R/C Advice?
#1
A little off topic, but hey - that's what the Lower Berth is for... Wink Big Grin

My soon-to-be 11 year-old has expressed interest in R/C rock crawlers after driving one last year at a friend's cottage. She (yes, she...) has gone on about it for the past year, so it might be serious! With her birthday approaching, I was wondering if anyone had any advice for something suitable for an 11 year-old? Not looking to break the bank either...!

Thanks for your help.

Andrew
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#2
Big Grin Big Grin If it's RC, it will "break the bank". Big Grin Big Grin
The only name that comes to mind is Traxxas. When I worked at the Hobby Shop, we stocked that brand.
The other "shoe - in - the - door" would be to get the name of the vehicle she drove, so you have an idea of exactly what to look for.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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#3
Hi Pete,

I think the one she drove is Axial? Seems to be a discontinued model.

Here's a poster/fictional magazine cover I made for her friend who let her drive. It has some references to hanging out at their cottage, including going to the look out, working on the r/c vehicles ("power" - the older brother broke an axle, and "backwoods repair", and my friend (their dad) has a TJ outfitted for off-road). Lots of fun to do the cover, which I printed as a 24x36 poster.

   

Any other advice or suggestions?

Andrew
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#4
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.axialracing.com">www.axialracing.com</a><!-- w --> , might give you a starting point. At least a "cost reference". Traxxas has vehicles similar to the one in your pic., but I don't know if they will " rock crawl ".
If there is a local hobby shop that carries RC, a visit there would be recommended. The impression I have is that RC is "all about speed", but a rock crawler has to be a bit slower. Other than that, I can be no further help.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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#5
Thanks Pete.

I have checked the local hobby shop - literally 1 minute from where I work. But I want some "real world" experience, as the store guys have a bit of biased point of view... Wink They also keep saying - oh, you also need this... and this... and this... Big Grin

Cheers,

Andrew
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#6
Is $3-500 appropriate for an 11-year-old? Every time I go to Radio Shack, they seem to have much more reasonably priced stuff -- this looks like about the same thing, for less than $20 <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12149441">http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... d=12149441</a><!-- m --> It's cheap enough to let you make your own mistakes.
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#7
Well, Maybe the "store guys" could put you in touch with some of their RC customers. That would be as close to "real world" as you can get.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
Reply
#8
jwb Wrote:Is $3-500 appropriate for an 11-year-old? Every time I go to Radio Shack, they seem to have much more reasonably priced stuff -- this looks like about the same thing, for less than $20 <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12149441">http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... d=12149441</a><!-- m --> It's cheap enough to let you make your own mistakes.

Well, yes and no. She's been on about it for a year, so to me, that indicates a good interest. Some of the less expensive stuff cannot be repaired, and does not perform well out of the box. So those are two things that could turn a kid off an activity pretty quick.

I am trying to find a decent compromise - say in the range of $200, which a lot of people will throw at a bike, an X-Box, hockey gear, etc, without even thinking.

Thanks,

Andrew
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#9
What would the repair bill on a $200 r/c be, vs $17.95 just to buy a new one at Radio Shack?
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#10
MasonJar Wrote:
jwb Wrote:Is $3-500 appropriate for an 11-year-old?
Well, yes and no. She's been on about it for a year, so to me, that indicates a good interest. Some of the less expensive stuff cannot be repaired, and does not perform well out of the box. So those are two things that could turn a kid off an activity pretty quick. I am trying to find a decent compromise - say in the range of $200, which a lot of people will throw at a bike, an X-Box, hockey gear, etc, without even thinking. Thanks,
Andrew

If she is truly interested, a cheap toy will most likely "dis-interest" her.
Any hobby can be a valuable learning experience, and one that can develop, mechanical, thinking, and planning skills that can't be learned, without more difficulty or expense, elsewhere.
She would only have to break 11 of those cheap cars to equal the price of a good one, and the cost of repair would be an incentive to learn how "not-to-break".
Most of the " usual "repair parts for RC cars, cost far less that $17.95, and can be installed by the owner, for only the time it takes to do the job.
$3-500 , is a very reasonable price for all the " life lessons " that can be learned, ( and taught ).
as in all things, there is a bigger picture Big Grin
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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#11
I would agree with Sumpter. How many youngsters got a cheap Tyco, Lifelike, or Bachmann train set with steel rails, pancake motors and talgo trucks, ran it around in circles a few times while constantly having to rerail the thing as it frequently jumped the track and decided that model railroading was not for them?
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