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In this article, you will learn all about radio control. You will find out what frequencies are used for R/C toys, what the different components are and how they all work together. You will also learn what the difference between radio control and remote control is when talking about toys or models.

Types of RC Toys
RC toys come in a large variety of models, including:

Cars
Trucks
Fantasy vehicles
Airplanes
Helicopters
Blimps
Sailboats
Motor boats
Submarines
Robots
Animals
While the mechanics of how they operate can differ greatly between different toys, the basic principle is the same. All radio controlled toys have four main parts:

• Transmitter - You hold the transmitter in your hands to control the toy. It sends Radio waves to the receiver.
• Receiver - An antenna and circuit board inside the toy receives signals from the transmitter and activates motors inside the toy as commanded by the transmitter.
• Motor(s) - Motors can turn wheels, steer the vehicle, operate propellers, etc.
  Power source

­The transmitter sends a control signal to the receiver using radio waves, which then drives a motor, causing a specific action to occur. The motor in a car may cause the wheels to turn, while the motor in a plane may adjust the flaps. The power source is typically a rechargeable battery pack, but sometimes it's just normal batteries.

In many of the RC toys, the radio controlled motor provides guidance while another source of power provides the locomotion. Here are some examples:

A model airplane often has a small gas-powered engine to turn the propeller; the RC motor controls the flaps.
A sailboat uses the wind for propulsion; the RC motor controls the rudder.
A blimp uses helium or hot air for lift; the RC motors control small propellers.

RC Toy Transmitter
RC toys typically have a small handheld device that includes some type of controls and the radio transmitter. The transmitter sends a signal over a frequency to the receiver in the toy. The transmitter has a power source, usually a 9-volt battery, that provides the power for the controls and transmission of the signal. The key difference between radio controlled and remote controlled toys is that remote controlled toys have a wire connecting the controller and the toy, while radio control is always wireless.

Most RC toys operate at either 27 MHz or 49 MHz. This pair of frequencies has been allocated by the FCC for basic consumer items, such as garage door openers, walkie-talkies and RC toys. Advanced RC models, such as the more sophisticated RC airplanes, use 72-MHz or 75-MHz frequencies.

The majority of RC toys are labeled with the frequency range they operate in. For example, the RC truck below has a label designating it as a 27-MHz model.

Most RC toy manufacturers make versions of each model for both frequency ranges (27 MHz and 49 MHz). That way, you can operate two of the same model simultaneously, for racing or playing together, without having to deal with interference between the two transmitters. Some manufacturers also provide more specific information about the exact portion of the frequency band that the toy operates in. A good example is Nikko of America, who offers the option to create racing sets of up to six toys with each model tuned to a different part of the 27-MHz frequency range.

Transmitters range from single-function simple controllers to full-function controllers with a wide range of options. An example of a single-function controller is one that makes the toy go forward when the trigger is pressed and backward when it is released. To stop the toy, you have to actually turn it off.

Most full-function controllers have six controls:

Forward
Reverse
Forward and Left
Forward and Right
Reverse and Left
Reverse and Right
In most full-function controllers, not pressing any buttons or turning any knobs causes the toy to stop and await further commands. Controllers for more advanced RC systems often use dual joysticks with several levels of response for precise control.

Radio Control
Let's take a closer look at the RC truck we saw on the last page. We will assume that the exact frequency used is 27.9 MHz. Here's the sequence of events that take place when you use the RC transmitter:

1.You press a trigger to make the truck go forward.

2.The trigger causes a pair of electrical contacts to touch, completing a circuit connected to a specific pin of an integrated circuit (IC).

3.The completed circuit causes the transmitter to transmit a set sequence of electrical pulses (see How Radio Works for details).
Each sequence contains a short group of synchronization pulses, followed by the pulse sequence. For our truck, the synchronization segment -- which alerts the receiver to incoming information -- is four pulses that are 2.1 milliseconds (thousandths of a second) long, with 700-microsecond (millionths of a second) intervals. The pulse segment, which tells the antenna what the new information is, uses 700-microsecond pulses with 700-microsecond intervals.

