I know alot about cars but nothing about R/C circuits

[Asphyxia02]

Ok here's the deal, I know next to nothing about electronics but I want to make a remote controlled version of my car. I understand the dynamics of gear ratios, torque, horsepower, and other things neccessary to make the car work but how to integrate communications circuitry from scratch into this is over my head. Already I know that I'll be using something in the form of a weed wacker motor for an engine and an X-Box controller as a transmitter. I'd like to go with a digital proportional design since I want to use computer controlled fuel and engine management and digital steering/acceleration would be more accurate anyway. Please help me get through this project. Links, documents, spendable/edible donations, anything that will help. Thanks.

 

[ElectroTech2002]

I have no experience with such a project but have a few ideas. The best way to control your car is by using servo's like the use in most RC cars, battle bots,etc.. These servos and can be bought any hobby shop along with the controller. That would be the easiest, most pain free way to do it I can think.

 

[mechie]

Radio control?

It sounds like you are way over my head on spinny and clanky bits; if you are basically building an RC car - albeit a big, homebrew one - surely the control problem is simply finding servo motors big enough to operate the brake, accelerator and cluch pedals (do you really need a gearbox?), and some way of motorising the steering wheel (or its equivalent).

I would have thought a commercial RC transmitter/reciever kit would have been the start point. Servos could be fun to implement at a scale that can control a petrol lawnmower [sense of scale -not a put-down]. Could a normal RC servo be used to control a bigger motor which controls the steering?

 

[Fonzz]

You're going to need very big servos.

Like previously mentioned, a large scale R/C required large scale servos, the good news is that they are out there. Contact www.towerhobbies.com so you can learn a bit more on large scale R/C's. They also sell the large servos.