 |
|
 |
The New World of Desktop Racers
Puchi Maru / Digi Q | Bit Char-G | iRacer / Clones
By Namuna
The world has recently been introduced to the MicroRC car. These tiny cars, considered to be in the range of 1/60th to
1/120th scale, come in at a mere 3 inches long or less! Offering something this small isn't easy and involves a bit of
ingenuity as to going about handling Control, Speed and Power. In this article we're going to go through those ingenuities,
as well as go more in-depth about who's who and which items are the 'real deal' and which ones are the 'clones' or 'knock-offs'.
|
|
|
Let's begin with how Speed and Steering are handled by the different companies. In this area we have true
'Proportional' control, kind-of proportional and none at all. For those unfamiliar with what 'proportional'
means, think of driving a real car, when you gradually step on the gas pedal and slowly get up to speed,
you are 'proportionally' accelerating. The same goes for steering, when you come around a turn easily and
gradually you are 'proportionally' turning.
|
| |
Next, how the vehicles are remotely controlled. In this field we have 2 technologies. Radio Frequency (RF)
and Infrared (IR). With RF, the controller uses a specific FM frequency (in Megahertz, MHz) to send control
signals to the car. RF is a long time standard for the larger scale remote control cars. Infrared is new
to the scene, using the same technology in your TV remote, the controller sends commands via beams of IR
light to a receiver on the car. RF control requires an antenna on the car, at such a small scale the antennas
look like little mice tails! IR has a tiny 'bubble' of a receiver, but (just like your TV remote)
you have to point the remote towards the car.
|
| |
And finally, Power. In the micro world, AA or even AAA batteries are just too big. Finding the right combination
of size and power was the challenge. Their solution is using Nickel Cadmium (NiCD) or Nickel Metal-Hydride (NiMH)
batteries, in micro size (1/3AAA). Small enough to not be overly instrusive to the chassis, yet able to produce up
to 15 minutes of runtime before needing a charge. In another bit of ingenuity, manufacturers of these tiny wonders
have put a charger right on the remote! With charge times of anywhere from 45seconds to 10minutes, when the charge
is out on the car, you just pop the car on the built-in charger in the remote and you're ready to run again in no time.
|
| |
|
The Cars: Puchi Maru and Digi Q >>
|
|
|
|
