A New Generation of Hobbyists

[TurnipJF]

8 minutes ago, skom25 said:

Yesterday I found, that almost bald Dual Block tires have more grip on asphalt, than new ones

 

Same with Tamiya Rally Blocks. Worn down rally blocks make excellent tarmac slicks!

[Kowalski86]

2 hours ago, skom25 said:

If we are talking about money, remember about maintenance costs. I was really surprised, how quickly my tires were bald.

Next thing is batteries. You can start with one but it does not make sense. 

Tools to build and service model etc.

I started less than year ago. I remember correctly, how much money I spent. Basic kit was not expensive from all things I had to buy.

Good point, which is really why we need more basic stuff. Not everyone wants to spend $10 on shock oil, $10 on a tiny can of green stuff, $10 on a tiny tube of grease, etc etc.

Crawlers are slow enough to not burn up motors, go through tires, nor need LiPO batteries, and they can go anywhere. I'm beginning to think that they're the future.

3 hours ago, alvinlwh said:

The problem is there is a serious shortage of "starter chassis" like the SU-01 from Tamiya. Those are even cheaper than grasshopper to get to a running state.

Tamiya does have something similar, they have their Educational series and their Mini 4WD.

That SU-01 seems like a decent kid friendly chassis, I don't even see those sold over here.

I respect Tamiya for their educational series, I'm fine with either RC4WD or slot cars, anything other than the Need For Forza Turismo 8.

 

[Kowalski86]

2 hours ago, one_hit said:

You have to do your part if you want the hobby not just to grow but also to survive, and that means joining a club or attending events and races because those are the things that promote this hobby. 

Locally there are no clubs, just very expensive on-road races in a dead mall and expensive outdoor races. Spec Slash/SCT got a few younger drivers involved but they soon quit running it. It'd be nice if we had some simple asphalt races, with how many vacant parking lots we have.

I keep a few RCs that are setup for anyone watching to try out.

[alvinlwh]

.

[Kowalski86]

11 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

I think they had been discontinued. PJ, where I got mine from, has them as out of stock now. I think they had been replaced by First Try and WR-02 with preassembled gearboxes. However, IMHO, a 540 is just too fast for a 3yo*. 

They are in some models, but that's why toy-grade RCs exist.

I've seen some people use "crawler" motors to slow down RCs, or transmitters with throttle limiting.

[Wooders28]

10 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

RTRs that go 50mph+ are not an option, period. To be blunt, youtube stunts and "hard-core bashing" is purely a wasteful money pit to me.

Maybe seem like a money pit, but with the amount of spares required etc, it's keeping alot of hobby shops in business, so try not to...bash it! (Sorry..🤣)

 

8 hours ago, Crucial said:

In the UK at least, some actual tracks would be nice.

Start a club and get a track, they don't just appear!! 

A couple of years ago, Glasgow was running in a Church Hall on a midweek evening. Over the past few years, with graft and loans, we have one of the best tracks in Scotland.

   *****

I've found, all you need to do is introduce kids to RC. When we've done 'have a go' sessions, at the club, they've been a great success. When we had a track at the 'Ignition' festival at the SECC a few years back, the queue was endless for people wanting a shot on the track.

When you're next out with your cars, if a kid (or adult tbh...) takes a bit of an interest, give them a shot 👍 

[skom25]

2 minutes ago, Wooders28 said:

When you're next out with your cars, if a kid (or adult tbh...) takes a bit of an interest, give them a shot 👍 

One minute later:

< 400 Euros car hits curb >

LOL. 

It was like that with my older brother. Just do not make donuts on asphalt because tires are expensive, do not run into mud and watch for curbs.

- Donuts? Done

- Car in muddy sand? Done

- Curb? Done

LOL x2.

[Wooders28]

32 minutes ago, skom25 said:

One minute later:

< 400 Euros car hits curb >

LOL. 

Each time I've done it, I've turned the throttle end point down, and see how they drive, if they're any good, turn it up a bit..

