Where did the hobby go ?

[andys]

Just spent a lazy sunday evening relaxing in the bath and was thinking to myself about how much i enjoyed the Rc hobby when I was a kid.... Got me thinking about where it all is now, so I thought i'd post a thread to start of a discussion and see where everyone else is at with it all.

I wonder do people still regard this as a 'hobby', is it a passtime, a way of life, a job, a sport, a career, or is it professional racing ?

For me it's a hobby and always will be.
My general gripe is, where will new racers come from if it isn't treated as a hobby ? I can't remember, or know of anyone taking it up in this region for the last few years, It's the same harcore bunch year in year out, although my sense is that club numbers are dwindling. I know buggies is supposodly on the up and all that, as touring car racers come over and such like, but it's hardly newsworthy. I guess a large part of this is due to the HUGE cost involved, you simply can't compete today at club level in our region in either tourers or buggies, club level simply doesn't exist as everyone that does bother to attend a meeting has spent a small fortune trying to keep up with everyone else ! (As an example I attended Gtcc the other night and really enjoyed it for my first time back with tourers, I liked the idea of 19T Spec motors and rubber tyres. I turned up with the intention of running my old gear, after all it would be a 'club' meeting. How wrong I was, I ended up running my newset cells (saved for my Pred!) and changing to foam tyres to get onto the pace, the amount of kit knocking about was staggering, fancy motor coolers, lipo cells, the works !)

Anyhow, I think it's a shame really, I used to love the old interclubs / regionals we had in the days of the RC10, optima and cat. You turned up at the first meeting and handed over £15 for your stock motor, it was marked and you had to use it for the duration of the series, you couldn't open it up either ! I never remember being overtaken by a similar car / driver down the straight as the cars were similarly matched in terms of available equipment, the racing was close and mostly I remember it was fun.

My feeling it that today the business side of the 'hobby' is far too prevalent, sponsored drivers, teams, people pushing product on forums because they run it for a given maunfacturer etc. It's all too much for me. I enjoy Jimmy's forum becuase the people on here are generally sound. Although more recently some of the stuff I am reading makes me wince, no offence to anyone or anything in particular, but I really don't care who drives what or who's driving for who, and I hate people giving advice, like the XXXX car is the best because they run it for whoever, please.... it just makes my cringe, give people some credit.

On a plus side, I know there are a few like minded souls out there, and if I can get over to York I will be running in the 'classic' series with one of my old cars, as for me this is exactly what this hobby is about.

What does anyone else think, am I the only one that thinks these dark thoughts, is our hobby turning into an elitist 'sport' for only the truly gifted or the truly wealthy ? I know I can go faster at this years indoor regionals, but it will mean putting my hand deep into my pocket, again, surely a line needs to be drawn somewhere for the sake of the 'hobby' ?

[jim76]

i agree, the hobby is becoming too expensive to compete at regional level. And it must really discourage new people taking it up when they come down the club and say "how much is your car?" I know we can point them down the second hand route, but i bought most of mine second hand when i got back into the hobby a few years ago and i still spent best part of a grand.

I recently had a child and lost one income so the "hobby" expense was cut back and the knock on to my results was fairly evident. the killer is cells, especially the new 4200's that don't seem to have a great lifespan.
decent chargers are also a big expense. back in the 90's i had a schumacher pc3 charger for about £40. now i have a pulsar 2 and cdc, over £300 combined.

the cars and speedos aren't much more than they ever were. tyres and cells are the problem.

bring back 27t stock on slippery wood floors in the local village hall!!

[albertobdq]

Hi you all, I really like this post!

I want to point out that this is my very personal opinion.

This is a business. Well, maybe for some of us it's the best hoby in the world but, for manufacturers this is just a business. The most we expense the mot they earn. I think it's that simple.

Because of that manufacturers try as hard as they can to induce us to desire and "need" more expensive, sophisticated and cuestionable utility tools/devices.

Today, as Andy pointed, we see extremelly expensive equipment on the pits, with or without the necessary skills to get profit from it. Here in Spain I have seen people running alone, or with two other pals in a lonely parking lot and their cars in running condition cost more than 700€ each, just think about this.

The best thing is that I still can defeat them all with my entry level Raider, just because I don't spin, crash, run out of battery or melt my motor.

Ultra expensive parts don't win races, your driving skills and your ability to set up your car properly does. A great car helps, but it needs a great driver at wheel.

[BenG]

For me I nrealy stopped racing a few weeks ago, I seem t have lost my speed, and ability. Since then I hvae decided to stick at it, put in loads of practice, and go for the 2wd nationals next year.

I am also making my own 2wd car, which i suppose could lead my hobby into a job, but we'll see

[Col]

I got into this "hobby" a little over 12months ago, and I have to say that nothing else that I do these days is more fun! I can't wait till sat night at York or Sun at Batley to thrash the nuts off by cars! Having said that, I bought ALL my stuff secondhand over the last year and I daren't think how much it cost. (actually I've thought about it now, and it's in excess of £700) Not only that, but my year old matched 3300 cells(and properly matched at that) are now nowhere near quick enough to compete at club level at York in my B4, nevermind in a recently jointly purchased XX4. So, hands into pockets again.

P.S. anyone know where I can get some decent 3700's from?

[Richard Lowe]

I actually don't think the costs are too bad in recent years. It will still cost a bit to get going initially but for regional and club meetings it's not too bad.

Cells and motors are now much cheaper than they used to be for good ones, the cells I made the 4wd A final with at Tiverton this year were £27 a pack and 6 months old! We can buy from the US, motors for £35, speedo's for £75, brand new B4 team kits for about £100, you don't have to spend thousands.
Likewise radio gear, I only changed my old Acoms transmitter I'd used for yonks to a KO because the poor little Acoms was getting swamped by all the powerful transmitters at bigger meetings. I didn't get any faster with my KO, stuff like steering EPA ect are nice to have for setting the car up but you can get it close enough if you know how to set your car up properly.

I rekon you could start from scratch with £500 and have brand new gear capable of winning regionals, all the carbon fibre this titanium that doesn't make you car go any faster. At the higher levels you obviously need the car to be working as well as the thumbs, but for club meetings you don't need mega bucks to enjoy yourself which is the reason we race toy cars in the first place isn't it?

Col, give Nick at Demon a call, he'll sort you out with some decent cells :smile: