Thank you TC

[alvinlwh 5895]

This is posted in General Discussions, mods please move if inappropriate.

Just realised that I am now a member of this forum for 1 month and 1 day today. The help I had been getting here had been massive, to the point that I had completed 2 rather less common projects. As some of you will know, I had a falling out with an old friend over this Tamiya vs Kyosho thing and this post could be a moan and a rant post to get things off my chest. However, after thinking over it, I decided to focus on the positives I got from TC rather than the negatives.

I realised I had not (and don't think TC has a section for new members to) introduce myself when I join.

So, I had been building models for 4 decades, but only got into RC 12 years ago. However, I moved from London to Stevenage to Shetland to Orkney (with very difficult RC supply sourcing issues) in that 12 years (UK readers will understand ) and only took my first 2 Tamiya RC out of the loft this summer. This friend of mine, also is a model maker for decades, also started RCing at about the same time as me, but in a different country, Singapore. He RCed a few years after he started and "quitted" the hobby because he "did not have the patience to troubleshoot/repair" (his words), which is rather strange for a model maker of any kind.

Another thing about me is, while I go for a "common" brand like Tamiya, I tend to be a bit of a rebel and do not do things exactly like everyone else.

So that is the background.

Now on to the good things I had gotten from TC.

I created my account specifically to post a build diary about the SU-01 Aero Avante as I had not seen one anywhere on the web. I picked TC to do so as it seems like it has the least flame in any model/RC forums.

Comments I get are along the lines of "wow, what a detailed/intricate/interesting/involved built" from other members along with some silent "likes". Whereas this friend of mine said "Just get a RTR Mini Z and stop wasting time with toys". Completely ignoring the fact that there are no clubs here, I race no one, the surface I run on are usually very mixed and even carparks are very rough with loose chips (Brits will know )

I had also posted various questions about ESCs, 370 and 380 motors. I did got some useful suggestions that allowed me to complete the SU-01 and some ideas about what to do on my research for future builts. Many of my questions are not the usual "how to make my car faster, I am willing to spend any amount of money on anything " kind of questions but more along the lines of "how to do X with Y limitation" type, which does involve quite a bit of thoughts in the answer. This friend of mine always just tell me "Stop wasting time with Tamiyas, they are POS. Just get a Kyosho, drop a BL in, connect up a 2/3/4/5/6S, DONE!". 

In one of my build diary, I ordered so much hop ups for my SW-01 Mudmad that the only OOB parts I used are the body and screws. I am now left with enough normal parts to build a second SW-01 and is in the process of planning for it. I did get some helpful tips here on TC on about how to go about the build. SW-01s (along with the comicals) are clearly not serious builds but will be extremely entertaining for the kids, pretty sure most will agree. That friend? "They will grow out of it, get a Kyosho buggie instead of that Tamiya POS", and he doesn't even have any kids!!! And got extremely offended when I pointed that fact out.

Finally, some of you will know that I have serious supply issues where I stay, with lipo effectively classed as bombs, it is extremely difficult to get them. Even NiMH orders almost got destroyed by the RM. And this is where the best pick-me-up I got from TC. When talked about my supply problems, some members commented that at least I got good location/environment/whiskey/etc... to make up for the difficult situation in making models, to remind me that I am in a better situation (in another aspect) than they are. That friend? "Best that you quit making models and go pick a different hobby like gardening or Lego (which I also already do)" Also, as most members that do live in a place with winter, we understand each other when we talk about driving season. I tried explaining to this friend (in a permanently hot country) that there is no point for me dropping 3X the money on a Kyosho when I can buy 2 - 3 Tamiyas and run them each about 6 weekends a year (I am more of a quantity over quality kind of guy if you haven't figured it out yet). Even my wife prefer me to buy more cars, as if I am bored and stop running them, more looks better on display than a fugly Kyosho buggy. This friend's response? "Only 6 weekends of RCing (I said each car 6 weekends not 6 weekends in total a year mind you!)??? You are better off quitting RC and just go and kill yourself!!! (WHAT???)"

