Nikko Radio Control Cars Explained
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Nikko radio control cars
are some of the most popular R/C vehicles on the market today, and they boast that they are the largest manufacturer of R/C items in the world. Nikko limits their line to electric vehicles that operate on radio frequencies and does not participate in making any remote control vehicles (the ones with the wire attached to the car). They own all of their own manufacturing facilities, which they feel gives them more control over the quality of their product.Nikko RC cars are a big part of the Nikko line, but they arent the only vehicles manufactured at the Nikko facilities. They also make buggies, boats, tanks, and planes. Their other vehicles come in a wide variety of sizes and models. The scales of Nikko vehicles include 1/10, 1/14, 1/16, 1/20 and 1/24 scales. Their models include a Dodge Viper GTS, a Lamborghini Murcielago, a Mini Cooper, an Aston Martin, a Corvette, and various other styles. Many of these different models come in a small assortment of specific colors. If you are looking for something smaller than the 1/24 scale, Nikko also has a line of mini radio control cars. Nikko doesnt limit themselves only to building one style of boat either. They sport a sailboat model as well as a submarine. They have the Wave Skier, which actually has a skier that trails behind the boat. They also have the Sea Tiger submarine designed for the youngest radio control fans.
Nikko radio control trucks
come in varieties such as the Jeep, Avalanche, Ram, and Hummer. Nikko even makes a special Hummer that has a camera attached to it. They call this their Hummer H2 Spycam, and it comes in 1/14 scale. It even has headlights to light up the area for the camera.Nikko also sports their 1/18 scale Executor, which has dual motors and rubber tracks like the ones on bulldozers. This makes these great Nikko radio control cars for use in rough terrain. The cars come in 27MHz or 49MHz so one of your Nikko RC cars can be raced against another car from Nikko or other manufacturers as long has the two cars have different frequencies. If you are buying multiple Nikko radio control cars or know who you will be racing with, check the frequency of the cars to make sure they are different. This is important because you cant change the frequency of most Nikko radio control cars. Some of the larger Nikko radio control cars do come with removable frequency band crystals, which can be changed in the vehicle. Changing the crystals out allows a vehicle to operate on a different band of the same frequency. There are six such channels possible, so you could race up to six vehicles at the same time.If you are in the market for radio control cars, the vehicles mentioned here are just a few of the Nikko radio control cars they have to offer. As mentioned before, they claim to be the largest manufacturer of radio control vehicles, and they seem to be coming out with more models everyday.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Lithium ion battery safety info
Lithium Ion Battery Charging & Handling Safety Information
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Lithium Ion battery technology is rapidly gaining acceptance in the radio control community because of the cells hefty capacity and low weight which make them ideal power sources for our models.
Be forewarned though - once you've experienced the dramatic improvements in power and flight time with lithium cells, you'll be hooked too!
These batteries have specific charging requirements and ONLY chargers rated for lithium cells may be used. See lithium ion battery charger to find out which charger I recommend and...why.
Please read and adhere to the following guidelines for proper use:
The maximum permissible charge voltage per cell is 4.25V. The maximum charge rate for Lithium Ion/Polymer cells is 1C. Please do not charge your battery at any rate higher than 1C. Doing so may reduce the capacity and life cycle of the cells, with very little savings in charge time.
These lithium ion battery cells offer a tremendous advance in battery technology for RC flight. However, due to the chemistry of lithium cells, there is a possibility of fire if charging is not properly done. It is unavoidable due to the nature of lithium itself but they can be used very safely by adhering to the following simple rules and precautions.
Charging Safety Tips:
Be absolutely sure that the Lithium battery charger settings are correct for the battery pack being charged if yours is not an automatic charger.
Care should be taken to charge on a fireproof surface, such as brick.
Do not charge batteries near flammable items or liquids
Keep a dry fire extinguisher nearby - or a large bucket of dry sand, which is a cheap and effective extinguisher.
Do not charge inside an automobile, especially while driving
A lithium ion battery should NEVER be left unattended while charging
Handling Precautions:
New cells may have a high initial charge, and care must always be taken to insure that loose cells are not short circuited.
