DilbertRC

I want to work on someday building my own rc copter and I know how difficult this will be so I want to start with rc cars. I have been doing some reading and I understand that I will need the transmitter, receiver, and servos as a basic package.

Before I spend the money on that I want to experiment with something cheaper. Can you buy a cheaper rc vehicle from a store and gut it for the components? I mean things like the controller, and I suppose it will have the receiver and motors inside the body.

My ultimate goal is miniature flight and indoor flying copters. I am an electrical engineer major in school but I havent started taking classes for my major yet, only basic courses (The boring ones [&o]) I have quite a some experience with programming (C++ and basic) but I am not sure if this will even be required unless I want it to do something more specialized with custom features.

So can you use the cheaper equipement out of a store bought rc vehicle to start experimenting with?



Thanks

Jim Finn

My Feedback: (2)

The short answer is...NO! Different transmitters and receivers and servos are used in cars than in Heli or planes. It is the law. ( The servos maybe for a plane from a car.) Not a heli. The law does not allow you to use a car radio system on anything that flies and visa-versa. A local hobby shop should ber abel to explain this to you. A flying club is the best place to get info. I suggest you search for one in your area.

DilbertRC

Thanks for the reply.

What I meant is that I want to start with rc cars. I want to gut a store bought rc car and use the equipment to build my own rc vehicle from scratch (minus the radio equipment of course). I only want to try my hands at flying rc vehilces when I am comfortable with cars. I dont want to start off with expensive radio equipment if I dont have to that is why I am wondering if I can use the equipment out of a lower priced rc car. So is it possible to buy a store bought car and completely disassemble it for the radio equipment, motors, and gears to use with a similar homemade vehicle? I am just unsure of how the radio equipment is set up in a cheap radio controlled car.


Thanks again

ReallyUglyStick

My Feedback: (5)

actually, the short answer in this case is yes. the stuff you buy in the toy store comes on 27mhz, which is useable for both air and ground. now, for feasibility: probably not. those radios are usually 2 channels, and the servos aren't seperate from the reciever. often they are built in to the reciever, so you have a reciever that acts as reciever, servo, and electronic speed control. they aren't very complicated, so you could alter it, i'm sure. but i'd bet you'll quickly realize the maximum potential without getting it to do all that you want. however...since they can be had so cheap, there isn't any reason why you shouldn't give it a try. if nothing else, you can learn some stuff that might be usefull on the real systems.

also, flying and driving are 2 totally different things. you don't have to start driving, since it won't really help that much in flying. from the technical standpoint, it sounds like you've got a plan and some ideas to start from, so a car might be exactly what you need to start with.

ReallyUglyStick

My Feedback: (5)

one more thing: there was a guy that took those cheapo cars and did some neat stuff with them. he made cars that did the hopping, front to back and side to side thing. i'm pretty sure he started with the base cheapies you find at radio shack and such. he was here on rcu a few months back. i'd bet that a little searching would find the thread.

amcross

My Feedback: (2)

You might find that it would cost you about hte same to buy an inexpensive used r/c car radio system which will then also have some resale value when you're done with your experimenting. Just a thought.

DilbertRC

Thanks for the replies.

I have been looking at some cheaper rc vehicles and I think that is what I am going to start with as an experimental stage so to speak.

Now all I have to do is find a place to buy odds and ends parts like gears and shafts.