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Which RC submarine is best?

Remote control toys can be hugely entertaining. From racing through dirt and doing back flips to soaring through the clouds, you are bound to find a gadget that’s suitable for you. But some people don’t want to be on land or in the sky.

For those, the only gadget that will do is a remote-controlled submarine. As the name implies, it is an underwater craft that you control through wireless technology. So, if you are not into battleships or aircraft with cameras, your best bet will be the FIFISH V6 Remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV). 

What to know before you buy an RC submarine

There are different control methods

Largely dependent on the type of submarine you get, there are two different control methods. Dynamic remote control submarines are generally more affordable and can stay afloat with simple buoyancy controls. Static RC submarines are more expensive and use complex controls to remain submerged through compressed gas or a pump.

They can be expensive

As with any hobby, you must set yourself a budget and try your best to stick to it. There is a variety of RC submarines available, ranging from simple kids’ toys to accurate replicas of real-world machines. A good rule of thumb is the more complex a submarine is, the more expensive it will be.

RC submarines have a controller range

Similar to remote-controlled boats and ships, submarines have a limited range. If you stray too far from the controller, you will lose communication and the device will stop. In the case of submarines, the device might lose the ability to maintain

RC toys typically have a small handheld device that includes some type of controls and the radio transmitter. The transmitter sends a signal over a frequency to the receiver in the toy. The transmitter has a power source, usually a 9-volt battery, that provides the power for the controls and transmission of the signal. The key difference between radio controlled and remote controlled toys is that remote controlled toys have a wire connecting the controller and the toy, while radio control is always wireless.

Most RC toys operate at either 27 MHz or 49 MHz. This pair of frequencies has been allocated by the FCC for basic consumer items, such as garage door openers, walkie-talkies and RC toys. Advanced RC models, such as the more sophisticated RC airplanes, use 72-MHz or 75-MHz frequencies.

The majority of RC toys are labeled with the frequency range they operate in. For example, the RC truck below has a label designating it as a 27-MHz model.

Most RC toy manufacturers make versions of each model for both frequency ranges (27 MHz and 49 MHz). That way, you can operate two of the same model simultaneously, for racing or playing together, without having to deal with interference between the two transmitters. Some manufacturers also provide more specific information about the exact portion of the frequency band that the toy operates in. A good example is Nikko of America, who offers the option to create racing sets of up to six toys with each model tuned to a different part of the 27-MHz frequency range.

Transmitters range from single-function simple controllers to full-function controllers with a wide range of options. An example of a single-function controller is one that makes the toy go forward when the

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Which RC boats are best?

Few people can afford a boat, but most people can afford an RC boat. These small remote or radio-controlled toys are a great way for kids, or just the young at heart, to captain their own vessel, even if the body of water in question is the family swimming pool.

There is an impressive range of RC boats on the market, with models for curious novices and serious enthusiasts alike. Our top pick, the Force 1 Velocity RC High Speed Racing Boat, is a great choice for both and can reach speeds of 20 mph. Whether you’re shopping for a child or for yourself, here’s what to consider when purchasing an RC boat.

What to know before you buy an RC boat

Sailboats vs. powerboats

There are two types of RC boats: Sailboats and powerboats. Sailboats have actual sails and rudders, just like a real boat. They are powered by the wind and closely mimic an authentic sailing experience, but might be less exciting for small kids or novice users. They definitely require a much bigger learning curve.

Powerboats run on battery power, although a few models use gas or nitro. There are powerboats that mimic sailboats but are easier to use if the wind doesn’t go your way. There are also powerboats built for racing and speed.

Hull shapes

Hull shape affects the performance of both boat types but is an especially important consideration for sailboats. Remember that the bigger the boat and the more intricate features it has, the more difficult it may be to store or clean properly.

Most RC boats are

iStockphoto / AppleZoomZoom

• An alligator took down a remote controlled boat in Florida after the RC toy got too close for comfort
• NHRA driver Alex Laughlin was in Gainesville, Florida for the Gatornationals race when the encounter occurred
• Read more ALLIGATORS stories here

Don’t mess with an alligator. It’s such a simple concept. Leave them be and we can all peacefully coexist. But if you try and feed the alligators, get too close, or bother them with remote-controlled boats then there will be problems.

