THE Cub Report, 06.02.2014, Version- How Not To Look Like An RC Noob

Our industry really likes noobs, the rc hobby would not exist without them. If you are in fact a noob and reading this, thank you for giving the rc hobby a shot. However, just because you are an rc noobie doesn’t mean you have to look like one. Here is my advice on how not to stick out like a sore thumb as an rc noob when around seasoned hobbyists-

At The Hobby Shop-

Know the easiest way to spot the noob at a hobby shop? Yup, he’s the guy up at the counter with his car in hand. If you don’t want to appear as an rc noob leave your car/truck/buggy at home. Yes, if you are at the hobby shop you are most likely there for replacement parts, but that doesn’t mean you need to drag in your filthy truck to show the hobby shop worker that your front a-arm is busted up. Trust me, he has seen your truck/car/buggy a hundred times before and your new Ruslter VXL isn’t going to impress him.

What you really need to bring to the hobby shop is a part number. Look at your truck, see what is broken, look the part number up in your manual, then hit the hobby shop. While I know several hobby shop employees that have memorized thousands of part numbers, most are not that way, if you bring in the part number you are saving both yourself and the hobby shop time. And… at crappy hobby shops the guy behind the counter might actually look up the wrong part number, so to make absolutely sure you get the part you really need, trust me, just bring the part number in with you.

If you are shopping for a new car, don’t have the guy behind the counter pull down two dozen different models ranging from a Losi Micro SCT to a Losi 5IVE-T to look at. If you are that clueless about what you really want, chances are you aren’t going to be happy with whatever you pick off the counter. Do some research at home (like reading reviews on BSRC), before you crack the door on your LHS to buy a new car.

Also… don’t haggle. Seasoned hobbyists know the mark-up is diddly squat on kits/rtrs, and they know the hobby is in a slump right now, your LHS can use every penny they can get. As a noob why would you want to keep your LHS’s doors open? Because if you break your truck on a Saturday morning you can drive down to your LHS and have your truck running again in an hour. If your LHS goes belly up it will take days before you’ll have your truck up and running again. Do you want to drive again later today? Or sometime next week? Ya, support your LHS.

At The Track/Bash Spot

Want to know the easiest way to spot a noob at the track? Ya, he’s the guy driving backwards on the track while standing down on the ground. If you don’t want to look like a noob get up on the stand and drive the right freak’n direction.

Now… yes, the BSRC Bash Crew is known for driving backwards on local tracks, but I can assure you we only do it to really set off the racer types that are wound wayyyy tooooo tight. For you, driving backwards can mean a nasty collision, which will cost you in parts, plus it can mean a run in with the local track a-hole, which might leave you in jail after you punch him in the face. Make life easy, drive the proper direction.

As far as the stand goes, it does give you a much better view of the track, making it easier to stay between the pipes. Many noobs crash a lot and tire quickly of going up and down the stairs (the famous “walk of shame”), therefore they elect to drive from the ground. The proper way of doing it is to get up on the stand and SLOW DOWN, and keep driving slower until you are no longer crashing.

Also… if you are noob who inherited some old truck from your Uncle Bob, you will stand like crazy if it isn’t 2.4GHz. It’s been nearly a decade since long antennas were common on transmitters, so if you don’t want to stand out, don’t even show up with an old school 27 or 75 MHz radio.

Want to really stand out as a noob at a track? Drive Traxxas. While Traxxas has kept our hobby alive for years, the vast majority of noobs at the track drive that particular brand. Don’t want to look like a noob? Give something else a try like an ARRMA, ECX, Durango, or Vaterra.

One more thing about noobs at the track, do NOT sway back and forth up on the stand. It makes you stand out as a noob, and drives the guys next to you absolutely INSANE. Just stand still, I promise you physically swaying from side to side will not make your truck drive any better on the track.

Cruising the RC Boards

Ok, so internet boards are dying off, so this actually applies more to Facebook Groups, but if you do not want to look like a noob don’t go full goofball on everyone that doesn’t agree with your opinion (that’s my job… seriously). But seriously, seasoned hobbyists have been surfing the rc sites since the ’90s and have already been hit with truck loads of hate and negative comments, so many that 20 years later there is absolutely nothing you could ever say that will even get their attention, all it does is signify you are a noob.

Another thing that will instantly make you stand out as a noob- regurgitating what you’ve read on-line, but never actually done yourself. For instance, if another noob asks “Which is better, Associated or XRay?” and you reply even though you’ve never personally owned either brand, you instantly look like a huge noob. If all your replies contain first hand info that you’ve learned all by yourself, you’ll be giving much better info than 90% of the people on the web, and will not come across as a noob.

Btw, “feels like” speed isn’t what you should post on-line about your car. Ok, so you are a noob and your car “feels like” it is doing 90 mph, this does not mean you should post that it actually does 90 mph, instead you post post its actual speed (probably closer to 30).

Want to sound like you are in-the-know with the industry types? Talk about THE Cub Report. Pretty much all the “big” names in the industry read it every Monday, and if someone brings up a certain Cub Report and you haven’t read it, ya, you are gonna look like a serious noob. So read up, there are hundreds of old Cub Reports to catch up on.

So that is it for this week’s Cub Report, get out and support your local bash spots and hobby shops when ya can.

YOUR Cub Reporter