Every month I post a new blog about RC cars. This month as I was cleaning out my garage I came across an old stack of plywood. Instead of throwing it out I thought that I’d use it for a summer activity for my son. With a little paint, some string and a tack the old plywood turned into a mini racetrack for his mini RC cars.

Using supplies that you have in your garage or basement you too can develop activities that will keep your kids busy for hours on end, even teenagers.

The first activity is to create a racecourse for mini RC cars. For this project you will need a piece of plywood, basic layout materials and paint. To start with have your kids draw out a course. To make the turns you can use a tack and a piece of string to center the turn and to make it even. The longer the string is the shallower the turn and the shorter the string is the sharper the turn will be. After laying out the design of the track trace the final outline with a black marker. This will give your kids shapes to paint in. The track should be a darker, contrasting color to the non-track areas. You can base your track’s design on a real race track or it can be freehand.

The second activity is to create obstacles to race your RC cars around. These obstacles can be made from ordinary items that you find in your garage or basement, or they can be customer pieces that you cut out of plywood. If you are using cutouts as your obstacles then think about including interior cutouts in your pieces. This will give your kids an obstacle that they can either drive around or that they can drive under.

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Summer is here yet again. If you haven’t all ready, then you need to get your RC drift cars and other RC vehicles out of winter storage and geared up for the street season. There are several things that you need to do to get your RC vehicles up and running.

The first thing that you need to do is to check the body for any damage. Winter storage may have exposed your RC cars and accessories to cold temperature cracks and decal defacing. You may also notice that the cars look faded or weathered. All of these problems can easily be fixed using new decals and touch up paint. If the bodies of your cars are seriously damaged, perhaps from wear and tear from previous years, then you can look into upgrading your vehicle with a new body. Body kits can be purchased for a reasonable price.

Next you need to examine the power supply of your vehicles. RC car batteries and fuel systems always need to be checked out before use, particularly when they have been stored over the winter. When checking out batteries you will want to look for any signs of corrosion. Holes in the battery or damage to the case of the battery can make it both ineffective and hazardous. You will also want to check the charge of your batteries. You need to check that it can take a charge as well as hold a charge.

If your RC unit has a fuel system, as opposed to a battery power source, then you will want to examine it for damage. You will want to look at the hoses in the system to make sure that they are not leaking. To test for leaks get out a blue garage towel and lie it flat on the ground. Then fuel up your vehicle and set it on the towel. Let the car sit for about an hour and then check the towel for any signs that the system is leaking oil or gas.

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Collecting RC cars can be a lot of fun. However, many people start collecting cars because they have bought the wrong models in the past. Creating a bad RC car collection is really a waste of your money. This is why it is important to learn about RC cars and your options before you spend any money.

A good place to start when learning about RC cars is to examine the various manufacturers of remote controlled cars and vehicles. Some of the top remote control car manufacturers include CEN, Duratrax and Kyosha. Each company has its own strengths and weaknesses. By learning about what each manufacturer excels in will help you to determine which manufacturer to focus your purchases on.

The next thing that you will want to learn about is the various types of remote controlled vehicles. For example, there are electric, gas powered, infrared controlled and radio controlled options. Knowing the pros and cons of each of these options will help you to select an RC model that will fit your needs and expectations. For example, if you want power and speed then a gas powered RC car is what you want. However, if you want a good starter model for a younger child then an electric model is a better option.

Pre-education is a good idea for any type of investment. However, since your safety is also involved in an RC car purchase, pre-education is essential to an RC purchase.

Posted in CEN RC Cars and Trucks | 4 Comments »

Keeping your kids entertained during family get-togethers or vacations is not always easy to do. At home they may have a lot of entertainment options available to them, however, when you are away from home the entertainment options are limited. To make things more enjoyable when you are not at home or when you are on the road, try to find activities that get the kids away from the television and video games.

Mini RC cars are great for keeping the kids entertained. Not only are they generally less expensive than the full size versions, but they are also easy to travel with, however, keep in mind that minis are small toys, that could pose a choking hazard to young kids. Therefore, make sure the activities that you develop are age appropriate.

There are several fun activities that you can develop around mini rc cars. The first is a basic race. You can quickly set up a race track by using pool noodles and floaters. These objects are light weight and can be stored in your trunk and easily transported to the lake or summer house with you.

Another activity that you can plan is an obstacle course. For this activity you will need to set up a track that has multiple different types of obstacles. The goal is to get around the obstacles and to the finish line faster than your opponents. Each round of this game can get progressively more difficult and challenging.

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The body design of your RC cars can be influenced by a number of factors. Usually if you buy a remote controlled car or vehicle that is preassembled then it is going to come with a body design that was developed by the factory. The only way that you can determine the body design of these cars is to buy the design that you like the best.

If you are interested in more control over the look of your car’s body design then you have a few options. Your first option is to buy decal kits. These kits will allow you to change up the look of your RC cars without having to change the paint or the parts on your vehicle. These kits are usually inexpensive and they allow you to quickly update the look of your NASCAR RC cars to reflect the latest sponsors of your favorite driver.