Case in point, this guy drove his RC Boat under a fence and into a pond where the remote-controlled toy got too close to an alligator. The gator was having none of his shenanigans and put the boat to sleep with the quickness. And while this is on a micro-scale, it’s reminiscent of a mythological sea monster sinking a ship.

Alligator Sinks Remote Controlled Boat

This went down earlier this month in Gainesville, Florida, home of the Florida Gators. Coincidentally, it was a racecar driver (Alex Laughlin) who was driving the RC boat and he was in Gainesville for the Gatornationals race.

Here’s what NHRA driver Alex Laughlin’s Facebook caption (above) said, if that didn’t load for you:

Alex Laughlin: “ONE OF THE CRAZIEST EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE!!! It’s a Friday rainout here at the Gatornationals and my trip to Wally-World for the RC boats and rain boots made the day! There’s about a 5-6ft GATOR in the water beside our pit area where I was driving my sweet new ride.

Well… Mr. Gator decided to cruise over and EAT MY BOAT!!! It snagged it, looked me dead in the eye, and slowly lowered itself like a submarine, then about 10 seconds later the boat porpoised back to the surface! I drove the boat back to

Having become a parent relatively recently myself, I’m quickly becoming accustomed to the deluge of brightly colored objects that are filling our once minimalist living quarters. Toys are, of course, amongst the worst offenders—many kind and well-meaning family and friends delivering new garish, throw-away plastic play-things with almost conveyor-belt levels of efficiency.

It’s little wonder then, perhaps, that I swooned a little on first glance of ‘First Gear’—a range of remote control toys developed by London-based V2 Studio. Not only is the range delightfully understated, but these cork-based little beauties also have a sustainable edge that makes me a little more hopeful for the future of the planet.

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From a nifty F1 car to a stylish speedboat, graceful sailboat and beyond, the First Gear range of vehicles and vessels are made primarily from Portuguese cork. The soft, lightweight material makes a perfect impact resistant car body and buoyant boat hull, but also has great CO2 offsetting abilities—the seven million acres of cork forest around the Mediterranean apparently offsetting 20 million tons of CO2 each year.

If that wasn’t sufficient sustainability credentials, the entire range is designed with longevity in mind. The remote control for the toys—a simple half-moon wheel, with a couple of buttons—comes equipped with dynamic control settings that give children different steering sensitivity and speeds (and thus control challenge) as they grow, hopefully meaning these toys will stay relevant for longer.

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Naturally, we enquired with V2 Studio as to whether these little beauties were available for purchase but, alas, you won’t be seeing them in toy stores just yet. Apparently, the range was the outcome of a self-initiated project of the studio—the firm having spent many a year developing toys for

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Which RC boats are best?

Few people can afford a boat, but most people can afford an RC boat. These small remote or radio-controlled toys are a great way for kids, or just the young at heart, to captain their own vessel, even if the body of water in question is the family swimming pool.

There is an impressive range of RC boats on the market, with models for curious novices and serious enthusiasts alike. Our top pick, the Force 1 Velocity RC High Speed Racing Boat, is a great choice for both and can reach speeds of 20 mph. Whether you’re shopping for a child or for yourself, here’s what to consider when purchasing an RC boat.

What to know before you buy an RC boat

Sailboats vs. powerboats

There are two types of RC boats: Sailboats and powerboats. Sailboats have actual sails and rudders, just like a real boat. They are powered by the wind and closely mimic an authentic sailing experience, but might be less exciting for small kids or novice users. They definitely require a much bigger learning curve.

Powerboats run on battery power, although a few models use gas or nitro. There are powerboats that mimic sailboats but are easier to use if the wind doesn’t go your way. There are also powerboats built for racing and speed.

Hull shapes

Hull shape affects the performance of both boat types but is an especially important consideration for sailboats. Remember that the bigger the boat and the more intricate features it has, the more difficult it may be to store or clean properly.

