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    Forum
    Graupner Closing
    Thereโ€™s been some discussion on Graupners demise on RCGroups. Many people seem to think that Graupner and Robbe
    products
    were overpriced, and used RTF/RTR models from China to prove their point. Well, like we say here in Texas, โ€œthat dog wonโ€™t huntโ€. In my humble opinion, a well made kit will be a little more expensive than anything pre built as there is the extra cost of plans, instructions, packaging, just to name a few. And, as a builder, Iโ€™d much rather pay a bit more for a decent quality kit that I get the fun and pride of both the building of said kit and the ownership. Now, there are people who cannot or will not build, and more power to them. If thatโ€™s how they pass their time thatโ€™s okay by me. But..using the China made models as a benchmark to gripe about a much loved kit manufacturers models and prices is just a little off kilter. That being said, the KYmodel sourced Graupner kits were improving in quality, it would be a shame to see them fade away or be harder to purchase now that the quality seems to be improving.
    4 years ago by Cashrc
    Forum
    Graupner Closing
    Lets not stop at Korea. The Chinese have an appalling record with all animals. You name it, they think that pieces of them are good for health cures. All of our stuff comes from China so I think a ban on buying
    products
    is impossible.โ˜น๏ธ Peter.
    4 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Graupner Closing
    DON'T PANIC !!!! ๐Ÿ˜ฎ Just read the original (in German) Press Statement from Graupner. Facts are: The German site in Kirchheim has no production facilities (hasn't had for several years since the last restructuring) and has long been just a Sales organisation. The huge site there is no longer viable due to rising costs and cheap competition. So ONLY Graupner/SJ Gmbh in Kirchheim has declared insolvency and will close. Since the cooperation with the S. Korean company the production was moved to Shenzen in China. This is also being closed, (due to rising labour and tax costs!?) and production as well as Marketing & Sales are being concentrated at the Graupner HQ near Seoul in S Korea; Graupner Co. Ltd, who own all rights to Graupner
    products
    and the brand name. The future emphasis will be on the RC electronic side; TX/RX, HOTT system components ESCs etc etc, as this is the side of the business still in the black and growing. Graupner Co. Ltd say they will issue a further statement regarding the future sales and service partners in due course. THE BRAND IS NOT DISAPPEARING ๐Ÿ˜Š (Not yet anyway!) Cheers, Doug๐Ÿ˜Ž Press Statement attached for the German students amongst you ๐Ÿ˜‰ Viel SpaรŸ beim lesen.
    4 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Re: Over sized Deck!
    Surely Ed you must have some packaging of food items that come in a carton or box packaging? Taco shells? Sugar? Salt? Popcorn? Soda Crackers? Pasta? Wax paper, Aluminum Foil? All these are
    products
    that might come in a carton versus plastic pkg.
    4 years ago by Ronald
    Response
    Re: Fire Monitors Part 2
    Thanks Peter, Component Shop have some great
    products
    for this sort of thing, and that device would give a good range of control. Being a retired electronics engineer I like to keep my hand in and make whatever I can in terms of controls. Makes it all a bit more interesting. Regards Graham
    5 years ago by Graham93
    Response
    Re: Billing Boats!
    With luck they'll be coming from Germany or Austria Pete, They are Branded AvioTiger, a German / Austrian company https://www.robbe.com/rc-elektronik/multi-modules-futaba-f-serie.html with service centre for Robbe
    products
    in northern Austria https://www.robbe.com/kundenservice?___store=english&___from_store=default The German AvioTiger and Austrian Lindinger joined forces to revive the Robbe Modelsport
    products
    . Krick took over the marine stuff. Cheers, Doug ๐Ÿ˜Ž Oh! And Billing Boats make their own kit parts in Denmark ๐Ÿ˜‰
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Re: Acrylics & Acrylic Glue?
    DON'T PANIC Admiral ๐Ÿ˜‰ Acrylic is just another plastic, nothing mysterious. So you need a solvent glue designed to weld acrylic plastic together. It's just like using polystyrene cement to glue polystyrene plastic kits together. Like we all did as kids and budding sailors, engineers etc๐Ÿ˜Š Get stuck in Ed ๐Ÿ˜ Cheers, Doug ๐Ÿ˜Ž PS Lots of advice from the glue maker here Ed https://scigrip.com/
    products
    ?technology=acrylic-cements#
    products
    and How To vids here https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=acrylic+glue
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Re: 40'' Seaplane Tender, new build. mods and improvements.
