Hi,
Seems there are a lot of PowerExpanders and PowerSystems out there right now. Sales for me have slowed down because I think people are mostly reusing and reselling the old systems. I have a Catch-22 situation, my systems have to be reliable for people to use them but that comes with a price for me, they don't get replace like planes and engines after crashes. Also, not sure if the new "minimalist" trend is affecting. I honestly do not understand that trend, even down to 50cc with the current load the digital servos can put on the receiver and the significant reduced performance you get out of servos you paid a ton of money for to get high torque and speed. You loose a whole lot of that running off a receiver, even in a 50cc plane. I could show how bad a receiver bus voltage drop can be under a 8-10 amp load but I doubt anyone would really pay any attention to it.

All this said, I am trying to figure out what people might be looking for that is not on the market or what is on the market is not doing the job. I am looking for feedback. What are you looking for?

Thanks,

I have two gas planes and they have your equipment in them. I really like the deans in and the servo matching, but I only need to match aileron and elevator servos, with HV servos and a PowerExpander that is about all you need up to 120cc. (need only one rudder servo)

What I would like to see is a way to eliminate the Ignition battery, like a IBEC with a cutoff.

So if you could eliminate the IGN battery and maybe offer less servo matching at a lower price that would be great.

I do not, but it also seem like some guys are using two Rx's with the newer Futaba radios--so maybe one unit that could spread the load but both Rx's plug into it? I don't know if you can, just offering the suggestion.

My next build will be one Rx, one PowerExpander with no matching and I will use the TX to match, and an IBEC if you do not offer a way to eliminate the IGN batt. All with HV servos. (but that is an end of the year build for me!)

Simplicity is always good- I love your power expanders, and while it is nice to have loads of features and signal processing and the rest- how about a super simple, super light, super easy power strip like this one http://www.servocity.com/html/servo_power_boards.html that big batteries can plug directly into. I know you guys are NOT into IBEC's, but they are coming on strong with single cylinder planes. If you could make an IBEC, or a combo power bar unit with an IBEC built in that eliminates the ignition battery on say, a 50-60cc size plane, that would be a great seller.

A-123's are coming in too, and they can be a PITA when you have to add a regulator to drop the voltage on RcXcel ignitions- maybe a simple Diode voltage dropper for them? Or, build it into the IBEC- just specify for use with A123 or Lipo or whatever.

I really like your new Micro-expander, and I think the "universal" ones would be a good seller as well.

Also, I bet most of the Spek Fanboys are rolling "Power safe" RX's. What we need is something similar that would do the same job for Futaba and Hitec and Airtronics RX's for about $100 or less. Power bus, battery share (or not), and a soft switch. Throw in a built in IBEC for another $50 and I think they would sell like hotcakes. $150 total power solution for small gassers. No servo matching, no regulators, no expansion, no processing, just a battery share, a power bus, a pin switch, and an IBEC.

Your power expander pro is a good example- it's a great product, that gets the job done but by the time you add the switch its almost $200 to your door. It's a beautiful piece of engineering, but it's a little rich in todays market. I LOVE my EQ 10, but a $200 rx combined with a $250 power bus... I mean, it's hard to justify when for $30 you can buy one of these...

http://www.servocity.com/html/servo_power_boards.html

Do you want a product that electric modelers will beat a path to your door to buy?....smoke on electrics.
Do a google for Smoke-EL...that is some serious smoke from a 6S battery. The problem is that its out of reach for most modelers. $600 - $700 is way too expensive. Hopefully, well see one of these systems under $200 one day.

If you are running DSM system. An AR9110 or AR12120 will solve all your power problem. otherwise. Smartfly or powerbox is a one time investment. fly the best....

Hi,
OK. Sorry but I will not do a battery eliminator. Just do not believe you can make something economical that can protect the receiver from all ignition faults. A 1200mAH Lipo just does not weigh that much.

We offer the Competition 12, no servo matching, 12 channels, Ignition Cutoff. Also have the new Micro-14 for Futaba with general 12-channel receiver support coming. Looking for something different?

Originally Posted by AeroSheldon

I have two gas planes and they have your equipment in them. I really like the deans in and the servo matching, but I only need to match aileron and elevator servos, with HV servos and a PowerExpander that is about all you need up to 120cc. (need only one rudder servo)

What I would like to see is a way to eliminate the Ignition battery, like a IBEC with a cutoff.

So if you could eliminate the IGN battery and maybe offer less servo matching at a lower price that would be great.

I do not, but it also seem like some guys are using two Rx's with the newer Futaba radios--so maybe one unit that could spread the load but both Rx's plug into it? I don't know if you can, just offering the suggestion.

My next build will be one Rx, one PowerExpander with no matching and I will use the TX to match, and an IBEC if you do not offer a way to eliminate the IGN batt. All with HV servos. (but that is an end of the year build for me!)

Hi,
Well, as I said above, I just don't believe in IBECs. I talked to the guys at Fromeco and they don't either. As for the other stuff and pricing, I just cannot make anything that cheap. I guess if you are looking for items that cheap I might as well just start phasing out. No one can build in the US for the small market the giant scale gas is and do something for those prices and stay in business.

