Radio Control Toys Blog

The last few days in Indiana brought us a preview of the months fast approaching us. Although the forecast for this weekend and next week calls for sunshine and temperatures in the 70s, we know winter is near.

That means time for powering up the inside RC toys like the miniature airplane, helicopters, and the blimps.

If you have a large room with open floor space the cars and trucks work well indoors, but your living areas maybe aren’t suited for building racetracks. An obstacle course for a monster truck is an option since you create it vertically. You’ve got seven or eight feet of building space for that.

I do have some thoughts on continued outdoor RC fun though. Take a monster truck and design a snow blade for it. After a snow turn the kids lose clearing the sidewalk. Saves you all the shoveling, and gives you an opportunity to spend some quality time with them.

Dream up a snow removal project for them with remote control construction equipment. Play corporate overseer, let them help you plan the project, put it on paper first (a little blueprint so-to-speak), and then advise them as they manage the project to completion.

Imagine the pleasure they’ll get from that, not to mention the learning experience in project management.

Just because the cold season is on us doesn’t mean you must stay in the house. With radio control there’s fun available inside and out.

And since we’re also entering into the holiday season you have a wonderful opportunity to start feeling those youngsters out for their RC wishes. Learn now and start planning for those toys they dream of playing with when warm weather comes around again.

Unless you have an indoor pool a boat isn’t much fun during winter. But maybe your little one fantasizes about sending a fleet of battleships to war with one another, or taking to the skies with an aerobatic plane for some stunt flying.

You know it’s easy learning what they want. Just listen to them talk, no doubt they’ll give you a long list in the next eight weeks.

Check out the collection of RC Toys at the Free Spirit RC store.

I bought my son a 3-wheel electric motorcycle before he reached school age. He really enjoyed riding that thing around the house. But he wasn’t very tender with it.

His biggest pleasure was crashing into everything. Walls, cabinets, furniture – even his mother and me – he ran into all objects, and roared with laughter.

Nothing escaped him. And those impacts took a toll on that trike, before long its plastic body sported cracks most everywhere.

Now, when I turn over a radio control model to one of the grandkids, I think back on those times, when I’d hear the warning sounds of the electronic motor coming at me, and sometimes even in time to jump out of the way, and I understand that there will be vehicle contact with other obstacles.

Sometimes that contact is accidental, but not always…

When children (and adults on occasion) play with remote control toys crashes happen. And those crashes shorten the life of the RC.

But other factors effect how long you get to play with your toy too.

The more you play with an RC, the quicker the parts start wearing out. Electric motor windings warp from excessive heat, NITRO motor parts loosen internally from overuse. Constant turning and contact grinds gear teeth down, and sometimes breaks them. And old, unattended batteries leak acid into the body of the vehicle.

Careful, periodic inspections are necessary for giving that RC a long and useful life.

At the end of each playing session check the body for cracks and fractures. Are any metal parts bent or broken? Make parts replacements before you store the toy away, and you’ll be ready to go next time you get it out.

Be aware of any change in the way the model sounds during operation. That change in the noise often warns you of pending malfunction, and you might get it fixed before your toy quits working, probably a cheaper fix too.

Periodically look at the insides of your toy. Clean it, inspect the gears and servos, check the moving parts for smooth operation, and run the motor for a close-up listen to how it sounds.

It doesn’t take long to perform a little maintenance that makes sure your RC gives you many hours of pleasure, and chances are you won’t break down after only a minute or two of playtime.

Most of these vehicles stop working when you’re out running them…and all too often just minutes after you start having fun.

Find a selection of RCs for all ages at Radio Control Toys.

Life is full of choices, and when your time comes to choose the radio control vehicle that’s right for you, you’ll face an abundance of choices too.

One of the first decisions you face is, “Do I buy a ready-to-run (called RTR by radio controllers), or do I buy a kit?”

Making either one of those choices creates a whole new list of choices by itself, but let’s dwell on this basic question for now.

First, the ready-to-run model isn’t quite ready for operation when you get it.

Often the batteries aren’t included, so you’re required to buy them separately, and when they do come with the toy they need charging before use.

The antennae, both on the controller and the vehicle, normally need installing before you flip the off-on switch.

But the professionals at the factory do most, if not all, of the assembly and setup work, so other than the minor preparations mentioned above, the RTR is ready to play with when you get it.

That works well for me, because I just like to relax and play with remote control toys anyway.

My father’s preference differed from mine. He chose kits over RTR because for him the joy was more in the building process than in the operation. Sure, he had fun playing with the vehicles after he assembled them, but he loved putting things together.

All of these RCs are toys at heart, but when you get into kits, you tend to enter the world of a more serious breed of hobbyist.

With kits, you tinker with the styling, and you give your vehicles unique paint jobs. You don’t want your model to look like any other. The serious hobbyist wants to stand out.

If you’re into racing competition, you beef up your motors yours is the fastest racer at the track. And you style for lightweight too.

How you make these choices boils down to your individual personality. Sometimes it’s a simple matter of whether you’re in a hurry or not. The kit takes more assembly time and preparation getting to the operation phase than the RTR. Some people like it that way.

But for me, like I said, I just want to play.