If you're not a member of an RC Club, why not?

[Jonathon Gillham 4605]

9 hours ago, toyolien said:

I did my first 10th 2wd race last week in many years. Not being on Facebook it was hard enough for me to find info about the event, and even harder to book in.

Then to top that off, the results from each round weren't printed off and displayed on the rostrum for everyone to see and compare, (like every other race I've ever done), they were posted on FACEBOOK!  It's put me right off racing....

What software package do they use? Over here most clubs use mylaps and the results are available instantly online, along with all results around the world. So you go to the website or app and have all the info on your phone. Its great fir practice too as they can set the loop up and you can monitor your results as you go, and no one has to sit there all day on the computer.

 

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

 I'd be semi interested but I'd like

• Some commitment to diversify who does racing - with something for kids too on some nights. A league for girls would be a nice idea
• Beer and hot dogs
• A relaxed atmosphere

I'd also like some way to stop it looking budget. 

This is bounce in London, where people play table tennis, below in mini golf...

Could an RC club take something from these? Essentially people care what stuff looks like.

A series of cool themed tracks would be very expensive but you get the idea. UV lights and glow in the dark cars, low lights with spotlights, or a night race and cars have to have headlights), scale sized stands with audience etc, decent beer and food, music?

If I could go to an RC club, drive something fun ( a GFO1 race would be great) and have a few beers I'd be in. The second people start taking things seriously I loose interest. 

 

 

 

 

Other than the beer part (during the race meet, beer after happens though) this happens to a large extent. Every club I've raced at has a kids class, also allcomers for anyone to run anything (within reason, couldn't run 8th scale or 6s monster at a 10th meet for example). Girls don't have their own class, but there are always girls racing, usually with their dads. 

[Wooders28 4718]

38 minutes ago, Nikko85 said:

Some commitment to diversify who does racing - with something for kids too on some nights. A league for girls would be a nice idea

No, clubs do not (and ours especially) go down that road, the race heats go off skill level, and skill level only. My 6yr old daughter won 4 of her 5 races on Sunday, beating middle aged and older men, and a 10yr old lad, is one of the top drivers in Scotland.

If you want to arrange a race ,with mates / family ,that's very doable?

We've 5 club cars ,so we could do that, and 5 people won't even need cars! 

 

56 minutes ago, Nikko85 said:

• Beer and hot dogs
• A relaxed atmosphere

We're lucky enough to share the area with a Sports hub, Tennis, Cricket and Rugby clubs, so we have 2 bars, a function room ,food , Toilets etc. At the last bigger meeting ,the bar staff where delivering burgers ,Pizzas etc to our pit tables track side !! 😁🍔🍕🌭 (good prices too, 9" Pizza £3 and burgers £2!), I was driving ,and Scotlands drink laws means less than 1/2 pint, but I guess they'd bring pints too 👍

The bigger , championship events, are less relaxed than club meetings, but even then , I've had people help me out with parts etc. Club meetings ,are just mates enjoying RC, I've run my Mid, Boomerang etc.

 

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

I'd also like some way to stop it looking budget

Hard to do, when it's done with little budget, the only way to get better venues ,and to stop it looking budget , is by more people going to clubs! 🤷‍♂️

 

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

A series of cool themed tracks would be very expensive but you get the idea. UV lights and glow in the dark cars, low lights with spotlights, or a night race and cars have to have headlights), scale sized stands with audience etc, decent beer and food, music?

Nice idea! but ,back to budget. People grumble at paying a few quid to run a car for a day, (people with ££££ worth of RC gear, and grumble at having to pay £20 a year for a BRCA licence!?!), but with 55k members just on this forum, if everyone joined a club, they'd be more clubs, with an more relaxed atmosphere, and more of what you're thinking. 

I think bigger events have stands ,music, the festival kind of vibe, again ,it's numbers, although we've a local radio station interested for next year, and plan on a live broadcast, more public ,Have A Go, sessions etc ,so fingers crossed for the , Festival vibe.

 

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

If I could go to an RC club, drive something fun ( a GFO1 race would be great) and have a few beers I'd be in. The second people start taking things seriously I loose interest. 

Sounds like you need to be living in East Kilbride in Glasgow 😁👍

 

[Wooders28 4718]

23 minutes ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

Every club I've raced at has a kids class

First I've known a, kids class! 

Yes, there's been heats with just kids in, but only because their skill levels are the same , which I think is much fairer.

[toyolien 4656]

27 minutes ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

What software package do they use? Over here most clubs use mylaps and the results are available instantly online, along with all results around the world. So you go to the website or app and have all the info on your phone. Its great fir practice too as they can set the loop up and you can monitor your results as you go, and no one has to sit there all day on the computer.

 

Not sure. I think they just post results on Facebook for ease. Not that I'm a luddite but I much prefer the good ol' days of racing.

[Wooders28 4718]

10 hours ago, toyolien said:

I think they just post results on Facebook for ease.

Ironically, I'm guessing, ease for the racers, as they're all on Facebook?

As @Jonathon Gillham says, the Mylaps system automatically posts it online, so they'd be having to get it off there, and post it to Facebook.

I'd ask about a link for the results page (like the link I posted for ours), if you've not got a smartphone, it doesn't help you right enough.

 

10 hours ago, toyolien said:

Not that I'm a luddite but I much prefer the good ol' days of racing.

I remember when I started back racing, rocking up with my 27Mhz and a load of splits and solids, looking for the peg board, asking for race numbers to stick on my car ,so race control knew what number to press, as I passed the start/finish line! With 2.4Ghz there's no need for peg boards, with PT's there's no need for someone to be counting cars, so on smaller club meetings, no need for race numbers and now no need for a printer either!! (Fairly big cost saving tbh, as printers ,ink and paper ain't that cheap).

If you think it's hard ,trying to get the ,PlayStation generation ,away from their screens and to a track, its even harder to get people to a track, to be there all day, with the thankless task of running race control, so the easier and less labour intensive, it is for them, the better.

 

Modern systems could actually run a race meeting themselves, as long as there wasn't any hold ups or tech issues (which there inevitably is...), So you do still need someone to oversee things, (and deal with people who don't know their PT number, arrive late , their 2wd runs in the heat before their 4wd, so can't marshall, so need to start moving heats about etc etc) 

 

[Nikko85 3439]

I guess so not much a league for girls as that is somewhat patronising, but a genuine attempt to make it more open.

I'll be honest my ideas were more for a club/bar than a club event - perhaps there's a part of me that would love to open something that does for RC what these places have done for mini-golf and table tennis.

You know, turn up, rent the RC - various indoor races with different cars at a not insane speed - but then you could open it up to the more hobby crowd at different times.

From what people have been saying it does sound that many RC clubs are far more open than I'd have thought - so thanks everyone who has told me this. Within so many hobbies (in particular those around tech and gear) there is an insane one upmanship I can't stand, so good to know there's space for budget cars and bad drivers.

I have also been thinking is there a way I can use RC cars as a way to get people from a more non traditional STEM background excited, a college of mine is making scooter with teens, I wonder if I could start a programme making cars with kids.

 

 

[Wooders28 4718]

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

I guess so not much a league for girls as that is somewhat patronising, but a genuine attempt to make it more open.

I know what you mean, but the fairest ,is based on skill level. Although, if there's enough to split young from older, I'd probably do that (without saying), as if you're a middle aged bloke, just back into RC after 25+ yrs, getting lapped by a 6yr old girl, might not do the confidence any good...😳

 

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

I'll be honest my ideas were more for a club/bar than a club event - perhaps there's a part of me that would love to open something that does for RC what these places have done for mini-golf and table tennis.

It's a great idea, and I'd go if there was one local, but, you then need to have cars that can take the abuse of a totally new driver, then throw alcohol onto the mix,  they'll need to be something that would stand a chance on Robot wars!! 

 

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

From what people have been saying it does sound that many RC clubs are far more open than I'd have thought - so thanks everyone who has told me this. Within so many hobbies (in particular those around tech and gear) there is an insane one upmanship I can't stand, so good to know there's space for budget cars and bad drivers.

