This will be updated when I can think of more FAQs!
If you've got any RC related questions
email us, and I'll post them on here.
Q."How fast do they go?"
A. Its kind of hard to say, depends what kind of motor they're running. But what we run I'd say 20-30mph. Oh, and the current speed record is around 110mph recorded by Cliff Lett.
Q."Whats stock and modified racing?"
A. Stock motor racing is cost controlled racing, where everyone must use a 27 Turn stock motor. They have bushes instead of ball races, have fixed timing and most nowadays are rebuildable, so the last longer.
Modified racing is racing with motors with less than 27 Turns (which means they're faster). They are ball raced, have adjustable timing and are fully rebuilable. The racing is much faster, but also costs alot more. The initial cost of a motor is around £50, plus the brushes need to be replaced and the comm skimmed far more often.
At Over R/C we race mostly with open motor rules, although most use stock motors some go upto 19 turn motors.
Q."How much does it start to cost racing?"
A. At the very minimum I'd say £300, but you could probably start for less. Check out the Getting started article.
Q."Whats the difference between turns and winds?"
A. The number of turns refers to the number of times the wire has been wraped around each pole of the armature. It also determines the motors RPM (the fewer the turns, the higher the RPM). The wind is the number of strands of wire in a turn. A motor with few winds will deliver its power quickly and so will feel punchy. A motor with a lot of winds will feel smoother.
Motors usually show how many turns and winds they have in the following format: 27X1. This would be a motor with 27 turns and a single wind. Whereas a 12X5 would have 12 turns and a quint winding.
These two values can be used to help dial your car to the track. For short technical tracks you should choose high turns (i.e. 19T-27T) and a single or double winding. This will allow you to stay in the powerband, and will also give lots of punch for coming out of slow corners. On a big flowing track us few turns. This will give you maximum speed for the length of the straight. The windings can also be used to prevent wheelspin. In dusty or wet conditions you would want power to be delivered slowly so you'd choose a high winding. On a high bite surface, such as carpet, use a low winding to thake advantage of the extra grip.
Tom Lau 2003
Over R/C
