Admin

[Admin]

Hey Everybody!!! I’m nw here but not to digi-Q’s i got one about 3 months ago I have a black impreza WRX , I recently painted the rims head/tail lights and front grill grill gold it looks pretty fast and it is. Does anybody know of any tis and tricks on the car???

[Admin]

Now jwinges thats an awesome idea!!! Is that mod available? I would love my booster if the feature worked like that.

[Admin]

Umm what the heck happend here? Are many of you people children that you cant afford $30. Now I am in America so that may be why I find this hard to believe, but surely those in other countries know the value of hard work.

Also as for commenting on other people’s grammer and spelling understand this, it is generally acceptible on most message boards and chat rooms to use extensive abbreviation and “internet lingo” i.e. Lol, IMHO and so forth.

[Admin]

Quote:

Originally posted by ylexot on 11July2002

Oh, and BTW, IMO the mod would be better with the switch turning on/off all lights or two switches (one for head/tail lights, one for turn signals/brakes) since I may inadvertently double tap while driving just for control reasons. The double tap is a pretty ingenious feature, but to me it’s kind of like hooking your TV up to “the clapper” while watching a sports game and turning off the TV while cheering :smiley11: Granted, you won’t lose control of the car, but if it is a night race, youmay lose sight of your car.

I like the double click idea. I’ve not yet received mine (should have it by Friday) but I’m sure it won’t cause too much of a problem – but I can see what you mean. Sometimes you may accidently double click it while controlling the vehicle. However, for me an alternative would have to be two switches as opposed to one – so its like a real car! One switch for the head/tail lights and the other to do all the rest. In fact, one switch to control just the head/tail lights would be even better – I wouldn’t mind having the brake, indicator and reverse light on all the time – again, like a real car :smiley1:

[Admin]

While this mod is not something I want to do on my bits (I’m happy with simple on all the time LEDs), I do think this is a very well thought out mod and is worth what they are asking for it.

As for the fun vs. profit topic, think of it this way. What would have happened if Mike did the mod only for fun andcame to the board with his creation? Since most (probably none) have the expertise and equipment to make this mod (look at that board…can you solder like that?), there would be many people asking him to make them for him anyway. So what’s the difference if he starts out by saying he’ll make them for anyone that is willing to pay for it?

Oh, and BTW, IMO the mod would be better with the switch turning on/off all lights or two switches (one for head/tail lights, one for turn signals/brakes) since I may inadvertently double tap while driving just for control reasons. The double tap is a pretty ingenious feature, but to me it’s kind of like hooking your TV up to “the clapper” while watching a sports game and turning off the TV while cheering :smiley11: Granted, you won’t lose control of the car, but if it is a night race, youmay lose sight of your car.

[Admin]

Silver S2000 – 30uf capacitor on bottom of PCB

Went from 5′ to 25′ just got my S2000 this morning in the mail.

[Admin]

-color: #3A6EA5; scrollbar-arrow-color: #3A6EA5; scrollbar-3dlight-color: #3A6EA5; scrollbar-darkshadow-color: #3A6EA5;} –>

OK KITT is right about my mods I do them because I love messing with electronics and the fact that nobody has thought of the idea except people saying ‘Wouldnt it be great to have a FULLY functional light kit for one of these micro racers’ Which I of course have made it happen and im very proud to of done it. Im selling them to people to give them a chance at owning the mod I have created, as I know for a fact I will get loads of emails asking how it can be done and will you be selling it. So thats why ivedecided to sell it, and remember its only for people who want to show off their bitcharg and say, look at this! I can even turn the head lights on/off with the remote control.

OK now the reason of high cost. But first let me make it known I do not have a factory full of workers making these by the 1000s I make them when orders are placed.

I dont make much profit on these as you will see why in the pics and the description below.

It took me roughly 60 hours to design the program for the PIC chip. This isnt easy but its very challenging and fun to do. Also the PIC chips arent cheap as well as the actual PIC programmer you have to buy and then you have to buy a special adaptor to fit the SMD PIC chips in

I then have to design the circuit board on microsoft word using the art part of it. Again it isnt easy to design your own PCB. As well as calculate all the correct value resistors and capacitors

I then have to make the boards by etching and developing them again I have to buy the Photo resist board and all the correct fluids to develop them.

Then all the boards have to be cut to the right size.

Of course there is also the cost of components which the white LEDs alone cost 1.60GBP each then there is the other LEDs. Plus all the SMD resistors and capacitors.

And then the actual soldering of the very tiny components to the PCB is very fiddley but at the end of the day the result is worth it.

