The RC Deep Dive

In the radio-controlled model vehicle hobby you never want to use high speed electric drills, as they can melt plastic. So your options are either a low speed drill or to use a pin vise. But what are the best low RPM (rotations per minute) drills and pin vices for use on R/C cars, buggies, trucks, vans, jeeps, busses, tanks, etc.? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we review and rank the best radio control model hobby pin vises and electric drills and the results night shock you! 

Streetstyle and Crawling, Vert Ramp/Park Skating and Bashing, Freestyle and Drifting, Contest Skating and Racing, Downhill Racing and Speed Running, while skateboarding and the R/C model vehicle hobby have diverse disciplines, these diverse styles match one another in some very interesting ways. In this episode of the RC Deep we connect those dots and show the connections between these passionate, seemingly different hobbies of radio-control and skateboarding. 

In 1984, something happened that made the Tamiya Frog a truly Mighty Frog and an icon in the radio-control hobbyist community. In the A-Main finals of the German National 1/10th scale R/C off-road  Deutsche Meisterschaft, 6 of the 8 finalists were Tamiya Frogs vs. a Kyosho Scorpion and Tomahawk. Not only did these Mighty Frogs qualify, but they also claimed the entire podium: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! We dig in deep to give you all of the details of this epic race that turned the Tamiya Frog into a champion class radio-controlled 2WD (Two Wheel Drive) racing buggy. 

Hop-ups used to only be about physical upgrades, but these days there are digital hop-up options in the radio-controlled model vehicle hobby. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we plug in to the many firmware and software updates that can bring huge feature enhancement gains to your R/C cars, buggies, trucks, vans, jeeps, busses, and tanks' ESCs (Electronic Speed Controllers), batteries, smart battery chargers, as well as your radio transmitters and receivers. 

Tamiya's CC-01 (CC stands for Cross Country) chassis was the x-country choice for Tamiya for decades, but recently they replaced it with the improved new generation CC-02 chassis. What are the differences in these two iconic chairs and what remained the same, allowing them to share some hop-ups? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we answer all of these questions and more about these cross-country classics. 

Upgrading your vintage or rere (re-release) radio-controlled car, buggy, truck, jeep, van, bus, or tank to brushless motors isn't as easy as a plug-and-play hop-up. There's many other things you need to be aware of including the limits of your R/C model vehicle, ESC (Electric Speed Controller), and gears in your gearbox. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we go over all of these specifics including giving specific advice for some of the most popular radio control vintage and rere icons. 

X beats O every time when it gives to shock rings. But why? What makes x-rings so superior to o-rings and which shocks should immediately upgrade from o-rings to x-rings? We cover this and more in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast. 

Changing your damper oil in your radio-controlled model vehicles shock absorbers is not a simple drain and refill prices, even if you are staying with the same color and cSt (centestoke) oil. On this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we explain why and give you step by step directions in how to properly change your shock's damper oil properly for perfect results every time. 

On some R/C club forums they say that you can and should upgrade your Tamiya TRF (Tamiya Racing Factory) Buggy Aeration Oil-Filled Dampers to TRF Fluorine reservoirs, but this is absolutely incorrect advice. You should avoid these Fluorine dampers for your off-road buggy. However, there is an actual HL (High Lubrication) damper than you can upgrade to and Tamiya even recommends this upgrade path for radio-controlled buggies. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we explain why fluorine fails for off-road and when HL is actually the appropriate R/C buggy hop-up, because it isn't always the right choice. 

Some Lexan polycarbonate tail wing spoilers have deep screw recesses where it attaches to the body shell, especially in vintage and rere (re-release) radio-controlled cars and buggies like the Tamiya Frog. How do you make these holes filled into a perfectly flat surface for applying the tail wing spoiler decals? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we give you multiple ways to do this and tips to make those decals air bubble-free over these filled-in gaps in your vintage or rere Tamiya radio-control model vehicle.