Do not put the loose cells in a pocket, bag, or drawer where they could short-circuit against other items, or the battery tabs could be pressed against each other.
Do not place the loose cells on any conductive surface, such as a metal-topped table.
Keep loose lithium ion battery cells and battery packs WELL out of reach of children!
Take care that the cells are not punctured, especially by metallic objects like hobby knives.
If the electrolyte in the cells should get on your skin, thoroughly wash with soap and water. If in the eyes, rinse thoroughly with cool water. Immediately seek medical attention.
Although environmentally friendly, a lithium ion battery must be FULLY discharged before disposal. Buy a battery discharger to accomplish this and to avoid the possibility of a short-induced fire after disposal.
I hope you found this information helpful and you have my permission to forward it to anyone on your mailing list who you think could benefit!
(All links open new windows)
Lithium Ion battery technology is rapidly gaining acceptance in the radio control community because of the cells hefty capacity and low weight which make them ideal power sources for our models.
Be forewarned though - once you've experienced the dramatic improvements in power and flight time with lithium cells, you'll be hooked too!
These batteries have specific charging requirements and ONLY chargers rated for lithium cells may be used. See lithium ion battery charger to find out which charger I recommend and...why.
Please read and adhere to the following guidelines for proper use:
The maximum permissible charge voltage per cell is 4.25V. The maximum charge rate for Lithium Ion/Polymer cells is 1C. Please do not charge your battery at any rate higher than 1C. Doing so may reduce the capacity and life cycle of the cells, with very little savings in charge time.
These lithium ion battery cells offer a tremendous advance in battery technology for RC flight. However, due to the chemistry of lithium cells, there is a possibility of fire if charging is not properly done. It is unavoidable due to the nature of lithium itself but they can be used very safely by adhering to the following simple rules and precautions.
Charging Safety Tips:
Be absolutely sure that the Lithium battery charger settings are correct for the battery pack being charged if yours is not an automatic charger.
Care should be taken to charge on a fireproof surface, such as brick.
Do not charge batteries near flammable items or liquids
Keep a dry fire extinguisher nearby - or a large bucket of dry sand, which is a cheap and effective extinguisher.
Do not charge inside an automobile, especially while driving
A lithium ion battery should NEVER be left unattended while charging
Handling Precautions:
New cells may have a high initial charge, and care must always be taken to insure that loose cells are not short circuited.
Do not put the loose cells in a pocket, bag, or drawer where they could short-circuit against other items, or the battery tabs could be pressed against each other.
Do not place the loose cells on any conductive surface, such as a metal-topped table.
Keep loose lithium ion battery cells and battery packs WELL out of reach of children!
Take care that the cells are not punctured, especially by metallic objects like hobby knives.
If the electrolyte in the cells should get on your skin, thoroughly wash with soap and water. If in the eyes, rinse thoroughly with cool water. Immediately seek medical attention.
Although environmentally friendly, a lithium ion battery must be FULLY discharged before disposal. Buy a battery discharger to accomplish this and to avoid the possibility of a short-induced fire after disposal.
I hope you found this information helpful and you have my permission to forward it to anyone on your mailing list who you think could benefit!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Radio control helicopters info
Radio Control Helicopters Components
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When choosing either electric
radio control helicopters
or the
gas RC helis
the helicopter itself is only the first part of the process.
Once youve decided on the scale, the precision of the craft, and the style of the helicopter, you can decide which of the helicopters you want to purchase. Then come the details. Even if you buy a ready to fly kit, there are more decisions to be made about accessories for your R/C helicopters.
Radio
If your radio control helicopters or kits dont come with a
radio transmitter and receiver
you need to know the basics you will be looking for in a radio. While you can use many airplane radios for helicopter flying, youll get the best control and enjoyment if you have a radio specifically designed to work with helicopters. These have a few helicopter specific utilities such as mixing functions to give you more control over your radio control helicopters.