Tbh, I've been more worried, when they've nearly dropped my £500 Sanwa Exzes ZZ handset!! 😳😱🤣

[chris.alex]

As a teacher, I would like to say that in this case, too, a lot depends on the role models. And the role models are first and foremost the parents. Children who see their parents doing crafts may be less afraid of a screwdriver than children who see their parents almost all the time with smartphones in their hands.

[bRIBEGuy]

13 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

How do we get the younger generation away from the PlayBoxSwitch, and into driving a real (or at least smaller) car? And actually "into the hobby?".

"Into the hobby" being tuning, building, and tweaking RCs, making them something educational rather than something to constantly break.

It is an interesting question you pose, and this thread has been fun (and thought provoking) to read.

I have a bunch of thoughts on this, and a few replies to others who have already made good points.

 

12 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

I find that kids are interested in pretty much everything and just need the opportunity to give it a go....

A big part of the problem is cost - most people/parents won't prioritise the money for toy cars. They are expensive, but no more than any other hobby...

A lot of people like to blame kids for liking playstations more. Really though,  its their parents (ie our generation) who are the problem. Its easier for a parent to leave their kid on a device than interact with them.

I think these points really hit home.  When I think of myself as a kid, my own 8 year old daughter, or any of my nephews and nieces (or other kids I know...), the first point really resonates.  Kids are game to try anything IF THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, and if the experience remains positive.  I was doing demolition work at a house reno recently, and asked my 12 year old niece (who has never used tools) if she wanted to help.  She was excited to try something new, and we had a lot of fun doing what is technically, "Work".   RC cars can be a great thing for kids to experience... but in the big scheme of us, not many of us have them.  I think I have seen an RC car "out in the wild" maybe 6 times in the past year?  How is a kid supposed to just stumble upon that?

Cost: I agree... everything is expensive.  RC Cars?  Yup.  Video games?  Yup.  Lettuce?  Yup.  RC doesn't have to be nuts, but the upfront cost can be prohibitive, especially if you're kids are still in the stage where you're not sure if a new activity/hobby will "stick".  This in and of itself can create an issue, that I can best explain with a real life example from last winter; A buddy of mine wanted to get an RC car for his (10 year old) son.  He reached out to me for a few recommendations, and I have him a few, and sent him to a local hobby store.  When he realized that he was looking at $200+ (cad) for a small scale RTR (LaTrax, FMS, etc...), and over $500 for a kit, he bailed out, ordered a $100 off Amazon, and called it a day.  Well, the kid loved the car, but it broke after a few runs, and you can't get parts for it.  Dad wasn't gonna drop another $100 on a new (junk) car, nor was he gonna pony up the big bucks after already sinking money in on this, so the car was tossed, and the kids impression of RC is now pretty sour. 

That story almost feeds into @Jonathon Gillham's third point, where we do really shoulder a lot of the responsibility for our children.  You might not WANT to spend money on good stuff, and you might not WANT to spend time on their things... but THAT IS OUR JOB.  Just because it's easy to order a pizza and sit your kid down in front of a screen all day doesn't mean you should.  At least through my eyes...

 

9 hours ago, skom25 said:

 

RC is expensive thing. It is hobby, so we have some kind of "excuse". The same with cycling which is my main hobby...

Problem with community like TamiyaClub or any other is always the same: we all think that our hobby is the best and other things are not. Well, there are people in this world, who spend a lot of money on games. They just like that, as we like RC.

Hobbies are all expensive.  And we all find excuses to justify them, just as we all think our interest are king.  My wife and I joked about this very scenario recently while looking at Halloween decorations when she declared....... "$50 for a small wooden coffin?  That's crazy!  I could easily make that myself with $80 worth of materials and $200 in new tools...".  Boom.... crafting expenses covered.... making a coffin can "save us $50".  Ha!  The lies we tell ourselves, right? 

There is no lesson here to be learned aside from you are going to spend the money one way or another.  So be honest, live within your means, and if you have kids... remember that they are your responsibility and focus.