As with anywhere you get a group of people, there's a chance you might get the odd one or two ,that try an ,one up someone else. Me, I love this, as I wait until the 'must have motor' becomes last years cast off, and I'm there with my wallet ,to get it at a fraction of the price 😁. 

All the clubs I've been involved with over the decades, have just been RC car guys, wanting to meet up ,for a blether, and run RC cars. Racing generally always happens, even if you've a lunchbox, as the other lunchbox just overtook you, and you're not having that...

At the end of the day, we're (mostly) grown ups, enjoying playing with toy cars...😁

 

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

I have also been thinking is there a way I can use RC cars as a way to get people from a more non traditional STEM background excited, a college of mine is making scooter with teens, I wonder if I could start a programme making cars with kids

I was lucky enough to have a CDT department, with a Vac Former, when I was in school , so I had a new body for my Ultima every week! 😁. (I scratch built an RC Hovercraft for my GCSE CDT project too) 

I sure there was a teacher on Facebook doing just that, he got a Neo Fighter (if I remember right), and did the build in class, but went through, geometry with wishbones, and fluid dynamics with shocks etc, then ran a club after school.

[Alwb68 125]

On 1/23/2021 at 9:48 PM, J@mes said:

There’s a club up the road but it’s a bit serious looking. Doubt they’d let me run my lunchbox round their track 

But isn’t that what most of us want to do.

Just run our favourite cars and have a bit of fun.

 

[Wooders28 4718]

1 hour ago, Alwb68 said:

But isn’t that what most of us want to do.

Just run our favourite cars and have a bit of fun.

 

That's what clubs are all about 😁👍

 

[DeadMeat666 1675]

Only one RC club in my vicinity, and they exclusively run 6s or 8s Traxxas bash-monsters, so my comparatively delicate kits don't exactly fit in.

And that's why I'm not a member of an rc club.

[Wooders28 4718]

35 minutes ago, DeadMeat666 said:

Only one RC club in my vicinity, and they exclusively run 6s or 8s Traxxas bash-monsters, so my comparatively delicate kits don't exactly fit in.

And that's why I'm not a member of an rc club.

Would love to see the, risk assessment, for that club! 😳

We've put in fairly substantial posts, and catch netting in, and that's for just 1/10 electric on 2s! 

[Willy iine 18804]

On 9/25/2021 at 6:25 AM, Nikko85 said:

I guess so not much a league for girls as that is somewhat patronising, but a genuine attempt to make it more open.

 

I remember when I raced over 20 yrs ago I'd often take my wife to the track and she would run my M03's for fun.. I am telling you, there were a few 18-20 yr old boys there that would just be mean and derogatory at my wife just for being a girl..  It was unbelieveable.   I just grabbed the kid by the neck and told him to back off my wife.  He did, and others were shocked and stopped, but I just could not believe it.  I do not tolerate stupid.  

I hope more girls join in on the fun.   

These days I don't have a whole day to spend at the track so I just drive my cars around by myself at home on my tiny track when I feel like it.  I have a 900+ sq ft finished garage so I suppose I could turn it into a track if I ever retire from my 1:1 car hobby..

[hIghQ 149]

21 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

I remember when I raced over 20 yrs ago I'd often take my wife to the track and she would run my M03's for fun.. I am telling you, there were a few 18-20 yr old boys there that would just be mean and derogatory at my wife just for being a girl..  It was unbelieveable.   I just grabbed the kid by the neck and told him to back off my wife.  He did, and others were shocked and stopped, but I just could not believe it.  I do not tolerate stupid.  

I hope more girls join in on the fun.   

These days I don't have a whole day to spend at the track so I just drive my cars around by myself at home on my tiny track when I feel like it.  I have a 900+ sq ft finished garage so I suppose I could turn it into a track if I ever retire from my 1:1 car hobby..

