bikemad

I had an interesting conversation with a guy from futaba earlier today, the part I think you should know about if you're thinking of buy a futaba radio is what you can't do with it,
I bought a 10C which I've said good things about it so now I feel quite stupid but I think anyone buying a futaba radio should know this,
I bought my 10C which came with a sim FMS and a usb connector so you can use the radio for the sim, it seemed a good idea to me to use the same set up you fly with and with the 10C you can programme it so the sim responds the same as your heli but after a talk to futaba it turns out now I've used it on my PC it's no longer got any warranty, and I shouldn't of used it with the sim, it's for flying only and as soon as you use the lead that came with it, you're on your own,
so if like me you want to get a radio that works with a sim don't buy a futaba one, not if you want a warranty on a new 400 pound radio,
you would of thought at the very least they tell you in the manual but no, the first you know is when it goes wrong, or like me when you ask a question, and the guy tells you you shouldn't of done that and now you have it's no longer guaranteed.
funny thing is even the the sim's I have have a setting for futaba radio's,

BillyGoat

I've never heard that but then again I haven't owned a Futaba system in several years. But all the same I'd be a little skeptical of someones word if they didn't back it up with an offical written statment, such as telling you where this was stated in the manual.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I'd be skeptical of that myself

Erich_F

Well, I highly doubt that is the case with Hobbico in the states. However, Ripmax (UK Dist) may have some silly rule regaring this. In any case, how would it be apparent that you use the radio for sim use, should you ever need to send it in for a warranty claim?

rotor09

I agree EricF.

As the warranty for any products, in any country, is usually the responsability of the distributor in that country, I would think that said policy may be that of RipMax in the UK, but I doubt if it is in Japan or the USA (Hobbico).

bikemad

I wouldn't lie, there's no point I don't have anything to do with the selling of RC stuff it's just a hobby and my TX still works ok, if it wasn't true futaba would sue me, and that would cost me lots of money and for what gain, the only reason I wrote this thread is for you lot and to put my concience at ease,
In the past I've written good stuff about my TX and other's might of bought or thought of buying one because of what I've written and now I find out part of what I've said would leave them with out a warranty and is wrong and might brake there TX,
I say this as a warning to others who think it's OK to use a futaba TX for a sim,
AS for how would futaba know if you have used the TX on a sim well if like me you thought it was ok then you'd tell them like I did, especially as it was when I plug my TX into my PC that I get my problem, i.e. a high volt, low amp electric shock,
If you doubt me write to futaba and put the answer on here, I for one hope I'm wrong and will be happy if I am but as this was from the horse's mouth I'd be very surprised,
But if you're thinking about buying a futaba TX you should write to futaba and find out for yourself,
As for the USA having a different warranty than the UK, Again we need to know, was I lucky when the web site I bought my TX from was in the US or is a futaba warranty the same no matter what country you bought it from?
If your not sure you should be before you part with your money, and where do you look, I don't know, not the manual that's for sure,
Or is it just a case of do you feel lucky,
WE need to know, I don't think it's very good, infact I find it that bad I wrote this thread,

Erich_F

No one ever said you were lying. If I had a dime for everytime I was given wrong information from a vendor or hobby shop about X or Y products, I would be flying a new turbine every weekend

rotordoc1

I think you have misinterpreted what the blokes from across the pond are trying to tell you.

Your post would lead anyone reading it into thinking it is a FUTABA policy. What they are trying to tell you is that it is a RIPMAX policy - the policy of the Futaba distributor in the UK, not necessarily one from the manufacturer - Futaba Japan.

I know it is easy to think that they are one and the same, but they are not. Such policies change from country to country, relative to the seperate company that distributes the product to the trade, in said countries, and to the marketing norms of different countries.

If you travel around the world you will find these policies may differ a lot, as do the pricing etc., all relative to the norms in the different countries. Some countries have very low prices with literally no warranty type of recourse. Others may be higher priced with much better recourse. Some are lower priced due to having a no import tax and duty structure. Some may have better warranty structures due to the tighter consumer protection laws that may exist in that country (the prices usually reflect this also).

