Last Updated on July 11, 2020.
This is a creative outlet for myself and my hobbies – revolving primarily around testosterone rich endeavors like radio controlled aircraft, electronics, retro gaming, aquatics, and 3d printing.
Krystof.IO originally started in the late 2000s as HoverAndSmile.com, specifically targeting radio controlled aircraft enthusiasts. That all started because of one small, almost gag-gift like helicopter from The Venom Group:
I dove headfirst into the RC hobby because of this thing. However, I shouldn’t blame just the helicopter. I should blame my father. Back in March of 2009, my parents went to a local auto show around the Omaha, Nebraska area. They happened to spot a curse wielding gypsy man with a table full of these little guys. The mother asks the father, “Honey, why don’t you get one? It’s only 20 dollars.” Turns out the booth-keeper bought out one of our Kay-Bee toy chains and was at the car show to unload his smack get rid of some inventory.
Now, my father will tell you he remembers the days when his helicopters and airplanes weren’t radio controlled, but tethered, forcing you to spin it around your head and up to get any air, or having the unfortunate sibling pulling on a cord.
I was spared those days of toys, but to give credit to nostalgia, I do remember having a few radio controlled cars that went forward in a somewhat straight line, and only turned in reverse.
So, seeing these little helicopters spin around the booth-keep’s head tickled my father’s fancy enough to purchase one. The mother asked the father if the son would be interested in one. The father figured not, thinking the son had mentally put away those childish things. Turns out the father was wrong. It’s not often he’ll admit it, so I must state this again.
The father was wrong.
Fast-forward a week or two later. I stop by my parent’s house on a semi-regular basis, and as I crossed the threshold and went up the stairs, I see this little helicopter sitting on the landing. I asked my father when he picked up a little model helicopter. Wait… it’s not a model? It actually flies?
An hour later and we’re still banging the little thing into the ceiling, torturing the dog, the mother, the kitchen lights, and the food on the stove.
So, I blame the Venom Group. I also blame my father. Within that first week I had purchased my own. My cat still hasn’t forgiven me.
Am I shirking responsibility for my own actions? You bet. I’m totally blaming other people for getting me into this hobby. While I’m not anywhere near as active in it 10 years later, I still have all of the ‘stuff’ and as I’m going through boxes over the winter of 2019 I may or may not be organizing my RC inventory for some future projects.
A break and a return
After a few years and moving on to different hobbies, I took a brief internet hiatus until launching Krystof.IO to cover retro gaming projects of mine in 2016. Three years later and I’m in the position to go through another content revival of sorts.
As of October, 2019, I’ve decided to migrate some of the hold H&S content over to Krystof.IO for posterity’s sake before creating a few write ups about some current projects.
All in all I was proud of the work I did on H&S almost starting a decade ago – it was a great bonding experience with my father and got me to branch out into amateur electronics and video editing. I received plenty of compliments and thank you’s over those years from people that were just like me – learning and sharing.
But what would you say you do here?
My hope is to provide whatever I create on this site as an educational and entertaining (at least a little) resource for those that share my interests. It is safe to say that ships in bottles is not one of those interests. If you’re looking for ships in bottles, you are in the wrong place, this is cars in bowls country.
Cheers,
Eric R. Krystof
P.S. – Legal Blurbs!
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Eric R. Krystof/Krystof.IO and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
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Basically… if you hurt yourself, others, or destroy things based on what you learned from this site or correspondence with me… Fair warning, you are on your own, don’t blame me. Take anything here and use it at your own risk.