(OLD NEWS)Grand Opening Sale at R/C Hobbies

[ghee-grose]

Rick is having a Grand Opening Sale starting today and going through Sunday.

Here's the details!

HOURS: Friday 9-6 Saturday 9-6 and Sunday 12-5

Door Prizes Friday and Saturday. Tons of items on sale!!! Markdowns galore!!! Bring your Christmas wish list and get your shopping done! :cool:

CONTACT INFO: 3303 Meridian Street, Huntsville, AL 35811
Phone : (256) 539-1347
Fax : (256) 539-9924

Be sure to tell Rick you heard about this sale on RC Groups and you *might* get something extra! :p

Gary

[ghee-grose]

Well we just got back from a shopping spree at Rick's!

[Tomokabear]

Gary,
It looks like you couldn't get your trunk shut! :)

I suppose I will have to drive over and drop a few $$$

Barry

[ghee-grose]

Exactly! But that wasn't only my stuff. My Dad and brother bought as much as I did. :D

[Jim_Marconnet]

I went today and bought a toy R/C car for a Christmas gift for my son David and a WattAge Cessna 180 EP RTF, ostensably for the 4 channel/2 servos + ESC mini-radio (27 Mhz FM). 24.5 inch span, 6 oz AUW. 7.45 Oz/ft^2 wing loading. Cute! Rick says the radio gear, ESC, and battery would be just fine for a SS. Just rip it out!

But when I got it home and put the plane together, I've simply got to see how it flies. Need a still day, even though Rick says this one is heavy enough to fly in quite a bit of wind. Thay say 5-10 MPH winds max. They say 5 minute flight time, and to keep it at full throttle most of the time, so that's a clue.

I love their charging instructions: Charge for 2.5 hours. When the flight battery is hot to the touch, it's fully charged! Timers or peak detectors? - we don't need no stinking peak detectors!

Going back tomorrow AM to see what's left and what else they may have marked down.

They called tonight that I won a T-shirt door prize. No likelihood it would fit me, but worth checking on. Perhaps they could substitute something else. And today they had really good cookies...

See some of you there tomorrow AM, but not likely Sun. in my case. They're open Sunday for the rest of the holdiay season.

[nuevo]

I went yesterday after work. They had nothing left. They said some guy Gary came in and cleaned them out. :rolleyes:

[Mars Flyer]

No deals on receivers which is what I wanted but I left there with a GWS C-47. I had been thinking about one for awhile and the $30 price tag was too good to pass up. I'll step into the world of low wings and multi-engines and see how it feels. My dad used to jump out of those things and I figured he would enjoy seeing it fly.

I also got a temperature probe for my battery charger. I ended up buying the JST connectors I needed at HobbyTown. I got 3 for the price of one at RCH. Go figure.

Rob

[nuevo]

Well, I was a big spender. :rolleyes: Bought some 30" foamie for $16. Looks fun for a small field.

[dee-grose]

Was it a flying wing you bought? Which one? I bought several planes...a Wattage Hyper Wing 400 ($10), a Multiplex MicroJet ($15), and a Multiplex PicoJet ($18). All are planned to be slopers of some sort. Gary got a PicoJet too. We had never seen one before. They are the "combat" versions. Rick said they used to fly them a lot and they are really good planes. Here's what's weird...I was just out in the garage playing around with the PicoJet. Just looking at it and trying to decide what I was going to do with it. Nearby was my Weasel. I picked it up and laid it on top of the PicoJet and the wings are almost identical in planform and very close in airfoil. Very strange. Should be fun anyway.

Oh, and I also got a Wattage Wild Cat 400 EP (balsa built-up aerobatic ARF, $50) and a GWS Spitfire ($30).

Yes, I probably did buy too many planes, but I just couldn't leave them sitting there!

Andy

[Jim_Marconnet]

I went yesterday after work. They had nothing left. They said some guy Gary came in and cleaned them out. :rolleyes:

Today when I went back for the third time (and last!) this weekend, they said that these two brothers had been there 4 times already. Once Friday and today and twice Saturday and had just about bought them out. I'll bet I know who these brothers were. :rolleyes:

[dee-grose]

I'll have you know that I only went there once on Friday and once on Saturday. I'm skipping today because I don't wanna live that dangerously!

Since we're talking about Rick's...I don't know about ya'll, but I sure wish Rick would open a shop in Madison!

[Jim_Marconnet]

I'll have you know that I only went there once on Friday and once on Saturday. I'm skipping today because I don't wanna live that dangerously!

Since we're talking about Rick's...I don't know about ya'll, but I sure wish Rick would open a shop in Madison!

