OVAL COURSE 2
Have two or three pairs of pylons forming gates and run your car through them as accurately as possible. You will find it much harder than the oval course No.1. For the first period of time, arrange the pylons at a wide space, narrow them gradually, then at last put them at a space of one meter. Practice in both rotations, clockwise and counterclockwise.

ROAD COURSE
When finishing course No.1 and No.2 you have mastered the basic driving techniques. Now you should proceed to complex courses. Build a road course with the pylons, from basic figure “T” and “L” courses to more complicated circuits, assortment of figure “L” and hairpin curves, high speed curve and slaloms.

CAR STEERS OPPOSITELY?
If you are a novice driver and not sufficiently accustomed to R/C car driving, you may feel as if the car steered oppositely to the transmitter movement when the car runs toward you. To solve this problem, try to imagine you were driving in the R/C car. As you repeat the basic exercise, you will get used to this way of thinking and control the model smoothly.

WHERE TO LOOK WHEN DRIVING
When you drive a car, it is important what you keep your eye on. Suppose the squares described are the field of vision, Put your Point of sight on the forward part of the area of vision with a car placed at the rear. The car moves at a rate of 8.3meters per sec when the hourly speed is 30km/h. With your point of site on the car itself you cannot keep clear of obstacles ahead, because it is to late to notice them; nor can you take corners easily.

Vivid Fluorescent orange pylons are useful for marking a track. Soft resin material does not damage your R/C car during impacts. To find out more about purchasing click the image on right.

Corner Pylon
Improving your R/C skills on the Track
Operating a radio controlled car in the open is one thing, but running it on a closed track is entirely different. Even though you are not competing, and only practicing, driving on a track will add much to your driving skills. You can also observe techniques used by experienced drivers running highly tuned cars at the track.

No particular skill is required for driving a car just straight, and the drag speed is limited by the car’s own inherent performance capability. However, at curves, your finesse of taking corners affects the result even among cars of the same performance. Especially in speed races, the cornering technique is one of the decisive factors. After becoming accustomed to the car, try to practice smooth, speedy and stable cornering.

“Slow-In and fast-Out” is a golden rule In speed controlling at curves, and “Out-ln-Out” instructs how to steer a car. Briefly, you should control speed in “Slow-In and Fast-Out” manner and steer a car in “Out-ln-Out” way.

WHAT’S “SLOW-IN AND FAST-OUT”
Decelerating when entering into a curve and picking up the speed after a vertex of the curve is the technique. In the case of entering bends without reducing speed, the car is forced to slow down before finishing comers to lose speed and stability. In the worst cases, the car might spin or run off the course. It also gets the car moving too late to pick up speed. As a result “Slow-In and Fast-Out” is the fastest way to take corner’s.

WHAT’S “OUT-IN-OUT”
It is, as illustrated, a way of turning curves from the outside line of a course Into the inside line to which the car will come closest at the vortexes (clipping points) and finishing the cornering approach back to the outside line, thus making the longest possible turning radius. By utilizing the full width of the course, the car will make an easier turn than the actual curve. So the car may be allowed to run through It faster.

SET THE CUPPING POINT AFTER THE VERTEX
As a matter of fact, however, it seems more advantageous to set the clipping point a little after the vertex, because it allows easier latter half cornering and enables the car more powerful acceleration into the straight course, in spite of sharper first half cornering.

ACCELERATION DURING THE LATTER HALF OF A CURVE IS IMPORTANT
Both “Slow-In and Fast-out” and “Out-in-Out” techniques are established from attaching more importance to velocity in the latter half of cornering than the first half. This has something to do with the acceleration of a car; that is a car increasing speed faster than other cars at the latter half can take the lead in the successive straight track, provided the cars should have the same pickup and maximum speed capability. This principle is true anywhere except in a very wide road where you are not required to reduce the speed at all.

THE LAST CURVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN A CHAIN
The last curve is the most important In continuous curves. In successive bends of a road, steer your car so that it will make the easiest turn at the last curve. Then you will be able to speed it up as soon as getting into the straight course.

