1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Get in touch with technology with tech Stuff from how 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: I'm your host executive producer Jonathan Strickland, and I love 4 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: all things tech and today it is time for another 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: classic episode of text Stuff. Today we're going to look 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: at r C toys radio controlled toys. How do they 7 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: work and what are what is their history? Chris Pillette 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: and I had a lot of fun talking about this. 9 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: We both are big kids at heart, so it was 10 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: a lot of fun to look into this topic. It 11 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: originally published on January four, two thousand twelve. I hope 12 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: you enjoy. We're going to talk about something that that 13 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: several listeners have requested over the past we probably two 14 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: years or so, but we've had a lot of people 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,959 Speaker 1: ask about radio controlled toys. I think r C helicopter 16 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: jers is the one that we tend to get the 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: most requests for, but we've also had for r C 18 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: cars and and and just radio controlled vehicles in general, 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: and they all work at least on the radio side, 20 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: with the same basic premise. So we're going to cover 21 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: that and then maybe we'll get into some specifics. Yes, 22 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: and oddly enough, I have a little history. And boy 23 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: do I mean history, because this goes back to eight 24 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: and one of our old friends who messed around with 25 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: radio and it's very very early days and who had 26 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: believe it or not. Actually, you probably believe it if 27 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: you know who. We're talking about a patent for it. 28 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: So there was an electrical exhibition in Madison Square Garden 29 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: and a guy named Nicola Tesla faced off against Marconi 30 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: in a no whole bar, two out of three falls match. 31 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: So I'm familiar, not this time. Madison Square Gardens has 32 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: a special place in my heart as a wrestling fan. 33 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: That's go ahead. Uh no, Actually this was a let 34 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: me see hold on. Oh yes, I wanted to make 35 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: sure I was right. It was a radio controlled boat, 36 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: basically a steel boat about four ft long or so. 37 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: And um, he brought out this radio controlled boat and 38 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: people thought he was controlling it with his mind powers, 39 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: because you know, radio was still pretty new at that point. 40 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,119 Speaker 1: I remember, if a technology is sophisticate enough, it would 41 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: be indistinguishable from magic. Yes, however, Tesla had his boat 42 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: powered by several batteries on board. Um. Also, there were 43 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: like eight guys underneath the water just pushing it along 44 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: holding their breath. This is Tesla we're talking about. You know, 45 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: he had access to future technology. Eight robots underwater holding 46 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: their that's more like it. Um. But yeah, I mean 47 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: it wasn't in a way, it was not terribly different 48 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: from from our current r C technology. And there were 49 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: there so there were switches that were propelling, propowering, powering 50 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: the propeller, the rudder, and uh running lights. Oh so 51 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: he could even make the lights go on and off. Yeah. 52 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: And he even had a coherer, which is a switch 53 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: that that was activated by radio. Um. And uh had 54 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: it had it set up so that he could power 55 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: or or control it by radio. And people were freaked 56 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: out by it because again it was magic like to 57 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: a lot of the people. Yes, he has a U 58 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: S Patent number six one eight zero nine for a 59 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: wireless remote control nine. Yeah. Now, a reporter from the 60 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: New York Times was covering this and he said, hey, 61 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: you know what, you could make this uh, this boat 62 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: go under water and carry explosives and uh, Tesla basically 63 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: said no, no, no, no, no no no. This is 64 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: not a torpedo. It's a robot to help humanity, not 65 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: destroy it. Yeah, that's for the Mitchell and web fans 66 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: in the audience. Yeah, but yeah, basically they suggested you, oh, 67 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: you could use this for a torpedo. They said, no, no, 68 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: this this could be used to help people, not destroy people. Um. 69 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: And that it turns out the military really wasn't interested 70 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: in it. They were it was too it was too 71 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: much of a novelty at the time for it to 72 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: be of course, you know now, you know we've got 73 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: unmanned aerial vehicles and all sorts of other remote controlled 74 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: technology vehicles vehicles. Um. But yeah, at the time, back 75 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: in the late late nineteenth century, they weren't interested. Yeah. 76 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: Technology ahead of its time, really really Tesla and technology 77 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: ahead of its time. Tesla. If Tesla had, if if 78 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: he had been able to hold onto his patents and 79 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: a sanity, um, I think I think the world would 80 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: be would look a little different today. Yeah. Probably. We'd 81 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: also probably be in fear for our lives whenever we 82 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: stepped outside about being zapped by some sort of MC 83 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: huge electronic ray. PA. Anyhow, we're broadcasting power over to 84 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: New York, stay inside. Well no, no pun intended, I'll 85 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: factor you some electricity. Um. That was a Delbert reference. Um, 86 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: so so yeah, it's sort of if you uh, we'll 87 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: pardon the pun. It's sort of submerged for a while. 