Photo By 1st Sgt. Daryl Madrid | Carlos Feigelmuller race his nitro powered R/C car around the old MWR Go-Kart track...... read more read more
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U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – It is a warm overcast afternoon, perfect conditions for the two gentlemen high-up in the drivers stand operating their remote control cars on the concrete surface of the repurposed Morale, Welfare & Recreation go-kart track.
“When I was growing up I saw some R/C cars in the neighborhoods and got involved with the local hobby shop, and ever since then it has gone downhill. I have been involved for a better part of 25 to 30 years,” said John Dempsey, tech manager at Satellite Communications System Inc.
Getting into the R/C hobby isn’t as hard as one might think. There are many types of cars that can be purchased online and shipped to GTMO. There are battery powered electric cars and nitro-fueled cars, depending on your tastes. Cars aren’t the only vehicles available. There are also trucks – two-wheel and four-wheel drive, fast and slow.
“To get into R/C is anywhere between $200 and $500 for an entry level car. It depends on what you’re looking for or what you like, and then the sky’s the limit,” Dempsey said.
For those who choose to build their own R/C, for about $200 you can purchase a kit car that will need to have the electronics, controller, battery and charger purchased separately. But if you want to get out on the track fast, for about $500 you can purchase a very nice complete ready to run R/C vehicle. Which includes the car, a handheld remote control, a battery and a charger. All that is left to add is the enthusiasm to get out on the track and enjoy your new hobby.
“Since I was a little kid I loved R/C cars. I never had the money to buy them, now that I am a big boy, me and a couple of co-workers were talking about them one day and the next day I was ordering one,” said Carlos Feigelmuller, a civilian employee.
Feigelmuller has only been involved with R/C cars for a couple of months and already has two , one battery powered four-wheel drive truck and one nitro-fueled powered all-wheel drive car.
Two of the R/C vehicles running this day can hit speeds in excess of 60 mph on a flat straight surface. One of those was a nitro-powered all-wheel drive car which hits 65 mph; the other was a battery powered four wheel drive truck that has been clocked at 62 mph.
What started as an MWR go-kart track here at GTMO has been converted into an R/C race track by local residents and contractors looking for a place to enjoy their sport.
First the bumper tires were removed and their anchor points cut flush with the concrete track. Then tugboat ropes where placed in key locations to help keep the remote control cars from slamming into the curbs causing catastrophic damage.
“My favorite part is the racing and having fun, trying to one up each other, no matter what you do there is someone always bigger than you, and you’re always trying to be the best,” Dempsey said.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2015 17:04 |
| Story ID: | 160247 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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