R/C Nitro or Electric

I used to race the electric off road cars and loved it.

I flew r/c planes too, I still have clothes that reek of the exhaust smell. If I had it all over to do with cars or planes I would probably go electric just for the simplicity and cleanliness. I got tired of engine problems with the planes and started looking to electrics but back then the technology wasn't there. Even with high end engines it seemed they were running too lean or rich. I would sit there half the day adjusting them.

 

Cant beat the instant torque of the electric cars. I have a couple of nitro cars and think they're cool with the pull start plus I like engines but they dont go off the line like an electric car plus they are dirty/oily.

 

The advances batteries and motors make electrics more and more desirable. One other plus is the fact that you don't have noise issues that nitro power has.

 

I have both and while the electrics give as good or better performance something about the Nitro is more pleasurable to me.

I use a Traxxas T-Max on the beach and it's fun to watch the smoke coming out and hear the motor as it jumps the dunes and drop offs. Similar to having a nice throaty muffler on a car the nitro is just more fun.

 

See if you can find a track to race at thats around you. Then pick what they race, since eventually you will get bored of romping through your backyard. Thats what happened to me. Associated products are the way to go.

 

Hi,

Questions back at ya':

1. What do you want to do with it? - Organized racing or just playing on the beach? If you're planning on going racing check out what everyone else is using. Check out the different classes (2 -v- 4wd etc) and talk to people. Electric is less expensive and needs less support equipment, but nothing's going to beat a well set up, 4wd Serpent or similar.....
2. Are you "experienced" with 30K RPM 2 strokes? If not, it's an exercise in frustration and expensive when the rod lets go.
3. Are there any noise issues where you're intending to run?

I was *big* into nitro 1/8 on-road racing years ago. Back then electrics were all about who had the best cells. Unless you were sponsored by a battery manufacturer or importer and had the pick of the barrel, you weren't going to win [The "works" sponsored guys would test over 1,000 cells at a time and "keep" the best....]

But that's no longer the case and there's no doubt that electric is much, much easier, at least to start with. But, you don't get that "race car" noise and the intoxicating smell of nitro!

Cheers,
Ian

 

You do have a *really* good airfilter on it I presume?

Those not in to it are typically surprised that K&N makes filters for these little guys!

 

The filters get sand in them pretty quickly. I replace them often along with motors too. No keeping the sand out of the fragile innerds but if i can't run it on the beach then why bother? Didn't know K&N made 'em.

Nothing like seeing your truck get air through watery eyes from the nitro fumes.

 

neither get large scale petrol 2 stroke car .....baja 5b or 5t ........alot less hassles , just put gas in them and go have fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSfmM1M9SW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEsbdIwWvsg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gue9G56Ems&feature=related

 

Those things are cool. Someone also does 1/4 scale (?) on road cars IIRC.

I've never been much of a fan of dirt myself - Gimme a nice 1/8, 4WD, 40% nitro, Novarossi or similar power and a nice track and I'm happy! It seems we have many more permanent tracks in the UK - We don't often use a big lot and boards like you guys do. Couple of pix of the track at Mendip, Somerset below - I *love* that track! I finished 4th (IIRC) in the British round of the European championships there *many* years ago, in the wet.]

Anyway, returning to the OP, it goes back to what does he want to do with it IMHO.

Cheers,
Ian
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If you are going to race and are considering nitro, then make sure the local on-road or off-road track have a nitro class, as the noise problem may restrict them to electrics only. I have a huge collection of R/C cars, and I have always run electrics because of the easier maintenance and startup of the cars. I started when the best bateries on the market were the NiCd 1000mha race packs, and now they are at 4700 mha NiMH, and the LiPO packs, although more sensitive to handling, are putting out gobs of power.

Which brand of R/C cars are you looking at? I'm a big Associated Electrics fan. Several of their buggies, their oval on-road car, their 10th scale pan car, and their 12th scale road car. They're all great.

 

+1 The LiPO packs don't often blow up! [But always charge inside an ammo case, just in case.....]

Yep, those 1000MaH packs were what kept me with glow power - You couldn't compete with the "works" guys - They'd get the best cells, then the best matches and build their packs. Their "next best" were then matched and sold at *huge* premiums over regular packs.

Fortunately, that hurlde seems to have gone away now,

Cheers,
Ian

 

I haven't been in the game for a little while, and most recently I've just been screwing around with RC stuff, but they both have their advantages.

If you are running indoor, want to zip around the basement, or want less maintenance and hassle, electric is great. All the indoor races I did were electric, although I am sure some do gas.

Electric is quieter, less maintance, MUCH less "finicky" and less messing with it to get it working right. They are quick off the line which is good and bad - it can be harder to control sometimes because the gas can be like an on/off switch and there isn't as much feedback as to speed. With gas, you hear the engine revving up so you know how fast you're accelerating and moving.

The nice thing about gas, firstly it's more realistic with the noise and movement more like a real car. But the BIG benefit is of course that you run as long as you want, just toss in more gas and keep going. With electric, you can only have so many batteries, plus it's a PITA to keep changing them every 5 or 7 minutes.

FWIW, I have several cars... An XX4 (electric) and a T-Maxx (electric). I have a collection of rare vintage stuff that is a mix of gas and electric, but it's for show, I don't run any of it. The T-Maxx is what everyone wants to play with when we're having a family cookout, and it's what we take to the beach or to some open land to play with. But it really is a PITA to adjust it and clean it and make sure the clutch is operating right, etc, etc.

 

Just saw this and have to run!! Will post later. I'm all over this goofy RC industry (See my company at www.performancedevices.com and DO NOT buy anything )

 

I have a serpent vector 1/8th and a serpent vector 1/10th scale nitro cars, like others I bought these when batteries were not what they are today, I love driving both these cars and honestly wouldnt know what to buy with todays battey technology, so I will stick to the cars I have now untill tracks slowly go electric because of the noise factor

 

Now that sounds "interesting"......