How To Increase The Range Of An RC Car

The fun of driving a remote controlled car can be increased by extending the range that the vehicle can be controlled from. Although most cars can drive up to 100 feet before reception starts declining, there are easy ways of extending this range. Replacing either the receiver--located inside the car--or the transmitter--the hand-held controller--will improve performance. Increasing transmitter and receiver capacity will dramatically increase the distance that the vehicle can be controlled from.

Remove the receiver installed on your remote controlled car. Using a screwdriver, unscrew the screws attaching the receiver to the car’s body. Wearing heavy duty gloves, unplug the wires that connect the receiver to the car's motor or battery.

Install a new higher-powered receiver into the car 1. HobbyPartz (see Resources) has a comprehensive list of RC car parts, including high-capacity receivers. If the new receiver’s fitting does not match the pre-drilled holes in the car’s chassis, simply fix it to the car with double-sided tape or a hot glue gun. Make sure to reinstall the wires, connecting the battery, motor wires and the new receiver.

Buy a hand-held transmitter that is compatible with the new receiver. NitroRCZ (see Resources) has a list of high-powered transmitters. The transmitter and car receiver should be of equal power and watts to ensure proper communication. If you bought the RC parts from an electronics store, make sure to consult with an associate to ensure that the car parts are fully compatible.