Different Era of the Hobby

[Snacktime]

What's your opinion on the different ERAs of the RC Hobby?

2022-2024 It seems like high speed street bashing and speed runs are still the most popular RC Cars at the moment.
2014-2016 2wd/4wd stadium trucks
2006-2009 First real crawles
2000-2004 Gas Monster trucks
1995-2000 Gas cars

I know its slightly different for everyone but I remember the Hobby Shops moving parts as a kid. The big items always seemed to be front and center! Then Lipo batteries appeared some time between 2009 and 2014 while I was on hobby hiatus.

 

[DLK83]

My first hobby grade car was a brushed Traxxas Rustler in the mid 90s, bought from my (then) lhs. Nimh battery that took 27 hours to charge and gave a blistering 7 minutes of run time at a terrifying max speed of 11mph.... God, what a rush!!! Plastic gears, bronze bushings everywhere, and a steering servo that moved at the speed of drying paint... but what I wouldn't give to have that bad boy back, the old stuff will always have a special spot in my tiny heart

 

[Steve B in Vegas]

My first hobby grade car was a brushed Traxxas Rustler in the mid 90s, bought from my (then) lhs. Nimh battery that took 27 hours to charge and gave a blistering 7 minutes of run time at a terrifying max speed of 11mph.... God, what a rush!!! Plastic gears, bronze bushings everywhere, and a steering servo that moved at the speed of drying paint... but what I wouldn't give to have that bad boy back, the old stuff will always have a special spot in my tiny heart

That's hysterical.. So true... Oh, those ol' Nimh batteries.......

 

[3x9rtse]

2002-2004 I had a couple HPI Savages . 2017-2018 2wd and 4wd Slashes , an Xmaxx . 2019-2022 Arrma collection starting , and start the racing scene . 2022-current , no more bashing , all racing .

 

[Snacktime]

That's hysterical.. So true... Oh, those ol' Nimh batteries.......

NICD lol, 1200MAH was the most expensive pack you could buy and didn't last but 5 minutes.

2002-2004 I had a couple HPI Savages . 2017-2018 2wd and 4wd Slashes , an Xmaxx . 2019-2022 Arrma collection starting , and start the racing scene . 2022-current , no more bashing , all racing .

I remember the HPI Savage being the Maxx slayer, my fully modded maxx was instantly outclassed in every way.

 

[gotnitro]

My opinion about RC now? Too many nomads with cameras and TubeYou.

Need more young people to get hungry to WIN!

Make Racing Great Again!

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Yeah that is something to be said about the timeline.
Racing is slowly fading away and hobby shops too after the COVID years.

I had just entered the RC boat hobby but can see it is dying. The group that is really into is mostly made up of 70-90 year old dudes. They are old-school and stuck on gas/nitro. They set the racing rules and classes based on specific historic 80's scale models and setups all driven by gas/nitro setups.

They really need to embrace the times and make the hobby more approachable to new guys and electric setups.

In general because that hobby segment is made up of racers they are highly competitive and not very open to sharing what works well to setup a fast boat. Hobby shops don't support any RC boating other than the plastic models like Traxxas and ProBoat. The good stuff is harder to find and has to be sought out online.

Luckily we have Offshore electrics which is an excellent RC boat site. Also we have Bonzai, but it still caters mostly to extra large gas powered boats.

 

[KnowAir]

My first hobby grade car was a brushed Traxxas Rustler in the mid 90s, bought from my (then) lhs. Nimh battery that took 27 hours to charge and gave a blistering 7 minutes of run time at a terrifying max speed of 11mph.... God, what a rush!!! Plastic gears, bronze bushings everywhere, and a steering servo that moved at the speed of drying paint... but what I wouldn't give to have that bad boy back, the old stuff will always have a special spot in my tiny heart

In some circles Traxxas still isn't considered hobby grade even today! LOL. Plastic gears and bronze bushings.. ughh..

