The Dive Watch Connection

Re-re-re-kindled with some Amazon purchases today. Got another indoor copter (had been awhile -- the WLToys V911 Pro $38), one for my disabled father (Tenergy Syma S107G R $24), and a pair of easy-to-use indoor drones for me and my 6yo son with separate channels. All about $120 shipped out the door for 4 units.

Back when I was a kid I enjoyed two Team Associated RC10 (gas truck and electric buggy), and a Losi electric buggy build with my Father, but those were VERY pricey pro models we built with modified motors, speed controls, servos, state-of-the-art batteries for their time, even cool garage worked paint jobs. He probably dropped $1000 into all three and the upgrades were all me to the tune of $200+ in lawn mowing cash.

When I was in the Army it was all about mini RC cars running down the barracks halls. Boy was that fun!

Anyone else enjoy either serious RC or the current out-of-the-box hi-tech bandwagon offerings of today?

Good cheap fun that wasn't around when I was a kid... Well, maybe Tyco for some ingenious fun under the Christmas tree designs like the super fun traxx, but a solidly engineered indoor chopper for $30? No chance.

Not much experience, but a friend brought over a DJI Spark quadcopter a few days ago and I couldnt believe how easy it was to use and how well it worked.

It honestly blew my mind. Its amazing how easy to use and how stable it was maneuvering. Auto compensating for wind gusts and whatnot too. Now I want one.

You can’t go wrong with Traxxas RTRs. I also have Axial, Dromida, and Tamiya R/C vehicles. My three boys love them.

I had an AE racing rc car when I was a kid. It always seemed like it would be more fun than it actually was. I’m sure battery tech has improved tremendously though.

I have a Traxxas Stampede. Nothing crazy, but it’s fun to bash around the yard and play with the dog.

Traxxas is great, I have a Rustler, a Slash and a mini revo. With the lipo batteries they are REALLY fast.


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I buzzed around with a Blade MCx (I think) for a while. Mini coaxial helo. It’s an indoor only bird, but surprisingly challenging to fly well. A hoot to fly, the cat hated it.

I always wanted a Tamiya Lunchbox as a kid in the 80s, but never got one. I should get one of the new models.

My son has three Traxxas cars. They are tons of fun but they constantly break, which dampens our enthusiasm for them significantly.

Henryj wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 27, 2019 4:04 pm

I buzzed around with a Blade MCx (I think) for a while. Mini coaxial helo. It’s an indoor only bird, but surprisingly challenging to fly well. A hoot to fly, the cat hated it.

Same here. Haven’t used it in a little no time.

There is only sex....you understand how that is a universal truth....

JP Chestnut wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 27, 2019 9:49 am

I had an AE racing rc car when I was a kid. It always seemed like it would be more fun than it actually was. I’m sure battery tech has improved tremendously though.

I don’t see much enjoyment in the driving part anymore, but if I had the time I think I could get into the model building side. I’m fascinated by the model railroad layouts that always seem to have a gang of retired guys who slowly build. There’s a layout in San Pedro somewhere in the old naval buildings, and I remember another in a warehouse next to the “skunk train” rail station in Fort Bragg, CA.

HapaHapa wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 28, 2019 4:14 pm

JP Chestnut wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 27, 2019 9:49 am

I had an AE racing rc car when I was a kid. It always seemed like it would be more fun than it actually was. I’m sure battery tech has improved tremendously though.

I don’t see much enjoyment in the driving part anymore, but if I had the time I think I could get into the model building side. I’m fascinated by the model railroad layouts that always seem to have a gang of retired guys who slowly build. There’s a layout in San Pedro somewhere in the old naval buildings, and I remember another in a warehouse next to the “skunk train” rail station in Fort Bragg, CA.

Funny you mentioned the driving. While it was good fun I found the REAL fun was making the car lighter and faster with lighter servos, speed controls, lighter high capacity batteries (20yr ago tech like Jacob mentioned), hand wound hi-torque electric motors which seemed super expensive at $80! Because it was expensive for this paper-route and neighborhood lawn mowing entrepreneur.

Explains a lot on why I (we) enjoy watches so much now...? It was really all about the anticipation for the next part upgrade and the short lived expectation on the road. Rinse and repeat until the car was maxed out.

But with these indoor drones and helos it's just good out-of-the-box fun for less than a bill. Although those drones I mentioned in the OP went f-ing haywire and have no clue why? They performed great for two full charges and went apeshit. Sending them back tomorrow. Just got the copter today and the cells are charging currently. The copter got much better quality reviews so fingers crossed.

Here was a great one I had TONs of fun with:

Can I play?



It's a underwater ROV. I have a 25 meter and a 100 meter tether for it. I've run it a couple of times, once at my dock, but the water isn't clear enough to get great footage even though I saw a couple fish. I have a couple other video's to see what I got, and we were 5 miles offshore the 2nd time around.

That’s very cool! Have you thought about buying one of those hi powered magnets to tie off and dredge the bottom? Recently saw a video where I guy found an AR15 upper.

sierra11b wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:19 pm

That’s very cool! Have you thought about buying one of those hi powered magnets to tie off and dredge the bottom? Recently saw a video where I guy found an AR15 upper.

Over on their forums there are a ton of mod's people are doing to it. A lot of 3d printer stuff to add accessories to it. Right now the display on the controller is hard to see in direct sunlight, so I recently got a "box" type cover to see how that works. If it doesn't the next step would be goggles like they use for drones.

Once, I can figure out how to see and drive, then I can start exploring more with it.