| RC
Cars and Trucks -
Equipment for Electric RC Cars
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RC Equipment
Remote Control Car Tips to Help Beginners
Get Started with the RC Hobby
In addition to buying the car kit, you need to buy the
following: 1) radio control unit, 2) AA batteries for the transmitter, 3)
battery pack, 4) charger for the 7.2v battery pack.
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Pistol type transmitter
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1. Radio Control Unit
The radio control unit is the electronics that control the speed and
direction of the car. A basic radio controller consists of the
following:
a. transmitter
b. receiver
c. servos (2)
d. batter holder for the receiver
e. on/off switch
f. servo horns Good brands
are Futaba, Airtronics, and JR. |
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2. AA Batteries and Charger
The transmitter (pictured above) needs 8AA sized batteries to
produce 12 volts.
Rechargeable batteries will work, just note that a
single rechargeable AA batteries produces only 1.2 volts (alkaline
produce 1.5 volts).
Using 8AA rechargeable batteries will produce 9.6
volts, slightly less voltage than the ideal 12 volts. Still, most
transmitters will work fine with 9.6 volts. |
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3. 7.2v Battery Pack
To power the cars, you will need battery packs that produce 7.2
volts. These are either made of nickel-cadmium (NiCD) or the newer
nickel-hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries.
Good brands are Tamiya, Orion, Trinity, Sanyo, and
Panasonic. |
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4. Battery Charger
There are two basic types: timer, and peak
detection chargers. With the timer charger, you will have to monitor
whether or not the battery is fully charged, which can take anywhere
from 15 to 30 minutes.
The other type is a peak detection charger. It is
more expensive, but does a better job of charging the batteries. It
can sense when a battery is fully charged and will automatically
shut off, preventing overcharging, which can destroy the battery. If
you can afford it, buy the peak detection charger.
Good brands are Tekin and Novak. |
 Basic
Radio System Setup
This is the basic radio system setup that is mounted
inside an electric car. The receiver (1) sends signals to the servo that
controls the speed (3) and the servo that controls the steering (4).
The receiver is powered by 4-AA sized batteries (5) with
an on/off switch (6).
Tip: Never, ever, cut the receiver antenna (wire). I
know it is long... but trust me, do not cut it because it will cause your
car to go out of control.
Related R/C Hobby Shops
This section features companies that sell rc cars online.
RELATED PAGES ON RC CARS AND TRUCKS
RC Car Tips.com - Remote Control Cars, Radio Controlled
Trucks, and R/C Hobby Shops
Homepage contains lots of articles about the fun hobby of
RC cars and trucks.
Best R/C Hobby Shops
Shop online to buy electric or nitro rc cars from the USA, UK, and
worldwide.
Buy from the best online rc hobby shops and stores.
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