Could my Mind be an RC Controller?

A couple of months ago the effyountoys R & D team, which consists entirely of my 10, 7 and 5 year-old sons, went to the science and engineering fair at the local university.  We had lots of fun building solar-powered cars, constructing straw cages for eggs that were dropped from 30 feet, and watching microcontroller demos. 

One thing we all tried was a game based on biological engineering principles.  Yep, we all donned these head bands and attempted to shuttle a small foam ball through a miniature obstacle course.  Did I mention that we were controlling the ball with our minds?  Oh, yeah. Sorry. That’s important. The game is called Mindflex by Mattel. The headbands measure brain waves. The fan speed that blows the foam ball in the air is directly proportional with the amount of focused brain waves.  Concentrate and the ball goes higher…so much fun. 

Hey - - this is an RC blog.  What gives? 

Okay, here’s what I want to propose to all you RC manufactures out there. Produce an RC unit that can be controlled by the human mind! I would love to see an EEG/Controller for the RC toy market.  How cool would that be? 

Until that time, however, please check out our boats, tanks, cars, trucks, planes and helis.  Although they use the traditional RC controllers, they are a great value and loads of fun!  For example, take a look at our tank selection. 

Brushed or Brushless...What's the difference?

What’s the difference between Brushed and Brushless motors in RC toys?

The main difference, as the name suggests, is that brushed motors have small wire brushes that are used to detect and help control the rotation of the engine. For a great discussion you can check this site which provides additional links to Wikipedia diagrams.

This is all pretty scientific and even though I have a pretty strong science background, the physics is still a little confusing.   The basic point if you’re new to RC toys is this…If you’re not a pro, stick with a brushed motor. Why? They are cheaper and easier to maintain! 
                                                       
For example, check out our Enzo Ferrari for less than 50 bucks! This car is fast and perfect for the beginner RC enthusiast.

Which one is better?

Well, it depends on your needs of course, because each one has strengths and weaknesses, but our simple rule is that if you’re just starting out with RC toys, stick with a brushed motor. But if money is not really a concern for you and you are looking for more speed, then try a brushless motor. They are superior in performance and maintenance. (No brush replacement, longer run-time, and no brushes to get clogged with dirt).

Since many of our customers are parents buying for their younger children, we think that brushless motors are not really worth it. Kids are going to have a blast with any RC toy, so high performance isn’t really an issue. Plus, it’s like giving a 16 year old a brand new Corvette. It would be best for beginners to learn the basics of RC control before giving them something they might crash through your living room wall.

For maximum speed and awesomeness, check out the brushless RedCat Aftershock 8E. 

When would I want brushed?
• I’m on a budget
• I don’t need the fastest toy
• I’m a beginner
• I don’t mind spending a little time to maintain my motor
• I would just buy a new toy if the motor fails
• I race but would like flexibility to swap out motors

When would I want brushless?
• I have a little more money to spend
• I want high performance
• I don’t want to spend time cleaning and repairing my motor
• I’m a hobbyist and want to race toys

Freak occurrence lacerates man’s arm with rotors

Of course all things carry a certain risk of injury.  Heck, even playing in a university marching band is dangerous.  Don’t believe me, watch the infamous 1982 Big Game between Cal and Stanford (PWND at 0:38).

Anyway, here at effyountoys we want everyone to be safe when playing with RC toys.  While you can’t always prevent bad things from happening, you can prepare yourself for the eventuality of an injury.    While using RC planes or RC helicopters or RC trucks or RC cars or RC anything (you get the point), you should exercise a high degree of caution and have a first aid kit handy. 

Accidents don’t just happen to nubes, either.  Just this morning I read a story about two RC Heli pros who suffered pretty serious injuries when the rotors unexpectedly commenced.  These guys are in the business of flying RC.  They own a cool company called Camera in the Sky that uses an onboard camera to take aerial photography and video. Sure beats the old weather balloon trick. They actually fly a tricked-out Hexi.  This beast is bad @ss!  Keep up the good work, guys.  effyountoys wishes you a speedy recovery.

