RC cars

done something silly but made the kong head massive fun and a bit of a challenge to drive, i put in a old 3900kv brushless system lol

one handed control while attempting to video it so i never got to full speed till i put the phone down and kong survived :)

www.youtube.com

konghead brushless test

www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 
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Hi ,
I'm hoping some people here might be able to help me about buying a RC for my Son for christmas please

My son is 13 in new year and owns a few cheap RC to play in the house with but I'm looking for that next level up something that would run outside fine but also around the house on carpet too .

I've been looking on rcgeeks for some 4wd trucks etc but I'm unsure what to go for and batteries etc so hoping i could get some advice please

Been looking at these different truck for him
www.rcgeeks.co.uk

Maverick Phantom XT 1/10 Brushed Truck

In jumps the new Phantom XT - enough speed to keep you on your toes, super easy to drive, in an awesome, fun package giving a great taster for the RC hobby!If it's action you want - The Phantom XT comes preloaded with the MM-550 Brushed electric 550 high torque motor powering a tough shaft...
www.rcgeeks.co.uk www.rcgeeks.co.uk
www.rcgeeks.co.uk

Absima AMT3.4 4WD Monster Truck 1/10 RTR

Fast and powerful, the new Hotshot 3.4 series is equipped with a powerful brushed electric motor, with heat sink, and waterproof* electronic speed (ESC).
www.rcgeeks.co.uk www.rcgeeks.co.uk
www.rcgeeks.co.uk

Maverick Quantum MT 1/10 Monster Truck Blue

The Quantum MT kits enjoy the same great features as the XT in a crowd pleasing Monster Truck form. So in addition to the Molded Tub Chassis with Hex Pattern Reinforcement, oversized 2.8" wheel design and adjustable wheelie bar (features shared across the Quantum range) The MT takes advantage of...
www.rcgeeks.co.uk www.rcgeeks.co.uk
www.rcgeeks.co.uk

Absima AMT3.4BL 4WD Brushless Monster Truck RTR

"The Hot-Blooded-Shot" is probably the best way to describe action-packed racing with the new Absima RC Car generation.
www.rcgeeks.co.uk www.rcgeeks.co.uk
https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/collectio...um-mt-flux-v2-80a-1-10-4wd-monster-truck-blue (did like the look of this one )
www.rcgeeks.co.uk

FTX RamRaider 1/10 Brushless Monster Truck - Red/Blue

The FTX RamRaider 1/10th Monster Truck is perfect for off-road bashing enthusiasts who crave power and durability works with the established Rokatan chassis. With a Hobby wing 50A brushless speed control and a 2500kv motor, this Ready-to-Run beast delivers thrilling speed and control, making it...
www.rcgeeks.co.uk www.rcgeeks.co.uk

Is the extra price worth paying on these as they range from £130 to £240 , Also brush or brushless?

Also with regards to batteries we're going to pay for an extra one that last longer

But looking I'm a bit confused 7.4V , 11.1V 14.8V

I assume more volts the better ? so a HPI Plazma 11.1V 5300mAh 40C LiPo Battery Pack is going to last longer than a HPI Plazma 7.4V 5300mAh 40C LiPo Battery Pack , correct ?

Really hoping someone can shed some light al this for me so i can get one ordered for christmas for him .

Thank you for your time
Scott.
 
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@Matrix

Brush vs brushless: Brushed are typically cheaper (and can use cheaper speed controllers), while brushless are lower maintenance and slightly better efficiency.

As for batteries, all the voltages you have listed relate to LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries, which require a better charger than NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride), which are typically 7.2 or 8.4v

For LiPo each cell has a nominal output of 3.7v and are connected in series, so 2S=7.4v, 3S= 11.1V, 4S=14.8v etc. (you will need to make sure the speed controller etc are rated for the voltage of the battery 2S is the norm and most will handle 3S without too much issue)
The higher the voltage, the more power the motor will output (roughly speaking, there are other factors that effect this, such as the number of winds for brushed motors, lower = more power.......for Brushless higher KV = more power I think...I'm a bit rusty on the details!)

The value that will have most impact on how long the battery lasts is the capacity (mAh, so for both the batteries you've described this is 5300). Btw, the 40C rating is the highest rate of discharge the battery is rated for, meaning more power but can run out quicker....40C is mid range-ish!

