Horizon Hobby "Smoke Screen" for Spektrum???

[Wmorgan]

So this is not just another rant on how much the Spektrum is a POS. That's already well doumented here on the AF. Rather a question about something that I recently became aware through a new Arrma Kraton V4 owner. My neighbor, who i evangelized into becoming a new Arrma owner, received his Kraton V4 6S last Wednesday. On the maiden voyage he described driving it around on the street to just check things out when i had a momentary loss of control...and ran nose first into a street sign pole. Bent the chassis and damaged other front end stuff. (I don't remember if i warned him about the POS Spektrum before his first run but for the sake of appearing to be a good neighbor, believe that i did ?). I told him what to do about the damage with a claim to Horizon. I was very curious how they'd respond to a claim due to the radio malf. This morning he tells me, "Horizon said it was likely the servo and not the radio, the servo failing is a common issue.". Uuuhhh...what?!? The servo!?! He didn't even mention the servo.
My conspiracy theory:
Horizon won't accept complaints that their POS Spektrum radio has common failures resulting in loss of control as such documentation would ruin their legal argument for plausible deniability in a court room.
Has anyone else had a similar experience??

 

[Surchaufeur]

Depends how he docmented it

 

[slick2500]

So this is not just another rant on how much the Spektrum is a POS. That's already well doumented here on the AF. Rather a question about something that I recently became aware through a new Arrma Kraton V4 owner. My neighbor, who i evangelized into becoming a new Arrma owner, received his Kraton V4 6S last Wednesday. On the maiden voyage he described driving it around on the street to just check things out when i had a momentary loss of control...and ran nose first into a street sign pole. Bent the chassis and damaged other front end stuff. (I don't remember if i warned him about the POS Spektrum before his first run but for the sake of appearing to be a good neighbor, believe that i did ?). I told him what to do about the damage with a claim to Horizon. I was very curious how they'd respond to a claim due to the radio malf. This morning he tells me, "Horizon said it was likely the servo and not the radio, the servo failing is a common issue.". Uuuhhh...what?!? The servo!?! He didn't even mention the servo.
My conspiracy theory:
Horizon won't accept complaints that their POS Spektrum radio has common failures resulting in loss of control as such documentation would ruin their legal argument for plausible deniability in a court room.
Has anyone else had a similar experience??

With their STX2 yes many users have reported this same thing on here, the object they ran into is usually different but same situation.

 

[Surchaufeur]

Me with horizon they sended me a brand new motor caus mine failed a slipper clutch unit 4 new tires because of one or my rims were bend out of the box. I have told them about my motor plate bending non stop they sended me a brand new stock motor mount and the adjustable blx one is on back order for free
The radio meh what they going to do send you another stx2 lol
Mine once went full speed under a car.. stupid radio

 

[Wmorgan]

With their STX2 yes many users have reported this same thing on here, the object they ran into is usually different but same situation.

...and did Horizon "offer" another reason for the claim...other than the real/obvious reason being a radio malfunction??

 

[slick2500]

...and did Horizon "offer" another reason for the claim...other than the real/obvious reason being a radio malfunction??

No I mean a lot of people reported that happening on here, Idk if they contacted Horizon or Arrma.

 

[arrmadillo]

I feel for the neighbor, what a bad way to be introduced to Arrma, hope it doesn't leave a bad taste in his mouth and gets past it.

 

[Wmorgan]

No I mean a lot of people reported that happening on here, Idk if they contacted Horizon or Arrma.

Yeah, the reason for this post is regarding Horizon's response to the claim that it wasn't the radio failure but something else that is part of the rig design.
I'm trying to ferret out if this was a one off response from Horizon or are they trying to deflect the real issue, which is the POS radio they paired with the Arrma rigs, onto the Arrma design/components.

I feel for the neighbor, what a bad way to be introduced to Arrma, hope it doesn't leave a bad taste in his mouth and gets past it.

He is. He knows from watching me torture my rigs how tough they are. He's been in RC for awhile and recognized the radio for what it is...a steaming pile!!

 

[SrC]

So this is not just another rant on how much the Spektrum is a POS. That's already well doumented here on the AF. Rather a question about something that I recently became aware through a new Arrma Kraton V4 owner. My neighbor, who i evangelized into becoming a new Arrma owner, received his Kraton V4 6S last Wednesday. On the maiden voyage he described driving it around on the street to just check things out when i had a momentary loss of control...and ran nose first into a street sign pole. Bent the chassis and damaged other front end stuff. (I don't remember if i warned him about the POS Spektrum before his first run but for the sake of appearing to be a good neighbor, believe that i did ?). I told him what to do about the damage with a claim to Horizon. I was very curious how they'd respond to a claim due to the radio malf. This morning he tells me, "Horizon said it was likely the servo and not the radio, the servo failing is a common issue.". Uuuhhh...what?!? The servo!?! He didn't even mention the servo.
My conspiracy theory:
Horizon won't accept complaints that their POS Spektrum radio has common failures resulting in loss of control as such documentation would ruin their legal argument for plausible deniability in a court room.
Has anyone else had a similar experience??

