Many people look at Radio Control Cars as just toys and sometimes they are near the truth.
The main reason for that is that Radio Controlled Toys have in the past couple of years got
a LOT better in quality and even in performance.
This is not to say that Hobby grade Model "RC" ( radio control) Cars have lagged behind as they are certainly much more like driving a real car or truck than they were even 2 years ago.
There is not such a fine line any more between Radio Control Toys and Hobby Grade cars.
Both are available as either 4 wheel drive or all terrain vehicles or as racetrack style cars for use on flatter surfaces or even paving stones perhaps even indoors.
The main differences now are on the engines and for toys these are usually electric and
are powered mainly by AA or rechargeable batteries.
One thing to watch for is the difference between
Radio Control and Remote control remote control is usually a wire going from the car to the controlling handset whereas a Radio Control Car is not connected physically but commands are given by a wireless connection from free wireless transmitter handset to a receiver inside the car or truck.
Toy Cars are sometimes looked down on by some people in the Hobby communities but if people derive pleasure from toy grade cars then I am in favour of that.
Recently Toy cars come with much more durable bodies as makers know that some users like to stage collisions ! (But like their cars to work afterwards)
Hobby Grade Radio Control cars are pretty much always Radio Controlled.
Older models may be remote control.
These are sometimes very collectible.
One of the big differences is that Hobby Grade Cars are repairable in case of damage while many toy grade cars will just have to be patched us as best as the owner can manage. Spares are very rarely available for Toy Grade cars.
This is because Hobby grade cars now are mainly capable of being upgraded and spare parts are generally easily available.
The reason for this is that hobby grade cars often need tuning or the owners want to add
flashy new exhaust pipes,steering units or other great addons .
This is one of the ways that Hobby Car makers use to make extra income.
They supply a demand but sometimes supplies coming from the Far East take a while to arrive.
Electric cars are some of the cheapest and have minimal servicing needs like minor cleaning and replacing worn parts.
They are probably the best starter cars for a novice driver and are generally quite durable.
Electric cars are now supplied mainly with "brushless" engines and some earlier ones can be upgraded.
Nitro Cars have real small combustion engines - a miniaturized version of car engines although they run on special fuel based on Nitromethane,Methanol and oil - supplied usually by hobby stores.
These engines are known as Glow Plug engines and the cars powered by them can reach quite high speeds.
The engines can be replace often with larger capacity ones that supplied by the maker . These do however need a bit more maintenance as the fuel does spray around a little and they also need tuning.
It is much easier for the novice to buy a pre-tuned car in this category
These are known as Ready To Run cars.
Generally the Nitro cars are about 20 percent bigger than Electric Cars due to the
glow plug engines and they are much faster. (There are actually many different cars available and the crossover between electric and Nitro Cars in output is sometimes similar).
The next grade up is Hobby grade cars with real engines - these are known as "Gassers" or "Fuelies" and have much bigger engines similar in size to brush cutter engines and with a corresponding increase in power.
These are for the real enthusiast and cost much more than Nitro or Electric models.
Cars for Racing have very specific requirements for engine size and other needs.
You will always receive a transmitter handset with your radio control car and a manual.
Keep the manual safe - you WILL need it.
Second user cars are popular as many users upgrade.
Always make sure you get the manual and an assurance that the car will not be "DOA" (dead on arrival!).
If the car is not functioning properly then get your money back.
It is a good idea if buying at auction to always use Paypal which covers you for up to $500 in this case or in the case of nondelivery.
Keith Jones
For more Radio Control Information visit http://www.easyradiocontrol.com
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