New at this so please bear with me

[Michael Lewis]

Good Idea Michael,,lets all have a nice cool drink,I like olives too and not that kool aid stuff,,yuk lol It's often too easy to write/read context the wrong way and insult or feel insulted, often without intent , I do see Frank's point about what makes you feel better about yourself,,I too have a 7 year old phone,that I don't even use for the internet ,the small screen,lack of a real k/board and the app stuff , flakey probs and bugs does my head in,lol but,I learned to build my own pc,years ago and built a few,,loaded with both win xp and win 7 and I can maintain it and fix most probs,which happen very rarely.
And I definitely see your point Michael,and appreciate your expereince with flight and boats,,all the hassle with clip boards and/or radio impounds,,Hell,,I remember some guy's boat being out of control, because someone turned their radio on without thinking,and another time someone/s radio in the impound tent had been left on or accidentally switched on,,I will be learning to embrace the 2.4 system,with its many different options and adjustability,memory,as I can't find any FM 36Mhz receivers(old flight frequency used in Australia) for my old transmitter to get another boat running,,otherwise I would just use my old stuff lol and Yes,,we should all appreciate each others experiences.alternatives and suggestions

Thanks Rod,I really don't think old is bad. He'll I'm 63 myself. I remember when we used to make cooling coils for are aircraft motors to run in our boats and our drive dogs tightened onto our flex shafts, if it spun on the shaft no more prop lol. I am by no means into all the technology offered today. I can set up a boat or plane, no problem but the radio is something that I have my problems with. I joined this site for the knowledge and camaraderie that it instills. My father used to tell us when listening to someone older to sit on your but and keep your mouth shut and you might learn something and as usual he was right. Would enjoy the opportunity to sit and talk sometime if a time arises. You can bring the olives and I'll supply the rest.lol

 

[Wasted wages]

I got into this hobby in my early 20's and it was fun!!! I got out of it in my late 40's because it quit being fun trying to keep up with the Jones's..... Every week or month some new or expensive thing replacing existing technology because manufacturers no longer supported existing items.

This is a HOBBY dammit.... it's not a race to see who can spend the most money... and if that's the case then I'm out. I like racing,,going to races, enjoying the sport, being with good friends etc. But I am not going to fall back in to that trap a second time...I will be content to just go to fun runs and play days testing...

Spending mega bucks for the sake of change just seems stupid to me.....and forced obsolescence just makes it worse...It doesn't bother me the slightest to have to put a clip on my antenna or change a crystal to run a boat....

priorities,, you know what I mean??

 

[Jeff Barnes]

You can use any radio you want all I was saying was I been back racing for 2 years after a 25 year of not racing when I left racing in the nineties you did not turn you radio on without a clip I come back 2 years ago and everybody was starting there boats under there canopy and I haven't seen a clip board at all in 2 years of racing I bought a used 4PX for 225 and it holds a 40 boat memory I love it no more changing crystals one radio runs all my boats Jeff Barnes

 

[Michael Lewis]

I got into this hobby in my early 20's and it was fun!!! I got out of it in my late 40's because it quit being fun trying to keep up with the Jones's..... Every week or month some new or expensive thing replacing existing technology because manufacturers no longer supported existing items.

This is a HOBBY dammit.... it's not a race to see who can spend the most money... and if that's the case then I'm out. I like racing,,going to races, enjoying the sport, being with good friends etc. But I am not going to fall back in to that trap a second time...I will be content to just go to fun runs and play days testing...

Spending mega bucks for the sake of change just seems stupid to me.....and forced obsolescence just makes it worse...It doesn't bother me the slightest to have to put a clip on my antenna or change a crystal to run a boat....

priorities,, you know what I mean??

I agree with you on the hobby aspect. Ito don't sped alot if I don't have to. The part I loved best was helping newcomers and showing them different little tricks for little or no money at all. Racing on the other hand is usually more pricey. Modified boats,motors and hulls cost,this is true. I generally have more fun on weekends running with a local club and helping to teach younger boaters. I was also an instructor at our flying field. I remember one young man saved and saved for a plane. His flying got better but landing were rough and he broke his prop. I kept putting my props on his plane so he could get better and not lose interest. I'll bet he went through 80 bucks worth of my props,but he kept flying. Money spent that way is well worth it . Did the same for our boat club also. Racing of any type usually takes bucks,but racing is going to bring with it more technology which usually cost more.