CONSIDER COMPLEX CURVES AS ONE
Consider complex curves as one integrated compound. In the case of complex curves with different radii, you can manage to get through by considering them as one complex curve and making a cornering passage.

TAKE THE INSIDE LINE ON GENTLE CURVES
Although the “slow-In, fast-out” and the “out-in-out” rules are basic for cornering. If the curve Is gentle enough, there is little, or no need to reduce speed. Naturally, it is advantageous to use the inside line throughout the curve, when possible

OBSERVE THE ENTIRE TRACK LAYOUT
Although several tips are offered when describing Individual curves, a track Is a succession of straights and curves, it is therefore Important to observe the entire layout and select a smooth running line for completing a lap. Repeat practice laps, trying various routes to find the ideal line. Shortening your lap times during trials is one of radio control’s greatest enjoyments.

WHEN PERFORMANCE GETS BETTER, THE DRIVING LINE SHOULD BE ALTERED
When your car’s top speed becomes faster by using a higher performance motor, etc. more deceleration will be required when entering corners. Not only the speed, but the handling characteristics, tire grip etc. will influence the driving line a car should take.

Not just steering alone, but combining with throttle control, various cornering techniques can be obtained. Practice and master this for much faster and smoother cornering.

FOUR WHEEL DRIFT
This technique is achieved by over steering white deceleration during the early stage of cornering. As the rear wheels start to slide outward and the nose heads towards the inside of the corner, neutralize the steering and add power. The car will take the comer with all wheels sliding. This technique is suitable for rear wheel drive and 4WD race care.

TACKING-1N
This technique is unique to front wheel drive care. Enter a curve straight, then cut power and steer around the curve at the same time The car will change direction quickly. Straighten out and accelerate going through the corner.

COUNTER OR OPPOSITE LOCK STEERING
The term means to steer the wheels against the turn of a comer. If a car enters the corner too fast, the rear wheels could start to skid, resulting in a spin. To stop this, steer into the direction of the skid. This technique is used to prevent the car from spinning and is not for enhancing cornering speed.

WEIGHT LOAD SHIFT ACCORDING TO POWER APPLIED
When running at a steady speed, the load is divided between the car’s front and rear wheels in a fixed ratio. During deceleration, more of a load is put on the front wheel because of inertia, resulting in sharper steering response. Opposite of this is acceleration,

where more of a load is put on the rear wheels, producing a slower steering response. Both the four-wheel drift and tack-in use this weight load shift to obtain desired cornering results.

A race is run with many cars at the same time. If you want to become familiar with racing, the best way is to hold practice sessions with your friends as a group. It is important to feel the difference between driving a car by yourself and competition racing. You’ll notice that
the track seems somewhat narrower with all those care and it becomes difficult to steer the car on the line you desire. Experience is what counts to get your car ahead of other.

START
The result of a race sometimes depends upon the start. However, a quick start is not always advantageous. Accidents are most liable to occur between the start and the first corner because participating cars are running close to one another. Decide how you should start according to the characteristics of your car, course layout, etc.

TAKE AND HOLD THE INSIDE LINE DURING CORNERING
When competing with your rivals during cornering, take and keep the inside line for maintaining the lead. It is difficult for you to beat your opponent in the corner by trying to pass him on the inside line because both cars are running about the same speed. If your car can manage a higher maximum speed than the others, only then is passing on the outside line possible. Trying to take the inside line too early can lead to over-running the corner resulting in a loss of time and running space for your car. While you’re at the edge of the track, your rival can easily pass you on the inside. In order to avoid this, stick to the inside, forcing him to delay his acceleration. Tacking and holding the inside line in the corner is a golden rule for taking the lead at corners. Confrontation between cars during cornering are the most exciting moments during a race, but be sure to avoid the selfish type of running that can cause a collision and damage that will spoil the overall race for everyone.

