grampi

When are the companies putting out these RTR kits going to wise up and start including good radios with these kits? I realize they're trying to keep the cost of these kits down as much as possible, but they need to draw the line somewhere. Besides, how are they saving us, the consumers, any money if we have to pay for the radio systems in the kits, then be forced to buy a replacement radio system because the one from the kit doesn't work properly?

Here's the way I see it. After doing some shopping around, I've found there are a few good FM 2 and 3 channel radio systems that can be had for right around $100 retail. If these companies were to contract with JR or Airtronics to include these radios with their RTR kits, they would probably only have to raise the price of their kits $40-$60. Who wouldn't pay an extra $60 for a T-Maxx kit knowing you're getting an Airtronics MX-3 radio system in place of the POS TQ3 radio? I'd be glad to pay the extra money.

Another issue I thought of is safety and liability. How can these companies not be worried about law suits? Try this scenario; Your at the track running your T-Maxx when all of a sudden, the cheap POS TQ3 radio decides to go on the blink. With no radio control, your T-Maxx veers off the track going full speed and hits a toddler. What do you think a T-Maxx doing 40+ mph will do to a toddler? Whose fault is it, the driver, or the company who knowingly included the POS radio in their kits? See what I'm getting at? Most of these companies don't understand, or don't care about how important having a GOOD radio is. Maybe they need a good law suit to make them wake up and smell the coffee!

perculator

Well I dont think lawsuits are going to change anything, its a good point tho. If the right situation happened (Like a senators kid getting maimed or killed by an out of control RC car) then maybe...

I personally have had no problems with my cheap stock radio that came with my T-maxx. IMHO it would be much cheaper for these companies to put a failsafe in all of their RTR vehicles rather than ship a better radio. Thats one of the resons a T-maxx is so inexpensive when you compare it to other RTR setups, the radio/screws/servo's are all cheap parts. If they werent then a T-maxx would cost the same as an 8th scale buggy.

I dont mind the cheap radio so much. At least it works. I think a failsafe included with the kit would be a good idea tho... and probably wouldnt cost a whole lot.

adeoliver

My Feedback: (4)

Well for one, if you are going to race, theres no snce in running a am radio, unless theres only 5-6 people actualy racing at once. For 2 these companies have been useing the same radios for many years with no problems, other than opperator error. And 3rd what would a toddler be doing next to a track with objects going 40mph?
Maybe you just had a bad run of luck or want something to blame other than your inexpierience!!

perculator

I guess you could always pony up the 3 bucks and put a Throttle return spring on your vehicle.. Then all the toddlers would be safe!

1fstxnt

I have yet to see a spring move the throttle arm. The sevro doesn't even began to move.

adeoliver

My Feedback: (4)

Well if the radio fails and no longer sends a signal to the truck, a spring will most definently pull the throttle shut, and engage the breaks, no questions about it. But thats another story LOL.

hoodiegadoo

You have to play with a TRS to get it to work properly sometimes its not easy to do....I finally got one to work that I've been trying to find the right setup for about a month....and fortunately it saved my butt today!!

1fstxnt

glad to hear that, how the hell did you get the spring to actully move the servo???? wish I could get mine to work..

savageforce

Now why do you have to resort to insults? I believe the author depicted an easy case scenario where "inexperience" (notice the spelling) has NOTHING to do with it. Radios fail from time to time, which was his point. And what would a toddler be doing a track...how about watching his dad race his truck. Is that too difficult for you to fathom?

adeoliver

My Feedback: (4)

Totaly not the way it was intended, and at no point was I insulting any one, and the point of a toddler whatching his father is not hard to understand, but not close enough to the track that might have lead to an accident. And as for the spelling, it realy doesnt matter because you got the point, and lets face it, this is not a spelling quiz or a phrase quiz, hence: "And what would a toddler be doing a track"

But as it is everybody has thier own opinions on these subjects. However, I have, along with thousands of others, never had a problem with these "JUNK" radio's, but they do and will fail under certain conditions, such as "Dropping" them, or not "Changing" the batteries or even a manufacture error. Either way I appoligize for any hard feelings I may have caused, and beg for your forgiveness!!

FairlyNew

I am an amatuer when it comes to RC cars. I own 2, a Terra Crusher and T maxx. I have had no problems or complaints with the stock radios. They do what I ask of them, steer the car, stop the car, and make the car go.

