Post by Rubbish on May 21, 2006 23:28:29 GMT 7
What is RC?
What’s RC? Well RC stands for Radio Control and is also commonly known as Remote Control and is a growing hobby. Don't be fooled by toy grade stuff(e.g. QD car). Hobby grade RC is a more fun with more work involved. I've had many questions asked about starting up this hobby by so many people interested in taking up this hobby of RC cars that I decided to start this F.A.Q to share whatever I know about RC. Here you'll find information on how to get started, what u need and what u need to do. Most of the information available are for beginners, if you feel that I've missed out any important details or wish to know more or add more Question Kindly PM me.
What is RC DRIFTING?
RC Drifting actually originated from 1:1 Scale Drifting Scene from Japan which involves the car to go sideways when entering a turn, but its not the fastest way around a bend but it sure is the coolest and due to the availability of a track and legal issue in Singapore we drifters turn to a more scale down, cheaper and safer means to drift and that is how RC Drifting in Sunny Singapore is started. In the world of Real Racing you need the skills, the car and the looks plus loads of money to be comparative. In RC Drifting is also the same, BUT minus the loads of money and what u needed most is skill. Skills come with practice, something I can't help you out.
What Kinds of RC Cars can DRIFT ?
All of the RC cars are driftable as long as it is a 4WD 1:10 car.
What is a Radio Controller (TX) ?
A Controller is a hand held device that lets you control your car using radio waves. There are of 2-9 channels(Like in a TV Channel) of Radio Controller available, but for RC Cars 2 channel will be enough. Which Means 1 for the throttle and 1 for the steering(Servo).
There are also two different types of Radio Controller available, one is the Stick Controller the other is the Wheel/Gun Controller, which the later one being more popular in Singapore due to the easy of use and also getting used to it.
Most of the Entry level Radio Controller are in AM (Amplitude Modulation) frequencies, where as intermediate and more high end Radio Controller are in FM (Frequency Modulation), PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) and the latest DSM Radios (Digital Spectrum Modulation) which the later produced a stronger and clearer signal to the Receiver. Whether your Radio Controller is in what kind of Frequency/Modulation does not really matter, as most of the drift track in Singapore are quiet tight/small, and your controller signal strenght will have more than enough power to transmitter to your receiver.
To power most of the Radio Controller you need eight 1.2 volts AA Battery. Getting eight rechargeable batteries will be better in the long run. There are also many different brands and models of Radio Controller to choose from E.G. Sanwa (Airtronics), Futaba and KO Propo
What is a Receiver (RX) ?
A Receiver is a device that is fixed onto your car that receives the signal from the transmitter and processes the information and sends it to the Servo and Electronic Speed Controller. The Receiver itself can be powered by separated batteries or the build in Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC) in the Receiver which allows the standard 7.2 volts that's used to power the car, to also power the Receiver and the servo with uses 6 volts without using separated batteries packs.
What is a Frequency Crystal?
A Frequency Crystal is small interchangeable "Chip" in a radio system that determines what frequency that the radio will operate on, as a radio operates on different frequencies. You will find a crystal in the Radio Controller and in the Receiver with the same frequency. E.G Radio Controller (TX 27.045 AM), Receiver (RX 27.045 AM). The TX means Transmission Crystal and RX Means Receiver Crystal.
What is a Motor ?
A Motor is a device that is used to move the car. There are also different sizes of Motor than can be used for RC Cars and the more commonly used ones are the 540 size. There are basically three types or Motor; Stock Motor, Modified motor and Brushless Motor.
Stock Motors usually have 27 or 23 turns with a fixed timing of 24 degree which produce a good balance between performance and costs.
A Modified motor usually is a motor with 20 turns or less with an adjustable timing. A Modified motor is usually used for performance only and not recommended for drifting due to the higher cost and maintances.
A Brushless Motor looks a lot like a brushed motor that has been turned inside out but magnets are attached to the armature instead of the can. A Brushless Motor has loads of torque and speed and is almost maintances free but due to the price it is rarely used, furthermore it is even harder to control.
More FAQ on Stock and Modified motor
Coming Soon
What is a Servo ?
