Any one else seen this

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4922452/tm.htm


http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...odID=JRPS8611A

Scary!!!!! I feel bad for the guy who lost his plane thu....

But, Horizon seems to be dealing with it on their web site in a professional manner..

Hey guys, I just informed Rafael about this thread. He went back and checked 9 8611A and he did the test recommended by Horizon and he found three that are "clicky" and suspect.

So, please go and check your 8611A, there is no reason not to!!! we can't afford any preventable crashes.

I respect Horizon even more now for publicly coming out with this HONEST bulletin !!! unfortunately other manufacturers sweep their problems under the rug, exposing many modelers to thousands of $ of potential losses and even endangerment of peoples lives ...


Voy

Seems to be another example of a product released too soon on the market without the proper testing by the manufacturer...[] thx for the heads up.

Enrique

No..the 8611 have given a few years of high performance useage with minimal problems. As these affected servos are confined to a between specific dates, it is more likely a quality assurance issue with one or more batches. It looks like Horizon is dealing with it in a very professional manner.

Sorry, but it is not the 8611A a enhancement with more torque and a different case from the original 8611? in my opinion even if it shares the same coding, it is a new servo...

Enrique

Read my story!!! http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4554116/tm.htm
I reported this already in July!!!!!!!!!!!!![]
Although Horizon Hobby try to solve this in a professional way no, the response of the JR representative was never professional to me, more or less it was a "users error" instead of the servo........

Enrique,

Yes the 8611A is a different version of the 8611. But the 8611A has been out for close to 2+ years now. The older 8611 is close to 3+ years old.

It does appear as though there has been a quality issue with some components inside the servo in a numebr of the last couple of batches. We continue to test our high performance products even years after the original release to ensure quality products for our customers. Horizon and JR are working very hard to resolve this issue.

I hope all of you will be patient with Horizon Hobby on this and I can assure you they will do everything necessary to ensure a quality product in the end.

Hi John:
Good to hear from you and I hope the wind is not to tuff out there. Nice 77 degree's out here and looking for a little rain next week. Tell Momma Howdy from us.

Dave

The wind was howlign yesterday, 25 mph. The people here think that is a storng wind. I just laugh at that.

Everything else is going fine. Tammy say's hi from the mid-west. I am in my new shop (900 sq ft) doing some build on a couple of Phantoms and loving it!!!!

25 mph wind just meand 25 mph more "ground speed " [8D]


Voy

Excellent John:
You be well and post some of those F-4 pics when you can,,,,, Dave

John, I am sure that the problem will be fixed . and I appreciate very much your initiative publishing in your site a warning that a specific product you sold can have problems.
After all, even if the best auto makers in the world frequently make recalls in products that costed millions to develop, why our much smaller radio manufacturers would be any better?

The essential thing is that if a problem pops out of some critical product like a receiver or a servo, a quick alert from the manufacturer should be given to the users.. the fix could be done later, with a repair kit or even a substitution with a different version.

The 8611A had a bad reputation since it was released. this thread seems to be not news to many people, however we can´t have known if a product really have problems or if it is just one or two persons that had bad luck with it. Only time would tell if the percentual rate of failure is acceptable or not, but this should not be done at the flying field, instead in the manufacturer laboratory.

I hope that as our r/c airplanes are quickly getting faster, bigger and more expensive, this manufacturers make more elaborated and time consuming tests in their products before release, even if that means higher costs.. as good as the correct attitude you have taken as a distributor.

Enrique.

Enrigue,

It is interesting your comments on how the 8611A has had problems since it was released, and hence a bad reputation. This is news to me with the large amount I have put in my customers jets that I have built, as well as my own. There are thousands of these servos in jets across America, as well as IMAC birds and they do not have any type of bad reputation as you state. Seems you might want to check out the events and talk with the pilots who are actually using the products before you string out miscommunication to the main stream.

So I have 6 8611A, 4 in my F-18 and 2 in my F-16 and please correct me if I am worng but if I rotate them by hand and they don't lock up or try too, they are good to go? My jets will NOT fall of the sky?

What will happen if one does lock up in flight and causes a crash?

Maybe JR should offer replacement to all servos purchased between those dates.

Not trying to bash anyone here but a jet full of kero is something to be aware off. For know my 8611As have worked perefectly and I love the servo.

Michel

John, the bad reputation I mention here are the 5 or 6 cases I knew locally or told by people
I reckon as balanced and experienced modellers. However, as I mentioned before we can´t had known for sure if this small quantity of people had just bad luck, or if the product has a flaw. As you are kindly pointing on your site for people check their servos, seems that those persons are correct, as they related this same problem many time ago.

About of me stringing out miscomunications, I guess that I would not be capable to do it so even if I wish it.. the people in this forum are smart enough to take their own conclusions on the info given. I also didn´t have any commercial interest in this hobby. I don´t want or need any sponsorship, or sell any product related to it, so I have some experience and a quite neutral point of view.. My only intention here is helping myself and others learning and pointing out things that work well or not... pretty much like a straight talk in the club´s hangar with no regard to commercial interests.


Sincerely, Enrique.

The JR rep on the other thread said the same thing, in a less gentlemanly way than John Redman, that there were jillions in service with no problems, and then along comes a service bulletin with a definite problem. So far, that problem is identified as being with only one batch, but I would KEEP AN OPEN MIND as to what Enrique or anybody else has to say about a wider problem with different batches.

Ok After my friends un Exsplained loss of his Lightning at the hands of a very well Known high time jet pilot "plane just flew into the ground with no elevator controll "8611as on each stab no flutter med speed low pass, he sent in his 8611a s to Horizon They Replaced all servos 15 in all... with new in the Box ones and did find one that locked up! They are doing the right thing, but I think a complete recall is in order for any "badbatches" We need not to have a real problem later on.......Im I reading it right that the older 8611s arnt effected by this issue? I hope everyone checks thier servos,This Safety issue needs to be taken care of and taken very serious...I do expect Horizon to really take full responsibility on this .They charge top dollar for every Jr servo wich we all pay without reservations, thiers no such thing as a cheap JR servo they charge $100 bucks average.I buy them over other brands that would save me thousands on servo purchases threw out the year, that they are the best money can buy,I expect nothing but the best when i fork over the big dollars and hope now when they have a issue they spend whatever it takes to stay the Best just as we Jr users spend what it takes to use the Best.

Like Ehab posted earlier,

3 out of 9 (I have two more to check) that have an undeniable "clicky" drive train. And, by the way, they are all brand new!!! The two that are left for me to check are in the ailerons in my kingcat with about 10 flights on them now......

I hate to post before reading the above link but I'm spooked[]

Rafael

Just to give some comfort to those in need, I have 8 of them on my big A-10. Of course when I saw this thread I was conserned too. I checked them and everything seems smooth. With over 120 flights on the plane now I feel confident in the servos and their preformance. Billy

Billy,

Your flying is truely fantastic and you put that A-10 through its motions. If your not having any problems, then yours are probably ok!!

I have just read the above links and my three (so far) 8611a's have an almost imperceptable click in their range as the others do not. I will be calling Horizon and will be getting the info for tackling this problem....

Rafael

I wonder how many are in a batch? 1000? or less?

Be safe, Go Hitec

Just joking guys...[8D]

If you read the threads related to this topic on RCU, you get the "impression" that JR did not do a quality check on a batch of motors that were used in the 8611A. As a result, you are seeing these failures at the customer hands. IF JR had an automatic quality control check system at their factory then may be this will not have happened. The loss of revenue for JR and the bad PR will be more than the cost of systematic QC on high end JR products. I just hope that the test that JR recommends is good enough to catch these "bad motors" else we will be here again soon[]