I think RTR cars are marketed more twords me, the average guy. They may figure a guy that is really into RC would build his own and buy a radio of his choice. They also have a target price and market they shoot for. Although the T maxx is a great kit and alot of pros own it, it is ALOT of peoples first nitro RC as it was mine, and it is marketed twords the first time buyer. I had no need for a better radio on it and still dont. As long as people buy what they are selling they are happy.

I realize alot of the really cool vehicles are only sold in RTR kits and maybe that is the problem. Perhaps they should be sold without radio gear also. But to market 2 different types of kits based on the same truck costs the company more money. I.E. different boxes, packaging, marketing, shipping. Plus it adds to confusion between the 2 kits. It is best for them just to market what the majority of people will buy. It obviously works, look at how many people have T maxxes and try to find one in your local hobby store.

hoodiegadoo

You just have to cut the spring so it is tight enough to pull it back...or make the spring pull more directly on the carb arm....if you play with it long enough you will get it.

grampi

I can tell you the problems I've had with my RTR radios has nothing to do with operator error, and everything to do with lousy build quality. If you think the TQ3 is a good radio, or even an OK radio, you don't know much about radios.

You're also dead wrong about the throttle spring. If the receiver loses it's signal from the transmitter for some reason while the throttle is wide open, that spring is not going to override the servo and pull the throttle back to idle. That spring's only function is to pull the throttle closed in the event the servo arm comes off the servo, or the throttle linkage breaks. If your vehicle loses it's signal at full throttle, it's going to stay at full throttle. The ONLY thing that will override the servo in this scenario is a fail safe.

And lastly, a child wouldn't have to be close to the track to get hurt by a runaway vehicle. A runaway vehicle no longer receiving radio signals will just keep going until it hits something or runs out of fuel. That child could be 1/4 mile away from the track and still get hit. Junk radios have no business exsisting in this world!

hoodiegadoo

All I'm going to say is that many people haven't had any problems with their TQ radio's so you figure out the rest....Furthermore don't argue with me about what my throttle return springs do on MY r/c's. If you are too inexperienced to know what you're talking about the sit back, shut up, and learn something. I'm not one to start yelling and hollaring at people on the forum but you just purchased your second truck...if I remember correctly so save face a little and get rid of your keyboard may seem like a bad idea now but it might help you in the future. the whole idea of a throttle return spring is to do just that.....close the carb....if the batteries die, the linkage breaks, radio goes out of range, etc. (The throttle return spring that came with your gt isn't tight enough) And I'm not saying I know everything either...there is always something to learn in RC...But if you've been into RC for say less than a year (rough estimate) Dont' go on a R/C forum and tell somebody they are dead wrong.

grampi

Listen here sonny, it seems to me you're the one who needs to sit back, shut up , and learn something. I didn't just get into this hobby a year ago.

If you care to take a stroll through this forum you'd notice there are many discussions about people having trouble with RTR radios, I'm sure you can figure out what that means.

If you think about what you're saying about the throttle spring, it doesn't even make sense. If that spring was strong enough to override the servo, how would the servo be able to open the throttle at all? It wouldn't. Now if you don't believe that, go turn on your radio, both the transmitter and receiver. Pull the trigger to open the throttle all the way. While holding the trigger, turn off the transmitter. You'll notice the throttle does not close. The only thing that will close the throttle if your receiver looses it's signal is a fail safe. The spring will not close it.

1fstxnt

That what the throttle return spring does on my r/c..........NOTHING.

hoodiegadoo

With ALL the knowledge you have about rc. I'm suprised you get anything running at all. Since you appear to know everything i'll drop the issue. Hope you figure out your radio problem.

Wookie

My Feedback: (5)

I would definitely have to agree with Grampi on this one.

The only way a throttle return spring will work is if the servo looses power, the servo arm breaks loose from the servo or if the ball end come loose from the throttle arm.

If the servo is still receiving power and the receiver looses a signal your throttle return spring is essentially useless. If the throttle return spring is so strong that it can overpower a servo your truck isn't going to go anywhere because the the servo isn't going to be able to overcome the power of the throttle return spring.

On a side note, it's amazing how quickly an ego can overpower the mind when it sits in front of a keyboard. To bad they don't make thought return springs.

