Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

I've been a loyal Airtronics flyer for over twenty years and wonder what is happening with them. I've been using 94102 and 94322 servo's for years with very little problems, but unable to buy them any more. The Airtroncis web site is no longer showing Analog servo's for sale, they stop selling the 94191 servo ( a great little servo) a while ago. There is less and less for sale in the radio line and I am wondering if we are seeing the last of Airtronics. I was a stanch Kraft flyer for years and switched over to Airtronics when Phil Kraft past and the company went into many internal changes. I do hope that they are not heading south on us, but just wondering if anyone has heard any word on the company.
Aloha,
Bob

AwwNaww

I updated happily to the 10gs and was a little surprised that very little seemed to come from Airtronics in high end systems/updates. Then, as you point out, some very fine (and reasonably priced) servos disappeared. At first, I thought it was due to the attention they were putting into ground based systems. Now, I have to admit to a sinking feeling. I hope everything is fine with them. I really like the radios.

freefall2907

I have flown airtronics for years and i am finding less and less equipment being carried,I too feel like i am on a sinking ship,i know they were late to follow the technology spurt but i always had good luck with them,

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Aloha Gentlemen,
I'm disappointed in Airtronics and I've called them on the phone and point blank asked them about their servo selection. I was told that servo's will be forthcoming...that was over six months ago and now not one analog servo is for sale on their web page and as far as I can see...as the stock runs out, nothing replaces it. I do not use digital servo's and my Airtronics analog servo's work just fine on my 10G...which I really like. I am seeing 10G's on the used market getting really inexpensive now and questioning what is really going on with them. To me its sad, for they have some great servo's and equipment.

Lets see if some one else will chime in here and give us more input on Airtronics.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

raptureboy

Based on the lack of new threads here and the lack of response from Bob regarding questions, I would have to say your suspicions would be valid, but they do seem to be going full out in the car radios. Analog servo's don't work with the FSS-3 receivers very well if at all so that may explain them going all digital in the servo dept. I love my 10g and my 8000rds

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Raptureboy,
I use FSS-3 receivers and Airtronics 94322 servo's with no issues at all. I use both four and five sell nickel batteries in my models and I've been flying them for several years this way, with no issues at all with this combination. I also use HD 1501 BBMG servo's (I picked them up at Troy Built Models) without any issues, utilizing the ten cannel FSS-3 receiver and my 10G. I also updated my 10G to have two rotary dials on the face of the Tx...Airtronics did this for me last year. My 10G came with only one rotary dial on the face of the Tx, on the right side. Now I have one on both sides. I also have an RDS8000 2.4 gig radio and really enjoy flying this Tx too. These are very good radio's and I have had good service from them for many years. I've been flying Airtronics radio's since 1988 and feel disappointed they are not bringing in more R/C radio equipment for us.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

s3nfo

My Feedback: (14)

They don't even answer questions here on the "Airtronics Support Forum". I flew Airtronics for 25 years and was as loyal as they come, but several months ago after seeing the decline in available stuff and non-support I dumped all my Airtronics stuff.

F.Imbriaco

My Feedback: (56)

I, too, am frustrated with them. After flying Futaba for decades, I switched everything over at the time of the SD-10G arrival. It's been nice, reliable, and easy to program , but it's now a bit ( more like alot) old in the tooth . Consider, if you will, that this is season seven. Oversized and clumsy case and miles behind the Futaba and JR features. Big promises were made by Airtronics and some of their team in 2009 about higher end air products then in the pipeline and near ready. Yeah. If they think a black case and one additional rotary knob suffices after 7 years , well...
I've noticed that Tower Hobbies and some others have mostly dropped the line; leaving Hobby People as the lone "major".
I'm also somewhat skeptical of the repair end of Airtronics , USA. Although unfounded, I have visions of a back room facility. Seems one repair tech has answered the phone since I got the radio. One would think that there has to be a more extensive staff ? Guess that correlates with the sales or maybe that all Airtronics radios are bullet-proof and require no or little servicing. I dunno .Once sent in my transmitter for a small hic-up and it was returned with scratches to the screen and case. Check their web for SD-10G accessories and replacement parts- most have no photos and some have yet to arrive on the scene.
Just recently ordered ( from Hobby People -online, so I know it was correct) the replacement lipo for the transmitter- what I got was a puny a 7.4 350 mah ! Rather than apologize and re-ship the correct one, they issued a credit without first consulting with me. Just as well, got a nice one from Graves R/C. Thought Hobby People was suppossed to be the "flagship "franchise for Airtronics.

