Build RC Kit Yourself: Easy Steps for Assembling & Controlling

[buster]

hi.. i m new here.. quite recently, i hav turned my attention to radio controls. i also built one but blew it up coz of messy power supply.
what i want to know is that if i buy a complete radio control kit from a hobby shop, ll i be able to assmble it myself n ll there be any manuals for various sorts of controls(like on or off, positional control, servo control etc..).
reason why i m askin it here is that, 1st-i don't have any hobby shop nearby, so i ll have to take a 4 day trip for that, and 2nd i want to be sure that if i buy it, i ll be able to complete it myself(u see, money is a constraint n i dun want to burn up any more if i can't get it to the right purpose).

 

[chemisttree]

I've used these. They were great! Maybe you can mail order it.

http://www.futaba-rc.com/

These are very simple to set up and use.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Futaba-4EXA-4-Ch-Computerized-FM-Airplane-Radio-System_W0QQitemZ110144112225QQihZ001QQcategoryZ34056QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[FredGarvin]

Like chemisttree already pointed out, you can get pre-made RC sets from a lot of places. I guess I should ask you what you wanted to do with it first. If it something other than the typical RC airplane, car or boat, then you may have to make some things yourself.

 

[rcgldr]

Most transmitters are pre-made. The kits are generally more expensive and may require a ham license to operate. One issue is the FCC certification so that the transmitters won't interfere with other frequencies (or spread spectrum schemes).

You can get a cheap 2 or 3 channel transmitter. Hitec makes some cheap transmitters. The cheapest ones are the 2 channel ones used for rc boats and rc cars.

 

[berkeman]

Most transmitters are pre-made. The kits are generally more expensive and may require a ham license to operate. One issue is the FCC certification so that the transmitters won't interfere with other frequencies (or spread spectrum schemes).

Yeah, Jeff is correct. You aren't going to find many legal kits for assembling your own full-power transmitter, since it is too easy to mess up and generate harmful interference.

If you are mainly using this to learn electronics, there are a couple of other options. One would be to build a low-power FM transmitter kit (which can only transmit below the threshold of power where the FCC gets interested). The range is only 10-30 meters, but it still teaches you some about what a real radio transmitter does. Here's an example:

http://www.transeltech.com/kits/fmst-100p.html

And here's an FM receiver circuit that you can build. I think it goes down low enough in frequency to pick up your FM transmitter kit's signal (you can see the picture of it one page up at http://www.transeltech.com/kits/kits1.html -- something's wrong with the picture in the details window):

http://www.transeltech.com/kits/rec-2p.html

If it doesn't, you can still use it to listen to the HAM radio bands and local police, fire, etc. radios. Also, if it doesn't go down far enough to hear the 88MHz-108MHz standard commercial FM broadcast band, you can just use your car radio or home stereo to listen to your low-power FM transmitter kit's output. Just find an empty space between existing FM stations in your area.

 

[buster]

thanks guyz..this really helped.. atleast for a starter like me, it surely did