hobbybobby789

Hate to rant to you guys on my first post but im getting impatient with ths bobby. This hobby is starting to get on my nerves. Nothing is standardized. Batteries use different plugs, tx rx use different batteries based on brand. Brushless motors that use too much amperage for the ESC and the outrageuos prices $130 dollars for a high amp ESC. That is ridiculous. The item probably costs $ 15.00 to make. Again with standards, tx and rx that are not compatible, positvie shift versus negative shift. Servos for different makers, are you guys kidding me??Adapters for every item that is made. Adapt to this so that you can adapt to that. Your gonna have adapters hanging out of every orifice of your body. Thats the thing, all manufacturers have their own standards and build everything that forces you to buy thier products. We as hobbyist allow this to happen as far as i know there is no standards set by any organization, and by what we continue to buy. I just bought a airplane glow engine and come to find that the prop hole is too small so i have to buy a reamer which not only cost me more money but the HSwas out of reamers. Ive had my engine 2 weeks and still havent gotten it started because there tons of nick nacks that i have to buy. Of course i should have done the home work in advanced but it should be easier for a beginner to get into the hobby. The makers should know that this prevents alot of newcomers from venturing too far into it as things just keep adding up to just even get the engine started. Thats not even considering putting the thing into the sky, It should be a fun and painless process which for me hasnt been the case. Yes there is a standard propeller hole size yet the maker of my engine decided to make a bigger shaft. And then i must enlarge the hole not knowing if it is perfect and whether it gets screwed up. Not being someone who is a pro carpenter or builder of whatever it is, yet im prety handy with mechinics. How about the guys or women who dont know too much mechanical then there up the tree. Forget about kids.
After putting my plane into the sky is hope that all the hardships will be worth it and i end up enjoying this hobby as much as my other hobbies. Such as fishing which is a cheap to get into and to continue. Or the shooting sports. Now that is a hobby where most everything is standardized. Although technically the ammuntion of different makers vary ever so slightly and the makers of firearms also vary you can safely use ammo calibers specified for that particular firearms without worry of compatibility. Im glad theres no mumbo jumbo of incompatiilty in that industry. There are professional and unversal standards in the gun industry that was thought out from the start which allows simple use. Not manufacturers coming up with thier own standards which forces u to buy thier products. It doesnt matter which brand it is you can shoot it in your gun for same caliber. Ahh reloading ammo straight forward and simple with specs that if you follow then you are safe. Try that with explosive lipo batteries. Not only is reloading simple and easy it allows you to cut cost of ammo in half. The hobby industry will try to double the expense for everything
Im quite intelligent and the rc hobby is seemingly overwhelming just putting things together. I feel sorry for those who are not quite intelligent.
Again the bottom line is if we allow the makers of these hobby planes and cars to have outrageous prices and no standardization then it will just get worse. Added that theres not much competition then that trend will continue.

beachyboy429

I do agree with you very much. Its very overwhelming because of all the little variants of everything and it would be MUCH easier if there wasa standardized this and that.

i also agree its difficult to get everything to fit but i think once you have your plane(s) and know their requirments, then buying parts wont be as bad. it just takes some getting used to.

thats why im going with an RTF to start with so i can get all my stuff and be RTF quick and while im learning how to get better at flying and messing around with my plane, i'll get more familiar with everything

it takes time!

draftman1

well thats R/C!    its really not that bad.   once you get the hang of it, it starts becoming normal

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

How do you feel about the more intelligent?

Crash Campbell

Hi hobbybobby,

Most of what you say in your rant is correct or at least in part correct. I have been involved in building and flying model aircraft for over fifty years and derive great enjoyment from problem solving whilst buildingwhich usually culminates in a model that gives great enjoyment when it takes to the air for the first time. If you are unable to problem solve, improvise and adapt and enjoy these processes I don't think this is the hobby for you as your frustration will overpower any enjoyment you may derive from this pursuit. It's supposed to be fun.

Cheers,

Colin

ro347

My Feedback: (13)

Its alot tot take in at first. But then you figure it all out! BREATHE!!!!!!

playntraffic

It is a hobby. Relax and enjoy.

Things that work on a parkflyer do not work on a 40%'er. There are brand loyalties and patents. Learn all you can before you purchase.

You could always go fishing while you wait for your prop reamer

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

The hobby is worth it.

There are forums like this to ask questions, people like us to help each other out, and clubs to help you learn to fly your plane.

