery.


Edit:

speed controller is only on the car. Radio receiver and speed controller are two seprate devices that must be used together.

Radio transmitter simply tells the receiver what to do. (this is the remote)

Receiver directly drives the servos(steering) and sends signal to speed controller. Many RC car receiver has three channels. One for steering, one for throttle and the third one for brake(you usually activate it by pushing the trigger backward).

 
I have a Rustler Nitro w/ lotsa upgrades and I just bought a Team Assoc. RC10 T3 truck (it's electric). You can always buy them ready to run kits for 150 or so but you will get what you pay for and when things break, it's harder to find replacements at reasonable cost. Anyhow, if you just want to give it a try, go for it. But you will probably not be able to reused the parts in this cheap kit if you want to get some thing good. With your budget, that's going to be tough to get together a decent quality kit to enjoy unless you buy used (that's taking chances unless you know/trust the person selling). In my experience, the speed control and battery are very important. take some time to do research b4 u buy one. i personally use an LRP F1 ESC that cost about $50. Also, get a peak charger, a cheap one that works reasonably well for $50 is the MRC brain charger. My electric setup cost me about $400+ bux to get together.. and it's a whole lot of fun. Especially going at it with friends and bumping, chasing, and racing. 🙂 My Nitro setup cost me about 700+ but I don't use it anymore because it's too fast to use in smaller parknig lots and something usually breaks in a crash (it's fast) even with aluminum parts (expensive sheit!). Also, it makes a lot more noise then electric so it's not good to play in noise sensitive areas. it requires nitro which can add up in expense.. and what I dislike the most.. TOO much frickin maintenance!!! So yea, I'm an all electric guy now and I'm happy w/ 25-30 mph (as opposed to 50mph+ nitro).
 
My Nitro setup cost me about 700+ but I don't use it anymore because it's too fast to use in smaller parknig lots and something usually breaks in a crash (it's fast) even with aluminum parts (expensive sheit!). Also, it makes a lot more noise then electric so it's not good to play in noise sensitive areas. it requires nitro which can add up in expense.. and what I dislike the most.. TOO much frickin maintenance!!! So yea, I'm an all electric guy now and I'm happy w/ 25-30 mph (as opposed to 50mph+ nitro).
Click to expand...

ah yeah.. 50mph. These chasis and sometimes the car do get totalled if you run into something like a basket ball goal pole or a building.

Why do people call them "nitro"? It's an overstatement that spreads marketing propaganda.

The fuel is 70% methanol, 15% nitro and 15% oil(fuel is available in great variety of oil portion, oil type and nitro portion, but whatever you get, the base is methanol).

Alot of motor gasolines have ~10% ethanol or methyl tert-butyl ether in them, but we don't call our cars alcohol or MTBE powered cars. Do we?

Anyways, these engines are two cycle methanol fueled power plant that runs much much higher percentage of oil than two cycle gasoline engines and all the oil has to go out from exhaust and it gets the whole thing messy as hell. Any internal combustion powered radio controlled models are messy, harder to adjust and maintain and less reliable.
In return, you get more power, longer run per charge, and instantaneous refueling.

They stink like b*tch. Indoor racetracks has a large ventilation fan, but it still stinks bad. The byproduct of combustion is formaldehyde(formalin gas), which smells very pungent, can give you hypersensitivty and isn't good for you. If you have sensitivity to formaldehyde, DO NOT go near methanol powered RC stuff.
 
Originally posted by: Jerboy
My Nitro setup cost me about 700+ but I don't use it anymore because it's too fast to use in smaller parknig lots and something usually breaks in a crash (it's fast) even with aluminum parts (expensive sheit!). Also, it makes a lot more noise then electric so it's not good to play in noise sensitive areas. it requires nitro which can add up in expense.. and what I dislike the most.. TOO much frickin maintenance!!! So yea, I'm an all electric guy now and I'm happy w/ 25-30 mph (as opposed to 50mph+ nitro).
Click to expand...

Why do people call them "nitro"? It's an overstatement. The fuel is 70% methanol, 15% nitro and 15% oil(fuel is available in great variety of oil portion, oil type and nitro portion, but whatever you get, the base is methanol).

Anyways, these engines are two cycle methanol fueled power plant that runs much much higher percentage of oil than two cycle gasoline engines and all the oil has to go out from exhaust and it gets the whole thing messy as hell.

Any internal combustion powered radio controlled models are messy, harder to adjust and maintain and less reliable.
In return, you get more power, longer run per charge, and instantaneous refueling.

They stink like b*tch. Indoor racetracks has a large ventilation fan, but it still stinks bad. The byproduct of combustion is formaldehyde(formalin gas), which smells very pungent, can give you hypersensitivty and isn't good for you. If you have sensitivity to formaldehyde, DO NOT go near methanol powered RC stuff.
Click to expand...

Because that is how they are marketed... HPI has Nitro plastered all over their fuel driven cars...
 
You're also goign to need a curved set of scissors, and Polycarbonate paint.

EDIT: For beginners, I'd get the spray kind, so its easier. Also, you might need tire glue.

EDIT2: I've never played with a Micro set before, and if its like my 1/10 kit, you'll need one of these. It makes things SO much easier. The one I have is kinda like this... T Tool
 
about the paint... does that come in spray cans? i looked at them on tower hobbies and all i see is bottles of paint... do you have to buy a spray setup also? how is it usually applied?

would tire glue come in the kit? and exactly what is it?
 
Any local hobby or RC store should have bottles of paint. Hell, I'll buy some for you if you need me too. I'm still looking up that damn T tool I have, and then I'll see if I can link you to the spray paint.
 
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