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  #1  
Old 09-19-2002, 09:39 AM
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Namuna Namuna is offline
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F.A.Q.s (Updated: Jan 3rd, '03)

To cut down on the same questions getting asked, again and again, let's do what's been needing to be done...A FAQ!!!

This FAQ will be constantly added-to/revised, so check back often and post any questions not covered or anything else that will help.

Alright, let's begin...

#1: What is the Bit Char-G?
A: A company by the name of Tomy (Tomica in Japan) manufactures these tiny, radio controlled cars that they call a 'Bit Char-G'. Coming in at a mere few inches long, they offer the fun factor of a radio controlled car in a tiny package that you don't have to have huge amounts of space to race on!

#2: Can I race with my friends?
A: Yes. Technically speaking, there are 6 'frequencies' available. Read the thread at http://tinyrc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=899 to get more details.

#3: What the heck does 'frequencies' mean and what's all this 27MHz or 35MHz stuff?
A: That's how RADIO controlled cars work, by sending and receiving signals (between the car and remote control) using radio.

So that a SPECIFIC remote control will only control a SPECIFIC car, they use a certain 'frequency' to send/receive. That's where those numbers like 27MHz or 35MHz come in, those are the frequencies that the controller/car uses to communicate with each other. As long as you're using a different frequency than anyone you're racing with, everything is fine.

#4: I keep hearing about 'OEMs' or 'LXX' or 'MicroSizers' that all look the same?! What's up?
A: I'm not going to rehash the answer already given, instead I'll provide links to the answers.

To read about the different 'official' versions:
http://tinyrc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=915

To read about the copycats:
http://tinyrc.com/qfm/racing/ft_clones.htm

#5: What different kinds of upgrades or modifications can I get or do?
A: One of the coolest aspects about the Bit Char-G is the plentiful amounts of upgrades and modifications you can do! Shocks, Motors, Gears, Bodies, Lights, Antennas...You name it, there's probably already a part or schematic for it!

An excellent place to start is Quest For Madness:
http://www.questformadness.com

#6: I seem to only get 15feet (or less) range between my car and controller before the cars stutters or stops responding. Why?
A: You know those Radio Antenna towers you see by the Highways? The REALLY tall towers? Well, to put it simply...The taller/longer the Antenna, the better the distance.

Since these little radio controlled cars are so small, putting a LONNNNG Antenna on them would look silly. Another consideration is that giving too much range will also interfere with another car using the same frequency (let's say you're at a shop with multiple races, you don't want to have people interfering with others).

Thankfully, the community of Bit users have found ingenious different ways to extend the range.

Here's a couple of sites to check out for help:
http://www.rcmagic.com/Range.html
http://www.questformadness.com

#7: I'm considering an upgrade motor, what do the numbers like 2.2motor or 3.0motor mean?
A: Easy, just multiply the motor number by 10,000 and that's the rated rpm of that motor. So if you bought a 3.0 motor, that means the output of that motor is 3.0 X 10,000 = 30,000rpm

#8: Is it OK to leave the car on the charger, if the charge light is out?
A: Yup, that's fine. A charge is only sent while the charge light is on. Once it goes out, there's no longer any power going through and therefore safe to leave the car on the charger.

#9: How is the handling of the Bit? Is it like the bigger Radio Controlled cars?
A: You're probably thinking of the smooth acceleration and steering available for the bigger cars, which is called 'Proportional' steering or acceleration. Sadly the Bits don't offer such sophistication.

To keep the cost down, the Bits use a bit of ingenuity with magnets, which is a rather CHEAP and yet still functional way to offer steering. When you press the controller button for a right turn, it sends a signal to the car to activate the magnet so that it PULLS the front wheels to the right (and vice-versa). With some practice you can get decent handling

For acceleration, there's only full speed forward and full speed reverse...no gradual steps, but Tomy offers different speed motors to adjust to different racing conditions.

#10: There's a little 'lever' underneath the car, under the front wheels. What's that?
A: That's called a Steering Trim. It helps you adjust for the car not going in a straight line. If your car tends to go to the left or right, when it should be going straight, flip the car over and adjust the steering trim until the car runs straight again.