88 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: For for a few decades, it really didn't have a 89 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 1: lot of remote controlled stuff. Um, there were people who 90 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: were into the technology, I would I would say hobbyists 91 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: probably more than anything else, who are into different kinds 92 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: of of radio controlled technology, But it really didn't come 93 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: back again as something that people were interested in until 94 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: I would say, at least, according to my research, around 95 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties was when you started seeing people with 96 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: remote controlled cars and planes and and gizmos for toys. Yeah. Yeah, 97 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: the basics behind us are are fairly simple. Uh. The 98 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: you hold a controller and that controller has inside it 99 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: a transmitter and uh, we actually talked quite a bit 100 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: about transmitters when we did our podcast about how radio works. 101 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: But in case you don't remember, the basics behind a 102 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: transmitter are well, it's all based on on things like 103 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: magnetic fluctuations and the way that the the relationship between 104 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: magnetism and electricity. That's about two thirds of our podcast. Yeah. Yeah, 105 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: it sounds might sound really familiar to those of you 106 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: who have been listening to tech stuff for a while, 107 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: but uh, here's a very basic transmitter. You'll say you've 108 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: got a battery, and you've got two different lengths of wire, okay, 109 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: and one lengths of wire you connect to either end 110 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: of a some sort of voltage sensor. So you've got 111 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,239 Speaker 1: a meter there that's going to register whenever voltage passes 112 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: through the wire. But it's not connected to anything else, 113 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: not connected to a power source. And then you've got 114 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: a battery and another length of wire, and you connect 115 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: the length of wire to the two ends of the battery. Now, 116 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: the moment that current begins to flow through that wire, 117 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: that change in voltage creates a magnetic field. That magnetic 118 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: field will induce electricity to flow through the second length 119 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: of wire, the one that's not connected to a power source. 120 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: It's only connected to the voltmeter, and the voltmeter will 121 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: register that there's a change. Now it only will have 122 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: electricity flow as the magnetic field changes. Yeah, So you 123 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: can't have a magnetic you can't create a magnetic field, 124 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: and it just perpetually creates this flow of electricity. It's 125 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: only whenever the man magnetic field itself changes. So by 126 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: connecting in disc connecting the wire from that battery, you 127 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: are going to change the magnetic field, which will and 128 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: then induce electricity to flow through that second wire. That's 129 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: the idea of transmission there, it's the idea of transmitting 130 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: radio waves is essentially doing the same thing you're really 131 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: You're You've created a power source and a circuit, and 132 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: by making the the opening and closing the circuit and 133 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: a regular but rapid way, you can create this um 134 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: this change in magnetic fields. And then if by putting 135 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: it through an antenna, you can direct it and and 136 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: even uh amplify it in such a way that you 137 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: can detect it from a distance. And then depending on 138 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: how you do this and depending on how you've uh 139 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: programmed the receiver on the other end, that's where you 140 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: get the response. So, for example, if I were to 141 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,559 Speaker 1: do this with you know, by recording music and then 142 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: encoding that so that it converts the sound into electricity, 143 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: the electricity then is essentially converted into uh this this 144 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: changing magnetic field. A receiver would have would receive this 145 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: changing magnetic field, convert that into electricity, and then have 146 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: another encoding device that would convert the electricity back into sound. 147 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: That's a very high level way of looking at it. Well, 148 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: we're not just limited with sound. We can transmit in 149 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: from other kinds of information this way, including directions essentially 150 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 1: to a device. So in this case, we're talking about 151 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: a controller that let's let's take a very basic controller. 