Most RC boats are

Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills.

The military complex has certainly embraced the concept of telerobotics, especially in the use of drones, but luckily the technology has also led to other, more peaceful applications. Drones have been used to entertain, take on laborious tasks and even deliver packages (and burritos!). As we pursue the development of remotely controlled and autonomous craft, we must tread carefully or suffer the same fate as the fabled Icarus. Nikola Tesla saw both the terrible as well as the beneficial consequences for this technology when he debuted the “remote control” and the jury is still out as to whether we’ll succumb to a dystopian Terminator-style future or reach a peaceful stasis, where we harness the usefulness of robots and autonomous devices, and avoid the worst-case scenarios.

Nikola Tesla’s Remote Control Boat

Tesla once said, “The world moves slowly, and new truths are difficult to see.” It was his way of responding to the crowd’s stunned disbelief upon viewing his scientific wizardry at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1898. Using a small, radio-transmitting control box, he was able to maneuver a tiny ship about a pool of water and even flash its running lights on and off, all without any visible connection between the boat and controller. Indeed few people at the time were aware that radio waves even existed and Tesla, an inventor often known to electrify the crowd with his creations, was pushing the boundaries yet again, with his remote-controlled vessel.

Tesla’s presentation, which was part of an Electrical Exhibition, was decried as magic by some, but it’s unsurprising that others would focus on its potential as a weapon. It wouldn’t be the first

Mattel’s Hot Wheels has been, and continues to be a successful toy franchise of cars and accessories that most little boys enjoy playing with. But to attain the status of the “big boy” toy, or one of the ‘best rc toys’, Hot Wheels has to offer even more…as in being able to actually MAKE the Hot Wheels car. They have to compete with the best RC cars for kids after all. So say hello to running your own assembly line with the Hot Wheels Car Maker Play-set.

The Car Maker Playset is over a foot tall, designed to resemble a futuristic 2 story “garage” and its handle at the top reminiscent of the legendary Vac-U-Form. However, unlike that device, the Car Maker Playset is safe to the touch, even when the electric powered “oven” is melting the stick of wax that becomes the body of a car. And since everything is digital now, there’s no surprise that light and sound effects and even voice prompts accompany the entire process, making it not only safe but near impossible to do wrong. For preschoolers, one of the most engaging toys that provides games that revolve around an education subject is the one described in the Fisher price code n learn kinderbot robot toy review.

So having unpacked the Car Maker, I stood it on a table and plugged it into a wall outlet.  A disc on the front immediately lit up, the front-mounted door popped open and a digital male voice told me to insert a mold. Not ready to do all that, I searched in vain for an “Off” button and had to settle with

Which RC boat is best?

Some say those who love the water and everything about it should have been born with gills. For those that fall under this banner but can’t afford the typically high cost of water sports or don’t have a large body of water available to them, an RC boat is a great gift.

The best RC boat is the Force1 Velocity RC High-Speed Racing Boat. This RC boat is the perfect watercraft for both entry-level interests and high-performance needs with an incredible top speed of 20 mph and a high durability and ease of control.

What to know before you buy an RC boat

Types of RC boats

Scale RC boats: This type of RC boat focuses on precise historical accuracy. They aren’t intended to be the fastest options available but to be the most impressive looking.

RC sailboats: This RC boat uses no fuel source of any kind, relying on their controllable sails, rudder and the wind. You’ll need to understand how sailboats use the wind to find success with these RC boats, but in return, they require much less maintenance.

RC powerboats: Think of a standard powerboat and you’ve got the picture for what RC powerboats are. Speedy and slim, there are two subcategories of RC powerboats: racing boats and sports boats. The racing boats are, as the name suggests, meant for high octane and often professional-grade racing. Sport boats are ideal if you’re looking for casual fun. They can be powered by one of several power types.

Power options

Batteries: Battery-powered RC boats are the easiest to maintain and use, and they’re very quiet as well. They can also be used indoors since they don’t give off fumes from burning fuel, but their batteries rarely last much longer than a few minutes.

Gas: