The Review: Dromida 1/18 FPV Rally Car
If the R/C hobby is addicting, you’ll only find yourself getting pulled in deeper once you experience the thrill of FPV. My journey into FPV began last summer, outfitting an Axial RR10 Bomber and Axial Yeti Jr. Rock Racer with a low-cost FPV setup.
This cobbled-together approach was a great starting point, however, I wanted to experience more. That’s when the Dromida FPV Rally Car entered the picture. This 1/18-scale rally car came equipped not only with an FPV camera but also an FPV monitor (Tactic RM2) and headset. It was everything you might want in a surface-FPV experience.
After extended drives, both indoors and out, my feelings toward this car (and the FPV experience) have only gotten stronger.
The Vehicle:
Dromida 1/18-scale FPV Rally Car ($229.99)
What’s Included:
- 1 Dromida 1/18 FPV-equipped Rally Car
- 1 2.4GHz trigger-style radio transmitter
- 1 Tactic FPV RM2 FPV monitor
- 1 Tactic FPV-G1 FPV headset
- 1 Tactic FPV monitor sunshade
- 2 charging adapters/cables (1 for the car and 1 for the FPV monitor)
- 1 Instruction manual
Unboxing the Dromida 1/18 FPV Rally Car:
The Car
My thoughts on the Dromida FPV Rally Car’s appearance haven’t changed from my earlier “First Impressions” post. This car, like many rally cars, looks great. As a fan of “rally car design”, if there is such a thing, you’d have to go out of your way to create a compact, low-slung R/C racer that I didn’t enjoy looking at. But what about driving it?
Ah, that’s where the real fun sets in. This little rally car is an absolute blast to "wheel", whether you're driving it traditionally (line of sight) or with the FPV headset on, putting you directly inside the action. Nimble and precise, this car is a dart no matter where you’re driving it.
Between trips to a local park (and parking lot) to slinging around my basement when the outside temperature dropped, I never felt a shortage of fun while driving this car. Its stock setup is very sporty and the ability to adjust on that (by way of twistable shock rings and shock mounting location) setup only adds to the experience.
Speed-wise, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the brushed motor, having previously been spoiled by Dromida’s brushless BL Monster Truck. As soon as I mashed the throttle trigger, however, all of those fears went away. This car is quick. Not brushless-quick, mind you, but it’s fast enough to keep things interesting, while still maintaining control of the car. This does beg the question, what about strapping an FPV camera to a brushless-powered R/C car. Perhaps that’s a project for another day...
The FPV Gear
Dromida’s two FPV vehicles are nice on their own, but when you add the element of first-person-view video to the mix, you’re really upping your ante. Not only was this my first experience with an on-road Dromida car, but it also gave me the opportunity to check out some of Tactic’s FPV gear, specifically their FPV RM2 monitor and FPV G-1 headset. If purchased separately, these two components would cost $89.99, however, you get them as part of the Dromida FPV Rally Car’s $229.99 price.
The headset with FPV monitor installed is a bit heavier than what I’ve experienced with other models. That’s not to say it’s uncomfortable, but you do notice you have something strapped to your head, even when you find yourself immersed in action on the screen.
The video quality through the FPV RM2 monitor is quite good. Scary-good, in fact. It actually appears to be more crisp and clear than when viewing recorded video on your computer. The menu setup is very clear and the settings and mode buttons are easy to find and use. I managed to locate a clear reception channel less than a minute after powering on the monitor. The less time fiddling with controls means more time behind the wheel.
I didn’t realize it at the time of the unboxing, but the Tactic FPV RM2 includes a DVR/video recording function, something that my Eachine setup lacks. Even though I’m not capturing HD-quality footage, it’s still fun to relive my R/C adventures, whether they be good or bad.
Getting Behind the Wheel
Now to the fun part, putting rubber on the road and goggles on your face. The element of FPV has given me more “white-knuckle” experiences while driving than any line-of-sight excursion ever has. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy line-of-site drives, it’s simply the fact that you have an entirely new perspective when it feels like you’re behind the wheel.
Maneuvers seem to be snappier, and my temptation to get closer to obstacles increases, simply because I know how close I am to the edge. And when I go over that line, lesson learned. It’s a real-life video game experience that no video game has managed to match, at least for me.
Is the Dromida FPV Rally Car Worth Adding to Your R/C Garage?
This car manages to check off a number of boxes, both as a radio-controlled car fiend and a fan of FPV. It’s fast, sporty, and well-designed, and that’s before you take it out of the box and power it on. Driving this car is easy, however, you can push this machine to extremes rather quickly. It has terrific handling and can put on a show during both line-of-sight and FPV driving.
While I feel that I say this quite often, this car has become a favorite “go-to” for me, whether I want to go for a quick spin indoors or out.
For the price, you’re getting a solid small-scale rally car and a solid FPV video setup, all in one package. Hobbyists of any experience level should get a thrill from this car, and the added dimension of FPV makes this car all the more appealing.
Where to Buy the Dromida FPV Rally Car
- Dromida.com - $229.99
- Tower Hobbies - $229.99 (Don’t forget to check for discount coupons!)
- Amazon.com - $229.99