Anyway ladies and gentlemen, the point is that you can’t always avoid danger, but you should be prepared for it.  Please play smart!

The Hover Assault by Air Hogs - - Blast your way through traffic or simply fly over it…

My kids and I were watching SpongeBob yesterday and a very slick advertisement came on for the brand new Hover Assault by Air Hogs.  Of course we all stopped chewing grandma’s delicious eggrolls because our jaws dropped.  We sat in silence in order to soak up every word of the description, as the images of a mashup truck/helicopter RC toy complete with missiles were flashed before us!  This unit can “drive” on the ground, hop over obstacles, or take to the air.  Saaaweeet! 

Let me first say that we have all played with many RC vehicles, including cars, trucks, helicopters, planes, boats, and tanks.  Although we don’t sell any Air Hog products on our website (shameless plug: effyountoys), we have even used Air Hog RC toys.  However, we have NOT had a chance to test the new Hover Assault.  We are looking forward to getting our hands on one to confirm or dispel our suspicions.  This review comes from synthesizing other reviews and my experience with other Air Hog Helis.

Out of the gate, we all agreed that this unit looks fantastic.  Air Hogs always look good, but they have really gone the extra mile with this one.  It’s much more than a truck with rotors.  And it’s much more than a Heli with wheels.  There is so much harmony in the balancing of the features that it immediately begins to define its own existence as a new category of RC toy.  We love the fact that Air Hogs continually pushes the boundaries of the RC experience (think Heli Cage).

After reading more about the Hover Assault, it looks like the tires don’t rotate.  When it is on the ground, it is still powered by the coaxial rotors.  This may be a deterrent to some.  But for me, I like the fact that it behaves more like a helicopter than a truck.  Axels are passé.  Rotors are where it’s at!

Other key features we like:

1.       Coaxial rotors.  This helps stabilize the RC when in flight.  This is especially important as I don’t think this unit has a built in accelerometer or onboard gyroscope chip, at least I couldn’t find mention of one on the product description on their website or the pictures of the packaging. Air Hogs claim to feature something called “Steady Fly Technology.” I’m not sure what that is, beyond marketing fluff.  Perhaps it simply refers to the coaxial rotors. 

Warning: As with the other Air Hog Helis that I’ve flown, the trim must be adjusted at the beginning of every flight.  In other words, you can’t just pick up the RC controller and take the unit into flight.  You must hover and dial in the trim until it is stable.  While this isn’t difficult, it automatically removes it from the basic/beginner category of RC toy into something approaching intermediate, IMHO.  Watch the end of the video posted by DadDoes.  There you can clearly see how difficult it is to master flying the unit.  He also mentions the issue with setting the trim. 

2.       Fifty dollar ($50) price point. Here at effyountoys we are always promoting RC toys as fun for the whole family.  When something costs hundreds of dollars, it doesn’t exactly fit in the fun for the whole family category.  For example, the very cool Parrot Ar.drone 2.0. is certainly awesome, but at over 300 bucks - - not many of my friends will be picking one up this holiday season.

3.      Graphics and styling.  As mentioned before, this RC toy is designed with an eye towards pleasing all sensibilities.  With over-sized tires, 2 tiers of rotors and 4 aggressively positioned missile launchers - - this RC hybrid really excites. 

Couple of things we didn’t like. 

1.       Advertisement makes flying look too easy.  In the advert that we saw, the Hover Assault is flown through a tube.  Even my 5 year old spotted the implausibility of flying the unit through a tube.  First of all it is not easy to control.  He flies S107s that have decent gyro chips, and he knows even they are hard to control with the necessary precision.   Moreover, all my boys recognized that once the Hover Assault was in the tube, it would be cut off from the IR controller.  Hmmm…? 

2.       Age recommendation is too low.  The age recommendation is 10+.  Here at effyountoys we are always playing with RC toys.  And one of my boys is 10 years old.  He has attempted to fly RC helis without a gyro chip, even coaxial helicopters.  And I can tell you from experience that it is very frustrating for him.  I automatically put any RC helicopter that requires trim adjustment in the 13+ category.   All the helicopters sold on effyountoys have built in gyro chips.  This just makes the RC flying experience all the more enjoyable, especially for beginners. 