    Hi Doug, - rats nest indeed! ๐Ÿ˜‚ Thanks for the nice comment BTW, I do actually have ID tags (masking tape on wires),- you can't see most of them as they are hidden behind the felt lining and under the deck and floor boards. I also use male and female JST plugs reversed when 2 connections are close together. Main power into systems comes from each battery, and splits into a number of JST connectors which supply each particular unit. It's hard to get so many wires neat and tidy in a limited space, as they don't always exit or enter the units in a convenient direction, and some don't bend all that well. Short of cutting all the wires off and substituting my own, I just do the best to fit them as they come. Looks messy but when you are trying to fit 2 ESCs, 2 sound units,(which have to be lifted out while wired, to get at batteries) a water pump, 2 1800 mAh LiPos, 2 remote switches, a battery monitor, 2 shaft oiler reservoirs and a UBEC and associated wiring (including light feed wiring to cabin top) into a space of around 200x200x100mm it's bound to get messy! A problem is finding nice quality flexible silicone wire (especially on JST plugs) which bends nicely round things. Most wire
    products
    you get on line are stiff poor quality stuff, and you don't know what type it will be till you get it. Main thing is that it all works and you can't see it with the top on๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜Š Re- the smoke,- I have 3 Heng Long smokers (one of which I've modded (see vid) and am experimenting with ways of making them compact, (been done on You Tube with a smaller fan than I used (in place of original pump) stuck directly to the side of the smoker tank. The smokers work really well, - just have to reduce the size (maybe a small motor in a tube with a propeller to replace the pump) Hard part is finding smoke which is 'waterproof' as it has to come out with the exhaust water. Usual baby oil smoke just disappears and doesn't travel well down tubes, (even without water) so the unit needs to be close to the exit with a non oily smoke. Perhaps an incense stick or cigarette in a tube?๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜Š JB
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Forum
    Mtronics ESC's
    It's a shame about QC! Companies should stand by their
    products
    ! And they should respond to a question as well! Not just grab the loot and run!
    5 years ago by figtree7nts
    Forum
    Mtronics ESC's
    Well at least they got back to you and are prepared to send you a new one. I spent eight years making PCB's using surface mount machines and have placed millions of components. Also tested millions of PCB's and I know that although a few fail most pass. But we still got a few sent back due to failures. I also know that a few PCB,s that failed the first test were tested several times and then passed. I even know that some had a lot of failures so the company that we tested them for chanced the programs so that they passed. Even changing a component to an equivalent made a lot pass the tests. And to make matters worse because of the large volume of PCB's for certain companies they decided only to test one In twenty, so purchasing any electrical
    products
    is a bit of a gamble. Martin555.
    5 years ago by Martin555
    Forum
    Fast attack craft
    Hi Peter, "One thing this conversation has resulted in is a much better understanding of alternatives to LiPo. " Thanks! Then I have achieved my objective๐Ÿ˜‰ What irritated me about Dodgy's initial post on the subject, and apologies to Dodgy if my response was a little over the top, (must remember not to answer such posts so late at night๐Ÿค”) was that it seemed to generalise without mentioning the the decisive parameters involved, including cost difference! Sure there are better low discharge NiMhs thse days, but at higher cost, as I believe I mentioned. E.G. for the fast electrics market. LiPos have also improved their safety record tremendously (thanks partially to the Boeing Dreamliner mini disaster) in the 15 years that Dodgy has apparently been using them. Seems more likely that HE had shares in a LiPo company to be able to afford them back then๐Ÿ˜‰ In fact most of the earlier problems with Lithium batteries were with Lithium-Ion. Was a big nuisance when we wanted to export some of our mobile/portable tactical radio kit. Had to send the batteries separately under special (expensive) conditions ๐Ÿ˜  Seems about time I updated the Battery charging sections in the 'How Tos' on this site to match current
    products
    ! Been meaning to do that for yonks. So much to do, so little time ๐Ÿค” Cheers, Doug
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Krick and Hobbyking
    Hi guys and Gals. I do not blow the trumpet for suppliers too often but I just have to mention the superb customer service I have received from both Krick and Hobbyking. 1) Krick. The Dusseldorf model from Krick I am currently building has a superstructure mainly formed by one piece of blow moulded clear Lexan which incorporates all of the windows also. The windows are covered by preformed stick on masks which are supplied on a pre-cut sheet. Just peel and fix. Well, I peeled and fixed a few a little out of place. They were so difficult to remove that I damaged the corners. Not much good for spraying. I wrote a note on their web site asking if they could give me a price for a replacement sheet. They wrote back the next day saying they would replace it f.o.c. True to their word, it arrived today, three days after my request. Well done Krick. Good
    products
    too I might add. 2) Hobbyking. I like Hobbyking. The
    products
    are good but their customer service is excellent. Over the last couple of years I have made many purchases and two have gone wrong.The first was a Li-Po battery. One cell was down when it arrived. I went to customer service on the web site and it asked me to take two pictures, one of the battery serial code and one of the battery connected to a monitor showing total voltage. I did this at 2pm. At 4pm I had an email approving the claim and a replacement was sent the next day. The second claim was this week. My relatively new Frsky Taranis X9D Plus (six months old), strangely started turning itself on, beeping, and the screen flashing and then off again repeating this every 30 seconds. The only way to stop it was to remove the battery. I wrote to Hobbyking on Sunday advising them of the error. On Monday I had an email asking for a video of the problem. I sent this on Tuesday. On wednesday they responded by saying that they had not seen this problem before and to send the unit back to them for replacement. They sent three emails over two hours today. The first said that they had received the faulty unit and that it would take around two weeks to assess and respond. Well that became one hour. They wrote again and said that the claim was valid and passed on to sales for replacement. Sales wrote one hour saying that a replacement was not immediately available and a full cash refund would be made. Five days and sorted. I can now buy a replacement. It would be good to hear of others good outcome supplier stories, or in fact the horror stories too.
    5 years ago by MouldBuilder
    Forum
    Veron Huntsman 28 riding the white horses!
    Here are 4 types we can get here (3 chrome 1 stainless, - the Dupli-color being the best - $19 NZ). I used the Dupli-color (Australia) on the chromed plastic tow ball covers on both my cars and it's still looking reasonable after a year outside in the elements. When you first apply it, it looks as close to chrome as you will get with paint, (perfect for a model). There is another US product which looks even better but costs $200+ US) and requires primers, black base coat and air brushing on. There must be lots of similar
    products
    in the UK, just finding them might be the problem. Try asking a spray shop, if they don't know, no one will. JB
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Response
    Re: 40'' Seaplane Tender, new build U
    Hi MT, sound units are actually for cars but have a choice of 58 sounds from V8s to diesels and are the only ones I've seen which seem to sound ok. You have to go through all the sounds and try them through the throttle range but there are a number which sound ok for boats. You can also plug them into your computer and make a few changes such as throttle sensitivity, turbo sound and volume etc. The sounds are proportional, from starting to full throttle and are all WAV sounds which seem to be split up into small 'samples' and as such, some are not quite linear but are useable. There are 2 different models, One is the 'GT Power' sound and lights model - version 2 (the better I think) which comes with all the pre wired and plugged LEDs needed for a car, (h/l, t/l, indicators etc) and comes as a module and separate speaker, (you can plug 2 speakers into this module for better sound). The other model is the 'GT Power' Car Engine Sound 'mini' which is just the sound module and speaker in one box. This works the same as the version 2 model but at present I'm having a problem with the Mini, which has the wrong model for USB adjustment installed, (sounds can be selected manually on the module but when you plug the module into the comp and open the module control panel, it's for the wrong model, - sound files are still viewable though) I'll have to contact GT Power for a fix (going by their on line help page, they seem quite ready to sort problems out and give solutions) Cost is around $56 NZ for the version 2, and around $ 51 for the 'Mini' version which is comparable to most other sound units available, but with more features than some. Apparently, if you send the GT Power tech/help guy a complete WAV sound file (ie, start, idle, and steady slow acceleration to full and back they will make a sound file for your unit and email it back to you,(yet to try but would be brilliant if true) Units are sold on Ebay, Ali Express and Banggood (and many other model shops) and it's worth shopping around all of them, as there are big price differences. These are also sold as GOOL RC sound units but are made by GT Power. ( http://www.gt-rc.com/en/msgBoard.jsp ) You will see the home page on there. I use a number of their
    products
    such as battery chargers, rev counters, battery checkers etc and all seem very reliable and work well. I don't think they sell direct, but they are sold everywhere. For Rooky Sailors benefit, the motors are Gool RC 540-45T 7.4V brushed car motors which have ball bearings and replaceable brushes (motor is rebuildable). Haven't tried them on the water yet, but the 45T (12000rpm) should be tourqy enough (different turn Nos are available) John B
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Forum
    EeZeBilts From Keil Kraft
    I use a VERY old copy of Ashlar-Vellum's DrawingBoard. It's no longer current - it ran on W95, and worked up to XP. Their current
    products
    are Graphite, Cobalt and Xenon. This package has an interface designed by two people from the Xerox PARC research centre, where they developed the ideas of a mouse and windows which we use today. It is completely intuitive, and you need no training whatsoever to use it - it's just like sketching with a pencil on a pad. Unfortunately, they maintain patents on the interface, which is probably why other
    products
    are more clumsy, and they sell to the professional market. Their cheapest package starts at ยฃ1.5k, so I'm not suggesting that anyone use it. But if anyone is in the market for a commercial high-end CAD package I would recommend that they take a look at that company...