HOW TO PASS OTHERS
There are various places in which you can try to pass another car. A straight Is the safest place to do so. It is dangerous to start passing a car when you are following close behind it. When you judge it is possible to pass, steer your car a little as soon as possible and attempt to pass. You may pass on either side, wherever there is more room. If the space on each side is about the same, it is advisable to go inside to make the next corner to negotiate. Passing on a corner is dangerous as compared with passing on a straight. If the driver of the car you are going to pass to not skillful In control, your car Is liable to be Involved in its spinning. To make passing easier, it is advisable to go inside the rival’s car and pass it after turning the corner. It is very difficult to pass it on the outside of the corner even if your car is much faster.

IF THE CAR LOSES STABILITY
If your car has hit another car and lost its stability, reduce the speed by turning down the speed control switch. If you try to restore stability by steering, the car might be further disturbed. Start acceleration again only after the car has slowed down and is stable.

Source: TamiyaUSA ]]> http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/09/tips-to-improve-your-driving-skills-on-the-track/feed/ 0 http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/08/rc-rock-crawler-wheel-and-tire-tips/ http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/08/rc-rock-crawler-wheel-and-tire-tips/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:02:55 +0000 rcgawker http://www.rcgawker.com/?p=1132

Trim the Foam

Soft compound tires require foam inserts to help them keep their shape. In some cases, the foam inserts make the tires too stiff for crawling and don’t allow the tire to conform to the rock’s surface. You want the tire to be flexible yet stiff enough support for the tire to prevent it from folding over. Some people cut their inserts in a star type pattern to make flexing a little easier. Making this modification is easy. Mark the foams with the desired pattern, and carefully cut the sections out using a sharp hobby knife. How much foam you remove will be based on the flexibility of your tires. Softer tires require more foam to be left for support.

A key to good traction is to have the tread of tire to be generally as flat as possible. A larger contact surface means more traction. An insert that is wider than the tire will distort the tread of the tire and potentially reduce the contact patch. You can eliminate this problem by cutting the foam insert so that it’s the same width as the tire.

Rims
A common practice in rock crawling is to narrow the rims. Doing this provides more clearance between the links and the tires when steering, and since the tire is pulled in, it will increase the tire’s “side bite” by bringing the tread down the side slightly. If cutting rims and gluing them back together isn’t your thing, you can pick up some rims that are already narrowed. are available from Axial, RC4WD and RPM. Axial also offers Maxx-size rims in a narrow form.

A flat tread works better on the rocks than a rounded tread. The more tire contact you have on the rocks, the better your truck will crawl.

Weight
The only thing you need to know is that generally you want more weight up front than in the rear of the truck. This helps the truck handle vertical climbs. Some guys like to add equal weight to both ends of the truck. Either way, you’ll want a lit- tle weight in all four tires. When considering the weight dis- tribution, also remember one of the best things you can do to improve your crawler is to lower the center of gravity. So, moving the battery from the top of the chassis over to the front axle or links accomplishes two things: it moves weight forward for a better balance and lowers the CG

PELLETS
A great way to add weight to your tires is to fill them with used in air powered pellet rifles. The pellets roll around and stay at the bottom of the tires at all times,and that keeps the truck’s center of gravity low and reduces rollovers. The pellets also replace the foam inserts. Filling the tires can be a bit tricky. Attach your tire to one side of the wheel and stick a small funnel into the open side of the tire and use it to direct the pellets into the tire. Fill the tire about halfway, and make sure that you have an equal amount in each tire. There is a downside to this setup; it doesn’t work well when side hilling when you drive your truck perpendicular to its incline.

STICK-ON WEIGHTS
You can also add weight to your tires by using stick-on lead weights on the rims. Start with 3 to 7 ounces of weight on each rim, and make sure you prep the surface of the rims by cleaning them with motor spray before you stick the weights to the rims.

When adding weight to your rims, you can add the same weight all around, or more weight up front than in the rear; 60/40 is the typical split.

