Warranty claim on 500X, how did you do it?

[ghillie]

Looks like the main gear on my 500X is warped and wobbles. It was only slight during the build, but now that I have flown it, it clearly is causing vibration. Who do you do the warranty claim with? Do you do it though the store you bought it from, or with Align directly? If Align directly, can you share who or where you contacted them...., Thanks!

[markpimmy]

Align, if they are like in the U.K encourage you to go through the store or dealer you bought it from. Phoned them a few weeks back about some probs I was having with the 500x. They told me to speak to my hobby store who would then speak to them.

[aldrichg9]

If you are in the US and bought from an authorized dealer,
Contact Enterprise Hobby
909.321.2717

[gilligansc]

make sure the hub is seated properly on the gear, and the screws are not pulling the gear out of shape.

[ghillie]

Originally Posted by aldrichg9

If you are in the US and bought from an authorized dealer,
Contact Enterprise Hobby
909.321.2717

Thanks for the contact number!

[ghillie]

Originally Posted by gilligansc

make sure the hub is seated properly on the gear, and the screws are not pulling the gear out of shape.

A good idea....I confirmed it is the gear that is out of true. For a 16.00 part, I likely won't make a warranty claim and just order a new gear. If it ends up being something else, well then I may make a claim....thanks for the help everyone.

[bad007]

Originally Posted by gilligansc

make sure the hub is seated properly on the gear, and the screws are not pulling the gear out of shape.

This /\ /\ gear. Waste of time filing a claim.
Take it apart, sometimes a burr from the screw going in will lift up and get pinned under a gear

[ghillie]

I did replace the gear and that no longer wobbles, but it appears the head is bad like some have had with their purchases. You can see the wobble at the blade grips, so I'm guessing the Rotor Housing needs to be replaced. The main shaft is straight, and the heli has never been crashed. It is either the rotor housing or the feathering shaft....what say you Gurus?

Here is a video of the oscillation....

oscillation (0 min 28 sec)

[rlane4osu]

Originally Posted by ghillie

I did replace the gear and that no longer wobbles, but it appears the head is bad like some have had with their purchases. You can see the wobble at the blade grips, so I'm guessing the Rotor Housing needs to be replaced. The main shaft is straight, and the heli has never been crashed. It is either the rotor housing or the feathering shaft....what say you Gurus?

Here is a video of the oscillation....

https://youtu.be/N12li8DUwd4

Yup, likely the rotor hub. Only bummer part is that Align made me send in my entire head including the shaft, swash, grips, etc just to get a $25 part. Costs me about $8 to ship it, so I saved $17 bucks but cost me a week of flying.
If you can try through where you bought it, they'll likely just send you the part so I'd try that first. Amain didn't have it at the time so I had to go to Enterprise.

[ghillie]

Thanks for your experience on this issue....I figure I will just buy one and chalk it up to the hobby. I did contact AMain, but have yet to hear from them. If they come through by sending one, I will have an extra for a possible future crash...oops, might have jinxed myself.....

[bad007]

Means nothing unless you placed blades on it, leveled the swash and setup the head making sure the blades are exact same pitch mid stick and about 70% hover position. Also make sure the dampers don't need preloaded.
Her's a vid of a new head from a friend of mine that had to shim dampers and I got 3 myself with the same problem