 As always…RC toys are better shared.

Switch from Dog to Ace with a push of a button?

Yes. That's right. In the future you may be able to change the center of gravity (COG) of your RC plane and thereby change its performance. The COG is related to the angle of attack.  The lift coefficient of a fixed-wing aircraft varies uniquely with angle of attack. Increasing angle of attack is associated with increasing lift coefficient.

What this translates to regarding RC toys is very exciting.  Many RC airplane enthusiasts often have to purchase a few planes depending on what type of flight experience they seek.  This technology has the potential to make a plane more versatile. Simply put, you could cruise with your Cessna 182 and then switch the COG and bank with the assertiveness of a P-51D Mustang. 

Alas, we are a few years from seeing this technology in the RC toys business, but it is something to keep your eyes on. For more information about the patent, click here.

In the meantime, we highly recommend this plane from RedCat Racing. For the money ($314.99), this plane really performs well with over 50 inches of wingspan and a brushless motor.  Cessna 182 - Class 500.  www.effyountoys.com 

As always...RC toys are better shared.

Do you think the future of toys are "connected toys?"

For a few years now, operators of RC toys have had the capability of using smartphones or tablets as controllers.  Here at effyountoys, we've tested many of them and always found them to be more of a gimmick then a credible alternative interface. However, we may be behind the curve.  The Los Angeles Times reported on a company developing a "connected" game that combines tablet/smartphone applications with traditional trading cards.  Think Pokemon meets Angry Birds.  We suspect the digital and virtual playground is just too popular and appealing for the market to ignore.  For manufacturers of actual playground toys - like RC cars and trading cards - their challenge is to merge the experiences. We are looking forward to bigger and better hybrid toys. 

Until then, effyountoys suggests hitting the actual playground with an RC Front Loader.  This is a brand new Radio Controlled Construction Truck. It simulates the true style, look & feel of the real deal. It comes with all the items necessary to get you started for immediate play. At nearly 2 feet long (20 inches), it is quite impressive for young and old alike.  A truck like this is what we recommend for youngsters just beginning with RC toys.  Because the movements are comparatively slow and the truck is so large, it is easier to maneuver than smaller, faster RC toys. 

Here's the item we recommend...
$40.69 at effyountoys

Here's the real deal...

 

 

As always...RC toys are better shared. 

Mini Drone for 50 Bucks

When we read about the Tiny RC Drone in the $50 range, we were stoked.  We can't wait to get our hands on one of these and test it.  With something this small - it nearly fits in your pocket - we are wondering if the small rotors are capable of maintaining stability.  You can read about it and see a picture on the gizmodo site.  If any of you have a chance to test it, please leave a review as a response. 

Thanks.

As always...RC toys are better shared.

RC cars in the Olympics?

RC cars in the Olympics?

If you were watching the track and field competition closely, you may have noticed scaled Mini Coopers on the field.  What the heck?  I know that's what I asked.  Turns out, they were RC MCs.  The RC cars were being used to haul supplies and shuttle competition equipment. 

Mini R/C Mini Coopers to ferry javelins, discus in Olympics

If you are looking for something fun to drive, check out the Lightning EPX DRIFT 1/10 scale electric RC car that is sold ready to race.  This car lives up to its name.  Comes complete with polycarbonate body and aluminum capped oil filled shocks, battery and charger.  RC controller requires 8 AA batteries.  Buy today and start drifting...

As always...RC toys are better shared.

WSJ Reviews Several Great RC Toys

The Wall Street Journal has a great article featuring a few RC options.  It's a quick read and informative.  I love the idea of firing IR missiles in combat.  At effyountoys we sell many RC toys similar to those featured in the article.  Of course, we love the S107 helicopter, as it is the gold standard in the industry. 

As always...RC toys are better shared.