R/C cars: try not to say the words "scale speed"

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > R/C cars: try not to say the words "scale speed"

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

mutt2jeff posted:

I hope somebody comes along who knows something about the 4x4 obstacle course type R/C's, I really crave a Unimog one.

Yeah, RC rock-crawling always appealed to me. As it is, I just love bashing around with my fifteen-year-old Tamiya Toyota pickup in the garden. I keep thinking about getting back into RC models more seriously, but I know I'd just end up doing incredible damage to my wallet (I love trick bits. My RC rallycar has an ESC with an ABS function, just because), so I stick to my rough-and-ready old toys.

# ¿ Apr 27, 2009 21:30

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# ¿ May 6, 2024 04:39

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

kuffs posted:

Come on dude, did you even read the end of my post?

$400-500

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0161p?&I=LZ1404**

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0161p?&I=LZ1028**

If he just wants something for messing about with, that's still a fair chunk of change. What about something like this Tamiya Dualhunter for $260? http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0161p?&I=LZ0871**. Yes, I know he specified RTR, but Tamiya kits are really easy to put together.

I'd heartily recommend one of these: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0161p?&I=L7GA83**. It's the same TA-02 chassis as my Prerunner, pretty long in the tooth now, but it's good fun on both dirt and pavement, tough, simple and reliable. It also has the advantage that, if you want to, you can change out the wheels/tyres and a couple of other parts and fit it with a road or rally car body.

RTR Tamiya Hummer, $250: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXRCW7&P=7.

InitialDave fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Apr 28, 2009

# ¿ Apr 28, 2009 21:46

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

kuffs posted:

Does anyone else dig the angle that some manufacturers are taking to bring them back into scale replicas?

Agreed, I've never been a fan of the truggy style, I prefer cars that look at least loosely like scale models.

# ¿ Apr 28, 2009 22:41

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Idiot race posted:

Just a quick question for krushgroove, seeing as you are in the uk also. What sites would you reccccccccccccomend buying from? There is a hobbystore not to far from where I live, but I dont know if they are any good or not.

Also is that a good combination, or is that motor too much for a beginner?

I've used http://www.modelsport.co.uk/ before, they were good to deal with.

# ¿ May 22, 2009 21:48

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Astrolite posted:

Now if only I could somehow add rust..

Humbrol enamel #113.

# ¿ Jun 7, 2009 14:39

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Somewhat Heroic posted:

https://www.bajasonly.com

If you watch Richard Hammond's "Top Gear Uncovered" DVD, there's what appears to be a jet-powered Baja used in a drag race. If anyone knows the guys who were involved in that, it might make an interesting article. Also comedy "let's jump RC cars over a 747" clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY5D8eFReIA

Bonus video of solving the problem of track size being limited by how far you can see from the podium:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck45SgoNEHw

# ¿ Jan 23, 2010 01:14

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

krushgroove posted:

Download the manual and get very intimate with the exploded views Building it up piece by piece (wasn't there an old country song where a guy did that with a Cadillac?) is the long and very expensive way to do it (remember you'll be paying for shipping, etc.), but this is the use of the ultimate WDK (Wife Don't Know) fund

Boring suggestion, but have the kit shipped to your work, and smuggle it home piece by piece?

# ¿ Jan 28, 2010 23:44

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I got an email advertising these the other day. Not sure what the quality's like, but they seem quite cute:

# ¿ Feb 19, 2010 13:46

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I picked up this little guy at the weekend, isn't it cute?

Great fun for messing around on the living room floor (gets even better the more junk I've left lying around). All set with nice low gearing and pretty sticky tyres. Only the front axle steers, but the transmission is all spools, no differentials.

The sole flaws I've found are that you have to remove the body to get at the charging cable, and the cable for the steering servo is stiff enough that its routing effectively raises the spring rate on one corner much higher than the others.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2011 22:13

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

For your first time building a kit, Tamiya's stuff is very, very good. Good quality kits with excellent instructions. If they do something you like, I'd recommend them to anyone. I suppose it depends on what you want.

Is this a mess-around-in-car-parks toy?

