RC stuff

[Maguscreed]

I recently revisited something I was interested in as a kid which is these rc helicopters. Of course back then they were several hundred bucks, now you can get a large one for 40-100 if you know where to shop.

Anyhow, I've been modding the circuit boards, boosting power and modifying them however I can.
I've actually increased the mini's flight time per charge from roughly 4 to 15 minutes.

The two larger ones are outdoor models, but only the biggest one can really handle the wind at all.

Anyhow, was wondering if anyone else messed with rc stuff.

 

[MrNeeds]

I recently revisited something I was interested in as a kid which is these rc helicopters. Of course back then they were several hundred bucks, now you can get a large one for 40-100 if you know where to shop.

Anyhow, I've been modding the circuit boards, boosting power and modifying them however I can.
I've actually increased the mini's flight time per charge from roughly 4 to 15 minutes.

The two larger ones are outdoor models, but only the biggest one can really handle the wind at all.

Anyhow, was wondering if anyone else messed with rc stuff.

i've just ordered an iHelicopter from amazon for £30, i'll be uploading a video of me failing to fly it lol

 

[z3r010]

Mine lasted less than 5 minutes before a fatal crash

 

[JaidynM]

Nope. But I used to have one of those ones that you pull on a cord to wind the propeller up. It used to just fly around hopelessly for about 30 seconds then crash into a wall.

 

[boohbah]

i got my eldest son one at xmas ,between us we couldnt get it off the ground so it kind of skipped fast sideways around the yard ,eventually a day or so later he got it off the ground ,but he hasnt flown it since.

 

[mickey megabyte]

mine lasted less than 5 minutes before a fatal crash

 

[whs]

How about this one for your BIG living room.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Amazon delivered these to my door and they just fly !

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I can only aspire !

 

[smarteyeball]

i got my eldest son one at xmas ,between us we couldnt get it off the ground so it kind of skipped fast sideways around the yard ,eventually a day or so later he got it off the ground ,but he hasnt flown it since.

I was given one very similar to the large one in Maguscreed's pic. I had the same experience as you and your son (except I never got the damn thing off the ground )

Now it doesn't go even sideways, let alone take off before going flat.

 

[Maguscreed]

I'll see about shooting some crummy video of the largest one outside when I can. (wind has been insanely strong lately)

The trick with the mini's and even those mid sized ones indoors is to shoot them straight up about 3 feet, (chest level) and get them clear of their own backwash, even the smaller ones move an insane amount of air and that sideways crawling is either the result of that. Or if you have cieling fans turning or if it's a weak model even a strong AC/Heater could mess with it... You have to consider how small those mini's really are. The medium ones are a little better because they have some weight to them. ...but the easiest way to gain control is just to get them clear of ground as quickly as possible. If you see a crash imminent it's best not to try and power out of it but rather to kill all power immediately. It drastically reduces ,or even eliminates crash damage. My mini has probably wrecked 100 times and I haven't even had to use the extra blades that came with it.

...of course I'm flying the lighter chassis models.
...and finally yeah the stunt stuff has to be reserved for the fancier 4ch models. Walkera I think makes some good ones. They are a real pain to mess with though, almost as bad as the gas models. They require constant adjustment and tinkering to work properly. I prefer my tinkering be at my discretion not out of necessity.

 

[MrNeeds]

 

[pparks1]

I do RC stuff and have since I was a teenager. However, all my vehicles are firmly planted on the ground...that is when they aren't leaving a jump. I'm into RC cars and such.

As a kid I did all electrics, with my car of choice being the 1984 Team Associated RC10 buggy.

Now as an adult, i have some nitro cars as well as electrics

• Nitro: Team Associated RC10GT 2wd stadium truck
• Nitro: Traxxas Tmaxx 2.5
• Electric: Traxxas Rustler VXL

 

[linnemeyerhere]

That's fun I had a fully kit'd out Tamiya Frogger and It was the most fun in dirt or at the beach terrorizing pedestrians and cuties.....ah the good old days !

 

[pparks1]

I used to have a Tamiya Blackfoot, which was nothing more than a Frog with a lift kit and bigger tires. In fact, the kit didn't even change the hex bolt drive shafts from the original Frog which would round off within about 1 day of use with the truck due to it's larger tires, etc. So, I ended up having to replace with a Thorpe Dirtburner differential. Wasn't happy that my $90 truck kit needed a $75 part on day 2.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Yeah I replaced the speed controller,wheels/tires, suspension and batteries all to get better this and that. It seems that all hobbies are fantastic sink holes for cash and credit......oh that is except computers, we never drop wads of cash to extract small and sometimes large benefits. lol