Stirring Interest

Well looks like my forays to the main lake is stirring up interest. I been invited to do a presentation of the 4 models and the hobby at a business for techies. I'll have to get my firing box ready and by then I should have Port Polar Bear's Dvds to play. I met more people at the lake and an RCer not to mention a lot of people who wanted to take pics of the models and see them run.I'm hoping to get to the main lake where the general populace of the city attends and the next outing I plan to bring some of the photo boards I use at the indoor shows and more literature on the hobby. I feel like the times when I was in Halifax and just starting out with only a ship and a vhs tape of the hobby. I still have to do my display the new RC hobby store and get the word out to the RCer's there .

 

Hey Curt!
That's Great!!!
Nikki

 

Jeez Curt. Best of luck to you. The last two times out with GF, felt like old times, cept there was no one else with. People coming up and asking about the ship.... most saying it doesn't look american... what is it? lol Then I talk the hobby a little bit. I think there will be some interest when I become fully operational and from the looks of the layout of the beach, it seems there is a cove or two here I may be able to snag to use. So things are looking up and up. Just gotta keep the shipyard moving.

 

I hear ya there. Been a huge slowdown at the yard of late. Hoping to get back at it soon. The drugs are kicking in finally and stabilizing the allergies. I got to the lake Sat morning but the weather was not great as a Cool North Easterly wind was blowing creating on shore waves which were very high. The 2nd vechicle with my friend driving was carrying Roma. We decided to not launch Roma and I had him bring it back . The plan was to drop it off with me and I would have 4 ships there like last time but if the weather turned for the worse I would be stuck there as the car can only take 3 battleships.

He left and I waited around for an hour and half with my coffee xtra large till it seemed reasonable to set up.
After setting up I launched Mo which after an hour had issues but it was the TX's fault as the power lights were down to red only. Quick fix by installing fresh batteries in the TX and Mo was back pounding the rough water.

Tried Yamato out with the new TX. I inadvertently wired the batteries in reverse order so this made the pump run reverse and not work well. The Yamato took on water and unfortunatly the water got easily into a poorly sealed sandwich bag that I hastily wrapped around the receivor. The receivor got wet and Yamato glitched but fortuntaly I kept it close to shore and managed to get it in .

I took apart the receivor and let it air dried. Bismarck sat out the day on the table.

 

I did make contacts with 2 fellows who are part of the RC Provincial Flyers Club. They do aerial RC combat where the planes slice each others tail ribbons. I gave them product cards from Strike and gave them BC's website address. Demonstrated the models and showed the internals and described how the game is played and the various formats of playing. Gave the forum's website address. . Met another fellow from the Kite Flyers Club of Nova Scotia and he was very curious about it all.

I talked to one man whose spse was rather miffed that I took up his time as he was supposed to walk around the lake with his wife. OOOPs sorry.. but really it was not my fault.

A few other people came by and commented that I was missing a ship and they described the Roma perfectly.

So like you Craig I am starting at ground zero again.

 

I got an idea from one of Port Polar Bear's videos. One of the ships was using a WTC (Watertight Cylinder) that is used for small RC subs and he had all of his electronics in that. I thought that was a very neat way to keep the electronics dry as it works for submarines. I have such a cylinder but I was thinking I can use one of my cases that contains my small CA glue with the cap that has a hole already in the center. I can run my wires through it and seal it there.

 

Hi Curt,
Is the main lake you're using in St. John's Quidi Vidi Lake or the one further east and upstream of it (I forget its name)? With St. John's WWII history as a naval base I'm surprised there isn't more interest in R/C naval combat. I hope you can recruit a few captains.
Bob

 

Hi Bob, it's the main like Quidi Vidi. This is where the bulk of the population in the city attend for recreation and events. The lake has been getting built up with housing and a massive new Naval Base being built. I made more contacts in a couple of sorties there than I have in the last few years. The hobby store is nearby too.
The city has a very wartime and merchantile history however the general populace today has very little knowledge of it. Fact is it has a very dark history which has been kept from the public. I found this out from a gent at the lake I spoke to who coincidentaly is a naval historian for the province. So far speaking to owners of both hobby stores here
their products for speed boats and tugs are selling decently now. The plastic ship models are selling well also. I just signed on to a new RC forum called RC Republic . Newly formed which is trying to bring together the RC community of the province. Funny note here on the registration it asks for what type of RC vechicle I am driving.. ie Traaxxis, Nitro ect... I put in the slot... "Battleship"... that should get their attention.

I hope to get the word out on the hobby through this forum too.

 

I dropped off a couple of DVDs to play on the big screen in store at the new local hobby store. I have a some pics posted of the ships on the wall at the store. I spoke to the owner and went over ideas for planning a RC Hobby Show. Been posting threads of the hobby on the local RC Republic forum to get things started there. Slowly seeding RC combat here folks.

 

Getting more buzz about the ships as I had all 4 displayed and running at the lake this Sat and Sun passed. Weather was phenom.
I demo'd Bismarck's cannons and well the crowd of spectators surged dramatically. No flyers left to give out. I think I may have several strong contenders for new members as these guys build models on the pro side for tank testing. One of them built a functional miniature torpedoe so I had a great chat with him. I keep this up I may have some contenders to build ships and get battles going maybe not this season but next season.

 

I have my first prints made of the Club A.R.C.C. with 3 colored photographs across the top with Bismarck on the left firing it's cannons, the group shot of the Big 4 and me behind them in the water and the fleet battle from IRCWCC Nats 2010 . Below the club logo and teh club abbreviation.Below that my name and Youtube channel and sites of interest which I have the 2 main supplies Strike and BC , Port Polar bear for the dvds and the various club links for the various formats for RC combat and of course the main link for the hobby RC NAVAL COMBAT. These will be cheap to get copies for handouts at the pond or other venues.

Hope to get a few people recruited.

 

Could you send more of those post cards to me Keri?

 

Got a Pickup truck sales event that I will be attending with the RC truck guys. I am bringing my Tanks and one or 2 Battleships with me. Figured we could test them for fitting into the back of the new trucks. The event takes place Aug 18/2012.

 

The event was a success. The Rc car people had a great turnout. My little 2 table display along side my car with Bismarck and the firing demo box on one and the 2nd table had 7 of my RC Tanks. The BB firing box attracted a lot of people and was kept busy and Bismarck though obscured was getting a lot of questions about it and the hobby.
First RC event for me here and though very small the large truck show and race pulled in a lot of people so they filtered down into our area.