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    EeZeBilts From Keil Kraft
    Hi Martin, The FG refers only to the very light glass tissue, which is completely inert. (FG doesn't automatically mean Epoxy Resin these days!) In future perhaps I'd better use the abbreviation GF for glass-fibre (NOT Girl Friend๐Ÿ˜‰) instead? The beauty of Ezekote is that it is not epoxy, does not need a heat generating hardener and is water based. Deluxe advertise it as 'Foam Safe', that's even printed on the bottles.๐Ÿ˜Š The Foam glue I recommended is also explicitly described as suitable for Depron, amongst others. That's why I mentioned it. I've tried various Deluxe Materials
    products
    and they all perform 'as advertised' ๐Ÿ˜‰ Cheers, Doug ๐Ÿ˜Ž BTW Both
    products
    also dry crystal clear.
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    two part epoxy resin
    ".... I went into my local 'Everything a pound' store today and found packs of two part epoxy resin, a la Araldite priced at , guess what?...." My experience with the epoxies found in 'Poundland' (I expect that the same
    products
    will be found in many other cheap outlets) 1 - The epoxy you get in the dual syringe - works ok. Not particularly good at adhering to smooth surfaces. Remains a bit flexible. 2 - The epoxy you get in two separate tubes - does not work. Will not set. I tried several different sets of the 'tubes' adhesive, several months apart. Got the same experience with them all.
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    Plan For Princess Elizabeth Paddler
    Didn't Sarik take over the Traplet
    products
    ? https://www.modelboats.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=129165&p=2 They have some paddler plans, but not the PE I'm afraid๐Ÿ˜ญ https://www.sarikhobbies.com/?s=Paddle+steamer&post_type=product ๐Ÿ˜Ž
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    Batteries in a DX5e
    " If Graupner want to reach a wider public they need to ensure that the kits are available" Who actually makes the kits? I thought you meant a manufacturer with Pietenpol, not a particular model kit. It's the manufacturers job to ensure availability of
    products
    . Natch if the wider marketing through a partner awakens larger interest and demand (which is the object of the exercise) then it's up to the manufacturer to gear up his production to match. Unfortunately this is often not the case - until it is too late๐Ÿค” Natch Graupner will want their cut for their marketing / sales efforts. Doug Apropos Cub; I still have a boxed Great Planes kit of an 'ElectriCub'. Deluxe kit #ECUB-D. Sport model J-3 Piper Cub. Wingspan 59". Kit includes loads of wood (much pre-cut) vacform nose, motor and mount, prop and spinner, wiring harness, full size plans and build / operation instruction book. Bought about 30 years ago. I only opened it to check that it was complete. I will most likely never build it so if it's of any interest to you let me know and I'll send some more details / pics. PS: forward vision was a nightmare on most of the early aircraft, (Concorde as well ๐Ÿ˜‰)
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    WaterProofing and Painting
    To answer your question first, I would seal the wood inside and out with several coats of sanding sealer or primer - checking that the glue joints are sound first - and then use cellulose car spray for the final colour. Once decals are in place a final coal of car lacquer is a good idea. But you will find that everyone has their own approach to painting. Many people would advise covering with a fibreglass skin and epoxy, particularly as it's a racing boat... Is it this Dumas kit? http://www.dumas
    products
    .com/product_info.php?