So thank you TC for being so helpful for the past month and putting the confidence in me to carry on with unusual and challenging builds. Hope you will not mind with more off the wall type of questions from me. I already got some "strange" build combos planned for the upcoming winter. I honestly am grateful for the help I got off strangers here than a 3 decades old friend.

[Busdriver 6209]

I’ve been in this forum for just over 3 years and I must say it is the least antagonist forum I have ever been on. Even if to does get a bit fractious there’s always someone who will drop in a jokey comment to lighten the moment. People like your “friend” and I use the word advisedly will never change. And I would suggest that they are jealous of your love of a product. I have Losi, proboat, and a host of other brands but it’s Tamiya that keeps me interested. This forum has supplied me me with unending amounts of information and I have say has cost me a small fortune but above all it has provided me with friendship. You are welcome to it and keep posting.

[alvinlwh 5895]

9 minutes ago, Busdriver said:

I’ve been in this forum for just over 3 years and I must say it is the least antagonist forum I have ever been on. Even if to does get a bit fractious there’s always someone who will drop in a jokey comment to lighten the moment. People like your “friend” and I use the word advisedly will never change. And I would suggest that they are jealous of your love of a product. I have Losi, proboat, and a host of other brands but it’s Tamiya that keeps me interested. This forum has supplied me me with unending amounts of information and I have say has cost me a small fortune but above all it has provided me with friendship. You are welcome to it and keep posting.

I remember things got a little heated when I explained a British car joke to someone, but that's the danger with written communication I suppose. 

Now, the thing about this friend, he had Tamiyas before, maybe he hated them eventually, but some one my questions are RC in general rather than brand specific (which will be stupid since he may not had owned the chassis I am asking about). One example, I will have an upcoming question (just need to gather the parts first so my question can be totally clear) about control of 2 motors, instead of suggesting the correct ESC and or tx/rx, he told me to get some kind of programmable AI kit with obstacle avoidance, line following, auto start and whatnots. So you might me right, he might just be trying to show off how superior he is in about to use those things instead of just a simple drop in solution that I am sure is available off the shelf. 

[Willy iine 18805]

Welcome again, @alvinlwh   

I’m a new member myself, joined in March of this year, I think it was.   

Looking forward to your future builds. 

[Superluminal 3750]

Your "friend" sounds like a bit of a knob.

He has some pretty extreme views over a hobby.

[alvinlwh 5895]

2 minutes ago, Superluminal said:

Your "friend" sounds like a bit of a knob.

He has some pretty extreme views over a hobby.

I think is the pressure of living in a pressure cooker environment. I was from there myself, and decided to leave 20 years ago. Back then when I left, model making (any type) are seen as a useless waste of time that could be better spent making money (or studying for kids). See what I mean about pressure cooker? It was only about 10 years ago when it picked up again, why I am not sure as I was already long gone (and happier!). 

[Mad Ax 9312]

Welcome to the board.  I think I've seen you post a few good questions, if you post good questions here you'll generally get good answers (instead of "why don't you do a search?" or "let me google that for you" like you get on other fora), and if you get bad questions you'll generally get a helpful response pointing out why it was a bad question and possibly re-framing it into a new, better question.  We all started with zero knowledge and many of us have learnt the hard way, if we can help you in the right direction or save you from buying something that isn't going to help solve your problem, we will

[nel33 870]

Your past friend is rather stuck on a certain brand to say the least. The models hobby be it static or RC is known to have many choices to choose from. To heck with those that say a certain model sucks. The fact you can pick and choose which models you want to own is the great thing about the hobby, everyone has different interests in the various model designs. Don't let someone elses elitist views dampen your personal preferences for any model brand or kit.

I also tend to choose some lessen known models or cars in games and hobbies and some aren't as great but I don't care about the haters. I choose what I like and have fun in the process.

