Coach P
2 posts
Jan 05, 2005
10:46 AM
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I saw an advertisement in the NBRC bulletin for “The Roller Journal” $20 a year subscription….does anyone subscribe to this??? Is it worth the money???
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Mother lode lofts
337 posts
Jan 05, 2005
11:02 AM
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Coach I used to but it's more adds for birds and such than anything else. Got pretty boreing. While at the NBRC convention I grab about 6 back issues and was done with them within an hr. just my opinion here
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Mammoth Hill Lofts
1 post
Jan 05, 2005
12:51 PM
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I subscribe to it, since 97'. Its written by a competition flyer and NBRC member. I'm a reader of anything edited by a
hard core roller flyerwith contributions from others that do the same-can't get any more real. Plus its easy to critize anothers work when you don't write much yourself. I think its well worth the costs!
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Mother lode lofts
338 posts
Jan 05, 2005
4:26 PM
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Mamoth if you read the end of my post. its says "just my opinion" which is what he had asked for. As for myself I read everything that I can get my hands on, for my self I found the roller journal a waste of money and time. Again Mamoth just my opinion.
Scott Campbell
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spintight
38 posts
Jan 05, 2005
11:30 PM
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I have also been getting the RJ since it first came out. I am a supporter of Dave Gehrke and what he does however I must say it's a little thin at times.
He has some interesting stuff in there but most of it is written by Dave. I wish more people would contribute but you all know how that goes.
The RJ has it's place in the hobby and I hope he is able to get it back up to a much more informative magazine.
here's the website.
http://homepage.mac.com/dagehrke/TheRollerJournal.htm
Dave just recently retired for good he says and will have much more time to put into promoting and getting more information for the hobby in the RJ.
dave
Last Edited by spintight on Jan 05, 2005 11:31 PM
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Mount Airy Lofts
10 posts
Jan 05, 2005
11:59 PM
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I believe Dave G., who puts out the Roller Journal, means well but it's really up to you if you want to shell out the $20.
Oh, just because someone puts out some sort of roller reading materials doesn't make them a expert nor hard core flier in the breed. For the record, I'm been in the same local club as Dave and have only seen him fly in one or two local competitions a year if at all since I've been a member. In his defense, working in the school district probably kept him from the local flys tho. Since he recently retired, I hope to see him put up more kits during all the competition meets, local or national, as would any body who loves seeing birds fly on competition day would. We have about 7 to 8 local flys a year plus the two major flys (WC and NBRC).
If you like reading the newspaper, then subscribe... if not, then in my opinion sticking with the NBRC Bulletins is the direction for you.
Thor
P.S. I did hear from a local flier here that since retiring, Dave G. will put more time into the Roller Journal.
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Bluesman
61 posts
Jan 06, 2005
12:45 AM
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I tried it for a year and I too thought it was a little one sided.Did have some good articles written by Dave but seemed to be more of a Self Promotional Journal.However at the time I was getting it Dave was offering a Free Years subscription to anyone who wrote an Article for it.I am not very good with a pencil or I would have continued getting it.I also read everything I can get my fingers on about rollers.I just ordered the New Book about Competition Flying that NBRC has for sale now.I don,t fly Competition but my birds think I do.LOL Maybe I can learn something that will make it easier on them.David
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Cliff
10 posts
Jan 06, 2005
10:00 AM
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From my point of view, anyone who has over thirty years of experience with breeding and flying rollers that is willing to publish his personal observations and experiences is of tremendous value to the hobby and deserves our support. He does not set himself up as an expert and invites input and observations from others in the hobby, attempting to stimulate serious and intellectual debate about the many conflicting opinions held by breeders and flyers of rollers. I particularly appreciate his objective and scientific approach to the issues. I suppose that it may seem boring for those of you who have figured it all out, but for those of us with various stages of experience who are committed to learning all we can about the hobby, the Roller Journal is an excellent resource. Come on guys, we blow twenty bucks on beer for a weekend! I also buy past issues of RJ on a regular basis to keep an open mind to learning. There is no question that this publication is intended to support our hobby. Anyone who knows anything about economics, has probably figured out that the editor is not going to make his first million publishing RJ. And you won't find pages and pages of Earl's List filler material either! If you are serious about learning to breed and fly rollers, this is the best $20 bucks you will spend (except to join NBRC.)
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Mother lode lofts
340 posts
Jan 06, 2005
10:42 AM
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Again Cliff if you read my post it states "my opinion" and finding it boreing has nothing to do with having it all figured out as you,I, or anyone else will never have it all figured out. For those of you that enjoy it that's GREAT !! As for the scientific approach I find little value in it other than complicating something that isn't that complicated. And I'm with Thor, I think that he means well but it's hard to do much unless others contribute which seems to be the problem. Again just my opinion here
Last Edited by Mother lode lofts on Jan 06, 2005 10:49 AM
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Mammoth Hill Lofts
2 posts
Jan 06, 2005
1:21 PM
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I can understand your wanting more in a publication Mount Airy
but for a little over 3 bucks an issue whats the big deal! I swear the most perfect guys and biggest critics in the world must raise rollers. What about the idea that Dave G. has set up a fund to help rollermen in financial trouble-how self serving lol!! We all need to put pen to paper and send in any kind of article or pic related to rollers. What about the outcry when an advertisement for show rollers was shown in the bulletin!
Since we've all won the world cup and know it all, why should we read some thin paged, confusing, boring roller journal.
Thor I think you need to check to see who the recent regional winners were in your area, I believe Dave G. won back in 99' or so with over 2000pts. when he was a superintendant!