Nothing that flies is easy; we are hundreds, thousands, and even millions of years behind nature, yet we are progressing at a very rapid rate. Because the way technology is developed, things change. Lipos may seem a little scary, but think about the amount of energy and what you can do with that light weight, little battery pack, and think about what you would be trying to use 5 years ago.

Manufacturers and companies want you to use their product, that's a business thing. I have a set of $1200 Volkl skis, and I am limited to one single brand of bindings to hold the skis to my feet, and I don't even like Marker (binding co.) - now you're essentially talking about life and death and you (I) don't even have a choice as to what binding company to trust my life to.

Some things are there for a reason - with a prop reamer you can get your prop to fit a range of engine sizes. If you were to standardize the prop shaft, you would be either sacrificing strenght of grossly over designing the engine, both of which could be costly.

Anyway, you will get familiar with things and it will make more sense, and you will know what works and what doesn't. You will end up with lots of extra parts which can be annoying at first, but next thing you know you're able to make modifications, try new things, equip a new plane or help a friend out.

A large part of this hobby is building, repairing, and modifying. We fight gravity 100% of the time we fly and mother nature doesn't like to lose; things happen, we accept it, and we have fun with it (sure with a little rant here and there, we're human).

Please feel free to ask lots of questions and ask for guidance on anything. There are over 300,000 people on this forum to help and be helped, and most of the time you can get an answer within minutes. I'm really new at this (one year) but I have been helped and guided tremendously by people on this site - some of who I've met in person - and I hope to help another new comer the same if I can.

Flying airplanes is A LOT of FUN. Join a club, make some friends, soak in the outside, and play with airplanes.

Good luck, and Welcome!

Phoenixangel

I am sorry you had a tough start, I had much the same. Looking back I would have started a lot different.

I agree with you that it is a pain with all of the options out there, I however like to think that the competition between brands gives us all a better quality product regardless of what you choose. I for one chose to get started with the ready to fly packaged trainer plane, it came with everything needed to fly all in one box. I needed fuel and a glow driver. My first flight was done with a home made squeeze bottle fueling system and a chicken stick for a starter.
This hobby will quickly baffle and upset almost anyone, the first time you loose a plane will break your heart.

The first time you maiden your first kit, built by you plane, well all of that other crap that ticked you off will go away. Yes this hobby can be a huge pain. If you start to read a lot in this forum you will find a theme to almost every piece of advice for someone getting into the hobby for the first time.

It will help absolutely every new pilot more then anything else you will read on this website,it would have already saved you money, time, headaches and a tough start in what is an extremely rewarding and fun hobby.
Once you are interested, go find a club, watch those guys fly, ask questions, and above all let them help. I have yet to meet anyone in this hobby that is not willing to help another get started. From watching, to building, to flying, to knowing where the best hobby shops and the best prices are.
ask about what you truly need to spend money on and what you do not.
I learned all of this the hard way myself.

Good luck to you and feel free to post here and ask anything and everything there will always be help.

hobbybobby789

I was not meaning that i am more intelligent than anybody. The fact of life is there are people who are not as sharp as others. It all goes back to the point of ease of use for the beginners, lets make it easy to start up for everyone. At the same time whoever it may be could get the hang of what i was stating before easier then i have, intelligence is not everything. Of course there are people who I am more intelligent than and there are people more intelligent than me, I think that you would agree with that for youself also. Were all strangers here so i think thats a moot point.<input type="hidden" id="gwProxy"></input><input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" />

hobbybobby789

I agree with everybody that the end result will be worth all of the frustration and more. Iwas just kind of frustrated that my HSwas out of reamers and i was all over the plavce like home depot, advanced auto, even freight and harbor to find a 7mm drill bit to match my super tigre prop shaft. The HSguy said that i can use a drill bit for plastic props so im hoping that hes told me the truth. What got me frustrated more was that no body carries metric and everything is standard. I agree that i need to relax a bit and try to have more fun as its the whole point of the hobby. At the same time im usually not easily frustrated but like everybody we have our times. <input type="hidden" id="gwProxy"></input><input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" />

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

There's not much standardize in shooting either. So you can shoot any brand of ammo in any brand of gun, as long as the caliber matches, well you can also burn any brand of fuel in any brand of engine, regardless of size. Beretta mags don't fit Glocks, Ruger grips don't fit Smiths, etc. So what exactly is standardized about that?