Source
rc car action

Despite what you might think about servos most are water-resistant at best. The first thing you might want to do is take apart your servo and look inside. Notice there is a rubber O-ring on the edge these rings are there to seal your servo from water. However, the main place water will enter your servo is via the actuator shaft. Sealing that shaft is often the most difficult part.

It is important to note here that before you try any of these methods you might want to first try it on an old servo you don’t care about. I offer no guarantees or promises on any of these techniques.

So here they are from worst to best order.

The Balloon Method
One of the most commonly used methods for waterproofing servos and receivers is the balloon method. For this you take a common balloon and squeeze your sever down into it. You then cut a small hole in the balloon and push the actuator head up through the hole. The key here is to make the hole smaller than the head of the actuator. Then you run the wires back out the hole and zip tie them. This method will work for snow and some light mud but it is definitely not water PROOF.

Plasti Dip Method
This method is slightly better than the balloon method, but it still leaves the actuator shaft exposed some what. You can purchase Plasti Dip from most auto parts stores or home improvement store. It comes in a couple of flavors, dip and spray. Once you coat the servo with the Plasti Dip hang it up and let it dry. The biggest issue you will have with this method is once coated the shell of the servo is now a few millimeters thicker. If your servo needs to fit in a predefined size slot this method will not work for you. Also once again your actuator shaft is exposed to possible water leaks. Again this will make your servo more water resistant but not waterproof. One idea you might try is to put a small red shock O-ring around your actuator head before you mount your servo horn. This will help to seal the shaft better. Also put a bit of old on the O-ring to help repeal water and reduce friction. NOTE: make sure your sealant oil is not the same material as the O-ring (for example, don’t use silicone oil with a silicone O-ring).

Super Glue and O-ring Method
Basically this method is the same as the Plasti Dip Method only instead of dipping the whole servo you are super gluing the sections of the servo together. Start by taking apart your servo and then super gluing each part back together (be careful not to get glue on the gears). Then re-screw it all back. Next put a blob of glue where the wires go into the servo body. Lastly add a O-ring to the actuator head as stated in the previous method. This should waterproof your servo for heavy water use.

There is an additional step you could perform before you do the super gluing. That is to fill the servos with non-conductive oil. There are a number of oils you could try such as cooking oil, mineral oil, or silicone oil.

To do this you need oil, a wide container that holds oil, gloves, super glue (something that dries in under 5 minutes), a screwdriver, and either acetone or hexane. Tweezers are also recommended, but optional.

The first step is to poor the oil into your container. You want about one to two inches of oil (or enough to completely cover your servo). You may also want your container to be inside a second container, to avoid spilling oil everywhere. Choosing a container that BOTH of your hands can operate in is very important.

Now you should disassemble your servo, and put all parts in the oil. Make sure you shake out all of the bubbles.

Ok now the really hard part, reassemble the servos while they are fully submersed in oil! Make sure you practice disassembling and reassembling the servo outside the container a few times before trying to reassemble in oil. Its 10x harder to do it in oil, so practice is good.

A few potential issues, handling the tiny screws of a micro servos while wearing gloves is a challenge. Using tweezers to pick and place the screws could save you tons of time. The oil is also optically distorting, making it hard to see what you are doing. Make sure you have good lighting. You might also have trouble operating the screwdriver, since your gloved hands are covered in slippery oil. Make sure you use a screwdriver with a good grip handle.

After you get the O-ring and servo horn on, and you make sure the servo is screwed together really well, take the servo out of the oil and clean it off. To do this, dab it with a paper towel that is lightly soaked in acetone or hexane (dissolves oils). Both give off fumes (especially hexane) so do this in a well ventilated area. Neither chemical damages the servo casing, but acetone can potentially dissolve the plastic gears and electronics, so be careful. NOTE: Acetone can also dissolve screwdriver handles.

Lastly, apply the super glue (that is designed for plastics) to all the seals.

To verify that your seal is good, let the servo sit out for a day or so. Come back and if any oil is still leaking, clean it off and apply more superglue to that area.

