New to the RC world, need some help

[Idiedtwice]

Hi, just got my Mk5 Supra 1/10 for Christmas and i love it, my wife got it for me, it came with no radio controller or esc or receiver or battery, need help with what to buy, i saw some kits but dont know if that is the way to do it, so i`m here with all you professionals hoping i get some answers :)

I plan to upgrade the car later on, but for now beginner level i just want to have it working, then slowly upgrade. Besides controller kit all i want is to get some LED lights to it.

 

Thank you in advance, and great to be in this community 

[Idiedtwice]

I have found this, https://www.jadlamracingmodels.com/rc-car-wheel-radio-3300mah-battery-fast-charger-combo-perfect-for-tamiya-rc/, but dont think that it comes with a servo 

[Ironfather]

Hi welcome to the forum.

If you got a kit then it's only a chassis kit, some come also with electronic speed controller for the motor. There is RTR. Ready to Run, and ARTR. Almost Ready to Run.

witch needs some thing to make to complete.

Led lights there are many options on kits that are plug and play, or you can make something form Leds and resistors.

there is under body kits for that neon look and optic fiber for the really small lights.

Then there is Intera/ drivers, Dash, etc.

As for what you have found for a controller is Okay for a first kit, but you'll probably want to up grade as your skills improve.

Brushed motors are old tech, and Brushless is better, some of these esc and motors can be waterproof.

Batteries Nicd, NiMH, are older tech and safer, incase of fire, but Lipo, LiFe, etc will need a better battery charger.

But the power out put of these batteries are so much more fun to play with and the extra run time.

I hope you enjoy your time in the hobby 

 

[mtbkym01]

Welcome to TC, you can’t imagine the can of worms your wife has opened for you, expect more kits to end up on your wish list moving forward 

That kit you have linked does include a servo (atleast it’s in the pic). I can’t comment on the gear or value for money but it looks like it’s a start. I think you’ll still need an esc which the Hobbywing 1060 is the go to industry leader 

[glancyguy]

Welcome. You will get a wide variety of answers to this question. Here is one of many possible combos if you want reliable beginner gear (which is also subjective)…If you want simple to order on Amazon (at least here in the US): Tamiya sport tuned motor 540 motor, FlySky GT3B transmitter/receiver, Hobbywing 1060 brushed ESC, any 7.2 3000 (or higher) NiMH battery w/Tamiya connector (I like Tenergy), any $25 - $35 high torque servo - low profile typically better and takes up less space, Tenergy TB-6AB charger. I run this set up on lots of my entry level tamiyas. As everyone here will tell you, as you get more proficient… move to brushless motors, Lipo batteries, and infinite hop ups once you get comfortable.. 

[TurnipJF]

Greetings and welcome!

A few questions that might help us better answer yours:

Where are you based? (I'm guessing UK from your consideration of Jadlam Models?)

How do you plan to use the car? Racing? Just driving around on the street for fun? Entering the Tamiyaclub postal races?

Do you see yourself getting more cars in the future?

Any budget constraints?

Who will be using the car and charging the batteries? Just yourself, or will kids be involved? If so, how responsible are they, and how big are their hands?

[Juggular]

Flysky GT3C (Don't get GT3B model) is a good digital transmitter.  You can add 9 more cars just by buying receivers.  You won't need to get a transmitter for a long while (or short while, if you go fast and furious into this hobby).  USD 44 including 1 receiver and a transmitter battery, + free shipping is still a good deal. 

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832613430791.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.111.3b935e6f7TGHmL&algo_pvid=5e34fb4d-7712-4d8c-a283-49c2c6544307&algo_exp_id=5e34fb4d-7712-4d8c-a283-49c2c6544307-55&pdp_npi=4%40dis!USD!47.99!38.39!!!47.99!!%40210321c317035536847358482e6d4b!10000015440049682!sea!US!2630314545!&curPageLogUid=0rBDaq2D17AT

 

If you want to spend a bit more, Radiolink is relatively inexpensive. It comes with a gyro receiver.  But learning curve could be a bit steep.  

https://www.amazon.com/Radiolink-2-4GHz-Transmitter-Receiver-Controller/dp/B07DPMVVKN/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_2/138-5349163-8514007?pd_rd_w=Q5TAc&content-id=amzn1.sym.839d7715-b862-4989-8f65-c6f9502d15f9&pf_rd_p=839d7715-b862-4989-8f65-c6f9502d15f9&pf_rd_r=DQ9PBX3N0NTG645BZ9HS&pd_rd_wg=TFAJQ&pd_rd_r=c749e84e-3f96-431a-a89d-3366deef2067&pd_rd_i=B07DPMVVKN&psc=1

 

Does your kit come with bearings?  If not, you might want some 1150 bearings. 