[alvinlwh 5895]

21 minutes ago, nel33 said:

Your past friend is rather stuck on a certain brand to say the least. The models hobby be it static or RC is known to have many choices to choose from. To heck with those that say a certain model sucks. The fact you can pick and choose which models you want to own is the great thing about the hobby, everyone has different interests in the various model designs. Don't let someone elses elitist views dampen your personal preferences for any model brand or kit.

Believe it or not, he was a Tamiya builder. His problem, from what I can see, is he refuses to see that everyone can have different problems and difficulties. The best example I have is the lipo issue. I live on a remote Scottish island with very limited delivery options. The companies that usually deliver here classified lipos as basically bombs and refuse to carry them. When I told him that I cannot take his suggestion of going BL and dropping a 2/3/4/5/6s in, as it is difficult, if not impossible for me to get lipos, he first said I am making up excuses (?) and then told me to forget about RCing and go gardening (which I believe some of us here on the forum actually also do!). 

Anyway, as in my OP, thanks to some members here, I was reminded of the fact that even with all the RC supply difficulties I have here, there are also pros. Not many people can run their cars on the grounds of a 400+ years old palace just 5 minutes walk/RC drive from their home. 

 

[Juhunio 6830]

10 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

Anyway, as in my OP, thanks to some members here, I was reminded of the fact that even with all the RC supply difficulties I have here, there are also pros. Not many people can run their cars on the grounds of a 400+ years old palace just 5 minutes walk/RC drive from their home. 

Not many at all! I have to go a very long way to find any sort of space where it's feasible to run cars in peace without agitating people or pets, attracting the unwanted attentions of the ne'er do wells from the nearby estate, or just feeling like a weirdo 

We recently spent a week in deepest darkest Donegal and it struck me how much easier it would be to have a more active RC hobby in country like that. On the flipside, there was absolutely no broadband so ordering kits and spares would be a nightmare 

More power to your elbow @alvinlwh

[Frog Jumper 3660]

Your Tamiya car will never tell you to take up gardening...  

Terry

 

[alvinlwh 5895]

16 minutes ago, Juhunio said:

We recently spent a week in deepest darkest Donegal and it struck me how much easier it would be to have a more active RC hobby in country like that. On the flipside, there was absolutely no broadband so ordering kits and spares would be a nightmare 

More power to your elbow @alvinlwh

At least Donegal is still on the Irish mainland. Where I am at is more like, say, Inis Mór, only way off is by boat or plane OR SWIM! Therefore the very limited delivery options, Amazon Delivery (their own delivery company) does not serve here, so RM is usually the one and therefore the difficulty in getting lipo (and paint, and thinner, and perfume, and etc... You get the idea!)

Given how far away from civilisation I already am, I make sure I stay in the population centre (local town in fact) to make sure I have decent broadband (30 something M) and luckily for us, we are part of the rural fibre and 4G roll out so we do have decent enough communications (need to watch which company though).

[Willy iine 18805]

@Juhunio My wife reminds me I'm a weirdo, so I think you're okay!  We have to be pretty weird to be grown men and chasing little toy cars with passion.    I love my Tamiya's!!

[alvinlwh 5895]

30 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

@Juhunio My wife reminds me I'm a weirdo, so I think you're okay!  We have to be pretty weird to be grown men and chasing little toy cars with passion.    I love my Tamiya's!!

I leave the chasing (and putting back the right way on 4 wheels) to my kids, in fact the whole reason I dragged my cars out of the loft this summer. To give them something to chase with minimal input from myself. 

[Willy iine 18805]

11 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

I leave the chasing (and putting back the right way on 4 wheels) to my kids, in fact the whole reason I dragged my cars out of the loft this summer. To give them something to chase with minimal input from myself. 

Sounds like fun.  In contrast, my teenaged  kids have ZERO interest in RC or wrenching real cars.  Not sure why, perhaps my wife has some dark secret that maybe these kids of 'mine' aren't really mine.  We have nothing in common.  

