RC_newbie13

So, it all started when my friend said he would sell me his R/C car for $60.....he told the truth i bought it from him and thought it would be perfect especcially since i was just starting out, when i first got it he said the crystals needed replacing....well i went searching everywhere finding these only to find out in the end all i needed was batteries in the car SO IM NEW!!! anyway i eventually got it running but then the car wouldnt move after i had evrything set up it would sit there until it got to about 1/12 through the gas tank then it woul get moving eventually found out how to fix that by adjusting the richness of it, but now i have a new problem when i get the car going it doesnt want to STOP! i mean if i keep it no more then 15 ft. away its fine but any farther and im scared im goin to break more then the tire rod not only that but it has a hard time stopping as well Can anyone help me with my problems??? One more quick question, can they go in reverse??? im guessing not but im new (im really stressing that to evryone)

RC_newbie13

Any sites i can go to, to get help???

condor414

iTrader: (1)

sounds like you have a radio range problem. Check your antennas in both the car and the radio for signs of damage. Also make sure you have fresh batteries in both radio and car. It could also be interference from the engine in the car. Try a range test with the engine off and see if the radio works better.

These few things are a starting point to diagnosing the problem, however since you are completely new to this you should find some hands on help. Check with your local hobby shop, most are happy to lend a hand to new comers as well as veterans.

RC_newbie13

Yes, hands on help would be very nice unfortunatly everytime i ask the hobbypeople to help i seem to get a wrong or mixed answer. for instance the whole richness problem got solved by the person i bought it from not the "Hobby People" i went in and asked them to chek it out and showed him exactly what was rong after turning the little nob on the top about 1/8 of a turn it didnt work he then told me tht i should clean the engine after hinting to him that i was very new to the hobby it sounded like he didnt want to help at all not to mention every time i have a problem the local hobby shop is 20 mi. away (alot of gas money). But besides that can you take me step by step on how to do the range test? thank you very much for replying and hope you can help me with more of my questions in the future

condor414

iTrader: (1)

Range check is very simple to do. First make sure the batteries in the radio and car are good. Turn on radio and car but don't start the engine. Turn the wheels left and right while walking away from the car. See how far you can go and still have the front wheels respond to your input on the radio. If everything is working properly you should be able to walk a good 200 ft. or more from the car without it cutting out. Keep in mind your surroundings...things like power lines or metal buildings can mess up a radio signal.

If this range test is sucessful then repeat the test with the engine running. But make sure the car is sitting on a block of wood or something so the wheels are off the ground. That way it can't run away from you and cause damage. To prevent runnaways you should always have a failsafe installed, they are about $25 and super simple to install.

what kind of radio and frequency does your car use ?? AM frequencies are more prone to interference and glitches than any other.

RC_newbie13

Allright thanks ill do that tomorrow and give you a update on it. How does a failsafe work?? and i use a Ch. 66 75.510 AM TX What are your recommendations for that?

RC_newbie13

Well i did the test today when the engine wasnt running it worked fine i was really impressed as to how far i could go, untill.........i turned on the engine, i put it on top of a box and let it rip, i started going bak pulling the trigger and pushing it up to stop it worked till i got about 25 ft. back i pulled it all the way bak but when i pushed it up it wouldnt stop, if i didnt have that thing on a box lets jus say i wouldnt be a member to this forum with that said what are your recommendations??

Timmahh

iTrader: (16)

a new radio system personally.


but first. your friend mentioned it may need chrystals. chrystals is what is used via the radio system to talk to each other. one or both may be messed up if the antennas on both the radio and reciever in the car are ok.

chrystals can run from 10 to 20.00 a set ( one chrystal for the radio (also called th TX(tranxmitter), and one for the rx (reciever) in side the car.

your local HP store or other LHS should have these on teh shelf.
BUT see if another R/Cer in your area has a set you can try.
you ll need a set compatible with your AM radio in the 72.xxxxx frequency range.


if different/new chrystals don fix the problems ( which they may not ) i would suggest you find a GOOD new/used Radio system for it. the Radio system on most any RTR R/C is useable, but thats about it. reliable, glitch free, and adjustable are a few thing 99% of RTR R/CS just DONT have. unless you buy a New Team Losi R/C as they have Spektrum Radio systems which are very nice radios.

