Hey everybody I'm new to the grand world of RC battling but not to building (RC or otherwise) I got out of RC quite awhile ago for 2 simple reasons 1. it was pretty expensive even for simple things (basic 2chan ground radio cost me $250! let alone all the other stuff!) ... and 2. I got my license and started racing 'full scale' [}] anyways I've had my automotive fun and while it's my profession from the custom stand point .. the racing in this area kinda blows without an expensive ferry trip every weekend .. and the local show circuit is basically a joke. on a whim I picked up a new RC mag .. and was astounded at how cheap it's become! so I'm back. while this area is basically all scale water and air I'd love to find some like minded RCers (or convert some!) and get a Vancouver Island battle group running ... maybe make group trips to Washington for big events just for fun heres my current fun full scale and heres the remenants from when I got out of RC many years ago
unfortunately given the driving and ferry time... that would be purely a big event type trip for me. go over the night before, play for the weekend and come back the last night the cost and time involved to get be there would be great for a couple summer get aways, but to keep a hobby itch alive it's just not viable as much as I would like it to be.
Sounds to me like you need to start recruiting. Tell to your friends and coworkers about model warship combat. Talk to the person next to you at the supermarket. Show them photos. Show them videos. Tell them how incredibly cool it would be if all of you built combat ships and battled them. Get some people together, and start building ships on the weekends. With that in mind, do you have any thoughts as to which flavor of Model Warship Combat you want to do? If you pick from established battling rulesets, you get four basic choices: 1/144 scale Fast Gun, 1/144 scale Big Gun, 1/96 scale Battlestations, and 1/72 scale Queen's Own. See this link for details about the different existing styles: http://www.rcnavalcombat.com/rcnavalcombat/types/ If you don't want to use an established set of rules, you can create your own. This frees you up to use a wider variety of ships, scales, weapons, armor, pumps, etc. You could set your club in the Age of Fighting Sail, in the middle of the American Civil War, in the Victorian Ironclad/Pre-Dreadnought era, in 500 BC with galleys and triremes, or even in a sci-fi future with the Space Battleships Yamato and Andromeda facing down the Comet Empire.
I think 1/144 big gun will get the best reception being that most of what I can find around here is scale mariners. there happens to be a supposidly big (we'll see) marine modeling show/exibition at a local mall in March so I'll see if I can throw a couple fliers out and get something started. I wanted to adopt the rules of the next local battling club the washinton cascade group.. but they run fast gun.. and I don't think that'll fly here. although I will definately see if I can get an intrest group together and possibly see on voting between the 2.
okay.... I think I'm gonna give starting a group a go! I found the local model boating club .. the area they use is almost perfect! and they seem keen to the idea they use a peice of a lake .. but for 50+ feet in any direction the deepest it gets is 4ft and it's CLEAR ( I can make out bottom a good 10-12 feet away ) the only part that will need attention is that launching/controlling requires using the dock which is great for the normal boaters.. but I'll probabaly have to make a lexan shielding system to go around the dock for safety. although it will keep spectators a decent distance away while still giving them a good view. the Hotel/Inn that owns the lake front basically gave them the dock and the space, they use it as part of their advertising. the club and the Hotel were talking last weekend about getting more people out for event type things.. the club is working on a Tug regatta and getting involved in the 1m scale sail racing that has started in this area. when I brought up my idea they were pretty much all over it. The hotel just put aside 30K for a new Dock for them, and they want to see a working combat ship before they make it official. so that's my next step... WOOHOO!
if you contact Phill at the washington cascade column he might be able to get some folks to come up from seattle in the spring. There is one WCC member in BC somewhere but I have misplaced his contact information. It would be a bunch of fast gun folks.
I'm probably going with Treaty ... but it wouldn't be that hard to bring the fast gun guys into the fold for some fun .. I would like to convey the same offer to the washington treaty group too! I think for the next while though any activity will just be 'fun practice' .. I want to have a converted scale model (1/144 sub, or 1/350 warship depends on what the model shop has on the shelf when I go visit ) on the water within a month. end of March I should have all the bits ordered to get a proper functioning warship on the water (ofcourse it'll take long then that to actually be on the water )
Ahh, I think the Washington Treaty guys are east coasters. Bit of a trip. I never got a chance to go check out the Cascade Column guys last year, am hoping to this year, but honestly I'm more interested in BigGun or the Treaty Combat ruleset than I am fastgun. Shame your little island (Vancouver) isn't closer to Seattle.
hmmmm maybe I misunderstood then.. I though the washington treaty group... was in Washington! as for the distance from Van isle to seattle.. yeah I know it's relatively the same to me going to play with the cascade guys.. its not BAD.. but it wouldn't be a regular thing more like a weekend getaway for the big events.. once you count the couple hours drive down island to the ferry, couple hours across the water, then another couple hours to get to the combat site.. it becomes quite a treck for a few hours of fun
Reckless I know a friend of mine whom I built a RC combat ship for. His name is Morgan Miller. He is living in BC, on in Victoria or Nanimo. I will try to contact him and get you his info.
that would be spectacular... I'm in naniamo.. and recently got involved with the Mid Vancouver Island Marine Modelers (MVIMM) .. they use a dock on Long lake from the Long Lake Inn... I MAY be moving to Ducan shortly(the wifey was just offered a management position within her company in Duncan, we should know a for sure on Friday if we are moving) but will remain attending with MVIMM and hopefully using their location for this. as it's about as perfect as I hope to find on the Island If he doesn't know of them and is in the Nanaimo area (the drive from Vic can be a little long for a few hours playing at the lake here) .. they meet up every Sunday morning at the Inn (around the back at the lake, can't miss it) at 9am ..send him our way!
Yes, the Washington Treaty group is named after the Washington Naval Treaty of the 20's. We're primarily located in the PA/MD/OH area, but I'm personally from WA state, and if there was a treaty group out in that area, I'd be happy to bring one of my smaller ships with me when I come home for visits to "show the flag" so to speak and get some battlin' in with our western bretheren!
Hey Reckless... My advice is build it, and in no time, someone else will wanna build one too. If you're not comfortable building from up from a hull, try locating a used ship. The OAF started with 2 guys wanting to battle each other, and we set up a website and poof.. we're a combat club. If you need any help on building.. we're here for the answers. talk soon, Mark OAF
Hey guys there is a lot of good ideas here! Give Phill a call and him ands some of the guys just may come up to your area!Especially if there is some kind of rc boat show!!
yeah it's a "boat show" up at the local mall, almost all just display stuff. the local rc club is putting some things in.. if anyone is seriously interested it's the end of March .. I'd like to think I could get something working by then but I doubt if I was able to order the elec and running gear now that it would show up in time I think I'll do a couple scale model conversions to get back in the swing then either order a hull or just carve and glass one myself. that tug pictured up above is getting repowered very first off ... it's affectionately known as the charity tug .. over 11 years ago it was given to me by member of a club I used to be in (B.A.M.M.) Once I get a couple of 'my own' running I'll pass it along too
