Be a responsible hobbyist

[OvalQueen]

Some of the people I have met over the years did not realize how much toxic waste this hobby can create by
us all using batteries.
It is up to all of us to keep our environment free of Hazardous Waste.
Please locate a recycling station to dispose of your old batteries.
Here is a link to one of the many sites that will help you locate one near you:
http://www.rbrc.com/consumer/uslocate.html
Try not to buy alkalines, they are the worst, please locate in your area where & how to dispose of any non rechargeable batteries.
Where I live there is a hazardous waste station facility that I can take them for free to be properly disposed of.

Many hobby shops recycle batteries, if they don't, they could be in violation of state laws that some states
have which requires them to recycle them if they sell them.
Please do not throw them in the garbage.
Be responsible, do the right thing.
Every little bit helps.

If you are not part of the solution........
you are part of the problem
Here is just one load of batteries I have collected from A-Main Raceway in Vancouver, Washington.
This is the result of less than 2 months of racing there.

http://members.home.net/janadooooo/batts.jpg

I am grateful to have the opportunity to recycle their batteries for them, it makes me feel like part of the
solution.

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: OvalQueen ]

[Throtl Hapie]

That's pretty good of you! I never saw so many batteries before. I have never thrown out an RC car battery, and I use rechargeable batteries in my transmitters.

Keep up the good work!

[TA03 Drive Hard]

GAZOOOOOOKS! NOW THAT'S ALOT OF BATTERIES! :eek:

[ProjectTwin]

OQ..cool as always! :D

Jason

[KIWIRCGUY]

How right you are..Its good to see someone point out how fragile our planet is. After all what good is a fast car if there aint no planet to race it on?? Hope others read this and take a few seconds to think about how they get rid of everything from batteries to old rims and wrappers.

[Interceptor]

FYI, Radio Shack will take old batteries and recycle them.

[Tiggs1]

Don't forget about the waste that Nitro engines produce! I empty my tuned pipe into a jar and recycle that. I also recycle the plastic jugs that nitro comes in. Everything we do makes a difference...don't let anyone tell ya otherwise!

[OvalQueen]

Very good point Tiggs, We do recycle the jugs here too :)
Keep up the good work & spread the word, you will be rewarded for your efforts.

[RichieRich]

How much did that pile of batteries weigh!? Geez, I guess people really like those Kirkland batteries at CostCo.

[Isky]

I agree ovalgueen...but did you know that one volcano puts out more pollution than every human being in the entire world? Every car, boat, airplane...less than what a volcano put out. Global warming is also believed to be a hoax. Weather has been known to change by over 150degrees in two weeks, and with the earth's orbital position changing...Recycling also costs a lot of money, and puts out pollution by itself! Just wanted to update some people on the current situation with pollution. Everything I listed above is fact unfortunetly, and imagine how little resources earth has!! When I grow up I want to invent a new power source...or rather make Fusion work. Ovalqueen, what kind of a job would that be considered? engineer? what kind? Im on my way, hehe!!
-Isky :D

[Andrew the RC man]

OMG... i chose a hobby filled with a bunch of tree huggin hippies. personally i dont care what batteries i use because ill be dead by the time all that junk catches up to me. :D

[Tiggs1]

LOL! California's active volcanos are why there is so much air pollution. We need to figure out a way to cap those pesky volcanos :)

As far as the Global warming goes, people say that the lunar landing was a hoax. I believe fact over fiction.

I have doubts that everything you stated was a fact Isky. There are theories about what you suggest but that's it.

Have you heard about "IT" aka "Ginger"? Rumors state that it is a new kind of power supply. Read about it here: http://www.idg.net/crd_invention_368483_103.html
and here: http://www.dailyradar.com/news/game_news_7222.html

Maybe someday our RC vehicles will be powered by "IT" :D

Just my .02

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Tiggs1 ]

[Mark JW]

Isky where do you get your information?

While volcanoes do put out prodigious amounts of carbon dioxide, the fact is that CO2 levels in the earth’s atmosphere have risen enormously over the past two hundred years while volcanic activity has remained steady.

