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beetleman

AVC by Spektrum - opinions?

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Does anyone have experience with this new technology from Spektrum? I've read about it in their website but do not understand whether it works with any car or not. In the FAQs it says:

  1. Can an AVC receiver be removed and used in another vehicle?

    Yes, but it is not recommended. The SRS 4200 AVC system was specifically designed and optimized for the Vaterra Hälix and Losi Rally-X.

So is it good just for those models? It doesn't seem logical that they would create a system that can be used with just 2 specific cars.

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That blurb appears to come from a page dealing with AVC-equipped RTR cars. On the radios included in the RTR bundles, the AVC settings have probably been optimised for those cars.

AVC-equipped Spektrum TX/RX bundles are also available for purchase separately, for installation in any model you like. On those pages, the only recommended restriction is not to use AVC in model boats. On those radios, it appears that you can tweak the AVC settings to suit most land-based models.

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This is my understanding of it. Correct me if I'm wrong

AVC is a more evolved gyro that controls both steering and throttle in order to stabilize the car. Helps beginners keep an offroad rocket more or less stable (them being inclined to floor the throttle and do wild things, without having the required experience to control the thing).

The entire thing is integrated in the receiver.

The gyro gain can be set from the remote via one of the extra channels

While it may have been optimized for some cars, nothing prevents you from trying it on other and see if you can find a gain setting that satisfies you.

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Maybe because a boat's response to steering is delayed and would confuse the avc, making it overcompensate?

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why not boats? :)

Methinks it is because on anything other than a perfectly calm, smooth pond, an RC boat bounces and rocks around quite a lot, and if the AVC is constantly trying to throttle back and wiggle the rudder to compensate, the boat would be a lot slower than if it simply powered through the chop, relying on the hydrodynamic properties of its hull to keep it in a straight line.

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Never heard of this thing - so it's like stability control for RC cars? You don't have to build it yourself, and now you don't even have to learn how to drive properly either? Does anyone actually WANT this? It's a model car; no one is going to die if you lose control of it. Learning to find that ragged edge without going over is part of the fun. Is absolutely every human activity going to end up being controlled and monitored by an electronic nanny?

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Never heard of this thing - so it's like stability control for RC cars? You don't have to build it yourself, and now you don't even have to learn how to drive properly either? Does anyone actually WANT this? It's a model car; no one is going to die if you lose control of it. Learning to find that ragged edge without going over is part of the fun. Is absolutely every human activity going to end up being controlled and monitored by an electronic nanny?

Think of it as an arcade racing game equivalent in RC. A bit like Need For Speed or Ridge Racer. Still fun, especially for those who just want to muck about and play but have no real ambition. Could even be used for som fun class racing.

Me, i never got more advanced than the simple arcade racers but i've had loads of fun with them.

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Is absolutely every human activity going to end up being controlled and monitored by an electronic nanny?

LOL, yeah I agree this is a trend, but I have to try everything out so just ordered the DX4C... I'll put it to the ultimate test on my bouncy hornet and report back!

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Never heard of this thing - so it's like stability control for RC cars? You don't have to build it yourself, and now you don't even have to learn how to drive properly either?

Yup, instant gratification for newbies. Smash the throttle on bouncy offroad terrain and the car will pretty much drive like onroad.

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So here I am reporting back. As soon as I installed the AVC Rx and set it up, I found that the analog servo was humming at neutral, and soon began to heat up. So I thought I'd better listen to the instructions for a change, and swapped it out with a cheapo MG995 digital one. Humming stopped.

I then took the Hornet out for a test drive. The Tx has a preconfigured button to control the amount of "assistance" you want from AVC - 100%, 50%, and none. At 100% the car was driving as if ole' Greg had sniffed some glue right before takin' the wheel (Greg Martin, the Hornet's driver). The car would not drive in a straight line at any speed and would zig zag sharply. At 50% it was drivable, but no fun. Still erratic and you felt the system was not helping you but bothering you most of the time. I say most since in turns it did seem to have a good effect. Overall I was disappointed, having spent a pretty penny on this system.

However, the plot thickens... Having nothing to do with the AVC adventure, I decided the silver can was not fun enough and ordered a sport tuned black can. First of all let me say that the difference is dramatic. The car is now a rocket, but a fun rocket, not a Traxxas-type ridiculous rocket. Secondly, now the AVC works nice! At 100% it's still a bit wobbly, but at 50%, the driving experience is unheard of with a Hornet. The car drives as if it's tuned perfectly. I tested a bit and turned AVC off a couple of times to see the difference, and without it all of the sudden is not fun!

So I guess the AVC performs best from a certain speed and up, especially on a wobbly car. And now that I've managed to tame the bouncy Hornet with it, I just can't go back.

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