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VagabondStarJXF

Planning On Flying To The Philippine Islands

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Hi all. I'm looking for advice from anyone who travels, or who has travelled, in and out of the Philippines International Airport (Ninoy Aquino) in Manila. I'm thinking of planning a trip to visit family and I'd like to take an RC car with me to run while I'm out there but I'm not sure what their restrictions are like. If I do it'll be the first time I've taken any of my 1/10's abroad but I'm still undecided about whether or not it's worthwhile putting myself through any of the potential hassle including it in my travel plans might incur.

Besides the airport customs stuff:

1) Should I take a small charger that uses a cigarette lighter socket, a mains charger or should I try to bring both? (I won't have voltage or socket issues)

2) I've got the choice of 27mhz, 40mhz and 2.4ghz radio systems. (I've got spare receivers of each at the moment) What frequency is safe/legal to use there?

3) Where's a nice, clean sandy beach to run an off roader?

4) I've got a choice of chassis' to bring with me. (SRB, ORV, Striker Chassis or TL01B) Which one would be most suited to that beach?

5) Is there a particular brand or style of luggage that's recommended for the transportation of RC equipment?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

BTW All of the above chassis' will be powered by a Mabuchi 540/TEU101BK combo with a pretty much stock setup.

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I have traveled to Manila with my rc stuff a couple of times. I only experienced a problem once when the airline ground crew in Manila wouldn't allow me to bring my nimh packs back here in the US. I left my packs there just to avoid any arguments. What's unusual was that I was able to bring my lipo packs on another trip.

1. I think its better to bring the mains outlet charger.

2. Any of the radio frequencies should be fine.

3. It depends on where you are going to stay. If you're going to stay in Manila, there's no nice, clean sandy beach nearby. But there are nice tracks for off road and on road cars.

4. I think any of those should be good.

5. Just make sure they are sturdy so they will not get crushed when they are stacked with the other baggages.

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Thanks for the reply.

I won't be staying in Manila solely and will be travelling about Luzon. Hoping to go to a beach at some point so any recommendations for a nice clean beach around Luzon would be great.

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I say, bring something that is the least prone to breaking (I think of the 4, the ORV would make the best one for fun+reliability)

Make sure you've had contact with customs and ask them the rules - possibly by email or letter, so you can show the customs the paperwork if there do occur trouble :) It might help if they make a fuzz of it, you never know :o

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you're going to islands, so my choice would be a srb as they excell in the sand.

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There are a lot of nice beaches in luzon and the best one's for me are usually on remote areas unspoiled by development. It will be easier if you can tell the province you're going to stay at.

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I'm going to be staying in Pangasinan primarily but I'll have access to private transportion so travelling to a nice beach shouldn't be a problem.

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Pangasinan is famous for the hundred islands. I've been there twice and it was nice. I think it also depends on which of the "hundred" islands you're going to be on. I'm sure there are more places there in pangasinan and nearby province like La Union. One popular beach further north that I hear a lot about is Pagudpod. Goodluck and I hope you enjoy your trip.

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go leave your r/c at home and just get a new kit here in the PI, build and run it, and then leave it here also. so that you have a reason to return all the time!

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My trip is looming ever closer. I'm getting really psyched about this trip but I'm still undecided about which chassis to bring along.

go leave your r/c at home and just get a new kit here in the PI, build and run it, and then leave it here also. so that you have a reason to return all the time!

I probably won't have much spending money as flying isn't as cheap as it was a few years back (almost cost me £1000 to fly out this time ;)) but I do like your idea of just buying a kit out there. I'll be landing in Manila, some time in the early afternoon I think, so do you have any recommendations for a decent place to buy Tamiyas? If I have time before continuing my journey to Pangasinan I'll try to go shopping for something! :(

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My trip is looming ever closer. I'm getting really psyched about this trip but I'm still undecided about which chassis to bring along.

I probably won't have much spending money as flying isn't as cheap as it was a few years back (almost cost me £1000 to fly out this time ;)) but I do like your idea of just buying a kit out there. I'll be landing in Manila, some time in the early afternoon I think, so do you have any recommendations for a decent place to buy Tamiyas? If I have time before continuing my journey to Pangasinan I'll try to go shopping for something! :(

I'm from pangasinan too!

Anyway:

You can check out LiL's in makati - park square, mandaluyong - sm megamall, or quezon city - ayala trinoma mall

Champion hobbies, a house in scout delarosa street in quezon city sells tamiyas also, they're cheaper for obvious reasons.

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I've just looked into my baggage weight limit and I'm only allowed a measly 20kg in one suitcase. No more. I might end up not having the available weight capacity to bring something with me...

If I buy a new car there I guess I'll need an entire kit. What are the prices like over there? Can you give me a general idea on what prices are like for one off-road and one on-road kit (let's say a Sand Scorcher (2010) and a VDF TA05 High End Drift Chassis), a complete radio setup (preferably a 2.4Ghz Tx, Rx & Servos), Tamiya paints (both TS and PS sprays) and spares like Wheels & Tyres and Bodysets?

I'm from pangasinan too!

Cool. What part?

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Enjoy your holiday in the Philippines and don't bring any RC or buy and built there as you may not have the time and you have to bring some tools. Your wife or GF is not going to be happy if you built RC while vacationing and you'll be rushing it to have it done, unless is a RTR. :) Is not worth the hassles of bringing your radio, charger, batteries, tools, spare as they may get damage / lost during the flight there or back. Is different if go by car, which is not possible. I think if you can't get RC out of your system while vacationing, visit the LHS and if the prices are good buy it and mail it back. With the weight limit and time frame, I don't think is a good ideal at all. But you will have to decide in the end.....

PS your GF paid me to write the above :)

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Your wife or GF is not going to be happy if you built RC while vacationing and you'll be rushing it to have it done, unless is a RTR. :huh: ...

PS your GF paid me to write the above :lol:

:lol:

Happily not a problem :lol: (or sadly depending on your point of view :huh:) Not married and no GF at the mo. I'm going with family and they know I need my rc's! ;)

Don't worry. I'll have enough time to get an RC assembled and bodyshell painted while I'm there. I can usually get a new kit all done 'n dusted in a day, with any upgrades to hand all installed, unless I really want to do something special with the bodyshell. Then I can take a year or two! :lol:

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Bring the Srb it will be fun in the beaches over there... I would bring mine when i go over there.. Rc stuff are quite expensive as i recall. You can bring some of your stuff hand carried baggage. Just not the batteries in a backpack maybe.. Just dis-assemble some of the taller parts. So it would be more flat.. Or easier bring the whole rc in parts easier to pack..:-)

Batteries might not be too expensive over there.. Radio & kits are a bit more i think..

Bring the 2.4ghz radio also..

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I've just looked into my baggage weight limit and I'm only allowed a measly 20kg in one suitcase. No more. I might end up not having the available weight capacity to bring something with me...

If I buy a new car there I guess I'll need an entire kit. What are the prices like over there? Can you give me a general idea on what prices are like for one off-road and one on-road kit (let's say a Sand Scorcher (2010) and a VDF TA05 High End Drift Chassis), a complete radio setup (preferably a 2.4Ghz Tx, Rx & Servos), Tamiya paints (both TS and PS sprays) and spares like Wheels & Tyres and Bodysets?

Cool. What part?

vdf ta05 from the house in QC is 335 USD, Futaba 2.4 2pl around 135 USD, body shells go for 30 USD, paint is 5 USD.

from mangatarem, pangasinan

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If you are going to stay at the same address for a longer time, you can have parts shipped from one of the usual suppliers. I have done that when visiting the US. I ordered a few days in advance and then got either collegues in a local office or my hotel to hold the parts for me. Just make sure that you let the hotel know in advance.

Did you consider bringing the radio/servo/ESC only with you? It's not that bulky. Remember tools and don't underestimate the time you will spend building while out there - you may want to spend that (expensive) time differently...

Have a nice trip!

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Bring the Srb it will be fun in the beaches over there...

I'm considering that but I don't think I'll have the opportunity to get any of my body shells painted up properly before I leave. If I do then the SRB will probably be the one I try to bring along, unless I decide to try buying one when I'm there instead of bringing it with me.

vdf ta05 from the house in QC is 335 USD, Futaba 2.4 2pl around 135 USD, body shells go for 30 USD, paint is 5 USD.

The price for that kit sounds good. Do Champion Hobbies stock HPI drift wheels and tyres? And how are they for Hop Up parts, battery packs, etc.? I think I'll go there with a shopping list! :D

from mangatarem, pangasinan

Cool. You're not that far from where I'll be heading. Is there anywhere decent to go RC Drifting in Pangasinan?

If you are going to stay at the same address for a longer time, you can have parts shipped from one of the usual suppliers. I have done that when visiting the US. I ordered a few days in advance and then got either collegues in a local office or my hotel to hold the parts for me. Just make sure that you let the hotel know in advance.

I will be more or less in the same place but I'm not sure how reliable the postal service is out in the barrio. It has improved over the years but deliveries of recent mailings from me to family there have been a little... odd.

Did you consider bringing the radio/servo/ESC only with you? It's not that bulky. Remember tools and don't underestimate the time you will spend building while out there - you may want to spend that (expensive) time differently...

After seeing the price that balongbalong posted up for the Futaba gear I've been trying to plan out my baggage to include an Acoms 2.4Ghz set (Tx, Rx and 2 servos), a couple of my 7.2v stick packs and my chargers (1 Mains and 1 car). Building doesn't usually take me that long but that's only because I have a tendancy to zone, y'know, become completely focused on the build so that time itself seems to disappear until the build is done.

Have a nice trip!

Thanks. I'm really looking forward to getting out there and into the hot, sunny weather. I got caught by the heavy rains over the last couple of days so I'm thoroughly miserable and a little ill because of it.

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Hi,

I've flown UK to USA a few times with my M-chassis cars (racing with friends on holiday :D).

I removed the electronics and packed the radio gear & charger in my checked baggage, and carried the chassis & bodyshell as hand luggage. No problems with customs or searches.

However, on 2 occasions I found that having my Nimh batteries in the checked baggage hold has caused cell failure on arrival. I've tried to charge my reliable batteries using either mine or other folk's chargers but they lost charge at least twice as quick as normal. Last time I tried my 12v car/cigarette lighter type charger so it was same voltage input as back home, international differences couldn't be to blame. If I carry the batteries as hand luggage in the main cabin, there's no problem.

Could a pressure difference in the cargo bay during flight cause this?? :D

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I thought luggage bays were pressurised nowadays. The temperate my not be maintained though.

When I came home from one holiday I had been using my rally blocked m03 swift on the beach and other off road places. It flagged up at security and the lady had to unpack it. Was not amused by getting sand and mud all over herself and the table. :D

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I've decided to try and get another SRB chassis up 'n running to bring along with me, one that I won't mind leaving there with my cousins should I need to. I'll probably try to buy another RC while I'm out there if I've got the funds but I need to be sure I've got one to play with while I'm there :lol:

Any other places worth checking out to 1) buy Tamiya stuff, or 2) to run around?

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I've decided to try and get another SRB chassis up 'n running to bring along with me, one that I won't mind leaving there with my cousins should I need to. I'll probably try to buy another RC while I'm out there if I've got the funds but I need to be sure I've got one to play with while I'm there :)

Any other places worth checking out to 1) buy Tamiya stuff, or 2) to run around?

Hello Vagabondstar,

Ive been reading this thread and Im glad that you'll be visiting the Philippines soon. A good suggestion would be to bring your radio and eletronics and get a kit here in the RP. As mentioned, Champion Hobbies (tel. no. 02-3471856), in Scout Delgado St. in Quezon City (Around 3 to 4 hours drive from Pangasinan) stocks realatively cheap Tamiyas. A CC01 Land Cruiser 40 or unimog, complete with esc and light unit would set you back around a little over 100 pounds, there's a dt02 for only 70+ pounds. Lils Hobby Shops would also be a good place to shop, there are branches at the Trinoma MAll in Quezon City and also at Megamall in Mandaluyong City and Park Square, Makati City. The cc01 would be a good all around bashing kit specially for the beach.

Here's mine at a beach in Thunderbird Resort, Poro Point, La Union. Enjoy your trip.

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For tamiya stuff and especially for parts of SRB, Lil's Hobby shop is the place you want to go to. They are the official Tamiya distributor in the Philippines and have been around for as long as I can remember. Knowing the part numbers of items you need will make things a lot easier as most of the sales associates are not very adept with rc stuff, except for a couple who has worked there for quite a while. Their prices are not as cheap as Champion hobbies, but they have more extensive line and stock of tamiya parts. I found some hard to find parts and hop ups for older chassis when I was there.

Champion hobbies is relatively new and most of the parts and kits they sell are recent releases and re-re kits. From what I've read online they have the best prices, but I heard popular items go out of stock fast. I think they also carry ABC hobby, 3racing and yokomo.

Action hobbies is the place for HPI and hot bodies items. Pitshop have good prices too and I remember seeing AE, traxxas, Xray and I think Losi when I was there.

From what I have observed, Tamiya kits and Japanese brand electronics are cheaper there compared to here in the US. I bought some of my kits there as the price difference was quite significant. Here's a tip, you get better prices and discounts if you pay cash. Don't be ashamed to ask for a discount because they won't give it unless you ask. If you get lucky, you might see soon to be released kits on the shelves of Lil's Hobby shop a few weeks before their official release date.

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So I figured I'd take an SRB with me so I built up a Buggy Champ out of a load of parts I'd set aside for a different project. Then I painted up the shell over the last couple of days only to ruin it when I put on the Buggy Champ's decals. See my SRB thread for more of my rant. I've still got to finish off the roof and screw the body clip in but, apart from that, it's ready to run.

Here's the pics of my shell.

CIMG0093.jpg

CIMG0091.jpg

CIMG0085.jpg

CIMG0088.jpg

I've also done up a new shell for a touring car chassis which I'll be using to (hopefully) get some drift practice in. Being that I simply won't have any money to buy any new RCs on this trip (life + unexpected bills = broke again) I'll have to bring one of my own to do some drifting. I've done up a HPI Nissan S15 Silvia (200mm) shell in Tamiya Lame Flake backed with a custom mixed 'Tequila Sunrise' Red/Orange. Or at least that's the colour I was aiming for. :lol: Looking at it I think I've only just pulled it off but the pics just make it look like a normal red. :)

Here's some pics of the S15 shell.

CIMG0105.jpg

CIMG0103.jpg

CIMG0094.jpg

I painted up some wheels for this shell aswell. Which looks better with this shell? Gunmetal or White?

CIMG0104.jpg

CIMG0110.jpg

CIMG0101.jpg

CIMG0112.jpg

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I've made it to the Philippines! Took 36 hours total travel time, from doorstep to doorstep, but my RC gear has made it here intact. I've just reassembled the few parts I had to take off for transportation so, once I've charged up my batteries, I'm outside to have some fun!

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