Len Todd
Posts: 194
Score: 100
Joined: 7/16/2012
Last Login: 5/23/2013
From: Baldwin, MI, USA
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: warbird_1
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in short .. hardley anyone builds anymore because ARF's have made most lazy .
Not hardly!
I started with Micro BNF planes, Then I moved into Micro BNF Helis. Then I got into BNF 450 Helis. Then I came back to Parkflyer BNF planes. Then, I built two Giant ARFs. Last year, I essentially spent all my time "building," repairing and learning how to fly all of these. I am a member of five clubs and fly with most of them weekly, during flying season. When I am not with a club, I have been out at our airport flying by myself. I have even been out there in 20+mph winds and snow coming down horizontally. With only one year, I consider myself a rookie. But, I have a solid year of experience flying and unfortunately repairing a few of the above aircraft. Given this year's experience, the fact that I am the lead organizer for a three-day air show/fun-fly event (www.wmrce.com), established a new AMA Club (AMA #5117), obtained a legal agreement for our flying field, currently organizing and planning to build that field and I am the Village's chairperson for two of the four Village committees I sit on, this BNF/ARF builder hardly feels lazy!
Also, to be frank about your "lazy" satement, it is the attitude that some kit builders express about kit and scratch building being "the only way to go," and how they imply that they are holier than thou, etc. etc. for being "a builder" that drives newcomers away from the hobby! That B.S. Kit Builder's attitude is one of the reasons that initially kept me from doing a kit. But, it is not the only reason. I can pull my BNFs out of the box and be flying in < 5 minutes. Also, I hate frogging around with temperamental engines. I go to the field to fly, not troubleshoot an engine. I do not have the time nor patience to kit or scratch build. The ARFs take me to my personal outer limits. But it is the "attitude" in question that really turns me off. ( Disclaimer: By the way, not all kit/scratch builders are this way.)
Essentially these guys with the holier than thou kit builder attitudes push away newcomers who are willing to try something new, but not willing to put up with the scrooges of the hobby! Nothing personal about this. This is just what I have seen out there this year, and how I, among other newcomers, react to that B.S. when we see/hear it. In my case, I usually just consider the source. In the case of younger people, they typically stay away from the source (i.e. not become club members, etc.).
I saw the same B.S. happen to the Amateur Radio community years ago. All the “ real Hams” hated that hobby's "Black Rice Boxes", which replaced kit and scratch radio building. They "put down" the hams that bought and used them! But, those Black Rice Boxes are still here and most hams are using them. So are our ARFs and BNF Parkflyers. When you only have a few minutes to fly, all one has to do is pull out a plane, plug in the battery and fly. And for BNF, you do not have to use a cheesy Transmitter. Also, you are not going to lose a flying field over the “obnoxious buzz” of nitro engines, etc. Do not get me wrong here. I like the sound of a good throaty engine. But there is a place for everything, and some fields (e.g. close to homes, etc.) are better off w/o nitros.
Also, (kind of back to the topic) I can't figure out what a >$1K JR would give me, that I would use, that my <$400 DX8s won't. And given the other junk I have tried to fly with, Spektrum has IMHO the best technology and support out there. And then, ... the JR owners are plugging in modules to get DSMX or some form of it? Why not just get the Spektrum Transmitter and be done with it? I'd bet you could save a lot of frustration and $s! Probably would wind up with something more reliable too! Also, as I heard one of my Futa.. loyal friends last week say, "Looks like I am going to have to get a Spektrum transmitter just so I can get some of the neater BNF planes." He also flies micros, parkflyers and giants.
Sometimes when **** at the field, I pull out a micro or parkflyer, when the winds die down, and fly it with just as much pride. Many times, that has been when the open minded guys come over and start asking the rookie questions about electrics and parkfliers' fight characteristics. If you really want to blow their hair back, you eventually talk about Spektrum's Flight Logging and Telemetry, etc. Next thing you know, the club has another new Spektrum user!
So much for the rant. This particular attitude thing was a topic at one of the meetings I was at today. So I put the cards on the table. Sorry. But if you don't like seeing this, maybe I am writing about you. ??  And, ... at least this "lazy" person took the time to hopefully fully explain another viewpoint about ARFs and BNF.
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DMSS and DMSX - 