A shining star for Airtronics USA is Jack Albrecht- a gem of a guy , professional and patient, who on several occasions has expertly answered my questions - usually within 24 hours.

I will give them one more season and probably exit to JR of the Americas.

Pippin

Sanwa Denshi (the company behind Airtronics) still lists the SRM102z aka 94102z on their website.

http://sanwa-denshi.com/rc/sky/servo/srm-102z.html

I think, they changed the internal electronics to run it on 4.8v only. The older version liked 6v the most since it was designed to run on 4 dry cells originally. Also, it got a slightly modified servo case. The new version does not like a 5 cell pack but needs some sort of voltage limiter. Otherwise it will overshoot.

Looks like Global / HP decided not to import the newer version of the Sanwa Airtronics 94102z analog servos any more.

But the new 94813 is a great substitute for the old 94102.

http://www.airtronics.net/index.php/...ear-servo.html

AwwNaww

Thank you for that info. I usually use 5 cell packs in aircraft with 48" or larger ws so maybe that is for the best. I stocked up on 94102 some time back but will look to the 94813 in the future.

PatternPilot

My Feedback: (58)

As a ATX Team member I have not heard of any closure... I can understand that analog servos being discontinued if they really are.. The digital servo cost is alot less than past years.. also I know I always don"t check the forum much and if you have questions why not email them direct or call.

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Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Pattern Pilot,
I have flown Airtronics gear since the late 80's and uses the 94102's and 94322 analog servos for years with excellent results. I only wish you folks came out with a metal geared 94322 servo. I've had lousy luck with digital servo's and a lot of guys in our club say the same. True some state that they are the only way to go, but I do not agree at all. I've seen more wrecks with digital servo's then analog, and a few really nice large scale models going in with digital servo failures.

I feel it was really leaving us out to dry, to stop making analog servo's. By doing so, you forced me to buy other manufacturers servo's to do what we used to do with Airtronics gear. I have been flying Airtronics ever since Kraft went south and have been really happy with my gear. I use your 10G a lot and my RDS8000 too. All Airtronics analog servo's worked just fine with both the -1 & -3 receivers. So do HD servo's, and what I fly with now. If Airtronics had a analog servo equal to the HD1501BBMG, I would buy from you...but you don't any more. I've one really nice metal gear Airtronics analog servo...and unable to buy any more for years. The HD servo's come in at under $15.00 a unit and are solid servo's. Your servo costs are two to three times the cost of other brand digital servo's...and the reason why I asked if you guys are still in business. Your dropping a good product line, coming out with expensive digital servo's and it seems to me...not supporting the hobby like you guys once did. I'm one of the last guys in our club flying Airtronics and most the guys went over to other brands. At one time 1/4 of our club flew Airtronics gear...I'm the last doing so.

I would have loved to buy a Tx with more then 10 channels. I waited for years and finally needed to purchase a competitors 18 channel Tx for my more complex models. It would be nice to see you folks step up to the plate with more innovative products...but maybe your unable to. My feeling is that if you don't pick up the pace, your going to no longer be competitive.

This is just my feelings and I'm voicing them to let you know why I started this post.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

PatternPilot

My Feedback: (58)

Bobby,

To address the servo issue first. It would be great to know the digital servos, battery voltage and MAH of pack and what was being done prior to the crashes of these planes. I would be wondering about current draw as well if on 72 mhz vs 2.4 ghz. also how many flights during the day prior to the crashes. Again I'm a Team member and can not speak for the marketing department but I do know when the SD10 came out many people in various aspects of RC switched to ATX including myself. I flew ATX before I became a Team Pilot.