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801821911839.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.103.7e5c1802bhdpk6&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

 

 

[markbt73]

That combo you linked to looks like a good place to start. The only thing I don't see included is an electronic speed control. Tamiya car kits sometimes include one and sometimes don't. If one isn't included, a basic Hobbywing 1060 is a good place to start. Just search for "1060 ESC" and you should be able to get one from anywhere. But if there's one in the box (it will be in a plastic bag all on its own, little black box with a bunch of wires connected to it), then you're golden.

You didn't mention which exact car kit you got, so it's hard to tell you what else to look for. Tamiya kits come standard with plastic and/or bronze bushings for the axles and gears; most of us replace them with ball bearings, but it isn't absolutely necessary. Your car kit, plus the set you linked to above, plus a speed control if the kit didn't include one, will get you started just fine.

Above all, please don't feel overwhelmed, or get discouraged when members on here bombard you with "helpful" suggestions of thing they think you "need" to get started, becaise they will. They mean well, but a lot of folks here forget what it was like to be a beginner. The truth is, we all started out with one kit, built it straight out of the box exactly according to the instructions, and had a blast with it as-is, before spending a bunch of money on anything else. Do the same, and you won't go too far astray.

[BuggyDad]

2 hours ago, markbt73 said:

Above all, please don't feel overwhelmed, or get discouraged when members on here bombard you with "helpful" suggestions of thing they think you "need" to get started, becaise they will. They mean well, but a lot of folks here forget what it was like to be a beginner. The truth is, we all started out with one kit, built it straight out of the box exactly according to the instructions, and had a blast with it as-is, before spending a bunch of money on anything else. Do the same, and you won't go too far astray.

Agree with all this but I would add that, of those extra items, bearings are a lot easier to fit as you build the kit rather than dismantling it later to fit them. They're also probably the most common/obvious upgrade because the reason for fitting them is largely about avoiding unnecessary wear on other parts. 

The other common upgrades are more easily fitted later. People say similar about using a pinion made out of a harder material (we use upgraded ones because stock aluminium one will wear and then the other gears wear out much faster) but at least it's a 5 minute job to pop a different one in when you decide to upgrade. 

[Jonathon Gillham]

@TurnipJFis onto it (hes well smart). I can give options from budget to top end and also reasons why, but really need to  know your budget and end game. 

One piece of unsolicited advice - spend way more on your transmitter than you expect to!

[gkatz]

11 hours ago, Idiedtwice said:

Hi, just got my Mk5 Supra 1/10 for Christmas and i love it, my wife got it for me, it came with no radio controller or esc or receiver or battery, need help with what to buy, i saw some kits but dont know if that is the way to do it, so i`m here with all you professionals hoping i get some answers

I plan to upgrade the car later on, but for now beginner level i just want to have it working, then slowly upgrade. Besides controller kit all i want is to get some LED lights to it.

 

Thank you in advance, and great to be in this community 

adding to what others already answered.

take your time to learn a little - it will benefit you... i am a newbe myself and have been one for the past 10 months. learning things every day.

i am not familiar with your specific kit so you should double check compatability with what I suggest

- esc: the "standard" is uauslly a hobby wing 1060. https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/products/quicrun-10-esc-2-3s-brushed

- batteries and charger: I suggest you start with NiMH unless you want to "work" for your battery...  many if not most poeple would proably suggest LIPO batteries, but TBH, if you just need something to run and forget about (which LIPO isnt),  you can take a look at this NiMH combo: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QRQPSF8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

-on the Tx/Rx front: if you plan to have only one car you can go with some 30usd items like the dumboRc X6, but if you think that in the near future you will purchase another kit then you should start with a Rx with model memory (each of your cars will have different trims, epas etc that you need to store), there are plenty 60USD range that will provide all you need.

again, I suggest you take the time to learn. plenty of data in tamiyaclub and plenty of knowledgable people that are happy to help...

good luck
 

[Idiedtwice]

Thank you all for answering, so much information, a bit too much for me, i don't understand a lot of things so hard to get my head around, I will try to attach some pictures of what I have right now. Electronics wise, I have a motor and I believe this is an ESC.

So from what I gather, most people agree to get things individual , rather then a kit ? 

Right now I want the car to work and me getting used to controls and such, not interested in racing or anything, just pure enjoyment for myself.

I live in UK right now, but soon, very soon moving back to my country Romania, my wife and myself are moving back for good. UK makes it easy to order parts, I don't know about Romania right now, fingers crossed. Isn`t there like a Tamiya website that you can just order anything, all I see is thousands of websites with bits and pieces, a bit confusing.

So from what I gather, I need a Transmitter ( this I believe is the controller right ? ), a receiver ( that sits in the car ), battery pack, ( noticed my esc can go between NiMH and LIPO I think ), a charger for the battery pack and a servo. 

