So this is what hes going to do if he gets in

[Dr. Jet]

.......that's why I get ticked off at the massive changes we made in the R/C Hobby.......we blew things out of the water by going with these massive motors and parallel packs....just my 2 cents.

That is one reason the SLOBS have decided to go the cheap route. I have just as much fun with my cheap little boats as other guys do with the big guns. In fact, maybe I have more fun, because my stuff isn't breaking down all the time. Another benefit of NOT being on the cutting-edge of technology.

[RCprince]

Agree Dr.Jet, My SV does over 50 with 60 bucks investment....

[Darin Jordan]

In fact, maybe I have more fun, because my stuff isn't breaking down all the time.

I'm always curious as to where these sentiments come from... In the past couple of seasons, since switching to Lipo tech and quality motors, our club has experienced fewer "break downs" than ever... and I haven't burnt anything up in the entire time I've been doing this, save for a couple sets of NiMH packs that let go...

Flipping... sure... Thermalling... Yup (well... for those who insist on using Schultz controllers, anyhow...)... but outright burning things up... I think that notion is way overblown... Doesn't happen very often, and if it does, it's usually due to someone doing something they shouldn't have been doing in the first place, like plugging two 4S packs into an SV27 controller... which, incidently, is REALLY fast for about 20-seconds... then


All that said, however... Our club is persuing options for spec motored classes for next season. There are some good options available out there with the BJ26 and SV27 motors, and the new AQ Sport Hydro should be coming online shortly as well... Once could conceivably run a whole fleet of spec classed boats and have a great time... A Mono (LSO), a Sport Hydro (LSH), an tunnel (P-OPC), and we're working on a spec 4S rigger as well... Add our 1/10th scales to the mix and you have an entire fleet of boats that you can race all weekend... all using the same cells, motors, and ESCs... AND, since more people can afford to compete... racing is better...

I think there is a place for both big and little boats, and I refuse to believe that one is any more fun than the other... just different.

It's all good! Now that we have the runaway expenses of racing in check some, we can concentrate on developing classes that draw people...

The future of NAMBA and IMPBA is bright by all indications... Good times to come!

[Bill-SOCAL]

Boat racing (competition) is particularly sensitive to costs due to the fact that we race so many different classes. In the airplane world you generally have one primary aircraft and a back up perhaps for any given type of competition. You fly pattern, you have one or 2 pattern planes. You fly IMAC, thermal duration, etc. same deal. Even pylon racing you have a primary and maybe a back up or two.

But in FE racing you could have 33 different boats and that can add up in a hurry.

I think what Darin and those guys are doing in the PNW makes a lot of sense. Focus in on a few essentially spec classes. People can build several boats and go racing without busting the bank. We could do essentially the same thing by simply limiting the number of competitive racing classes. P power. Mono/Cat/Rigger/Sport Hydro.

Whatever. But as long as the class count is high and the cost structure prohibitive, then we will likely not see much growth.

Gas racing took this cue when looking at the nitro world. That's why there are not many gas classes, and they are built around reasonable equipment. Most gas guys have 3 or 4, maybe 5 boats at a race. But they do 4 heats per class and many boats can be raced in at least 2 classes. With 3 boats I can race 8 classes at our District races. 32 heats in a weekend. Tons of racing action without needing a semi truck to transport all your boats or a second mortgage to buy all the equipment.

[Doug Smock]

Four cell and open right?? That is sure to promote growth!


Doug

[sjslhill]

I just bought a BL motor and esc for $57.....that's what I am going to do. I don't need to pay Aqua Craft some fee just because they show up for a race and give key people free stuff to add the classes. You guys keep on doing this crap, have fun, I won't be joining you.

[Darin Jordan]

Brian ran his SV27 powered LSH boat on 4S1P against our "open" N2-Sport boats this past weekend... He was VERY competitive in every heat... running out front every time...

So, one has to ask themselves exactly WHAT the point would be to running the same hull and same number of batteries, but spending up to $400.00 more on a power system in N2, vs. an SV27/Lipo powered LSH setup? Especially now that "officially", NAMBA races are to be run for a 1-mile distance, same as LSH used to solely do?

Just need to figure out how to write a set of motor spec rules that make sense... Kind of like the LSH rules are currently... With the examples we currently have, that wouldn't be too hard to pull off. Then you'd have two very viable and affordable classes... LSH and LSO, both 4S1P capable classes... with the added benefit that LSO allows Cats as well, so the SV27s AND BJ26's would both be legal... along with any number of other currently "orphaned" hulls...

Just remember as we are discussing this... I'm ONLY talking about this at our local CLUB level... If the rest of the country want's to join in, I'll be happy to leave it up to them to join in on the fun... I'm certainly not looking to get any NAMBA rules changed at this time... Though, at some point, SOMEONE is going to have to put something forth to get the motors updated for LSH and LSO... Are there any racers out there even running 700s any longer??

[Darin Jordan]

I just bought a BL motor and esc for $57.....that's what I am going to do. I don't need to pay Aqua Craft some fee just because they show up for a race and give key people free stuff to add the classes. You guys keep on doing this crap, have fun, I won't be joining you.

Steve... I REALLY wish I know what the He!! you were talking about most of the time...

Last time I checked... PSFEMBC members PURCHASED, at full retail, their SV27 equipment, and built a class around it... So did Ken Haines' group in Florida, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the country did as well...

You really need to get your facts straight or

[ReddyWatts]

It is the power companies who don't want to do it for cost reasons. And that seems OK with folks like you. But then you turn around and say let's go after oil shale that will cost an order of magnitude more than it will to have clean coal burning plants.

Our power company tried to get permits to build 10 new coal plants and actually lower our over all emissions in Texas, using new technologies. The EPA applied pressure against more coal power and only 2 plants were approved. Now we are gearing up to build nuclear plants, which are way more expensive. Wind generation is growing like crazyand billions of dollars are being spent to build new power lines to the Texas Panhandle for adding more wind generation.

[sjslhill]

Thoughts

Are you really that naive?

Steve... I REALLY wish I know what the He!! you were talking about most of the time...

Last time I checked... PSFEMBC members PURCHASED, at full retail, their SV27 equipment, and built a class around it... So did Ken Haines' group in Florida, and I'm pretty sure the rest of the country did as well...

You really need to get your facts straight or

[Darin Jordan]

Are you really that naive?

Considering the facts that I wrote the rules, and I AM a PSFEMBC member, and I participated in the class... I'd say I'm just a LITTLE more in the know that you are...

Frankly, you obviously have NO idea what you are talking about here...

Either that, or you are purposefully doing this just to get a rise out of some of us...

That would be a more logical explanation for your thoughts...

If you look back through the forums... you'll see that I was one of the first of a wave of people to BUY their own SV27s, post thoughts on how to race prep it, and to work on creating the class... AquaCraft didn't join in until WELL after we had the class established... They DID provide props for the event... to EVERYONE, and provided an SV27 to raffle...

Sure sounds like a "conspiracy" to me...

[Bill-SOCAL]

Four cell and open right?? That is sure to promote growth!


Doug

In the words of Buzz Lightyear - "Are you mocking me??"

But yes, something like that. Plain fact is I think we have so many classes that people coming into the sport have no idea what to get, what's being raced and so on. Out here we have a bunch of FE guys, and no 3 of us have the same boats so we can never race.

33 classes spreads things out too much. I would even go with the idea of mono/cat/rigger/sport hydro - 2S and 4S plus Open. 9 classes. Maybe even go one step farther and make them spec classes. Surely that is enough classes for people to find some fun.

But as it is now we make up classes as we go along. It seems that boat racing is built around the idea that we need a class for any possible boat rather than saying these are the classes we race. Pick one and see you at the starting line.

[sjslhill]

Darin,

You probably think the ERCU are ran by virgins as well. I don't have time for your crap Darin....just keep on what your doing. Have fun with those crooked as snake Campbell brothers.

[sjslhill]

Exactly

Bill.

You are so correct......it's totally out of control.

You guys need unlimited Hydro, Tunnel, Rigger and Mono
And Spec Hydro, Tunnel, Rigger and Mono

that's all you need.

thanks,
Steve

In the words of Buzz Lightyear - "Are you mocking me??"

But yes, something like that. Plain fact is I think we have so many classes that people coming into the sport have no idea what to get, what's being raced and so on. Out here we have a bunch of FE guys, and no 3 of us have the same boats so we can never race.

33 classes spreads things out too much. I would even go with the idea of mono/cat/rigger/sport hydro - 2S and 4S plus Open. 9 classes. Maybe even go one step farther and make them spec classes. Surely that is enough classes for people to find some fun.

But as it is now we make up classes as we go along. It seems that boat racing is built around the idea that we need a class for any possible boat rather than saying these are the classes we race. Pick one and see you at the starting line.

[RCprince]

Ok guys lets keep our cross hairs on uncle SAM and how he's raping all of us and not each other.