RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

Of course, one of the things that keeps me typing instead of building and flying is that I am addicted to about 14 websites, including 4 control line, 2 model rocketry, one Free Flight, one Jetex, and one scale site. That doesn't include an RC site that folded last year, but it does include one site which has as it's two most active categories one that is mostly conservative political rant and one that deals with control line models. Then, I also sometimes look at a Jeep owner's site my son frequently posts on.

Sometimes I wonder that I don't come down with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from all the keyboarding I do. Maybe I have, but haven't had the time to notice it yet.

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

RCU !

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

As far as which I prefer, the fruit analogy applies. Each is good for certain things. Each also has its drawbacks. As for having to give one up it would likely be the mags. Very difficult to ask a magazine a question and get a response. I can ask questions here that nobody in my club can answer and almost always get the required information sooner or later. Case in point, a few years ago i was having problems with a ST3000 engine. This engine had been a good runner but suddenly I could not seem to complete a flight. Not even the previous owner of the engine could help me fiqure out that problem. After posting the question here I had the answer inside a day and a half. Foud out it was something simple I had done and had the solution to fix. Try getting that kind of help from a magazine.

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

Yep, I agree, apples to oranges and now someone is calling me 'fruity' :)

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

Were it not for RCU (and to be fair, that other mostly electric message board) I would not be flying today. A magazne cannot answer basic questions from a total noobie to the degree that this place can. Also the magazine "experts" referenced earlier in this thread are often called into question here. I prefer to have both opinions but if forced to choose, there is only one choice. RCU......

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

RCU is my source for information on anything RCU. Mags are chock full of pretty pictures and advertisements, very little objective review and even less usefull info. But, I love to get my hands on one and look through it. I always look forward to getting one in the mail and fly through it in maybe a half hour, then read through it again and again waiting for then next issue.

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

I happen to have a huge collection of magazines and copies of articles from magazines going back into the mid-forties. I'd give up my computer before I'd give up the collection. Much easier to find something from several years ago.

I also like asking for and getting info in direct face-to-face conversations with other people than setting at a computer typing a question and waiting for someone to respond by typing after they get on the computer and type an answer.

But the computer is another good source of learning.

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

I quit buying magazines. It seems like they just rehash the same old info over and over. The reviews all read the same. The forums seem fresher and more on time with the info. The community aspect is hard to get in a magazine too.

On the other hand...I do have a stack of MA next to the potty. It helps.

RE: Do you enjoy RCU more than the various model magazines?
 

From this distance RCU is definitely ahead. My experience with the (USA) magazines is poor. I was interested in RCM and about that time it folded - nothing said - it just stopped.

I subscribed to RC Report for a while and then they decided us foreigners were no longer good enough for their rag and that stopped.

I tried FM but got tired of that and will not renew my sub.

Got tired of MAN`s expensive glossy ads and ditched that long ago. Mr Tower sends me pretty good product info via both snail-mail and email at regular intervals and I order from him from time to time although freight out of USA has just about killed that.

The Hong Kong based HobbyCity people seem to have most suppliers well beaten on pricing and so far, so good. I`ll continue buying mostly from them until they let me down. Nearest good LHS to here is at least 200kms away and I support them when I can, but they just can`t compete with either the Chinese or Tower for larger items such as radio gear or motors/engines.

I`m considering a subscription to the British RCM&E magazine - they regularly produce free plans which I find mostly quite interesting.

In the meantime we just keep on building and flying and guess will go with the flow - mostly still avoiding ARF`s.

Alan W