#11: I keep hearing about these 'DigiQ' cars, what are they?
A: The DigiQ cars are made by a company named Takara. These cars use a whole different technology than the Bits. For one, instead of using Radio frequencies to send commands to the car, they use Infrared instead.

Check out my website (http://tinyrc.com/lincoln/Worlds/MicroRC/AboutMicro.htm) for more about the DigiQs

#12: Alright, now that I know a little about the DigiQ...Which is better? DigiQ or Bit?
A: Well, that's along the same lines as which place has better burgers, Burger King or MacDonalds'?

For the most part, which is 'the best' car is a subjective matter. Here's a few points of comparison.

Looks:
DigiQ- Has a 'super deformed' look. Being so small, getting the proper scale and proportion of the actual card is near impossible...So Takara 'super deforms' them (kind of like squishing the front and back together to make it smaller). Some people like it because it's 'cute', some people don't because it's too 'cartoony'
Bits- Slightly deformed, much less 'cartoony' than the DigiQ...But also a bit bigger

Top Speed:
DigiQ- If you've got the money to spend for the upgraded DigiQ controller...There's NO COMPETITION! The DigiQ will beat even the most tricked out Bit! But, as i said...It's going to cost.
Bit- You buy faster motors and use higher speed gears

Steerin/Handling:
DigiQ- The DigiQ uses a kind of 'tank' style of steering, the front wheels spin but don't turn...Each of the rear wheels has it's own motor and steering is down by varying the speed of the motors to force the car to turn in a certain direction. Since the controller can vary the speeds of the motor, you can control the amount of steer (sharp turns, wide turns and so on)
Bit- Uses magnets to 'pull' the wheels to either direction. Using a bit of controlled press/release of the steering you can result is some decent maneuvering

Mods and Upgrades:
DigiQ- Not very much can be done with the DigiQ, the only real upgrade is the LCD Controller.
Bits- TONS! Gears, Motors, Bodys, Stabilizers, Antenna, LEDs, you name it!

Cost:
DigiQ- A car kit will cost almost $50 (more or less), plus 4-AA batteries for the controller. the upgrade LCD controller is about $50 alone
Bit: About $30 (more of less), plus 2-AA batteries for the controller. Upgrades are very inexpensive.

Bottom line:
Both are great cars, both have good and not-so-good points. If you're on a tight budget, go with the Bit...If you've got more money to spend, definitely give the DigiQ a try

#13: What speed Motor comes stock on the Bits/MicroSizers?
A: For MicroSizers, the 2.2 Motor is stock on all Kits. For the Bits, it's not so easy.

Refer to the catalog page at QFM for which motors come with which Bit Kit:
http://tinyrc.com/qfm/racing/catalog.htm

#14: I bought a Bit Char-G, but the instructions are all in Japanese! Where can I find the Instructions in English?
A: QFM comes through again! Here's the LINK

#15: What do the different colors on the motors mean?
A: Tomy currently offers 5 different speed motors. To distinguish each motor they used a color scheme on the bottoms (aka 'endbells'). Here it is:

1.0 Motor = Blue
1.6 Motor = Green
2.2 Motor = Yellow
2.6 Motor = Orange
3.0 Motor = Red

Those are the OFFICIAL coloring schemes offered by Tomy. 3rd party companies are also offering their own motors (usually higher rpm motors), but since they're 3rd party you can't rely on specific color codes...For instance, QFM and Char-Gmotors both offer a 3.8motor. But QFM's 3.8 motor has a pink bottom, while Char-Gmotor's 3.8 has a green bottom.

#16: How does the Gearing work?
A: When you talk about Gears/Gearing, you'll start seeing numbers like; 12:1 or 9.86:1 and such.

Let's simplify that to 'X:1'. The number 1 represents 1 full revolution of the Motor, this is a reference number and never changes. The 'X' represents how many revolutions of the wheels. So if you're using a 12:1 Gear, that means for every 1 turn of the Wheels, the Motor turns 12 times.