 

4 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

Crawlers are slow enough to not burn up motors, go through tires, nor need LiPO batteries, and they can go anywhere. I'm beginning to think that they're the future.

I think there is some validity to this, and "Family crawling outings" are something a few of us used to do.  We'd pick a spot, bring out trucks, picnic stuff and hiking boots, and make a day of it.  Everyone would have fun, but kids would often loose interest long before the adults.

The one "flaw" I see in crawlers, is that they looks like real trucks.  Now don't get me wrong... I 100% understand this is EXACTLY why "WE" love them.  I build a 1:10 version of my old Jeep XJ.  I'm working on a Unimog build since I LOVE those beasts and will never have a 1:1.  My daughter likes to drive the trucks a bit... but she's a kid.  She has no life-long lust for a vintage Ford Bronco.  She has no clue what a "Square body" is.  A landrover could be a toyota for all she cares.  But she LOVES her Midnight Pumpkin.  And she loves the Wild Willy drivers I put in my builds.  And she loves the Jurassic Park themed MT I built.  These are things that SHE identifies with... and she identifies with them because they are either relevant to her (Jurassic Park is her favourite movie), or because they are FUN.

Tamiya's strong point (IMO) has always been "FUN".  From the box-art, to the silly space-aged buggies, to the little driver figures, their cars were seemingly made to illicit smiles.  I remember as a kid flipping thru the Tamiya catalogs, and being fascinated with the 4wd buggies because they just looked awesome.  The Bigwig looked like it was straight out of a cartoon.  The Super Sabre looked like an airplane.  The Thunderdragon was obviously from space.  My imagination went wild!  Sure the Bruiser was cool, but not nearly as much so as the Monster Beetle.  A family friend had a '69 Bug, and this was like a monster truck version!!!  Wow!

And what do kids have now when they go to the LHS?  Trophy Trucks.  Race buggies that look like crap.  Bashing truggies that are so flat they look like they have been stepped on.  And not a catalogue in sight to take home and read, and learn, and dream about....

I might be old, but I miss "cool cars" and print media...
 

47 minutes ago, chris.alex said:

As a teacher, I would like to say that in this case, too, a lot depends on the role models. And the role models are first and foremost the parents. Children who see their parents doing crafts may be less afraid of a screwdriver than children who see their parents almost all the time with smartphones in their hands.

^^^ THIS.

We lead by example.  And by providing experiences, both good and bad.

The strange thing is that we seem to be at an awkward point in the world, where reality is scary, so the digital realm is ushered in more and more.  The media paints the world as a horrible place.  People don't talk anymore.  The last time I tried to start a conversation with a person at a bus stop, they reacted/looked at me like I was going to murder them.  And this is what we teach our kids.  Don't talk to strangers.  Stay away from people.  The world is scary and dangerous.  But by Grade 2 they are being taught the importance of "digital citizenship" in school, and how it is important to be active in online roles and social media.  And so the digital world creeps in, and the real world creeps out, and before we know it life for the little ones is screen time, and video games, and R-Rated moves for 12 year old's.  It's easier to just sit back.  Parenting is hard work.  So why not sit back and take a break?  Put on another show for the kiddo... you can always take them to the park tomorrow right?  That's the best part of tomorrow... it's always there.  So watch TV until late.  Play those games instead of reading.  Have some pop.  Then it's bedtime, okay?  And then after they go to bed you can tinker with your hobbies, do your own thing, and question why more people don't like the same things as you?

I have friends and family with kids that are getting older.  Kids who are up to 16 years old and can't use a screwdriver, because they've never had the chance.  Kids that legitimately don't know how to make a sandwich, but are well versed in how to use "Skip the Dishes".  I look at this, and I feel bad for the way the world is going.  But I can't blame anyone other than us, the parents.

And so we end up with me ranting a seeming long way away from question of "How do we get kids into RC?", and sadly, I can't even wrap this up with a definitive plan.  Because on some level, there ARE still some kids in RC... they might just not be ours.  And just because you like restoring a 30 year old buggy from your childhood and your kid isn't interested, doesn't make for an intrinsic flaw in the hobby.  It might seem to be from our perspectives... but we are a pretty niche group here at TC. 