    products
    _id=391 I believe that that boat kit comes in different sizes, and has been around since the 1970s. It's a racing hydroplane, and not the first choice I would have made for a beginner to model boating! Here is a video of an electric one running: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb0kYvPZOe4 You may just intend to build it as a display item, but if you are thinking of running it then you may find a bit more advice helpful? I suppose that the first point to make is that that old World Engines radio is quite out of date. If it's 27Mhz it's still legal, but, even if you have all the bits for it I would advise against running anything with a vintage radio which may be unreliable. Don't throw it away - it's worth good money to a vintage collector - but a modern 2.4Ghz set will be much more reliable. I see that the boat comes with an I/C motor. If you are not experienced with model boats I suspect that you have not used one of these? Again, these are becoming a bit of a specialist skill since so many lakes ban their use. Converting the boat to electric would bring it more into line with modern practice. Common advice is for beginners who have little experience to go and talk to the nearest club, and I think that applies in spades here! Racing boats run fast, need careful expert set-up, and are easy to crash - possibly damaging more than just your boat in the process. A club will have more experienced members who know where to run the boat safely, will help you set it up, and may let you practice with simpler boats to learn how to do things properly before taking your (and your uncle and grandfather's) pride and joy out on the lake... Here's someone else with a similar problem to yours... https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1661638-1970-s-Pay-n-Pak-boat-NEED-HELP%21
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Response
    Re: WTC/Sub Driver.
    The switches are GT Power and were purchased from Ali Express (specs in pic). they seem to work very well and I've used them in my HSL for lights and cooling pump. GT Power also make battery testers, car sound units (used in my MTB and HSL) and chargers amongst other things (I have these
    products
    and they've worked very well so far) You can have as many of these switches as you have places in you REC spare. Great little piece of kit, uses are endless. John PS I run the pump on 9v with no probs, supposedly can accept 40v in
    5 years ago by jbkiwi
    Forum
    Model Boat crew....
    A model vehicle - car, boat or plane - looks a little odd if it seems to be operating with no driver. Aircraft have quite a selection of different scale 'head and shoulders' figures - road vehicles seem to be made to standard scales so that driver figures are readily available - but boats are often made to a wide variety of scales and then need scale figures which are not readily available, and can be very pricey when they are! I was asked recently about figures on the boats I make, which are continuations of the Keil Kraft EeZeBilt line. These were originally 'pocket-money' starter kits for young children, so they were very cheap, and the fittings were not bought, but made from available household items like paper-clips. I have continued that tradition, so making an EeZebilt remains cheap and encourages manual dexterity rather than a large wallet! Figures can be made cheaply by adding filler to a wire armature, but this does require a bit of carving skill. It is easier to start with a basic shape and alter it a bit, and the obvious place to start is with a model railway figure. Cheap Chinese copies of
    products
    like the Preiser range are available on Ebay for around 10p per figure - see the link below for example. These figures are available in many scales from 1:200 up to about 1:24. The first point to make is that choosing a suitable scale to build your boat to will make it a lot easier to populate it with figures! I typically look to make boats at 1:24 or 1:48, two common scales for railways. Now the only problem is that the typical figures for sale are not sailors or naval personnel. Instead they are usually civilians, railway staff or workmen. But that is easily solved by using a modelling knife. I have illustrated this below with a set of drawings for a 1:48 figure - see the PDF link below: 1 - a typical figure. Note the jacket and tie lines embossed on the body. I wanted to make an Indian Naval Officer, so my first step was to look up the colouring and shape of their uniform. I find that they wear white, with either a plain-front tunic or shirt and shorts. 2 - To make a plain-front, simply scrape away the clothes lines embossed on the figure's trunk. You may also need to cut any hanging parts of a jacket away, or fill a hole with some modelling putty. 3 - To adjust arms, slice them off and then re-attach with Plastic Weld. The plastic will melt and conform to the new shape. 3 - To make shorts, just trim the long trousers in a bit at the shorts hem, then carve the lower leg to show the bulge of a calf. 4 - An officers cap is easy to make. Stamp out two tiny paper disks using a sharpened brass tube, and cut one disk in half. Cut a slot across the figure's forehead, and superglue the half-disk in there to be the cap peak. The full disk goes on top of the figures head, and the excess glue is drawn by surface tension to make a brim. The glue will soak through the paper and make it hard. See the PDF below for details...
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    Static Model Boat Club
    Hello i have been looking and can not find this model do you know where one is... are they an old model they do not make anymore? the midwest
    products
    i found didn't even make boats anymore... ๐Ÿ‘
    5 years ago by samc
    Forum
    Re: Lazer cut Kits
    H.A.Kits will be attending the Model show in Coppell, Lancashire on Saturday 23rd march. This will be our first event as a trader, our latest
    products
    go on sale for the first time plus all are models are on display. So come along and see our
    products
    , maybe pick up some bargains and freebies!
    5 years ago by HAKits


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