ORIGINAL: HighPlains
I've been at this for a very long time too, 36 years of RC with another 10 of U-control before than. Most trainers have the tank too low for a good needle setting, so one needs to set richer than what you would if the tank was in the correct positon. I see far more sport fliers cook their engines than I ever see operate them correctly. Most instructors are clueless too, since they only do what they were taught.
Setting the motor rich causes it to get "cooked"? If a motor is indeed running rich then it's exactly the opposite of being "cooked". Running a motor rich causes it to run cooler because of the excess liquid running through the engine removes heat from the engine. It's when an engine is ran too lean that it gets cooked.
You might re-read where I was talking about IDLE and the effects of varish. Plus, from some of the posts here, some are beginners for a very long time.
Ok, let's step back and read the whole statement you made about the idle
Idle, you set by how it responds to throttle. Usually, most engines will need to be leaned slightly after the engine break-in. Slightly is about 1/16 to 1/8 of a turn.
If you start having trouble with the idle, it could be the plug, or the engine is getting varnished and needs cleaning. Crock pot and antifreeze works the best. Look it up to find out more with the search function.
Ok, I don't see anywhere that you state the effects of varnish on the idle. You make the statement that the "engine is getting varnished", but you said nothing about how it effects the idle. As it is I will stand behind my statement that the varnish on the engine has nothing to do the situation at hand.
Most instructors are clueless too, since they only do what they were taught.
Well thank you so much for setting that straight as I was clueless about it. Oh yeah, that figures because I'm an instructor.
Regardless of how long you have been in the hobby I will ask if YOU are an instructor. Are you?? Do you take the time out to pass down the huge wealth of knowledge to new people in the hobby??? If you do then I will say good job for helping. If you don't then I will tell you that you're not part of the solution you are part of the problem. Those that take the time out to help new people in the hobby both at the flying field and here on RCU deserve a huge pat on the back. It takes an incredible amount of time out of somebodies day to teach a new student, and those that do so do it because they LOVE this hobby and want to share that with new people. They spend an incredible amount of time here on RCU in this forum answering the questions of the beginners as they get started in this hobby, often time answering the same questions over and over again. Once again, they do this because of a love for this hobby. It's the new people getting in the hobby that keep this hobby going, trust me that without them the hobby would dry up and be gone. I can assure you that the hobby manufacturers would not be investing time and money into this market if there wasn't a prospective group of buyers coming up. They wouldn't stay here if were only the "old farts" left in the hobby. They would close up shop and do something else. So it's the new people that keep us more experienced flyers in new products (or any products at all). The new people need to be taught. Who's going to do it?? Are you teaching them??? I suggest you pick up a buddy box and teach these new people how to fly. But if you're not doing that then I suggest that you back off from attacking the instructors. This is the wrong forum to come into and bash instructors in, because most of the experienced people that frequent this forum ARE instructors that spend a large amount of time helping new people get started.
Ken