Argess

The CEN MAtrix 5B looks very interesting, but I can't find much on it. No reviews that I can find, despite RCU and Google searchs. The CEN website has a video, and my only negative comment would be it seems quite nose heavy in the air. My Baja 5B was like that, but responded well to some shock damping adjustments. Not sure if that would help the CEN or not.

Anyone own one, know where I can find more info, etc.?

The video is also on YouTube, and is below (the 5B is hte buggy in the video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIPD80QhSRw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

nutechracingusa

Hello
Type in CEN Matrix into the search feature there is some info on the CEN product here on RCU http://search.rcuniverse.com/search....rchwhere=forum

Lots of controversy back and forth as to whether its re badged FS or not, either way they are very similar to the FS (Clones of the MCD basically) with minor changes like the upper and lower a arms along with the colors, do some research as far as I know the gas models are new by CEN so its not like you will be seeing alot of reviews from people that actually own them but you will find some info on the net about them.

Thank You,
Scott
Zero Gravity RC

hndaman1

My Feedback: (6)

There was an Fs one here @ our track it look like a MCD very impressive, and well built, I hope the person comes back to do some racing..

nutechracingusa

Ill be heading out to your track this summer for some racing with the Nutech and Kalee brands :-) cant wait for spring to finally get here.

Thank You,
Scott
Zero Gravity RC

hndaman1

My Feedback: (6)

I cannot wait to meet ya...we welcome all brands @ our track[sm=wink_smile.gif] I cannot wait for all this snow to melt so we can start working on the track to get it ready..

nutechracingusa

I am so ready for spring lol I have been testing a few models this winter so I have a lot of time running in the snow and cold this year and its not very plesant lol, I will keep checking your site and watching the weather I would be happy to come out on a weekend and give you guys a hand getting the track ready .

Your tracks and setup look awsome from the website cant wait to get out meet you guys and run some RC .

Thank You,
Scott
Zero Gravity RC

camo51

Hi, I got my matrix 5B couple of days ago and so far so good. easy to tune and work on thanks to the modular role cage, the 30 cc hauls anything, and though i've not run much yet, the suspension components seem to be bullet proof and are showing no weaknesses. On the other hand the electronics are very poor (throttle servo froze already and steering servo is jerky) if you have question i''ll be happy to answer. later [>:]

Argess

Thank-you for the replies. Please keep me(us) posted Camo51. Maybe you can write a short review once you've had it running for a while. Interesting to hear about it so far. CEN site says about $899,, which sounds pretty cheap for a gas 1/5 scale. So it's no wonder they cut corners with the radio gear, but that's not a bad upgrade if the rest of the vehicle seems decent. So far you seem to think it is, and that's good.

No doubt you wont' be too hard on it right away,, but please let me know how it is in the air. Looks a bit nose-heavy, but as I think I mentioned, it was the same with my 5B and adjusting the shock damping improved it to a satisfactory performance level. If there's no damping adj, changing the shock oil can do the same thing.

camo51

Stay away from the matrix 5B Argress, not all parts are avialible and the CEN parts guarantee program is just a big mock of good service. If you write to CEN they will always go arroud question with cheap excuses. I just realize my matrix 5 Buggy was put togheter wrong. they put truggy wheels and the front end is not that from the buggy but the one from the truggy. To make the tale short, just stay away from it. Get your self a MCD, HPI, FG or even an FS but not this poorly backed and build CEN.

The Hedgehog

I have one, and I love it. Super strong, bash the thing hard almost daily. Stock electronics work well for me too. I will get some videos of it.

I have the MT version and couldn't be happier. I did feel it a little nose heavy to be honest, but I believe I can tune it out with shock setups. The engine is torquey and turns the huge mt wheels with ease. 4wd is one of my favorite things on my truck, works great.

Unlike camo, mine was built very well and did not find any loose screws or bolts anywhere. Haven't had to touch anything yet except add my own receiver pack.

Parts support won't be a problem once tower hobbies starts getting them in stock. I feel like this 5th scale isn't getting the credit it deserves, it's just plane awesome.

camo51

5th scale is awsome for sure... and the matrix 5B takes on beatings very well but mine was poorly build, they didnt even use the parts they shoulded use for the buggy, and lets be honnest...... selling tires and wheels together is just a way to pick pocket customers, specially when all aother manufacturers on all scales and models offer them indivudually.
In other words.... the problem is support, they dont even know the engine specs. I wrote them trying to know what are the specs on the engine and they didnt even answer, so just figure things from there.
On the other hand this is just another cheap clone of the MCD like the FS, so most FS parts fit with no problem, some times at half the price from CEN, and since it is the same chinese dude making them is the exact same quality.

SAVAGEJIM

That is not correct, that some company makes this RC for Cenchain (CEN). A representative from Cenchain, Andrew Smolnik, said that Cenchain/Genka IS the OEM making these RCs themselves, so if anything all the others are more than likely buying Cenchain/Genca RCs and then putting their own sticker on Cenchain RCs.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9311398/tm.htm

As a matter of fact, there were even hints dropped that FS is the one of these buying from Cenchain/Genka and reselling them with their own stickers on them.
If you mean the same dude making FS and this RC is Cenchain themselves, then that would be a better guess to go on.

camo51

Sure......... next thing you gonna make up is " Cenchain makes MCD and they put their own sticker" LoL I sustained it, is probably the same chinese dude making all the money out of these retailers. He might even be reading this and laughing at it. But, fear not, the matrix 5B is a nice vehicle, support for it is what sucks a bit. Just tell ur buds at CEN to get a better knowledge of what they sell and to quit pick pocking customers, and then the matrix 5B migth even steal some HPI and MCD customers.

SAVAGEJIM

Regardless, unless you have a good idea what you are saying is actually the truth, it is only speculation.

I'm not trying to argue; I'm just saying what Andrew, an actual employee of Genka, mentioned and possibly hinted at. Though he would not say it directly, the implications are there and this is coming from Genka themselves.

Other than that, all other speculations of who actually makes these RCs are only gueses.

Oh, and trust me; just because one factory makes and RC and it is sold by several other resellers does not mean they are all exactly the same. An example is HSP. HSP makes RCs for Exceed, Himoto, and Redcat. Even those the base chassis are the exact same, east of the resellers specifies different parts, even different grades of parts. You can, for example, see on an Exceed buggy that it has plastic diff outer gears. On the Redcats, they use steel outer gears, even though the base chassis is the exact same. Furthermore, the radio sets ordered by Himoto could be worlds diffeernt than the Exceed radios, even though again, the base chassis is exactly the same. And since each reseller requires different specs, one RC from one reseller could very well be better and tougher than the very same RC sold by another reseller.

So, to say they are exactly the same is also a lie. Each reseller wants to distinguish themselves from the others even though they buy the very same base chassis from the very same factory.

And since subject buggy of this thread is actually made by Cenchain, Cenchain will no doubt change up its specs to distinguish its very on RC from the FS ones. Otherwise, everyone would just buy the FS.
Furthermore, Cenchain would not even bother if they know they could not offer an RC that is better, or at the very least, different than other clone MCDs.

mooman007uk

CEN/Genko make the FS and have done from the beginning...now whether CEN have recently aquired Genko is another story but Genko are the factory cloning the MCD but water is muddy as to who initiated the production...genko or FS...I'd presume FS but who knows

mbe301

Not trying to get off the "who made who" topic , any vid yet? Can you take pics of the front & rear suspension? I'm curious to see the turning radius of these are much better compared to FS MT.

camo51

turning radius and strenght on both front and rear suspensions are much better on the CEN, but the camber and toe adjustments are really poor. now these lilttle improvements are not worth the extr***** of the CEN, so just stick to the FS

FS*MT*4WD

well if cenchain was making the FS then they did a poor job at that. Now if cenchain also makes the 1/4th scale FS, then they are onto something. i doubt it though. some people tell me that it happens alot that during chinese new year/holiday the tech guys go to different factories taking there ideas with them. So i think CEN got screwed on this one as the latter probly happened and ZHEJIANG FEISHEN VEHICLE CO.,LTD. stole the idea to clone a gen 1 MCD.

Why cen racing with all there rep would want to clone a car is beyond me. the only answer i can come up with is $
The ZHEJIANG FEISHEN VEHICLE CO.,LTD. has alot of success with there 'fs racing' clone, its called carbon fighter in germany. youtube 'carbon fighter'
Cen probly wanted some of the cake.

Now if i was going to buy any 'MCD gen 1' clone it would be the 1/4th scale monster truck. its got the 35cc beast in there. same price as a cen knockoff

SAVAGEJIM

For one, FS is Zhejiang Feishen Vehicle Co, but for the sake of marketing to the West, they simply go by "FS" because it is much easier to remember.
Likewise, CEN is Cenchain/Genka Trading corp, but they go by "CEN" because it is very easy to remember.

As for ideas being stolen because techs and engineers jump ship, they more than just take ideas with them, they tend to also load up USB flash drives and discs of info with them. Usually because the competitor companies entice them (better pay & position, and possibly also some other more shady offers). I have no doubts that this too is happening.

In the West, such is considered corporate piracy and the old employer can take legal action against the ex-employee. However, I do not know if China has such laws, so if what you are speculating is true about someone from Genka jumping ship and taking plans to bring Z.F.V. Co (FS), there might be absolutely nothing that Cenchain can do to that ex-employee.

But again, I want to stress what you are saying is only a guess and not necessarily a fact, because nobody from Cenchain or Z.F.V CO (FS) has said anything to confirm that someone stole the ideas and plans and took them with them when they jumped ship.
Until someone form Z.F.V Cc does say something, or likewise, Genka says something, I unfortunately cannot believe this to be fact; only a possibility.
Otherwise, all we would be doing is spreading rumors, misinformation, and possibly LIES all over the net.

FS*MT*4WD

well once again if CEN made the FS or whatever they did a shoddy job and i would stear clear of there 1/5th scales as they have oviously learnt nothing from the 'FS' experience.

now if they use the diffs of the 1/4th im sold. doubt it cause no one is listening/cares...kinda reminds me of the FS service........................................... .........................

snoking16

Camo...just because they didnt respond to an email doesnt mean they dont know the specs of their engines. To be blunt, I think its crazy that you would even say that the company doesnt know any of the specs about the engine that they are putting in their trucks. Thats absurd. Of course they know. There must have been another reason why they didnt get back to you. and savage jim didnt make anything up. so mocking him about it is an childish way of trying to get your point across.

SAVAGEJIM

I totally believe you that FS did a shoddy job on the 5th scale RCs, one of the FS sellers (well, he dumped FS) extensively tested the FS RCs and he went over them thoroughly, and he discovered that many FS parts were not up to the task of 5th scale running.
He has communicated with FS many times, and they gave him the run-around, saying things that he wanted to hear, but doing nothing to fix any of weak spots he addressed to them. This went on for months, because he continued to sell them and gave them many chances, but he finally dumped them because they refused to fix the problems.

He now is working with Nutech, another Chinese RC company, but the biggest difference is Nutech is serious about fixing problems. So much so that they sent actual RCs to us, the RC fans, and ask us to bash and trash the RCs hard to find any possible weak spots. Look up the threads in which Mooman007 is testing and running Nutech's Thunderbolt2 and you will see that not only does he just about destroy the RC, but he reports every possible weakspot to Nutech and Nutech in turn redesigns the part to reinforce it so that the final off-the-shelf RC will be tough as nails.

If FS were serious in the same manner as Nutech is about fixing problems, they would not have the bad rep that are in most people's minds.
And it will not matter where FS buys their RCs from, be it from Genka, or if they contract another factory to make their RCs for them. If they do not pick up the seriousness that Nutech has in addressing and fixing problems, and worse, if they continue to say they fixed the problem but in reality have not, FS will continue to carry the bad rep.

I am not saying this to trash on FS, as a matter of fact, I totally agree with you. FS should totally scrap the older diffs and discontinue them. They should put in the newer diffs of what they advertise as their 4th scale RCs. And all they have to do is call the factories and cancel their orders of the older diffs. And if the factory refuses to comply, all they have to do is fire them and hire a factory that WILL make the newer and stronger diffs.

camo51

if cen only used that money paid to ppl to defend them in these forums to fix up their cust service and brush up some parts.... man we sure should have a bullet proof matrix 5B. anyway since you guys defend cen so vividly, you should buy my matrix 5B i'll let it go for 1/2 i paid. $400 as i want to get an mcd or fg. paypal only pls and $50 shipping to the lower 48 states.
just respond in this forum if you are interested.

camo51

actually, if you guys know some store willing to take my matrix 5b as in part payment and ill pay the rest, plz let me know.

camo51

does anyone know the web site for the 30cc engine on the matrix 5b? I know is CN brand but have not been able to find a site