 

[Rod Fonda]

I started with control line flying/building combat wing planes around 15,,with an OS Max .25,,usually annoying the neighbours near the local park on most weekends with open exhausts lol,mostly for fun,,no clubs or competing,all I knew about engines, was the basics and that you had either OS Max,,Enya,and the pros had super tigers,,then I slacked off to play with dirt bikes and chase girls and for years haha,,At around age 27 ,I started a new toolsetting job and met a tether car and control line speed guy,,I drooled over his Dooling .61 cars,,OPS and Rossi speed engines,,and learned what the terms,ABC, schnuerle port, twin ballrace, rear induction meant,,Thats when I got inspired,and decided to try rc boats as you used racing engines,any nitro content,and easier to find water,rather than the risk of flying rc planes,or having to travel to legit flying fields,,and to me,it was all about a screaming racing engine lol,,my first boat,was a multi hull mono,with a converted 7.5 Kand B outboard to inboard,with the housing turned 90 deg,,but the boat didn't handle turning well,,joined a club and learned a lot,,and bought a sprintcat hull,,purchased a crank,housing and disc valve off a club guy to convert the Kand B,and thats when I started racing,,My legs would shake with the speed and fear of hitting a boat or dead boat or imbarassing myself lol
As Frank mentions about keeping up with the jones's,,most of the guys ran OPS,with 3-4 channel radios,then you had the passionate,hard working competitive money guys,and kudos to them,that ran CMBs,and ,travelled to the US of A for the latest and greatest,as info wasn't shared easily back then,like now,,I'm talking around 1990-95
My boats were never the fanciest,usually plain looking,but functional(I'm a lazy ***,avg wage guy lol),,persisted with modding the old KandB, made my own ex throttle,,50% nitro and started winning races,with just a 2 channel AM 29mhz buggy radio,,the look on the faces of the OPS/CMB guys was priceless,,the Jones's not keeping up with the McDufas haha,,I loved it,,they hated me,even made fun of me or my boats,,I suppose you will always have the" just for fun guys" and the cutting edge,competitve guys..I am blown out and do appreciate the level or ingenuity,commitment and detail to boat building by a lot of guys,and also the top names of the hobby, I have seen on this site,

 

[Rod Fonda]

You can use any radio you want all I was saying was I been back racing for 2 years after a 25 year of not racing when I left racing in the nineties you did not turn you radio on without a clip I come back 2 years ago and everybody was starting there boats under there canopy and I haven't seen a clip board at all in 2 years of racing I bought a used 4PX for 225 and it holds a 40 boat memory I love it no more changing crystals one radio runs all my boats Jeff Barnes

Good points Jeff,,and the many more options you have with the modern stuff,I also left in the nineties,and getting back into it recently,I will try and overcome my fear of modern electronics/processors and reliability lol, as I'm looking into buying.probably a 6 channel stick with a dial for mixture so I can get more boats running,,cheers

 

[Michael Lewis]

I started with control line flying/building combat wing planes around 15,,with an OS Max .25,,usually annoying the neighbours near the local park on most weekends with open exhausts lol,mostly for fun,,no clubs or competing,all I knew about engines, was the basics and that you had either OS Max,,Enya,and the pros had super tigers,,then I slacked off to play with dirt bikes and chase girls and for years haha,,At around age 27 ,I started a new toolsetting job and met a tether car and control line speed guy,,I drooled over his Dooling .61 cars,,OPS and Rossi speed engines,,and learned what the terms,ABC, schnuerle port, twin ballrace, rear induction meant,,Thats when I got inspired,and decided to try rc boats as you used racing engines,any nitro content,and easier to find water,rather than the risk of flying rc planes,or having to travel to legit flying fields,,and to me,it was all about a screaming racing engine lol,,my first boat,was a multi hull mono,with a converted 7.5 Kand B outboard to inboard,with the housing turned 90 deg,,but the boat didn't handle turning well,,joined a club and learned a lot,,and bought a sprintcat hull,,purchased a crank,housing and disc valve off a club guy to convert the Kand B,and thats when I started racing,,My legs would shake with the speed and fear of hitting a boat or dead boat or imbarassing myself lol
As Frank mentions about keeping up with the jones's,,most of the guys ran OPS,with 3-4 channel radios,then you had the passionate,hard working competitive money guys,and kudos to them,that ran CMBs,and ,travelled to the US of A for the latest and greatest,as info wasn't shared easily back then,like now,,I'm talking around 1990-95
My boats were never the fanciest,usually plain looking,but functional(I'm a lazy ***,avg wage guy lol),,persisted with modding the old KandB, made my own ex throttle,,50% nitro and started winning races,with just a 2 channel AM 29mhz buggy radio,,the look on the faces of the OPS/CMB guys was priceless,,the Jones's not keeping up with the McDufas haha,,I loved it,,they hated me,even made fun of me or my boats,,I suppose you will always have the" just for fun guys" and the cutting edge,competitve guys..I am blown out and do appreciate the level or ingenuity,commitment and detail to boat building by a lot of guys,and also the top names of the hobby, I have seen on this site,

Small world, like you I started with control l
ine flying and then the girls and bikes. The boats were where I really wanted to be though. With growing up on the water and my dad racing for mercury boats were a natural for me,but my dad didn't care for that kind of stuff so I had to go it alone. Thankfully rc boat clubs were there and as a kid I would go to watch them run and ask a lot of questions.sometimes aggrevating them I'm sure. I later got into electrics. Back then it was hot car motors and Hughey gear drives and a lot of trial and error. All because guys like you Jeff, Frank , Ed and all the others that love this sport and are willing to help other with so much time and knowledge. I also also appreciate you guys guys jumping in on the new guy and getting my feet wet.