152 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: Let's say you've got a controller that has a trigger 153 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: and a wheel, and the trigger is essentially your your throttle, 154 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,319 Speaker 1: your throttle, your accelerator. So if you pull the trigger, 155 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: it's sending a series of pulses. It's it's a very 156 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 1: specific series of pulses through a very specific frequency, and 157 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: your receiver is within range of the whatever your transmitter's 158 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: power is. Uh. The receiver receives this, this series of 159 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: pulses and then interprets that as that's the accelerator button. 160 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,319 Speaker 1: Hit the gas. Although it's not necessarily gas. There are 161 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: r C cars and other vehicles out there that use gas, 162 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: but not all of them do. Yeah, many of them 163 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: will use electricity, but there are others that will rely 164 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: on some form of fuel besides like uh, you know, 165 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: an electrical current. So that's a but. But the the 166 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: series of pulses from that accelerat ratar is going to 167 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: be different from the series of pulses. Then if you 168 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: were to twist the wheel, uh to the right, which 169 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: would tell the vehicle, let's say it's an r C 170 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: car to turn right, that series of pulses is going 171 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: to be a different series. So that way, when the 172 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: r C car receives that message, it can interpret that essay, Oh, 173 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: this means turn the wheels to the right as opposed 174 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: to hit the gas. We're gonna take a quick break 175 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: from our conversation about our C technology and take a 176 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: moment to think our sponsors. It's also important to note 177 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: one of the things from our radio podcast, uh that 178 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: radio has can take in a number of different forms. 179 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: I mean, we use there's a broad spectrum of electromagnetic 180 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:37,359 Speaker 1: radiation UM, of which radio is apart, and the radio frequencies. 181 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: It all depends on UM a number of factors amplitude, wavelength, 182 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: and frequency UM. But just you know, so it sort 183 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,319 Speaker 1: of depends on the shape of the radio wave basically 184 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: if you want to get right down to it, and 185 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: how many there are UM but over a certain period 186 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: of time. But the there are a couple of frequencies 187 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: that are specifically in the United States devoted to consumer 188 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: electronic consumer electronics and and this this is this is 189 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: something that's regulated by the Federal Communications Commission in the 190 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: United States, the FCC. UH, and it's the reason you 191 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: might wonder why there needs to be such an entity. Uh. 192 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: The reason for it is that if you had all 193 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: of your different electronics and it was unregulated, there's a 194 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: lot of potential for interference. Because if you've ever had 195 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: a let's you've had a remote control car before, right, right, Yeah, 196 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: If you have a remote control car and your buddy 197 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: has a remote control car, and they're both running on 198 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: the same frequency and there's no way of differentiating it, 199 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: then you can't race your car against your buddy's car 200 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: because every time you press up on your control both 201 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: cars start to move because they you know, they can't 202 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: differentiate between two signals sent along the same frequency. So 203 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: imagine that multiplied by an astronomic whole number. If all 204 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: devices were unregulated, I mean, there's all you could have 205 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: the argument of, well, if it's unregulated, what are the 206 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: odds that the frequency you chose is going to be 207 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,439 Speaker 1: the same as someone else. Those odds are pretty good. Actually, 208 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: if you look at the entire breadth of radio, everything 209 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: that relies on radio transmission, because it's not just radio, 210 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: it's television, it's all these other sort of devices. Um. 211 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: So that's why you had to have a some sort 212 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: of of body that would regulate this and say, all right, 213 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,439 Speaker 1: we are dedicating this part of the spectrum of the 214 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: radio frequency spectrum to consumer electronics. Yeah we can. Uh, 215 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: I mean there are a number of of real world 216 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: non RC examples. Uh. You know, it's the reason why, Um, 217 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: wireless hubs in your house have the ability to change 218 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: channels to ensure that you don't interfere with the neighbors 219 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: and vice versa. Um. You know, their their tales of 220 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: pilots being able to hear baby monitors. I don't know 221 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: if that's or the old areless phones the wireless phones 222 