When I was a kid, I dreamed of having a dad (like my uncle) who shared the same car/RC hobbies as the kids.. my dad was into work, golf, and gardening, in that order (yawn!).   His tool case was a bunch of junk redundant screw drivers and random hammer and pliers.. in a fishing tackle box.  Nothing I could use on my real car or RC while I lived at his place.  I moved out right after college over 2200miles away from home and started my own life.   I have a whole set of nice tools in my garage for my cars (not some junk tools), my RC has dedicated tool set, even a dedicated tool set for the house.  

Yet my kids have ZERO interest in RC or cars.   Such a shame, but then that is life.  So, I do all the chasing of my Tamiya's.. and  I love it.   

[alvinlwh 5895]

30 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

Sounds like fun.  In contrast, my teenaged  kids have ZERO interest in RC or wrenching real cars.  Not sure why, perhaps my wife has some dark secret that maybe these kids of 'mine' aren't really mine.  We have nothing in common.  

Keyword here: teenaged 🤣

37 minutes ago, Willy iine said:

When I was a kid, I dreamed of having a dad (like my uncle) who shared the same car/RC hobbies as the kids.. my dad was into work, golf, and gardening, in that order (yawn!).   His tool case was a bunch of junk redundant screw drivers and random hammer and pliers.. in a fishing tackle box.  Nothing I could use on my real car or RC while I lived at his place.  I moved out right after college over 2200miles away from home and started my own life.   I have a whole set of nice tools in my garage for my cars (not some junk tools), my RC has dedicated tool set, even a dedicated tool set for the house.  

My first model kit was a Tamiya (what else ?) 1/700 destroyer, therefore my first hobby is actually static models. Can never afford a Tamiya RC in my youth, so it was Mini 4WD in my early teens. My grandad was a carpenter and my dad works on 1/1 scale aircrafts, so I guess I had been around tools all my youth. It was only 12 years ago, in between jobs in my early 30s, with a bit of free time, bought my first real RC, a Lunchbox and a TT01. Now my oldest just tuend 5 time to introduce her to model building. Got to start them young. 😁

[Dakratfink 967]

I have to agree much of the above 2 posts. 
This forum is one of the most helpful, friendly and flame free places I have regularly visited on the internet, RC related or otherwise.

2 hours ago, Willy iine said:

@Juhunio My wife reminds me I'm a weirdo, so I think you're okay!  We have to be pretty weird to be grown men and chasing little toy cars with passion.    I love my Tamiya's!!

Mine has embraced my weirdness. If chasing toy cars wasn’t weird enough , I also make soap ( though I swear I don’t have an underground fight club in my basement ).

In fact, I have been financing my RC hobby by fixing scrap mowers and bicycles rescued from the curb. 
She can’t judge though since her vintage sewing machine collection rivals my RC habit ( and now fixing/ servicing sewing machines is slowing becoming an interest to rival 1:1 cars and RC for tinkering) 

I can honestly say even though I returned to the hobby with a RTR traxxas, it has been Tamiya Kits and this site that have reignited the “passion” side of the hobby for me 

[alvinlwh 5895]

17 minutes ago, Dakratfink said:

Mine has embraced my weirdness. If chasing toy cars wasn’t weird enough , I also make soap ( though I swear I don’t have an underground fight club in my basement ).

Not breast milk soap, is it...? It will be truly weird if it is yours... 😂

[Willy iine 18805]

1 hour ago, alvinlwh said:

Keyword here: teenaged 🤣

My first model kit was a Tamiya (what else ?) 1/700 destroyer, therefore my first hobby is actually static models. Can never afford a Tamiya RC in my youth, so it was Mini 4WD in my early teens. My grandad was a carpenter and my dad works on 1/1 scale aircrafts, so I guess I had been around tools all my youth. It was only 12 years ago, in between jobs in my early 30s, with a bit of free time, bought my first real RC, a Lunchbox and a TT01. Now my oldest just tuend 5 time to introduce her to model building. Got to start them young. 😁

I tried teaching my kids RC and plastic model building when they were about 4-5 years old, but neither attached to it.   My younger son owns a Wild Dagger, but I don't think he even remembers.  It's stashed away in a storage box in the basement.  I should pull it out and just stage it on one of my display shelves as it's in nearly new looking condition.  