Cons: Superglue isn’t that permanent and acetone and hexane can dissolve the glue. Also over time the oil will start to leak out.

Super Glue and O-ring Method On Steroids
The last method is another spin on the super glue method. It is easier to watch this video than try to explain it.

During the 80’s and 90’s electric RC cars were king. Rarely did you see a nitro RC car buzzing around bashing, and you almost never saw them race. Sure they were out there, but the popularity of the electric RC car far out weighed that of the nitro RC car. During the late 90’s nitro cars started showing up more and more. New model designs and the advent of the EZ-Start engine gave nitro a foot hold in the RC market place. Now a days it seems as if there are more nitro than electrics running around the track, but that could all change. With the recent adoption of the lithium based battery and brushless motor, more and more people are seeing the benefits of electric power. They are faster, lighter weight, and getting cheaper all the time. Not only that, they come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 1/16 to 1/8 scale.

Not everyone knows the difference between brushed and brushless motors so here’s a short explanation.

Brushed
The brushed electric motor is generally the only kind of motor found in toy-grade and beginner hobby-grade RCs. Kits and other hobby-grade RCs still commonly use brushed motors although brushless is becoming more readily available. Small contact brushes inside the motor cause the motor to spin. Brushed motors come in fixed and nonfixed versions. Electric motors with fixed brushes are nonadjustable and can’t be modified or tuned. Nonfixed brushed motors have replaceable brushes and the motor can be modified and tuned to a certain degree as well as being cleaned of dust and debris that accumulates during frequent use.

Brushless
Brushless is becoming increasingly more popular, but are still slightly high-priced compared to brushed motors. They are only just now becoming legal in some professional RC racing circuits. The appeal of brushless motors is the sheer power they can give to your electric RC. Brushless motors, as the name implies, do not have contact brushes, don’t require frequent cleaning, and because there are no brushes there is less friction and less heat — the number one killer in motor performance.

Brushless motors can also handle a lot higher voltage than brushed motors. With a high voltage supply brushless motors can help a beginner RC race at blistering speeds. RCs equipped with brushless motors currently hold the fastest speed records for RC — yes, faster than nitro.

The brushless motor is not the only thing that is causing a stir in the RC world. In fact, brushless motors have been around for quite a while. The real reason is the combination of the burshless motor with the lithium-based battery, or Lipo. Lipo batteries pack a powerful punch. Combine that punch with the brushless motor, and RC cars can hit speeds never before dreamed of out of the box.

Understanding LiPos
Lipo batteries are very different from previous generation batteries and understanding how they work, and especially how to charge them, is the key to getting the best performance.

Unlike Ni-Cd and Ni-MH cells that self-discharge when wired in parallel, LiPo cells can be hooked up, charged and discharged in parallel with no detrimental effect. Wiring two LiPo cells in parallel doubles the capacity (more run time), plus an important advantage of wiring in parallel is that each cell only sees half the total current.

C Rating
LiPo cells are also commonly given a C or current rating. This is the equivalent the the capacity of the battery pack in amps. This is also the maximum average recommended discharge current for the cell. For example, the Thunder Power 1900mAh packs have a 6C rating. To determine the maximum recommended discharge rate multiply the capacity times the C rating. 1900mAh x 6C = 11,400. So the maximum recommended discharge rate would be 11,400mA or 11.4 amps. Why do we care about this? Because the higher the C-rating the more punch the battery pack can give, which equals more speed.

So what does this all mean? Will the popularity of the bushless motor and Lipo battery be the death of the nitro based car. Probably not, like everything in life there are fans on both sides of the spectrum. Nitro folks love nitro for there reasons and electric people like electrics for there reasons, which is a good thing. Be that as it may there is no denying that as the coming years brushless motors will become more and more popular as prices get lower.

References
About.com
rchobbies.org ]]> http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/07/will-the-rise-of-the-brushless-rc-electric-car-kill-the-nitro-car/feed/ 0 http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/07/all-about-radio-control-transmitters-fm-am-pcm-and-spectrum/ http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/07/all-about-radio-control-transmitters-fm-am-pcm-and-spectrum/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:06:54 +0000 rcgawker http://www.rcgawker.com/?p=664

2.4 GHz spread spectrum radios have taken the RC world by storm. In a few years time this could be the only technology that will be offered on everything but the cheapest toy grade RC radios. So why is spread spectrum modulation so good? To answer this question, let’s first look at the other “narrow band” modulation methods: AM, FM, PCM.

For your RC radio system to work the receiver must be tuned into the exact same frequency as the RC radio, this allows several models to be flying at once provided they are all on different frequencies within the allowed band range. However, space is limited on this band, and there lies the problem.

With only a limited amount of channels available, it’s important that only one person be transmitting on a specific channel at a time. This is why you see frequency boards and pins at RC clubs. When it is your turn to drive or fly, you take the frequency pin off the board and this lets others know that frequency is in use.

Simple enough, but with more people getting in to the RC hobby, there is always the possibility that another RC radio on the same frequency will accidentally be turn on creating interference.

Spread spectrum radios are not bound by narrow band frequencies they spread their signals out over a large radio spectrum. They also use the frequency range 2.4 GHz. That is a frequency of 2.4 billion cycles per second. This is well beyond the range of most RF making 2.4 GHz much more immune to interference. Let’s now look at how narrow band RC radios transmit their signals.

AM RC Radios
AM stands for amplitude modulation. This is the first and most basic method used for controlling RC models. The problem is it is really easy for the AM signal to be affected by almost any electrical noise generating device.

Any type of electrical or metal on metal noise from lighting to car ignition systems will result in interference (if you ever listen to an AM station when it’s raining out you get the idea). It is all these sources of interference that will cause loss of control on your RC model.

FM RC Radios
FM stands for frequency modulation. It is also referred to as PPM – Pulse Position Modulation and was introduced to the RC world in the early 80’s.

FM receivers are less prone to electrical or metal noise from outside, but there are times when moving parts can send out electrical noise that can be interpreted by the receiver as a legitimate signal and cause a “glitch”. So every now and then your model might twitch. If the glitch was bad enough or lasted more than a few seconds your model could end up in a heap of broken parts.

PCM RC Radios
PCM stands for Pulse Code Modulation and works by embedding a digital signal within the basic FM radio wave. A digital processor chip inside the RC radio encodes a digital transmission and sends it out on a standard narrow band FM carrier wave. The receiver also has a processor chip that decodes this digital data back into a usable analog signal for the servos.

This method all but eliminates any glitching caused by electrical noise because unless the receiver “hears” a digital command that it understands, it won’t respond. It is this ability to ignore outside interference that makes PCM so perfect for all kinds of RC control.

PCM RC radio receiver can ride out interference because it doesn’t understand it and simply ignores it. This makes it possible to add a secondary feature to that ability called “Fail Safe”. Fail Safe is a safety function that allows you to tell the receiver what to do if it no longer sees or understands the radio signals it receives.

No, this doesn’t mean the receiver is capable of flying and then landing your helicopter if there is radio signal corruption, but it will move the servos to a predetermined value. For safety reasons that usually means throttle off and all other control functions at neutral. This is a good feature to have to insure if you do loose radio communication with your RC helicopter or plane, as to cause excessive damage to your model or hurt people. This is not to say it will absolutely crash if the radio signal is lost, the receiver will continue listening for the signal and if reacquired, control will be regained. But again much like FM and AM PCM is still not immune to interference. If another PCM receiver transmitting on the same frequency you will still have problems.

Spread Spectrum RC Radios.
This brings us to the 2.4GHz spread spectrum radio. No other advancement in RC radio technology has changed the hobby in such a profound and positive way. Interference issues are all gone! No more frequency conflicts! No more Worries! 2.4GHz spread spectrum technology has been widely available since the 90’s with cordless phones, cell phones, and later wireless computer technologies such as Wi-Fi and now Blue-tooth.