Remember people, this forum and hobby is for information and fun not insults and ***holes.

hoodiegadoo

I just went downstairs to doublecheck my servo and trs...and now i'm thinking that it could be that the stock servo that grampi has on the gt is the reason his trs is worthless. I have an 80 oz servo for my throttle/break and its works just like i said....if the rx and tx are on and i turn the tx off....the carb will close. I guess you need a higher torque servo to make a throttle return spring work the way mine does. If the servo has nothing telling it to continue pulling the carb open (even with power going to it)...the trs is strong enough to close the carb. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did with Grampi but he doesn't listen to anybody...he was just posting earlier today about people bashing t-maxxs just because they had one or two problems with them. And then he's had ONE issue with a TQ radio and starts a whole ordeal about what pieces of junk they are....can somebody scream HYPOCRITE... I mean come on...I know he hasn't been into rc for too long because I remember him asking around about what to get....and then he tells me i'm dead wrong about something he hasn't even seen...meanwhile I'm staring right at it.....anyway I'm done venting and do appologize for getting irritable.

grampi

I don't claim to know everything about RC's, but I do know that spring is not going to override the servo. BTW, I did figure out my radio problem. Remove the POS radio and replace it with a good radio. Problem solved.

hoodiegadoo

Glad you got it fixed..

FairlyNew

BIG HUG TO BOTH OF YOU> I LOVE YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE.

packfan88

My Feedback: (2)

before this thread get closed keep it on topic of the rtr radios.

as far as the manufacturers of lower quality radios, and the r/c companies who include them in their rtr kits, getting sued over an injury suffered from a run away truck, i think they have lawyers to make sure they aren't responsible for that.
thats like suing the gun manufacturer because their product caused the death of someone. not gonna happen. in fact it was just denied(again).
and if your children are close enough or in harms way, that is with out a doubt 100% your fault.
don't try and blame your bad parenting on a rtr radio. just like if you put your 5 year old in the front row of a nascar event and he gets hit with flying debris. you should have been wise enough to know that some places are unsafe for small children.

and heres the deal with ready to run radios/servos/engines/etc
basically anything you "hardcore' hobby'ers complain about weekly.
they are entry level products.
if you want the top of the line stuff you have to buy it separately.

again just like with anything (real car exhaust=after market exhaust---pc with 128ram pc with 256 mb)

the point of it all is simple ......to sell as many as they can.
its a business.
if including a high end radio drops their over all sales by enough of a % that they aren't happy with their #'s then of course .....you , me ,traxxas,hpi,etc will put something of lesser quality to sell more and thus make more profit.

here is your ONLY option when you are forced to buy a rtr like the tmaxx-savage-rs4-etc.

DONT USE THE RTR STUFF YOU DONT LIKE !!!!

take out the brand new servos/rx and even engine and sell them on ebay.....sure you wont get 100% retail value but you have no other option.
then take that money and put it toward one you want.
sure your rig will end up costing more....but you have no choice.

i am going to buy a savage
i will take out the rx and servos and take the radio and list them all on ebay....if i get $35 for it all so be it....$35 less on the cost of my xs3 and high torque servos.

grampi

The example given about a runaway RC vehicle hitting a child has nothing to do with bad parenting. Any time RC vehicles are run, whether it's at a track, or just back yard bashing, there's always the possibility of this attracting children. Your comparison to guns killing people really isn't a relevent comparison either. A gun malfunctioning, causing the chamber to explode and injuring or killing the person shooting it would be a direct comparison. In this case, I would think the gun maker could be held liable.

packfan88

My Feedback: (2)

i was using the "i brought my kids to watch me drive my cars and it went haywire and mowed him down" when you were talking about kids. then yes that does have something to do with parenting cause you put him "in harms way"
but i dont know about the random kid who wants to watch.

i think you also can be sued for negligence in driving your vehicle.
especially since you knew it had a "crappy" radio and that this could possibly happen.

this is a boring topic.
we all know they are the low end and should be upgraded so to those unhappy people with them....just sell it and buy something else.


oh hey grampi remember those newspapers i asked you about i didnt blow you off ... a new member joined an irc channel that my dad mods and he sent em out to me as a favor to my dad...thanks for looking out though.

hows the snow fall in the southern part of the state during hunting season?
like if we fly into denver would it be a major hassle to drive into wy?

i know here in ny we have a fleet of snow removal vehicles that rival the military.