A Guide to Electric RC Cars
RC racing is one of the most enjoyable and interesting hobbies someone can be involved in. Before you get into electric RC cars, it is important to understand some of the basics of how electric rc cars work and what it takes to maintain your electric racer. First off electric rc cars are simpler than their gas counter parts and may not have an engine, coming only with a battery pack instead and is driven by a simpler to maintain electric motor. Electric rc cars are perfect for small children because they are simple to operate, can be driven indoors inside the house and don’t have smell exhaust like nitro or gas powered cars. Also if your child is very young you may not want him working with flammable materials and fuels such as nitro or gas for safety reasons.
As far as power is concerned, electric rc cars are simple to understand. You just need to get the standard batteries that are required and specified in the instruction manual. If needed you can also exceed the voltage limits buy using stronger batteries. This will give you more power for you vehicle and a longer life. Also a possibility with electric cars is that you can use rechargeable batteries and save a lot on your power costs. It’s common for people to buy multiple rechargeable battery packs for their racers so that if they run out of power from one set of charges, they can switch to another set of charged up batteries that are ready. A typical charge will give you anywhere from 20-30 minutes of life. Also the great things about electric rc cars is that because of their simplicity they are a great way to get into rc racing before moving on to more complicated models like gas or nitro fueled racers.
One of the great benefits of electric rc cars is that maintenance and trouble shooting is simpler. Because there is no gas engine you don’t have to worry about oiling your car or tuning the engine. Really the only thing you need to do is test the engine once you buy your car. The first thing you want to do before you race your rc car is to turn it upside down and run the engine at full speed. This is to test the car to make sure everything is running but also to get the brushes to set in properly. Doing this one simple step will go a long way to making sure your electric racer will run at optimal levels and will add life to your motor and your car. The motor should be replaced every time you run through a half dozen brushes.
A lot of electric rc cars today are built to run on a rechargeable 7.2 volt battery pack. As we mentioned earlier it is recommended that you get a spare pack ready on hand so that you can switch packs while racing at the track. Also, do not neglect the power in the transmitter, those usually require standard AA batteries. Having power in your transmitter is important in maintain control of your car during a race you want to make sure you always have a clear signal to your vehicle during a race. Though not needed it is recommended that you get rechargeable batteries too or your controller as they will save you money in the long run.
Another thing to consider for your rc racer is what kinds of tracks you will be running on. Electric rc races can be tuned to run on road or off road. If you are planning to run your cars mainly inside the house or at indoor tracks you’ll want to account for making sure your car can navigate on smooth or felt covered surfaces, which is what most indoor tracks are set up with. This can include tracks that are straight, oval or circuit and circular. However if you plan to race your car out doors you’ll want to go for an off road set up. You want to make sure your car can navigate in a rough terrain with dirt and blockages and also be able to take some punishment from bumps crashes and falls. In off road setups it’s important to make sure your car has great suspension and shocks to absorb jumps and falls as well.
Though most people will opt to buy their cars out of the box and drive them many enthusiasts will build their cars from scratch. Choosing to do this is most fun because you can customize every aspect of your electric racer to make it truly just yours. You will need to decide on the frame (car or truck) the electric motor and battery pack configuration. If you so you set up right you can have a monster racer that can go up to 50+ miles an hour.
There are a lot of things to consider when purchasing your rc racer. Learning more about how these great toys work will go a far way in getting the most out of your electric rc car. Electric rc racing is a great way to get started in rc racing and a terrific way to learn about the sport. Starting with electric and grow to other things like build your own racers are moving on to more complicated gas powered models.