Last Edited by Mammoth Hill Lofts on Jan 06, 2005 1:52 PM
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Cliff
11 posts
Jan 06, 2005
2:38 PM
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Well said Mammoth. I send in extra money with each order for old RJ issues for Dave's program that provides the journal for guys who are out of a job, divorcing or otherwise on hard times. If my memory serves me correctly, which it often does not, there are over 50 guys recieving the RJ thanks to this program. But, it's so much easier for some to sit on the sidelines and give the guy a hard time for what the RJ is not, rather than support what it is!
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Cliff
12 posts
Jan 06, 2005
4:42 PM
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Scott, I was surprised to see you say that breeding and flying rollers is not all that complicated. Maybe I misunderstand your meaning. It seems to me that if it were simple, then we would all just have to buy a pair of birds and soon we would have 20-bird kits of 40 ft. tight, fast spinners that exited perfectly and shot back to a tight kit like rubber bands, that broke in full turns twice every minute, performed consistently everytime they were flown, and never got sick. Then I can see how we wouldn't need to bother with guys like Dave Gehreke trying to help sort it all out. Somehow it doesn't seem all that simple to me.
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Mother lode lofts
341 posts
Jan 06, 2005
5:14 PM
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Actually Cliff I think that this is a very complicated breed. From breeding to feeding and the ability to manipulate the bird and the roll to analizing the kit it's self. I'm just not a "grading" and "graph" kinda a guy, the truelly good birds aren't easy to loose track of plus birds go through so many stages in thier development that there is not a constant that you can go by, even old birds will go through stages. So much has to do with learned basics on to experiance of your birds, and just plain old "gut" feeling and common sence. There is just nothing cut and dry with these birds. It is allways a moving target so yes the bird itself is complicated but some over complicate in areas where all that matters is common sence and knowing your birds. again just my opinion
Last Edited by Mother lode lofts on Jan 06, 2005 5:16 PM
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nicksiders
92 posts
Jan 06, 2005
8:24 PM
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I believe the Roller Journal is not what it should be because it seems no one is willing to help. Very few articles are sent it by the subscribers leaving the current editor the burden of carrying the whole load. The rest of us just sit back and let him toil alone........I am included in that group who do nothing. Even the clubs do not surport it with with thier own information.
Just my opinion............
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Mount Airy Lofts
11 posts
Jan 10, 2005
8:05 AM
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Hi guys,
I'm not saying that the Roller Journal is a crap shot because it's not... It has it's place in the hobby. Dave G. has done his share to get guys to write in artcles but as we all know how that goes... Always a reader and not a writer!
I can get all my info on this breed from the guys who flys top quality birds in my area first hand-by sitting under their kits and asking questions while viewing their stock birds and have no need for the Roller Journal but... I know many can't do this because of where they live and crave anything about rollers they can find. There is nothing wrong with that either.
As I stated, I hope to see good things from Dave G.'s Roller Journal and his birds as he is now retired. From my last visit to Dave's loft, he was focussing heavily in his Racing Homers... hope he's rollers don't suffer from this.
Anywho, it is just me to not subscribe to the Roller Journal. Altho the guy that I constantly visit John Johnson, a veteran competition flier in my area, is a subsciber and has submitt articles to the Roller Journal in the past/will submitt articles in the future... so shoot me.
I hope to view Dave G.'s knowledge first-hand again by dropping by on his next competition meet then thru the Roller Journal.
I'll ask the subscibers of the Roller Journal to take up a pen and paper and start sending in your articles. Dave needs all the help you can get.
Subscibe if you want.. if not, there is nothing wrong.
Thor
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2701Dunn
3 posts
Jan 10, 2005
8:25 AM
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I had a kit of about 15 birds. I trained them. I kept them out for two weeks so they could come in and out of the kit cage and get famaliar with the surrounding areas. Then, I put black tape on them and I starved them down and taped their left wing. Well, then I set them up on the roof and let them walk around til they figured out where the food was. All of them came straight down into the trap door really well. Well I did that for one whole weekend so probably about 4 times each bird. I figured there were really ready to fly now. So I waited a week after that. I let them come in and out of the cage into their outer cage like before so they could be famaliar with the area still. Then I let the small door down and let the birds come out as they wanted too. I stood back about 15 ft or so. They all came out and went up. It was pretty windy that day but I felt pretty confident they would do good. Anyway I only lost one that time. So that put me down to 14. Well the next weekend I flew and 8 of them flew off and just didn't come back. I did have a hawk fly through but didn't bother my birds on top of the kit cage. I'm thinking he scared the other birds off and the cold got them that night. But, the funny thing is the next afternoon I had one of those 7 come back home. Can somebody explain this to me. The bird was totally fine. But, the point is they were trained to come back. I mean once you let them fly and they come back they should be good as gold. Anyone have any suggestions on what might of happen and any other ways of training??
Last Edited by 2701Dunn on Jan 10, 2005 8:29 AM
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J_Star
132 posts
Jan 10, 2005
11:53 AM
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Dunn, It is not the training. As you can see one of them came back. When you have a hawk around when you have a new batch flying around is not good. You don't know what you can not see. Most likely the hawks was hunting them and scattered them around. Once they become scared, they go hide somewhere until the cost is clear. It is one of those things that causes an overfly. I would suggest that try to fly them in pairs for a while until they become very accustomed to deeling with the hawk and the surroundings. I have locked up mine for now because I had similer situation and lost two. Two hawks are gone, the illusive one still need to go. Good luck.
Jay
Last Edited by J_Star on Jan 10, 2005 12:04 PM
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