Now if we ask How do we get MORE kids into "The Hobby"?........ maybe we get some different answers.  Be friendly, open and accepting.  Share your interests openly and honestly, but be accepting of others.  The hobby TO US, might be building, tinkering, tweaking and restoring... but to someone else, it might be RTR's and bashing.  Your Tamiya might be their Traxxas.  But if we're being honest... it's all the same.  And it's also all just a moment in time.  I haven't run an RC in almost a month now, but am tinkering away of a number of tamiya builds and a custom interior for a car.  15 years ago though, I was racing competitively and "bashing" a HPI Savage almost every day.  There has been on-road in there too.  Competitive rock crawling. Vintage collecting.  All sorts of things.  I got my first RC car well over 35 years ago, and my relation with the hobby has changed MANY times along the way.  But all of those things have brought me to where I am today... and today, IAM A DAD, and I DO WANT MORE PEOPLE IN THE HOBBY.  And so I take a break at lunch, a write a brief rant on the internet, and then I'll go back to what I feel is the solution: Trying to raise my daughter as best as I can.  Exposing her to as much as possible, both within and outside of my own interests.  And then stepping back and seeing what "sticks" and what doesn't.  Some days that means we take a trip to the LHS.  Some days it means we skip it.  But regardless, if the hobby can't survive, then it is intrinsically flawed.  I don't think there is currently a "flaw" with the hobby... I think it just continues to change and evolve (well, maybe not Tamiya with all the re-re's... ha ha ha), and along the way that makes some of us feel like everyone else is wrong.

And we all know where that takes us...

https://xkcd.com/386

[Kowalski86]

7 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

When you're next out with your cars, if a kid (or adult tbh...) takes a bit of an interest, give them a shot 👍 

Usually I offer to have them drive my ECX Torment, it's a big truck that looks cool (to some), and I use a cheap older Spektrum transmitter with a throttle limiter.

2 hours ago, bRIBEGuy said:

Tamiya's strong point (IMO) has always been "FUN".  From the box-art, to the silly space-aged buggies, to the little driver figures, their cars were seemingly made to illicit smiles.  I remember as a kid flipping thru the Tamiya catalogs, and being fascinated with the 4wd buggies because they just looked awesome.  The Bigwig looked like it was straight out of a cartoon.  The Super Sabre looked like an airplane.  The Thunderdragon was obviously from space.  My imagination went wild!  Sure the Bruiser was cool, but not nearly as much so as the Monster Beetle.  A family friend had a '69 Bug, and this was like a monster truck version!!!  Wow!

And what do kids have now when they go to the LHS?  Trophy Trucks.  Race buggies that look like crap.  Bashing truggies that are so flat they look like they have been stepped on.  And not a catalogue in sight to take home and read, and learn, and dream about....

I might be old, but I miss "cool cars" and print media...

There is a seeming lack of variety among the other brands, which probably doesn't help.

Here in the US parents are usually talked into Trophy/Short Course Trucks, and while they look cool to some they don't jump well nor do they tackle grass well at all. They're really just good for dirt/asphalt.

I usually try to persuade people into monster trucks, they look cool to kids, they jump decently, and they go over more terrain. It's what I grew up with, and their awful handling teaches you to drive better.

[Saito2]

28 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

It's what I grew up with, and their awful handling teaches you to drive better.

There's truth to that. My first Tamiya was a Lunch Box. This was before they were considered wild, silly vehicles that tumbled everywhere for laughs. It was just another Tamiya monster truck, albeit one that could wheelie. It had a nicely detailed hard body and I saved a very long time to get it. I drove it very carefully (it was lightning fast compared to the Nikko/Tyco stuff we all had), slowly working up to its limits and always keep it shiny side up. 

[wolfdogstinkus]

Slot car -R/C crossover.

