Support?? Futaba vs JR/Spektrum

[HeLiJerSey]

yes that is true aucmax. i did download his all his vids after all that. but again i didn't want to bother the guy he is alot more busier than futaba being finless does more than futaba.. i give finless respect!! that is why i called futaba being they would be understanding to a noob. i cant bother finless for everything. listen i like futaba i have futaba everything servos, gyros, transmitter..etc. but maybe I'm making a mistake by buying there products. because if i have a problem they will give me a problem. and we all know how it it when we have a product that doesn't work and we have to ship it out and wait for the dorn thing...like i said i have no problems. i just wanted to see everyones input with customer satisfaction which leads to a customer that will buy everything that has excellent support. wouldn`t you do the same on any merchandise you buy?

[Greybird]

I have E-mailed Futaba many tiems with specific questions. I have always received prompt answers that fixed whatever problem I was having, or answered the question I had. I have no issues with their support.

[aucmax]

Originally Posted by HeLiJerSey

yes that is true aucmax. i did download his all his vids after all that. but again i didn't want to bother the guy he is alot more busier than futaba being finless does more than futaba.. i give finless respect!! that is why i called futaba being they would be understanding to a noob. i cant bother finless for everything. listen i like futaba i have futaba everything servos, gyros, transmitter..etc. but maybe I'm making a mistake by buying there products. because if i have a problem they will give me a problem. and we all know how it it when we have a product that doesn't work and we have to ship it out and wait for the dorn thing...like i said i have no problems. i just wanted to see everyones input with customer satisfaction which leads to a customer that will buy everything that has excellent support. wouldn`t you do the same on any merchandise you buy?

Finless is NEVER too busy to help you! Even if you asked him a hundred questions a week, I'd be willing to bet he would try to answer them all! He loves this hobby that much. Believe it........

[HeLiJerSey]

Originally Posted by aucmax

Finless is NEVER too busy to help you! Even if you asked him a hundred questions a week, I'd be willing to bet he would try to answer them all! He loves this hobby that much. Believe it........

i will give it a shot!! thanks aucmax!

[OICU812]

Honestly I have never had a problem with either, if I had a bad servo, gyro both have stepped up and fixed or replaced with no questions. So far I am lucky I suppose but both have been good for me.

[Paulice]

Here in Switzerland i have the best Futaba service,

http://spahr.mac-biel-bienne.ch/

Every time i've had a problem, or just a check-up Erich Spahr has been very helpful and what's more cheap, It works out at $1 per min as the Swiss frank and $ are near 1:1 at the moment.
Highly recommended!

[Darkside41]

Originally Posted by cbdane

I'm sorry but I just cn't conceive of calling a support line to ask "how's this work?" without reading the manual. Support is for "something's wrong" and not for "teach me the hobby."

I agree on the point of calling customer support without reading the manual first. That IMO makes the customer the first jackass. At the very least try understanding what the manufactor has put a great deal of effort into telling you about thier product. Not doing so is just lazy. That being said,it is called "Customer Support" and there is no reason for a rep to be short,snide,rude,condescending or anything less than helpful when anyone calls with questions. Just because the customer did not do his part does not excuse customer service personnel from properly and courteously performing thiers ....

[HeLiJerSey]

don`t forget guys this is customer relations on how they respond back to questions, not what product is better. don't forget any question is a good question!
there is no question that is a dumb question. no matter what support you get for any product should know how to talk to ALL customers at different levels.
thanks for inputting your level of customer satisfaction survey.

[zeb29]

Futaba CS, or more specifically the lack there of, is the primary reason I switched brands.

I was into Futaba radios in the neighborhood of $3000.00 when I decided to try the 2.4GHz radios. At that time, Futaba only had a 6 channel while Spektrum had come out with the DX-7 with another channel and many more features so I bought the Spektrum. Nice little radio but I still needed more channels so I waited patiently for the 10C which was endlessly delayed. Bought an X9303 and had occasion to use Horizon's CS with that radio which hadn't been necessary with the DX-7. What I got from Horzion vs. Hobbico (Futaba USA importer/distributor/service) was something I'd never gotten from Hobbico; help.....

I installed several JR R921's in my gassers for the X9303 and tried 'em out. Sold all the Futaba stuff over the next several months and now I fly a 12X.

While all new technologies experience some teething pains, if you look at how Spektrum/JR handled those issues; they fixed 'em for free after posting SB's on the website, vs. how Futaba handled their issues; deny and issue newer models, well it's pretty plain to me who's interested in taking care of their customers. IIRC, the only issue Hobbico EVER acknowledged and fixed free was the zero GUID issue on the 6 & 7 channel FASST tx's and modules and that was long after RipMax and Robbe had been issuing recalls to their customers for those products while Hobbico continued to deny any problem existed. All the problems with the original R149DP rx's, the 5014's where they told you to cut off a piece of the antenna, the heat issues with the 6014's resulting in various colored dots appearing on the rx's and finally a new model there, those were all denied and ignored for the existing customer.

You wouldn't get me back to Futaba if you gave 'em to me.

[HeLiJerSey]

Originally Posted by zeb29

Futaba CS, or more specifically the lack there of, is the primary reason I switched brands.
You wouldn't get me back to Futaba if you gave 'em to me.

i am really thinking about buying a JR 12X too and sell my new 10CHG, blow it out to get rid of of it.
i am mentally disturbed by futaba support. and all along i was a futaba guy.

[Finless]

Well.... You wouldn't catch me trading my 10C for a 12X! I love my X9303 for sure but wasn't that impressed with the 12X. For the cost you would think the 12X would have been faster than a DX7. Well it's not.

