Keefer

My Feedback: (2)

Prudish? Prunish?

bear cub

My Feedback: (7)

Hello Mr. Pettit
I really don't think that it gets any better than R/C Report magazine. I just read your latest article today and enjoyed it very much. Chet

bear cub

My Feedback: (7)

Hello; Gordon makes some very good points in the latest issue of R/C Report. That man can get your attention and cause you to think at the same time.

Grampaw

Hey Keffer, on the subject of subscriptions, let me tell you about a guy I used to fly with. Now he was known to stretch the truth sometimes, but we never knew when. He said he used to get a model magazine which he paid $30 some dollars a year for. Then one day, he said he ran across the next issue on a Newstand, and he hadn't even received his copy via mail yet! That ticked him off. Then while looking through the new issue a slip fell out that turned out to be a Subscription Blank for a Year's subscription at only $19.99! That didn't make him feel any better either, and he had already received a Renewal Notice, which would cost him another $30 something dollars! So, he took the $19.99 slip home, filled it out in his Wife's name and sent it in! Once she began to get "her" model mag in the mail, she was nice enough to let him borrow it. She was a good wife. When "her" subscription was about to expire he went out and found another Subscription Slip with the same offer on same magazine, filled it out and sent it in, that time using his Son's name! I don't remember many kids he had, but...who knows how long it went on? I got a good laugh out of his tale, but as it's often said, "That's his story, and he's sticking to it. Modellers are strange people. Great, but strange.

williamk1956

I never really thought about the advertising verses the reviews. But darn it, if he isnt right. I buy and am and occasional rc mag reader,but I started to realize that the articles all had the same feel. Something was missing. I am going to give the R/C Report magazine and try. Sounds like these guys treat the hobby as a fun pastime and not just a way to get in my pocket.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

The best mags (IMHO) come from over the pond!

Keefer

My Feedback: (2)

I haven't heard back yet from the two mags I wrote to, but I like what I'm hearing about this R/C Report. I'll give them a try - gotta have something to read on the pot, and I don't have a laptop!

JimInCA

I absolutely agree with tailskid. I just picked up a copy of RCM&E. I believe that it was a special addition. I paid $12 for it and it was worth every penny. It had at least three construction verticals, one of which included full size plans for an ~63" Hawker Typhoon, an article on the use of flaps, another on the use of retracts, one on cherished engines, an article on a new type of Lipos, and lots more. Okay, it had three ARF reviews, so it's not absolutely perfect. But for $12, I got many hours of enjoyment out of it. It had that real feel of old school rc magazines. So if you don't mind the over use of the word 'whilst' (a word not commonly used on this side of the pond), pick one up; you won't be sorry.
Jim...

Chris Moon

My Feedback: (8)

Most people will spend more money for a cup of coffee from Starbucks than the cost of a monthly magazine. I would argue that you get more from the magazine than from the cup of coffee.

JimInCA

I have to respectfully disagree. I let my last subscription to M.A.N run out because it got to the point that I'd be done reading it in twenty minutes. It takes me generally an hour to and hour and a half to finish my venti coffee from Starbucks ($1.85+tip). That's three to four times more enjoyment at ruffly the same price if you have a subscription to M.A.N.
Just keeping it real...
Jim...

DFWS

My Feedback: (8)

Model Airplane News is the Worst Magazine on the Newsstand!!!!
They should change the name of the magazine to MAC
Model Airplane Crap!!!!!!
I'm sorry but a pretty color picture of a nice scale model airplane
on the front cover with no technical or engineering information
anywhere to be found in the pages in between the front and back
covers does not make me want to spend $4.99 cover price for
this POS rag!!!!!!! Hell even MA "Model Aviation" is a better Mag
now and it used to suck way bad, best part it's free not $4.99
And if MAN (MAC?) is bad enough you ought to check out
Air age Publishing's Car Magazine called "R/C Car Action"
The name of this Mag should be changed to "TRINITY TECH TALK"
(TTT) as almost all the products and adds are Trinity products.

Lets talk #'s
MAN September 2003 issue 154 pages total!
89 Full Pages of manufactures Adds ( This is No BS!!) :
And 6 half page adds
that leaves the reader the Guy or Gal who just paid $4.99
only 62 pages of actual? model content to learn from.
I should subtract 3 more pages for the Air Scoop column because
it just an advanced advertising page of new products to be
advertised shortly!!!!!!

So do yourself a big favor and stop buying this poor excuse for
a R/C model magazine, this goes for R/C Car Action also.
$60.00 a year cover price or $29.99 subscription rate is a waste
of money in my book

I think I'll check out the new Mag FLY R/C and if it looks good
maybe I'll buy it but I won't buy MAN any longer!!!!!!!!

GaGeeBees

My Feedback: (23)

Thank goodness you finished because we were running low on exclamation points! <~~whoops, there went another one.

I kinda like the ads. It sorta reminds me of the Sears Toy Catalog I used to pore over as a kid. There's something I want on almost every page

Of course a little content to go with the ads would be helpful.

Keefer

My Feedback: (2)

Uhh, well, FLY R/C was the first mag I posted results for, coming in at 20.4% hobby journalism. MAN beat them out at a whopping 14.1%. Are ya sure ya wanna go there?

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

The rumor was, that the lead editor form MAN didn't like something, so he jumped ship and started FLY RC.
Same jockey, different silks..

$4.99?! that's a bargain!! MAN (AND FLY RC) go for $7.99 up here.. And, i've seen it as high as $10.99 for their 'delux extra editions'. (Then add taxes....)

No, all mags seem to suck and are geared towards the first timers & the illiterate folks who want an ARF in the air in either on thier way home, or soon after gettign home.. (Oooh, that had a bite!)