There are many variables in each country, that the manufacturer has no, or little, control over.

bikemad

I get your point as for saying it's not futaba but that's just buck passing it's their distributor in the UK, it's futaba name on their warranty card and the box, it's their product and there representative saying to me their customer that their futaba 10C can't be used with a sim,
Futaba has plenty of control, it's more how little they have to do for a warranty that changes from country to country not how much, the laws are more for the buyer not the seller, the reason why there's one serplyer to the UK is cos futaba like it that way,
less warranty usually means less time, not saying it's not built for that, saying it's not designed for a sim and it does one job when it's the same make and model to one which does two but sold in the US,
that's not honest
They should keep there own house in order, remember it's the UK not a third word country, we pay the most and get the lest, a 10C on it's own will cost 400 pounds or $650 with out a RX or sevos, as the radios can't do the same as US radios it's even worse, second rate service first rate price,
And if any one from futaba etc. answers please let us now where you work,what you do,
If the UK has it's own rules and warranty then it would be nice to know where to find it, How many other futaba products sold in the UK can't do what we think they can,
But at lest I bought my one from the USA, cheaper and better service and warranty and it can do so much more than the UK futaba 10C, well if rotordoc1 is right, and I hope so,
I bought my TX from the US so I should be able to send it back and it will get fixed but if I send it to the futaba UK/ripmax as far as they go it's not broken, remember it's only a flute when I use the sim, no sim no flute, it's only broken out side the UK,
we have gone from I don't believe it can't be true to it's true but just some countries, it's true,
I can under stand why you distributors out there want to sperate you self's from this but if your county does better warranty's on futaba TX lets hear it and let us know who you are, you could get the business for the UK, and make futaba look a bit better than they do now,
it's like buying a ford and finding out you mustn't put any petrol into it and if you do it's the end of the warranty, but if you bought one from over there than it would be ok, it's not,
and remember it's nice to know who we are talking to,

Erich_F

Well, I can't understand any of that. So, I'll just say this: send it back and get yourself a nice little DX7 to play with. I don't understand what the big deal is. I have a feeling that the issue (if there really is one) is with using the FMS dongle, not just Sims in general. Surely the Great Planes Sims are fine, and you've probably fallen for a scare tactic to get the Real Flight sim

evan-RCU

First, Bikemad, your english is really hard to read.

Many warranties change from distributor to distributor and from model to model of product. Using your car analogy I have seen where a car manufacturer within one country, the U.S., has different warranties for different cars and even changes the warranties year to year depending on what models they are trying to get pushed off the showroom. Many times warranties are used as selling points.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

I would guess you misunderstood. If the radio came with the connector and the sim, you would be fine. They wouldn't put it on and then not warranty if if you use it. That would be like not covering the warranty on your car if you put gas a CD in the deck. Something sounds odd to me. I am guessing the guy you talked to didn't understand what you were asking or didn't know what he was talking about.

Call the company that imports it and ask them!

mediclavina

Well, if he's been speaking English this same way, the guy at Ripmax could have misunderstood his problem and simply rejected the warranty claim..

Thisstrangeengine

Why not just post the question in the Futaba Support Forum?-> [link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_125/tt.htm[/link]

Erich_F

I found something that I both understood AND agree with...I think

Skaluf

What is described is not a Futaba, nor Hobbico policy. I don't know about other distributors/service centers. Each service center does have slightly different policies.

Steve

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

He's in the UK so I believe thats RipMax?

N1pster

It is...

Although Ripmax don't come any where near Horizon for customer service etc, I think it was probably more a misunderstanding with respect to the gentleman from Ripmax as previously stated but in this case wouldn't like to be proved wrong.

BillyGoat

bikemad, nobody even insinuated you were lying. So considering how you completely misunderstood the replies following your original post, I'm thinking you misunderstood the Futaba rep too.

bikemad

I apologise for my English, but I have been trying to explain this in different ways. My spelling is not very good. But I have little doubt as to what I was told, & that is a Futaba TX was not to be used with a sim,any sim & it was not made or fit for that purpose, and if you do then the warranty is void and your probably break your TX,
That was my warning to others. that might or not be true for a US spec Futaba, as the phone call was in the UK,
other people reading this thread might appreciate it if people in the know, would state which countries it is or is not ok to use a TX with a sim. and please tell us how you know, ie are you a importer shop etc. or just a hobbyist,
otherwise it's just you with with no facts,
or if your thinking of buy a Futaba get it in writing , lol,

N1pster

I don't see how any distributor could tell if you were using a TX with a sim, so it does seem somewhat daft.
As far as I'm aware Futaba TX's don't come with a sim, especially one that's free anyway.
I wonder if the LHS just threw that in? Where did you get the TX from?
Pity Ripmax don't have an email address, guess I'll have to call them after Xmas as I think the wider community need to be aware of this.

Erich_F

My Gawd, man....did you conveniently skip right over Steve Kaluf's post? Steve is part of Hobbico management, and I know him personally. Go back and read his post again.