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07-28-2005, 11:01 AM
| #1 |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mendocino (NOR-CAL)
Posts: 282
|  Letter to RCCA
This is a letter that i just composed to RCCA. Its kinda annoying how they dont have any articles about Crawling in their mag. RC crawling is great. It is people making their own custom rigs instead of just buying something and then bolting a bunch of aftermarket parts onto it and calling it a project. Hey all, I think that this mag is great, but there is something about it that kinda dissapoints me. If you look around RC Rock Crawling is becoming really popular. Several of the big companies are coming out with products designed specifically for rock crawlers. Proline came out with the Rock Pleazer body, Imex has come out with the Krocks and then later after more feedback from the crawling community came out with the Red Rock tires. While the Proline Moabs may not be designed specifically for RC crawlers, Proline definetly designed them with rocks in mind. My favorite part about this facet of RC is the fact that nobody can go out and just buy a crawler. Most people who rock crawl do lots of custom stuff to their crawlers. I think that If you were to make a column about RC crawling you mag would be much more popular. Thanks Harris |
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07-28-2005, 11:14 AM
| #2 |
| Rock Crawler Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: woods cross utah
Posts: 523
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if you put a picture of a t maxx in it they might read it.
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07-28-2005, 11:16 AM
| #3 |
| RCC Addict Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: SERCRC
Posts: 1,680
| Buy RCDriver, they publish crawling articles. ;) |
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07-28-2005, 11:19 AM
| #4 | |
| R.I.P. Chip   Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: The Crawler State
Posts: 13,938
| Quote:
To me this is why they do not cover us as much in the mags, because magazines like to do stories on things that their advertisers sell. If they start showing a bunch of home built rigs, more people will start building their own, and will stop buying so many premade kits offered by their advertisers. Another reason is although crawling is exploding a a very rapid rate it is still very small compared to the rest of the other RC areas. | |
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07-28-2005, 11:42 AM
| #5 |
| I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,027
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Jason is right. There is another reason....and don't take this the wrong way Harris: When you write some little "blurb" like that to a large publication, they will typically laugh at it and delete it faster than they read it. They get those types of letters all the time. You made no detailed points as to why it would be intruiging for their readers or for their advertisers. You simply stated that RC Crawling is getting big and it is cool! Everyone know that! What you need to do is have a representitive from the crawling community write a more formal letter, stating and explaining the benefit of running more articles about crawling in RCCA. Seven lines of writing about how great crawling is and how certain companies made parts for crawling will get you poor results. Better yet, an article written for the magazine by someone capable would go even further. Hitting deadlines to fill up a couple hundred pages of a magazine is tough, every single month. An additional article that they didn't have to write would help them out to fill those pages....but it must be worthy of their ink....so if you are up to that challenge....get out the typewriter and get busy. |
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07-28-2005, 12:11 PM
| #6 |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mendocino (NOR-CAL)
Posts: 282
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Wow, thanks for all the different thoughts. I was just sending this as a little readerswrite thing, not as an actual article. when my current subscription expires i think that i am going to go to rcdriver, just because they have a more open mind. I dont know enough yet to write a full article, but when i get a camera and have some more experience i am gunna write something to them and to rcdriver and see if it gets into either. Ohh well. i just thought that you guys might be interested in my letter to the readerswrite section of RCCA. I thought it was better than something about how they should have used this part in their last mt racer project, or something thanks harris |
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07-28-2005, 12:20 PM
| #7 |
| Rock Crawler Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND
Posts: 620
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i nominate digler to do all the things he was talking about !!!!  |
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07-28-2005, 12:36 PM
| #8 |
| 2006 2.2 National Champ  Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Big Bear Lake
Posts: 8,328
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Moved to Chit Chat.