Sorry, gave up on R/C mags when RCM folded..
(Except RCR, but it isn't available 'on the shelf')

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Onr posting that I noticed was the one member not too happy because the rag that he subscribed to was on the shelves before he got his in the mail. I don't blame him a bit. The subscribers are guaranteed sales and the mags on the shelves they hope to sell. Subscribers should have their issues before or at least the same time as the news stands or hobby shops. They have to go through distributors first to get there where ours are mailed directly to us from the print shop.
I was none too happy to see the issues that I'm waiting for to be in the racks a week or more before they hit my mailbox. Their profit margin is also higher by selling them directly to you as they're not paying middlemen.
Annual buying guides are a joke as all you're buying there is a rag full of ads at an outrageous price.

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Go to one of those big book stores (borders or barnes and noble) on a Saturday or Sunday morning, grab a cup of coffee from the coffee shop in the store, find a big overstuffed chair, and read the mags for free.

I had a book store real close to my office and I'd go there at lunch time. Even read a few novels free of charge, just had to remember what page I was on for the next trip.

Keefer

My Feedback: (2)

So here's the result.
Fly RC simply ignored my request - no response other than another renewal notice.
MAN sends me a notice - "thank you for your renewal order", telling me that they're processing my subscription, and that I need only to pay - you guessed it - $29.95.

'nuff said.

mvigod

Interesting thread...just caught it. Of course I'm biased a bit on this topic since I started RCU way back when. All I can say as one of the owners of RCU on this topic is that I'll send you each an e-bill to post and read everything we have to offer on the site for a whopping $0.00 USD. Considering the slide in US currency of recent we almost are paying you to use RCU these days

As anyone would expect I'm partial to the online world. Connecting modelers to other modelers around the world to discuss, buy, sell, etc is a winning formula. RCU gets 250 new registered users each day and has seen consistent year over year traffic growth since the doors opened. My job is to try and give you the best tools to engage with others in the hobby. I've spent many a late night doing so and expect many more as it has always been a labor of love.

marc

GaGeeBees

My Feedback: (23)

I agree, RCU beats all the printed "resources" out there. I'm here every day. Thanks Marc!

Hossfly

Very commendable, Marc, however now that you are sold out and will become just another number in a money-grubbing Big Business bureaucracy, I forecast a very big change in the mission of RCU.

So many entrepreneurs have developed a business with your ideals, then when the business "goes public" (Big Business corporation owned) high ideals and high standards are the first things flushed down the proverbial water hole.

Those complaining about the current list of magazines need to have to survive in a LIMITED CUSTOMER buisness world where a "non-profit" untaxed business, totally paid for by conscripted member dues, produces a product (magazine) for that conscripted business base with double the distribution of the next nearest competitor. AMA's MA undercuts the free-market magazines that have to profit to stay in business. AMA's MA advertising only pays for the addition of that advertising in the magazine. All the other costs, are paid for by member dues money.
The bureaucracy grows almost daily with the long list of current AMA publications. So for all those that whine about the magazine/s and take no interest in the ways of the AMA Publications Cancer, if you wish to change things, start with looking in the mirror to find the main problem. This problem can (but has not yet) be redirected with a proper use of the AMA Ballot.

sscherin

My Feedback: (1)

I'll agree, this site is great but my wife gives me funny looks when I try to take the computer to the bathroom.

I guess the magazines do still have their place.. I think I'll be dropping Fly RC and trying RC Report.
I'm not getting anything out of that mag that I don't see in MA.. That's kinda sad.
Maybe Pick up Quiet Flyer again (or whatever Will is calling it now)

I guess I'll never have what I really want.. the old RCM from the 80's with 2-3 plan builds in every issue.

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

I still like to have something to read in the "library" or at work so the magazine will never be replaced as an alternate source of information for me.
With the small sanctioning body that I belong to, the IMPBA, their quarterly magazone is now only available online where I used to get it in the mail. Those that don't have Internet access are outta luck.
Don't think that there weren't a lot of complaints about that! No reductions were made in membership dues and advertising costs stayed the same.

mkranitz

My Feedback: (60)

I have a better idea: don't buy the magazines if you don't like them.

We compete with magazines so I certainly don't mind your stance from that perspective. What I do mind is that this post is typical of American consumerism at its worst. People whine and scream about price and then demand more and more until American products become unprofitable for American companies to make. Then, when American companies turn overseas to meet the insatiable cheapness of Americans, Americans whine about crappy overseas products. TYou can't have it both ways.

Let's put this in perspective: You are complaining about $2.33/month. My guess is that you spend far in excess of that on beer, candy, smokes, whatever per DAY. If it's that big a burden, do without it instead of complaining to the publishers who, believe me, are having a hard time staying profitable in this market. Or, better yet, try to start a competing product and see if your opinion changes.

If consumers stopped for a second and put themselves in the shoes of CEO's that run the companies they patronize, they might whine less and contribute better ideas toward improving the product, but not solely to the detriment of the company. It's a two-way street in any commerce transaction. Being a consumer is not a license to scream until the producer capitulates. Doing that results in Walmart prices and accompanying Walmart quality in everything; not a standard I would hold up with any pride. I would also add that price pounding also results in a homogenization of the market to weed out superior products that cost more in favor of mass-produced, sub-standard garbage.

Vote with your wallet. If you don't like the mags, or don't believe they deliver value, don't buy them. If enough people think like you, the company will respond. If not, you'll know that you are alone crying in an empty room.

Michael

Free Bird

Well said Michael!!

GaGeeBees

My Feedback: (23)

Anyone ever notice that Hossfly can turn any topic into a rant against the AMA?