# ¿ Aug 12, 2011 21:57

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Laserface posted:

Eflite/Losi connections are my connector of choice.

deans are too loving hard to unplug.

They should make a plug format called Richard. It would let you plug a Dean and Anderson together using a penknife and duck tape rather than solder.

# ¿ Aug 24, 2011 19:04

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

My mate just gave me his 1st-gen Kyosho DST. I was intending to give it a strip down and get everything all cleaned up, and I believe the engine (GXR18) is in need of a piston and liner - anything else I should look into, or do to it when I have it apart?

# ¿ Sep 4, 2011 13:35

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I saw a Traxxas Summit at a shop the other day, and it looks awesome. Love the remote difflocks and gearshift - bit pricey, but not totally insane.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2011 20:39

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

If it makes you feel any better, a 5SC SS kit would set me back $1,420 in the first place, so maybe it's not so bad.

Also, do you really need to buy all the shims? Can't you check it with a feeler gauge or mic as required and buy only what you need?

# ¿ Sep 17, 2011 12:21

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I spotted that a shop here has a Yokomo Nano-Crawler, reckon I should pick one up? Looks like fun.

# ¿ Oct 11, 2011 16:21

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

InitialDave posted:

I spotted that a shop here has a Yokomo Nano-Crawler, reckon I should pick one up? Looks like fun.

I did buy one in the end, isn't it cute?

It actually about fits in with my 1:43 diescasts:

Driving it around the desk is quite fun, though I do notice that there's a fair bit of slop in all the joints etc, and a tiny bit of control lag (such as when you release the throttle). And the suspension is too stiff, really - but that's hardly the point, it's a fun little toy that didn't cost much.

Note that I have the Mk1 version, there is a Mk2, which I believe has some slight upgrades, but the shop only had this one in stock.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2011 15:53

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I don't think this has been posted in here yet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZiRMKoOTBA

# ¿ Dec 20, 2011 22:53

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

If someone can walk out with a transponder without anyone noticing, it's clearly not a very good transponder.

# ¿ May 24, 2012 17:34

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Yeah, crawlers are like the Japanese rock garden side of RC. I don't know what that makes my Yokomo NanoQLO. Bonsai, maybe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYVQ9W7AA98

# ¿ Aug 4, 2012 17:43

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

So, anyone here like R/C? And crawlers? And Lego?

# ¿ Sep 6, 2012 19:52

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

front wing flexing posted:

Retrofit all that poo poo into the unimog and you got a deal.

This is what the alternative build is for the kit:

InitialDave fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Sep 6, 2012

# ¿ Sep 6, 2012 20:14

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Nerobro posted:

Where are all the "good hobby shop" stories?

Shizuoka.

# ¿ Oct 23, 2012 20:49

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

The Traxxas Summit has difflocks, which I still think is cool as hell.

# ¿ Oct 28, 2012 22:43

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

krushgroove posted:

I haven't been on their stand yet but I always love drooling over the dioramas and etched metal bits for their static models.

If you ever find yourself out in Japan, make a point of popping in to their headquarters in Shizuoka. From one perspective, it's nothing special - a room of display cabinets with both historically significant models and previous winners of competitions, a few old cars they've used as the basis of models, and a small shop, but there's something about it that makes it clear they really do enjoy what they do.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2013 23:40

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Carisma make one, not sure what the quality's like.
http://www.modelsport.co.uk/carisma-audi-rallye-quattro-pre-painted-bodyshell/rc-car-products/367478

# ¿ Feb 13, 2013 21:12

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

mehall posted:

Anyone in the UK:

Tonight, several interesting price changes are going through the tills in Modelzone. From tomorrow morning, the following Tamiya RC's are reduced:

Yeah, thanks for this, my local store had a couple of them in stock. I wish it was the Lunch Box that was reduced, though...

# ¿ Mar 22, 2013 21:05

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Honestly, for a "toy", a used Tamiya may be a good bet. Common, generally well-supported, decent enough quality.

Something like this maybe: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-Ford-F-150-Racing-Truck-58161-TA01-TA02-/121109797360?pt=US_Radio_Control_Control_Line&hash=item1c32b4d9f0. I had the Toyota Prerunner truck on the same chassis, and it was a fantastic little truck for buggering about with in a back garden etc.

