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Day Glow Rats!

Old 02-05-2012, 11:44 AM
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FNG RIDER
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Default Day Glow Rats!

I am concerned for the demise of my favorite hobby, Short Course Trucks.

Recently I read a couple of editorials in RCCA's Short Course Jan editiion,from the Joel Johnson, who is one of the greatest drivers a great ambassador for the sport. Also from Kendall Bennettt CEO A Main Hobbies. The both lambasted the industry for over exploiting a currently very popular racing class.

Joel summarily said the rc industry is employing all its resources at over complicating a class that should be left as an entry level scale appearance class referring to the Short Course Class. He gave for example to demise of past very popular classes such as oval and touring cars. I have been involved in all because initially they were very attractive and fun. The touring cars were introduced by Tamiya, and were beautiful highly realistic touring cars that were at a low price point. Then as the popularity increased the industry intrduced more sophisticated and expensive touring cars, to a point where a pro rolling chassis cost around $500-$600 that were severely technical requiring special set up tools, expensive motor/esc combos and tires that respresented every degree of the temperature scale good for only one run. I had to purchase several sets of tires/wheels good for one race that total over $150. Justexposed the six racing matched battery packs and the generic areo blobs bodies with Day Glow Window frames and the requsite flames. I heard rc race cars described as dayglow rats runnning around a field by a uninitiated spectator. Now this class is dead. and is has oval.

Currently the SC class is very popular and becoming more a more complexed and expensive. I started racing in the stock Slash clash. no mods, stock tires,motors bodies and nicads. I returned recently this class is dead, being replaced by special chassis by Associated and Losi and others. the bodies I see at the track are becoming more and more generic with Day Glow windows and flames. Wheels are introduce with non uniform hub sizes. 12,13 mm etc. what will be next, day glow disc wheels? ugh I hate it. As this class becomes faster and more expensive it moves further away from what a beginner would want to spend to start with. Maybe we hould ban Day Glow windows and Flames!

A highly detailed replica SC truck, with low price point and speed not to kill, is what is needed to attract people to the sport. Who wants to race with a bunch of dayglow rats scurring around the field

It is sad to see this happining again. We all see what is happening, but nothing will be done to prevent the demise of the now popular SC Class. Will this class to the way of the Doo Doo bird and become extinct? Will we be commenting on the good old days when SC racing was affordable and fun?

I have to admit I am duly guilty of falling into buying upgraded chassis and motor/esc combos and wheels and tires.However Iwill not go with the areo generic bodies with day glow window! heh heh!

I have sent a similar blog to RC Action Magezine .
I hope to read you comments!
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Slash 4x4, SC8, Slayer, F103GT, TC3
Old 02-05-2012, 12:51 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

if SC goes the way of the TC's the hobbyist will simply move on to another segment of RC.

iv already lived this a good 3 times. i was around in the late 90's with the TC craze. it got to big and imploded. nitro monster trucks took over as an affordable alternative. monster trucks did the same thing TC's did. mini's got big. drifting showed up. hobbyists were looking for another alternative. then SC showed up. well it looks like SC is going to follow suite. all this hobby has done in the past 10 years is jump fads as a result of out pricing the average hobbyist. but at the same time it's allowed some new and awesome technology to become mainstream with in the hobby.<o></o>

sanctioning body's dictate what dimensions a vehicle can have. manufactures build to those specs. in an attempt to win, cars get more complicated. that's how racing works. it's no different in the 1/1 racing world.<o></o>

spec classes are not the answer. spec classes (at least with RC) don't last long term because they are boring and to limiting and far to many people cheat.
<o></o>
but at the same time open rules allow the cost of technology required to compete to get out of control.
<o></o>
if you have a solution to this im all ears.<o></o>

you want to know why you see more generic body's? it's because the RC manufactures can't replicate a 1/1 truck without a license from the company producing the 1/1 truck. that license costs money and it usually isn't cheap. that eats into profits. it's better (more profitable) for the RC manufacture to spit out generic cookie cutter body's they can play around with the design of for performance reasons. and they all look the same because they have to comply with sanctioning body class rules.<o></o>

there is no perfect balancing point to sustaining the popularity of an RC class. but the class wont totally go away. SC's will just fade into the 1/10 stadium truck and buggy segment and becoming yet another class option in off road racing.<o></o>

stop freaking out and enjoy the ride. embrace change as it happens<o></o>

Old 02-05-2012, 03:25 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

Hooligan thanks fo commenting.

I agree with all you said. But one thin I really hate day glow windows!!!
Old 02-05-2012, 07:54 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

what's a "day glow rat"?
what are "day glow windows"?
Old 02-05-2012, 08:56 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

A real catch 22. Try to stay true to the underlying values of the segment or buy the equipment that will allow you to compete more competitively...

Maybe it's not the cars that should be speced but the drivers. Maybe come up with some standardized way to classify drivers so that rank newbs are racing other newbs, experts against experts, etc.

