This weekend is "Wings over Arizona"
Giant scale Fly-in. Head to the AMA field on Meridian and Brown and check out all the neat planes. Below is a link to directions and map.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Special Events April 14-15 2012
http://azmodelaviators.com/Events/Wings%20Over%20Arizona/wings%20over%20arizona.htm
Saturday, January 23, 2010
DIY iPhone Camera Mount
This fun little project requires only the following:
-An old hat
-Hobby Knife
-Cell phone with video camera (small point and shoot cameras work too, provided they have video capabilities).
-About 10 minutes of your time!
-An old hat
-Hobby Knife
-Cell phone with video camera (small point and shoot cameras work too, provided they have video capabilities).
-About 10 minutes of your time!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
INDOOR FLYING
We are going to be flying at Ellsworth Park Wednesday December 16th from 7pm - 10pm. Everyone is invited. 75 watts limit unless approved by Nick Hynes.
We've had a lot of fun in the past and now that it's winter time the weather should be great inside and the turnout should be great. We might try some micro mustang races.
Ellsworth Park is on 2nd Ave. and Horne in Mesa. It's on the Northeast corner.
See ya there!
Aaron Lavender
Viper Hobbies
We've had a lot of fun in the past and now that it's winter time the weather should be great inside and the turnout should be great. We might try some micro mustang races.
Ellsworth Park is on 2nd Ave. and Horne in Mesa. It's on the Northeast corner.
See ya there!
Aaron Lavender
Viper Hobbies
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Department Store Remote Control vs. Hobby Store Remote Control
It is no shocking revelation that hobby store RC toys are more expensive than ones that look similar at Radio Shack or Wal Mart. The obvious answer to this is "Quality"... But what does this really mean? Here we will explain some of the benefits of HSRC (Hobby Store Remote Control) over DSRC (Department Store Remote Control).
Initial Quality
Out of the box there may be little appearance differences between an HSRC and a DSRC vehicle. The most obvious might be the weight. The DSRC are very light weight. There is very little metal parts, and very few quality plastic parts for that matter. They are made to appear like a vehicle, but little care went into making them structurally sound. A simple tumble down the stairs, or a good crash into the corner of the wall, can send them to the grave. HSRC tends to have higher quality parts, such as steel, aluminum, and sometimes high performance composite materials such as carbon fiber (like used in real luxury and performance vehicles). These materials give the toys strength above 'normal' conditions, and helps them hold up to pretty harsh treatment.
Longevity
Most DSRC vehicles are meant to last only a few months. They will likely not stay in good running condition to see their 1 year anniversary. Parts that are meant to wear out much like on our real vehicles, such as tires and batteries, cannot be replaced on these vehicles. While battery packs may be able to be found for these vehicles, the style and connector styles change so frequently, you may not be able to find a local source for replacement. These vehicles usually don't outlive the lifetime of the battery pack though, so this is of little concern to consumers.
Frequencies
In many cases, DSRC vehicles have 1 or 2 frequencies available. This makes playing with multiple vehicles difficult, or even impossible. For instance, if you buy 2 RC cars for 2 brothers, if they are the same frequency, the controllers will try to control not only their own car, but each others... effectively making the cars "out of control". HSRC vehicles have dozens of frequency options. Even if you purchase 2 vehicles on the same frequency, there are tiny frequency chips that can be changed out very inexpensively and easily, so you can switch frequency channels quickly to make for more fun for dozens of models simultaneously. Also, in the past few years, many advancements in HSRC has given us the ability to control models on the 2.4 gHz Spektrum. What this means is that there are infinate frequencies available, and there is never a need to use crystals ever again, as all of the frequency changing is done within the electronics!
Spare Parts
This is where HSRC really shines. Parts are available for your HSRC vehicle, and likely they aren't very expensive. So if something should ever break, you can replace it. Too complicated? You aren't the "Mechanical Type"... No problem. Viper Hobbies offers repairs on any vehicles it sells, for a very nominal cost. Replacement parts include tires, batteries, springs, servos, motors, controlers, etc. Not to mention the vast UPGRADE market. You can swap the motor out for a more powerful one as your skills advance. Or get multiple battery packs so you don't have to wait so long for a recharge. How about getting some Sand Tires for your RC Truck? Yeah...You can do that too!
Performance
HSRC vehicles use higher quality parts, by so doing, they run better, and FASTER. They don't become booring shortly after purchasing, because they have the power to go over rougher terrain (trucks). They have much nicer tires, which help them to get traction on tile or smooth concrete. DSRC vehicles have very hard rubber tires, that slide and do not hold up well outdoors. The motors and electronics are rated for much longer lifetimes, and are usually rebuild-able once they've worn out.
But what if: "I'm buying this for a little kid, they'll never know the difference." The truth is... they will when it breaks. And when it does, you'll be stuck buying a brand new one because parts aren't available. In most cases... Your cost of 2 DSRC vehicles, would have bought you 1 HSRC and some replacement parts. So don't rule out the hobby store vehicles... They will probably wind up saving you in the long run!
Please come visit us at Viper Hobbies. Our friendly staff will be glad to discuss these differences in more detail and help demonstrate for you how you can save money and have a much higher quality product.
Initial Quality
Out of the box there may be little appearance differences between an HSRC and a DSRC vehicle. The most obvious might be the weight. The DSRC are very light weight. There is very little metal parts, and very few quality plastic parts for that matter. They are made to appear like a vehicle, but little care went into making them structurally sound. A simple tumble down the stairs, or a good crash into the corner of the wall, can send them to the grave. HSRC tends to have higher quality parts, such as steel, aluminum, and sometimes high performance composite materials such as carbon fiber (like used in real luxury and performance vehicles). These materials give the toys strength above 'normal' conditions, and helps them hold up to pretty harsh treatment.
