My little qsteer review + motor mod, lol...
-
- bitPimp
- Posts: 1979
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 6:33 am
- Location: taco city
My little qsteer review + motor mod, lol...
Got a couple of these 'lil buggers from the local kmart a while ago. Lots of fun!
Decidedly different from Bits, the turning circle on these cars makes it a "true" table top racer for me. I always had trouble keeping my bits staying on our coffee table. With the qsteers it's a lot easier.
The IR is quite good, range is kickarse considering. I really like the tyres on these cars, sticky like nothing else. Way more than bits/zz ever were I reakon. Really keeps the car planted.
Stock speed is like a 1.0, when you press the boost though it's like a 2.2 - 2.6, pretty fast. Handles well and the steering is good (only binary of course), strong and DOESN'T pick up metal crap half as easily as bits did.
He's my lil stocker...
You can take the shell off. The shell is secured at the front end like a Bit, with a tab. It is lightly glued though so it needs to be worked off that first time. The rear is a clip that hooks into the shell. Looks like TOMY thought it through for once and made a rear securing tab that won't break off easily (ala Bits).
Now onto the guts....
Here's a small summary first.
1) Runs on 3V, 2 x LR44 button batts (non rechargable).
2) IR system, IR receiver LED "sees" through car windows.
3) "Short" micro motor, approx equivalent to a 1.0/1.6 BitChar-G in power/speed.
4) 1.7V across motor in normal mode, 2.6V in boost mode.
5) Receiver IC appears to drive motor direct (see if I can fry....).
6) Two transistors driving steering coils.
Here's a bottom view. The batteries sit within the centre (duh!) and you can remove the plastic cover that sits over them. Tricky though, takes a bit of prying out with a small screwdriver. On the right of the battery is the power swtich, on the left is the channel select button (this model is channel C or D).
Here's a shot with the battery cover removed:
The motor is pretty cool. It's small as! Here's a shot comparing it against some other fav's of mine. (please ignore xtrek spello)
I'll investigate more when I get some time. I hope to have a better look at the steering setup and get a look to see if there more circuitry on the other side of the PCB. I'm sorta hoping that there's some transistors there I could mosfet mod just for the hell of it, lol......
Anyways, thought I would try stuffing in a bigger motor, cause you know, that's what I do, lol...
Problem was one of length. So I cut the shaft on the xtrek motor about 1mm short and also trimmed (read butcher) the pinion gear from the stock qsteer motor to fit.
Basically the end length of the xtrek motor with the trimmed shaft and pinion is the same as the stock qsteer motor and stock pinion.
And it fits too..... (please ignore butchered pinion!)
She goes faster now, lol..... Takes a bit more to get up to speed but some mosfets will take care of that. lol....
ph2t.
Decidedly different from Bits, the turning circle on these cars makes it a "true" table top racer for me. I always had trouble keeping my bits staying on our coffee table. With the qsteers it's a lot easier.
The IR is quite good, range is kickarse considering. I really like the tyres on these cars, sticky like nothing else. Way more than bits/zz ever were I reakon. Really keeps the car planted.
Stock speed is like a 1.0, when you press the boost though it's like a 2.2 - 2.6, pretty fast. Handles well and the steering is good (only binary of course), strong and DOESN'T pick up metal crap half as easily as bits did.
He's my lil stocker...
You can take the shell off. The shell is secured at the front end like a Bit, with a tab. It is lightly glued though so it needs to be worked off that first time. The rear is a clip that hooks into the shell. Looks like TOMY thought it through for once and made a rear securing tab that won't break off easily (ala Bits).
Now onto the guts....
Here's a small summary first.
1) Runs on 3V, 2 x LR44 button batts (non rechargable).
2) IR system, IR receiver LED "sees" through car windows.
3) "Short" micro motor, approx equivalent to a 1.0/1.6 BitChar-G in power/speed.
4) 1.7V across motor in normal mode, 2.6V in boost mode.
5) Receiver IC appears to drive motor direct (see if I can fry....).
6) Two transistors driving steering coils.
Here's a bottom view. The batteries sit within the centre (duh!) and you can remove the plastic cover that sits over them. Tricky though, takes a bit of prying out with a small screwdriver. On the right of the battery is the power swtich, on the left is the channel select button (this model is channel C or D).
Here's a shot with the battery cover removed:
The motor is pretty cool. It's small as! Here's a shot comparing it against some other fav's of mine. (please ignore xtrek spello)
I'll investigate more when I get some time. I hope to have a better look at the steering setup and get a look to see if there more circuitry on the other side of the PCB. I'm sorta hoping that there's some transistors there I could mosfet mod just for the hell of it, lol......
Anyways, thought I would try stuffing in a bigger motor, cause you know, that's what I do, lol...
Problem was one of length. So I cut the shaft on the xtrek motor about 1mm short and also trimmed (read butcher) the pinion gear from the stock qsteer motor to fit.
Basically the end length of the xtrek motor with the trimmed shaft and pinion is the same as the stock qsteer motor and stock pinion.
And it fits too..... (please ignore butchered pinion!)
