St Ives radio control car club

Starting Out

When you are first starting out, it can be quite daunting when trying to decide what to buy with all the different sizes, classes, types, and prices. Here are a few useful hints that will hopefully help you get on the right track.
Onroad or Offroad - This is a personal choice. Best to come out to both events and have a look to see which might suit you best.

Electric or Gas Powered - When you are first starting out, electric vehicles are often the easiest to maintain. They are quiet, simple to work on, and you can practice at home.

Choosing a Car - The bulk of the vehicles that Race at St Ives RCCC are 1/10th scale electric powered Cars, 2WD & 4WD Buggys and Trucks. There are a wide variety of Brands to choose from starting from around $200. They come in either kit form (assemble yourself) or RTR (ready to race - assembled). The build it yourself kits don’t always come with everything you need so check carefully with your hobbyist. The RTR kits are ready to go out of the box (except for charger and batteries for car and transmitter) and let you get started straight away.

Battery Chargers -  These are purchased separate to the vehicle. When purchasing a charger, it is best to consider a fast charger. One battery charge lasts around 5 - 10 minutes and a trickle charger will take around 2 hours to recharge the battery. A fast charger will take around 20 minutes so you are ready to go for your next race.

Batteries -  There are a number of different varieties of batteries available and your hobbyist will be able to advise you on what is best for the vehicle. NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) and NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Batteries are the most common and come in a six-pack or Stick Pack. The NiMH batteries are preferred as they don’t build up a “Surface Charge” like the NiCad packs do. There are also Li-Po (Lithium Polymer) batteries available but these batteries are not recommended for beginners and require special accessories and charging equipment.

New or Secondhand - This is often an individual decision but a good secondhand vehicle and / or accessory can be a good way to get started. If you’re unsure, come to a club meeting and speak to one of our members. We may even have a good secondhand vehicle available.

Hopefully, there is some useful information to get you going. If you are unsure, come to one of our meetings and chat to one of our members.

Good Luck and Have Fun!