Anybody behaving like the guys you mentioned towards the girls/women (or anyone else for that) on our clubs premises, would be thrown out immediately and told to better not return. It's not about tolerating stupid, but about manners and most of all respect. Sadly almost no females drive RC cars (I'd love for that to change), but even so, we'd be completely lost without them, when we host a race. We appreciate our girls very much and will not tolerate any bad behaviour toward them.

Luckily, this is mostly theoretical, since stuff like this happens exceedingly rarely. If at all, people complain about the food - and that anonymously on the internet afterwards. Cowards.

[Nikko85 3439]

As someone mentioned Robot wars....

....Would it be that hard for a car to have something that flipped it the right way when it landed on it's back? A third channel that flipped a servo attached to a lever to self right the car would be amazing. It would cut out steward reaction times from races, and mean I could have to get up less when running in the park. 

Imagine an RC Doleran, which self righted with a tap which pushed open the gull wing door, flipping the car on it's wheels again.

 

 

 

 

 

[Wooders28 4718]

1 hour ago, hIghQ said:

Anybody behaving like the guys you mentioned towards the girls/women (or anyone else for that) on our clubs premises, would be thrown out immediately and told to better not return. It's not about tolerating stupid, but about manners and most of all respect. Sadly almost no females drive RC cars (I'd love for that to change), but even so, we'd be completely lost without them, when we host a race. We appreciate our girls very much and will not tolerate any bad behaviour toward them.

I'm happy to say, that is the attitude of all the clubs I know of, abuse of any nature, isn't tolerated. At the end of the day, we're all there to enjoy playing with toy cars.

We've been thinking of a sign like this? 

 

1 hour ago, hIghQ said:

people complain about the food - and that anonymously on the internet afterwards. Cowards.

You'll never please everyone, but if the worst thing about the venue ,is the food ,you're doing not bad!! 👍

I've found it's mostly the people who ,turn up, use the track/race , first to leave after marshaling  ,without offering to help/assist with anything ,are the worst.....🤷‍♂️

 

 

[Wooders28 4718]

1 hour ago, Nikko85 said:

A third channel that flipped a servo attached to a lever to self right the car would be amazing

Apart from ,you'd maybe need 300mm/1ft of travel, and a fair bit of torque , meaning a half brick sized servo? ... 🏋‍♂️😳

Maybe better with a tall , Shark fin, body, so it couldn't actually go upside down?

[hIghQ 149]

1 hour ago, Wooders28 said:

I'm happy to say, that is the attitude of all the clubs I know of, abuse of any nature, isn't tolerated. At the end of the day, we're all there to enjoy playing with toy cars.

We've been thinking of a sign like this? 

 

You'll never please everyone, but if the worst thing about the venue ,is the food ,you're doing not bad!! 👍

I've found it's mostly the people who ,turn up, use the track/race , first to leave after marshaling  ,without offering to help/assist with anything ,are the worst.....🤷‍♂️

 

 

That sign is great! We need one like that (in German of course) 

 

[silvertriple 3557]

I've look at the question but did not read the whole thread, to be honest. I may share a bit of experiment here.

I'm back into RC since Jan this year. My son followed, so in April, I started to search for a club in my area. They are quite difficult to locate, by the way, there is a real problem here: you can't find them, unless someone tells you there is one around. Finally found one which was having an open Vintage event targeted for beginning of June, and two Offroad tracks (one 1/10 dirt, and one 1/8 in more stable material), was 30mins drive from my place, and had a reputation over the groups I was discussing with (mainly due to the vintage event).

I decided to take an adhesion to the club for me and my son (mandatory to be able to run there). And went there. here is the few statements from the experience:

• the 1/10 track is not really maintained. There is a lot of work of the vintage people involved in the event organization once a year to make it nice for the event, as most of the vintage folks are 1/10 guys. Before that, you can only run on the 1/8 track, and that one is quite at risk for our 1/10 cars, as the jumps are quite high and the the track is quite hard (not as soft as the dirt track for 1/10).
• when in the vintage event, it was about social event much more than racing, we ran our cars and liked the ambiance of the event.
• when usually going there to outside of the event, it's not that fun and not that enjoyable. Most of the folks there are 1/8 and we are almost alone with our 1/10 cars
• within the group of the club, it's about racing events, it's about training for racing events. Basically, no one seems to go there just to run cars. And when you discuss with old insiders, they tell you the club is discussing every year to get rid of the 1/10 track. And the vintage folks, they look to be fed up with the club and want to find another one.