If you want to PM me your email address I will forward this info to the two top guys and that way they will see your concerns directly.

Scott

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Airtronics makes most of its revenue outside of the radio control hobby, and what money it does happen to make with radio control products is made outside of the RC aircraft market.

The reality is that RC air radios is a very small consideration for Airtronics, and this market has seen a flood of new competitors over the last several years. Graupner, FrSky, FlySky, Jeti, and Tactic (plus who else?)are trying to compete along side Spektrum, JR, Futaba, Hitec, and Airtronics now, and everybody is spending a lot of marketing dollars to compete for crumbs of a very small pie.

Airtronics is taking a Volvo-like approach to the air radio market. They are making a small number of very fine products, they're not wasting a lot of money trying to advertise them to folks who won't buy them, and the folks who do appreciate the quality and value are seeking them out and buying them. Chasing current marketing fads and come out with a bunch of "me too" products for an overcrowded marketplace wouldn't lead to any additional profits for Airtronics.

When the market sorts itself out in a couple of years, Airtronics will still be standing, and they can take a thoughtful, long-term approach to updating the product line rather than introducing a 32-channel super radio with an Android 5.0 color touchscreen and voice synthesis that people will buy because the other guys' radios are still only running Android 4.4. Trends come and go, but quality will always endure.

F.Imbriaco

My Feedback: (56)

For once, I'd like someone from SANWA to make a statement, any statement, rather than read more conjecture .

PatternPilot

My Feedback: (58)

Guys,

Have you tried calling or emailing Airtronics? They should be at Toledo OH this week and weekend.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Part of the issue is confusing Global Hobby with Airtronics/Sanwa. Sanwa won't be at Toledo, but Global Hobby will be. Global is Sanwa's exclusive distributor for Airtronics/Sanwa RC products for North America, but I don't know that they have any significant influence regarding new product development, marketing strategies, and the like.

In a typical manufacturer/distributor relationship, Global Hobby simply orders and markets what Sanwa makes available to them. They can request new products to fill various market segment needs, and they can offer feedback for product improvement, but whether or not Sanwa feels like spending R&D to develop an expensive high end air radio to compete in an overly crowded market with limited opportunities is up to folks in Japan. The folks in the Airtronics shirts at Toledo will be from Global Hobby, and they don't have much to say about it.

Sanwa makes terrific products, and Global Hobby is a great distributor who supports them whole-heartedly. I would guess that folks from the Global Hobby/Hobby People family might privately express disappointment that Sanwa isn't trying to compete for a more dominant position in the market with a more diverse range of new products and more aggressive marketing, but anybody with any business sense would likely agree that Sanwa is taking a prudent approach.

s3nfo

My Feedback: (14)

Yes, and still couldn't get an answer to a simple question.

propjaw

My Feedback: (19)

Airtronics radios are excellent! I have a few of them from Championship series, Module, Infinity, Stylus, Aquila and even a single stick. I called customer service and talked to Jack. He is there Monday - Friday 12-4 pm pacific time. A few times I have called and was given a recording which asked to leave a number and message so you can get a call back. It has been six days and no call. If you call Hobby People you get a prerecorded message for the menu. Customer service has a prerecorded message that asks you to leave a number and a message so you can get a call back. That was 2 days ago. I wonder if I send my radios to them for service how long it would take? I have a Stylus that needs a lithium battery. I was told if I change it myself I have to recalibrate the transmitter. I would rather send it to Airtronics Service but I do not even know if it still exists. My story is about the same as what I am reading here. All I want to know is that there is support for what I have bought. They are damn good radios!

ToddNicholson

Propjaw,

If you PM me your name and information, I can alert customer service and find out if your radio's been received, status, etc. They're usually pretty good about responding to emails and calling back, so not sure why you haven't heard back yet.

