Electric vs. Gas Cars

Electric vs. Gas Cars: Electric vehicles are the most popular choice in R/C car racing. They are quick, quiet, easy to build and comfortable for the beginning R/Cer to drive. The electric cars are powered with a rechargeable nicd battery that can be charged in as little as 15-20 minutes. A vehicle with a stock motor will provide about 6-8 minutes of run time; with a couple of batteries and a 15 minute charger, an electric car or truck is ready for hours of use. The popularity of Gas vehicles has increased tremendously over the last few years. The explosive power and acceleration of a gas powered car or truck is exciting to watch. Gas vehicles are powered by a small two-cycle engine burning glow fuel (not gasoline!), and many modelers enjoy the realistic sound and smell that goes along with gas powered racing. Some gas models can reach speeds over 50mph! The wider availability of pull-start engines and the new wave of 1/10 scale vehicles has made it much more affordable for the beginner to enter gas-powered racing.

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Charger

Device used to recharge batteries, usually supplied with the radio if NiCd batteries are included.

LiPo charger: It is imperative that you use a specially made LiPo charger to recharge your batteries. Never use a charger designed for other types of rechargeable battery, the charging current will be wrong and there is no safety switch-off, the need to stop all LiPo chargers overcharging. Overcharging a LiPo battery, the battery caught fire, there are reports of exploding batteries.

Charge Rate: Always make sure that your charger at the same voltage as your LiPo battery. LiPo batteries are commonly used in batteries, so many chargers have a variable fee setting so that you can charge more packs. Check the label on the battery or battery to determine the output voltage. Place the charger on the same voltage, a little lower no problem, but a higher voltage damages the battery and can be dangerous, as in Section 1.

Excessive Discharge: LiPo batteries can be recharged at any point during the discharge with no ill effects or damage. However, if you fully discharge the battery and try to successfully - and that's unlikely, since LiPo manufacturers have built in a safety device to prevent this - it will not recharge. This is because, deep discharge destroys the chemical basis of the battery and make it unusable.

LiPo Charging: BagLegen Always store your batteries in a bag while they are chargeable. The bag is a fire and explosion protection so that if a problem occurs while the batteries are charged, you will be safe. They are fairly inexpensive and widely available from electrical and hobby stores. Never leave LiPo batteries, the charge will be unsupervised. Always turn the charger when the batteries are charged and allow them in the bag before they cool.

CHARGER TIPS

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ARR (Almost Ready to Run)

Some cars and trucks are available virtually prebuilt and will be indicated by the terms ARR (Almost-Ready-To-Run) or RTR (Ready-To-Run). The ARR/RTR vehicles cost a little more, but if you're just not interested in building your car, this is an option for you. Most vehicles, however, come in kit form and require you to do the building. This may require a few evenings, but the familiarity you gain from assembly will make repairs, adjustments and modifications easier to make down the road.

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