RC cars FAQ
- some 'getting started' questions
RC cars and trucks account for a huge section of the radio control hobby, and such rc models (ie surface vehicles) are a lot easier to master than rc aircraft!
Driving an rc car or truck around your back yard, or racing at a local club track, is a great deal of fun and you can enter the hobby of rc driving without spending too much money.
If you are thinking about buying an rc car or truck, here are a few questions that you might be searching for the answers to...
- Do I buy a car or truck?
- Do I buy a nitro or electric car?
- Are some cars and trucks better for beginners than others?
- I want to enter competitions and races...How?
- What other advantages are there of joining a club?
- How easy is it to upgrade an rc car or truck?
- I'm confused about RC 'channels'
- I can't get my nitro motor going!
- Where can I buy a good boat?
Browse a good selection of popular rc cars and trucks here, if you're looking to buy.
"Do I buy a car or truck?"
This is probably the first question that you'll ask yourself. It's purely down to personal preference and what kind of fun you want to get from your vehicle, as well as how you want your model to look.
With an rc street racing car, you'll be limited to driving on smoother surfaces such as tarmac or an indoor carpet track. That's fine if you can get yourself into a club, but if not you'll only really be able to drive your rc car around the local parking lot or back street. An rc Buggy will let you drive off-road, so long as the terrain isn't too rough.
An rc truck such as a Stadium Truck can handle rougher surfaces such as gravel, dirt and grass, but is also equally at home on tarmac.
An rc Monster Truck can handle just about any kind of surface, but might not be able to match an on-road car for speed.
If you want a general 'all-round' model that is great on tarmac and dirt, then a Stadium Truck or Buggy is probably your best bet, either 2 or 4 wheel drive depending on your needs and budget.
"Do I buy a nitro or electric car?"
This is an important question and one which you do need to think about carefully. The biggest factor to influence your answer will probably be your budget - how much can you afford?
Nitro rc cars and trucks are certainly more expensive, not only in terms of the model itself but also because a nitro model needs much more field equipment for the engine; glow plugs, glow plug igniter and charger, electric starter (if the engine isn't pull-start), fuel, fuel cleaner....
An electric rc car or truck really only needs a battery charger and spare battery pack, but even a spare pack isn't necessary if you don't mind waiting for the charge to complete.
However, nitro models will reward you with a bigger fun factor because of the noise, smell and faster speeds than electric models are capable of reaching. Also, you'll learn more from owning a nitro rc car or truck because they will have a higher level of maintenance because of the engine.
Another important thing to bear in mind is where you're going to drive it. A nitro model can very easily annoy the neighbors if you're going to race it around outside your home, whereas an electric model will go unnoticed. This 'nuisance factor' is an important one to consider.
"Are some RC cars and trucks better for beginners than others?"
Yes. The simplest 2 channel rc car or truck you can buy is an RTR electric one. RTR means 'Ready To Run' and they are exactly that; all you need to do is buy the batteries for the radio gear, charge the motor battery pack and go.
All the radio control gear etc. is installed and set up in an RTR model, and these are by far the best kind to go for if you want an easy introduction to the hobby.
As you gain experience you can move up to more complex nitro models such as 4 wheel drive, upgraded or race-tuned models.
"I want to enter competitions and races...How?"
That's pretty easy and usually just involves getting yourself along to a local rc car club or track. If you're not sure where to look, use our ever-growing club directory.
"What other advantages are there of joining a club?"
You'll benefit from joining an rc car club in many ways. For instance, you can enter local competitions and prove yourself amongst fellow racers, you can gain an infinite amount of knowledge as well as sharing your own experiences, you'll make new friends with the same interests....the list goes on.
Joining a club isn't expensive, and if you're just a little bit serious about the hobby it's one of the best things you can do.
"How easy is it to upgrade an RC car or truck?"
This depends totally on the model and how easily upgrade, or 'Hop-Up' parts are available. The process of upgrading parts is usually fairly straightforward, just a case of swapping the part over but, again, it does depend entirely on the model that you have.
As a general rule of thumb, the better/more expensive the model is then the more Hop-Ups will be available for it. Lower end/cheap rc cars and trucks might not be very upgradeable.
"I'm confused about RC 'channels'"
We'll forgive you, they can be a bit misleading at first. However, rather than answering this question here, take a look at the rc frequencies page.
"I can't get my nitro motor going!"
It's pretty normal that nitro engines don't always roar into life first go, they can be temperamental particularly on colder days.
The first thing to do is ask yourself whether you charged the glow plug igniter battery, that's a common problem! You did? Ok, then take out the plug and put it on the igniter. Does it glow? If not, replace it with a new plug because the old one has burned out.
If the igniter battery is good and the plug itself is good then it's most likely to be a fuel problem. How old is the fuel and have you been keeping it properly (in its container, tightly sealed)? If it's questionable then replace it with new because it may have reached its shelf life.
If the fuel is fine, there may be a blockage. The most likely place for this to occur is at the needle valve on the carburetor, as this is the narrowest point through which the fuel has to pass. Unscrew, remove and blow through the valve. Blow through it onto the palm of your hand so that if anything does come out you can see what it is. If it was blocked, buy an inline fuel filter! They're dead easy to fit and only cost a couple of bucks. Your local hobby shop should have them in stock, or get one online.
OK, so the igniter's good, the plug's good and the fuel is flowing freely but it still won't go - what now?
The most likely thing is that you've set the mixture wrongly. This is done by screwing the needle valve in or out. As a general rule of thumb, the needle valve should be set to about 2 1/2 turns out from fully closed, but it must be emphasized that this varies a huge amount between engines, but it is a good 'starting point'.
Keep trying the engine while adjusting the needle valve from this point, first screwing it in and then by screwing it out.
A danger of trying to start the engine while playing with the needle valve is that you end up flooding the engine which makes it impossible to start. Fortunately there's a very obvious tell-tale sign of a flooded engine; it's very difficult to turn over. If you think this may have happened, disconnect the fuel line from the carburetor and turn the engine over by hand or with a starter. Alternatively hold the model upside-down and tilt it to see if any fuel comes out of the carburetor.
If you still have no joy, I highly recommend a visit to your local hobby shop and/or rc car club with a big cry for help!
"Where can I buy a good rc car or truck?"
If you've got a local hobby store, pop along there and ask for advice; they'll be very happy to help, especially if you flash some cash.
If you're happy buying online, I can thoroughly recommend Red Rocket Hobbies for a fine selection of quality brand name rc cars and trucks.
Browse a good selection of popular rc cars and trucks here, if you're looking to buy.
