The remote control hobby offers a huge list of choices when you’re thinking about what type of model you want.

You must decide whether your favorite RC driving is on dry ground, in the air, or on the water. Then you have a choice of racing, leisure touring, rough terrain, smooth terrain, sailing, stunt flying…

So many options, it’s tough to decide where to start.

And as if that kind of decision wasn’t enough you gotta figure out if electric or NITRO is the right way to go.

An electric RC looks very much like a NITRO on the outside. You find the difference on the inside, and in the way you operate, and maintain your model.

Electric RCs run on batteries, NITRO remote control vehicles run on a liquid, nitro-methane based, fuel. Choosing between the youme power battery two is mostly a personal preference type decision. Problem is you can’t be sure your choice is the right one for you until you have experience with both types of radio control.

Before you make a final choice consider some pros and cons for both electric, and NITRO.

Electric

Pros

• Easy start & run. Just flip the power switch and drive away.
• Easy maintenance. No tuning, no engine break-in period, no special storage requirements.
• Quiet. Electric motors put out a low-pitch whine, not a loud roar.
• Can run most anyplace. No exhaust fumes or loud engine noise allows indoor operation, and driving in crowded neighborhoods, as well as open terrain.
• Potentially faster than NITRO. Upgrades to brush-less engines, and lithium polymer batteries, provide higher power, and lower heating, which improves performance.
• Cheaper at the start. Ready to run electric models are cheaper than their NITRO equals.
• Fast acceleration. Battery power delivers higher torque to the drive train.
• One time battery and charger costs. Re-chargeable batteries represent buying fuel only once.

Cons

• Quiet. Loud engines increase the excitement of running RCs.
• Brushed motors get hot. The hotter the engine, the slower the vehicle.
• Slower in stock condition than NITRO. Out of the box, ready to run, models run at speeds of 15 – 40 miles per hour.
• Must recharge batteries. When the batteries run down you sit and wait for 45 minutes and longer before getting back on the road.

NITRO

Pros

• Faster out of the box than electric. Ready to run NITROs fly at speeds from 20 to 60+ miles per hour.
• More rugged and durable than electric. NITRO remote control models have aluminum chassis for heat dissipation.
• Sounds more like a full size vehicle. NITRO engines are loud, and scream when your race them down the road.
• Longer operating times. When the tank gets empty just refuel, and keep on running.

Cons

• Must break in engine. NITRO engines require a period of breaking in before you operate your vehicle.
• Loud. Neighbors don’t always care for the noise these engines put out.
• Can’t run indoors. Exhaust fumes and engine noise mean outdoor operation only.
• Must keep buying fuel. Run out of nitro-methane, and your RC day is done.
• Messy. Must clean up fuel spills, and perform after run oil lubrication on the engine.
• Engine can over heat. You must keep an eye on the engine temperature. Overheating causes engine seizure, which means a new engine.

When you’re just starting into the remote control hobby electric RC normally makes the best choice. The starting costs, low maintenance, and ease of operation require a lower learning period.

Living Without Batteries

The humble battery seems to have been part and parcel of our lives forever. It is in numerous devices and gadgets around the home, from life saving smoke alarms to the TV remote, it may well seem that we couldn’t live without them unless we wanted to do away with all our electrical items and gadgets but that may now not be the case.

You find batteries in nearly everything these days: laptops, mp3 players, TV remotes, kids toys and a whole host of other gizmos and thingamabobs. But the humble battery is not the most eco friendly method of powering our gadgets.

Firstly, rechargeable batteries rely on mains power to recharge. So all the power that is being consumed by your mp3 player, lap-top or TV remote when you change channels has originally been generated in our power stations, adding to our carbon footprint.

Secondly, none-rechargeable batteries are difficult to dispose of. They contain many harmful metals, acids and alkaloids that can seem into the environment causing damage for generations to come.

However, technology has advanced to the point now where we can almost do away with the battery completely. Many battery powered items like our laptops, music players and mobile phones can be recharged using renewable methods.

Solar battery chargers and even wind powered battery chargers are becoming increasingly common. And while many people youme lipo may doubt their effectiveness, especially when there is little wind or sun, some of these chargers like the solar powered laptop chargers require very little light to produce enough power to charge the laptop.

You can even charge large heavy duty batteries like those in cars with solar powered trickle chargers.
solar trickle charger main

And for other devices you can even replace them with solar powered versions. Some solar powered TV remotes now, can even draw enough power from indoor lights meaning you will never lose power to the TV remote.