Average Latency JKOS numbers:
12X = 32.5
X9303 = 36.2
DX7 = 27.5
DX7SE = 17
10C = 18 with the 6014 and 11.7 with the 6008HS rx.

Everyone that has flown my 10C said it felt way more connected. Guys that went from the old DX7 to the DX7SE also notice a more connected feel. Some say you will never feel that difference. Well... I can say that I did and others did as well or at least they said that to me when they tried a 10C or DX7SE.

Not sure why you want to switch just because of how a dude treated you on the phone? Forgetting the arguments about FAAST vs Spektrum, the 10C is a great radio and you say there is nothing wrong with it right? I would keep it myself! It has everything in it you will ever need and the 12X doesn't offer anything the 10C doesn't have!

As for getting help and answers to questions... That is what this place is for!
I cant remember the last time I called any tech support for anything (except when it was DOA and needed a RMA) simply because in the last 10 years you get some untrained first level support person that is simply reading through a canned set of problem and answers. If your question is not on the list, good luck! If Horizon is going above and beyond... good for them! Nice to hear in this day and age of out-sourced tech support centers!

Bob

Bob

[HeLiJerSey]

you know what bob, i am truely in love with the 10C that is why i bought another 10c but the newer version, addicting. just like i said i love futaba everything. i just hope nothing fails for the fact if i have to send a product back it. i don`t want something down my throat or repremanding me for a product that failed. that`s all.

but bob i can`t agree with you more. i was just testing there support, i would say.

[waelwell]

Another avenue for support is the Futaba forum right here on Helifreak. I've read more than one thread where two Futaba reps seem to hop in and go way out of their way to resolve user issues.

It's a real bummer when company looses sight of customer service. I've worked for a number of computer companies. Customer support is rarely viewed as anything but and expense. Costs get cut. Eventually a manager gets hired that starts measuring success by the length of time a customer stays on hold and how quickly customer issues are "resolved". Customer satisfaction gets lost in the numbers.

Bill

[chochodave]

You have to understand one thing and you can work thru these service problems:

The people at these company's are individuals, some are good and some are terrible with customer service. Specktrum and Futaba CEO's would fire, can, kick out or something if they knew someone was treating their customers this way! These two companys are excellent choices either way!

Now, if you are consistently getting slow return service on your TX, its probably like some of these hobby shops when ordering parts. They have to wait on parts, also.

Not to really compare the two, but I was a mechanic at a Ford Dealership, at one time. You would think, Ford Dealership always has your part, not necessarly!

The bottom line here is; Don't snub a good product just because a tech or service personnel is stupid!!! Keep Flying!!!

[HeLiJerSey]

Originally Posted by chochodave

You have to understand one thing and you can work thru these service problems:

The people at these company's are individuals, some are good and some are terrible with customer service. Specktrum and Futaba CEO's would fire, can, kick out or something if they knew someone was treating their customers this way! These two companys are excellent choices either way!

Now, if you are consistently getting slow return service on your TX, its probably like some of these hobby shops when ordering parts. They have to wait on parts, also.

Not to really compare the two, but I was a mechanic at a Ford Dealership, at one time. You would think, Ford Dealership always has your part, not necessarly!

The bottom line here is; Don't snub a good product just because a tech or service personnel is stupid!!! Keep Flying!!!

i am just trying to get a point across. i guess emailing them would be better, than talking to a tech. especially a lead tech that would have more of a customer base relation. being he has to represent his company to make futaba a better company and more efficient as well. and make customers happy to give a excellant customer satisfaction. don`t forget there is a poll that you can chose with customer satisfactory. when issues arise as well as questions when you have a question, make sure you read the manual before calling though..lol

[marchambault]

I agree except for cases where the manual is lacking. Case in point: programmable mixes. Other than a few specific examples, JR/Spektrum has no documentation on them and the examples don't fully explain the relation between the parameters and the resultant mix.

JR / Spektrum have published pages and pages on how to use the advanced features on their radios, including the P Mixes.

http://search.horizonhobby.com/index...+5481+665+8069

This is probably the most usefull one:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Articles...ID=1459&Page=1

i am just trying to get a point across. i guess emailing them would be better, than talking to a tech.

I disagree. If you need a response, call, don't email. That goes for tech support, changing online orders, etc... Communicating via email is about 50% as effective as communicating by phone. Once you are on the phone, you can always ask to speak to someone else.

[HeLiJerSey]

im mentally disturbed now about making a phone call to futaba.
the fact i like there products. atleast if you email them the will give you a straight forward answer, i think.

[chochodave]

Its best to listen to the pro, especially if your a newbie, which I am. When a pro suggest he has a better feel when it comes to a TX. Well, you might want to listen.
That doesn't mean the TX you already have is not a good one for you! I have a Dx6i which is good enough for me at this time. But, I can't wait to be good enough to carry a 9303 to the flying field!!! And yes, I have seen people ripp the sky up ( 3D ) with a Dx6i and Dx7.

[HeLiJerSey]

Originally Posted by chochodave

Its best to listen to the pro, especially if your a newbie, which I am. When a pro suggest he has a better feel when it comes to a TX. Well, you might want to listen.
That doesn't mean the TX you already have is not a good one for you! I have a Dx6i which is good enough for me at this time. But, I can't wait to be good enough to carry a 9303 to the flying field!!! And yes, I have seen people ripp the sky up ( 3D ) with a Dx6i and Dx7.

i don't think when it comes to equipment matter as much. its how the pilot is with hand and eye coordination. i can give Alan szabo a dx6 and he will still fly the heck out of the heli.

[chochodave]

Yes, talking to a tech is ok if he or she is a good one, but in writing is always better! Even then you have to be careful where the info is coming from!