I have a Maverick Strada Drift/Road car myself and they are a decent introductory kit for a beginner (although I changed the motor in mine for something a bit pokier!), they come fully assembled and with everything you need (apart from maybe some AA batteries for the controller), I'm not sure if the Abisma kits require any assembly and definitely require a bettery + charger to be bought separately.

Regarding batteries, I'd probably recommend getting a half decent fast charger (start around £40) and 2-3 small to mid size batteries, as they won't last too long either way, but you can charge another and swap them with relatively little downtime.

If there is an RC hobby club in your area they'll probably be able to give you better advice than I can, or call the shops, they're usually staffed by people with a lot of knowledge on the hobby!
 
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TrojanWhore said:
@Matrix

Brush vs brushless: Brushed are typically cheaper (and can use cheaper speed controllers), while brushless are lower maintenance and slightly better efficiency.

As for batteries, all the voltages you have listed relate to LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries, which require a better charger than NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride), which are typically 7.2 or 8.4v

For LiPo each cell has a nominal output of 3.7v and are connected in series, so 2S=7.4v, 3S= 11.1V, 4S=14.8v etc. (you will need to make sure the speed controller etc are rated for the voltage of the battery 2S is the norm and most will handle 3S without too much issue)
The higher the voltage, the more power the motor will output (roughly speaking, there are other factors that effect this, such as the number of winds for brushed motors, lower = more power.......for Brushless higher KV = more power I think...I'm a bit rusty on the details!)

The value that will have most impact on how long the battery lasts is the capacity (mAh, so for both the batteries you've described this is 5300). Btw, the 40C rating is the highest rate of discharge the battery is rated for, meaning more power but can run out quicker....40C is mid range-ish!

I have a Maverick Strada Drift/Road car myself and they are a decent introductory kit for a beginner (although I changed the motor in mine for something a bit pokier!), they come fully assembled and with everything you need (apart from maybe some AA batteries for the controller), I'm not sure if the Abisma kits require any assembly and definitely require a bettery + charger to be bought separately.

Regarding batteries, I'd probably recommend getting a half decent fast charger (start around £40) and 2-3 small to mid size batteries, as they won't last too long either way, but you can charge another and swap them with relatively little downtime.

If there is an RC hobby club in your area they'll probably be able to give you better advice than I can, or call the shops, they're usually staffed by people with a lot of knowledge on the hobby!
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for taking the time to write that very helpful .

For what my son would do with it which is really play in the house with it and then out and about when it's a bit warmer . I'm thinking something like something long the lines of this
www.rcgeeks.co.uk

Maverick Quantum MT 1/10 Monster Truck Blue

The Quantum MT kits enjoy the same great features as the XT in a crowd pleasing Monster Truck form. So in addition to the Molded Tub Chassis with Hex Pattern Reinforcement, oversized 2.8" wheel design and adjustable wheelie bar (features shared across the Quantum range) The MT takes advantage of...
www.rcgeeks.co.uk www.rcgeeks.co.uk

and possibly adding one of these https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/collectio...i-plazma-7-2v-5000mah-nimh-stick-battery-pack and a fast charger like this https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/collectio...der-rc6-vsr-80-watt-7a-ac-dc-charger-with-fan Does that sound about right?

not sure if paying a bit more for something like this he will benefit much from if I'm honest Maverick Quantum MT Flux V2 80A 1/10 4WD Monster Truck ? https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/collectio...um-mt-flux-v2-80a-1-10-4wd-monster-truck-blue

Thanks once again for your time and help .
 
Brushless is much, much faster than brushed, also a lot more reliable as there are no friction points on the armature of the motor. They're more expensive, can take an absolute ton of abuse and are extremely versatile in what they can take voltage wise. A brushed motor is cheaper, older tech which has been around for as long as motors have.

That being said, you mention driving around on carpets at home, firstly unless you live in a massive house, a 1/10 scale will never work. He'll be constantly crashing in to things and breaking them, and the car. Brushless in a home is just asking for trouble, particularly if he's keen on adding batteries for more power.

For brand and budget, any good, well known brand will suffice until he really starts pushing it, at which point budget will likely become a problem way before the quality does. Find out what's popular and buy that. Money wise, sky is the limit. You can spend a hundred quid on a Tamiya kit, or go for a £4k Raminator (which probably won't even fit in your car, these things are big.)

What sort of car do you think he wants? Buggy? Truck? Truggy?

