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Transmitter

By Michael James, About.com

Three styles of transmitters

Three styles of transmitters

Photo by M. James
Definition: Radio controlled vehicles communicate through radio signals. A transmitter is a (usually) hand-held device that sends radio signals to the radio receiver in the RC vehicle to tell it what to do. The transmitter is also called a controller because it controls the movement and speed of the vehicle.

Transmitter Styles
There are two main styles of transmitters for radio controlled vehicles. The pistol-grip style looks like a gun with a trigger and a knob. The stick-controller is box-like with two joysticks, knobs, or buttons, and additional switches.

The transmitter is also described by the number of actions (speed, movement, etc.) or channels it controls.

Wired Transmitters
Remote controlled vehicles may have wired transmitters. A wire or tether connects to the vehicle (or to the track in the case of slot cars) and transmits signals to control the vehicle.

Also Known As: controller | Tx

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