Sailor

My Feedback: (1)

It opens tomorrow (11/20/03) at 9am EST, right?

I assume you send an email with "Alpha4" in the subject and put your contact information in the body, right?

OldRookie

My Feedback: (13)

Yep
You have it right.
Good Luck

Greg

Blixsim

***You wanna get on the list??*** May the Gods be with you. I have been trying for three years now with no success. I have subsequently invested the Graupner charger and extremely happy with it and I have the added advantage of higher currents and the ability to charge lithiums. The Alpha4 is the charger to desire and yes I will be attempting again to get on the list. Maybe my determination will see results someday. In fact the guys at Litco should give me one just because of my determination and constant attempts.

Yes just enter ALPHA4 in the subject line and place your order and contact/address details in the body.

Best of luck to both of us

regards
Blixsim

Blixsim

In fact if you really desperate there is an auction for a new Alpha4 which closes in a few hours

http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=8115

Sailor

My Feedback: (1)

Besides the actual charger, what else do I need to order in the way of leads, etc.

Driver9

My Feedback: (1)

This guy at Litco is just like the soup Nazi on Seinfeld. NO CHARGER FOR YOU! I have also been trying now for two years with no luck. I would feel more comfortable with a regular waiting list. Knowing that I would get one let say, July 2006 instead of doing this foolish thing every few month.

Just venting!

SamD

No doubt I'm going to take some heat about this and there will probably be some flaming but Sideshow and his little scheme with the Litco is pretty low-class in my book. While nobody is forcing people to participate in the auction, the idea that someone is buying Litco's and turning around and auctioning them off a week later thereby limiting the market for legitimate (IMHO) buyers on an elusive item seems like rather low class behavior- especially for a platinum member.

Let the flaming begin.

sodekirk-delete

I have read the FAQ on the Alpha4 website, but I am unsure what makes it such a great charger.
The Triton can charge lithium batteries and is less expensive.
What is so great about the Alpha4?

Shawn

MHawker

My Feedback: (16)

Except for the Lithium capability, you'd need 4 Tritons.

OldRookie

My Feedback: (13)

You may want to order the complete leads or at least order the plug ends to make up your own. The plugs are way better quality than the ones you get from Radio Shack. I like to make my own from 14 gage multi-strand wire with the silicone insulator. You can usually get this from a hobby shop from the car guys section. This makes a nice flexible lead.

Greg

sideshow

My Feedback: (11)

*read in a very deep voice*

Yes! I've been exposed....but I do not care! I am the one who has been buying up all of the Alpha 4's all these years and controlling the market. I have several hundred in my garage and auction one off a year to keep the price astronomically high! When will all of you learn...the email list is a sham! No one will ever get one from that list........because I buy them all!

Muhahahahahahahahahaha!!!

Does being a moderator also, help?

SamD

Bob,

Do you expect me to be contrite? Not a chance. Do I think there is a conspiracy (as you attempted- in a feeble fashion- to convey)? Not a chance. Do I think this sort of thing doesn't happen elsewhere with other commodities? Not a chance.


Do I think you're exhibiting low class behavior (under the circumstances)? Absolutely.

Sam

Sailor

My Feedback: (1)

I'm IN LIKE FLYNN!

Sent my email at 9:00:22 am EST and received their reply at 9:25. This was my first try at this shell game and it worked.

Now, Ebay here I come! Just kidding. This will be used for my first giant scale.

sideshow

My Feedback: (11)

Doesn't matter......

Doesn't matter......

Driver9

My Feedback: (1)

Finally got one!

I had a couple of friends place an order. One hit out of three. Shipping on 3/16, just in time for flying season here in Northeast.

sfaust

My Feedback: (11)

If there are people that have tried to get on the list and failed multiple times, and really want an Alpha, then what Bob did was a service for them. By selling it on an auction, the market sets the price. Based on the number of bids and amounts on e-bay and RCU auctions, the market price of a Alpha 4 new is around $400. Used its around $325-350. If both parties are happy with the transaction, who are we as outsiders to say the seller is low class, or the buyer is stupid for buying one at that price. They are obviously both happy with the transaction. The buyer doesn't have to wait for months on end, and is happy with paying a premium. The seller is happy with the transaction, and feels the profit made is worth his time and aggravation during the procurement process.

