getting started

[karmilwm]

Electronics help is GOOD r/c help too!!!
Do you know if they solder? Some basic tools they have can help you save some money when you're starting off.
You could learn a TON from someone like that!!! You NEED to be doing that! R/C requires soldering. It is a skill that must be practiced to learn and master... get on that asap! No joke!
Acing soldering would put you ahead of some ppl in here, before you even bought your first r/c!!!
Theres other things too like how to safely charge and store lipo batteries. More more more!!!
Go talk with them today!
Local hobby shops and tracks will be full of ppl who will help you out if you ask NICELY EVERY person you see racing, hobby shop owners, me... was a noob once too! We ALL know the atruggles and the feeling when we finally win!!!
Secure your 'help' resources first.
Figure out tools too. They will be a necessary part of your purchase, even a new one ( but most come with a very basic tool kit)
You don't have all the $ saved but theres plenty you can do to start getting ready to buy your buggy!

I am actually the one who knows how to solder. He knows more about electricity, but doesn't know how to solder.

 

[karmilwm]

I am actually the one who knows how to solder. He knows more about electricity, but doesn't know how to solder.

I have a soldering iron and a lot of tools so finding the right tools shouldn't be hard.

 

[CertifiedMike]

I am actually the one who knows how to solder. He knows more about electricity, but doesn't know how to solder.

Go get yourself some broken electronics and start practicing! If you're good, get better! Learn how to put a clean solder joing on the board and keep doing ir! Learn temp control and how to not damage the pads or burn the boards and components.
You need to learn how to tin and solder wires and connectors. How to not melt and destroy them while you put the wires on and how to NOT CROSS WIRES when soldering up a battery connector!!! ULTRA IMPORTANT!!!!
Practice!!!
Teach him how to solder and have him teach you about lipo batteries.
I bet you'd both enjoy r/c so be thinking about 2 r/c's !!!

 

[CertifiedMike]

Again, tools puts you ahead!
Do a TON of reading!
Open threads here that look interesting and don't stop until you wake up in the morning with your face stuck to the keyboard and start again!!!
I had MOUNTAINS of RC magazines and I read the same articles and drooled over the same pictures from one month to the next... I learned ALL sorts of stuff about RCs that I'll never own!
But I learned a lot of great tips and pointers from builders who know everything about everything RC!
You can (and should) even ask questions!

 

[jojobeans]

Again, tools puts you ahead!
Do a TON of reading!
Open threads here that look interesting and don't stop until you wake up in the morning with your face stuck to the keyboard and start again!!!
I had MOUNTAINS of RC magazines and I read the same articles and drooled over the same pictures from one month to the next... I learned ALL sorts of stuff about RCs that I'll never own!
But I learned a lot of great tips and pointers from builders who know everything about everything RC!
You can (and should) even ask questions!

UltimateRC on YouTube is a good resource too. Granted most of the cars are defunct at this point, but the advice and information is worth its weight in gold. Especially anytime he talks about suspension setups. I still binge his videos from time to time for a bit of a refresher, plus they’re just interesting too.

I miss the catalogs you used to be able to get from towerhobbies. Traxxas is the only one left to my knowledge who will send you a catalog free of charge.

 

[CertifiedMike]

How about a clean and secure place to work on your rc's? Got a bench or table that won't need to be cleared for dinner or homework every night?
Rc building takes some space.
I recommend buying yourself some cheap plastic tupperware storage for small tools and parts.
A fishing tackle box is a great way to organize too.
Start clean, organized and don't end up loosing parts in the carpet or because tha cat ate it!

 

[jimdavis577]

How about a clean and secure place to work on your rc's? Got a bench or table that won't need to be cleared for dinner or homework every night?
Rc building takes some space.
I recommend buying yourself some cheap plastic tupperware storage for small tools and parts.
A fishing tackle box is a great way to organize too.
Start clean, organized and don't end up loosing parts in the carpet or because tha cat ate it!

I agree with a lot mike has said, I know for me, I loose things a lot when working on my cars. Especially the little tiny bearings in the ball diffs ( I hate those little suckers). But with that you will learn what works and doesn't work for you. For me I get a 1/2 inch wide piece of magnetic tape ( can be had at Walmart and most "craft" stores). I put a full length run of it the length of my work bench. This 1 acts as a barrier on the edge of the table so things don't roll off as easily and two adds a "catch" to get those screws that "fly" away from you, hopefully being caught by the magnet. Also having an actually good magnet to run over the floor to help find screws and clips and things of that sort is not a bad especially if your house or work area is carpet !!!

You Tube is priceless with videos on the how to. and most times you can find the exact model/ brand you are working with which is also nice. But there are also some very informative tools and videos with " general" concepts and setup descriptions.

 

[karmilwm]

Nitro's are probably more expensive, right?

 

[luke66]

Yes. And harder to maintain. Start with a electric.

 

[jojobeans]

Nitro's are probably more expensive, right?

Cheaper up front IMO. You can be up and running for less in the short term compared to a similarly powered brushless truck in the same class, but the cost of fuel and consumables like glow plugs will be more expensive over the long term.

Nitro’s aren’t terribly difficult and the convenience of electric has made people lazy. They’re more work for sure, but a couple YouTube videos and an hour of your time and you’d be a pro at tuning them. They’re also not nearly as finicky as people make them out to be IMO as long as you get something decent. My Tmaxx isn’t anymore work to get running than my electric cars. Usually a minor adjustment on the high speed needle and I’m good to go… maybe 10 minutes of setup once you get the base tune dialed in for endless amounts of run time assuming I don’t run out of fuel.

I still wouldn’t recommend one to a total noob, but a noob could figure it out if they really wanted to. Plenty of people started with Nitro RC’s 20 years ago with no issues, they’re not any different now than what they were back then. But electric is 100% easier to start with and has the performance to not really justify jumping straight into a nitro nowadays. Start electric and once you build some skill sets, jumping into a nitro later on will be a lot easier and way more enjoyable.