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07-28-2005, 01:00 PM
| #9 | |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mendocino (NOR-CAL)
Posts: 282
| Quote:
harris | |
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07-28-2005, 03:02 PM
| #10 |
| Rock Stacker Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Fayetteville, AR
Posts: 92
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Mags suck period. Places like this are where it's at. I just picked up an RCCA cause I was bored and wanted something to read. A user wrote a letter asking about outdrives for the RC18MT. The magazine stated they shouldn't have any problem with the stock one, and if they did they could bootyfab some sleeves to help. They showed an awful pic of a bootyfab sleeve. I know of Steel outdrives, several Aluminum outdrives, titanium outdrives, and delrin outdrives. I also know that Associated makes some nice looking outdrive sleeves which they will GIVE you if you ask for them. Further, EVERY RC18 I've ever seen has issues with the outdrives breaking... So basically, they're ignorant as hell. I'm not buying a mag again. Just curious, what can you get out of a magazine that you can't get from the internet? I ride mountain bikes, and have worked in a shop for years, same deal with their magazines too. so it's not just R/C. -Jay |
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07-28-2005, 05:15 PM
| #11 | |||
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mendocino (NOR-CAL)
Posts: 282
| Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
peace harris | |||
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07-28-2005, 05:34 PM
| #12 |
| I wanna be Dave  Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vegas
Posts: 7,172
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At the bottom of your letter say that Kevin Hetmanski and Steve Pond are cool. Might carry some clout. I can't stand those doofs. |
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07-28-2005, 06:24 PM
| #13 | |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mendocino (NOR-CAL)
Posts: 282
| Quote:
 thats brilliant. i completely agree with you on that last part.whatever harris | |
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07-28-2005, 06:35 PM
| #14 |
| I wanna be Dave Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cleveland, OH
Posts: 8,009
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if you read the "tech tips" in RCCA (fuel tubing can be used to get fuel from your tank to the carburetor!) you'll know why they don't promote crawling. most of their readers can't figure out what would make a motor run backwards. if they picked up the tools necessary to build a crawler (screwdrivers, hacksaws, God forbid a Dremel) there'd be body parts all over the floor (and i'm not talkin' 'bout Lexan). the only rocks RCCA readers get close to are the ones between their ears. RTRs are dumbing down this hobby (at the same time they bring in lots of cash). 20 years ago, if you wanted an RC car, you had to build it from a kit. today customers whine about having to break in nitro engines ("they should do that at the factory!") and 30 year old men can't figure out how to replace a wheel bearing in a Pede. if i had a dollar for every manky T-Maxx i've had to replace a skid plate on while the customer looks on in awe ("WOW, where do you get that pointy thing that you use to like undo the screws?") i'd be a squillionaire. you can't work at a hobby shop and not have a dim view of humanity. there are a few customers who actually know what they're doing and for every one of them there's 20 who paint on top of the overspray film. |
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07-28-2005, 07:18 PM
| #15 | |
| RCC Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Redding, CA
Posts: 1,288
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thats sad | |
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07-28-2005, 11:38 PM
| #16 |
| Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Deland
Posts: 376
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if I want ads for strongest rollcage for a tmaxx that by just adding it will add 20mph, I'll buy a mag. If I want usefull info that I can use on my crawlers I'll buy a star for an internet forum that I can get that info from(and humor too), so quit your wining and support RCCRAWLER hey harris, where is your star? Last edited by flatfender; 07-28-2005 at 11:41 PM. |
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07-28-2005, 11:59 PM
| #17 |
| I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Jose
Posts: 5,207
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Digs, thats why you are a successful business guy. Your trian of thought is always business oriented. I may hit you up for some business advice when I get my sh!t started.
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07-29-2005, 05:26 AM
| #18 | |
| 06 Super National Champ  Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Stark Industries Bar and Grill
Posts: 11,361
| Quote:
I've heard that rumor.  | |
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07-29-2005, 06:04 AM
| #19 | |
| 06 Super National Champ Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Stark Industries Bar and Grill
Posts: 11,361
| Quote:
I told Greg and the guys that I wanted to do everything I could to promote crawling. Greg wasn't sure there'd be much interest in it, but I think he's got a bit of a different viewpoint now. RC Crawler works the same way. Heck, look at Pete and all the hype he's created over the stuff he's getting from Mark. If Pete wasn't getting the hook-up he wouldn't give a chit about the new tires, body, wheels, etc... He'd just buy'm like the rest of us and go on with things. There'd be no hype. As far as showing homebuilt rigs and people building thier own as opposed to purchasing a kit...read microgoat's post again. For every 1 person that builds a rig, there's 10-20 more that would just rather buy a kit that works. Not everyone has the skill, tools, and time required to build thier own stuff. In today's world people want instant gratification. This thread has a few good examples of that. "Why buy a mag when I can get the information online?" Harris, It's impossible for a magazine to include every aspect of RC in which a few hundred people are involved. There are people that race dirt oval, run 1/5 scale motorcycle races, drag race, etc. There's also a group of people that enjoy scale trucking (www.gardentrucking.com) but we can't put stuff like that in the mag each month because a few hundred people across the country are into it. As for crawling, I'm doing what I can to get exposure for our aspect of the hobby into the mag each month. Whether it's sneaking in a crawling related article into my column or doing event coverage, or a review, I'm trying....and I think it's working. After the issue with the last Buck's Pocket comp hit the shelves, the park ranger at Buck's Pocket was getting phone calls asking when the next rock crawling event would be held. Horizon Hobby was getting phone calls asking "Do you guys have some of them Losi 'LST' tires?" I'm working to promote our part of the hobby, and I'd like to think that what I'm doing is helping. | |
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07-29-2005, 09:53 AM
| #20 |
| R.I.P. Chip Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: The Crawler State
Posts: 13,938
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Yea Jason I understand that as far as the magazines target audience people that crawl are a very small portion of that market. I would also bet that with what you have been doing to promote crawling there are more pages related to crawling in the mag than any other aspect of our hobby, on a percentage basis. Example 125 pages of other stuff=500,000 people interested in that stuff. 5 pages of crawling stuff=500 people interested in that stuff. I know my numbers are way off, but it's just an example. BTW, DO NOT thing your work goes unnoticed JIA. We all really appreaciate what you are doing for our hobby. Getting magazine exposure brings more attention to us from new people interested in the hobby, it also helps open the eyes of those big companies to what we are doing. Many of the big companies don't have time to check out the web and see what we are up to, but I would bet everyone of them has a copy of RCDriver sitting on the back of the toliet! |
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