ASK Cubby, A Weekly Q & A Session- Version 10.14.2010

I typically post shorter questions that we have received, just to save people time, but I’ll start off this week with a long one. Enjoy! 🙂
==========
regarding your article ‘Pay Up Suckers! ‘

I read your article on local tracks organizing trophy races to keep afloat and completely agree with your observation on the growing trend of racers domination in this hobby. However, I blame the track owners/hobby shops largely for getting in this situation. It seems like there is a considerable degree of complacency demonstrated by hobby shops to promote this hobby. If track owners want, they can really turn things around by employing some creative business models to not only generate revenue but also help this hobby reach a wider audience. For example: how many tracks offer their premises to hold birthday parties or corporate events? that’s big bucks right there….how many tracks offer rc’s (or batteries) for rent? there have been so many instances where i have had guests at my place and have gone to the track with 5 kids and only two cars (with one battery each) only to have the kids drive the trucks for a couple of laps each.

Finally, there are so many local institutions that can be used to reach a wider audience for promoting this hobby (YMCAs, schools, technical institutes) etc that it’s mind boggling that it hasn’t happened yet.

I introduced this hobby to my 6 year old and as much as he likes the idea of driving a vehicle, he would rather switch on his Xbox and do it at home via a video game….That in my opinion is the first sign of the decline of this hobby. It would be interesting to see where this hobby lands up after a decade or two..

Regards,
Udit N.

Cubby– First off, thanks for the email, one of the best we’ve ever received here.
Next, ya, there are a lot of hobby shops and tracks out there that do a poor job of promoting the hobby. But worse still, are the hobby shops that do pop the coin to buy radio/tv/paper advertising, only to then do their best to run off any of the true noobs they receive from that advertising. A noob hears a hobby shop ad on the radio, goes out of his way to find the place, then the hobby shop owner insists that a Rustler is the only thing the noob can handle. Two weeks later the noob shows up to race, only for the hobby shop owner to say “You wanna race that Rustler? You’re crazy, come back after you get a real race truck”. That kind of stuff goes on wayyy too often.

Noobs are the most precious people in the hobby. Unfortunately very few people do their best to help them have a great time and spend a few years with us.

==========

hi

i have the velineon brushless system in my traxxas slash 2wd and stampede and i just bouhgt a 5000 onyx 7 cell and 6 cell and they seem to go the speed that thay normally go for about 10 feet and no power they go lol from 0 to 60 in ten feet than 60 to a snails pace any other batery the same thing please help before i shoot the cars thanx

batman

Cubby– I had to run this one through Cubbys “Gibberish to English” translator, here’s what came out…

“Hello fine sir,
I am emailing you so I don’t not have to grab my shotgun and blow both of my trucks to pieces. I am having battery problems and am getting very frustrated. The trucks will go normal speed for the first ten feet, after that they have no power. Please enjoy the enclosed bottle of Dom 98′ while you contemplate my issue.
Thank you Cubby, you are my God,
Batman”

Cubby-So ok “Batman”, my first suspicion is that neither of your batteries is getting charged properly. A good charger will tell you how many mah you have put into the pack. A cheap charger won’t, but you can tell a NiCad or Nimh is fully charged when it’s warm to the touch. If your batteries are not warm to the touch when you pull them off the charger, try borrowing a friends charger and see if the batteries then work properly.

My second guess would be- you are having an electronics issue. Look at your speedo to see if it’s going into some type of protection mode that it shouldn’t be.

==========

Yes indeed, I’ve completed yet another ASK Cubby. Send us your questions, rants, Daytona spring break 1989 pictures, and autographed Michael Jordan Air Nikes to Cubby at BigSquidRC dot com!

YOUR Cub Reporter