What I do find low class, is a business that will sell items at above market value because they have the buyer in a uncompromising situation. The seller laughs all the way to the bank, while the buyer steams all the way home. The auto repair shop in the middle of nowhere reminds me of that type of situation. I doubt the buyer of the Alpha is steaming, but is probably very happy that he was finally able to get an item that he been waiting for quite some time but was unable to. I've heard it said many time by others. If Litco increased production so that it was available right off the shelf, they would buy one even if it cost more. Bob just took that advice, and made it available off the shelf with no lead time, and let the buyer set his own price as well.

More power to both of them, and poo on Litco.

OldRookie

My Feedback: (13)

No Alpha 4 for me!
Over slept again[sm=disappointed.gif]

Greg

lennyk

My Feedback: (12)

Neither me, I had to be out on the road, but I'm 2 for 3 so I can't complain or be greedy.

LeeL

My Feedback: (1)

First try with the Litco lottery for me had an e-mail when I got back from the flying field (sucsessfull maiden on a 1/3 scale sukhoi) my new alpha 4 will be here in april Man what a great day. this is my 2nd alpha 4 first one I bought off e-bay $350 new in box and I still think it was a good deal, but this one is an even better deal

dannydaville

My Feedback: (11)

9:02 AM EST. I get my Alfa4 in April of '04! I wonder how many emails were sent in the first 2 minutes besides mine. I had to smile when I read Driver9's comment when he likened the the owner of Litco to the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. Did anyone else besides me have trouble getting to Litco's website on the morning of 11/21? I have broadband but couldn't get to the site at all, not until about noontime CST. Luckily I had the email address written down.

lenough

9:03 AM EST. I'll be getting it in March. I've had my current one for about 6 years now. Ordered it way back when there was no waiting list.

Couldn't get on to the web site either that morning. They probably shut it down in anticipation of the floodgates opening at 9 AM.

I use Outlook for my e-mail program. It allows you to compose an e-mail and pick the date and time to send it. I had it ready to go about a month ago. It's a beautiful thing.

thejster

Hi,

I sent my order at 9:01am EST and didn't get one. What did I do wrong? I followed the instructions to the letter. My watch is hacked to the Navy Master Clock. Some people sent in their order after mine and got one. Is it a matter of how the Litco's clock is set? I sat there all morning and hit the send button at 9:00:45am. I use broadband and it is fast. What else can I do?

Thanks....jj

sfaust

My Feedback: (11)

Nothing you can really do. It all depends on the order the e-mails hit their mailbox. Others could have beat you to there because of network delays, forwarding schedules, etc. At least we can say they are not biased in how they pick. Its just the luck of the draw on who gets in their mailbox first. Iv'e been lucky as I've tried 7 times, and got on the list every time. I missed the payment date on one of them, so I only got 6 units. I sold 3 units to friends that asked me to try to get them for them, and kept the other 3 myself. I did nothing more than what you did yourself. No magic, just luck.

thejster

Hi,

Thanks. I would rather be lucky than good any day!! Take care...jj

Sailor

My Feedback: (1)

A major reason you may not have gotten on the list is that your mail server may not forward the mail you send out immediately. The big companies like Verizon, AT&T, AOL, etc. usually do not forward the mail as soon as it hits their server. That could account for the delay actually going to the mail server that Litco uses.

My company (small size, about 120 employees) has their own mail server with a direct pipe to the internet through Sprint. As soon as I hit the send button it goes to our mail server, which IMMEDIATELY shoots it out to the destination server.

I had my PC clock synched up with the Naval Observatory and had an email in in DRAFT box prepared the night before. I waited until 9:00:22am EST to send it, and I think i am fairly high up on the ship list, with a ship date of 2/17/04.

I do agree that if Litco were my business I would do things differently, but it ain't my business. It is their business. Until somone puts a product out that can compete with theirs then they are the only game in town. (Please spare me the Orbit, Schulze, etc., better charger stories).

I would love to see some good ol' American ingenuity and competition for the Alpha4. I do believe there is someone that can design a four-port charger that can put out two amps per port and fulfill alll the functions that the Alpha4 does. Until that time, I will use the Alpha4 for overnight charging and cycling and use my Triton and Super Turbo for quick charging at the field.

my 2 cents...