Believe it or not, the most important tool for tuning andmodifying RC cars, in any RC racer's pit box, probably isn'teven sold at your local hobby store. Despite thier absenceat hobby stores, you will see them laying on EVERY seriousRC pro's pit area.
The tool is, collectively, the pencil and paper. One of themost enjoyable experiences in RC cars, besides buying a newtrick ride, is testing something new, in the hope you willdiscover the slight edge, or even a HUGE edge.
Today's RC cars, buggies, and trucks have so many variablesthat can be tinkered with, even the slightest adjustment canhave a drastic effect on the handling and speed of yourride. Whether you race or just bash, you really should writedown the current operating state of your RC ride. Variablessuch as ride hieght, camber, caster, the toe-in, the fuelmixture you use, the charge time of your batteries, theneedle settings of your nitro, the running temp, how manyraces you get in before you need to rebuild your motor, theshock oil you use, and any thing else that you can think of.
As I've shared with the subscribers to my RC ezine, youcan't improve what you don't measure. If you are seriousabout racing RC cars, you not only need to master your handeye coordination, but you should become compatent atadjusting your RC car to the conditions you race under. YourRC car performs differently on asphalt at 10 a.m., with acertain compound tire, than it will at 5 p.m., after the oiland moisture has heated up from exposure from the sun. Thetraction can vary greatly. And with all the excitement andpreparation of the day's events, writing down these changescan be of great value for when you prepare your chassis ortire choice for the following week. If you didn't write themdown, you will probably forget them.
And you weekend bashers might be thinking that you aren'tserious at RC, so it's not necesary. But let me tell you, ifyou take the time to write down the current state of your RCcars and trucks, when you eventually change something, orfate throws a tree in your way and "adjusts" your car setupfor you, you will be able to measure your setup and get backto that original state, with no guess work. That means lessdown time, and more bashing. And if you are still at a losson how to get back to that original state, you've got it inwriting for someone else, like the local hobby store guy,to look over.
I encourage everyone of you to write down your car's setupinfo. It's not only useful, but it will multiply how muchfun you get outta your RC cars, trucks, and buggies. Heck,this little tip works on real life stuff as well.
There is one more use for this very important RC tool, andthat is to write down your lap times. In order to improveand gauge your racing level, you need to be aware of yourlap times. Most racing clubs can print out a copy of thedays races for you or post them to thier club website, butto really measure your success, you should keep a log ofhow you do from week to week. If you do, I promise you, youwill find a whole new appreciation of the RC cars hobby. Youwill find your mind focusing and aware of ways to improve,such as cornering better, or controlling your throttle justright. It really comes down to the way the human mind works.When it focuses on a goal, it tends to make make strides inthat direction subconsciously. So take my advice... write itdown and measure.
If you are looking for more information on how to drive andwrench your RC cars better, you can download my ebook, TheRC Insider's Unfair Advantage Radio Controlled Car SecretsGuide, at now at: http://www.rccarsecretsguide.com
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