The main idea behind spread spectrum is to spread the radio transmission out over a wide range of the radio spectrum. This makes a spread spectrum signal much less likely to run into interference or glitching issues that are common with all narrow band radio transmissions.Even with many spread spectrum radios all transmitting at the same time they are very unlikely to interfere with each. In most cases any signal conflict would happen for such a brief moment – you would never notice it.

So how does it work?
RC spread spectrum radios use the same type of digital signal that is used in PCM giving all the same advantages that PCM has. The difference is how that digital signal is transmitted and received.

There are essentially two different types of spread spectrum modulation methods that have been developed, FHSS and DSSS.

Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
Frequency hopping, as the name suggests, transmits on a narrow band frequency, but changes the frequency of the transmission hundreds of times a second. For FHSS to work, the receiver has to know the frequency changing pattern so it can hop to the different frequencies in the same order and time frame as the transmitter does.

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
Invented later and is harder to achieve. Unlike frequency hopping, direct sequence uses a special code sequence and spreads data over a wide band width on a select frequency. DSSS is said to provide somewhat faster data transmission and shorter delays because the transmitters and receivers don’t have to spend time switching to different frequencies. However, with the high speed micro processors of today, this is really not the issue it once was.

So which is better?
It depends who you ask and what spread spectrum radio manufactures web site you visit. You can read arguments for and against each method of spread spectrum radio control. Futaba’s spread spectrum radios use frequency hopping (FHSS) technology. Futaba’s trademark name for their system is F.A.S.S.T, Futaba Advanced Spread Spectrum Technology. The FASST system hops to a different frequency every 2 milliseconds. Futaba claims the frequency hop method is better at overcoming signal conflicts or interruptions than DSSS .

Spektrum/JR’s spread spectrum radios use direct sequence (DSSS) technology. Their system is called DSM and now DSM2 which stands for Digital Spectrum Modulation. It works by dividing the 2.4 GHz band into 80 individual channels (frequencies) and codes the direct sequence modulation with an embedded GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) code for each radio.

Spektrum claims direct sequence modulation is more costly and harder to develop than the frequency hopping method and because the gain rate is higher, the range is improved. Spektrum/JR unlike other DS systems on the market selects and transmits on two different frequencies to avoid the possibility of blocked or corrupted signals. Spektrum/JR also has a range of dual receivers to provide better path diversity
2.4GHz limitations

What about the cons
You should know by now almost nothing in this world is perfect and spread spectrum radios are no exception. Unlike the longer wave lengths used in 27-75 MHz RC radios that pass through almost anything, 2.4GHz has short wave lengths are easy absorbed or reflected by many objects. Absorption and reflection of the 2.4GHz signal by parts of the model aircraft could lead to fail safe lock out of control if the signal is not strong enough for the receiver to hear or identify from shielding or reflecting. Different manufactures solve this issue in different ways.

So my advice would be to go visit your local hobby store, find out what others in your area are using and determine if you spread spectrum is right for you.

Let me first start off by saying I LOVE the hobby that is radio control, and not all RC people are elitists. However, there are a few bad apples out there and they need to be called out.

Has this ever happened to you? You get online to look at the latest cool RC models. You research it for hours, and learn as much as you possibly can before ever stepping foot into your local hobby store. Once there, money in hand, the guy behind the counter scoffs at your inquiry. He then proceeds to tell you why that model sucks, and makes you feel as though your an idiot for even considering it. Devastated and beaten down you leave the store with nothing but a bad feeling for the hobby. If this has ever happened to you, perhaps you will be able to relate to this article.

It seems that there are a lot of hobby shops around too vested in thier own opinions and products. When did flying an electric helicopter vs a nitro helicopter become a major issue? Does it really matter which version you prefer? Has anyone but me noticed this attitude that is given if you disagree with someone about which type of controller to use, Futaba or JR? Should I be made to feel like an asshole because I like to drive my RC car with a stick controller vs a pistol grip? Or fly my helicopter using FM instead of a PCM? Does it really matter? If I am a customer and I want to by a model or accessory in your store, shouldn’t you be happy that I’m even in your store and not online ordering the same thing from towerhobbies for 20% less?

