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QR codes in January RCME Chilli Breeze article.


kc
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The January RCME Chilli Breeze article does not have all the building instructions but states some are available by using the QR codes.    Surely if we bother to subscribe to RCME we should get the full build article in print in the magazine!    Instructions  are often needed on hand whilst building.    That's the point of buying a magazine to have the printed copy!

As I don't have anything to download the QR stuff I don't actually know what is missing - is it essential building info or just extra photos?    Perhaps someone has already downloaded the QR parts and knows.

 

To my mind magazines are 'digging their own grave' if they don't print all the article but rely on QR codes instead.   Obviously if the build instructions are partially online then quite soon people will expect the whole article online and won't consider buying the magazine.......

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Have dug it?

First thing the sort of material referred to is not the sort of thing  I would want to view on a phone screen.

Second thing there is no simple way to use a QR code with a PC.

It seems to me that all the techies have lost their brains as nothing now joins together.

 

Did it not occur to the magazine management to provide a website address as well a QR code for phone-aholics???

 

Edited by RedBaron
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I believe there may be a development regarding this very issue of additional info only available through QR codes in the next months RCM&E.

Like Kc a phone is just a phone/text for me so all my forums are PC based and if we are honest the pictures look much better/clearer on a large screen.

However I have some sympathy for the mag editor as space must be at a premium so numerous extra pages of build photos is not an option. So yes it would be nice to be able to access those additional plan build photos/info via the PC.  

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I stopped buying RCME years ago as I found most of it uninteresting, but bought this one as I loved my Chilli Breeze years ago and was tempted again. A great plan and interesting article (I still have the June '94 one). But a QR code? So much 'tech' seems to get used mainly 'cos it's there; I would have found a web address more useful or perhaps both? Maybe it was felt that extending the article was too much for those that weren't interested, as it was already quite lengthy? Ace questioned the lack of space....but there were four pages describing a toy helicopter that might have been better employed! And another foamie review. To be honest, the rather extensive coverage of what I feel are foam toys remains one of the reasons why I rarely buy a copy. But those CBs do look nice!

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I really don't understand why people are so derogatory about elements of the hobby that don't "float their boat"...... we have enough challenges already.

 

That 'toy helicopter' may start someone's journey to a large turbine powered helicopter....

 

Many members of my club were introduced to the hobby by 'foamies', and continue to enjoy them.... There are certainly planes accessible to all now that would never have been dreamed of 15 years ago, and that would not be available in other materials.

 

If it flies, and it makes its owner happy, it's a winner in my book.

 

(I fly ic and electric. I have helicopters, multi-rotors and planes. I have foamies and crunchies. I have had mouldies. I fly indoors and out. I welcome anyone to this great hobby, whatever they choose to fly, or read about)

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I dont want to get into a p'ing contest - and should have guessed I'd get told off for having a view - I'm not deriding foam models - the point being that do they really need such extensive reviews. I have one of those type of helos - they are wonderful. But do they need 4 pages? 

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Thanks for the download Peter. That was very thoughtful of you.

 

I can see (from the length of the very detailed article) why only an abridged version was included in the printed magazine. However there is no reason for the link to the full length article not to be included in the magazine alongside the QR code, for those amongst us who would want to download it onto a PC rather than a ‘phone.

 

Brian.

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What I actually did Brian was to download it to my phone then shared it with my Dropbox account.  I can now access it either by phone or PC. I've done that a few times in the past as I don't find reading such articles easy on a small phone screen even though it is quite a big phone screen!

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Thank you for the download Peter - now I see how extensive it is it kind of makes sense why that wasn't in the magazine (although in 1994 I did managed with the plan only). It looks excellent and too much to put in the mag - maybe a web address might be useful next time? 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Ian Dewar 2 said:

I dont want to get into a p'ing contest - and should have guessed I'd get told off for having a view - I'm not deriding foam models - the point being that do they really need such extensive reviews. I have one of those type of helos - they are wonderful. But do they need 4 pages? 

Depends how much space they need to fill I guess...... must be a challenge in this day and age.

 

I have views on some articles too - but if I don't like them, I don't read them 🙂 If it ended up that I skipped more than I read, I'd make my views known. As I did about the number of articles with text on coloured backgrounds.

Edited by GrumpyGnome
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2 hours ago, Ian Dewar 2 said:

I dont want to get into a p'ing contest - and should have guessed I'd get told off for having a view - I'm not deriding foam models - the point being that do they really need such extensive reviews. I have one of those type of helos - they are wonderful. But do they need 4 pages? 

I'm not very good at any contests, but the one you refer to I am disadvantaged to begin with !

There would be no magazines without advertisers. The editorial reviews are a kick back to them for advertising.

However (as in this case) the editor has seen greater value in these models than some others he has reviewed and so has given them more space.

I agree as they are exteremly good models for attracting new fliers to the hobby (read that as younger !).

These are the sorts of "bits of foam" that are likely to be of interest to newbies.

Had these types of models been available in the 1970's our generation would have loved them, but the generation that were then of our age now would have moaned a bucket load about the lack of articles about covering in silk and building with bamboo.

 

It's ironic really that a large number of complainers on the forum don't buy the magazine regularly and that forum is run by the magazine which is happy for them to complain on it !

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1 hour ago, Ian Dewar 2 said:

Thank you for the download Peter - now I see how extensive it is it kind of makes sense why that wasn't in the magazine (although in 1994 I did managed with the plan only). It looks excellent and too much to put in the mag - maybe a web address might be useful next time? 

 

 

 

 

I think the point Mike makes is that there are many model flyers today who have never built anything other than assembling an ARTF and sometimes not even that as you can just bolt a foamie together, charge the flight pack and go and fly.  Hence, the very detailed building instructions that I hope will entice more readers to have a go at building Chilli Breeze.  Flying aerobatics with the Chilli Breeze is something else and hence his kind flagging up of my book.

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Not compaining, it's feedback to ensure the magazine gives us what we all want and therefore keeps in business.  

 

Actually there could be good reason to use QR - maybe the thinking is that it attracts younger people to view the magazine by giving them a taste of the very full instructions for this model to entice them to buy the magazine.   But it's no good doing that if it offends the people who are already subscribers!

 

Somewhere Mike Delacole said that the very full Chilli Breeze EP  instructions would hopefully get pilots into building their own model,  and I think this design should do that.   But very little response by builders of this model - so far. 

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The reason they go with a QR code is almost certainly about the propensity to mistype a (potentially long and complex) URL Besides, there is no need to give the URL given every windows laptop with a camera embedded (i.e. all of them made in the last 10 years at least) already has the software installed to read a QR code….

 

https://www.howtogeek.com/how-to-scan-qr-codes-windows-11/

 

There are lots of other free apps you can use to do this too from your screen as well, so you could always log onto the digital magazine edition and scan the QR code that way as well.

Edited by MattyB
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Looking back at magazines from the "good old days" it is interesting that the build articles accompanying the free plans are more sparce than those in current magazines, but with far fewer pictures. However model builders were quite able to produce acceptable results (probably some of the people now complaining).

It's amazing what we forget as we get older.

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Having build instructions as QR items  is an example of  "Unknown unknowns "  ........ you don't know whether you need the extra instructions or not until you read them!    

 

I think it's amazing that these QR items are not included in the PLANS section in the Modelflying/ RCME Home section at the top of this page!    What a missed opportunity to get new people to look at Modelflying.............

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