Brief Introduction to the Workings of RC Models
Posted by Model Man on
July 18, 2010
RC Helicopter FISHING! Dave tries hand at “Heli Fishing”
Enthusiasm for RC Models has exploded in recent years. Many new models have appeared on the market including some fantastic RC helicopters, rc tanks and even a range of UFOs.
And RC models are no longer considered toys, although there are still plenty that are aimed at the younger market. The most typica RC model enthusiast these days is likely to be a middle aged man with a keen interest in vehicles and engineering.
To get the most from an RC model it’s useful to have an understanding of how they operate. Every radio control system has the same basic components. These are the transmitter, generally held in the hands; the receiver, which is contained within the model; the drive motor which powers the wheels or propeller; and the steering system which may be a rudder or control of a vehicles wheels or tracks.
The transmitter or controller is the handheld device that you hold. It usually provides one or two joysticks which are used for control of the speed and the steering. This device transmits radio waves over a relatively short range. These are picked up by the antenna attached to the vehicle or craft. These signals are modulated with control information which tells the motor how fast it should run and the wheels or rudder which way they should be pointing.
All of these electrical components need power and this is generally provided using rechargeable batteries. In RC aircraft these batteries need to be small and lightweight so they can need to be recharged regularly. RC Cars can sometimes use tiny nitro powered engines, rather than electric motors, but they still need batteries to power the electrical circuits.
Although RC models are very simple there is a lot that can be done to tweak their performance. It is this aspect of the hobby that can make it very engrossing as hobbyists attempt to get the most from their systems by customised engineering.
Top Model Collectors
Posted by Model Man on
July 18, 2010
So many people out there will actually call themselves model collectors, gurus or whatever you like but what actually makes one of these? Is it the amount of models that they actually own or the passion that they have for making, painting and enjoying the models when they are made. Why Not Take A Look.
Money
When it comes to the collection you have as a model collector it is very safe to say that this is important but I do not think that do be an ultimate model collector that you need masses amounts of models anyway, why do you need more than around 1 or 2 I do not understand. You do not need money to become a big model collector and I think at the moment it is the money side of things that is putting so many people off. When it comes to the Hornby trains it would seem a lot of people can simply not afford to build up the big ones.
Passion
To be an ultimate model collector it is more about the passion than anything else. If you have taken the time, hours, days, weeks even to build a single model then in my mind you are certainly worthy of an ultimate collector. It takes a lot of patience to build any model and a lot of skills to use some of them like the RC helicopters and other RC Models. painting the things in all of the right colours is a mammoth of a task in itself and this makes you a great model collector roo.
You need not to be worried by all of the people that have loads of models, it really does not matter at the end of the dya. You do not need loads of models to be a great model collector, not at all.
