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Discussion
A warning to beginners: GET OUT NOW
It all starts innocently enough. "hey, I think I'll buy and RC airplane, it looks like fun and I've always wanted to try it" The cost is no longer prohibitive to get into the hobby (especially with electric) so you justify the purchase of a trainer by thinking you spend that much on one date, or beer or some other vice. You have some failures and some success.. You buy some extra battery packs because one pack isn't enough, you want to fly AGAIN and not have to wait for a battery to charge. You break a prop and see a replacement is just a few dollars, no biggie.. Soon you master your trainer and want something with more performance. This is where the problem begins and it only gets worse as time goes on.. After a year you no longer keep track of how much you've spent on the hobby. After two years you don't even want to know. Now you have several planes (or more) and need another charger and more batteries. You watch a video of a plane that's above your abilities and budget but think how awesome it would be to own and fly it.. The following year you splurge and buy your dream plane.. Now you've invested thousands of dollars and that boat or motorcycle you wanted no longer matters, RC is where it's at.. You'd rather fly then spend time with family and you are angry when you miss a good flying day due to other obligations.. Nobody understands your passion except other club members or people on this forum.. My advice is to get out NOW before this happens to you.. You can't go it alone, RC airplanes ARE a disease. Don't wait until you lose everything. Quit NOW.
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Join the A.A.
Airplanes Anonymous, new members welcome |
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Ahhh it's not that bad. I got my 1st RC car in the 70's & have always had a few toys laying around. In the past couple of yrs I've gotten to quads, now planes and to be honest its cheaper than ever if you just keep your " Cool I want now!!!" urges under control. You really want a expensive hobby build a hot rod or better yet buy a hole in the water that you through money into lol
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Yeah. It does settle down after about 20 years....
I called it 20 years because I've got models from that far back which I still fly. Not frequently but at least a few flights annually. And one which I have literally hundreds of flights on is still in one piece but so oil soaked from the glow power that I'm afraid to put it back in the air at this point. Literally the fuselage longerons are oil soaked from exposure at and around the firewall all the way back past the cockpit. It's like a flying oil slick! My two early electric power models built in the late 80's and early 90's are still going strong and will be finally getting brushless conversions this year.... I know, I know..... |
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At a point fairly early in my "career" with RC planes, I always had to have SOMETHING coming in the mail RC related. Batteries, chargers, spare parts, props, accessories, whatever. It seemed like twice a week something would arrive. I would get so impatient waiting for some items it drove me crazy. Once the UPS truck approached my house but drove right by!. I had been expecting a new charger.. I hopped in my car and chased the UPS truck down and asked him if he was SURE he didn't have a package for my address.. LOL.. The charger never came. I had to go on a work trip for a few days, when I got back? still no charger. I started the process of making a claim and then I saw my neighbor outside.. I went out and he said "oh, while you were gone there was a package left at your house inbetween the screen door so I grabbed it and was waiting until I saw you to give it to you.. I had been home for DAYS. I kindly asked the neighbor to just leave any future packages behind the screen door.. I've calmed down a lot since those days but I do miss them. The hobby made me feel like a kid again.
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Haha, it is a great hobby for sure! It CAN very easily be hard on the wallet. I too had packages coming a few times a week for months. I had to stop with that. There will ALWAYS be just that one more thing you need. I have enough building supplies to put together pretty much any ARF, and I have enough batteries plus spares for all my planes. I have rc specific tools, fuel pumps, a starter, multiple glow starters, spark plugs, glow plugs, and on and on and on. Nothing really special that any other modeler wouldn't have, but it's a lot of stuff to acquire.
I have 0 credit card debt, and I won't purchase anything hobby related on credit. I was shocked when I joined my local club and as the conversations went on a fair amount of guys have multiple (5+) credit cards maxed out plus PayPal credit maxed out with all rc stuff. That's one slippery slope I won't be starting down. I have enough planes to fly, and also have other hobbies I enjoy. So it's safe to say my buying has tapered off to random things here and there. I'm sure I will purchase at least 1 kit this fall so I have something to do in the winter :-) |
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LOL^^^ I like that one.
I started up again with trucks a year and a half ago after being out for a couple decades. Took my stock brushed peded through 3 motor swaps, multiple other ugrades etc.. and within 3 months had a truck that was stupid lol. breaks 90 mph without too much effort and gets beat on regular. Last x-mas bought my kid a sport cub s... Well by last June I couldnt take it and got a mini apprentice. Now 7 planes and 2 helicopters later I am realizing my mistake HAHA. Several large warbirds are not enough. Not I want 1 twin 64mm A-10 and an F-18.. But then I am going to have to get at least one more warbird, cause 2 P-51's and a Corsair just dont cut it.. Of course a Zero and a P-47 might fit the bill... And then there are the new choppers, the 230s is a blast, the 450 is still a little scary but gosh, wouldnt a 600 be pretty cool!!!! |
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