also, glitching can be cuaused my MANY things. Powerlines/trans former. electrical stations. Large phone switching stations, not to mention other things like atmospheric anomolies, Lightning and Storms, Cell Phone Towers, Radio Towers, as well as the run of the mill radio shack and walmart R/Cs can cause interferance with most standard rtr radio.
to understand how uncontrollable these glitch causing issues can be, turn an any am radio station during the next lightning storm. anything you hear that isnt music is interferance.

but these are only glitch causing possibilities. Due the number of possible sources, especially on an AM radio like the one you have, is to install a failsafe as noted above.

now for a bit more detail on another thing to look for on your car. some glitching can be cuased by your servo linkages rubbing eachother, or sliding on/next to another piece of metal in the car. if you find your linkages are touching metal, rubbing somewhere on metal, that rubbing metal can cuase interferance too. but i think you ll find this isnt the case, and personally i think you ll want to get a better radio.

now the ? is how much to spend and what to get. i suggest watcing EBay. you can find the Spektrum DX2 or DX2.0 pulled of a new Team Losi part out R/C from 75.00 to 150.00.

hth some and didnt cofuse you more.

Timmahh

RC_newbie13

Thanks very much no you didnt confuse me at all. I did replace the crystals when he said they were bad so crystals is not the problem. I think the antenna in the radio is fine although i dont know how to check the 1 on the car any suggestions and maybe a step by step process on how to check this? I dont know why it is glitching all of those things that you listed as possible glitching problems are no where near me soo im still stuck on that... What does a failsafe do exactly and how much do they run?? How can i check the servo linkages (just to be 100% positive that isnt the problem)? Will the Spektrum DX2 or DX2.0 not have gliches or any problems? Is it more affordable to just buy a whole new car and try to sell the one i have, or should I continue to play around with the one I have??

Thanks for your continued help through all of this, it has become very helpful and given me more knowledge on something i am learning

condor414

iTrader: (1)

To check your car antenna just slide the plastic tube off the antenna wire and check the outer coating for nicks, kinks cuts, or any other damage. Check servo wires also for damage.
It would appear that the problem is interference caused be engine "noise". Often this can be solved by checking for any loose metal parts that are vibrating or rerouting the antenna wire so it is as far away from any metal on the car as possibly. If this doesn't fix the problem then try unpluging the steering servo and do another range check with engine running. If problem still exists plug in steering servo and unplug throttle servo and repeat range test with engine running. If problem goes away while one of the servos is unpluged then you know you have a bad servo and can replace it. It's really just a process of elimination.
A failsafe connects between your reciever and throttle servo. It keeps tabs on the signal to the servo. If the signal is interupted the failsafe will automatically set your servo to a predetermined setting which you setup (full throttle down). These take up vety little room and simply plug in to your reciever throttle servo port and your servo then plugs into the failsafe. OFNA has a good 1 for about $25. http://www.ofna.com/elec-failsafe.html
If you are looking towards a new radio the Spektrum DX2 or 2.0 are quite good. Glitching with these radios is virtually nonexistant. You never have to worry about frequencies and they have a built in failsafe and a much longer range than any AM radio. Also you can set them up for more than one car so if you ever get another car you only have to buy another reciever (and servos if they arn't supplied with car) not a whole radio. A new radio would be the best way to go if you can afford it.
Hang in there once you get if fixed it's a ton of fun !

RC_newbie13

alrite thank you very much i will try these tests as soon as i can if possible (not trying to be a bother) full step by step processes for all these tests would be nice that way i dont get anything confused i find it alot easier to do then jus doing it and trying to figure it out on my own

thanks for your continued help and god bless

imprtcrx

iTrader: (10)

Hey i was just stepping in to see if i can help. I saw you were asking about a fail safe: Very easy to install and some are cheap and some are expensive. I have a cheap one like 23.00 You just plug it into the #2 channel on receiver and run wire and then plug the throttle plug into the fail safe, So if your batteries go dead or you run out of range it will set the throttle servo back to it's neutral position, Believe me you want one, i had a t-maxx one time without one and i chased it for awhile before it finally ran into a corner of a garage and boy it did damage... A cheap radio system is a Futaba 2pl Fm you get the radio and receiver for 99.00 at like hobbytown usa. And the interference problem just had it happen to me i live by a verizon wireless building and i had my jato 3.3 out on the street and caught just a brief span of interference and that quick it met the telephone pole, snapped the whole front end...