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: to Uh, they've they've changed the frequencies on which they 223 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: broadcast simply to avoid all the radio transmissions in the home. 224 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,439 Speaker 1: Now that they're people have wire wireless networks and things. Um, 225 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,560 Speaker 1: they interfere with one another. Yeah. I remember having a 226 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: wireless phone where if you turned it on sometimes you 227 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: can hear other people's conversations, like like not not conversations 228 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: that were happening in your home. Yes, but you know, 229 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: you turn it out, you turn it on you. Yeah, 230 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: like I don't know if I can even make a 231 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: phone call, and I don't know if I want to, 232 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: because if I do, then maybe someone else is hearing 233 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. Yeah, but so yeah, that that's the 234 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:42,239 Speaker 1: reason for the regulation. And I remember to our conversation 235 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: about the remote controls. They used to use sound to 236 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: change the channel, and I used to, Uh, I would 237 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: drop magnets on this toy that I used to play 238 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: with in my grandmother's house. She had one of those 239 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: early TVs with or TVs with early remote control, and 240 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: I could change the channel simply by uh the magnetic 241 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: or actually it was a sound thing, so it was 242 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: the sound of the magnet's falling. It was an ultrasonic 243 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: system as opposed to infrared or radio waves. Yeah, I 244 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: had the same thing with a slinky. But you happen 245 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: to have that say that that interference and it was 246 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: a sound interference, not an electromagnetic interference. But it's it's 247 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: funny when those little things happen. And this is uh 248 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: their cording off so that that people can enjoy their 249 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: radio controlled stuff and uh not interfere with other people 250 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: in and vice versa. Right, and a lot of the 251 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: the RC toy UH toys out there are at least 252 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: the older ones anyway, are dedicated in either the twenty 253 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: seven Mega Hurts or the forty nine Mega Hurts ranges. 254 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: Some of them are actually capable of doing either, so 255 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: that you know, if you have a whole bunch of 256 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: friends together and you all want to race your vehicles, 257 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: you can switch from one frequency to the other, so 258 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: that way you know, you you avoid this interference problem, 259 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: and also you can get more specific within a frequent 260 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: See so let's say that I'm say twenty seven Mega 261 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: Hurts is what my my vehicle runs on. Like that's 262 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: it doesn't it can't accept information from the forty nine 263 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: Mega Hurts spectrum or frequency range. But I could possibly 264 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: if you this is all up to the manufacturer, but 265 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: you could create a device that could accept different channels 266 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: within the twenty seven Mega Hurts frequency range, so twenty 267 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: seven point one, twenty seven point two, twenty seven point three, 268 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: so you might have multiple channels that you can switch 269 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: on and that way, um, if you do have a 270 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: bunch of friends and you want to raise your vehicles, 271 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: you can all try different channels to make sure that 272 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: you know your signals aren't uh uh conflicting with someone 273 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: else's um. And this is you know, that's of course 274 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: really important if you're in a competition, because there are 275 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: plenty of actual events out there where people are building 276 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: our C cars or r C whatever's and competing them 277 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: against each other in various races or obstacle courses that 278 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: kind of thing, um. And some of them are kit based, 279 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: and a lot of them now are really you buy, 280 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: you spend a lot of money from a particular manufacturer 281 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: and by a racing r C vehicle. But of course 282 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: skill comes into play too, So just because you have 283 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: the fastest car doesn't mean you're gonna be the best 284 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: driver automatically, that's true, Yeah, I mean there there has 285 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: to be a receiver of course, on board the device 286 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: that you're controlling. Yes, that's the second part of this, right, 287 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: You've got the transmitter in your hand, but the vehicle 288 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: itself has to have a receiver, and of course it will. 289 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: The receiver will be attached to a micro controller of 290 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:47,919 Speaker 1: some type that operates the servos on board the remote 291 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: controlled thing um. So you know, and it gets more 292 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: and more complex, like for a car you might have 293 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: ford in reverse and you know the wheels turning left 294 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: and right. That's that's pretty simple. You know. When you 295 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: get into something like a remote controlled airplane, then you've 296 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: got other servos and other control surfaces. You've got uh, 297 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:14,959 Speaker 1: the you know, the engine or engines you've which of 298 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: course you're going to have to maintain speed to keep 299 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: the airflow going over the wing and keep the plane moving. 