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Using an ordinary drill bit to drill out prop hubs gives poor results.  There are some very specialised drill bits that can do it, but they are almost impossible to find.  They have a bullet shaped pilot nose that fits the 1/4" hole common in props.

Adui

Hi,

First, I feel your pain, have patience, get to a local club, it will get better if you get a more experienced flier to help you(There i go again sounding like the guys I used to silently curse when I was new so many.. um weeks ago? Actually its been about a year since I soloed)

Second, consider this: If they made it much easier how many of those not so intelligent folks you mention would go buy everything, and go fly on there own in a totally innapropriate area and get gurt or hurt someone? The difficulty, as it has been said, is part of the enjoyment. It also forces a new person to get at least a little help before going it alone. (Too bad more people who fly arent willing to help the new guy more) After all, How many things did you ever take up that were easy, and you still enjoy them after a time?

I encourage you to step back, take a deep breath, and go at it again slowly, let each minor inconvenience (Dagnabit this wont fit now I need ANOTHER tool/part/device!) become a learning experience, and a challenge you enjoy acomplishing. If you do this, I promise you will enjoy the hobby as much as most of us do.

Oh yea, welcome to the addiction.

RC club meeting: "Hi, my name is Terry and Im addicted to RC airplanes"

RegFlyer

here are my 2 cents,

I own a car, there are many things that i have to think about everyday when it comes to that car, what octaine gas, tires, brake, oil, if my at the right psi in my tires. there is no standard for all that. the key to anything is understanding and asking if you dont understand. 

brett65

My Feedback: (18)

I guess I should've been hacked off that GM parts were not interchangeable with my Mustang, after all a small block chevy is cheaper to build than a small block ford.

Ammo is the fuel of guns and fuel is interchangeable between practically all RC engines that use the same type of fuel or caliber of ammo. Outside of an AR-15 hardly any guns parts can interchange. Colts,Uberti,Vaqueros are all different and even 1911 .45s need the right magazine or they won't function properly. Trust me I know.

Hobby doesn't imply that its easy or everyone would be doing it. I like the challenge and the fact that I get to put my ingenuity to work in figuring out a solution. Its good for the kids, they'll learn something. Unlike how some schools give A's for effort and trophies to all the little leauge teams no matter how crappy the work or careless they were.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

The feeling you get flying your wondeful new bird.......................................pricele ss !!

Campgems

The RC hobby is as "Standardized" and any aspect in life today.  Take our, (US) pride and joy, our car.  How many Honda parts fit a Chevolet., How many Ford parts fit a Plymoth.   There are some standardazied, sorta parts, light bulbs and tires.  Of course, even there there are differences. 

Glow engines standardized on a 1/4-32 glow plug thread.  Didn't use to be this way.  Props start life with a 1/4" bore becauce there are so many different engines that the prop may fit.  Just like tires on a car.  While one size tire may fit on several brands of cars. the wheels won't.  Look at the requirement to ream your porp to fit your engine as the wheels.  Same difference

If standardization was trully carried out.  There would be only one color of covering avaiable, Cub Yellow.  Everyone at the field would have to wait for the guy flying to land because they couldn't tell the other guys plane from theirs.  Just think of it, at the end of the day flying you wouldn't know which car to get into because they all looked exactly alike.  You would have to strart "customizing" your plane,  Put a number on the wing so at least you knew which one was yours on the ground.  Wad up a McDonalds Bag and throw it in the back seat of your car.  No that won't work,  Every one likes McDonald's,  it's the Standard, and everyone has a bag thrown ith their back seat.

Back to reality, the engines, radios, and planes are seldom "Made in the USA" anymore.  In fact almost none of them are, if any.   So, given that the US is a major hold out on the Metric system, the world standard is different from the US standard.  This you have to get used to.

The eariler recomendation to take a deep breath and relax and enjoy is very good advise.  This is a hobby that is very dynamic is some areas.  It is also a hobby that there is no one "right way" to do things, but many ways to accomplich the same goal. Our club has what I think is a unique group of members, some with NASA back grounds, some with comerical airline backgrounds, some with a back ground in Rockets, the kind that would launch , some with a background in aircraft design and manufacture, both comerical and military, and a couple who are Aero Space professors at one of the best aero Space colleges in the country.  Then there are guys like me who has a back ground in machinery repair, computer repair, and jewelry manufacturing.  Some are building tradesmen.  Some are Dr's,  The bottom line, is that we all know a lot, but none of us knows it all.  That is the fun part of the hobby.  Learn from others and share what you know. Help those who need help.  Ask for help when you are unsure.   

