And you AK Flyer are a prime example of exactly why there will always be room in the rc market for higher price point Tx systems.
Is that a bad thing?
Well stated reply. Let me just say that I enjoy a good debate. Too a point, I like the backlash because I like to hear people support their opinions with facts and not just "because".
While a higher price doesn't guarantee less problems, I don't hear anyone who own's a more expensive radio system complain. They aren't reflashing their gear because there's no need. They aren't adding backlight kits because they already have it. But like you said, that's what they wanted so they paid for it.
I am fortunate to have reached a point in my life where I can afford a more expensive radio and some other nicer bits but that wasn't always the case. I started with a cheap hobbyzone RTF with a crapola 3 channel radio and flew it for a couple years. I started with rc cars as a kid and used to have to build my own spare parts out of scrap aluminum and plastic I could find laying around because there were no spare parts available. I really was that kid saving up for the 60 dollar radio while drooling over the 600 dollar ones. The 9x's would have made my year back then. But how upset would a kid be to spend his hard earned money on a 9XR and then have to go online and search forums to find help when it doesn't work?
Let's chew on this one now? Is the influx of new blood into the sport really due to popularity of things like the 9X's and hobbyking? Or is it more due to the massive production of companies like hobbico and horizon and the marketing of horizon and tower and the like? When I go into a hobby shop for the last few years the first thing I see are stacks of ready to fly models with literally everything in the box for sale at a reasonable price. Even in Alaska with our short flying season, they can't keep the RTF and BNF parkzone and hobbyzone models in stock. They're always out. The TX-r flyzone stuff is the same way. I see tons of people flying now because of the ease of buying everything in a box and it all just works. Then people find places like hobbyking because they talk to people like me who spread the work to help new pilots who want to expand. What I don't see are people who've never flown before going out and buying a 9 channel radio(which they can't even understand), spec'ing out motors and esc's and then scratch building stuff just to see if they like it.
The way I see it, simple RTF and BNF planes and helis that are appealing because they look like something and fly well are the reason we have the influx of new blood. Then those people get hooked and start wanting to find something else so they go online, find places like this and see the swappable series, then they want to start scratch building.
I'm glad to have access to cheaper stuff too. I couldn't even afford the batteries for all my stuff if I bought everything at the "evil high dollar manufacturers" (loved that by the way) monopoly prices.
What bugs me more than any backlash is the separation of people in the same hobby. As much as people complain about the snooty people at clubs looking down their noses at those with foam or electric planes, many people with foam planes seem to look down their noses at people who spend a little more or people that fly nitro. In my mind, it shouldn't matter how much you spend or how many models you have, whether it's nitro or gas or electric, heli, quad, tri, hex, octo, gyrocopter or paper airplane. When you start looking down your nose at the guy next to you you're a jerk. I've had a great time flying with people with their first RTF plane, their first scratch built foamy and a guy with a 13,000 turbine powered jet. All were great people. Any elitist attitude turns me off. Whether it's an elitist group of big scale warbird jerks who scoff at you, or an elitist group of DIYers who think you have to design your own software or they scoff at you.
I've posted a couple times on here about products and someone always seems to post the "why didn't you just make your own for 3 dollars using an old walkman, flux capacitor, play station memory board and new firmware from BF egypt". Thanks, that wasn't really the point, but I'm sure yours is much better. Not that I have the time or knowledge to do that but thanks for letting me know you're an electrical wizard with lots of free time. Sorry I had to pay more for a product that already had all that. That's what bugs me. It's an elitist attitude same as any other.
Any way you choose to slice it, I'm glad that more people are flying. Last night at the gym there was about 4 new people I hadn't seen before trying flying for the first time and it was awesome. Whatever gear you have whether you made it or bought it if you bring it by I'm probably going to be really interested in it and excited to see it fly.