-Todd

pianori

My Feedback: (2)

In my humble opinion, Airtronics does not want to commit to a statement as they are still trying to figure out their place in the TX market. Their quality is not in question here. Just their commitment in the high line air transmitter segment. It seems to me that they are making a shift to surface car radios. I have two of them. The car radios have telemetry, and vibration feedback. So, all the latest bells and whistles can be found in their car radios, just not in the air radios.

I think it was mentioned before that the market is too crowded with other manufactures trying to get a piece of the pie of the market . Airtronics is not sure if they want to compete there. It is frustrating from the loyal Airtronics customer and it makes the company image look bad if one is interested in purchasing an up to par aircraft radio. I fly Futaba, Multioplex and now Graupner. I looked at Airtronics, but as most have said, I did not even bother because the features were not there on the air TX side. Conversely, the surface radios are simply brilliant products filled with state of the art features and options. The funny part is that now that I have been introduced to all the bells and whistles of the other brand TX radios, I now cannot do without. The additional features and higher number of channels, provides me with an extra sense of safety, flexibility, and awareness.

Perhaps in the future they will decide to commit in the air TX radio segment. However, by then it could be too late for them to re-enter the air TX market, because whatever remaining loyal customers, they would probably convert to other brands with more capable radios, and Airtronics would have to spent a fortune in advertising to catch up and become again a player in the air TX segment.

But then again, that could be just fine with AIrtronincs. It all depends what they are after, financially.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Aloha Pianori,
I've been flying Airtronics, ever since it was called Kraft. I love my 10G...easy to program and solid. Its a good solid Transmitter, and for my type of flying, its perfect. I've a RDS8000 and after many years of faithful service...I needed to turn it in for a check up. The RDS8000 Tx is really easy to program and I use this for my smaller nitro models...and my 10G for my larger gas models. I've always been given quick service from the Airtronics folks and I have always received excellent service from them.

I would love to have a Tx with 16~20 channels...and I would use it on my larger models. I fly up to 35cc gas models with the 10G on -1 & -3 Rx with no issues at all so far. I've used their 94322 analog basic servo on all my models for years with no problems. The gears do wear a bit on the larger models and changing out the gears is a simple affair, on either the 94322 or94102 . The electronics is remarkably rugged on these servo's and one reason I like Airtroncs gear. I now use HD1501 BBMG servo's on all my gas engine models...with no issues using -1 and -3 Rx. I've mixed and matched servo's on my models...and I've never had an issue with their Rx's.

As long as they support the 10G...I'm a happy camper.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

pianori

My Feedback: (2)

Bob I appreciate your response. Again the quality of AIrtronics is not in question. For years I flew the Multiplex EVO 12 radio when they were in 72 Mhz. I enjoyed the radio immensely and it did provide me with the features I needed. At one point the rest of the transmitter world went to 2.4 Ghz. All multiplex loyal customers waited for Multiplex to make the change. After almost 3 years Multiplex was still marching to their own beat. Then Multiplex decided to no longer provide the new transmitters to the US market. I could have bought the radio from the Germans, after all HItec RCD serviced them. At that point I said enough, and decided to purchase a Hitec radio which I used for 3 years. The radio had telemetry, a fast possessor with faster stick output times. I really noticed the difference in my flying. Later on that radio fell short of my expectations (Aurora 9) because of the limitations in the trainer mode channel assignment. I could not fly FPV with a head tracker. Hitec promised that they would come up with a new radio that would address that. So Hitec did come up with the A9X. Guess what, they still did not provide the flexibility I was craving for as far as the trainer function assign-ability. I sold that radio too and said good buy to Hitec. I now have a Graupner radio that has all the features and functionality I want, and more. For instance, telemetry. For me that is huge. Knowing when my lipos are about to run out of juice, is quite important for me. Also, being able to know how consistent I fly to a certain altitude helps me become a better rc pilot doing better maneuvers. Features such as automatic trim do make my life so much easier when flying for the first time my new precious model. Now I cannot do with out those feature. When I flew radios without those features I thought that I did not need them, but now that I have experience the benefits of the features, I cannot fly a radio without them .