A servo is a device that is used to operate the steering/turning of the RC car like the steering wheel of your car. A typical Servo looks like a rectangular box with a motor shaft coming out of one end and a connector with three wires out of the other end. The three wires are the Power, Ground, and Signal. Servos work with voltages between 4 and 6 volts. There are also 2 different kinds of servo Digital Servo and Analog Servo.
Digital Servo being a better servo due to the higher speed and trouqe but due to the cost, it is not really recommanded as a Standard Servo have no problem handling a drift car.
What is a Battery Pack ?
A Battery Pack consisted of 6 individual 1.2 volts battery to form a pack of 7.2 volts battery that is used as a power source to power the battery. There are now 3 types of Batteries, Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium), Ni-Mh (Nickel Metal Hydride) and the latest Li Po Battery (Lithium Polymer).
Ni-Cd is one the most commonly used form of batteries for electric RC Cars due amount of punch/power they provide, price and also more tolerant of overheating. But Ni-Cd have limited runtime due to the low capacity ,heavy and very prone to the "memory effect" Which mean to say when recharging a Ni-Cd battery that has not been fully discharged, it "remembers" the old charge and continues there till next time you use it. The memory effect is caused by crystallization of the battery's substances and can permanently reduce your battery's lifetime, even make it useless. To avoid it, you should completely discharge the battery and then fully recharge it again at least once every few weeks.
Ni-MH batteries are the later replacement battery for NiCad. As Ni-MH are have all the pros of Ni-Cd and is less affected by the memory effect than Ni-Cd and thus require less maintenance and conditioning. The capacity of a Ni-MH is approximately twice the capacity of its Ni-Cd but Ni-MH have problems at very high or low temperatures. And are recommend to be used for drifting.
Li Po batteries are now the rage but not that affordable due to the high cost. Li Po batteries advantages are because of lower weight due to the lightweight material used in construction which in turn increased in the play time. But the Speed Controllers must be calibrated to prevent excessive discharge when playing, which subsequently may damage the battery. Li Po specific chargers are also required to be used which may bring up the cost of using Li Po.
What is a Speed Controller ?
A Speed controller is a device that controls the amount of power that goes to your MOTOR. There are two types of Speed Controller, Mechanic Speed Control (MSC) and the Electronic Speed Control (ESC).
MSC uses a servo as a controller and a resistor to regulate power transfer from the battery to the motor as a means of throttle control. A MSC only have 2 steps in forward, neutral and 2 steps in reverse, which means Full Power or ½ power in forward, neutral and in reverse. This means that you have less control over the application of the throttle and not recommended for drifting due to the lack of modulation. Furthermore the moving parts in a MSC will wear out over time, the amount of space and weight the servo and the MSC takes up and also when a RC car equipped with a MSC runs out of radio range, the servo that controls the throttle is stuck where the receiver last heard from the radio. If you are running out of range or your Radio Frequency is being jammed at full throttle, u can imagine what is going to happen.
ESC stands for Electronic Speed Control, which is an electronic component that controls throttle input by regulating the current being sent through the motor. Most ESC's have more than 30 forward speeds which mean much finer control over the application of the throttle, better modulation, save space and weight and most important has no moving parts which means it can last much longer than a MSC. Unless of course you short circuit it.
What kind of Motor is suitable for DRIFTING ?
Most of the motor can be used for drifting, but to keep cost low, we prefer to use a Tuned Silver Can Motor, or a Tamiya Sport Tuned due to the low cost and maintenance.
What kind of Servo can be used for DRIFTING ?
Any standard size servo can be used: e.g. Futaba 3003, Sanwa 102,103,112 etc. Most of the time it will depend on your budget.
What kind of tires can be used for DRIFTING ?
There are a few kinds of drift tires in the market now: e.g. Yokomo Drift Tires, Tamiya Drift Tires, HPI Stage D Tires, Kawada Drift Tires and also the PVC Drift Tires.
We prefer to use the PVC Drift Tires is also due to the low cost, better control and low wear rate compare to the rest.
What is a Pinion and Spur ?
