09-28-2022, 08:02 PM
Wasn't really sure where to put this thread, so I'll put it here for now, and if someone feels it needs to be moved to a more appropriate place then please feel free to do so.
Just curious if anyone here is into Radio Controlled (RC) hobbies? (i.e. cars, trucks, aircraft, drones, etc.)
I suspect many of us may be into drones in one fashion or another, but this post is really more about the 'hobby' aspect of RC'ing...(more so than about using drones for things like photography, etc.). I kind of view the drone thing more as a 'utility' now, as opposed to a 'hobby' (FPV racing being a big exception). Anyway, enough about drones as they weren't my point for the OP.
Recently, I sort of stumbled into RC Rock Crawlers (off-road type vehicles which climb rocks and terrain like the real thing). I've never really been into RC'ing really. I did dabble in RC helicopters for a while (but that was before drones). Anyway, some of these RC rock crawlers are fantastically capable, surprisingly so! As a lifelong off-road enthusiast for real, I never thought I would get into anything like scale models doing the same thing. Then, (as noted) I sort of stumbled into the world of RC rock crawlers. The first thing which struck me was how just about everything you do translates directly into real life rock crawling, AND much of the same "what if" experimentation can be applied directly to real life (RL) vehicles...except failures are a whole lot less expensive!!
There are two main scales used in the hobby, 1:10 and 1:24. There are other scales, but those are the two main ones where the majority of aftermarket parts are available. For those unfamiliar, a 1:24 (or "24 scale" as it is termed) vehicle is about 8" +/- long, 4" wide and 4-5" tall, and they weigh about a pound (give or take). A '10 scale' vehicle is considerably larger at about 16" long, 8" wide and roughly 8" tall, and these generally weigh several pounds (3-5 lbs). Prices scale accordingly. As a general rule, the 10 scale models are best suited for outdoor use, and the 24 scale models can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Not knowing if I'd really be interested in the hobby, I initially chose to purchase a 24 scale vehicle (primarily for cost reasons.) OMG! I am just stunned at how fun these things are! They are a total blast! And, the realism factor is just off the rails! Without going into a whole lot of detail, I initially purchased a 1967 Chevy shortbed pickup from Axial (brand). On day #1, right out of the box, I was having fun. Now, just a few weeks later, and with some very minor tweaks, my skills and capabilities have gone absolutely exponential. Plus (possibly 'worse'), now I'm already in the process of building custom 'ground-up' builds.
From a purely "hobby" perspective, the RC crawler hobby is 10/10 on the fun-meter. It's technical (something I very much am, and like). It can be as complex as you want to make it. It's very realistic, almost shockingly so (I took a close-up video and it's very difficult to tell it from the real thing).
Anyway, I just thought I'd check and see if any other members here are into this kind of thing.
P.S. When I say 'realistic', here's some of the things I mean... Tire sidewalls wrinkling and buckling over obstacles exactly like the do on a real 4 wheeler, beadlock rims to keep tires on the wheels at very low pressures, body rocking motions at exactly the same rates you'd expect, spring bounce at the same rates, suspension flexing, very realistic slow movement (no crazy bouncing and flipping around). It's definitely not 'kids stuff' with these things.
Just curious if anyone here is into Radio Controlled (RC) hobbies? (i.e. cars, trucks, aircraft, drones, etc.)
I suspect many of us may be into drones in one fashion or another, but this post is really more about the 'hobby' aspect of RC'ing...(more so than about using drones for things like photography, etc.). I kind of view the drone thing more as a 'utility' now, as opposed to a 'hobby' (FPV racing being a big exception). Anyway, enough about drones as they weren't my point for the OP.
Recently, I sort of stumbled into RC Rock Crawlers (off-road type vehicles which climb rocks and terrain like the real thing). I've never really been into RC'ing really. I did dabble in RC helicopters for a while (but that was before drones). Anyway, some of these RC rock crawlers are fantastically capable, surprisingly so! As a lifelong off-road enthusiast for real, I never thought I would get into anything like scale models doing the same thing. Then, (as noted) I sort of stumbled into the world of RC rock crawlers. The first thing which struck me was how just about everything you do translates directly into real life rock crawling, AND much of the same "what if" experimentation can be applied directly to real life (RL) vehicles...except failures are a whole lot less expensive!!
There are two main scales used in the hobby, 1:10 and 1:24. There are other scales, but those are the two main ones where the majority of aftermarket parts are available. For those unfamiliar, a 1:24 (or "24 scale" as it is termed) vehicle is about 8" +/- long, 4" wide and 4-5" tall, and they weigh about a pound (give or take). A '10 scale' vehicle is considerably larger at about 16" long, 8" wide and roughly 8" tall, and these generally weigh several pounds (3-5 lbs). Prices scale accordingly. As a general rule, the 10 scale models are best suited for outdoor use, and the 24 scale models can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Not knowing if I'd really be interested in the hobby, I initially chose to purchase a 24 scale vehicle (primarily for cost reasons.) OMG! I am just stunned at how fun these things are! They are a total blast! And, the realism factor is just off the rails! Without going into a whole lot of detail, I initially purchased a 1967 Chevy shortbed pickup from Axial (brand). On day #1, right out of the box, I was having fun. Now, just a few weeks later, and with some very minor tweaks, my skills and capabilities have gone absolutely exponential. Plus (possibly 'worse'), now I'm already in the process of building custom 'ground-up' builds.
From a purely "hobby" perspective, the RC crawler hobby is 10/10 on the fun-meter. It's technical (something I very much am, and like). It can be as complex as you want to make it. It's very realistic, almost shockingly so (I took a close-up video and it's very difficult to tell it from the real thing).
Anyway, I just thought I'd check and see if any other members here are into this kind of thing.
P.S. When I say 'realistic', here's some of the things I mean... Tire sidewalls wrinkling and buckling over obstacles exactly like the do on a real 4 wheeler, beadlock rims to keep tires on the wheels at very low pressures, body rocking motions at exactly the same rates you'd expect, spring bounce at the same rates, suspension flexing, very realistic slow movement (no crazy bouncing and flipping around). It's definitely not 'kids stuff' with these things.
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