You could always protest the neon colors by painting a body a solid, drab color - windows and all and then race that, maybe put an LED (or a few) in the roof to keep track of it... Who knows. that might even catch on.
Old 02-05-2012, 09:35 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

Dave
ranking drivers would be a nice thought. I used to race motocross and there would always be some loser intermediate sand bagging in Beginners.

Sometime the there really is no answer to the question.

Kendall Bennett A Main CEO suggest a standardize hex to mount the wheels and limit the super soft tires that are only good for one run. The standard size would allow shops to not have to stock an entire aisle for all the different wheels and make it simpler for the hobbyist to chose a wheel. Also by eliminating the one run super soft race compound would cut the costof buying tire/wheels every time you raced the car.

Joel Johnson suggest that the manufactures shouldlimit the proliferation of technology in certain classes so we can preserve them what made these classes popular in the first place. They look like real cars and are fun.Second keep it simple which like Bennet iterates keeps the cost down for the racer and helps the LHS keep stocking of parts manageable.

I think they are both well intention and nieve. A racer will always want to go faster by better equipment. even a beginner wants the best equipment he can afford. its really up to the tracks to enforce rules limiting the beginner, sadly my track is run what you brung. They used to have a Slah speck class but you can't force racer to buy what yesterdays designs.

I will protest these obscene glow in the dark sc paint jobs by running the stock slash prepainted shell.This will let them all know that the OG Traxxas has just spanked them with a realistic stock paint scheme. heh heh. but I am a dreamer!
Old 02-05-2012, 10:04 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

as far as things being popular and then just going away, just remember going with the flow is what dead fish do, do what YOU think is cool.

im not into racing, too competitive, people get too serious, instead i run in a nice parking lot, bmx park or at the rc track on fun run days.

to me, formula cars are new and cool, absolutly love mine, only two manufactures make them still, tamiya and corally, i own a HPI that is now discontinued. i do want to race in a random on-road day, with good tires and brushless it will go into a turn on rails at 50mph.

once i get the equipment i will show you all what idea i have cooking up for an extra WOW factor.
Old 02-06-2012, 08:17 AM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

Dig deeper into the racing world and you will find that bright colors and directional paints help locate and control these little things on some of the bigger outdoor tracks. I used to hate on them too, until I found the purpose. And lol @ Doo Doo birds and nieve hahaha
Old 02-06-2012, 09:16 AM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

i do agree having some sort of directional paint scheme does help figure out the direction of the nose and does help to some degree, also bright rims also help.

i run my cars at night and tracking them with white wheels and bright colors is easier and makes me less likely to track the car by the sound of plastic hitting cement. i also use a 375lumen micro flashlight from time to time, its almost like a low beam on a car! also back in the day i used a "tirefly" on the top of the reciver tube to keep track of it.
Old 02-06-2012, 09:50 AM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!


ORIGINAL: FahrtAutoRC

Dig deeper into the racing world and you will find that bright colors and directional paints help locate and control these little things on some of the bigger outdoor tracks. I used to hate on them too, until I found the purpose. And lol @ Doo Doo birds and nieve hahaha
LMAO, Please for give my spelling, My enternal spell checker is not the greatest.
I guess evening outdoor racing would be difficult rocking a satin black paint scheme. I had a black car totally dissapearwhen heading away from the drving stand. But back then my reflexes and depth perception was much better, also was racing twice a week either 1/10 mod pan car and F1.

I still enjoy the realistic look. but understand the issues of night racing. I used to run ground effectrs lighting for midnight
drifting sessions at Best Buys. My local track has a night racing class but it hasn't caught on, any lighting would probably get knocked off after casing the supercross jumps and slaming the walls..
Old 02-06-2012, 10:09 AM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!



I agree with you, bashing in general everything goes.

I enjoy the realistic look Formula ! rc racers take it to another level and are anal retentive in recreating the team colors and livery.
Its awsome to see the field at speed.

I just don't like dayglow wheels and dayglow window frames on SC trucks. My rims with redlock ringsstand out very nicely.
Flames? I guess some folks need flames to tell the directiion their car is heading. heh heh!

Old 02-06-2012, 10:38 AM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

what the hell are day glow window frames? what the hell are day glow wheels? what the hell is day glow?

and what's wrong with flames? people have been putting flames on 1:1 cars sense like the 1940's. it's hot rod. crazy grafix made there way onto 1:1 cars in the 50's and came into there own in 60's and 70's do to the custom car and lower rider scenes. if you don't like it that's fine. but some of us do like a paneled lace job with flamesor othergrafix. dream a little man!
Old 02-06-2012, 11:10 AM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

I have never entered an RC race, even tho the hobbyshop is only 15 minutes away.

When I do anything RC, I like to jump right into it. With racing it seems like a bunch of setup and waiting ect till its your turn to race.

Dont get me wrong, the actual racing im sure is a blast. But with the added rules and such it just adds to the stuff that gets in the way of the actual racing.

If I had the money (and land) I would build my own track. Then I could just get some friend together on a sat afternoon and hit the track for racing, without all the un-needed rules and stuff.