The reason why I charge more to fit it is because the LEDs take a good while to solder the wire onto them and then you have to make sure ts shaped to the body and then glue them into place.

Thats most of it covered so I wont bore everybody anymore with other things but you can probably work other costs and time out.

[Admin]

Cool. Here’s my work in progress. I was planning to post it when complete. I started with zeroBXU’s FAQ, added some data from Aquila Prime’s site, stole the ODM review from Derek, but the rest is mine :smiley2:

1.0 The Cars
1.1 Tomy Bit Char-G
1.1.1 Bit Char-G Models
1.1.2 “Booster” Machine Sets
1.2 Other Micro-RC Cars
1.2.1 DigiQ
1.2.2 OEM Bullet
1.2.3 ODM Mouse or Bit Charge Smart Car
1.2.4 Z-car
1.2.5 Hobbico Microsizer
1.2.6 Compact Char-G
1.2.7 Nikko iRacer
1.3 Bit Racer?
2.0 Parts
2.1 Motors
2.2 Tires
2.3 Suspension
2.4 Gears
2.5 Remotes
2.6 Bodies
2.7 Other
3.0 Performance
3.1 Speed
3.2 Handling
3.3 Run Time
3.4 Range
4.0 Troubleshooting
4.1 My Car Just Sits There
4.2 My Car Won’t Turn
4.3 My Range Sucks
5.0 What to Do With Your Bit
5.1 Mods
5.2 Racing
5.2.1 Tracks
5.3 Games
6.0 Where to Buy
7.0 Links
8.0 Acknowledgements

1.0 The Cars
1.1 Tomy Bit Char-G
Bit Char-G (pronounced “Bit Charge”) cars are very small remote controlled cars (just over two inches in length!). Marketed and sold in Japan by Tomy, or “Tomica”, they are pocket-sized and perfect for tabletop racing. Like a lot of R/C cars, they use a radio transmitter controller. Each model operates on a specific frequency, with a total of four different frequencies (27, 35, 45, and 57 MHz). Therefore, you can have up to four cars, operating off different frequencies, running in the same place at the same time. Bit Char-G cars are very simple cars and do not have proportional steering or speed control…it’s all or nothing.
1.1.1 Bit Char-G Models
The current Tomica Bit Char-G models are as follows:
Honda Accord Wagon
Honda S2000
Mario Cart Advance Mario
Mario Cart Advance Yoshi
Mazda RX-7
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII
Nissan Gloria
Skyline GT-R Type R34
Spec. Ed. AE86
Spec. Ed. Castrol Skyline
Spec. Ed. Loctite Skyline
Spec. Ed. Penzoil Skyline
Spec. Ed. Xanavi Skyline
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Bb Open Deck
Toyota Celica
Booster Machine Set (Nissan Skyline)
Initial D Set (RX-7 & Trueno)
Calsonic Skyline GT-R (rare model…shoulda bought it when I had the chance)
Honda NSX-R
Upcoming releases include:
Toyota Supra – July 18, 2002
Nissan Skyline GT-R Set (R32, R34, 110) – August 29, 2002

1.1.2 “Booster” Machine Sets
The Booster Machine set is simply a 2-speed Bit Char-G. It is debatable whether the high speed is faster than a normal Bit Char-G (i.e. Booster with 2.2 motor is/is not faster than normal Bit Char-G with 2.2 motor), but it known that the low speed of the Booster is easily slower. “What’s the point” you may ask? Well, when racing on a track with tight turns, it’s easier to control your car if you’re going slower. Then you hit the boost button on the straights. There are currently four Booster Machine sets (one in each frequency) that each come with a clear skyline body. They do not include a remote! You MUST buy a separate Multi-Frequency Remote to operate the car. The standard remote WILL NOT OPERATE IT!

1.2 Other Micro-RC Cars
There are many clones most of which are made in the same factory as the real Bit Char-G. They are listed below. Prices listed are USD and does not include shipping.
1.2.1 DigiQ – Not really a clone. It is a fundamentally different animal of R/C car, made by Takara. First off, the wheels don’t turn–they make use of separate motors for each rear wheel. Second, they use infrared for control, as opposed to the 27 MHz to 57 MHz radio frequency range. DigiQ’s are smaller, faster, have proportional steering and speed, have longer run times, and longer range, but they are a little more expensive, have a longer charge time, and there are no aftermarket “performance” parts. Expect to pay ~$45 for these.