Weather or not global warming is linked to CO2 levels in the atmosphere is still being debated. However, there are many other waste products produced by burning fossil fuels that we should be concerned about. These can and do lead to such things as ozone, acid precipitation, and other damages to human health and environment.

Finally, the pollutant loads created by recycling a product are much less than those created through a disposing the same product. One has to look at the total picture, how much energy is used and waste produced by the extraction of the raw material from the earth, the processing and transportation of those raw materials, processing and manufacturing of the product, transportation of the product to the consumer etc.

When you balance the costs of take-back programs versus landfilling, its true that recycled materials have to be sorted and transported, but so do materials bound for the landfill (transported at least). In general it is cheaper to recycle most used materials (metal, plastics, glass) than it is to manufacture them from virgin raw materials.

[OvalQueen]

Why is it when someone tries to do something positive, there is someone right there to label you for it?

If you can't say something nice, please don't say anything at all :)

[Nitro_Rustler_15]

You know what ginger is right? Its a scooter thing, that was supposed to revolution transportation, it wasn't supposed to be reavealed yet, but someone found a link to some Patent place, and they exposed pics of it, lol. If i find it again, I'll post it up. :)

[Tiggs1]

Hey Nitro_Rustler,

The Ginger is most likely a scooter but that isn't what the big deal is. The big deal is the engine that is supposedly in the scooter. Read my second link that I posted. I can't wait to see what it actually is going to be!

[Oyster]

Mark JW, and the others that disagree with Isky. Isky is RIGHT. I've been into these studies for a long time, and it's not the humans making so much pollution. IN FACT, *WE* - the humans have decreased the pollution on earth by a huge ammount. Tiggs1, Isky didn't say volcanos in California. There is a ring of volcanos in the South Americas that do up to 90% of the pollution on earth. Also, "global warming" and the moon landing aren't even close to being the same. Global warming is caused by the sun's activity. The sun get's VERY active every 11 years. There's no big suprise that radiation and pollution go crazy when the sun is active.

Do your own studies, hopefully without help of the college professors. Ask the right questions, and get your facts straight.

It's a good thing to recycle batteries. But leave the vanity at the door. The point is, if we buried every battery in the ground, if would never do any damage to earth. Maybe to people that come in contact, but every chemical in the batteries came from, and will go back to earth, no matter how much you recycle.

If you REALLY want to make a difference, find out all the chemicals in the batteries, find out how to dispose of them properly and make your own recycling plant. Taking them to a recycling plant CAN be a joke. Unless you see and UNDERSTAND the whole process.

Here's some trivia for all you enviroment people. How many recycling centers actually just throw things away into the garbage dump. The facts might scare you... The older we all get the more we realize what makes our world go round. Money. The more "they" can save, the more "they" have. Find out. Do the legwork if you're SO concerned. My bet, less than half of you that supported Oq's mothering don't really care.

- Jon

[Isky]

I could care less what "IT" is. A person is smart, but people are stupid, dumb, finicky, and you know it. Its probably something we(hobbyists) have already used, or experimented with. Im being skeptical...
I have a few questions...Im certain some of you are very educated people, so can you answer a few of these?
1. What kind of engineer developes or tries to develop new sources of power(fusion).
2. What exactly is a mechanical and electrical engineer?
3. And, are mechanical and electrical engineers just fancy names for auto mechanics and electricians?
I want to be an engineer, but not an electrician or auto mechanic. Why did they have to make life so diffucult? Is there a website that can answer my questions?
-Isky

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Isky ]

[Tiggs1]

No offense Oyster, but you sound like one of "Them" :eek:

I understand that there are no active Volcanos in California. What I said was called sarcasim. Volcanos in the South Americas have little effect on the pollution they see in California. That is called smog. It is cause by the burning of fossil fuels. You are right, the moon landing doesn't have much to do with global warming. BUT people who think that global warming is not really happening and people that think that the moon landing never happened share one thing...ignorance.

Another point to remember is that there are always going to be two sides to this debate. Your "facts" can be just as scewed as my "facts". I don't want to start a huge flame-war. I just wanted to let people know that I am doing my part in what hopefully is the right thing.