This is why I stick to bashing.
Old 02-06-2012, 11:46 AM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

For those who keep asking, day glow, idk, but DayGlo refers to the flourescent colors, the super bright oranges, pinks, neon yellows, etc.
Old 02-06-2012, 12:01 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

ORIGINAL: butt_housed247

what the hell are day glow window frames? what the hell are day glow wheels? what the hell is day glow?
Looking up "day glow" on google I find two relevant results.
1."Dayglo", a pigment manufacturer who specializes in fluorescent colors.
2. "Day Glow", some sort of strange music festival where the audience is splattered with brightly colored paint.

My guess is that the OP strongly dislikes brightly colored parts on RC vehicles. What his reasoning is I haven't the slightest idea.


ORIGINAL: FNG RIDER

....Wheels are introduce with non uniform hub sizes. 12,13 mm etc.
Where have you been? 12mm hex hubs have been around since at least the early 90's.
Old 02-06-2012, 12:11 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

cool, thanks for answering my question.

the guy who started this thread would hate my truck then.  my girlfried painted my evader fasfluorescent pink with faspearl razberry drips. chrome rollbar and carbon fiber in the bed. .  and it's got yellow wheels and fasfluorescnent yellow gear cover on it. 
to each there own, i think it's kinda cool
Old 02-06-2012, 01:03 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

Hey, I used to have the same mentality, every body I touched had to accent body lines, had to flow and look like a stereotype racer. Then I realized the benifits of running something bright, visible and memorable, Especially if you race local and have become friends with 95% of the other racers, it helps having an almost trademarked bright color schemed to tell who you're rubbing fenders with at a glance. Mine have gone from a simple bland thing to, well, look at my avatar haha, and yes, there is some flame pattern there too

ORIGINAL: butt_housed247

the guy who started this thread would hate my truck then. my girlfried painted my evader fasfluorescent pink with faspearl razberry drips. chrome rollbar and carbon fiber in the bed. . and it's got yellow wheels and fasfluorescnent yellow gear cover on it.
to each there own, i think it's kinda cool
Old 02-06-2012, 01:04 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

Grrrr Double Post
Old 02-06-2012, 02:35 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

Welcome to racing. Try bashing, where that isn't an issue at all.
Old 02-06-2012, 02:55 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

idk about that.  try bashing in a large group or hitting some of the more popular bash spots out here.  a bland, dark color or RTR body is not something you really want to have.  i was at a bash spot in Huntington Beach one Saturday morning.  there were 6 rockstar SC10's.  they kept getting there trucks confused and crashing.  one guy got so mad about it he left.  when there's 30 trucks running around high visibility is a necessity.
Old 02-06-2012, 02:58 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

You still avoid dayglow rats though. I don't have the factory body on my NTC3, and even if someone else had a red '78 El-Camino shell on theirs, mine has two maglights ziptied to the roof for night running as well as an OS Engines logo where the license plate goes.

Not difficult to differentiate your car from another basher's without resorting to dayglow blob-shells.


Hell, even in racing you can differentiate yourself. See all those dayglow blob-shells everyone else is running? Run a different shell. You don't need to run Dodge Stratus 9299593894. Try a Saleen S7 body instead. Just as aerodynamic, not dime-a-dozen. Or, paint your blobshell a single solid color, as it will be the only one so painted out there. Or run the shell clear, you're still within ROAR rules but you can easily tell your car from everyone else's because it's the one with the number stickers floating above it.
Old 02-06-2012, 03:28 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

have you ever bashed with a large group?  like say 12+?  that many cars all ripping around at speed.  you start IDing your car by colors cause that's all you can really make out.  with 3 or 4 red cars i bet it would become a little difficult to tell which one was yours.  maglights and all.
i went through that with my RC10B3.  it was the only buggy out there but i had a blue body on it.  when the car is 30+ feet away and moving and there are 5 blue cars over there it gets sketchy.
body style doesn't matter at 30 feet and 30MPH.  its colors you identify.
Old 02-06-2012, 03:30 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

ORIGINAL: butt_housed247

have you ever bashed with a large group? like say 12+? that many cars all ripping around at speed. you start IDing your car by colors cause that's all you can really make out. with 3 or 4 red cars i bet it would become a little difficult to tell which one was yours. maglights and all.
i went through that with my RC10B3. it was the only buggy out there but i had a blue body on it. when the car is 30+ feet away and moving and there are 5 blue cars over there it gets sketchy.
body style doesn't matter at 30 feet and 30MPH. its colors you identify.

I still wouldn't have issue. The maglights are turned on whenever the car is running, and it'd be the only one with headlights turned on in broad daylight. Oh, and yes, you can see those lights during the day, they're quite bright.
Old 02-06-2012, 03:54 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!



if you ever get sick of having maglights on your roof try glow sticks.  they look like a lightbar when they are mounted on the roof.  i did that new years.  was pretty cool.  even with the fog i had really good visibility

Old 02-06-2012, 03:58 PM
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Default RE: Day Glow Rats!

Glowsticks don't project any light out in front of the car, and I have those up there to act as headlights. At night they light stuff up 50-60 feet in front of the car, plenty enough to slide around in my driveway.

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