Now, let's talk about how that affects Acceleration and Top Speed.
Here's a Chart:


You'll notice that, depending on which way you go on the chart, you'll gain on one area, while losing on the other. For instance; if you want the best Top Speed and go with the 8.25:1 Gearing, your 'off the line' acceleration will suffer.

#17: I know MicroSizers and Bit Char-G are made by Tomy, but can I buy parts for one and use them on the other?
A: Yes! ABSOLUTELY! MicroSizers and Bits are the EXACT SAME cars. ALL parts are the same and therefore all upgrades will work with either.

Last edited by Namuna; 10-03-2002 at 09:15 AM.
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  #2  
Old 09-27-2002, 01:24 PM
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#18: How big are the Bits? And how do they compare, size wise, to other remote control cars?
A: To get a feel for how small the Bit is...Here's a picture of one sitting on top of a CDrom disk:
http://tinyrc.com/lincoln/Worlds/Mic...tFirstLook.htm

Check out my Gallery with comparison pics:
http://tinyrc.com/gallery/MicroComparisons

#19: I saw a Clone/OEM car that had a frequency of 02MHz or 03MHz. Are those actual frequencies, so I can race more cars?
A: You've gotta love how these clone/oem makers try to fool buyers every chance they get (...NOT!).

Here's the deal. The Tomy Bit Char-G cars are available in 4 frequencies (57, 45, 35 and 27). When you see a copy/clone/oem say it's frequency is 02MHz or 04MHz (or whatever between 01 and 04) it's actually referring back the available Frequencies.

Here's the breakdown:
57MHz = 01MHz
45MHz = 02MHz
35MHz = 03MHz
27MHz = 04MHz

#20: I keep hearing about replacing the battery and I can get much longer runtimes. What's that about?
A: A Stock Bit car comes with a NiCad battery in it (1/3AAA size, 1.2v @ 50mAH). On average, with a 45 second charge, you'll get a runtime of about 3 minutes.

The replacement option is to put a NiMH battery in there instead. With a NiMH battery, I've heard of runtimes OVER 15 minutes! Since these replacement batteries cost a mere $3(US), it's a worthwhile cost.

You can find the details of doing this replacement/mod at QFM Racing: HERE

#21: There seems to be a lot of info about making Modifications, but what tools do I need to do them?
A: Alright, here's a checklist of 'must haves' for the modifier (I've added links to some pictures)...

- Micro Screwdriver Set:
You'll need these for working with the tiny components
- Soldering Pencil:
Car Antenna, Dual-Battery...Anything that involves soldering, you're going to need a SUPER-fine tip and good heat-output. Don't forget to get some Solder too.
- Precise filing kit:
For filing down small items or tight areas.
- Tweezers:
Look for super fine, rounded or squared-off tip. Anti-magnetic.
- Exacto knife:
For super fine, detail cutting

Alright, that's your CORE toolset and it wont' bust your bank to get those items. If you've got a bit more money to spend, here's a few non-crucial but DEFINITELY nice to haves...

- Dremel Tool:
This is THE TOOL for all kinds of drilling, cutting, carving, polishing, etc...
- Helping Hand:
Helps for holding items while you work on it
- Hobby Vise:
Another tool for holding things to work on them

#22: I'm a Do-It-Yourself type person and would like to use my own Peak Charger. What settings should I use?
A: The Bit Charger (on the Controller) puts out 1.5v @ 1.5A (no, that's not a typo...it CRANKS out 1.5A). it's up to YOU to decide how you want to do it from there.

#23: I have a Bit and ZipZap. With the same motor on both, the ZipZap seems slower. Why?
A: Because the ZipZap's circuitry sends LESS juice (power) to the motor than a Bit does.

Check the following thread for the details and numbers:
http://tinyrc.com/forums/showthread....&threadid=1501

#24: My gears are a bit loud, what should I use for lubricant?
A: STAY AWAY from anything oily or wet, they WILL attract dirt and debris!

Here's a few 'dry' suggestions:
- Valve Oil (used for musical instruments)
- Dry Graphite Lubricant (should be able to buy at any Hobbyshop)
- Baby Powder (you read that right, baby powder!)