Longevity
Most DSRC vehicles are meant to last only a few months. They will likely not stay in good running condition to see their 1 year anniversary. Parts that are meant to wear out much like on our real vehicles, such as tires and batteries, cannot be replaced on these vehicles. While battery packs may be able to be found for these vehicles, the style and connector styles change so frequently, you may not be able to find a local source for replacement. These vehicles usually don't outlive the lifetime of the battery pack though, so this is of little concern to consumers.
Frequencies
In many cases, DSRC vehicles have 1 or 2 frequencies available. This makes playing with multiple vehicles difficult, or even impossible. For instance, if you buy 2 RC cars for 2 brothers, if they are the same frequency, the controllers will try to control not only their own car, but each others... effectively making the cars "out of control". HSRC vehicles have dozens of frequency options. Even if you purchase 2 vehicles on the same frequency, there are tiny frequency chips that can be changed out very inexpensively and easily, so you can switch frequency channels quickly to make for more fun for dozens of models simultaneously. Also, in the past few years, many advancements in HSRC has given us the ability to control models on the 2.4 gHz Spektrum. What this means is that there are infinate frequencies available, and there is never a need to use crystals ever again, as all of the frequency changing is done within the electronics!
Spare Parts
This is where HSRC really shines. Parts are available for your HSRC vehicle, and likely they aren't very expensive. So if something should ever break, you can replace it. Too complicated? You aren't the "Mechanical Type"... No problem. Viper Hobbies offers repairs on any vehicles it sells, for a very nominal cost. Replacement parts include tires, batteries, springs, servos, motors, controlers, etc. Not to mention the vast UPGRADE market. You can swap the motor out for a more powerful one as your skills advance. Or get multiple battery packs so you don't have to wait so long for a recharge. How about getting some Sand Tires for your RC Truck? Yeah...You can do that too!
Performance
HSRC vehicles use higher quality parts, by so doing, they run better, and FASTER. They don't become booring shortly after purchasing, because they have the power to go over rougher terrain (trucks). They have much nicer tires, which help them to get traction on tile or smooth concrete. DSRC vehicles have very hard rubber tires, that slide and do not hold up well outdoors. The motors and electronics are rated for much longer lifetimes, and are usually rebuild-able once they've worn out.
But what if: "I'm buying this for a little kid, they'll never know the difference." The truth is... they will when it breaks. And when it does, you'll be stuck buying a brand new one because parts aren't available. In most cases... Your cost of 2 DSRC vehicles, would have bought you 1 HSRC and some replacement parts. So don't rule out the hobby store vehicles... They will probably wind up saving you in the long run!
Please come visit us at Viper Hobbies. Our friendly staff will be glad to discuss these differences in more detail and help demonstrate for you how you can save money and have a much higher quality product.
10 Hobby Gift Ideas for under $150
RTF (Ready to Fly) and RTR (Ready to Run) are great options for beginners, and advanced modelers alike. These models include batteries, chargers, transmitters (controllers) and everything you need to start using your new model immediately. So on Christmas morning, there won't be the sad realization that you have an awesome new toy, but just need 1 more part...and you can't buy it until the next day. This list of RC toys can literally be running in minutes, with nothing more than what is in the box! And although these are hot toys for beginners, veterans to the sport have as much fun or more than beginners with these toys. Most of them can be flown or driven INDOORS! Which adds a whole new element of fun during our frigid Arizona mornings ;)
Here is a list of popular products, available READY TO FLY or READY TO RUN for less than $150 at Viper Hobbies:
Skill Level: Beginner 1 2 3 4 5 Advanced
Here is a list of popular products, available READY TO FLY or READY TO RUN for less than $150 at Viper Hobbies:
Skill Level: Beginner 1 2 3 4 5 Advanced
- ParkZone Vapor 1
- ParkZone Micro Sukhoi SU-26 3
- ParkZone Ultra Micro P-51 Mustang 3
- ParkZone Ultra Micro J-3 Cub 2 NEW
- ParkZone Slo V RTF 2
- E-flight mCX 1
- E-flight mCX S300 1
- Losi Micro T 1
- Losi Micro Rock Crawler 1 NEW
- Losi Micro HIGHRoller 1
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Viper Hobbies Indoor Event
The August 13, Indoor Fun Fly was a great night. We had another good turn out. The 2 new unique designs that were introduced were the Viper Hobbies Personal Pan Pizza (VHP3) and the Viper Hobbies Nano Combat Fighter. Both were setup using the new Parkzone hardware.
The Nano Combat Fighter didn't get the mixing figured out until late into the night, so most people missed it's maiden flight. But after Aaron got it dialed in, it flew great. The CG needs some adjustment, but not a big deal.
With enough interest, we might make these available as a precut kit. Post comments and suggestions about the design or other suggestions you'd like to see.
For those that missed the test flight of the Nano Combat Fighter...We have a teaser video below. See you in 2 weeks for the next event!
-Viper Hobbies
The Nano Combat Fighter didn't get the mixing figured out until late into the night, so most people missed it's maiden flight. But after Aaron got it dialed in, it flew great. The CG needs some adjustment, but not a big deal.
With enough interest, we might make these available as a precut kit. Post comments and suggestions about the design or other suggestions you'd like to see.
For those that missed the test flight of the Nano Combat Fighter...We have a teaser video below. See you in 2 weeks for the next event!
-Viper Hobbies
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