Re: Audi/Tamiya R/C advice needed!

[AudiTurbo@aol.com]

Hey Tom,

         I have a 4wd Schumacher SST2000 R/C that I race occasionally at the
track.
Among the decent r/c car bodies for it that aren't dented badly, I have an A4,
M3, Volvo S40, and RX-7. The stock speed control that came with your car can
work for the meantime. One of the problems w/ it is that it they tend to get
really hot. A good electronic speed control that you could get for a starter
would be the Tekin Rebel w/ reverse. It costs around $70 and has a feature
where you can disable the reverse when you bring it to the racetrack since
they only allow forward there. The stock speed control should work with any
generic remote control. I use Futaba myself and would recomend for starters
the Futaba Magnum sport model 2PC-AM 75mhz. It comes with the remote control,
a 2 channel receiver, and 2 servos all for around $60-70 bucks. Later if the
future if you start racing them you might want to go to a FM remote controller
that will give you better response and steering dual rates. 

      As far as the car battery goes I'd recommend starting off w/ 2 1500mah
6-Cell batteries, they'll cost you about $20 each. It's good to have more than
one so you can have fun driving your r/c while your charging up the other
battery. If you wanted to spend the money and have longer run times you'd
probably want to go with a 1700mah or 2000mah battery which you can either
solder them together yourself or get them in a pack. Also remember to drain
your r/c batteries and let them cool a little before you recharge them.
There's a bulb discharger you can get for them. I just made mine out of 10 12v
car brake light bulbs, a hanger, solder gun, and a couple of burned fingers. 

        When looking for a charger I'd recommend and AC/DC peak charger. It'll
cost you a little over a $100 but find it's worth it in the long run. You can
plug it into the wall so it won't drain your real car battery. If you don't
want to spend that much money try to at least get a peak charger. You can get
a Rhino digital peak DC charger for @ $60-70. The stock motor that comes with
those Tamiya cars tend to get really hot. I'd recommend going to a midnight 2
or Trinity stock motor. Going to a Modified motor will be fun, but you'll find
yourself with shorter run times. You can always gear up the car to go as fast
as you want it to. Just ask the guy at your local hobby shop, he'll recommend
a good gear ratio. As far as pointers on building the car...I haven't build a
Tamiya yet. My friend has a TA-03 tamiya porche 911 Gt1 he built. If I recall,
remember to leave the belt a little loose and also gear up the bearings really
well since they're plastic. 
try checking out the website www.towerhobbies.com Thats where I order most of
my parts. email me if you have anymore questions. Have fun! 

Ryan Gandionco,
98.5 A41.8T, K&N, Neuspeed .8 bar, Remus 

P.S. where did you see those A3 & TT Lexan bodies? I'd love to get one of
those

In a message dated 1/8/99 3:48:24 PM Eastern Standard Time, tnas@euronet.nl
writes:

<< Hi all,
 
 I've just received 'payment' for a job I did a while ago, in the form of a
 Tamiya 1:10 R/C A4 BTCC racer. Cool toy!
 
 I'm a newbie at R/C, and would like some advice on what I need to buy in
 addition to this kit. It includes a speed controller (Tamiya 3-speed +
 reverse), but not the actual remote control, a battery or a battery charger.
 Will the speed controller work with any generic remote control, or will I
 have to buy a matching remote unit? What's there to look out for when
 buying these?
 
 Also, any pointers for building the kit will be much appreciated. I've seen
 references to this kit on the list before, so I know there are more of you
 who've built one of these.
 
 TIA!
 
 Tom
 
 PS Latest releases in Tamiya's lexan cover range include an Audi A3 and TT.
 Better start saving...
  >>