# RC Car project **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 13, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-car-project/352547 "2006-04-13T17:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-car-project/352547/1 "2006-04-13T17:31:01Z")
I am considering doing a project using a RC car. The basics would be to attach a wireless webcam to it and control it from the remote viewing on a computer screen. A few questions. Most RC cars I have seen have ‘bat-out-of-hell’ speed, but I want the opposite, crawl speed, with gobbs of power. Do they make such a beast? The wireless webcam would be of the wi-fi type, and with a directional base station and omnidirectional webcam I expect to get a range of 500 ft, how far can I get the r/c controller signal to go? Do they make wi-fi controls for a r/c car? Ideally and eventually I would like to drop this on a small island on my property, attach solar panels to it and keep it there for weeks at a time, every so often drive it around, much like the Martian rovers. What would be involved in this? This is a long range plan, the basic thing for now however is to get something remotely operated. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-car-project/352547/2 "2006-04-13T18:59:13Z")
I don’t know anything about RC cars, or whether you could keep one solar charged for any length of time, but here’s a place that advertises video equipment for RC use. [http://www.blackwidowav.com/index.html](http://www.blackwidowav.com/index.html) Keep us posted on your “rover”. Sounds like fun! ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-car-project/352547/3 "2006-04-13T22:35:40Z")
The quick answer is “yes”. There’s all sorts of off-road RC stuff designed for rock-climbing 4x4’s. The Tamiya [Rockbuster](http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=47201) seems to be a replacement for the vernable “Clodbuster” they used to manufacture. There’s step-down transmissions and all that available. Hie thee to a large RC hobbystore and ask around. My RC is a bat-out-of-hell fuel-powered [Buggy](http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SWK1202) but I’ve seen crawlers, too. Good Luck ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rc-car-project/352547/4 "2006-04-13T22:40:13Z")
Ooops - that’s a 18th scale. Looks like the old Clod Buster is now the “[Super Clod Buster](http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=58321)”