The Pinion is the smaller metal gear attached directly to your motor shaft, and the Spur is the larger plastic gear which the pinion meshes with. There are typically 2 main types of pitch for the gears, 48 Pitch or 64 Pitch. The number simply defines how many teeth there are on the gears for a fixed circumference. 48 Pitch has fewer teeth per centimeter and is a bit stronger as a result. 64 Pitch have more teeth per centimeter, more smoother but will wear out faster and not as strong.
What it means by Gear Ratio ?
The Gear Ratio tells you how many times your motor is going to have to turn in order to make the wheels turn by one complete round/revolution. In other words, if your ratio was 1.0, then for every round/rotation of the motor, your wheels would go around once. Getting the correct gear ratio for your particular motor is probably 1 of the most important aspect of your car set-up. Which also affect your car run time.
If you get the ratio wrong it will not only make your car slower but also damage the motor, by causing the motor to overheat. Most damage to the motor and brushes is caused by "over gearing", in other words, setting the overall gear ratio to too small a number. This is because at lower ratio's, the motor is trying to get the wheels moving to a high speed as soon as you push the stick to full throttle and this puts a lot of resistance on the motor and it heats up quickly - it has been known for motors to get so hot that the motor internal parts melt.
Of course it's hard to know what Gear Ratio is right for each motor, but you ask around and see how others have geared their car and calculator it out to see what Ratio they are using and then choose the correct Gears for your car to give a similar Gear Ratio as a good starting point.
How do i calculate my Gear Ratio ?
To calculate your gear ratio, first u must know what is your Internal Gear Ratio which is different from car to car. E.G. Yokomo CM, CGM, SSG, Black Special and RaySpeed is 2.35.
So now we find out what is the Gear Ratio by taking the Spur Divided by the Pinion and Multiply the Internal Ratio.
Example the Spur is 70 teeth, Pinion is 30 teeth and Internal Ratio is 2.35
70 Divided by 30 Equal 2.33
2.33 Multiply 2.35 Equal 5.48
So the Gear Ratio is 5.48
What Gear Ratio should i use for a Silver Can ?
For a Silver Can it is advicable to use a Gear Ratio of 5.0 to 5.5.
This F.A.Q will be updated Regularly
Drifters if got anymore questions kindly PM me or Bryant.
What’s RC? Well RC stands for Radio Control and is also commonly known as Remote Control and is a growing hobby. Don't be fooled by toy grade stuff(e.g. QD car). Hobby grade RC is a more fun with more work involved. I've had many questions asked about starting up this hobby by so many people interested in taking up this hobby of RC cars that I decided to start this F.A.Q to share whatever I know about RC. Here you'll find information on how to get started, what u need and what u need to do. Most of the information available are for beginners, if you feel that I've missed out any important details or wish to know more or add more Question Kindly PM me.
What is RC DRIFTING?
RC Drifting actually originated from 1:1 Scale Drifting Scene from Japan which involves the car to go sideways when entering a turn, but its not the fastest way around a bend but it sure is the coolest and due to the availability of a track and legal issue in Singapore we drifters turn to a more scale down, cheaper and safer means to drift and that is how RC Drifting in Sunny Singapore is started. In the world of Real Racing you need the skills, the car and the looks plus loads of money to be comparative. In RC Drifting is also the same, BUT minus the loads of money and what u needed most is skill. Skills come with practice, something I can't help you out.
What Kinds of RC Cars can DRIFT ?
All of the RC cars are driftable as long as it is a 4WD 1:10 car.
What is a Radio Controller (TX) ?
A Controller is a hand held device that lets you control your car using radio waves. There are of 2-9 channels(Like in a TV Channel) of Radio Controller available, but for RC Cars 2 channel will be enough. Which Means 1 for the throttle and 1 for the steering(Servo).
There are also two different types of Radio Controller available, one is the Stick Controller the other is the Wheel/Gun Controller, which the later one being more popular in Singapore due to the easy of use and also getting used to it.
Most of the Entry level Radio Controller are in AM (Amplitude Modulation) frequencies, where as intermediate and more high end Radio Controller are in FM (Frequency Modulation), PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) and the latest DSM Radios (Digital Spectrum Modulation) which the later produced a stronger and clearer signal to the Receiver. Whether your Radio Controller is in what kind of Frequency/Modulation does not really matter, as most of the drift track in Singapore are quiet tight/small, and your controller signal strenght will have more than enough power to transmitter to your receiver.