300 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:23,679 Speaker 1: But you've also got the rudder controls, you've got the 301 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: you know, the control surfaces on the wing to help 302 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: you go up and down, not not necessarily left and right. 303 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: And you've got to operate all of those things. Um. 304 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 1: For a submarine, you might have the same type of 305 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 1: thing where you have control surfaces that that move the 306 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: sub up or down, left or right through the water. Um. Yeah, 307 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: So the stuff that that you know, servos and motors 308 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: are very important in these devices. And this is stuff 309 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: that takes electrical energy and converts it into mechanical energy. Yes, 310 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: so we really the fascinating thing to me about an 311 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: r C car is seeing how many different types of 312 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 1: energy are being used. Yes, you know how many, and 313 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: it's relying on several different things. It's relying on, uh, 314 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: it's relying on electricity, on magnetic changes in magnetic um states. 315 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: It's relying on radio frequencies, it's relying on on mechanical energy. Uh. 316 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: It's a great lesson in basic physics really when you 317 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: look at it that way. And when I said that, 318 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: you know, the older ones run on twenty seven Mega 319 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 1: Hurts and four nine Mega hurts. There are radio controlled 320 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: vehicles now they're in have our work in the giga 321 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: Hurts range because the gig Hurts also opened up for 322 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: some of the gig hurts range open up for consumer devices. 323 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: So some of the professional I guess you can call 324 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: it professional, some of the sports enthusiast ones, the r 325 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: C racing ones are in the giga Hurts range, not 326 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,199 Speaker 1: in the Mega Hurts range. Yeah, of course this is 327 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: This is yet another one of those hobbies that you 328 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: can get into for a fairly reasonable cost if you 329 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: have have some money squirreled away. But you can also 330 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 1: really get into things, build things yourself, more complex devices, 331 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: more expensive devices. You could move, say from a propeller 332 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: plane to a ducted fan, which is what people use 333 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: to sort of simulate a jet the appearance of a jet. 334 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: Basically the fans inside the engine, and so it appears 335 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: to be to work on jet Also, I think you 336 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: can now buy jet engine real jet engines for these aircraft, 337 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: which I imagine need quite a bit of space. And 338 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: you know, we've even seen this sort of technology used 339 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,479 Speaker 1: in actual vehicle vehicles, not model vehicles. Oh, I mean 340 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: the MythBusters have done it some humber of times. Yeah, 341 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: where where they were trying to recreate a stunt that 342 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: was too dangerous to have a human behind the wheel 343 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: of a vehicle or behind the helm of a vehicle 344 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: whatever you want to call it. Um, And so they 345 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: would rig up a robot that would be remote controlled 346 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: and they would uh use that to manipulate the vehicle. 347 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: And you know, so, yeah, there are a lot of 348 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:09,679 Speaker 1: different applications to this beyond the typical I want, you know, 349 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: I've got little little remote control four by four and 350 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 1: I want to drive it around the neighborhood. You know, 351 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: little battle bots. You know, that was another type of 352 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 1: remote controlled vehicle that uh required things. Well, I mean 353 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: that that actually is sort of another illustration too, because 354 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: say you have a bot that has crawler treads on it, 355 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 1: so you have your left tread and your right tread 356 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,120 Speaker 1: plus you might have one, two, or even more weapons 357 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: on the battle bot. Then you have to have UM 358 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: your controller, and you you'd have a couple of people 359 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: on some of those crews where somebody would drive the bot, 360 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: so they would be in charge of making sure it 361 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: got where it needed to go or got away from 362 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: the other body if their weapons were disabled. And then 363 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: you had somebody operating the weapons. So that acquired several 364 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: different frequencies UM and the receivers and controllers, the transmitters 365 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:08,880 Speaker 1: and controllers to manipulate them, and the receivers and controllers 366 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: on the device itself to handle all those different things. 