Been looking for a good excuse to quit, I have it...Just paid a customer $885 for a G26 that dead sticked and crashed two airplanes....I got it back from another customer who said it dead sticked his plane...Put in a new ignition and carb rebuild...Now it apparently caused two more...
The phone line will be gone, web site gone...Warranty on the ignitions sold for the past 21 years is still good, I'm not going anywhere...I will be selling a few engines from time to time....Jake should be very happy, no more Zenoah facts on his posts...
I will do a few repairs on engines if I sold them in the first place...
My GOOD customers know how to get in touch....
See Ya [>:]
I have 15 or 20 engines here from customers, no worries, they WILL be taken care of...

Geez Ralph.
There sure are some idiots in this hobby - why did he let a "faulty component" destroy two planes.

You quitting is some of the worst news I have heard in a long time. You are one of the most respected people I know in the hobby. It is a very sad loss for all of us.

Ralph, I can understand your feelings,there are days ,then there are days as they say, but please dont cut out on all of us.
I really liked your comments in another thread about the Dl50 the other day, where you said that you could be like Walmart selling engines. If you do, can I be the first at your door to get a smiley sticker on my arm?
Hang in there man, dont let the few bad ones get to you... keep on just being you and it will all be fine.
Thanks and keep your head up no matter what!!
John

aww man just 'cause some IDIOT does NOT know how to "fly" you should not give up.I know you did what you did in good faith-but come on.Man I deal with "stupid" people a lot and ya know ,those are the customers you point to the sign that says"we reserve the right to refuse service to any one"IF that idiot tells other people and bad mouths you for THERE OWN STUPIDITY well then those customers -you would'nt want either[8D]

2008. the year of biggest impact to this hobby with its losses

ya because we have clashed so much lately Ralph? You dont really effect my happiness either way. Sorry

I'll believe it when I see it...

aww man just 'cause some IDIOT does NOT know how to "fly" you should not give up.I know you did what you did in good faith-but come on.Man I deal with "stupid" people a lot and ya know ,those are the customers you point to the sign that says"we reserve the right to refuse service to any one"IF that idiot tells other people and bad mouths you for THERE OWN STUPIDITY well then those customers -you would'nt want either[8D]thats the cool thing about actually HAVING your own buisness!You do not have to serve them.

aww man just 'cause some IDIOT does NOT know how to "fly" you should not give up.I know you did what you did in good faith-but come on.Man I deal with "stupid" people a lot and ya know ,those are the customers you point to the sign that says"we reserve the right to refuse service to any one"IF that idiot tells other people and bad mouths you for THERE OWN STUPIDITY well then those customers -you would'nt want either[8D]thats the cool thing about actually HAVING your own buisness!You do not have to serve them.

sorry about the multi post of the same thing-my net connection was hanging up for some stupid reason

I actualy was going to post to you rcignition that i need a cust prop adapter made............

Ralph,

You're the ONLY manufacturer that would buy out a customer's crash. No engine crashes a plane and we both know that. Lack of flying skill, electing to fly low and slow, hovering low with no chance of recovery if an engine (or anything else) fails , now those cause crashes when an engine quits. Every one of those is an action taken based upon the personal whim and decisions made by the operator. All pilots are taught to maintain enough altitude to provide glide speed for a safe forced landing. Failing to do that is a choice.

Second, just how and why did an engine quit? Was it enough engine for the aircraft in the first place? Correctly propped? Correctly tuned? Was the ignition battery charged? There's just too many customer induced factors that influence an engine to run or not run.

Put a stop payment on the check and let them complain. Buy back the engine perhaps but the plane is on them.

Sorry to see this happen. Seems like you became the target of some unwarranted frustration. Have to say I've been there so I know how it feels and it SUCKS! The ignitions I have from your are excellent. You helped me ID some engine sizes. Your info to this forum has been invaluable. I hope that you reconsider. Would be a shame to let one "place your own words here" person ruin a good thing. If you decide to call it quits, I hope you have success in what ever you do.

I where RC is coming from. For ever if there was a warranty question on a new ignition, we would just ship out a new one ASAP, gotta keep folks fllying. But we are starting to get no returns or a " ONLY RUN 10 MIN" ignition back with burned cases, cut wires, plier marks on the spark plug caps etc.
Soooo new policy if its under warranty and it quits you have to send it back for service, no more cart before the horse stuff.

besides do not let a customer deside for you if you want to stop doing buisness - just sto pbecause you really want to stop-I know Ive bee nthere - not wanting to work on cars/trucks after 22 years-what the hell was i thinking-i went right back to it after a 5 month break-I gues I am a gluttun of my own punishment-funny now I make twice as much as i did beforeI still dont work for my self though.................[]

Come on Ralph. Please don't stop customizing engines for your past satisfied customers like me!

And me as a new customer-well if you want to make a prop hub adapter.I actually want to send you my engine to measure it-you wont even run it - it is new never ran before-I need to break it in .

This is a d*** hobby, If he can not afford a crash he has no business in the hobby, Tell him to stick it where the sun don't shine.

Lets see
Bad battery, Get a new plane form battery manufacture
Bad switch, Get a new plane from switch manufacture
Bad fuel tank, Get a new plane form fuel tank manufacture
Bad servo wire, Get a new plane from servo wire manufacture

Yea, just keep on dreaming.

Ralph I will not give up the long talks we have some times,

Milton

Hello Ralph,
Hang in there,I no how you feel. I am with you .If I did not have TKG to handle most of the dumb things I would hang it up.Besides who will strighten our crankshafts if you quit.I thought buying the CHRCXL ignition from China would cut down my work load but I think it just caused more work.
I cannot believe some of the things we run up against . Terry talked to one customer for hours about timing his engine and finding TDC.
After several phone calls back and forth ,he called again about the 10th time.He said there was no way he could find TDC on his engine because it was mounted up side down,O-boy. I told Terry t o have him find bottom dead center.Anyhow I am getting old and tired .Keep in touch. You have always been our friendly comp. Jan and yourself will always be my friend.
Just go hide under a rock for awhile.
BCCHI

I can not believe what I'm reading. The last true engine builder for our great Zenoah engines is throwing in the towel. I have to agree with everyone else, give it some time Ralph. This is something you enjoy doing do don't give in. This hobby needs you man.

This is very sad indeed. As the American custom engine builders fall one by one we still had Ralph. Now due to another "I spilt hot coffee in my lap and it was hot. Give me a million bucks" idiot out there we are loosing our last great builder. Well Ralph, for sure no one can make you stop doing what you do so well. That is YOUR decision. We so selfishly hope you are not holding to that decision. The last thing we need in this sport is to have to count only on the OEM to help us. There answer will always be "here is a RMA for a new engine". We will never have custom work anymore. It is sad. I am particularly sad since I was so looking forward to one of you 29cc Chang Yang specials. Who was it that said "The many pay for the sins of the few.".

I only heard good things from RC Ignitions. I think it is time to get in touch with a lawyer, and have him (or her) draft a nice disclaimer. Similar to the ones we get with all kind of other equipment we buy, concise, to the point and legal.

Maybe it will keep some customers away (the kind you do not need). As a self employed professional, this kind of things are something I think about all the time. Ah, the next thing is to add a $1,000,000 or 2,000,000 umbrella rider on your insurance to cover you in case any idiot sues you. This insurance is still dirty cheap, and if anybody sues you, the insurance company will defend you (you do not have to get and pay a lawyer yourself), and they cover you to the amount of the policy. Talk to the guy that sold you your homeowner's insurance.

So, next time this happens your answer is a) read the disclaimer on my websit/that I sent you b) sue me

Good luck, Gerry

Well Ralph, those of us who know you, and have worked with you completely understand. If you need your break, take it. We're certainly not going to go on and on about it, or ask questions. You've earned the good reputation you have, and you're right, those of us who work with you, still know how to reach you, and still will. I'm sure you'd have volunteers coming out of your pockets if you were to look for someone to handle the ******** when they come out of the woodwork.

Hang In there Ralph. Don't let one guy get you down and don't pay for his crashes either.

I dead sticked my Rascal 110 in at least a dozen times with the stock Zenoah G-26ei. Repaired the Rascal several times. Did the vender pay for any of my repairs? Of course not. But then I didn't ask either. Then I sent the motor to Ralph, he did some magic on it and no problems since. This is the type of service and customer datail we are losing when the small American jobing shops close. The more I thing about this the more piss......ed I get. Another perfect example of what happens when someone looks to blame others rather than except responsibility for their own choices.

Ralph,

Name the person that has demanded payment for his stupidity. Do this at both forum you visit. We'll fix it from there. Intimidation still works, especially when they don't have a place to fly anymore. That's how we used to handle thisw kind of stuff and it worked. The idiots went away, never to be seen at the club fields again. Better for everyone else when it happened.