Tiggs Out

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Tiggs1 ]

[Isky]

I guess you are right tiggs. The thing about the temperature change is true though. Ya know how scientists use those long ice cylinders? Aye, thats how they know. and rock layers...you get the idea. But they have proven that this drastic temp change occurd. AHEM. Getting back on topic...I always just dump my batteries, but now Im going to start recycling them. Thanks for the info Ovalqueen.
-Isky

[Tiggs1]

Isky,

I graduted with an Electrical Engineering degree. You can go to this link for info on IEEE: http://www.ieee.org/

It is an organization for people interested in Electrical Engineering.

I'm amazed that you could care less about "IT". This may be the new fuel source that you keep refering to. :eek:

Mechanical Engineers deal more with structure and material type stuff. EE deal with anything electrical and electronics.

Don't get caught up in titles. I've know Electricians that could stump a EE. Electricians are more into wiring and power. EE deal more with design...such as printed circuit boards and transformers to name a few. Good luck with whatever you choose!

[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: Tiggs1 ]

[Isky]

Hey, thats cool...what about civil engineering? I want to be an engineer so that I can make the world a better place! For hobbyists anyway...hehe. Lets say I wanted to design an rc car? What kind of engineering would that be? Thanks for the help man...Im only 14 now, but I cant wait till I get to college.
-Isky

[TRXboy]

Thats Oval for ya ! :) Good to see you here oval :)

[OvalQueen]

Thanks "Boy" soon I will be too busy modding our own site, keep in touch.
OQ

[Nairb]

Isky, I'm in college right now studying ME (Mechanical Engineering). If you want to design an R/C car, you want to be a mechanical engineer. AE said they were looking for MEs on their website a few months ago.

If you're wanting to research "fusion," be either a Chemist or a Chemical Engineer. If you want to design bridges, buildings, roads, or things like that, be a civil engineer. If you want to work with electricity & circuitboards, resistord, capacitors, transistors, and circuits in general, be an EE. If you want to work with anything from cars and planes to door hinges and miniblinds (yeah, an exaggeration), be an ME. ME is the largest field of engineering out there. You can do almost anything you want if you're an ME.

Generally, Chemical Engineers and EEs generate energy, MEs transfer that energy in any imaginable way, and Civil Engineers design things to support energy transfer and withstand forces. Any questions?

[Pat]

i have something to say about "global warming"....... When the earth had a iceage it had to cool(global coolong) but when it ended it got warmer again and parts of the us were under water. Hmmmmmm could it be tht the earth is just undergoing a natural change......... its happened before.....
Thanks
Pat

[Car_Head12]

my view on global warming: 60 minutes is a santanic program. they have made so much mayhem, think about it, 60 minutes STARTED the millenium bug thing, ugh, i HATE all of those people on that show... im not sure if 60 mins. has done a program on global warming but im sure they will... anyways, who cares, it aint gonna be me fryin up in 100 years :rolleyes: :D :eek:
. oh yes about my opinion on global warming :)... calm down where all gonna die anyway (the glass is half EMPTY :)). also did you know that you only have a limited amount of heartbeats for your WHOLE life. and when you smoke it stimulates your heart, making it beat faster and faster, the key is that it is chemically induced not natural, like exercise. ill get the numbers posted later but the numbers are gigantic of how many heartbeats you waste.
if you EVER watched 60 mins. you would understand it is a bunch of paranoid freaky people with WAY TOO MUCH AIRTIME (60 mins. to exact... :D ), and too much money.

SIXTY MINUTES IS THE DEVIL!

Car Head

;)

[Nairb]

The TV Media in general is full of a bunch of idiots. I can't stand how they hype everything up (I mean EVERYTHING)! Who gives a CRAP who gets married in Hollywood or who is best/worst dressed of the week? It sure as HE11 isn't ME!