Here are the pulse sequences used in the pulse segment:
Forward: 16 pulses
Reverse: 40 pulses
Forward/Left: 28 pulses
Forward/Right: 34 pulses
Reverse/Left: 52 pulses
Reverse/Right: 46 pulses

4.The remote control transmitter sends bursts of radio waves that oscillate with a frequency of 27,900,000 cycles per second (27.9 MHz). If you have read How Radio Works, you will recognize this as pulse modulation.

5.The truck is constantly monitoring the assigned frequency (27.9 MHz) for a signal. When the receiver receives the radio bursts from the transmitter, it sends the signal to a filter that blocks out any signals picked up by the antenna other than 27.9 MHz. The remaining signal is converted back into an electrical pulse sequence.

6.The pulse sequence is sent to the IC in the truck, which decodes the sequence and starts the appropriate motor. For our example, the pulse sequence is 16 pulses (forward), which means that the IC sends positive current to the motor running the wheels. If the next pulse sequence were 40 pulses (reverse), the IC would invert the current to the same motor to make it spin in the opposite direction.

7.The motor's shaft actually has a gear on the end of it, instead of connecting directly to the axle. This decreases the motor's speed but increases the torque, giving the truck adequate power through the use of a small electric motor!

8.The truck moves forward.

If you look inside the RC truck, you will see that it is very simple.

Inside an RC Truck
Inside our RC truck, we have two electric motors, an antenna, a battery pack and a circuit board.

One motor turns the front wheel right or left, while the other motor turns the rear wheels to go forward or backward. The circuit board contains the IC chip, amplifier and radio receiver. A few simple gears connect the motors to the wheels. It is really amazing how versatile the range of movement is with so few components.

The body of the car consists of a lower chassis, that holds all the mechanical and electronic components, and a shell that fits on top of the chassis. The shell provides most of the distinctive style of the car. Inside the car, you will find a circuit board with several capacitors, resistors and diodes, as well as the IC that controls the motors. The radio receiver consists of a crystal that oscillates at a specific frequency, inductors and an antenna. The electric motors receive power from the batteries. The flow of the power is regulated by the IC.

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The beginnings of model racing
Small, nitromethane-powered engines originally entered the market in the 1940s. At the time with the ability for precise control in a similar manner as with a vehicle.

Early commercial products
Several early commercially viable remote control cars were available by mid-1960, produced by the Italian company El-Gi (Elettronica Giocattoli) from Reggio Emilia. Their first model, a 1:12 Ferrari 250LM was available in the UK in December 1966, through importers Motor Books and Accessories, St. Martins, London, and early in 1967 through Atkinson's model shop in Swansea. This model was followed by El-Gi's 1:10 Ferrari P4, first shown at the Milan Toy Fair in early 1968.

In the mid-late 60s a British company, Mardave, based in Leicester, began to produce commercially viable Remote Control Cars. Their first cars were nitro- or gas-powered cars sold in the local area in the early 70s.

In the early 70s several commercial products were created by small firms in the US. Most of these companies began as slot car companies and with the wane in popularity of that genre moved into the Remote Control field. Among these were Associated Electrics, Thorp, Dynamic, Taurus, Delta, and Scorpion. These early kits were 1/8 scale nitro-powered (then called gas) aluminum flat pan cars powered by a .21 or smaller engine. The bodies for these cars were made of polycarbonate (the most popular made of Lexan). The most popular engine was the K&B Veco McCoy. The primary sanctioning body for races for these cars was Remotely Operated Auto Racers (ROAR). In 1973-74, Jerobee, a company based in Washington State, created their 1/12 nitro car using a Cox .049 engine. Several aftermarket companies created parts for this car including clear Lexan bodies, heat sinks, and larger fuel tanks. This scale evolved into 1/12 scale electric racing when Associated Electrics created the RC12E in 1976-77. Jerobee became Jomac and created their own electric kit.