Yes, the STX2 gave me the hebee jeebees, Was so disconnected with my inputs and did dart unexpectedly a few times. Used this garbage for less than 10 minutes, and ripped it out of my V4 Kraton for my trusty TTX300. Horizon has addressed their dilemma by not acknowledging the problem. If they did, no one would even buy their RTR's currently. They would be stuck with inventory until they changed out the radio. Big $$ losses. Many Mfrs do this for damage control. Horizon needed a $5.00 radio to boost profit on their rigs. And that is unfortunately what they are, $5.00 garbage radios you could find in a $25.00 RC "Non-Hobby Grade TOY" car.
If I had one major gripe with Arrma, it is that STX2, a sorry excuse for a radio.

 

[bicketybam]

It's hard for me to relate to this, because I always change the radio when I buy an RTR. I don't care how good or bad it supposed to be. the radio and RTR vehicle comes with would never preclude me from buying it.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I think it is difficult for Horizon to filter through the legitimate claims, and the guy who drove into an obstacle, because he was going too fast.
Like others here who bought newer models I tried the STX2 for about 2 minutes and then swapped in an aftermarket radio. That STX2 was horrible... People semi-new to the hobby might just think the behavior is the ESC or the "way the truck drives" because they are new to 6s or 4s coming from another brand.

I could see Horizon trying to defend Spektrum as they offer it in all their models (Air, Water, and Surface) and 99% of them work great. Without witnessing the situation I am confused how they came to the conclusion that the servo was the source of the problem...

 

[SrC]

It's hard for me to relate to this, because I always change the radio when I buy an RTR. I don't care how good or bad it supposed to be. the radio and RTR vehicle comes with would never preclude me from buying it.

Most buyers of Arrma rigs are newcomers perhaps. They don't realize the importance of a properly working Radio. Hobbyists like us with experience obviously have better multi model radios and understand the difference. Newcomers or first time Arrma buyers are handicapped with this STX2 and don't realize it initially. And decent radios can be had for very little cost in the end. Its just a shame that a garbage radio should be the cause for loss of control resulting in rig damage. Especially the $higher$ end 6S Arrma rigs.

 

[slick2500]

Idk who it was that said it, might have been @Surchaufeur, but everyone with the STX2 radio needs to start reporting their issues to Horizon directly.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Idk who it was that said it, might have been @Surchaufeur, but everyone with the STX2 radio needs to start reporting their issues to Horizon directly.

That is very true, I am sure we all know that business these days is done on metrics. X number of claims = action. Less than X is deemed good enough. Arrma's CEO is well aware of the complaints on the radio and servo, but ultimately it is Horizon who is dishing out the spektrum radios and the warranty claims.

 

[SrC]

Idk who it was that said it, might have been @Surchaufeur, but everyone with the STX2 radio needs to start reporting their issues to Horizon directly.

I was thinking the same. I just changed my radio out. For me, problem solved.
But if we all did just that, Horizon might have to address it. All Horizon will do is replace with the same radio under warranty. Getting them to to replace their boxed STX2 radio's in all their RTR's would be next to impossible. IMO. Complaints would have to be numerous, to the point that the STX2 would become Back Ordered at the warranty level. I wish I could diagnose the exact problem with this radio. Because it appears there is some ghost in this Radio that most users don't like.

 

[Jimbobjr]

I never used this radio but there are so many stories about them being bad it must be true. Really bad selling point for a newcomer. Hobbyshop guy is like “yeah it will go 60+ but you won’t be able to drive it, this Traxxas MaxX on the other hand...”. Really bad for business Arrma, they of all people drive these things way more than we do and knew the radio was garbage before the new models came out.

 

[roondog]

I shared my experience and they stated it was the receiver. Sent a new one which did help, but I've moved on to Futaba.

 

[Piecejointe]

So this is not just another rant on how much the Spektrum is a POS. That's already well doumented here on the AF. Rather a question about something that I recently became aware through a new Arrma Kraton V4 owner. My neighbor, who i evangelized into becoming a new Arrma owner, received his Kraton V4 6S last Wednesday. On the maiden voyage he described driving it around on the street to just check things out when i had a momentary loss of control...and ran nose first into a street sign pole. Bent the chassis and damaged other front end stuff. (I don't remember if i warned him about the POS Spektrum before his first run but for the sake of appearing to be a good neighbor, believe that i did ?). I told him what to do about the damage with a claim to Horizon. I was very curious how they'd respond to a claim due to the radio malf. This morning he tells me, "Horizon said it was likely the servo and not the radio, the servo failing is a common issue.". Uuuhhh...what?!? The servo!?! He didn't even mention the servo.
My conspiracy theory:
Horizon won't accept complaints that their POS Spektrum radio has common failures resulting in loss of control as such documentation would ruin their legal argument for plausible deniability in a court room.
Has anyone else had a similar experience??

So the servo failing caused the car to run off at full throttle? Didn't know arrma made nitro cars

 

[SrC]

I shared my experience and they stated it was the receiver. Sent a new one which did help, but I've moved on to Futaba.

How did the new Rx help?

 

[Surchaufeur]

Maybe its the reveiver who is defective