She goes faster now, lol..... Takes a bit more to get up to speed but some mosfets will take care of that. lol....
ph2t.
People are mean to you because you're a fucking idiot.
-
- bitDisciple
- Posts: 1730
- Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:48 am
- Location: Big Left Turn, Indiana
- Contact:
-
- bitProphet
- Posts: 3165
- Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:31 pm
- Location: Walmart
I just checked out the Kmart website, no qsteer kisted but I think I found the ulitimate hillbilly RC... I'm fighting the urge to buy one or two of them so I'd better get off line before I end up spending money on more toys. .http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_1010 ... keyword=rc
Hey if you happen to have a ruler around could you measure the board please...it looks like it might work for something I've been think about trying. Thanks
Hey if you happen to have a ruler around could you measure the board please...it looks like it might work for something I've been think about trying. Thanks
The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. - Ayn Rand
-
- bitPimp
- Posts: 1979
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 6:33 am
- Location: taco city
Approx 20mm X 17mm.sidewinder wrote: Hey if you happen to have a ruler around could you measure the board please...it looks like it might work for something I've been think about trying. Thanks
Started modding this lil bugger a bit more and also investigating how the steering is setup. Will have pics soon. My only Qsteer and I've already fucked the steering wires up and currently figuring out where they go .
It's Bits all over again, lol....
It's fun getting back into the toy micro!
People are mean to you because you're a fucking idiot.
- crazydave
- bitPimp
- Posts: 6874
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2003 9:05 am
- Location: Koolsville
-
- bitPimp
- Posts: 1979
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 6:33 am
- Location: taco city
I think about 40 minutes. The new tamiya buggy qsteer has rechargable batts. With some modding I am able to squeeze a 50mah flyriver lipo into the qsteer chassis more on that later!crazydave wrote:Kind of a bummer about the non rechargeable batteries. So hong do those last? (Or should I say have they lasted so far?)
People are mean to you because you're a fucking idiot.
-
- bitDisciple
- Posts: 1462
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:35 am
- Location: On the trail
- Contact:
- z-beam
- bitGangsta'
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2003 8:14 pm
- Location: byron bay Australia
- Contact:
"The batteries sit within the centre (duh!) and you can remove the plastic cover that sits over them. Tricky though, takes a bit of prying out with a small screwdriver."
lol ph2t. the fold out grey plastic bit on the controller is made to do this for you its got little hook bits on it to make it easy.
you seriously got a bigger motor working in it without it glitchng the controls? ive tried every single bcg motor i own and they all interfere with response times.
any beefcake bcg motors do indeed make them go faster, but unless you want a drag car the steering and boost functions are like an alco bum is in control.
just got my 9th and 10th cars in the mail yesterday from hong kong. the Bb surprisingly had offset tyres and rims to match the body. rx-7 cop car is pretty zippy with the "fast gears" that it came packaged with (they are orange).
prince skyline body is proving to be a bitch to adapt to the q-steer chassis tho. just a few mm short of being a perfect fit even shaved out as much as possible. looks like a 57 chev .
and as far as the batteries go, i detested the whole charge aspect of micros. i dont mind replacing them when they are run down if i can get nice ammounts of uninterupted drive time out of them.
about the biggest killer of interest in these when trying to get a few freinds to have a race on the track was charging cars every 2 minutes.
lol ph2t. the fold out grey plastic bit on the controller is made to do this for you its got little hook bits on it to make it easy.
you seriously got a bigger motor working in it without it glitchng the controls? ive tried every single bcg motor i own and they all interfere with response times.
any beefcake bcg motors do indeed make them go faster, but unless you want a drag car the steering and boost functions are like an alco bum is in control.
just got my 9th and 10th cars in the mail yesterday from hong kong. the Bb surprisingly had offset tyres and rims to match the body. rx-7 cop car is pretty zippy with the "fast gears" that it came packaged with (they are orange).
prince skyline body is proving to be a bitch to adapt to the q-steer chassis tho. just a few mm short of being a perfect fit even shaved out as much as possible. looks like a 57 chev .
and as far as the batteries go, i detested the whole charge aspect of micros. i dont mind replacing them when they are run down if i can get nice ammounts of uninterupted drive time out of them.
about the biggest killer of interest in these when trying to get a few freinds to have a race on the track was charging cars every 2 minutes.
- z-beam
- bitGangsta'
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2003 8:14 pm
- Location: byron bay Australia
- Contact:
-
- bitDisciple
- Posts: 1730
- Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:48 am
- Location: Big Left Turn, Indiana
- Contact:
That explains why the only micro rc thing I found at Kmart was a really weird engine with wheels monstrosity that holds onto the back of a diecast toy car so you could drive them. I didn't buy one, I really wanted a qsteer.
Jack of all trades, master of none; yet often better than master of one.
-
End genital mutilation, don't circumcise. Restore your fore'
-
End genital mutilation, don't circumcise. Restore your fore'
-
- bitDisciple
- Posts: 1462
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:35 am
- Location: On the trail
- Contact:
- z-beam
- bitGangsta'
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2003 8:14 pm
- Location: byron bay Australia
- Contact: