R/C Tech Forums - View Single Post - What's the biggest advance/step backward you've seen in r/c over the last 15 years?
Old 10-21-2012, 10:47 PM
  #23  
Gump
Tech Adept
iTrader: (2)
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 115
Trader Rating: 2 (100%+)
Default

#1 Without a single doubt is 2.4GHz.
Who remembers back in the day when your model had a 100 foot range and after that its glitch/runaway city? How about frequency boards? How about some clown in the pits with your crystal sticking it in his TX just for laughs? Modern radios are for the most part ROCK SOLID in comparison to the crap of yesteryear.

#2 AMB.
Transponders brought accuracy to the races. Race directors are no longer bean counters - they can actually call the race! Personal sized transponders are the cats ass. So I guess then, technically, so is RC Scoring Pro.

#3 Advancements in servo technology.
They used to be SOOOOOOOO crappy. I mean REALLY crappy like you wouldn't understand how badly so unless you owned some of the worst of the best from yesteryear.

#4 The internet.
WHAT? Am I on crack? No. Let me send you my setup sheet in PDF. Or look up the spec. and dimensions for my next battery purchase. Or sign up and pay for the next race... all from my iPhone. Without the internet, I GUARANTEE I wouldn't have a single clue about proper setup for any of my kits, nor would the vast majority of people. Lets not forget to mention Youtube!

#5 ESC's.
Pretty much a no brainer... that is unless you've never owned a model with a 3 speed mechanical switch that used resistors to dissipate the energy to allow for slower speeds. Then you might not understand why ESC's are so good.

#6 Lipo and brshless.
Who remembers hooking up their 1200mah nicad, walking over to the start/finish line, placing their car on the grid and not even daring to touch the steering or throttle until the tone sounded? Why? because your pack would dump flat on its ass at 4 minutes and 6 seconds... that is if you brought the correct pinion with you that day.

#7 Tires and foams. No way we're taking steps backwards with tire and foam technology. I'd hate to have to run tires and compounds from 15 years ago.

#8 Switching power supplies.
You know, back in the day I used to own a really nice Pyramid 35 amp power supply. It weighed about 40 pounds. Kind of hard to stuff in a hauler bag if you know what I mean.

#9 China. Because without China, this would be a millionaires only club.
Gump is offline