moodier

My Feedback: (1)

HI;Interesting the total lack of any response by Polk to any of the issues brought up here and on there own site too.Maybe to many questions they can't or won't answer??If theywant to stay in the market maybe someone there should start looking at there many unanswered problems!!!!Is a shame as they had a good idea but think there may be many like me who were boosters of there equip but now won't buy more and will replace what I have with other mfgs equipment!Have to use it for paper weights though as no one at our field will touch there stuff any more!!Maybe they will come around or they will be gone!!

Walt Thyng

My Feedback: (9)

Have to admit that while I like (used to love) my TIII, the poor support and difficulty in programming, makes me wonder if Polk got in over their heads. Too bad.
Walt

Montague

Polk pretty much stopped paying attention to this forum a while back. I think they do read their own forums, but you're right that they rarely respond.

Walt Thyng

My Feedback: (9)

I guess this is another case of buy cheap, buy twice.
Walt

Monty, didn't you post a lot of programming tips on the Polk web site? How's about PMing me on how to set up spoilerons?
WT

swede-RCU

Monty-yes, include me too for your programming advise. I'm still working on crow for my Ultra Stick. Walt and I used to email each other about programming the TIII.

Hi Walt. How you been?


Swede

Montague

I've never done crow myself. I'm sure someone has though.

Off the top of my head, I'd put the ailerons on 1 and 6, and use flaperon. Then put the flaps on 7.

Now the 6 knob will raise and lower both ailerons, and the 7 knob will raise and lower the flaps.

If you want to do the full 4-servo wing thing, with switchable full-span ailerons, crow, and full-span flaps, that's a lot more involved, obviously, and I'm not sure how to do it off the top of my head.

One of the biggest problems you will run in to is that you can't plug a servo in to channel 5 or 8 and disable the switch that controls it. You can lock a switch with a wheel collar though, and use it as a target for mixes that way. But it's a kludge. Or you can use it anyway, and just not hit the switch in the air. I'm just always warry of that kind of thing.

Now if you put flaps on 5 and use the 3-pos switch for up-mid-down on flaps, you might be able to set up some of the other featuers.

Another problem with the complicated 4-servo wing setups is that you can't have two mixes set to opposite sides of the same switch. So you can't flip one switch to disable full-span ailerons and enable crow, instead you'll have to hit two switches. This may or may not be a problem for you.

bigdarylg

kirk, are you aware of fhhuber's solution to nulling switches? if not check out his answer on Polk's forum. pretty slick. i think it's in programming trick of the day post.

swede-RCU

Ok Monty. Thanks anyway. I just got my TIII back from back Polks with repairs and now have V1.38. All my settings were, therefore gone so I'm re-programming all my planes. Thankfully, I had written down some of the more involved programs so it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, it helps me learn, relearn and remember how to program the TIII when I have to redo all the planes.

I'll post my Crow set up for my Ultra Stick soon, and see what everyone thinks and if anyone has any tips to add.

Swede

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

HI;Glad to hear that you got yours back OK from them.Mine finally died luckily with planeon ground so now will sendit in for sure but don't know if I will ever trust it with a good plane again!

hawkwindar7

My Feedback: (2)

Hi folks...new to this forum. I have a Polk Tracker III system. Am pleased, with the exception of support by Polk. I am our club's VP, and several of us have migrated from Futaba and HiTec to Polk (or to Spektrum). Of our Polk users, a couple have older Polk III systems with older software versions. I have tried repeatedly (and have since given up) on getting info from Polk support on how to upgrade (?flash?) the Polk III transmitter to the latest software version. Any thoughts on this?

As well, I clumsily dropped my Polk transmiiter
on the carpet at home (light impact...but otherwise extremely stupid move) and broke-off the Ch 5 toggle switch. Again, after repeatedly attempting to contact Polk (via email and voice messaging) to try to buy another toggle, I have given up. I love the radios systems, but their support absolutely sucks!

nobodytwo

It appears to me that Polk will no longer be in the Aircraft Transmitter business. I had four Polks, two are broken, one was sent to Iraq and the other given to a fellow modeler. I have since switched to JR's 9303 and DX7, much better reliability, quality and customer support!

If you're wondering why four Polks I own and operate a flight school

Happy Landings!

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

HI;Wondered originally on this post what fate of Polk radios will be!Would guess there lack of reponse to questions etc tells us what it is.They lost the technology war when they couldn't compete in the 2.4 field.and there inability to maintain there customer service on there equip I think makes it clear that they will be out of the R/C business shortly!!they sealed there own fate as with all companies that forget who pays there way!!!

balsabuster2003

Polk's claim to be coming out soon with a 2.4 gHz system.