1.2.2 OEM Bullet – These are very similar to Bit Char-G’s, but are packaged and sold only in the Chinese market (and through select importers). The controller has been re-designed, with a standard telescoping antenna, and the cars are much, much cheaper… and, in some ways, you get what you pay for. Many of the parts are interchangeable with Bit Char-G parts. Bodies can be exchanged with minor modifications which is nice because the OEM Bullet adds the Peugeot 206, the Mercedes CLK, and a Lancer-ish car to the body lineup. Expect to pay ~$11 for these.

1.2.3 ODM Mouse or Bit Charge Smart Car – Similar to a Bit Char-G, but with yet another controller design. The controller/charger has a switch for selectable “sound” (motor noises when sending forward or reverse signals)/ “lights” (controller flashes with inbuilt disco lights)/ “passive” (no lights or sounds). The controller/charger doubles as a flip-top carry case for the car and also includes a metal clip for a neck-chain. Be aware that the controller uses AAA batteries instead of the normal AA batteries in the Bit Char-G controller. The set also comes with two small cones to race around. The car has an LED light that lights up when receiving forward or reverse signals, but it is a single LED in the center of the car that doesn’t really light up the car. The cars are actually smaller than Bit Char-G’s, so the bodies aren’t interchangeable. The tires are thicker and may be a different compound. Expect to pay ~$15 for these

1.2.4 Z-car – Not much is known about these cars, but they seem to be very similar to the ODM Mouse car. These sell for ~$20.

1.2.5 Hobbico Microsizer – This “yet to be released” car is the American market version of the Bit Char-G and only comes in two frequencies 27 and 49 MHz (for legal reasons). They should be available after June 20th and are available through Tower Hobbies for $35.

1.2.6 Compact Char-G – This “yet to be released” car is the European/Australian market version of the Bit Char-G.

1.2.7 Nikko iRacer – iRacers are actually clones of the DigiQ cars with all the same features, benefits, and drawbacks. Nikko also redesigned the controller (for the better IMO). Expect to pay ~$45 for these.

1.3 Bit Racer? Bit Racers are the non-R/C cars that came before Bit Char-G. They’re designed to run on large tracks, on rails, in a fashion similar to slot cars. There are some components that can be shared between the two, but there are some differences as well (example: tires can be shared, but gears shouldn’t).

2.0 Parts – The “standard” Bit Char-G set (all but the Booster sets) comes with the controller, the chassis, the motor, and the body. Some assembly is required. The directions are in Japanese, but the diagrams are very straightforward. Aftermarket parts are discussed below. One set (AE86 Trueno Tune-up set) comes with the suspension set, tire set, and gear set as well as some other goodies.

2.1 Motors – The current motors are currently referred to as 1.0, 2.2, 2.6, and 3.0 motors. But what does that mean? The number is a multiplier for the motor RPM. To get the motor’s RPM, multiply the motor’s multiplier by 10,000. That’s right, the 3.0 motor spins at 30,000 RPM! The motors were originally used in pager and cell phones for the vibrate function. In fact, if you find a motor with the right size, it may be even better (faster or more torque) than the motors you can get from Tomy. The motors are color-coded so you can tell them apart (Lt. Blue=1.0, Yellow=2.2, Orange=2.6, and Red=3.0). Tomy will be releasing a 1.6 motor in August (my guess is Green). There are also non-Tomy motors in 0.5 (Dark Blue) and 3.8 (Pink) speeds and there is a rumor of a Tomy 4.0 motor! Also, always use a black pinion gear (the one that goes on the motor)! (unless, of course, you’re doing something funky with your mods)

2.2 Tires – Tires are even trickier than the motors. Car sets come with Bit Char-G “medium” tires. Right now, you can only get the “soft” and “hard” Bit Char-G tires in the AE86 Trueno Tune-up set. The only tire set you can get right now is a Bit Racer tire set and all the tires are harder than the Bit Char-G hard tires. The Bit Char-G tire set is due out in August. Also available in the suspension set and AE86 set is the “drift axle”. Basically the drift axle is a standard axle gear set with hard plastic wheels with grooves in them. Theoretically, the wheel gives forward/reverse traction, but not side-to-side traction. If used on a slick surface, you’d better like watching your Bit spin around a lot.

2.3 Suspension – Frankly, I don’t know much about the suspension. Car sets come standard with the “medium” suspension and there is a suspension set available, but how it affects handling, I don’t know. Lately, I’ve been hearing that there may even be differences between the Suspension set and the suspensions included in the AE86 Trueno Tune-up set ???