In 1976, the Japanese firm Tamiya, which was renowned for their intricately detailed plastic model kits, released a series of elegant and highly detailed, but mechanically simple electric on-road car models that were sold as "suitable for radio control". Although rather expensive to purchase, the kits and radio systems sold rapidly. Tamiya soon began to produce more purpose-built remote-controlled model cars, and were the first to release off-road buggies featuring real suspension systems. It was this progression toward the off-road class that brought about much of the hobby's popularity, as it meant radio-controlled cars were no longer restricted to bitumen and smooth surfaces, but could be driven virtually anywhere. The first true Tamiya off road vehicles were the Sand Scorcher and the Rough Rider, both released in 1979, and both based on realistic dune buggy designs. Tamiya continued to produce off road vehicles in increasing numbers, featuring working suspensions, more powerful motors, textured off-road rubber tires and various stylized "dune buggy" bodies. They also produced trucks, such as the Toyota HiLux Pickup, that featured realistic 3 speed gearboxes and leaf-spring suspension systems. All of these models were realistic, durable, easy to assemble, capable of being modified, and simple to repair. They were so popular that they could be credited with launching a boom in radio-controlled model cars in the early to mid 1980s, and provided the basis for today's radio-controlled car market. Popular Tamiya models included the Grasshopper and the Hornet dune buggies as well as the Blackfoot and Clodbuster monster truck models. The earliest Tamiya models, particularly the early off roaders, are now highly sought after by vintage remote control collectors and can fetch prices of up to US$3000 on internet auction sites if still in mint, unbuilt form. Acknowledging their continued popularity, several of the early kits have even been re-released by Tamiya during 2005–2007, with a few alterations.

A British firm, Schumacher Racing, was the first to develop an adjustable ball differential in 1980, which allowed nearly infinite tuning for various track conditions. At the time the majority of on-road cars had a solid axle, while off-road cars generally had a gear-type differential. Team Associated followed suit with the introduction of the RC10 off-road racing buggy in 1984.

Modern developments in radio controlled racing
Modified 1/8 scale buggy with upper body removedIn 1984, Associated Electrics, Inc. of Costa Mesa, California introduced the RC10 off-road electric racer; this model was a departure from Associated Electrics' regular line of nitromethane-powered on-road race cars. Designed as a high-grade radio controlled car, the chassis of the RC10 buggy was manufactured from anodised, aircraft-grade aluminium alloy. The shock absorbers were machined, oil-filled and completely tuneable; they were also produced from the same aluminium alloy. Suspension control arms were manufactured from high-impact nylon, as were the three-piece wheels.

Optional stainless steel miniature ball bearings were sometimes incorporated in RC10 wheels and transmissions. The RC10 transmission contained an innovative differential featuring hardened steel rings pressed against balls - which made it almost infinitely adjustable for any track condition. The RC10 quickly became the dominant model in electric off-road racing.

In 1986, Schumacher Racing Products released their Competition All Terrain vehicle, widely considered the best four wheel drive off-road "buggy" racer of the time. The Competition All Terrain went on to win the 1987 off-road world championship. This car is credited for sparking an interest in four-wheel-drive electric off-road racing.

Gil Losi Jr., whose family ran the "Ranch Pit Shop R/C" racetrack in Pomona, California, turned his college studies toward engineering, primarily in the field of injection molded plastics, leading to his foundation of Team Losi. When the JRX-2, the first Team Losi buggy, was released, it initiated a rivalry with Team Associated that continues to this day. Team Losi went on to secure a number of achievements, which included the industry's first all-natural rubber tires, the first American-made four-wheel-drive racing buggy, and an entirely new class of cars, the 1/18-scale Mini-T off-road electrics.

Although Losi and Associated seemed to dominate much of the American market, Traxxas, (another American company, famous for the T-MAXX and the REVO 3.3), and Kyosho (from Japan), were also making competitive two-wheel-drive off-road racing models. Although Losi and Associated were close rivals in the USA, Schumacher off-road models continued to be popular amongst European hobbyists.

Electric and nitro cars have come a long way in terms of power. Electric cars have gone from non-rebuildable brushed motors and ni-cad batteries to brushless motors and LiPo. Nitro cars have gone from small engines to huge .32 engines that are used in big monster trucks.

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