The RC Deep Dive

The Tamiya Acto-Power Off-Roader 2WD Motor was one of the most popular, powerful, and desired motors of the 1990s as the peak of the 3rd wave of Tamiya Motors. Why? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we dig into the details of what made it so powerful and what caused it to be discontinued in the 2000s as well as covering the pretenders to the throne of this iconic pink can marvel. 

The SkyRC GC301 steering gyro is a standard gyro that many bashers, racers, and speed runners use on their radio-controlled model vehicles. However the SkyRC GC401 has 3 digital modes: L-Drive, S-Drive, and H-Drive. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we answer which string gyro is is the best for bashing, racing, and speed running? And if the GC401 odd the best model for any of these, which digital mode is best for that genre of R/C model vehicle driving? 

In the 1980s with the vintage originals, the Tamiya Frog R/C buggy always smoked the Hornet. When they were released in the 2000s the Frog Racing Team still destroyed the Hornet Racing Team every time. But now we have the Neo Fighter DT-03 a.k.a. Neo Frog as part of the Frog Racing Team and the Hornet EVO (essentially an upgraded DT-02) as part of the Hornet Racing Team? Who wins this time around? The answer may surprise you in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Was your father involved in the R/C midweek vehicle hobby during the golden age of radio-control? If so, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we have a great gift guide to give him a bit of nostalgia and a great time with the original racing vehicle from Tamiya and the necessary hop-ups on six easy steps. We don't give affiliate links because we are not a monetized podcast and make no money on you listening to any episode. 

The Tamiya Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet radio-controlled model buggies, both vintage and rere (re-release) are famous for having gearbox failures. Among other fixes for this, we recommend always having at least one bag of all the gears and axles? Why? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we go into why this is a must have part of your R/C hobby workbench toolbox. 

Generally speaking Tamiya's innovative three-piece R/C model vehicle kit wheels do not require gluing or venting of the tires. However, when you start putting ludicrously fast super powered motors and batteries in these vintage and rere (re-release) radio-controlled cars, trucks, buggies, vans, and jeeps these steps will need to be taken. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we break down the laws of physics and give you the speed limits where you need to start venting and where you need to start gluing your RC tires to your classic three-piece wheels. 

If you are upgrading your radio-controlled model vehicle's rear trailing arms from stock plastic to third-party hop-up aluminium rear trailing arms, what type of grease, if any, do you need where these aluminium rear trailing arms touch the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis gearbox? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we look into the physics of the connection and chemistry of available lubricants to see which, if any, grease is needed in your R/C car, truck, or buggy. 

What's the biggest motor you can put in the 2024 Tamiya 40th Anniversary Edition Hornet EVO R/C model vehicle? While you should probably stay with a brushed motor, we also give you options for brushless motors too. How about the biggest battery packs that will fit inside the Hornet EVO radio-controlled buggy kit so you can power that more powerful motor? We rev up the Evolutionary power of this 40th Anniversary Edition Hornet EVO in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Many people have noticed that the concept of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) pod racers that are built and raced in the movie and novel of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace is just like the process of radio control hobbyists building, hopping-up, racing, and repairing a radio-controlled model vehicle kit. So, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we take this analogy one step further and compare each podracer to an analogous off-road R/C buggy, car, or truck. 

If your R/C motor mount screws come loose this can cause a failure in your pinion gear to counter gear mesh. This is especially a problem when bashing the Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet R/C buggies. It actually has a number of causes and requires knowledge of physics and chemistry to permanently fix it properly. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we kill the bad vibes and give you the complete 3-part solution to solve this annoying gear stripping problem.