367 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 1: They can get quite complex UM and again costly, because 368 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: you know, those machines cost thousands of dollars. It's it 369 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 1: can be uh, it can be a lot of fun, 370 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: and it can be very expensive to well. And I 371 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: mean I've also seen them in uh it's it's not 372 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 1: unusual to see it in applications like UM puppetry. You know, 373 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: the the Hinson Company has used remote controlled servos for 374 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: some of their more advanced puppet characters in movies like 375 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:45,479 Speaker 1: Labyrinth and UH, you know, so that they could have 376 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: more articulation in the character's face. But operating under the 377 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: same principles as the remote control car. UM. It's as 378 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: you have, like a remote control goblin face, which I 379 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,719 Speaker 1: think it's pretty awesome and unfortunately I don't know anywhere 380 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 1: where you can buy it. Chris and I have more 381 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: to say about radio controlled toys in just a second, 382 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: but first let's take another quick break to thank our sponsor. 383 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 1: It's really funny that you know, that's something that's ubiquitous 384 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: is actually fairly, fairly easy to accomplish. UM. And of 385 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: course there are many different kinds of hobby stores UM. 386 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 1: Some may be local to you depending on where you live. 387 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: Others are online and pretty easy to access UM, and 388 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: they offer all kinds of different things. UM. One of 389 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 1: the big toys I saw for this this past holiday season, 390 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: the one we just UH finished up since we're recording 391 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: this well actually we're recording it before this happens, but 392 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: we're publishing in early were the UH Air Swimmers line 393 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: of inflatable toys that have remote controlled the It makes 394 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: the there's a fish and a shark that can it 395 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 1: looks like they're swimming through the air, which is kind 396 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 1: of an actually pretty cool effect to see. Yeah, but 397 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: I mean they're they're using the same kinds of remote 398 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: controls that we've had for decades more or less, just 399 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: different frequencies maybe on the transmitter and receiver. And I've 400 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: been I've been kind of UM searching since Uh, Chris 401 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: is wondering why I've been staring at my computer. I've 402 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: been trying to figure you were just on YouTube again 403 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 1: now to no, But I've been trying to find a 404 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:36,880 Speaker 1: specific UM toy because I owned one, and I can't 405 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: remember what it was called, but it was essentially a 406 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: little toy battling robot. They I think there was something 407 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: like six different types of this, these battling robots, and 408 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: they all had different colors and um uh it was 409 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: a robot that was remote controlled and you would you 410 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: would battle it against someone else's robot, and it had 411 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: things like a little infra red transmitter and an infrared receiver, 412 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:04,959 Speaker 1: so it's kind of like a laser tag type thing 413 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 1: where you could shoot at another person's robot and also 414 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 1: could do physical attacks like an actual knock a robot over. Um. 415 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: I totally don't remember this toy, and it was it 416 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: was in a way, it was a really a brilliant 417 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 1: kind of move, although I don't know how well it 418 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: did on the market, but it also had a sort 419 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: of a card game element to it. You could purchase 420 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: packs of cards that would give your robot different stats. So, 421 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: in other words, your robot would be limited at how 422 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: fast it could go based upon the card that you 423 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,639 Speaker 1: could scan to give it a speed, and the cards 424 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: were ranked I think one through five, So if you 425 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: had a speed of three, you're right there in the middle. 426 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 1: If you found a speed of five, your robot could 427 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: actually move at a at a faster pace. And you 428 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: would also have armor as well, so that would let 429 00:25:55,560 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 1: it withstand more hits before it registered an actual hit. Um. 430 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 1: It was a neat idea and I got one, and 431 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: my buddy Oz got one, and we maybe had one 432 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: fight and that was it. And my lovely wife has 433 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 1: endured the fact that I have this battle robot in 434 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:18,239 Speaker 1: a closet, this little bitty thing. It's not like the 435 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:22,200 Speaker 1: ones that were in the Robot Wars or anything like that. UM, 436 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: but and all of its accessories that I went on 437 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,160 Speaker 1: and bought, not to mention a deck of cards where 438 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: I was trying to get my those those weapons and 439 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,480 Speaker 1: those abilities that would make him better, and some of 440 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: the cards were specific only to particular robot models, so 441 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: you got cards for robots you didn't know exactly, the 442 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: idea being that you would trade them for our someone 443 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: else's cards, where they might have ones that were useful 444 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: to you but not to them. That kind of thing. 