Could there be two OTHER brothers of such repute?? :confused: They said they asked about their wives' opinions on all these purchases, and were told that the wives "approved". That sounded fishy to me. I don't know if Gary and Andy even have wives. But if you say you are not going today, then it must be two OTHER brothers.

When Pat and I went yesterday and got a n o t h e r RTF plane deal, she asked if we could wrap it up and put it under the tree. Of course. The weather has gotten so bad, and my Mom is coming for Christmas, so I'm really stuck inside and booked from now till then anyway.

About R/C Hobbies' location. I'd certainly vote for Madison. But won't hold my breath since they just built such a nice store where they are. I may start doing more purchases on-line now that I know a little more about things (need a little less hand-holding, IMHO) and notice that Rick tends to be $5 to $10 higher on some things than I've seen them elsewhere.

[ghee-grose]

I may start doing more purchases on-line now that I know a little more about things (need a little less hand-holding, IMHO) and notice that Rick tends to be $5 to $10 higher on some things than I've seen them elsewhere.

What's a few dollars when you have a nice, local guy who won't mind swapping you out when you have a defective part??? You also get the years of knoledge and experience that Rick has to offer.... besides, there is ALWAYS something else to learn about this hobby, nobody will ever learn enough. ;)

I've fallen victim to ordering the deals online, but at least I give Rick a chance to match the price. And by the time you figure in shipping and waiting on the product, you might be better off going with our local guy. :D

Oh, and besides that... who had this awesome sale this weekend???? :o

[ghee-grose]

Could there be two OTHER brothers of such repute?? :confused: They said they asked about their wives' opinions on all these purchases, and were told that the wives "approved". That sounded fishy to me. I don't know if Gary and Andy even have wives. But if you say you are not going today, then it must be two OTHER brothers.

Check out my avatar.... yes, I approve things through my wife. Not always before the sale, but at least by the time I pull into the driveway. :D

[Mars Flyer]

Jim,

I'm with you on the shopping around. I prefer to do the research and gain the knowledge myself - and be sure not to make smoke come from any of my hardware. 10 or 20 bucks is significant to me. I tried to get a deal yesterday but I'll be ordering a new receiver from servocity. I think we cleared out all the stuff that hasn't been selling now :rolleyes: I'm just sorry that Hobbytown chooses not to really compete in the electric market. Competition is good and more than one LHS is better.

Rob

[nitro125]

i stopped my on sat but dindt see anything i like so i ended up getting a copuple of props some ca accelerator and some double sided foam tape.............i bet i spent the most all weekend

[Jim_Marconnet]

Jim,

..... I'm just sorry that Hobbytown chooses not to really compete in the electric market. Competition is good and more than one LHS is better.

Rob

HobbyTown USA in Target Shopping Center feels really strange to me. Like they really don't care if I shop there or not. Even though I may be the only customer in the store. So far if I ask about something, they may have a tiny clue, but only a tiny one. Very short answers and little attempt to be helpful. And sometimes they're clueless and I can find what I want without their help - after they tell me they don't carry anything like that. It's like they are into some other hobby than R/C. And perhaps that IS the case. Pehaps it's Dungeons and Dragons, or trains, or plastic scale models.

Anyway I feel much less "comfortable" there than with Rick. I've gotten to the place that I call before going over there to be sure Rick is in, else I don't go that day.

Several times when I've wanted something specific at HobbyTown - One example: Deans Ultra connectors - They did not carry them and had never heard of them. If I have to drive over to R/C Hobbies for one thing out of several I want, probably just buy it all there. As you say, they don't seem to be competing in the electric R/C market. Just selling piles of ARFs and their repair parts.

[ghee-grose]

HobbyTown in Huntsville has fluffed my last feather. They're clearly not in the market to support the electric flyers in town. I know this not from just recent findings but from over two years of association with them. I've even been employed part-time with them for a few months. I've asked for certain products (GWS servos, receivers, and different Lipo batteries for instance) to be stocked there and have not once seen any of those items there other than in a bundle flight pack. Standard replacement parts like GWS gearboxes and replacement motors for the hundreds of GWS planes they've sold have never sat on a shelf or hung on a peg in that store. I don't understand where the disconnect is between the sale of the airplane and the sales that follow with crashes and wear & tear. ??? It seems all they're worried about is selling somebody a plane kit and leaving it up to R/C Hobbies or online shops to provide what's needed to get it in the air and keep it there.