2.4 Gears – There are three gear ratios available for the Bit Char-G: 8.25:1, 9.86:1, and 12:1. The gears are used to decrease the RPM of the wheels and increase the torque. 8.25:1 gearing will give you the highest top speed, but you will not accelerate as fast. 12:1 gearing will accelerate your car the fastest, but give you the slowest top speed. Obviously, 9.86:1 gearing gives somewhere in between the other two.

2.5 Remotes – The standard Bit Char-G remote is a very small box with two toggle buttons on it. It has a wind-up retractable remote and also serves as the charger for the car. It runs on two standard alkaline AA batteries (don’t use rechargeables). Operation of the remote is very simple. First, switch the ON/OFF switch to the ON position (Duh!). Next clip the car to the charging base. The charging light should turn on. If it doesn’t, you may not have the car clipped on well enough. The light should remain on for ~45 seconds (this does vary). You can pull out the antenna while it’s charging…just grab the antenna tip and pull. When the light goes out, you’re ready to race. Just pull the car off, put the car down, and drive. The Multi-Frequency Remote is very similar to the standard remote in it’s operation. However, it has some special switches and buttons. First, it has a channel selection switch so you can pick which frequency your car is running on. It also has an A-B-C selector switch on back that needs to be in the correct position to operate. Standard cars use the “A” selection. Booster cars can use either “B” or “C”, but “C” will disable the slow speed on the bit (Boost all the time). The “B” selection enables the Boost Button. Just push that button to speed the car up while driving. The “C” selection is also reserved for future Tomy products that require more radio channels (construction vehicles, subs, and tanks…oh my!).

2.6 Bodies – There are several body sets available, but they are difficult to find. Bodies come two per pack (but I’m not sure about the WRC EVO or Castrol Supra…they’re special). One of the bodies will be clear and the other will be painted. Body sets also come with the “Bit Tool” and AFAIK, they only come with the bodies. The tool has some decent features, but is by no means a must-have. The current list of bodies includes:
Honda Accord Wagon
Honda S2000
Mazda RX-7
Nissan Gloria
Skyline GT-R Type R34
Toyota Bb Open Deck
Toyota Celica
Upcoming releases include:
Subaru Impreza – May sometime
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII – WRC Edition – June 27, 2002
NSX-R – July 25, 2002
Toyota Supra Castrol Edition – August 8, 2002

2.7 Other – Another accessory that many people get is the lap timer. It’s actually made for the Bit racer, but can be adapted for use with the Bit Char-G. It will not time multiple cars. However, if a “standard track” is ever made, it will be a useful tool for timing yourself against other people around the world. You can also use it when driving by yourself to measure your improvement. There is also a “corner guiderail set” (just a few chicane pieces), and a “table top pylon” set (small cones).

3.0 Performance – Your results may vary.
3.1 Speed – Data was stolen from AquilaPrime and interpolated for the 2.6 motor. 16′ track used for times. Times are averages based upon five (5) runs. All time trials performed using stock medium compound tires.
1.0 motor results:
8.17s @ 79.33smph – 8.25 gearing, 9.25s @ 68.76smph – 9.86 gearing, 10.92s @ 58.10smph
2.2 motor results:
4.21s @ 149.27smph – 8.25 gearing, 4.32s @ 148.17smph – 9.86 gearing, 6.43s @ 99smph
2.6 motor results (interpolated):
3.92s @ 162.94smph – 8.25 gearing, 4.04s @ 159.34smph – 9.86 gearing, 5.16s @ 131.91smph
3.0 motor results:
3.63s @ 176.61smph – 8.25 gearing, 3.76s @ 170.51smph – 9.86 gearing, 3.89s @ 164.81smph

3.2 Handling – This is a somewhat subjective category. However, here are the basics…harder tires slide more (Duh!). You can use this to your advantage by varying tire combinations between the front and rear. If you have problems with spinning out (I did at first), put softer tires on the rear. If you have the softest on the rear and still spin, put harder tires on the front. This will keep the front from “grabbing” and causing the car to spin. You should generally use the softest tires possible. As stated earlier, I don’t know how the suspension set affects handling.

3.3 Run Time – Typically, run time is around 4-5 minutes for a standard Bit Char-G. However, run time is influenced by the motor, the batteries in the controller, the charge time, the rechargeable battery in the Bit Char-G, and the surface you are running on. One trick to increase run time is to charge multiple times before running. Just charge the car normally, pull it off the charger, put it back on and it will charge again. However, do not go crazy with this tip and charge 20 times or something. You could hurt your Bit. 2-4 times should be plenty.

