Breaking in a new Radio Controlled Vehicle

Radio Controlled (RC) models have come a long way from the original airplanes and cars with gas engines. Today you can buy all-electronic cars, boats, tractor trailers, helicopters, hovercraft, blimps, Humvees, you name it. With electronics getting smaller and less expensive nearly every day, and the elimination of expensive gas engines, RC'ing is an affordable and safe hobby that's great for the entire family! In all of our articles we use the term "vehicle" to mean any radio controlled device, not just cars.

You'll get a lot more fun from your RC investment if you follow these simple tips when getting a new vehicle.

How to extend the battery life by doing it right the first time.

Your battery will last a lot longer and produce every ounce of power that it can if you fully cycle it at least one time before using it. Charge the battery fully and then discharge it, at a constant rate, using the built-in discharger (if present), or a device known as a light bulb discharger which is simply a series of 12-volt automobile light bulbs wired to a battery connector.

By cycling the battery at least once before it's used the first time, you protect the battery from developing "cell memory". Cell memory is a condition that develops when a battery is recharged, over and over, without it first being fully discharged. Normally, when your vehicle stops operating because the battery has grown weak, there is still power left, just not enough to operate the vehicle. When you recharge the battery, the "new" power is placed on top of the leftover power from the last charge. The new charge is also not 100% consumed by the vehicle, so it too leaves a bit of leftover power. You recharge over that and the cycle repeats itself until finally, there is no room for the battery to take a new charge and you have to throw it away.

Break it in so it doesn't break!

Non-gas radio controlled vehicles contain an electric motor. Just like a new car, this motor needs to be broken in before it is put into service. By breaking in the electric motor you will get a longer motor life and better performance.

Here is the easiest way to break in a new motor:

Remove the motor from the vehicle before running the vehicle the first time.

Connect the motor directly to your battery charger using a supplied connector or one that you wire together.

Place your motor in a motor stand (if you have one), or secure it to a block of wood with clamps or some other method.

Assuming you have a connector to connect the battery charger to the motor (if not, one can be put together relatively simply with common connectors), you'll want to hook the motor up to the charger. If you've got a motor stand, put the motor on it now.

Put a drop of lightweight bearing oil on each end of the commutator in order to decrease wear.

Set your charger's voltage level to the lowest setting. If your charger has a timer, set it for five minutes, otherwise time it using a clock or watch. Run the motor for about 5 minutes on the lowest voltage. This helps to seat the brushes properly against the commutator so that they make good contact.

Disconnect the motor from the charger and clean the motor well. Then use some electric motor cleaner (available at any RC or hobby shop) and spray the motor until the liquid coming out of the motor is clear. If the motor has an open-ended bell, take out the brushes by removing the springs, and clean them with motor-brush cleaner (also available at your RC or Hobby shop). Spray the brushes lightly with the motor cleaner before reinstalling them, to remove any dust or dirt.

When all of the parts are clean and dry, install your motor into your vehicle.

Once you have completed these initial steps, operate your vehicle by varying the throttle rate as much as possible. This helps the batteries adjust to the various current draw that different speeds require and it also serves to further break in the motor.

That's it -- you're ready for fun. Of course, you don't have to do any of this. Just make sure that you have enough money to replace your motors on a regular basis, and find a way to avoid disappointment when you have the worst-performing vehicle on the block!