 

[Johnny b]

I'd have to say my best years in RC were 2008 to 2014. 1/5 th scale monsters! First gas hpi baja 5b's, then 5t's and finally 4 wheel drive Losi 5ives. Had a killer 1/2 acre clay track in backyard and raced with my buds! Great times!

 

[Shadows]

My opinion about RC now? Too many nomads with cameras and TubeYou.

Need more young people to get hungry to WIN!

Make Racing Great Again!

I'll probably get a few angry with me, but I've always found RC racing to be...pretentious. Especially carpet and those 'professional' nerds in the aMain catalogs posing with their trophies. You know...the same nerds who get on their high horse when you mention ARRMA. Guess I'm not interested in competition. World has enough of that, whether it be getting a ball through a hole, or who has the best warhead. Like George Carlin said, who has the bigger *ick.

Casual races between bashing friends are fine imo. I just think it's a little asinine to be SERIOUS with models. Competition between companies to garner sales....that's another thing.

 

[DLK83]

I'll probably get a few angry with me, but I've always found RC racing to be...pretentious. Especially carpet and those 'professional' nerds in the aMain catalogs posing with their trophies. You know...the same nerds who get on their high horse when you mention ARRMA. Guess I'm not interested in competition. World has enough of that, whether it be getting a ball through a hole, or who has the best warhead. Like George Carlin said, who has the bigger *ick.

I can get behind this.... I absolutely LOVED carpet racing, I ran a 2wd stadium truck, mainly because nobody else wanted to, and like I mentioned earlier, my first real rc was a 2wd stadium truck, so it only made sense... I put in alot of time over the course of more than a year, testing and tuning and practicing, and finally worked up the courage to sign up at my lhs for a real race.... long story short, I traded that race truck that I had countless hours and tons of money into for a 6s Outcast and couldn't be happier... the REALLY serious race guys are a bunch of crybaby @$$wipes who clearly got beat up in school, it took 1 night of real racing to solidify the fact that wasn't my type of crowd, and it's no surprise why rc racing is dying off, you can't act like you're holding the keys to the next best thing when all you're doing is the same old thing

 

[Shadows]

I can get behind this.... I absolutely LOVED carpet racing, I ran a 2wd stadium truck, mainly because nobody else wanted to, and like I mentioned earlier, my first real rc was a 2wd stadium truck, so it only made sense... I put in alot of time over the course of more than a year, testing and tuning and practicing, and finally worked up the courage to sign up at my lhs for a real race.... long story short, I traded that race truck that I had countless hours and tons of money into for a 6s Outcast and couldn't be happier... the REALLY serious race guys are a bunch of crybaby @$$wipes who clearly got beat up in school, it took 1 night of real racing to solidify the fact that wasn't my type of crowd, and it's no surprise why rc racing is dying off, you can't act like you're holding the keys to the next best thing when all you're doing is the same old thing

Ya' know?....sometimes nerds got beat up because they were mean, underhanded little @#*holes as kids. Then they grow into mean spirited @#*hole adults. I've come across a few in the LHS.

 

[gotnitro]

I'll probably get a few angry with me, but I've always found RC racing to be...pretentious. Especially carpet and those 'professional' nerds in the aMain catalogs posing with their trophies. You know...the same nerds who get on their high horse when you mention ARRMA. Guess I'm not interested in competition. World has enough of that, whether it be getting a ball through a hole, or who has the best warhead. Like George Carlin said, who has the bigger *ick.

Casual races between bashing friends are fine imo. I just think it's a little asinine to be SERIOUS with models. Competition between companies to garner sales....that's another thing.