And if I want to add lights later on, do I need something else, I hear about 2 way , 3 way channel things, I still don't understand what is this about.

 

Thank you again for the answers received 

 

(EDITED) Just noticed how small the pictures are, the RED thingy near the car is a small electronic box with some kind of cooling thing on top, guessing its the ESC, looks like the QUICRUN 1060 BRUSHED ESC (2-3S), just not with the ON/OFF button, I don't seem to have something like that 

[BuggyDad]

1 hour ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

@TurnipJFis onto it (hes well smart). I can give options from budget to top end and also reasons why, but really need to  know your budget and end game. 

One piece of unsolicited advice - spend way more on your transmitter than you expect to!

I'm gonna go for a little hijack here if that's OK... 

I'm still on budget transmitters (Absima CR3P). I've never tried anything else. But I kind of wonder whether I should keep throwing money at more receivers for these or move on. I can't quite get my head around the benefits of going more expensive. It's kind of hard to take the plunge for something more expensive. If I was going to upgrade, probably for quality reasons rather than functionality, what would you recommend and why? What are the quality/feel/speed/whatever improvements and how big/obvious are they in use? 

[Idiedtwice]

Any advice is a good advice , it`s just hard for me to understand all these things for now, so I should go with a Transmitter stand alone and get the other parts the same, so basically not buy a kit ? 

 

[Twinfan]

49 minutes ago, Idiedtwice said:

Thank you all for answering, so much information, a bit too much for me, i don't understand a lot of things so hard to get my head around, I will try to attach some pictures of what I have right now. Electronics wise, I have a motor and I believe this is an ESC.

So from what I gather, most people agree to get things individual , rather then a kit ? 

Right now I want the car to work and me getting used to controls and such, not interested in racing or anything, just pure enjoyment for myself.

I live in UK right now, but soon, very soon moving back to my country Romania, my wife and myself are moving back for good. UK makes it easy to order parts, I don't know about Romania right now, fingers crossed. Isn`t there like a Tamiya website that you can just order anything, all I see is thousands of websites with bits and pieces, a bit confusing.

So from what I gather, I need a Transmitter ( this I believe is the controller right ? ), a receiver ( that sits in the car ), battery pack, ( noticed my esc can go between NiMH and LIPO I think ), a charger for the battery pack and a servo. 

And if I want to add lights later on, do I need something else, I hear about 2 way , 3 way channel things, I still don't understand what is this about.

 

Thank you again for the answers received 

 

(EDITED) Just noticed how small the pictures are, the RED thingy near the car is a small electronic box with some kind of cooling thing on top, guessing its the ESC, looks like the QUICRUN 1060 BRUSHED ESC (2-3S), just not with the ON/OFF button, I don't seem to have something like that 

The Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) is the little box with the red cooling fins on top.  Yours is the Carson Dragster model which Tamiya supplied in kits for a while.  It works with brushed motors only, like the standard 540-type motor (nicknamed the "silver can") you have in your car.  It will also work with a faster brushed motor in the future if you want to upgrade.

As you say, you need a battery, a charger, a steering servo, a transmitter/controller and a receiver.  I use Overlander batteries and the charger in the set you linked to at Jadlam and find them very good.  If you're looking for a wheel controller/transmitter rather than the stick-type I think it's a good buy.  Nice find!

I see you've already built the kit, but while it's new and clean you might want to pick up a bearing set and fit them.  You can get them on eBay if you search for "TT-02 bearing kit" or this is the one you need:

https://www.rcbearings.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1177

You haven't mentioned paint for the body yet, so you'll need Tamiya "PS" paint for polycarbonate, which you can also get from Jadlam (although it's a few pounds more expensive than other places):

https://www.jadlamracingmodels.com/tamiya-ps-2-red-polycarbonate-spray-paint-100ml-lexan-rc-car-body/

Hope that helps!

[Idiedtwice]

@Twinfan Are you able to help me please get the things i need like do you use discord ? are you able to take a few minutes and help me ? i want to order them as soon as i can 

My discord name name is Idiedtwice#1438, if anybody uses Discord, thank you in advance

 

[Willy iine]

We assume you're looking for something cheap to start out, but if it's something you might get into for the long haul I suggest looking at high teir radios (not that the radios others suggested are bad).   Futaba, Sanwa/Airtronics, Spektrum, etc. 

You can easily upgrade your receiver/electronics/car, but the radio usually sticks with you the longest and want to usually use the best radio and RF protocol that best suits you.

That said, I've been using mostly Futaba (for on road cars 7PX-R, 4PK-R) and Spektrum (everything else DX5Pro-2021) since JRPropo discontinued support back in the early 2000's.   I try to get their best radios they offer for my application and keep it for pretty much forever or until it breaks which so far has not happened.. and have been the most cost effective and enjoyable way through my RC journey.

[Idiedtwice]

Not really cheap, but yeah something to ease me in and get me going. Today i started looking for things to buy but its just too much to understand for a beginner  started looking for aluminium dampers and such, not simple plastic ones that i have, bearings and yeah you know . So i can`t wait to get more into this community and start building some nice cars

[Twinfan]

I disagree with Willy iine, a cheap transmitter is absolutely fine to get you going.  The higher end ones may feel better and last longer but they're full of confusing features for racers that you may never need if you just run a car around the park.  I'm a stick transmitter fan and I'm quite happy using the basic Carson versions until they break - they're cheap and work fine.  I have several cars and one transmitter, each car has its own receiver.  To save money, you can fit receivers on velcro and switch them between cars if need be  

[TurnipJF]

6 hours ago, Idiedtwice said:

@Twinfan Are you able to help me please get the things i need like do you use discord ? are you able to take a few minutes and help me ? i want to order them as soon as i can 

My discord name name is Idiedtwice#1438, if anybody uses Discord, thank you in advance

 

Are you still looking for guidance via Discord? I'm on there too, also UK based. 

[Idiedtwice]

@TurnipJF Yes, just add me and call on discord please 

[Idiedtwice]

Many thanks to @TurnipJF  helped with a call and this are on their way. Also thanks to everybody else, lots of help in the last day, thank you so much 

 

 I will come back to the finished product once its done

 

 

[Jonathon Gillham]

20 hours ago, BuggyDad said:

I'm gonna go for a little hijack here if that's OK... 

I'm still on budget transmitters (Absima CR3P). I've never tried anything else. But I kind of wonder whether I should keep throwing money at more receivers for these or move on. I can't quite get my head around the benefits of going more expensive. It's kind of hard to take the plunge for something more expensive. If I was going to upgrade, probably for quality reasons rather than functionality, what would you recommend and why? What are the quality/feel/speed/whatever improvements and how big/obvious are they in use? 

Once you get to a certain level then it becomes very subjective. Comparing the FS GT3C, Futaba 3PV, Sanwa MT4S and Sanwa M17 is useful since they go from cheap to high end and I have them all. I'm using them as represntative of their spot in the low/mid/high end and would assume a Futaba 10PX will be as good as the M17. All have the basic features you need (basically multi model memory, trim and EPA)

Ergonomics matter if you use them for a long time (nitro mains are 30mins). Both Sanwas are more comfortable in the hand somehow.

All perform well enough for backyard racing, you don't notice any difference in the actual performance of the car when racing Tamiyas with silvercans against friends.

On a race track I do notice the difference between the Futaba and Flysky vs Sanwa though, they feel less responsive somehow. This is without setting up the Sanwa servos to take advantage of their programming too, its just woth the same gear (savox servos, 17.5T motors). It feels like you need to anticipate when the car will turn in and turn earlier compared to the others whcih are instant.

I don't think there is really any difference between the MT4S and M17 though. I got the M17 as its backwards compatible with all my old rx, but the MT5 only works with the newest FH5 rx. If I was starting fresh then the MT5 would be my pick, especially since there are now clone FH5 rx for reasonable money.

So its very similar to why some people drive a BMW/Mercedes/Jaguar and others are happy with a Toyota

[BuggyDad]

9 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

Once you get to a certain level then it becomes very subjective. Comparing the FS GT3C, Futaba 3PV, Sanwa MT4S and Sanwa M17 is useful since they go from cheap to high end and I have them all. I'm using them as represntative of their spot in the low/mid/high end and would assume a Futaba 10PX will be as good as the M17. All have the basic features you need (basically multi model memory, trim and EPA)

Ergonomics matter if you use them for a long time (nitro mains are 30mins). Both Sanwas are more comfortable in the hand somehow.

All perform well enough for backyard racing, you don't notice any difference in the actual performance of the car when racing Tamiyas with silvercans against friends.

On a race track I do notice the difference between the Futaba and Flysky vs Sanwa though, they feel less responsive somehow. This is without setting up the Sanwa servos to take advantage of their programming too, its just woth the same gear (savox servos, 17.5T motors). It feels like you need to anticipate when the car will turn in and turn earlier compared to the others whcih are instant.

I don't think there is really any difference between the MT4S and M17 though. I got the M17 as its backwards compatible with all my old rx, but the MT5 only works with the newest FH5 rx. If I was starting fresh then the MT5 would be my pick, especially since there are now clone FH5 rx for reasonable money.

So its very similar to why some people drive a BMW/Mercedes/Jaguar and others are happy with a Toyota

Ah thanks. I typed a reply but I think I will start a new thread on this rather than derail this one - sorry about that! 😉

[alvinlwh]

.