Don

 

Alex7403

Poison should be consumed in small quantities, you cannot take it all at once and be fine….

Every time you solve a small different problem and at the end of this you have a flying airplane.
If you could solve all the problems at once it wouldn’t be much fun.
The whole idea of this hobby is that you solve a pile of problems and rewarded by having your effort rocketing into the sky…

Alex

Jim Thomerson

Let me warn you about one thing so you will be mentally prepared..  When it gets to putting a prop on your engine, buy one of every brand in every size that is even close. Fly your airplane until you decide which one is best and go buy some more of those for that engine and airplane.  Take the excess props back to your shop and bring them out again when you have a similar , almost the same, engine and airplane and go through the process again.  Of course I am exaggerating, and with the advice you can get here, you may get a really good prop the first time.  I do go through a prop evaluation routine with every new airplane. 

mclina

I understand where you are coming from, but it's really not as bad as it seems. Obviously your TX and RX need to match so that they can communicate with each other. Almost any servo will plug into any RX. Most folks use Deans T plugs for thier LiPo batteries and most folks use gold bullet connectors between their ESC and motor.

If you spend a few bucks on a soldering gun and get good at soldering, you can make anything fit anything.

And if you are intimidated by the high cost of electric components, like LiPo's, ESC's, and motors, take a look at Hobby City dot com. Components can be had more cheaply than you think. Just plan your orders carefully to save on shipping.

And this board is a wealth of knowledge.

Good luck

Edit - oh yeah, and as far as manufacturer's making it easy to get into the hobby, check out some of the RTFtrainers on the market. Things really don't get any easier than that. Good luck

blhollo2

My Feedback: (278)

eh.......... i'm like if you cant handel this hobby then quit!! its a hobby its supposed to be enjoyable!!  however i cant tell you how many times ive been mad at a r/c airplane engine way too many times, your rant is pretty accurate but just remember that there will always be something wrong when in this hobby to fix

warbird addict

My friend that is the essence ofthis hobby the feeling of fulfillment and exhileration you get from seeing your creation lift off and fly inspite of all the pitfalls you encountered along the way are worth all of the extra effort.
There are alot of variables and pitfallsto be considered with any endeavor more so with this particular one but the rewards are fantastic in that you built it, it flies and you are controlling your own private airshow which for me is an over the top validation ofmy efforts,if this were easy everybody would be doing it, it is a perfectionistspursuit and as such your attention to detail will immediately show itself when the wheels leave the ground ,and in no case is the rc flying hobby an instant gratification thing it takes time,patience, practice and absolute attention to detail but the rewards are worth the investment ,stick to your guns,be determined and it will happen,don't be in a frustrated hurrydo it right the first time rather than rush it and doit wrong a whole bunch of times.
I've gone through the same frustration andpitfallsas you have with EVERYONEof the35 plusplanes I have built and many of them on a much grander scale of difficulty to overcome
if you stay in this hobby any amount of time you will grow to love those pitfalls and challengesand admire them as a dare to make it fly, the more you do the easier it gets, the easer it gets the more challenging projects you will look for, thats the draw every bit as much as the flying part

hobbybobby789

<input type="hidden" id="gwProxy"></input><input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" />I guess you guys are right that even in other industries upon closer thought there really is no standard among brands and things like that. I guess its just a wish that probably could never happen and in reality there are common things among brands or item types. Guess it just takes a while to figure out the jargon. Went to hobby city like some suggested and saw some gas engines around 200 dollars. Weighs like 5 pounds so its for large planes that i may want to get into in the future. Cheaper gas but at the wieght of the engine alone and added plane the tank is surely bigger and will cost you about as much as glow. Iguess i just gotta keep the frustration down until i fly and itll be all worth it. Hmm lets see there are about 3 fields in the area so know its about time to think which ones to join. Maybe ill go this weekend and see if anyones got a prop reamer so i can get the eninge started up for the first time. From what i hear this hobby is known for people helpin newcomers out.

jester_s1

This hobby has a great attitude of helping new guys out. And it's not complicated at all once you have your basic setup. Your radio and recievers will fit any airplane, and any brand servos can be used. Pick a capacity on reciever batteries and you're set until you get into something much different in size.

It's amazing that with all the different developers of the technology and makers of kits and arfs that anything fits anything. That's the price we pay for being able to customize our airplanes though. If you want it simple, buy everything RTF or reciever ready and go enjoy it.