I can get behind this.... I absolutely LOVED carpet racing, I ran a 2wd stadium truck, mainly because nobody else wanted to, and like I mentioned earlier, my first real rc was a 2wd stadium truck, so it only made sense... I put in alot of time over the course of more than a year, testing and tuning and practicing, and finally worked up the courage to sign up at my lhs for a real race.... long story short, I traded that race truck that I had countless hours and tons of money into for a 6s Outcast and couldn't be happier... the REALLY serious race guys are a bunch of crybaby @$$wipes who clearly got beat up in school, it took 1 night of real racing to solidify the fact that wasn't my type of crowd, and it's no surprise why rc racing is dying off, you can't act like you're holding the keys to the next best thing when all you're doing is the same old thing

I get all that indoor crap, I did that one season. You get the same type of crybaby stuff in every sport. We didn't have any crybabies as to respected "fast RC guys" and if you didn't have proper track etiquette, sure there were some crybaby times. I didn't get out of that because of those clowns. The outdoor dirt tracks 1/8th Nitro buggy/truggy is where I dwelled. And believe it or not, I was one of the few who actually helped RC noobs, there are a few of us left. Racing and being competitive isn’t for everyone. There is a winner and many losers, some still need participation trophies.

 

[Snacktime]

Locally we have a carpet track opening in a few weeks and I am super tempted to buy a Euro Truck. As a kid RC racing was this expensive thing that we couldn't participate in. Only got to watch a few times over the years, so this is super tempting. So how clicky are these groups?

 

[DLK83]

Locally we have a carpet track opening in a few weeks and I am super tempted to buy a Euro Truck. As a kid RC racing was this expensive thing that we couldn't participate in. Only got to watch a few times over the years, so this is super tempting. So how clicky are these groups?

They're not clicky, at least not in my experience, it was more so the attitude of each individual.. nobody wanted to lend a hand or give any useful advice, everyone thought they had some secret, or special setup, that only THEY were capable of figuring out and running, it was honestly more annoying and frustrating than anything.... a bunch of 40,50,60 year old men acting like immature as$clowns, when all most people are trying to do is have fun and learn, just like they started out doing.... my mindset was, and is, that these are just expensive toys, and we should all be so blessed that we live in a time and a world that we're lucky enough to enjoy something so ridiculous. My apologies, rant complete

 

[Johnny b]

I can identify with all the BS your mentioning in organized racing. When we raced on our own track it was all for fun. We also all shared parts should someone need a part to keep them running, they got it. Great comerodity! Never charged a dime to run on the track, just grateful to have them come and share good times together.

 

[gotnitro]

They're not clicky, at least not in my experience, it was more so the attitude of each individual.. nobody wanted to lend a hand or give any useful advice, everyone thought they had some secret, or special setup, that only THEY were capable of figuring out and running, it was honestly more annoying and frustrating than anything.... a bunch of 40,50,60 year old men acting like immature as$clowns, when all most people are trying to do is have fun and learn, just like they started out doing.... my mindset was, and is, that these are just expensive toys, and we should all be so blessed that we live in a time and a world that we're lucky enough to enjoy something so ridiculous. My apologies, rant complete

You got eyes. You can clearly see what they run to be fast if you walk by their pit tables or actually try to make friends with some for speed secrets. If everyone has the same setups typically in indoor racing, it's all a matter of setting up your chassis. No one is going to just drop what they are doing and come over to you and say here, "set it up like this". Thats how racing and knowing your car learned.

If you have the same setups like in a SPEC class, it's all on the wheel man, YOU.

 

[NitroK]

First rc..tamiya fox. Batteries have come a long way since then. Charge for a day to run for 5 mins before it slows down. Still have my old faithful nitro, Cen Genesis 7.7, converted my nitro HPI RS4 to 3s brushless as it was sad to see it try to keep up with a stock 2s onroad car.

I never really got into racing, atmosphere too stressful. People get upset when you land your rc on top of theirs....

Bashing with friends is still the best.

