Vlog: Pico-Z Havoc Battle Set, Troika AM/FM Radio

I bought that radio based on your positive Melt Down Over the Troika as a Christmas present for my wife. It sit under the tree as I write and now if feel like a chump giving a present based on your "Melt Down". I guess I will have to discont what you say on your BBGadgets in the future. Sad, my first negative experience with BB.

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#3 posted by Joel Johnson

, December 21, 2007 2:46 PM

Tom, I can't decide if I should apologize or call you an idiot. How about both?

It was obvious from my first post that I hadn't ever used the radio, so if you bought it just because of my excitement over its potential, there's nothing I can do about that. I'm not going to stop being excited about things occasionally just because they might not turn out to be as great as I'd hoped. So, duh. Don't pin that on me.

But I still feel bad. I don't think it's actually a bad object, just one that ends up being 90% looks, 10% functionality. If you bought it for the looks -- and I think we both did -- I imagine she'll still probably be happy with it.

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#4 posted by Esther Sassaman , December 21, 2007 3:04 PM

how about putting a tiny mp4 screen in it somewhere?

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#5 posted by wonderama , December 21, 2007 3:10 PM

I liked your internet television! Sorry about your crappy radio...

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#6 posted by Anonymous , December 21, 2007 5:56 PM

Once the heli is shot the motors aren't disabled. The controls become wacky and you have have to hang in there until it recovers or crash, which ever comes first.

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#7 posted by Qozmiq , December 21, 2007 6:23 PM

Joel, no offense, but after reading nearly every one of your posts over the past weeks, I come across with the feeling you can be a bit harsh. Not a critique necessarily, just an observation. Harshness can be good. Accuracy necessitates it. But if readership is affected...well, fug it, maybe you should be harsher. God knows it works for Bill Orally.

However, when in Berlin, if you miss out on the Doner, you will be sorry. Its an orgasm for the mouth. I just hope they are as good as they are here in Munich.

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#8 posted by pelrun , December 22, 2007 3:41 AM

My flatmate and I bought a set of the battle helis each and went absolutely nuts over them for a few weeks straight, even though we only had our tiny kitchen/living room to fly them in. They really are fun - and a lot better fliers than most of the cheap chinese clones that are flooding the market.

I haven't flown them recently, but I'm just about to see the rest of the family for christmas and I reckon they're going to get a whole new workout. :D

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#9 posted by analogtom , December 22, 2007 12:06 PM

Joel, you did say you did not buy it, I agree, but you posted this;
I confessed my post-purchase guilt to Gadget Lab's Rob Beschizza, who told me, "That is a radio to keep forever and give to a grandchild. 'All you'll hear is static, sonny—they sold the frequency off 10 years after I bought it, to AT&T Featuring Google. But we used to dance to the Macarana with this.'"

To me it seem someone had owned it or had knowledge of the itme and gave it a positive review..As I said before, I guess I will have to discont what you say on your BBGadgets in the future. You should not cal me an idiot, just someone let down.

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#10 posted by Anonymous , December 22, 2007 2:13 PM

The shooting works perfectly if you do it correctyly, i.e., you have to throttle the helicopter that's shooting.
So yea, you kinda made a fool out of yourself.

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#11 posted by strider_mt2k

, December 23, 2007 5:45 PM

I'm a sucker for a cool looking radio, and while the panel at first struck me as being too busy, it then made me wonder what the thing does.
It does have a certain retro appeal to it.

Sorry it didn't work out.

It's a bummer how many just plain crappy radios are out there nowadays, good looking or no.

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#12 posted by Benjamin , December 25, 2007 9:56 PM

I am thrilled that these little helicopters are out. I just caught the train to helicoptery fun. Good go at internelevision Joel. Good use of jump cuts w/ helicopters.

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#13 posted by pork musket , December 27, 2007 7:22 AM

"I'm a sucker for wood." Work it, Joel.