The RC Hobby, 1980s
I was born in 1971, which makes me a child of the 1980s when RC Hobby was big in the UK. In my friend group, there are many cars from many budgets, but the best to us were the Tamiya kits like the Grasshopper and the Hornet. One of my friends who was a bit better off had a Kyosho Beetle. Our local garden centre had a track with a viewing platform.
We were a bit limited back then as we only had a choice of six crystals and if you tried to race with cheaper cars, they would go nuts because of interference.
The Evolution of My RC Hobby
I have always had RC Cars, and when my two sons came along, it was a great chance to get them hooked. Growing up, they had many different cars and I had to keep them going. I became a bit of a repair expert, rebuild, and upgrade. I always kept my Tamiya TA01 Escort Cosworth. Furthermore, I have had many hobbies, but RC has stayed with me. It is a great hobby with spills and thrills. There are so many options and there is a model to suit every need. I like to go fast and bash things. My Son Josh is all about speed and doing silly things with models that should not be able to cope with the pressure. My Son Sam just loves something different, and he gets bored with models quickly. This means that we have amassed a lot of cars over the last few years.
Myself and Josh enjoy both building models and using RTR models, although my son Sam does not like to build. The RC Hobby is infectious and all of my son’s friends also got cars, which meant I had access to many different models, and I was being asked for my opinion on new models and suggested upgrades. At this point, I started to watch YouTube videos about the different models so that I could provide informed opinions on different options for my immediate friend group. After watching the videos one thing hit me, “I CAN DO THAT” so I did. First I started Fatboysrc.co.uk and I started to blog about different aspects of the RC Hobby. Then I decided it was time to expand.
@fatboysrc2024
In July 2024 I started the Fatboys RC 2024 YouTube channel providing reviews and views from the RC Hobby. This quickly caught on and by Today 23/10/2024 the channel had over 18,000 subscribers. I initially used the models at hand so, it was lucky we had about 20 in the family. I developed relationships with my Local RC Shop, and I reached out to manufacturers regarding presenting their products. Not only that, but I am hoping that as the channel grows more companies will come on board and provide products as this is a very expensive process.
Why do I do it?
I noticed straight away that there are positive mental benefits to this hobby. There is a massive buzz globally at the moment and I have been talking and interacting with people all over the world. I have found that the RC Hobby is a brilliant excuse for getting out and meeting people. As a middle-aged man, it is easy to get isolated due to the pressure of family and home. Every human needs to do something that makes them happy, and for me, it is now RC.
Is the RC Hobby Expensive?
The answer to this question comes down to the individual, and it depends upon many factors. If you just want to drive around the local park and do a little off-roading, then the models are relatively cheap. A decent entry-level 1/10 scale car kit will cost around £130, and it will do everything you need. If, on the other hand, you want to go very fast and hit jumps and get involved with bashing, then you are going to need something more robust. The stronger and faster the car, the higher the price. I like to buy a cheap model and then perform upgrades to bring it up to specification.
For Father’s Day 2024, my sons purchased me an FTX Carnage brushed version. This is a very basic truck and they got it for me because they knew what would happen. This sparked my RC Hobby bug all over again, and I upgraded it even before I drove it. I just happened to have a second hand Brushless motor and ESC which made the car go fast, and I recorded the speed at 34mph. If you watch my YouTube channel, you will see the upgrades that I have done to this truck. The Carnage is £130 truck. I have probably spent another £150 in upgrades, but this truck will probably stay with me.
How to get into the RC Hobby
It is simple. Get an RC Car and you are part of the hobby. If you want to get involved, then go to your local RC Shop. I am into cars, but there are options for many other vehicles like Boats, Motorcycles, tanks, Drift cars, and if you are brave then Aeroplanes, helicopters, and drones. If you go to your local shop which for me is Rochester RC which now offers all of my readers and watchers a 5% discount online using my code Fatboys RC. There are shops everywhere, and they hold the keys to contacts and inside information about the different vehicles. They can often recommend groups and tracks for you.
There are loads of websites where you will find loads of different brands but I would recommend using a shop for their expertise.
You will be amazed at how friendly and open people are in this hobby, and you will quickly get to know the staff and regular customers. These people are also the RC Hobby enthusiasts in your area and they will fill you in on meet ups and shows. Through Rochester RC we found out about the RC meets at the Gillingham Bowl. I have also spoken to customers in the shop and pointed them to our local track at Chattenden Kent.
In Conclusion
Are you looking for a great, fun, exciting, social hobby? If you are then get into the RC Hobby as it is a great bit of fun with a strong community. It is not expensive to get involved and it is literally for everyone young and old. Who knows, maybe I will see you on the track someday.