Listen, I’m not saying that the man behind the counter can’t have an opinion. By all means, give me some advice and steer me in a direction, but check the attitude. Don’t roll your eyes when I say I want to put a .18tz engine in my Traxxas Revo, or ask me why I would ever want to do that. Just because YOU wouldn’t do that doesn’t mean it can’t, or shouldn’t be done. Support me, encourage a fellow hobbyist to push the limits of his car.

But it’s not just the hobby shop people. Ever been on a RC forum? One would assume that the other forum participants are going to be like-minded and that communication will come easily, but that is often not the case. If you dare speak out of turn in one of these forums or voice an opinion that differs from the collective, you will be publicly humiliated in an onslaught of name calling and virtual rock hurling. Forget about asking a question in the wrong thread. You might as well have called everyone in the forum’s mother a whore. Not only will this get you a virtual body slam it could even get you booted from the site. Of course not every site is like this, but there is a fair amount of them out there.

In the words of Rodney King, “…can we all get along?” After all, we are trying to enjoy the same hobby. For some reason or another we enjoy flying or driving small model replicas of full sized vehicles. Why do we have to arduously disagree as to the make, model, or type of RC “toy” we have? I think we should embrace opinions that differ from ours and not feel threatened by them. If we can do this it would encourage new hobbyist and further the development of more advanced models, thus increasing revenues for local shop owners.

The next time a new hobbyist posts a ridiculous question or comes into your local hobby shop looking for the latest junk model, don’t greet them with sarcasm and a virtual tongue lashing. Smile, be polite, and try and steer them in the right direction. If they disagree with you, then agree to disagree.

UPDATE 2: It seems as if this article has ruffled a lot of feathers for those who are into nitro helicopters. I’m not saying i don’t like nitro,or that there is anything wrong with them. I have 2 nitro helis and an electric. However, I am saying that in my opinion I feel that if you want to get into RC helicopters you might be better off starting with an inexpensive electric helicopter. So everyone calm down its not a personal attack.

If you ever wanted to fly a radio controlled helicopter you will find that there are basically two categories, electric or gas (nitro). RC helicopters are a great hobby and appeals to both young and old alike. Gas and electric both have their merits but there are reasons to choose one over the other. Here are my top five reasons why you should choose electric over gas, especially as a beginner.

5. They Don’t Pollute the air
Unlike their gas counterparts, electric RC helicopters are quiet, environmentally friendly, and don’t require a flying club to fly. With electric RC helicopters there are no limitations as to where and when you can fly. Even your living room!

4. Low Maintenance
Gas helicopters are messy. Every time you finish flying you must maintain your heli by wiping down elements of the model. These issues are none existent with an electric heli because they are lighter, smaller, and can survive most crashes with no problems. Hauling gas, oil, as well as a complex toolkit is a thing of the past with an electric.

3. They Fit In The Palm Of Your Hand!
Well, a few of them! They can range in size from the micro models, to their larger 60 scale gas model cousins. They are easily able to fly indoors and outdoors.

2. Easy to Fly
Unlike gas RC helicopters, which can stall out in mid-air and be temperamental, electrics have a smooth and predictable power supply. Gas models also require constant attention making sure the engine is tuned perfectly. Electric RC helicopters on the other hand are incredibly reliable, almost never quit in the air, and the motors need next to no tweaking. However, both are subject to less than ideal weather conditions.

1. Less Expensive!
Sometimes substantially cheaper! Gas RC helicopters with their myriad of accessories can set you back hundreds if not thousands of dollars, whereas some electric RC helicopters can fall well under a couple hundred bucks. Moreover, they often come ready to fly (RTF) and can have you flying in a matter of minutes.

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