When I built the latest mini 4wd track, I considered getting a small scale R/C car that would fit on the track but I think it would be more difficult and frustrating trying to keep an R/C car on the track unless it had the mini 4WD rollers which would be an easy mod. 

Then I saw "Hot Wheels" make mini R/C cars that fit on hot wheels slot tracks but they are much smaller than the Tamiya mini4wd.

The kids love watching the cars whizz round, I wonder if they would enjoy it more if they had throttle control?. 

I will have to fit some radio gear to a car and report back.......

[Willy iine]

On 11/2/2023 at 12:02 AM, Jonathon Gillham said:

A lot of people like to blame kids for liking playstations more. Really though,  its their parents (ie our generation) who are the problem. Its easier for a parent to leave their kid on a device than interact with them.

Well, I just wanted to point out I tried model making and RC with my kids when they were about 7-10 years old and failed.. kids are different human beings and as any human, one can't force them to like something.   I am sorry for failing you Jonathon, I too am disappointed in what a failure I am since the day my mom decided to have a 2nd child against doctor's recommendation.  I didnt choose this life, man.. just playing the crappy cards I was given the best I know how.  

Anyway, my kids stuck around for a while, but I knew they were doing it just to keep dad (me) happy, so I told them they are free to do other things if they want to .. and they went and neither looked back..   I thought maybe I don't know how to teach, but they are good kids knowing right from wrong and are straight-A students in all advance courses which is considered 'average' for an Asian family, so I suppose I got that front right..?   

My dad loves playing golf.. I never liked golf.  I love my MK7 Golf-R however.  

[Jonathon Gillham]

6 hours ago, Willy iine said:

Well, I just wanted to point out I tried model making and RC with my kids when they were about 7-10 years old and failed.. kids are different human beings and as any human, one can't force them to like something.   I am sorry for failing you Jonathon, I too am disappointed in what a failure I am since the day my mom decided to have a 2nd child against doctor's recommendation.  I didnt choose this life, man.. just playing the crappy cards I was given the best I know how.  

Anyway, my kids stuck around for a while, but I knew they were doing it just to keep dad (me) happy, so I told them they are free to do other things if they want to .. and they went and neither looked back..   I thought maybe I don't know how to teach, but they are good kids knowing right from wrong and are straight-A students in all advance courses which is considered 'average' for an Asian family, so I suppose I got that front right..?   

My dad loves playing golf.. I never liked golf.  I love my MK7 Golf-R however.  

I'm taking that as a tongue in cheek response, clearly my comments weren't aimed at anyone in particular! I'm in the same boat really, my son likes RC but he isn't nearly as keen as me. He still runs the cars and helps out with maintenance but not as often as I would. He does his thing, its about giving him the opportunity right? Although he is adamant he'll come racing the 1:1 car when hes allowed to at 12, snd loves go karting, so that may stick. Of course the most expensive hobby there is!

[Willy iine]

15 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

I'm taking that as a tongue in cheek response, clearly my comments weren't aimed at anyone in particular! I'm in the same boat really, my son likes RC but he isn't nearly as keen as me. He still runs the cars and helps out with maintenance but not as often as I would. He does his thing, its about giving him the opportunity right? Although he is adamant he'll come racing the 1:1 car when hes allowed to at 12, snd loves go karting, so that may stick. Of course the most expensive hobby there is!

I'm just stating facts so I guess it's really not tongue in cheek.  I'm glad to hear you're having a great time with your kids, however.  👍

It's not like my kids and I do not talk or anything like that.. we still have a good time, I just need to adjust to what they want to talk about.  My older kid is into higher end road/gravel bikes and digital cameras/editing, my younger kid is into gymnastics and some music composition on garageband (very minimal interest) and online games.   They still respectfully listen while I yak away on RC and car stuff during snacks or lunch or dinner to return the favor as they know I am trying to take interest in their stuff too.

So at the end it's really just my wife and me that can endlessly talk about a whole bunch of things we have interest in.. RC included.  My wife taught me how to paint Willy's (and Billy's) face actually.  

Here's a Billy I did for Kogawa-san.