Check out Kevin Talbot on Youtube, he's pretty good for this:

 
I've got the Maverick Quantum XT Flux 80A @Matrix. It's just a Truggy version of the Monster truck you linked. I'd say it's not remotely suitable for indoor use unless your house is massive! You'll destroy the car and various things in the house if you go near full throttle, and it'll be no fun at all driving slowly. Even the slower brushed version would be way too much imo.

About the only RC cars I'd consider for indoor use would be 1/18 scale and smaller. There's lots of interesting options at the 1/24th scale.
 
@Matrix - Happy to help and hopefully my explanations are clear enough to make sense!

If it's going to be used in the house and occasionally outside then I'm sure either of those trucks would be fine (don't necessarily want anything too fast as he may end up crashing it in to stuff!), the more expensive of the models listed doesn't appear to come with a battery and if going for that one I'd probably recommend a LiPo (2S or 3S).

The battery you've linked will be perfect for the cheaper truck.

The charger you have linked will be great for now (with the NiMH battery) and for anything he upgrades to in the future (including LiPo), but as far as I can see doesn't come with a tamiya connector, so you'd need an extra cable https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/collectio...products/overlander-tamiya-to-4mm-charge-lead

Or alternatively this charger will still be great for NiMH and comes with the correct connector (tamiya)
www.rcgeeks.co.uk

HPI Reactor 600 NimH/LiPo Charger

The HPI Reactor 600 is the ultimate charging companion for every RC hobbyist's toolbox! This 50W AC100-240V mains input charger has great compatibility with currenty available RC battery types including NiMH, NiCd, LiPo, LiFE and LiHV. The reactor 600 has a simple a 2 button control and suits...
www.rcgeeks.co.uk www.rcgeeks.co.uk
Although as far as I can tell it won't do 'balancing' (basically a maintenance cycle) for LiPo's

As Diddums says above, worth finding out if it's the type of car he would like (road cars were typically more popular in my school, although that was 20 years ago :P ) and as stated, consider the crash potential - any of these will be A LOT faster than toy RC vehicles you may be used to!
 
Thank you to you al for taking the time to reply and help me out and make suggestions.
Guess i never thought of the size if I'm honest as much as he's play out side with I'm sure he'll want to use it around the house too .

I've just had a quick look now while eating breakfast at 1/18 scale so would something along this type of thing be ok in house?

www.modelsport.co.uk

Absima Storm 1:18 4WD High Speed Monster Truck 2.4GHz - Red 18005

18005 - Absima Storm 1:18 4WD High Speed Monster Truck 2.4GHz - Red
www.modelsport.co.uk www.modelsport.co.uk
www.modelsport.co.uk

RC Cars, Remote Control Cars and Radio Controlled Cars from Modelsport UK

Discover the UK largest range of RC Cars, R/C Cars, Remote Control Cars, Radio Control Cars, Radio Controlled Cars and Plastic Model Kits. You will find popular brands such as Tamiya, HPI, Traxxas, Kyosho, Absima and many more. We also stock a huge range of spares and accessories.
www.modelsport.co.uk www.modelsport.co.uk
www.modelsport.co.uk

Absima Hurricane 1:18 4WD High Speed Truggy 2.4GHz - Blue 18001

18001 - Absima Hurricane 1:18 4WD High Speed Truggy 2.4GHz - Blue
www.modelsport.co.uk www.modelsport.co.uk

Reading up maybe a truggy would be better for him ?


Open to any suggestions of RC 1/18 options to if anyone know of any.

Once more thanks for the help and advice
 
Also truggys are more fun that's what I used to race

Also have a look at the tamiya line 1/10 scale where you have to build it yourself if your lad gets more into it there is racing clubs dotted around the country that do indoor and outdoor races with tamiya other specialised racing brands get stupidly expensive tho
 
Brutal biff said:
The abisma line will probably be easier get spare parts for

When I used to race the 1st thing I'd look at is what make is easiest to get spares for
Click to expand...

Yeah had a look on model sport and it looked like it had decent spares etc , assume abisma would work on carpet fine when he's not using it outside .

Though it does seem with those i posted above biggest battery i could get for it would be Overlander 2600mAh 7.4v 2s Li-Ion Battery Pack - Absima SM2.5 2P ?

Thanks
 
hillbilly2 said:
Anyone had much experience with the Kyosho Inferno nitro buggy's? Thinking of building a track at home for the summer.
Click to expand...

I raced with a kyosho nitro truggy excellent bits of kit just follow the breaking in process for the engine should be golden what I would advise tho is convert the engine to start off a starter box instead of that naff pull cord
 
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