lots of money = champion??
08-14-2004, 06:32 PM
#46
Tech Apprentice
Well yes there are those that will spend allot of money to get every last bit of an edge even under the most restricted of rules.
There are those that will one up that and cheat as well but that is life.
The monopoly thing I dont know if I agree completely on. You are right that Trinity was the only one that I know of that stepped up to the plate and supplied batteries and motors. Parma, Bolink, and I think BRP all had spec cars available so not to have a monopoly on that area.
I think if it was accepted by ROAR it would be more popular. Then if it was popular it would attract more manufacters. That means competitive quality and cost's that should eventualy reach the "Quality" of other cars etc.
There are those that will one up that and cheat as well but that is life.
The monopoly thing I dont know if I agree completely on. You are right that Trinity was the only one that I know of that stepped up to the plate and supplied batteries and motors. Parma, Bolink, and I think BRP all had spec cars available so not to have a monopoly on that area.
I think if it was accepted by ROAR it would be more popular. Then if it was popular it would attract more manufacters. That means competitive quality and cost's that should eventualy reach the "Quality" of other cars etc.
08-14-2004, 09:04 PM
#47
My saying is:
If you cant out race them, out spend them.
If you cant out race them, out spend them.
08-14-2004, 09:59 PM
#48
Tech Master
2) Money = Spec Champion too
A few races into the season, you'll soon find some racers buying cases and cases of spec battery packs, spec motors... why? So that they can run them through their testers & dynos to find the 'better' ones. [/B]
A few races into the season, you'll soon find some racers buying cases and cases of spec battery packs, spec motors... why? So that they can run them through their testers & dynos to find the 'better' ones. [/B]
But at least at national events the motors are handed out and aren't allowed to leave the track. And I'm not entirely sure how it is now as I haven't read the complete rules for a while but a few years back you were also limited to buying 2 motors at the Nats.
08-14-2004, 10:02 PM
#49
I'll tell you what........I give Padivis my gear and he give me his......watch me kick his butt on the track! Those who has won quite a few can say " It is about driving" Why don't you dig into your box and pull out those 2400 packs and the Paradox motors. I'll even go to sat get your 3000 packs. You won't win another A main and you know it!
08-14-2004, 10:34 PM
#50
I don't get it...........I keep hearing all about driving crap! And each time a guy tells his "winning" story, he is either running Matched packs, motor lathe with a motor that can tear the skin off your hand with its sheer torque or a motor that spins 80,000 rpms, an battery charger/discharger/matcher that came for Area 51......something! And those who won a lot probally never left the Novice class........we all know that those guys are just starting out, and can't drive worth a lick!
Now about LHS and charging their best (and probally only) customers 2 to 5 bucks a hour on track time......WTF for? The money that is spent on track time could be used for spare parts! Look at it like this: a average day will have at least 10 to 15 guys spending 2 bucks an hour. Now I, being a avid racer, will spend for to 5 hours at the track. Thats 10 dollars for one person. If 10 guys show up and spent 10 bucks over a course of a day, thats 100 dollars! A day! Betcha come the end of the month the electric bill wouldn't be that high! And I am just talking indoor tracks.......what about outdoor tracks? They used even less electricity! Don't even let me get started on insurance.......
What is a racer going to do when he spent his last earned dime for either an overpriced motor or battery pack and still can't win? He looks to the faster car. sees what guy B is driving and saves his money again to buy the stuff he has got. but by the time he can afford it, something else is out and now guy B is even faster than that racer is..........Who rakes in that cash? Your Local Hobby Store! I have been in quite a few hobby stores to find prices are higher than the internet stores!
Case in point : There were two hobby stores, one is a Hobby chain, the other a Mom and Pop hobby store. The stores were less than 2000 meters apart, One in one shopping plaza, the other across the street in another shopping plaza. I went to buy some aftermarket parts for my HPI RS4 Sport2, turning it into a Pro 2. A Purple aluminum motor plate costs 23.00 dollars at the chain store, but it only cost 9.00 dollars at the mom and pop hobby store, because the Pro 2 were being replaced for the Pro 3 and the TC3 series cars! I went back to the chain store a month later and the price for that plate sitll was 23.00 dollars! I believe that is why they are out of business now. Now, mom and pop aren't off the hook.......there are internet prices that is even cheaper that what they sold , like my 100.00 a pack matched Trinity VIS Extras, which were far less cheaper online, say like up to 60.00 cheaper! The system stinks........period! But hopefilly I will start my own Hobby Store someday and try to level the playing feild between the Haves and the Have Nots.
Now about LHS and charging their best (and probally only) customers 2 to 5 bucks a hour on track time......WTF for? The money that is spent on track time could be used for spare parts! Look at it like this: a average day will have at least 10 to 15 guys spending 2 bucks an hour. Now I, being a avid racer, will spend for to 5 hours at the track. Thats 10 dollars for one person. If 10 guys show up and spent 10 bucks over a course of a day, thats 100 dollars! A day! Betcha come the end of the month the electric bill wouldn't be that high! And I am just talking indoor tracks.......what about outdoor tracks? They used even less electricity! Don't even let me get started on insurance.......
What is a racer going to do when he spent his last earned dime for either an overpriced motor or battery pack and still can't win? He looks to the faster car. sees what guy B is driving and saves his money again to buy the stuff he has got. but by the time he can afford it, something else is out and now guy B is even faster than that racer is..........Who rakes in that cash? Your Local Hobby Store! I have been in quite a few hobby stores to find prices are higher than the internet stores!
Case in point : There were two hobby stores, one is a Hobby chain, the other a Mom and Pop hobby store. The stores were less than 2000 meters apart, One in one shopping plaza, the other across the street in another shopping plaza. I went to buy some aftermarket parts for my HPI RS4 Sport2, turning it into a Pro 2. A Purple aluminum motor plate costs 23.00 dollars at the chain store, but it only cost 9.00 dollars at the mom and pop hobby store, because the Pro 2 were being replaced for the Pro 3 and the TC3 series cars! I went back to the chain store a month later and the price for that plate sitll was 23.00 dollars! I believe that is why they are out of business now. Now, mom and pop aren't off the hook.......there are internet prices that is even cheaper that what they sold , like my 100.00 a pack matched Trinity VIS Extras, which were far less cheaper online, say like up to 60.00 cheaper! The system stinks........period! But hopefilly I will start my own Hobby Store someday and try to level the playing feild between the Haves and the Have Nots.
08-14-2004, 10:50 PM
#51
One of the things that I can think of that seperates the "faster" from just the "fast" people is sheer knowledge....when you factor in the same batteries, motors, escs, cars, etc...it comes down to the small details, like modefying brushes, extensive cycling to get the packs at optimum performance at the right time, and everything else..it could come down to 2 people having the exact same everything, but one person modefied their belt for less drag or takes apart their car and oils the berings every weekend that lets them gain the advantage over someone else. It seems that along with spec racing, that stock, 19 turn, and modified with motor limits drive up the costs, becasue people buy many of the same motors just to get the best one out of thebunch, or in modified cases, crank up the timming until you cant anymore, which toasts your comm after a short period, forcing you to buy new armatures and more brushes or complete motors,with a modefied class with no motor limit, to gain power people can just drop a turn or whatnot, which would inesence lower the cost of racing...just a thought
08-15-2004, 12:40 AM
#52
Tech Apprentice
You are right about the knowledge part but tweeking a car with that knowledge takes a severe amount of time. Now time is money and so the knowledgable racer has in essence spent more to win.
If it take you 8 hours to rebuild a motor and re oil bearings etc. it would be the same as if you worked 8 more hours and bought a new motor and new bearings.
Effort put into this hobby vs the fun you get out of the hobby.
Most of us want to get more value out of anything including RC. So we want more fun for less effort to make things worth our time.
I remember when a track had run a true handout class. The track owned the tires, motors and batteries. They made sure that all the batteries were as close to each other as possible (same chargers and method) and the motors where rebuilt before each race. The entry fee was $25.00 but all you had to bring was the car and your skill.
Sounded good but it did not last long : )
If it take you 8 hours to rebuild a motor and re oil bearings etc. it would be the same as if you worked 8 more hours and bought a new motor and new bearings.
Effort put into this hobby vs the fun you get out of the hobby.
Most of us want to get more value out of anything including RC. So we want more fun for less effort to make things worth our time.
I remember when a track had run a true handout class. The track owned the tires, motors and batteries. They made sure that all the batteries were as close to each other as possible (same chargers and method) and the motors where rebuilt before each race. The entry fee was $25.00 but all you had to bring was the car and your skill.
Sounded good but it did not last long : )
08-15-2004, 01:02 AM
#53
Quite right. An old saying does tend to apply here..."Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?". but if you don't have the ability to take advantage of that speed then it won't do you any good. If you're just starting out, then I'd suggest you not worry too much about out-spending the next guy, just get yoursewlf some decent stuff & concentrate on becoming a better driver, & on how to set up your car as close to perfect as possible. Then, after your skills have improved, & you feel like you can't get any more out of your car(& you're sure you have good handling & can run consistent races without any significant mistakes), then it may be a good idea to try upgrading some of your goodies, like some high-voltage matched batteries, better ESC's & better motors, etc. I can tell you that in general, it takes time to get to that point, so for now if I were you, gigi, I'd just enjoy myself & work on becoming a better driver, & by the time your skills are ready for the "good stuff", you'll most likely have worn out some batteries, motors, etc. so it'd be the best time to upgrade anyway(& you can always keep an older, cheaper ESC as an emergency backup after you get a top-tier one).....
08-15-2004, 10:13 AM
#56
Who really cares?? Racing costs money,but think of it this way....
You can't take money with you when your dead.....
---------------------------------------------------------
Poor people want more money, and rich people want even more money.....
OR
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The happiest day of my life was when my pockets where empty
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
You can't take money with you when your dead.....
---------------------------------------------------------
Poor people want more money, and rich people want even more money.....
OR
----------------------------------------------------------
The happiest day of my life was when my pockets where empty
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
08-15-2004, 01:51 PM
#58
The people who say that you should just get track time instead of getting the best stuff, track time costs money too. For me, it adds up to quite a lot for each weekend to race, which limits the time I have on the track.
Here is what I usually spend in a day...
$11 race fee
$10 broken parts(the track is brutal, everyone breaks)
$4 brushes
$15- tires, they last about two days of racing
$5 body, once you crash, some bodies can be ruined instantly
total-$45 just for a day of lhs racing, bigger races can easily get near $100
Thats excluding the wear of motors, parts, new equipt. ect.
Its easier for adults who have a steady income, its not so bad spending $100+ a week on rc, but for kids, its not so easy. Sure I have a job, but the job only gets me about $50 max per week. After I deposit half, I am down to $25, which doesnt even cover the cost per racing a weekend. If you talk to anyone at my track, they will say I am slow. My stock motor is one I have used for the past 6 months, and my mod(s) are all from previous years. So you tell me how I can be competitive, yet still be slow.
Here is what I usually spend in a day...
$11 race fee
$10 broken parts(the track is brutal, everyone breaks)
$4 brushes
$15- tires, they last about two days of racing
$5 body, once you crash, some bodies can be ruined instantly
total-$45 just for a day of lhs racing, bigger races can easily get near $100
Thats excluding the wear of motors, parts, new equipt. ect.
Its easier for adults who have a steady income, its not so bad spending $100+ a week on rc, but for kids, its not so easy. Sure I have a job, but the job only gets me about $50 max per week. After I deposit half, I am down to $25, which doesnt even cover the cost per racing a weekend. If you talk to anyone at my track, they will say I am slow. My stock motor is one I have used for the past 6 months, and my mod(s) are all from previous years. So you tell me how I can be competitive, yet still be slow.
08-15-2004, 02:11 PM
#59
Tech Regular
Well i'm a kid (13) and yea it's very hard, got to be careful when you drive as you don't want ot break nothing 
(it costs money and all the little bits add up), the only way i can race is to save from bday money and xmas money and pocket money (it's a hard life 
) but i manage 
Chazz
(it costs money and all the little bits add up), the only way i can race is to save from bday money and xmas money and pocket money (it's a hard life ) but i manage Chazz
08-15-2004, 04:53 PM
#60
Man,Rc that sucks,I'm still using the same tires I had 6 mo. ago,I have not broken anything in over a year,I do buy new motors and batterys..alot..well cars to.I used to run off road but at the tracks I was racing at it just cost to much money to be competitive,I was going through the same spending,tires is what made me switch to on road,1 set every weekend(rears)x 2 cars = way to much money,I do and can win at my local track with a small budget,$ 50 per week,2 classes + gas & food.I have a different budget for cars and parts..
It's a little bigger..but not by much 
It's a little bigger..but not by much