To power most of the Radio Controller you need eight 1.2 volts AA Battery. Getting eight rechargeable batteries will be better in the long run. There are also many different brands and models of Radio Controller to choose from E.G. Sanwa (Airtronics), Futaba and KO Propo
What is a Receiver (RX) ?
A Receiver is a device that is fixed onto your car that receives the signal from the transmitter and processes the information and sends it to the Servo and Electronic Speed Controller. The Receiver itself can be powered by separated batteries or the build in Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC) in the Receiver which allows the standard 7.2 volts that's used to power the car, to also power the Receiver and the servo with uses 6 volts without using separated batteries packs.
What is a Frequency Crystal?
A Frequency Crystal is small interchangeable "Chip" in a radio system that determines what frequency that the radio will operate on, as a radio operates on different frequencies. You will find a crystal in the Radio Controller and in the Receiver with the same frequency. E.G Radio Controller (TX 27.045 AM), Receiver (RX 27.045 AM). The TX means Transmission Crystal and RX Means Receiver Crystal.
What is a Motor ?
A Motor is a device that is used to move the car. There are also different sizes of Motor than can be used for RC Cars and the more commonly used ones are the 540 size. There are basically three types or Motor; Stock Motor, Modified motor and Brushless Motor.
Stock Motors usually have 27 or 23 turns with a fixed timing of 24 degree which produce a good balance between performance and costs.
A Modified motor usually is a motor with 20 turns or less with an adjustable timing. A Modified motor is usually used for performance only and not recommended for drifting due to the higher cost and maintances.
A Brushless Motor looks a lot like a brushed motor that has been turned inside out but magnets are attached to the armature instead of the can. A Brushless Motor has loads of torque and speed and is almost maintances free but due to the price it is rarely used, furthermore it is even harder to control.
More FAQ on Stock and Modified motor
Coming Soon
What is a Servo ?
A servo is a device that is used to operate the steering/turning of the RC car like the steering wheel of your car. A typical Servo looks like a rectangular box with a motor shaft coming out of one end and a connector with three wires out of the other end. The three wires are the Power, Ground, and Signal. Servos work with voltages between 4 and 6 volts. There are also 2 different kinds of servo Digital Servo and Analog Servo.
Digital Servo being a better servo due to the higher speed and trouqe but due to the cost, it is not really recommanded as a Standard Servo have no problem handling a drift car.
What is a Battery Pack ?
A Battery Pack consisted of 6 individual 1.2 volts battery to form a pack of 7.2 volts battery that is used as a power source to power the battery. There are now 3 types of Batteries, Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium), Ni-Mh (Nickel Metal Hydride) and the latest Li Po Battery (Lithium Polymer).
Ni-Cd is one the most commonly used form of batteries for electric RC Cars due amount of punch/power they provide, price and also more tolerant of overheating. But Ni-Cd have limited runtime due to the low capacity ,heavy and very prone to the "memory effect" Which mean to say when recharging a Ni-Cd battery that has not been fully discharged, it "remembers" the old charge and continues there till next time you use it. The memory effect is caused by crystallization of the battery's substances and can permanently reduce your battery's lifetime, even make it useless. To avoid it, you should completely discharge the battery and then fully recharge it again at least once every few weeks.
Ni-MH batteries are the later replacement battery for NiCad. As Ni-MH are have all the pros of Ni-Cd and is less affected by the memory effect than Ni-Cd and thus require less maintenance and conditioning. The capacity of a Ni-MH is approximately twice the capacity of its Ni-Cd but Ni-MH have problems at very high or low temperatures. And are recommend to be used for drifting.
Li Po batteries are now the rage but not that affordable due to the high cost. Li Po batteries advantages are because of lower weight due to the lightweight material used in construction which in turn increased in the play time. But the Speed Controllers must be calibrated to prevent excessive discharge when playing, which subsequently may damage the battery. Li Po specific chargers are also required to be used which may bring up the cost of using Li Po.
What is a Speed Controller ?