445 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: It's brilliant, brilliant marketing. But it was all based on 446 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: this same technology, and each robot worked on its own 447 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 1: part of the frequency band the robots all belonged to, 448 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 1: so that way you didn't have to worry about your 449 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 1: um your controls interfering with theirs. And there are also 450 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: some r C vehicles that are not really radio controlled. 451 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: There's some that are infrared controlled, so it's more like 452 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: a remote control for a typical television set, although some 453 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: of those are now using radio frequencies in the form 454 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: of WiFi, so that you know, you could have the 455 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 1: the cable unit or uh DVD player or Blu ray 456 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,600 Speaker 1: player or whatever it is. You could have it out 457 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: of view and because it's using radio frequencies which aren't blocked, 458 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: they don't need a line of sight. Yeah, that would 459 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: be the disadvantage of using the I R for that. Yeah, 460 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: you can't That's the thing about it and I are 461 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,959 Speaker 1: vehicle or an I R anything, is that you have 462 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: to maintain a line of sight in order for it 463 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 1: to be UM controllable. Once it gets like if you 464 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: if you were to make something that you're directing by 465 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: I R go around the corner, then you'd suddenly lose 466 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: contact with it and it wouldn't it would just stop 467 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: or go on a killing rampage whatever it's default setting. Right. So, 468 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: but from the RC range, you know, you you don't 469 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: have to necessarily have a line of sight. Now there 470 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: is a only a you know, a useful broadcast range 471 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: that's going to be dependent upon the power supply and 472 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,680 Speaker 1: the kind of antenna you're using. Um if so, if 473 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:27,439 Speaker 1: you were to say, fly a remote controlled helicopter around 474 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: and it started to get outside of that rage, you 475 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 1: might quickly have a search and rescue operation on your hands. 476 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. Yeah. I thought I was thinking back to 477 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: some of the other stuff I had that sort of 478 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: emulated remote control, but not really. I had a car 479 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: um that had a cam system on it, uh and 480 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: it came with a series of plastic cams. It was 481 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: actually a replica of a Porsche nine seventeen race car 482 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: and you would stick a cam on top and it 483 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: would do whatever the cam had and the camera rotate 484 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 1: and so the car would basically, you know, would go 485 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: forward and then reverse and do whatever, but it would 486 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: do that according to the shape of the cam. Um 487 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: And then of course I had the big track, which 488 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: sort of appears to be remote controlled, but you're really 489 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 1: programming it before you even pressed go and then it 490 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: does what it does. And um, so I mean, they're 491 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: there are other ways of doing similar things, but it's 492 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: just not the same. Like the old remote controlled toys 493 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: that would still have a wire attached to them. I 494 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: had one of those two pressed up or down and 495 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 1: that would make it go forward or backward. But it's 496 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: all wired. It's not so you're tethered to it. Yeah. 497 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: The parrot a r drone, which is something I saw 498 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: it see us a few years ago. It's been it's 499 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: been out for a while. Yeah, it's been out for 500 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: a while. It's a four rotor copper cop ter shopper 501 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: and it's uh, it doesn't look like a helicopter because 502 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't have that one set of blades up at 503 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: the top. Yeah, it's got it's got four sets of them, 504 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: and uh, it looks like a weird hovering drone thing, 505 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: but you can control those through a smartphone device usually. 