canavanbob

My Feedback: (20)

Can you give me a link to where the manufacturer determined there is no problem? I am looking for closure.

Arceenut

Hi Folks.
Just finished reading this entire post and no one has questioned if the regulator was functioning properly?? The rapid rise in receiver temp could be caused by a failed regulator placing a high voltage on the receiver. This could explain both the rapid rise in temperature and some of the strange symptoms displayed by the receiver. Just a thought, just trying to get to the root of the cause , not defending Futaba, or otherwise shifting the blame to any other mfg.

ira d

There is plenty of discussion in other forums about other manufactors problems
however this forum is about Futaba's problems.

Dick T.

My Feedback: (243)

Your suggestion and comments are well thought of by me. Problem is many folks just want to lay easy blame rather than diagnosing the problem or even cooperating with the service center to get a diagnosis.

Speculation about a 6014 heat problem has become the catch all for any crash, no matter what caused it. Certainly some 6014's have failed due to heat intolerance but it isn't a wide spread issue or Hobbico/Futaba would have corrected these back long ago (like manufacturing errors with some early 2.4ghz equipment and current TM14 FASST modules in Europe).

There is still a lot of barking into the wind over this heat issue and the desire to have Futaba bend at the knee to satisfy all the bloodlust for some recall or apology. Not likely to ever happen. Futaba is aware of the complaints and genuine failures. I'm certain their engineers have looked at the overall issue and if the known failures (of any type) fall into the acceptable manufacturing failure tolerance, they move on. That is what the warranty is for. No need to apologize nor explain, period.

Service and failures issues are taken into account when designing the next version of a product. Basically those are the improvements with each succeeding version.

Every hobby has risk, financial, physical or both. You either accept it's realities and continue the enjoyment or whine about being victimized by a bogeyman.

I prefer to have fun.

XJet

You raise an interesting issue. Compare how Futaba's European distributor handled the ZGUID issue with how it was handled in the USA by Hobbico.

There was a very long period of denial from Hobbico and a fallback to "Japan are looking at it", even when it became *very* clear there were definite issues.

In Europe, they just recalled all the affected units and repaired/replaced them.

No, just an advisory that in some (well proven) instances, FASST receivers may be subject to failure when operated in environments that result in the internal temperature exceeding a level that could otherwise be unwittingly reached.

It's not an apology it's just keeping your customers informed in a way that limits the risks they face when using their RC gear.

JR/Spektrum seem quite happy to acknowledge flaws and issue advisories - right there on the front page of their website. The FASST site keeps telling us that "Futaba gets it right first time" which is clearly BS. Such a "head in the sand" attitude betrays the trust that must exist between supplier and customer. How can anyone trust a company that obviously tells huge lies on the front page of their website?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Futaba is alone in making mistakes. All the major 2.4GHz manufacturers have gotten it wrong in some way or another. The difference is that Spektrum/JR, Assan, Corona, etc don't try to tell you otherwise and insult your intelligence in the process.

Which is why I really can't advise people that (at this point in time) Futaba is a product that should be considered for expensive/dangerous models.

Futaba/Hobbico's continuing record of trying to sweep issues under the carpet rather than help customers by advising them when there's a real or potential problem is unacceptable certainly to anyone who, as a result of this attitude, has lost a model.

So you have contacts inside Futaba who have told you this?

Warranty replacement of a $150 receiver is little comfort when you may have just written off a $5K jet or giant-scale bird due to a known problem that could have been circumvented if the manufacturer/distributor had actually bothered to tell you about it.

So you're saying *NEVER* buy early versions of any Futaba RC system? That could well be very sage advice if recent events are anything to go by.

No, you do what a lot of people are doing. You buy a different brand of RC gear where the manufacturer takes their obligation to be honest and forthcoming in respect to problems as a serious responsibility.

And for the record, I don't fly either FASST or JR/Spektrum so have no "agenda" or other motives in making these comments.

I simply think that in the case of Futaba, the customer deserves to be treated as an asset, not a nuisance.

That the hobby-sector of Futaba's business is so small is becoming increasingly obvious and I think the market is already speaking with its feet in respect to how they feel about being treated like mushrooms.

Just look at the huge inroads JR/Spektrum has made into the 2.4GHz market and how far behind Futaba has fallen in respect to market-share.

I think all Futaba customers are asking is that Futaba treat them with the respect they deserve. That's not too much to ask is it?

SU29

My Feedback: (20)

Craig

I'm sorry for your friends loss and can appreciate your intention here. I had concerns with the 2.4 technology and struggled with the decision to buy into it

Here is my experience with Futaba 2.4. I use the 12z and installed 1-6014 and 4-608 receivers in my 140 size glow airplanes. I have flown them in 90+ degree temps multiple times this summer. I use Hitec digital servos on all controls including throttle with 2 cell lithium batteries and 5.9 volt regulators. All I'm offering here is that I tried to follow the installation recommendations in regards to receiver location, antenna orientation etc.

To date I have made 50+ flights and have not experienced any issue with signal loss, lock out, heat etc. At this point I'm very pleased with the system and to know that I don't have to share a freq pin makes me feel like I have full control of my airplanes baring any issue with a hardware failure or pilot error etc.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience I just felt the need to share mine.

Later

Jeff

ira d

Jeff

I really liked your post and I wish everyone would follow your format, You didnt come
on here trying to defend Futaba or trying to down play other folks failures or put the
blame on the user. Instead you just expressed how well your equipment has worked
for you as you have every right to do so.

However I think we all know that not each and every receiver that Futaba has sold
has failed but OTOH I think there have enough failures reported that they should
be addressed by Futaba.

SU29

My Feedback: (20)

I agree IRA and the Manufacturer needs to step up and take some ownership and accountability. Apparently I have been fortunate in the fact that I so far have not had any issues with the system.

AeroFinn

How's the situation today? Has Futaba fixed this overheating issue with it's current line of receivers?

summerwind

with the ones that started coming with a white or gold dot i have had no issues...my last 2 planes were equipped with 6008HS and i forgot to even range check them as i have that much confidence in the newer Rx's.

victorzamora

Agreed.  Zero issues since the Zero-GUID was solved and dots came out.

AeroFinn

Ok thanks

Silent-AV8R

I still fly one of the dreaded non-dotted 6014FS receivers in a heli. I just keep it in the shade between flights. No issues, even on hot summer days. I have a couple of 608FS and 6008HS and several 6617FS RX that are all doing great. And I even have one of the tiny 6004FF receivers in my ParkZone Corsair. Happy-Happy.

pilotpete2

Same here.
Back when the heat issue surfaced, I tried to overheat the R607FS and R617FS receivers I had at the time. I could not get them to fail on the ground by letting the models sit in the direct sun for hours with the receiver powered up and no transmitter turned on, so the receiver would be drawing a little more current than it would if it were linked to the transmitter (don't ask me why they do that, but they do). One thing I can say with confidence, in high heat situations, I shut down before my receivers do.
I have all the receivers from the 4 channel (way more range than advertised), the new 6 channel model with the short antenna, up to the R6008HS. All rock solid with the 8FG transmitter. I really like the way with the upper level FASST radios, failsafes are set in the transmitter, not by setting stick and switch positions at binding/linking, the receivers failsafe settings are updated every time it links to the transmitter[8D].
Pete