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

Well woulkd be nice if they got the bugs out of the seekers before they tried there hand at something new.Granted they are a little late getting on the band wagon for 2.4. Both my trackers work good since the last update but have given up using the seekers get constant busy signals from them.No one at our field that has Polk radio uses the seekers anymore!!After just going thru the Futaba fiasco with 2.4 hate to think of how they can make it work!!Would like a good 2.4 but afraid to try it if they did come out with one after troubles with the there current radios.They seem to have completely dropped any reponse to customers on there site or here at RCU,probably because they have no answers for the problems!!

crazy8s

My Feedback: (21)

I was one of the people that waited for the Tracker 111 when it was first offered for sale and got in on the first batch of 200 radios that were delivered. However, I waited 10 months for delivery after purchasing the radio. Does ANYONE have any idea of what kind of a time line Polks is talking about other than "2.4 is coming soon"???? 2009?? 2010??

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

They seem to have gone very silent lately!Asked then at the Ontario AMA meet and no answer from Lewis either!No replies on there own site to people either!

nobodytwo

With their track record with customer support, the Tracker III and receiver, why would you want another Polk product?

Clearly it's time to move on!

Happy Landings!

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

HI;Yes I think you are rite they are a lost cause!!!To bad too as they had good ideas!!Guess when customer service stops shuld accept that is the end of a product.See they are selling them for $99 complete.Guess that says it!!!

everydayflyer

I am one of the first 200 club also. Like many others I mostly gave up. I fly a few of my foamires from time to time with my TIII but have gone to DX7 for my other aircraft.

Sure is a shame as it had great potential but as others have posted with poor customer support Doomed!

Charles

crazy8s

My Feedback: (21)

Jeez, wouldn't it be nice if somebody, anybody, from Polks would chime in here just to let us know that they are actually still in business?? It's been a year since the company offered any input. Their R/C catalogue has been offline for months as well. Even if they do come to market with a 2.4 Tracker in early 2009 I suspect the vast majority of their loyal customers will be mostly gone by then. By the way, I have enjoyed using my Tracker 111 for the past 2 1/2 years and have appreciated its flexability to change frequencies when needed at the field and its substantial programming abilities.

XJet

Now that the Chinese are getting serious about the RC market (especially with 2.4GHz) I doubt there's any room for a US manufacturer to compete.

For example, the Chinese iMax 9X costs $150 for a 9-channel transmitter with 72MHz *and* 2.4GHz capabilities (including PCM receiver). Their 2.4GHz receivers cost around $25 a pop (including 1 satellite). There's just no way *any* US manufacturer can match this.

It's a shame. Polk were an innovative company that deserved to succeed but I suspect that like so many US industries, the RC one is now just uneconomic within the borders of the USA.

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

Hi;Xjet:Where do you find those Chinese units?Or maybe they aren't avaible in the US?DOn't use my 2.4 Futaba as to cheap to pay $100/rec.Have been kind of laying off R/C lately but do like the idea of the 2.4 if it worked,was involved in the intial problem with the 6EX units when Futaba tried to say we were crazy till they were proven wrong!SO not a big lover of them although understand all new things can take while to work out the bugs.Actually use mostly 72 megs now as not as crowded as in the past.Still use my tracker 11 and 111 but very careful with them as don't trust them very far.Nice can pick up used receivers for very little as guys switch to 2.4.Good Flying!

ira d

Polks arent made in the U.S. but are made overseas im pretty sure in China.

crazy8s

My Feedback: (21)

You would be correct in that assumption that the units are made in China. Back in March when they had that sale on $100 Tracker 111's <during the few times you could actually get into the online catalogue> I was toying with the idea of ordering one for my son but I noticed that they were out of stock. I emailed Polk's and was surprised the next day when I got a response from John Gill saying that they had sold out the contents of the US warehouse and were awaiting the shipment of their entire inventory from the Chinese warehouse. Ironically, since their R/C sales web site has been down since then who knows if they ever got here?? That's why I was wondering if they were even still in business, how can you selll anything without a working web site??

XJet

It's a big shame alright.. I have a half-dozen or so Seeker 6 receivers and once they fixed them (they were all glitchy and lacking range to start with) they've been going fine.

Mind you, with companies like Corona selling an 8-channel synth for half the price of the Seeker 6 even that market has been stolen from them.

I guess there comes a time when you have to simply restructure and move on.

Can't buy Orbit or Kraft RC gear any more either ;-)