506 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,959 Speaker 1: I think it's only um iOS. Actually, I don't think 507 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: they have an Android based system yet, but they they 508 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: actually maybe they do. I'm looking at their website and 509 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: they have a little Android icon on it. Yes, a 510 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: new Android app, so they do in fact have Android. Now. 511 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 1: When I first saw it, it was only for the 512 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: Apple iPhone, but in this case it's using WiFi to uh, 513 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: to let you control the the device, and you do 514 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: it through an interface on your smartphone. And uh, it's 515 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: similar to what we've been talking about, except that you know, 516 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: it's it's a a WiFi frequency, not the same as 517 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: the old direct radio frequencies. So uh, we're seeing lots 518 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: of kind of experimentation with this this older technology, I 519 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 1: mean technology that dates back to the nineteenth century. UM. 520 00:30:57,160 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: And it's really neat to see the kind of toys 521 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: that are coming out. I was always a big fan 522 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: of remote control cars. I owned a few. Um, I 523 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: haven't played with one in a long time because it 524 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: drives my dogs crazy. I would have figured you'd play 525 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 1: with one specifically because it drives your dogs crazy. They 526 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: don't last so long, the toys, not the dogs. The 527 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 1: last all day long. But no, they will like I had, 528 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: I think it was a remote control plymouth prowler, a 529 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: purple plymouth prowler, because that's the only color they came 530 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 1: in originally. And uh, the dogs didn't seem to like 531 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: those classic lines the same way I did. They're not 532 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: roadster fans. On the other hand, I do have a 533 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: remote controlled mouse that I use with my cats, and 534 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 1: you know, so it's it's it sort of works. It's 535 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: a very uh, low end mouse. You plug it in 536 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: squeak mouse, not a point and click mouse, right, and 537 00:31:55,360 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: it it stays charged for maybe about five minutes of play. 538 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: And by play that I mean I play with the 539 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: mouse and the cats staring at like, what is that thing? Yeah, 540 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 1: moving around on the floor. Never mind, I'm going to 541 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 1: take a bath. Now. That's the thing that looks almost, 542 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: but not exactly completely unlike an actual mouse. Yes, that's 543 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: pretty much how it works. So we have fun, the 544 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,040 Speaker 1: humans have fun playing with the remote controlled mouse and 545 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: the cats, which is pretty much the way cats work anyway. 546 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 1: You know, we we work for their amusement. And they 547 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 1: just sit there and watch. So yeah, that's the that's 548 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: the basics behind the whole r C toy thing. It's 549 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 1: you know, it is it is simple, but it's it's 550 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 1: relying on some very basic, uh foundations for the way 551 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: energy and works and the way the different kinds of 552 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: energy interact and influence one another. It's a it's neat stuff. 553 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: If you want to learn more, we actually have an 554 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: article on how stuff works dot com about how r 555 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: C toys work and it has some useful information in 556 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 1: there so you can learn more about it. And there 557 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,560 Speaker 1: are a lot of sites, i said online that cater 558 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 1: to people who are into this in a hobbyist level 559 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: where they well learn more about building their own and 560 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: there are lots of kits that you can get. Um 561 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 1: there you can also find out about competitions if you 562 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: want to try and hone your skills as an RC 563 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: driver and go up against other drivers and this neat stuff. Yeah, 564 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: if you can, if you can find a hobby store 565 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 1: near you, um, they're probably gonna know about things like 566 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 1: competitions and good places to go because of course actually 567 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: that's something else. Uh, you know, we were talking about 568 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 1: the SCC regulating radio frequencies here in the United States. Uh, 569 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,480 Speaker 1: you know, it's good to stay aware of the laws 570 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 1: in your area. UM. Maybe not necessarily as far as 571 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 1: you know. If you can buy a remote controlled car 572 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 1: in your local store, chances are it's probably legal. But 573 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: you also want to make sure that you are operating 574 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: these devices in places that are okay, especially things like planes, 575 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 1: because the planes need quite a bit of space um 576 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 1: to offer, right, and there may be areas that are 577 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: specifically off limits to stuff like that for safety reasons, 578 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: or you might be near a residential neighborhood. You also 579 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 1: want to operate them in a safe place. Um, you know, 580 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:14,920 Speaker 1: for obvious reasons. You don't want to hurt somebody or 581 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:20,959 Speaker 1: yourself or destroy your your brand new RC car. Yeah. Yeah, 582 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 1: so it's uh when your RC car met up with 583 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: a real life car. And that's it. From the past. 584 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: It's back to present day, Jonathan being two thousand eighteen. 585 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 1: If you guys are listening in the future, this is 586 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 1: not as far in the past as the previous in 587 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,440 Speaker 1: the past, Jonathan. Anyway, if you have any suggestions for 588 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,480 Speaker 1: future episodes of tech Stuff, why not visit our website 589 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,359 Speaker 1: tech Stuff podcast dot com. 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