I'm sure you guys will continue to price hunt, as will I, but I think Rick has the monopoly on R/C flight in the HSV area. Online sales will come and go, but I consider it priceless to ask Rick for a certain item and it show up there a few days later for me to get. The only downside I've found in them is the miles between us. :D

[ghee-grose]

Anyway I feel much less "comfortable" there than with Rick. I've gotten to the place that I call before going over there to be sure Rick is in, else I don't go that day.

Several times when I've wanted something specific at HobbyTown - One example: Deans Ultra connectors - They did not carry them and had never heard of them.

Jim, nice timing on the post! :cool:

There's another fella at RCH that's cool to work with. You should be able to remember his name... JIM. He's a little shorter than Rick, a little younger, gray hair, and a mustache. He's second best if Rick's not there. But yeah, I avoid going when Rick isn't there.

HobbyTown used to carry Deans Ultra connectors. A lot of the car/truck guys use them on their packs. They were behind the counter almost directly behind the flight simulator computer at the back. Look for the Deans package.

[Mars Flyer]

I bought some Dean's Ultras at HT not long ago and got some JSTs yesterday. They have most Dubro hardware, balsa (although I get mine at Michael's frequently), ply, CA, and not much else I need. They finally got a pile of Slow Stick props a while back and they are still there. I don't get it. There are lots of guys flying and breaking stuff less than a mile from the store but they don't carry hardly anything. I'd love to see a store catering to electrics on this side of town. HT could do it if they wanted. I don't need any technical advice, just good selection and prices. I get my technical advice from you guys and RCGroups.

Rob

[Jim_Marconnet]

HobbyTown used to carry Deans Ultra connectors. A lot of the car/truck guys use them on their packs. They were behind the counter almost directly behind the flight simulator computer at the back. Look for the Deans package.

Thanks. I have looked for them, and I asked about them specifically. I was told that all connectors were in the locked case below the servos and motors. And that they never heard of Deans connectors...

They probably are right where you've seen them. Guess I could try again, or just order them online, wherever I can get the best delivered price for quite a few females and a few males.

My thought is to standardize on Deans Ultra connectors for all my planes. I know they are good for 40+ amps (overkill!), but I really don't trust the JSTs, and the connectors that came with my Commander IIs pins are already wobbly and seem to make intermittant contact sometimes. I want something bulletproof and standard across all my batteries and chargers. (connector ratings: http://www.hobby-lobby.com/connectors.htm ) I'll probably leave the JSTs on the LiPo pack (also) since they have their own dedicated charger. For the moment I'll have several NiMh packs of various voltages and MaH and just one LiPo pack. Eventually I'd like it to be all LiPos, but I have some leftovers from the Commander IIs; I ran into a used battery deal I simply could not refuse; and of course the two new RTF planes I just bought at Rick's have small light NiMhs that will eventually be available. So realistically the LiPos will likely wait a long time.

[Mars Flyer]

Jim,

The Ultras are great. Just remember to file a little off a corner so you can get a fingernail hold to pull em apart. I use the JSTs on my 2 GWS IPS-powered planes and the Deans on everything else.

You might find that the NiMH batts give you more flexibility. The LiPos have such a large per cell voltage (3.7 v) that some of your existing planes may need to be repropped to get the current right. For example, I considered LiPo for my SmoothE but 2 cells aren't enough and 3 cells are too much. 8 NiMHs are just right. All my planes are brushed motors. The brushless seem to be happy with a wider current range and would work better with the available LiPo combinations.

Rob

[Ken Fidler]

Jim,
Now you understand why I suggested that you go to R/C Hobbies. I have never liked places like Hobbytown, Hobby Box especially when they have little to no experience. Glad you are enjoying your hobby experience at R/C Hobbies.
Ken

[tuberculosis8]

I am unfamiliar with posting and threads. I wanted to know the best place to go for help with getting into RC helicoptors locally. I am in Decatur

[ghee-grose]

Go see Rick, Erik, or Jim at RC Hobbies on Meridian Street in Huntsville!

www.rchobbybarn.com

Phone: 539-1347

[UAGrad2001]

And checkout the comments in our forum. Feel free to post questions and someone is bound to throw their two cents in.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=553994

[Jim_Marconnet]

Gary:

Just a thought, is it about time to close this thread? I doubt Rick will ever have another Grand Opening Sale, much less at a brand new store in Madison :D

HobbyTown USA closed a long time ago.

Randy has joined Rick and the gang at R/C Hobbies on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but we've discussed that great news elsewhere.

I'm still buying Deans Ultra connectors a pack or two at a time at Rick's when I go there.

Life goes on in Rocket City!

[ghee-grose]

Well, the thread was drifting slowly into the history......until......

I'll close it to let it return to dust. ;)