The next question is how many channels will you need? The radio used for helicopters should have at least 5 channels: throttle, collective pitch, tail rotor pitch, fore-aft cyclic control and left-right cyclic control.
While you may hear that a 4-channel radio is the absolute minimum and will work, using this type of radio requires you to combine the link throttle and collective pitch onto one servo. Having at least 5 channels allows you to put these on separate channels and greatly increases your helicopter's capabilities and fun factor!
But if you are going to buy a radio, you should go ahead and pay the few extra dollars for at least 6 channels. This will allow you some room to grow and add accessories to your radio control helicopters. And if you plan to use a gyro this 6th channel is a must.
Gyro
So what is this gyro thing mentioned when discussing the number of channels you need? Remember in school physics when they taught you that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?
When the main rotors on radio control helicopters spin, the body of the helicopter wants to spin with just as much force in the opposite direction. The tail rotor provides the necessary force to keep the body of the helicopter facing in the direction you want. Wind and other factors will also try to spin your helicopter, making constant adjustments necessary on the speed of the tail rotor.
What a gyro does is takes these extra forces into account to control the tail rotor adjustments for you. Most pilots of radio control helicopters wouldnt hit the skies without their gyro.
Training landing gear
They dont look exactly like training wheels, but training landing gear parts can provide the same extra stability for a beginner pilot of radio control helicopters. Though this landing gear doesnt have any effect on the flight of the helicopter, it can be a true equipment saver when you are learning to land.
The special gear gives you a wider landing base, cushions the landing, and helps prevent the helicopter from tipping over. Now, it may give away the fact that you are the new kid on the block when it comes to flying radio control helicopters, but it may also make sure your helicopter lives to fly another day!
(All links open new windows)
When choosing either electric
radio control helicopters
or the
gas RC helis
the helicopter itself is only the first part of the process.
Once youve decided on the scale, the precision of the craft, and the style of the helicopter, you can decide which of the helicopters you want to purchase. Then come the details. Even if you buy a ready to fly kit, there are more decisions to be made about accessories for your R/C helicopters.
Radio
If your radio control helicopters or kits dont come with a
radio transmitter and receiver
you need to know the basics you will be looking for in a radio. While you can use many airplane radios for helicopter flying, youll get the best control and enjoyment if you have a radio specifically designed to work with helicopters. These have a few helicopter specific utilities such as mixing functions to give you more control over your radio control helicopters.
The next question is how many channels will you need? The radio used for helicopters should have at least 5 channels: throttle, collective pitch, tail rotor pitch, fore-aft cyclic control and left-right cyclic control.
While you may hear that a 4-channel radio is the absolute minimum and will work, using this type of radio requires you to combine the link throttle and collective pitch onto one servo. Having at least 5 channels allows you to put these on separate channels and greatly increases your helicopter's capabilities and fun factor!
But if you are going to buy a radio, you should go ahead and pay the few extra dollars for at least 6 channels. This will allow you some room to grow and add accessories to your radio control helicopters. And if you plan to use a gyro this 6th channel is a must.
Gyro
So what is this gyro thing mentioned when discussing the number of channels you need? Remember in school physics when they taught you that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?
When the main rotors on radio control helicopters spin, the body of the helicopter wants to spin with just as much force in the opposite direction. The tail rotor provides the necessary force to keep the body of the helicopter facing in the direction you want. Wind and other factors will also try to spin your helicopter, making constant adjustments necessary on the speed of the tail rotor.
What a gyro does is takes these extra forces into account to control the tail rotor adjustments for you. Most pilots of radio control helicopters wouldnt hit the skies without their gyro.
Training landing gear
They dont look exactly like training wheels, but training landing gear parts can provide the same extra stability for a beginner pilot of radio control helicopters. Though this landing gear doesnt have any effect on the flight of the helicopter, it can be a true equipment saver when you are learning to land.
The special gear gives you a wider landing base, cushions the landing, and helps prevent the helicopter from tipping over. Now, it may give away the fact that you are the new kid on the block when it comes to flying radio control helicopters, but it may also make sure your helicopter lives to fly another day!
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