That's cool that you come from a handy-guy background.  My uncle I mentioned about was a contracted mechanic that serviced warplanes (fighter jets and helicopters) at a  nearby Naval base.  He was so smart and skilled with his hands it was unbelievable.  He lived within a very short walking distance so I usually found him on a weekend wrenching on something.  

I hope your kids share the same passion as you.   

[alvinlwh 5895]

1 hour ago, Willy iine said:

I tried teaching my kids RC and plastic model building when they were about 4-5 years old, but neither attached to it.   My younger son owns a Wild Dagger, but I don't think he even remembers.  It's stashed away in a storage box in the basement.  I should pull it out and just stage it on one of my display shelves as it's in nearly new looking condition.  

I hope your kids share the same passion as you.   

Probably about a decade too late for you now but I stated mine off before she was 4 on "cute" Gundams, her first was a strange ball thing called Haropla. No idea what that is since I do not follow Gundam other than it is easy to build. Then Gundam SD followed, naturally the unicorn. 😉 Then there is the Gundam SD Princess. She is mildly interested in RC at the moment, so it must be a pink car for her, but to get her building things, a cat racer mini 4WD. 

Her building her very first model. 

[ad456 331]

If you want a hassle free delivery for lipos to Orkney you should use HobbyKing as they deliver with ParcelForce through the local Royal Mail. The ParcelForce stuff comes over on Northlink unlike the mail which flies in. Works a treat!

[alvinlwh 5895]

3 minutes ago, ad456 said:

If you want a hassle free delivery for lipos to Orkney you should use HobbyKing as they deliver with ParcelForce through the local Royal Mail. The ParcelForce stuff comes over on Northlink unlike the mail which flies in. Works a treat!

Unfortunately they don't, if discovered, will be set to NI to be destroyed (go figure that one out!). 

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/sending/prohibitions-and-restrictions

[alvinlwh 5895]

@ad456FYI, this is what happened to one of my order from TTM, sent via PF with a (legal and allowed) 3000mah nimh inside. 2 weeks to get from Edinburgh to Orkney, via Northern Ireland! 

Inside the package 

Outside 

[ad456 331]

Yeah, I’ve had that a few times too, it’s typical of battery stuff sent this far north. It’s amazing how much small stuff they miss though.

I’ve got 4 batteries in the shed here that came via the method I mentioned. That will be the list that general customers get. HobbyKing have a dangerous goods contract I believe. I thought mine would be destroyed until I tried it. Low and behold the came and now I have my clod on 3s.

If you ever have hassle with tamiya spray paint to the island try wonderland models as they’ll send it with dpd.

Edited September 7, 2021 by ad456

[Willy iine 18805]

15 minutes ago, alvinlwh said:

Probably about a decade too late for you now but I stated mine off before she was 4 on "cute" Gundams, her first was a strange ball thing called Haropla. No idea what that is since I do not follow Gundam other than it is easy to build. Then Gundam SD followed, naturally the unicorn. 😉 Then there is the Gundam SD Princess. She is mildly interested in RC at the moment, so it must be a pink car for her, but to get her building things, a cat racer mini 4WD. 

Her building her very first model. 

 Precious pretty girl you got there!  Looks like she's interested!  

Yeah, my kids are both boys, but seem too focused on various social media, YouTube, and simulation games... too much virtual and not enough mechanical interest.  I mean I showed them everything I'd liked them to be interested in including model building and RC,  installing a sound system on real cars, typical suspension and engine mods, etc. even taught them how to play piano when they were about your daughter's age..   Nope.. no attachment, no interest.  LOL..