The RC Hobby

One of the booming hobbies these days is RC.line of sight to the target device. It also has
So, just what does RC mean and what is it?distance restrictions.
RC stands for remote control. It is a method ofToys are another major user of RC. Many of
controlling a device by use of a second devicethese use radio frequency waves (RF). The RF
that is separate from the first. The firstsignals do not need a direct line of sight and can
successful example of remote control came inbe effective at a greater distance. The basic RC
1903 when Leonardo Torres Quevada presenteddevice consists of four components. These are
a device called the Telekino at the Paris Academythe transmitter, the receiver, the motor, and the
of Science. Telekino was a little robot thatpower source. There is a wide variety of RC
executed certain commands transmitted bydevices. These include RC cars, RC boats, and RC
electromagnetic waves. One of the mostairplanes. Many smaller type devices such as table
common and well known uses for RC today is intop race cars use IR waves for control, but the
the field of electronics. Most people are familiarlarger outdoor type mostly use RF waves.
with remote control devices designed to operateThe transmitter is separate from the toy itself,
televisions and other home electronic devices.and is usually hand held. It emits a control signal
These electronic remote controllers generallyusually using radio waves. The receiver receives
operate by transmitting an infrared light beamthe signal and uses it to operate a motor. The
that is received by the target device causing it tomotor causes an action. This could be wheels
perform various functions. Remote controllers canturning on a car or flaps operating on an airplane.
change channels, adjust volume, and even turnThe power source is normally a rechargeable
the device on and off. The infrared (IR) signal isbattery pack, but could also be regular batteries.
restricted to some degree by the need to have a