# ¿ May 17, 2013 21:32

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Does anyone in the UK (or elsewhere who has deep pockets for postage) want a Kyosho DST? Complete, but doesn't run right.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2013 18:42

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

General_Failure posted:

I like R/C cars! Besides the Radio Shack / whatever ones they have always been a bit out of my reach but I love looking at them!

I have a question. I was looking in this kickass shop that's at least 50% radio controlled things and saw something interesting. It wasn't any of the really nice things displayed on walls or on shelves. It was in a cardboard box with a plastic window. The whole thing was about a hand length and it was a rock crawler apparently. Compared to some of the really good quality things I've seen elsewhere and on here it couldn't hold a candle to them but I thought it was neat. It seemed to have independent steering on the front and rear with servos that sat above the control arms, and looked to have front and rear U joint prop shafts going to something in the middle. Cold have been a TC, who knows. But what got me was how tiny it was.
What I want to know is where do you use such a thing? All I could think of is it'd be brilliant to mess up someone's Zen garden, but beyond that what do you do with a tiny rock crawler?

I have a Yokomo NanoQlo, which is about as small as I've ever seen one. It's awesome desktop fun.

# ¿ Sep 5, 2013 23:23

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

General_Failure posted:

It was a lot like that. But on digging up more photos I think it was a little different and perhaps a tiny shade larger but I'm not sure. I think the steering servos and linkage were a bit different and the prop shafts looked maybe 6mm thick and fairly short. If that store wasn't 100km away I'd drop in for another look to see what it was.

Something like that would have a super challenging time with all the poo poo adorning every surface here.

I have a Losi Micro Crawler as well, which is significantly bigger (six inches total length).

# ¿ Sep 7, 2013 00:21

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I found this today. Yep, a 1/10 Suzuki Cappuccino bodyshell.

# ¿ Oct 11, 2013 16:57

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Hey, I've read a couple of articles on that site. Hopefully it'll be an interesting sideline for you.

In other news, I did some more shopping when I was on holiday in Japan:

Just some cars I fancied. The Clod and the Lunchbox are models I've wanted to have since I was about 8, so it's nice to finally get them :3:

. If any of you are ever going to Tokyo, check out RC Champ in Akihabara, they're really cheap. That Clod cost me ~�130, compared to the ~�300 they go for in the UK (RRP is �375).

Anyway, not sure when I'll get around to building them, but it's been a few years since I had any kits to put together, so I'm a bit out of the loop on what's available. I'm guessing that 2.4GHz is the way to go with radios now? Looks like Etronix have some good-value stuff that's a reasonable spec? I prefer sticks to wheels, too.

For power, it seems that LiPo is the thing now. Any recommendations for good value cells and chargers? No racing or hot motors and the like, my usage is mainly going to just be messing about with them in parks etc.

# ¿ Oct 23, 2013 17:51

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Is the battery just a 6-cell 7.2v Ni-Cad pack of some kind?

# ¿ Nov 22, 2013 18:58

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

At a guess, is it a little over 60mm long? I'm going to take a stab that it's a pack of 6 "N" sized 1.2v Ni-Cads, based on what the label says. Try googling for some of those and break out the soldering iron.

# ¿ Nov 22, 2013 20:43

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

I would suggest maybe a Tamiya TT or DF Chassis rally car would fit your needs as an all-rounder/first "real" RC car.

InitialDave fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Dec 19, 2013

# ¿ Dec 19, 2013 23:16

InitialDave: Jun 14, 2007; I Want To Believe.

Most kits are the body & chassis of the car, a cheap motor, and maybe a speed controller. You will need some simple tools (e.g. a screwdriver), a radio set (transmitter, receiver, steering servo), a speed controller if you didn't get one in the kit, paint for the bodyshell, battery pack and charger for the car, batteries for the transmitter. Most shops will do you a combo bundle with a kit so you get everything you need bar some AA-size cells for the transmitter and the paint.

A reason I recommended Tamiya is that their kits are really easy to build and generally good quality.

Edit: Do you have an approximate budget?

InitialDave fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Dec 19, 2013

# ¿ Dec 19, 2013 23:32