X Treks? same type RC car as BCGs?

[leonli17]

I saw those X Treks on TV. Are they same size as BCGs? They seems better than BCGs(and cheaper_) they come with programmble control which i think make the car do a special move. There is also tracks for X Trek too. If anyone got them. are they any good?

[leonli17]

here is the link to it
http://www.productivity.net/Silverlit/PRXtrek.htm

[leonli17]

actully I know what they like now except the steering. are they same as BCG as well?

[leonli17]

sorry. here is a better link
http://www.productivity.net/Silverlit/PRXtrekConsumer.htm

[barto_85]

do these things turn or just follow the track?

[leonli17]

I think they actully turns.

[Racer9]

They turn I can get them for 49.95 with a large track! A set of two!

[Racer9]

28 ft of track!

[barto_85]

cool, if you get one post some results, tell us how they are.

[DaveF]

Doesn’t sound like they can turn. Other than that they might be a cheap source of parts???

[micro_Amps]

Ok, heres the drum. I have had one of these things since they first came out a month or so ago, but lack of time has stopped me reveiwing it, also building a website, but thats another story.
The cars are radio controlled, but not using the same signal code as the BCGs. They DO steer, BUT the front wheels dont move. The car has both the rear wheels driven independantly, and depending on which is driven faster makes the car turn. The rear end has 2 driving motors, two gear reduction sets, and is a ‘cartridge’ that pulls out of the chassis so the motors can be easily changed. The rear tyres are rubber but the front are plain plastic so as to not hinder the rear wheels when they are trying to change he car’s direction.
The remote is 2 stage speeds in forward and reverse, and steering is not proportional but “full left” or “full right”, which is a bit annoying because until you get the hang of it, it tends to ‘pivot’turn on the spot.
The remote has a programmable option, that you can punch in up to 48 steps and push GO and the car follows what you have put in to it. Fun to watch, a novelty, but ultimately not a performance enhancement.
Funny enough though, when the car is performing a pre-programmed routine its steering is ‘incremantal’ (not fully “on”, more like proportional), but when you control the car it is always fully on left or right.
The car has ‘bumper wheels’ on the front corners, like a bit racer, and it would be perfect for running in the type of track that it comes with, with the high sides. This car is kind of a cross between a bit racer and a BCG, in that its designed for a track, but also has radio control.
I found the car fun to play with, a little frustrating at times because its not as controllable as a BCG. The steering is adequate, but would be difficult to have a serious race because it turns on the spot so easily. Ground clearence is really low, so carpet running is out of the question. The remote is snazzy looking, but there is very little inside, ALL of the transmitter functions are from one chip, which is covered in one of those black blobs, so no mods there.
The car could be a candidate for mods though. It is built to run two motors, so there are possabilities. It runs the same size 1.2v 120mAH NiMH cell that we are familiar with, with no possibility for the addition of an extra cell. Laymans dual cell would be the only battery mod option. The car circuit board is tiny, double sided, and chock a block full of components on both sides.
The twin motors definitely have some potential for a mod to a BCG though. The 2 motors are 3.5s to 3.8s in speed, but there is a large reduction in the gearing, the motor gear has a 9 pin gear on it, just gotta work out a way to get them both into a BCG. I’m sure someone will one day. The torque is good because of the high gearing reduction.
More novelty value than a serious racer, but I get the feeling we might see some serious mods originating from this car because it is so different (in control method) from the BCGs.
End of ramble.
:)uA

[oldtamiyaphile]

They’re more like a Digi-Q clone, differential steer, RF (not IR) ‘propo’ (two step), make good PCB swaps for no-propo tanks, boats and others that use two motors. Otherwise, not really worth it.

The buttons on the TX are pre-programed stunts (various spins etc).

[barto_85]

Thanks for the review Micro

[Crom]

Gah… I just saw these things on Kmart’s shelves this afternoon… Thank God I’ve got the self control (read: GF was shopping with me) not to buy one straight away.

Still they sound cool, does anyone know if the programming is held onboard the car itself or the controller?

[Racer9]

They would be cool to do a endurance race with them because of the different pit strategies possible. It sucks that they steer with the rear wheels and the programming is in the transmitter

[micro_Amps]

Quote:

does anyone know if the programming is held onboard the car itself or the controller?

The program is entered on the controller, then you press GO and the car follows the stored commands that are transmitted from the controller. There is nothing stored in the cars electronics, its all from the controller.
:)uA

[ms char-ged]

hey guys, i saw one at k-mart for $43, it comes with one car, a controller, and the track, with the track accessories, i also noticed that track star collectables is selling these pullback cars called zippers, approx the same size as choro-qs, you could probably interchange the bodies with choro-qs, but i also noticed that the x trek car bodies are the same, as one of the zipper bodies, so they might actually be interchangable, any way they look pretty crappy, but i got a half decent zipper, that looked like a 4WD, so for $2 it was worth it

[Author]

Posts