Originally Posted by
Nhsmoker
Looking for a good book or dvd on yhe basics of rc cars. I am looking to get into rc and would like to learn all i can. There are no hobby shops close by me so i cant learn from others in my area. I would like to find some good resources to help me. I would really ultimately like a nitro car even though i know there are disadvantages but thats where I would like the hobby to take me. Any good reads or videos you guys can point me in the direction of
There is no disadvantage in nitro other than being loud, dirty and more expensive lol. But the exhilaration is second to none compared with electric.
Anyway as far as I know, there's no money-worth book that categorizes things in simple manner for beginners. But I could be wrong. There are many for setting up a car though.
What basics do you want to learn? You need to have some sort of directions otherwise you will be flooded with too much info in YouTube. I assume you want to start with electric, which I recommend as it's much easier.
For electric cars, you load electronics, charge battery, connect it to esc, bind receiver to your transmitter and you run your car. Pretty simple. Connection method between those can be found everywhere. Use the below as a guideline for finding right books or info.
Electric racing is comprised of a few different components:
1. Electrics
- Batteries: Everybody uses Lipo batteries nowdays. Learn basics in YouTube and Learn how to maintain and charge. You need Lipo charger
- Radio set: Transmitter and receiver. Airtronics (Sanwa), Futaba and KO Propo are well known brands and you should go for one of those.
- Servos: It turns the wheel or move the throttle lever. Nothing fancy to it. You can start cheap like Savox, EVO, etc. Do not buy nylon geared servos.
- ESC (Electronic speed control): This is the brain of the car. It receives signal from your receiver and puts it out to the motor. Many brands are available and honestly they are all good.
- Motor- Brushless motors are what most use. Learn basics and find one to suit your need. Nothing really complicated.
2. Chassis (the car)
- Go with well known and popular brand for the class you want to run. And part support (you will break a lot) is very important locally and on the net.
- Learning to maintain and to set up takes a long time. As aforementioned, Xray set up book should be read. There are many more available and you can find them everywhere. Ryan Maker's set up book, RC crewchief, cell applications, YouTube, etc.
3. Driving
- Go drive and get used to it.
4. Tools
- This is the most important thing IMO. You will suffer w/o proper tools. If you're thinking of being in the hobby for a while at least, invest. Hudy, Arrowmax, and MiP make good quality drivers. I would buy a tool set from them.
- Set up tools are also valuable. Yeah racing, 3Racing, and other chinese companies make them cheap. You should look into it. If fund's plush, go with Arrowmax or Hudy. If fund's short, skip it for now.
- You will need soldering gun. I would also invest on high capacity gun. Do not go cheap or you will regret.
- Dremel will be very valuable to you.
- electric drill is handy.
- And there are many more I can't think of now. You buy as you go.
General guide line is invest on good radio set, charger, and tools. You will use them for a long time. You can go cheap on servo, battery, motors and possibly esc for a while. But I do not mean sub-par products. Car should be also at a par at least. Used car would be a good option. Good luck.