Another option that you have is to buy RC body kits that are primed but not painted. These bodies allow you to add your own colors and decals to the car’s body. What is great about this option is that you can use standard colors to recreate your favorite race car or you can mix your own paint colors and create your own design.

The final option is to modify the design of your RC car’s body. This can be done by swapping out parts or by developing your own body additions. For example, you can add a spoiler, new rims or chromed out parts.

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When you are into RC cars you will naturally experience a few of the same issues as every other RC enthusiast. One of the first issues that you will most likely encounter as a RC enthusiast is the death of a battery charger. Battery chargers are like any other electronic item, they have a finite life span. While you can expect several years from a battery charger eventually they will fail and need to be replaced.

When you first buy a battery chargers or a new RC car that comes with a battery charger you will want to read your warranty information. You will want to highlight the section that talks about the replacement of battery chargers. Make sure you know how long the warranty will cover a replacement. As you approach the final days of coverage you will want to evaluate the health of your battery charger. If it is not fully charging your batteries or if it is displaying any other type of problems then get it replaced before your warranty expires.

There are several signs that you can look for that will indicate that your battery charger needs to be replaced. First of all if the charger is not fully charging your batteries, then it most likely needs to be replaced. Secondly if it is overheating, then it needs to be replaced. Finally, if it is smoking or giving off a weird smell then it needs to be replaced.

When replacing your battery charger think about upgrading the battery for your RC units. Longer lasting batteries will reduce how many times you have to charge your battery and it will also give you more play time.

Posted in battery chargers | 20 Comments »

It is the middle of December and there are only 10 days left until Christmas. This is the perfect time to order your RC cars and toys online. You still have plenty of time to get your items shipped to you without having to pay for expedited shipping services. It is also the perfect time to take advantage of holiday discounts.

This year there are a couple of RC gift trends that you will want to look into. The first trend is NASCAR RC models. These models feature both drivers of the past and of the present. There are a lot of great NASCAR RC models to choose between, many of which are highly collectable.

When selecting a collectible RC toy or model car for investment purposes you need to make sure you research what you are buying. You will want to look at how previous items in the line have done in terms of valuation and you will also want to research what collectors are buying.

The second trend this year is character RC car collectibles. These collectibles feature characters and logos from the top media enterprises of 2009. Look for Twilight, Harry Potter and other new stars to shine on collectible models.

While new toys are always fun to play with and to buy for gifts they are not your only option. Classical RC toys are also a good option for gift giving. RC model trains, Disney RC cars and other favorites are sure to please kids and kids at heart.

Happy Holidays and I’ll see you in 2010!

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There are several companies that manufacture RC cars. One of the leaders in this industry is Associated Electronics. This company has been in business since 1964.

In 1964 Lee Yurada and Roger Curtis joined forces to open a slot car parts and accessories company. This company was created in response to the high popularity of slot cars at the time. The team were fairly successful with their venture during the 1960s.

By the early 1970s a new trend in model vehicle recreation emerged, the remote control fad. In 1971 Curtis and Yurada put their backgrounds in aircraft part manufacturing to work as they evolved their company from slot cars to remote control cars. This transition gave the company the opportunity to exploded in terms of popularity and profitability.

Throughout the 80s, 90s and into the 21st century Associated Electronics has been leading the way. Their products are known for their innovation, power and entertainment value. If you are looking for a great manufacturer to work with while developing your remote control car collection then consider Associated Electronics.

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Mini RC cars can be a lot of fun. However, their small size produces a few unique safety hazards that parents need to be aware of, as do pet owners.

The first safety issue is of course choking hazards. While young children will not be able to choke on most mini-rc cars, pets like dogs can. To protect your pets you need to make sure that you do not allow them to chase these small cars and you need to make sure you put them away when you are done playing with them.

Kids can choke on the small parts that make up the mini-rc cars. It is because of this that you will need to examine your mini rc cars regularly for loose, broken and missing pieces.

Another hazard that these cars can create is a hair pulling hazard. This occurs when the car’s wheels spin while the child holds it close to their hair. This can wrap their hair around the axel and cause a lot of pain or even traumatic injuries. The best way to avoid this problem is to supervise your kids as they play with these toys.

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The fall is a great time to examine your Kyosho RC cars for damage from the spring and summer. Since there is still plenty of good weather left to play with your RC cars you will want to fix small problems now so you can take advantage of this. The problems that you will want to address in September include tire problems, power issues and body damage.

September is also a great month to upgrade your remote control cars. By upgrading in September you will have time to try out various upgrades before storing your cars for the winter. Some of the upgrades that you may want to make include engine upgrades, suspension upgrades and tire upgrades.

Another task that you can complete in September is test driving new RC units. This will give you the chance to find the perfect models to give this Christmas to your kids, friends or loved ones. You can test drive new RC cars and trucks at local hobby shops and at RC events.

As the fall comes to a close you will want to focus on cleaning up your remote controlled toys for their winter storage. It is important to clear away dirt and grunge from your cars before they are stowed away because they can damage your paint work and decals. Dirt, grime and excess moisture can also lead to mechanical problems.

Posted in Kyosho RC Cars | 9 Comments »