[Isky]

Nairb, thats awesome...I was just wondering how much would the typical engineer earn his first year out of college...I don't want to earn like 20K because I could hardly make the world a better place for hobbyists, and deserving people...I dont care about money as long as I can support a family, have a nice car, house, and tons of rc cars!!! Isn't that what most of us want? lol...But how much would an average mechanical engineer make? Thanks for the help man...so far Im either going to be a mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, or civil engineer...all great jobs. And I if I become a civil engineer, I will have the smoothest, best roads to drive my rc cars on!! LOL...Thanks for the help man...
-Isky :)

[Nairb]

Right now, graduating MEs make around $50K a year. It will be much higher by the time you get out of college.

[RCJunkie]

Isky, your probably looking at about 25-30k when you first get out of school, unless you go to a big time engineering university and get some good hands on experience while your in school. Seize any opportunity for internships etc. to get experience because even with a degree it is the experience that matters. Even more importantly it also helps to know people too. Start "networking" when your in school. Get to know the other people in your major. You don't have to kiss anyones butt, but somewhere down the line one of your classmates might be able to hook you up with a job if they think your OK and that your worth giving a reference for.

Now, as for the people that think humans reduce pollution, where did you get that idea. When was the last time you saw a gorilla running a power plant or a steel mill? Or digging a mine that traps water so it produces sulfuric acid to poisen the water table indefineatley? Yes I'll agree that recycling sometimes isn't all its cracked up to be, but thats largely due to the fact that not everyone pulls his weight. Yes money does control our society, but sadly we as humans do not learn from our mistakes and we have no forethought.
How many of you are old enough to remember the gas crisis in the late 70's when you couldn't even buy gas? Its going to happen again so why do half of the people in this country drive gas guzzling SUVs and trucks? I'll tell you why, its because we are Americans and we are spoiled. We beleive that we are entitled to the best of everything never stopping to realize that we make up 5% of the worlds population, yet we consume 60% of the manufactured goods in the world. We waste and overconsume to a rediculous degree. Some of you guys could use a class in demographics.
Yes the planet creates a massive amount of pollution on its own, but since it is "natural" pollution it can clean itself. Many of the man-made chemicals we take for granted take hundreds or thousands of years to break down, they don't just "return to nature". The Earth has problems digesting pesticides and massive concentrations of sulfer from mining as well as the over irrigation of crops along with car washing lawn watering etc that is lowering the water tables nationwide at an alarming rate. Maybe someday when water costs as much as gasoline we will not take it for granted. I spent eight years studying water and air and their relationships and now I monitor air pollution from chemical plants, steel mils, etc. for a living so I know what I am talking about. I am not some tree hugger preaching from a soapbox, I just think that some of you need to get a clue.
No, many of these problems won't affect us, but our kids and grandkids will feel our negligence.
Sorry about the novel, thanks for letting me vent.

[willm2003]

Well I'm not sure about ME's, but my friend is making $78,000 and this is his first year. He went to ranken (a saint louis technical college) which isnt some prestigious school or anything, anyone with some money and a high school degree can go there. He graduated HS at 17, went to ranken from 18-20 and studied precision machinery and some engineering tehn went straight into the market making more than most 40 year olds. He got a job with Anheiser Busch. His hours arent the best because he is new, but that will improve. Hes not improving the quality of life, but he makes some **** good beer! :) Hope this helps man. Good luck in the future for your engineering career. BTW, fusion was figured out a while back. I think your meaning cold fusion. I dont understand how it works, but thats what you are talking about. Hey, I have an idea, why dont you hurry up and figure out how to utilize cold fusion in r/c cars. Get rid of nitro, it ****** me off too much! :D

[Nairb]

What makes you think 25-30k? Civil engineers are usually the lowest paid, but they still should start at more than that. Oh well, we'll see in two years.

[Mark JW]

Tiggs1, I was trained as a scientist to do everything in pen. When I make a mistake I draw a single line through it and initial it.

Engineers do everything in pencil, erase their mistakes and never learn from them

Mark ;)

[Tiggs1]

You're dating yourself Mark with the pencil comment... :p Engineers now do everything on a computer and let spell-check do the rest. We still don't learn from our mistakes :)

[ 04-20-2001: Message edited by: Tiggs1 ]

[Mark JW]

Well said RCJunkie.

Actually, one of the more interesting sub-disciplines to emerge in the mechanical engineering field lately is the concept of “Design for Disassembly.” This essentially means that consumer products are designed and manufactured to facilitate the recycling of the component parts.

Another interesting trend that started in Europe and is catching on in the US, is the concept of Sustainable Development. This, along with related concepts like Full Cost Accounting, essentially incorporates environmental concepts into core business line decision making.

We have reached a point at which government regulations are starting to have less impact on controlling pollution than the domestic and international business markets.

Finally, I think that some of you had better work on your spelling/ typing/ language skills before spending all that money you plan to earn as an engineer. (not that I’m perfect)

Mark
;)

[ammoace]

So if you wanted to be an Automotive Engineer you would actually be a Mechanical Engineer?
AMMOACE

[Tiggs1]

Mark, if you know an Engineer that can spell, he's not an Engineer :D

[Isky]

wow...i gotta say engineers as some of the coolest people, LOL!! 78K wow...as long as i can support a family, and support my hobby, Im happy! Im thinking of going mechanical engineer, and hopefully I will get a scholarship...thanks for the help rcjunkie, and willm2003...hopefully my future career will go smoothly! Thanks for the help Tiggs, and Nairb...50k isn't bad. It will definetly go up when i get into a college or university(if i can afford it). I hope there will be a ton of job oppurtunities...good luck to both of you guys!
-Isky

[timesheet]

In response to the topic and some of the responses sent: I do not consider myself a tree-huggin hippie, but I do take responsibility for my own actions. I recycle whenever possible. I support any legislation that reduces air, water, light (yes, light), and noise polution. I offer my time often to assist with the coastal erosion problems in my home state of LA. I belong to several conservation groups. Have you labeled me yet? Well, I also hunt, fish, drive a fullsize pickup, enjoy R/C, and go to any NASCAR race I can get to (that reminds me, I wish I was in Talledega right now). My point? It is very easy to say the heck with it and be part of the problem. It doesn't take much more effort to help change things. How you dispose of something or which button you push in the voting booth are easy decisions if you know the facts, make the right choice.
Okay, jumping off soapbox now.
And yes you can recycle bats at Radio Shack :D

[Nairb]

Yeah, scholarships ARE nice. :D ESPECIALLY full-ride ones... :p

[impulse racer]

nairb, what exactly does a mechanical engineer do?

[Nairb]

Read my post on the bottom of the first page of this topic, then ask more questions if you need to.

[Nairb]

...one thing I forgot in that post: MEs get all the chicks, it's a well known fact! LOL! :p j/k

[jeepinator]

OvalQueen,
Where is A-Main racing located ?
Is this Monty's place ?
Just wondering. I am in Portland. Been RC'ing for years. I've raced at Aero like 10 million times.
Email me if you wish ... it's in my profile.

------------------------------------------
http://www.theshreves.com

[jeepinator]

btt

[BoLeg11Turn]

i used to work at batteries plus now then you talk about allot of dead batteries!

[dan7532]

So if you wanted to be an automotive engineer or an engineer for a racecar team, then you would be a mechanical engineer? Are there certain divisions of mechanical engineering? Or do you just become a mechanical engineer, and then go into a specific job?

[hpiguy]

Hey, I worked at Batteries Plus in Wausau, Wisconsin (second store built) for three years.

Small world.

Oh and BTW Alkaline batteries are safe for the environment and for regular garbage dumps. Where anybody got the idea that alkalines were toxic waste is nuts.

[DerekB]

Anything "man-made" is bad for the environment. Poop is natural but that doesn't mean it's safe in large quanities. Alklaline batteries are NOT environmentally friendly.

[Grant Tokumi]

FWIW, I graduated college in civil 4 years ago, and started my first job at $12.50/hr. Thats comes out to around $26k/yr. I live in Las Vegas where cost of living is low, so keep that in mind.

And I agree with RC Junkie. Connections and experience is key while you're in school to line up a job. You won't get experience in college classes. I've found that interviewers are more interested in what specific things you've done experience wise in the field. I felt kind of silly when the interviewer asked me how much AutoCAD experience I had, and I was thinking, "I know how to draw a box, does that count?"