#25: I'm new to soldering, any help?
A: Check out this tutorial online:
http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htm

#26: I found a super high capacity 1/3AAA size battery for my Bit, will it work?
A: Be CAREFUL with this!!! The '1/3AAA' is a NON-Standardized size rating and there can be a LOT of variance in the actual size! Instead of going by the scale rating, you should go by the physical dimensions...In order for the battery to properly fit in your Bit it must be 10.5mm in Diameter (or less) and 16mm Height (or less)

#27: I keep hearing about using Rare Earth Magnets to replace the stock magnets used for steering. Do they really make a difference?
A: A great post by Krabill goes into the actual gauss of the stock vs. Rare Earth magnets and there's a very negligable difference:
Stock magnet: 3,550 gauss
Rare Earth magnet: 3,700 gauss

There's a good deal of debate on whether the difference is noticeable: Check out the thread HERE

Last edited by Namuna; 10-03-2002 at 05:43 PM.
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  #3  
Old 09-27-2002, 01:46 PM
payaso payaso is offline
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Props to my new twisted family member Namuna. That's some real good stuff there. Keep it up. Hopefully this will cut down on the same stuff being asked over and over...

silla
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  #4  
Old 09-27-2002, 02:40 PM
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Namuna Namuna is offline
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Quote:
Hopefully this will cut down on the same stuff being asked over and over...
My exact intention. ...Bro!
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  #5  
Old 09-27-2002, 02:48 PM
payaso payaso is offline
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I knew that we were on the same page Namuna.... You must have the other half of my amulate... lol Is it possible we were seperated at birth...

silla
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  #6  
Old 10-05-2002, 08:58 PM
Tech_Lord Tech_Lord is offline
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yeah, at least all those newbies out there get some answers instead of asking for them like i did when i was a newbie!

good work!
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  #7  
Old 01-02-2003, 02:01 PM
NiTeMaRe-2U NiTeMaRe-2U is offline
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The problem is I didnt even see this post until I had already posted a few =p ...

Though the first time I went here I ended up reading the FAQ area... maybe you should incorporate this into the FAQ instead of just on the forum. Im not sure if you guys have control over that tho.

Thanks anyway & thnx Namuna...
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  #8  
Old 01-02-2003, 03:32 PM
bitpro
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my bits are sleeping upstairs
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  #9  
Old 01-02-2003, 04:05 PM
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well we can hope for the best, but i really doubt itll cut down on the FAQ on the board.. guaranteed they will still ask the SAME questions.. thats ok with me tho.. kuz i dont mind answering the same ting over and over and over.. forums wouldnt exist if faq's worked
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i wish i could use the IMG tag in signatures....
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  #10  
Old 01-02-2003, 04:20 PM
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MTL MTL is offline
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this isnt sticky anymore?
thats asking for it....
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  #11  
Old 01-03-2003, 03:49 PM
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Namuna Namuna is offline
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It's not stickied cause it's listed in the 'Look here FIRST' thread...That's stickied.
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  #12  
Old 01-05-2003, 04:56 PM
bitchargen
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namuna, can u use a differnt type battery for a dual battery mod?
the stock is nicad, so can i attach it with a higher voltage batery>
or does it only work with an equal battery power
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  #13  
Old 01-05-2003, 04:57 PM
bitchargen
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and if i do the dual battery, what if i dont make a stand alone charger? will i just get no power? and can i just keep charging it on the controleer to get the same effect as the stand alone charger>
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  #14  
Old 01-27-2003, 10:27 PM
Tim__x Tim__x is offline
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In the paragraph on gearing you say that 12:1 gearing means that the motor turns 1 time and the wheels 12 times, when really it's should be the other way around,
if the motor had enough torque, a bit with a 3.0 motor would go aprox. 500 FPS (feet per a second) which seems a tad high (imagine going 9k [5.5 miles] in 1 minute,
where as the real gearing (with the motor turning 12 times and the wheels 1) gives it an aprox. top speed of 3.5 FPS.

P.S. If my calculations are wrong its because I estimated the circumference of a bits rear wheel at one inch.
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  #15  
Old 01-27-2003, 10:43 PM
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Namuna Namuna is offline
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Thanks for pointing that out Tim__x, the information has been corrected.
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