3.4 Range – This seems to be a big variable with Bit Char-G’s. Some people get 10-15 foot range out of the box, others get 2 (ouch!). First of all, make sure that the antenna is fully extended from the remote and the car antenna is sticking straight up. Also, look around where you are racing. Radio interference can cause big problems with range and appliances are a source or interference. Some frequencies are more susceptible than others. 27 and 57 MHz seem to have the most problems with interference. If that doesn’t help or you want even more range, go to Section 4.3 – Troubleshooting: My Range Sucks.

4.0 Troubleshooting
4.1 My Car Just Sits There
4.2 My Car Won’t Turn
4.3 My Range Sucks
5.0 What to Do With Your Bit
But What Can You Do With Them?
Quite a bit. The cars have six directions of control, but it’s not analog. This means that there’s no scaling of the speed or direction–either it’s going forward full-on, or it’s not moving at all. There is no in-between. This still allows an impressive amount of control while running. And you can do quite a bit with them. From the straightforward racing of two (or more) cars, to playing games with them. Apparently playing soccer with bottlecaps is catching on. Anywhere you have a flat surface is a place you can run them. The fun part is that they’re ideal for customizing. Tomy has a page up dedicated to fan submissions of dressed-up cars. Anything you do with it, from writing your name on it with a marker, to changing the paint scheme makes yours unique from everyone else.
5.1 Mods
5.1.1 Painting/Detailing
5.1.2 Lights
5.2 Racing
5.2.1 Tracks
5.3 Games
6.0 Where to Buy
7.0 Links
8.0 Acknowledgements

[Admin]

Sounds EXACTLY like the ODM car that ToyEast sells.

[Admin]

You can’t hold the car in your hand and install those springs. You need to have the chassis of the car setting on something solid and then you need something “slightly” supporting the front tires from the bottom. You can’t put too much pressure on them though.

It is a very tedious process.

[Admin]

Derek, here’s an idea…paint the LEDs black everywhere except where you want the light to come out. That might prevent the entire back end from turning red :smiley2:

alexthegreat2k, he probably did fogs because it is difficult to find white LEDs…especially in the very small sizes that you need for Bits. For red taillights, just use transparent red paint. Of course, that might be tough to find, so you should be able to use a light coat of red paint and still get light to come through.

[Admin]

dave san – what colors/frequencies are your cars? I assumed a Blue Skyline and a Yellow Lancer for the list update just to get the numbers in there, but I’ll change it if I got it backwards.

[Admin]

You could try adding a barcode to the side of the car and reading that with the IR beam

I think in slotcar racing, they manually tell the computer when there is a change in running order, so the computer knows which car is going to break the beam next

[Admin]

Well, to their credit, they probably handle tons more merchandise than any other retailer I know of in Japan (that ships internationally–and has a site in English).I would order from them again, but I’d keep a real careful eye on my order status.

And I also know a LOT of people who have had great experiences with them. Based on everything I know, and everyone I’ve talked to, I’d probably give them a 3.5 out of 5.

On the other hand, I’d give Sigma Automotive 4.5 out of 5.

[Admin]

Hi Derek,

Yes.. u can definately say that i’m addicted….:smiley9:I feel like a little kid again…

I’m in south west Syd..

[Admin]

ok there we go

[Admin]

i want a digi-q like this

[image]http://www.wreckedexotics.com/cars/skyline_gtr/33812600qJpjzN_ph.jpg[/image]

[Admin]

they sound like a really bad online retailer….i guess I will just wait until other retailers get a hand on the little pretty NSX-R then…..thanks for the help guys

[Admin]

awwww cool i want to buy one ahahahha

[Admin]

I’ve placed two orders with them. They completely lost the first one, and never responding to repeated inquiries on it. The second order took about three weeks from placement of order to delivery–even though the items were in stock. I have no idea how much shipping was–they didn’t give me an invoice with the order (and I never checked my statement). They DO estimate shipping on the order page, and it should be pretty close.

[Admin]

i just checked hlj and they have the nsx-r with the controller but you can preorder just the body

[Admin]

hey deejay, how did you manage to put the pen springs on the shaft of the front axle knuckle? I tried doing that too but the magnet kept attracting them so that I couldnt put the cover of the steering box back on, and after 20 mins of frustration I just gave up

[Admin]

i ordered from them before but i forgot how much the shipping was but all i remember is it took awhile

[Admin]

their prices are really good….but the drawback is they only give you an estimate shipping cost…..anyone ordered from them before? if someone did could you tell me how much you had to pay for shipping?

[Admin]

Oops… forgot to attach pic.

deejay40

[Author]

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