In short, the experience is far from concluding. I located another club, where people do not race but get there more for socializing. The track is not as technical (far from) than the 1/10 one I was mentioning before. But people won't go there to race but more to share the fun... And ultimately, if the fun is there, we may want to race, but it should be there first.

 

[Willy iine 18804]

@silvertriple Another thing for me is some of these tracks are located in a pretty ghetto area where I would not want to park my real cars.

When I decided to retire from racing a few close RC buddies of mine (all good mod class drivers) gathered our concourse level touring cars and drove them open class grand touring style around a make shift parking lot track. The only rules were we do not bump each others' cars and just enjoy casual spirited driving with a 27T or up to 19T Chameleons.  FWD, 4WD, RWD, M-chassis, all together, electric only.

We'd go for hours with no waiting for your turn, and just had a blast.. and most importantly, usually came home with scratch-less cars.   That was fun.   I enjoyed it more than racing, honestly. 

 

 

[Wooders28 4718]

3 hours ago, silvertriple said:

They are quite difficult to locate, by the way, there is a real problem here: you can't find them, unless someone tells you there is one around.

I'm finding this. I posted a similar post on Facebook, and someone commented they didn't have one in their area (gave town) , but I happen to know the area, and knew there was ,and it turned out it was pretty much walking distance, and they didn't know! 

Registered clubs in the UK (I'm guessing you're not from the UK, racing on dirt? ),are available on the BRCA website - 

https://www.brca.org/clubs

Where would a club advertise (for free/very cheaply) , outside of Facebook?

Which I'm now finding, alot of people do not use....

 

3 hours ago, silvertriple said:

within the group of the club, it's about racing events, it's about training for racing events. Basically, no one seems to go there just to run cars. And when you discuss with old insiders, they tell you the club is discussing every year to get rid of the 1/10 track. And the vintage folks, they look to be fed up with the club and want to find another one.

Back to $$$$, if everyone that regularly turned up, with their wallet, wanted to run 1/10 and just for fun, that would take priority,  but if the 1/8 are paying the bills, and also the bodies to look after the track, then....

 

[silvertriple 3557]

4 minutes ago, Wooders28 said:

Back to $$$$, if everyone that regularly turned up, with their wallet, wanted to run 1/10 and just for fun, that would take priority,  but if the 1/8 are paying the bills, and also the bodies to look after the track, then....

Well. It's not only a question of bucks. Discussing with the other folks using 1/10 in the area, we would be ready to let bucks go there, without any issues... But it's also about being part of the club or feeling rejected. Other exemples on the way the club behave (which I believe is not right and also part of the problem) :

• highlight weeks in advance they need help to maintain the 1/8 track and we get ready to help (even the 1/10 guys)
• only the vintage guy and 1/10 guys came to help to maintain the 1/10 track while it was requested within similar delay
• send meetings invitation for decision meetings to all members the day before the meeting (when the 1/10 members of the bureau are clearly out for an event)

In fine, it's bad experience for me, but also for most of the 1/10 guys. I won't renew my subscription for next year, clearly, unless some things change among the few times I get there again this year... And discussing with others, I identified another track with more enjoyable people sharing the same passion and the same envy to run our 1/10 cars.

another elements for the locations of the tracks/clubs. In France as well, there is a federation, and you may locate clubs in there. But only those from the federation. There is others not doing any races, out of it. They rely on Facebook and websites to be discovered, but they remain quite difficult to find out.

 

 

[Wooders28 4718]

1 hour ago, silvertriple said:

I identified another track with more enjoyable people sharing the same passion and the same envy to run our 1/10 cars

You may get a few coming to the new venue then, for me, the atmosphere is a big part of a club. Hope it works out.