A Speed controller is a device that controls the amount of power that goes to your MOTOR. There are two types of Speed Controller, Mechanic Speed Control (MSC) and the Electronic Speed Control (ESC).
MSC uses a servo as a controller and a resistor to regulate power transfer from the battery to the motor as a means of throttle control. A MSC only have 2 steps in forward, neutral and 2 steps in reverse, which means Full Power or ½ power in forward, neutral and in reverse. This means that you have less control over the application of the throttle and not recommended for drifting due to the lack of modulation. Furthermore the moving parts in a MSC will wear out over time, the amount of space and weight the servo and the MSC takes up and also when a RC car equipped with a MSC runs out of radio range, the servo that controls the throttle is stuck where the receiver last heard from the radio. If you are running out of range or your Radio Frequency is being jammed at full throttle, u can imagine what is going to happen.
ESC stands for Electronic Speed Control, which is an electronic component that controls throttle input by regulating the current being sent through the motor. Most ESC's have more than 30 forward speeds which mean much finer control over the application of the throttle, better modulation, save space and weight and most important has no moving parts which means it can last much longer than a MSC. Unless of course you short circuit it.
What kind of Motor is suitable for DRIFTING ?
Most of the motor can be used for drifting, but to keep cost low, we prefer to use a Tuned Silver Can Motor, or a Tamiya Sport Tuned due to the low cost and maintenance.
What kind of Servo can be used for DRIFTING ?
Any standard size servo can be used: e.g. Futaba 3003, Sanwa 102,103,112 etc. Most of the time it will depend on your budget.
What kind of tires can be used for DRIFTING ?
There are a few kinds of drift tires in the market now: e.g. Yokomo Drift Tires, Tamiya Drift Tires, HPI Stage D Tires, Kawada Drift Tires and also the PVC Drift Tires.
We prefer to use the PVC Drift Tires is also due to the low cost, better control and low wear rate compare to the rest.
What is a Pinion and Spur ?
The Pinion is the smaller metal gear attached directly to your motor shaft, and the Spur is the larger plastic gear which the pinion meshes with. There are typically 2 main types of pitch for the gears, 48 Pitch or 64 Pitch. The number simply defines how many teeth there are on the gears for a fixed circumference. 48 Pitch has fewer teeth per centimeter and is a bit stronger as a result. 64 Pitch have more teeth per centimeter, more smoother but will wear out faster and not as strong.
What it means by Gear Ratio ?
The Gear Ratio tells you how many times your motor is going to have to turn in order to make the wheels turn by one complete round/revolution. In other words, if your ratio was 1.0, then for every round/rotation of the motor, your wheels would go around once. Getting the correct gear ratio for your particular motor is probably 1 of the most important aspect of your car set-up. Which also affect your car run time.
If you get the ratio wrong it will not only make your car slower but also damage the motor, by causing the motor to overheat. Most damage to the motor and brushes is caused by "over gearing", in other words, setting the overall gear ratio to too small a number. This is because at lower ratio's, the motor is trying to get the wheels moving to a high speed as soon as you push the stick to full throttle and this puts a lot of resistance on the motor and it heats up quickly - it has been known for motors to get so hot that the motor internal parts melt.
Of course it's hard to know what Gear Ratio is right for each motor, but you ask around and see how others have geared their car and calculator it out to see what Ratio they are using and then choose the correct Gears for your car to give a similar Gear Ratio as a good starting point.
How do i calculate my Gear Ratio ?
To calculate your gear ratio, first u must know what is your Internal Gear Ratio which is different from car to car. E.G. Yokomo CM, CGM, SSG, Black Special and RaySpeed is 2.35.
So now we find out what is the Gear Ratio by taking the Spur Divided by the Pinion and Multiply the Internal Ratio.
Example the Spur is 70 teeth, Pinion is 30 teeth and Internal Ratio is 2.35
70 Divided by 30 Equal 2.33
2.33 Multiply 2.35 Equal 5.48
So the Gear Ratio is 5.48
What Gear Ratio should i use for a Silver Can ?
For a Silver Can it is advicable to use a Gear Ratio of 5.0 to 5.5.
This F.A.Q will be updated Regularly
Drifters if got anymore questions kindly PM me or Bryant.