 

[3x9rtse]

While I can believe to what most are saying about the racing side of the hobby being not fun , well then , it's not for you . But want to say not to condemn that all LHS racetracks are like this . I have been to a few , and they all have a different vibe . I must say the one I go to must be an exception as I have never really had a bad experience there , I know a strong percentage of people there , most of which will always help you out with setup / driving tips / a part / etc .
Maybe all the comments have unlocked in my mind why SCT is my favorite class , it's the one NOT taken so seriously ! The racing I do with them is the outdoor turf ( April to Oct ) , but the rest of the time I go pretty much every Sat to " run laps " with my crew of friends . We have an absolute blast ! It is fun and challenging at the same time .
Against what I always had said about 1/8 dirt racing ( that I would never get into it ) , I did last year and have to say for most of you that are bashers at heart , this would be your class !! As I said to a racer on my first time on the track " It's like bashing with a finish line !! " LOL With that , I don't get stressed when I do take part in an 1/8 scale dirt race , it's actually relaxing !!!
In conclusion , the part of racing for me starts with the build of the kit , then trying to dial it in , then get your driving skills improved . I am being honest , for me , it's about personal improvements regardless if I'm in a race or just running laps ! Not about flocking my chest with a " I'm better than you attitude " .

 

[KnowAir]

My first legit rc was an RC10 gold pan, mid eighties. It was pretty awesome. I bought it used from a neighbor, older guy who had done a bit of racing with it I guess. I mainly used it to terrorize the neighborhood, LOL. Had it geared out for maybe 25-30 MPH. I did a stint at a local tri-oval dirt track with it. It had a Futaba ESC in it, big ole silver box, which was all the rage at the time. I bought the modified body, aluminum nerf bars, offset foam tires. Turns out I wasn't into the competition portion of the hobby. Too many rules for me. Wait for your flag, only run when it's your turn.. I didn't have a drivers license or car, so I had to rely on my parents to drop me off and pick me up.. sitting around and watching/waiting wasn't really much fun for me. I ended up cannibalizing that poor thing with a front end off my brothers Kyosho MK II 4wd buggy so it was super wide in the front, I used the Kyosho shocks too since the TA shocks always seemed to leak.. LOL.
Shame, both would probably be worth some money these days.. oh well. Then I went on to trucks, Kyosho Double Dare in late eighties, Losi GTX nitro stadium trucks in the nineties, still have 2 of them tucked away.
I took a hiatus until around 2010, then bought the Thunder Tiger MT4, my first legit basher. Great truck for it's time, still have it, though it's in truggy trim these days.
Picked a used Xray XB8 nitro up around 2014, converted to electric, then bored of it. Too terrain limited. Used T-Maxx off ebay somewhere after that..turd..Then in 2020 I picked up a RC Kaiju, which sucked me right back into the hobby again, LOL. I think since 2020, I've bought nearly a dozen RC's. It's been a good ride!!

While I can believe to what most are saying about the racing side of the hobby being not fun , well then , it's not for you . But want to say not to condemn that all LHS racetracks are like this . I have been to a few , and they all have a different vibe . I must say the one I go to must be an exception as I have never really had a bad experience there , I know a strong percentage of people there , most of which will always help you out with setup / driving tips / a part / etc .
Maybe all the comments have unlocked in my mind why SCT is my favorite class , it's the one NOT taken so seriously ! The racing I do with them is the outdoor turf ( April to Oct ) , but the rest of the time I go pretty much every Sat to " run laps " with my crew of friends . We have an absolute blast ! It is fun and challenging at the same time .
Against what I always had said about 1/8 dirt racing ( that I would never get into it ) , I did last year and have to say for most of you that are bashers at heart , this would be your class !! As I said to a racer on my first time on the track " It's like bashing with a finish line !! " LOL With that , I don't get stressed when I do take part in an 1/8 scale dirt race , it's actually relaxing !!!
In conclusion , the part of racing for me starts with the build of the kit , then trying to dial it in , then get your driving skills improved . I am being honest , for me , it's about personal improvements regardless if I'm in a race or just running laps ! Not about flocking my chest with a " I'm better than you attitude " .

Sounds like fun, which is all I really want from rc's. I would love to find a good group like you're in. Although that would require me to leave home, which I rarely do, LOL. I'm my own worst enemy!! LOL.