RE: Did Hitec drop the ball??
I believe the answer to your question is a firm YES. But I also believe they began to drop it a long time ago.
I had a couple of Optic 6 TX's in about 2004 / 2005. They were the early versions of them Great programming, user friendly but the hardware on them, especially the cases was total junk. When I mentioned it on line, I got hung drawn and quartered by their reps. I also had an Eclips 7 around the same time (My sons had the Optics, I had the Eclipse) that also had a bad case. Again, I was bagged when I mentioned it.
My resolve at that time was to buy a different brand of radio to replace those ones and I ran my tractor over the HiTecs. I have a few 79xx series servos in some smaller planes (fun flyer 50 cc'ers) but as they get crashed or retired, the servos get retired with them. I am very unlikely to ever buy the brand again unless total ownership and company representation changes. Even then it would only be after people I respect have trialled the product long enough for it to be considered worthy.
I guess what we are seeing is the cost of low price attitudes ofmr customers and the competition also largely aiming for low price with the various "cheapy imports". I can't see an improvement until those things change.