Originally Posted by Brutimus

Simplicity is always good- I love your power expanders, and while it is nice to have loads of features and signal processing and the rest- how about a super simple, super light, super easy power strip like this one http://www.servocity.com/html/servo_power_boards.html that big batteries can plug directly into. I know you guys are NOT into IBEC's, but they are coming on strong with single cylinder planes. If you could make an IBEC, or a combo power bar unit with an IBEC built in that eliminates the ignition battery on say, a 50-60cc size plane, that would be a great seller.

A-123's are coming in too, and they can be a PITA when you have to add a regulator to drop the voltage on RcXcel ignitions- maybe a simple Diode voltage dropper for them? Or, build it into the IBEC- just specify for use with A123 or Lipo or whatever.

I really like your new Micro-expander, and I think the "universal" ones would be a good seller as well.

Also, I bet most of the Spek Fanboys are rolling "Power safe" RX's. What we need is something similar that would do the same job for Futaba and Hitec and Airtronics RX's for about $100 or less. Power bus, battery share (or not), and a soft switch. Throw in a built in IBEC for another $50 and I think they would sell like hotcakes. $150 total power solution for small gassers. No servo matching, no regulators, no expansion, no processing, just a battery share, a power bus, a pin switch, and an IBEC.

Your power expander pro is a good example- it's a great product, that gets the job done but by the time you add the switch its almost $200 to your door. It's a beautiful piece of engineering, but it's a little rich in todays market. I LOVE my EQ 10, but a $200 rx combined with a $250 power bus... I mean, it's hard to justify when for $30 you can buy one of these...

http://www.servocity.com/html/servo_power_boards.html

Originally Posted by rrritchey

Hi,
OK. Sorry but I will not do a battery eliminator. Just do not believe you can make something economical that can protect the receiver from all ignition faults. A 1200mAH Lipo just does not weigh that much.

We offer the Competition 12, no servo matching, 12 channels, Ignition Cutoff. Also have the new Micro-14 for Futaba with general 12-channel receiver support coming. Looking for something different?

I will be planning on the Micro-14.... meets my needs. But as stated a $200 rx and then a $170 expander is getting expensive.

Maybe you could work with Futaba to integrate the advantages of both somehow?

Bob....I run PEs in two 35% and love them. About my only complaint is the are alpha channels lettered instead of numbers. I always have to write the numbers aove the letters (guess my brain doesn't do alpha very well).

I think you're right about making too good a product ....I bought one PE from you and another used (the old 14MZ model).

BTW - you might get more responses if this was on the forums instead of a blog??

I'm buying a SF 14 ch micro expander as soon as I have an engine for my IMAC airframe.


The Wrekdumb powersafe RX's are what's killing you. I know guys that have switched from FASST, Hitec, and Airtronics just so they could avoid dropping an additional $300 on power expanders for their big planes. They are all in $200 for an RX with a switch and a battery share. All they need after that is an ignition kill.

Iamlukewang- fly the best. I know you aren't really referring to Wrekdumb. And if you aren't, kissing up to 3DHS won't buy you anything.

Bob, I'll be covering more scale shows this year, I think with the amount of equipment inside scale rigs, and the needed extra weight, that may be an excellent side of the Giant Scale market to start to focus on. I'd be happy to kind of take notice of what guys are using and let you know if they are looking for anything in particular. I think soon you will see more scale guys around FG as I ramp up the big show coverage.

Ill be honest, i only have a battshare and i got it used. I think they are good products but the pricepoint is just a killer. Same thing with fromeco products.

Other thing is powersafe receivers and simplicity are great.

As for Ibec's i have them in all my gas planes, even on 100cc ones and havent had a glitch, i love the simplicity but to be honest i think the biggest point is pricing and thats why people look for these items used.

The used thing only goes so far, you kind of have to trust the person you got it from. I wouldn't want to use one that was in a crash unless it was checked out for instance.

DA's go for a good price used, as do SF products--that just because they are high quality to begin with. But I see Bob's point.

Originally Posted by rrritchey

I could show how bad a receiver bus voltage drop can be under a 8-10 amp load but I doubt anyone would really pay any attention to it.

It actually might help Bob. As everyone has stated here, the PowerSafe RX's are marketed pretty hard and any call to the vendor will get you an answer that they can handle the same loads as any PowerBoard out there with no downside.

I can tell you I started with everything SmartFly. Comp12, Ignition, etc. I moved my primary IMAC plane to a PB Royal for a few features you were missing (but I hear you have in development)... those items were:
..4 4 servo balancing channels
..integrated RX statistic display (fades, lost frames, etc)
..integrated battery usage info (max draw, used Mah, lowest voltage, etc)

I moved from the Ignition kill to IBEC's. It may bite me, but I have seen lots of success with them and have had no issues on my 170cc, 150cc or my 200cc (all DA).

All my other planes (multiple) use all SF products (PE's, Battshare, equalizers, etc). If you come out with a EQ12 with 4-4servo channels and a data logger/display and IBEC - I would be all SF

I really love how you support the IMAC competitions and are one of the best vendors in the business (speed, quality, accurate helpful info, etc) and unless I absoutely can't, I choose SF!!

Hope this helps and if you "phase out" we will drag you back! We need high quality, american made products

I have to second you on commending Rob Ritchey and Smart-fly. They are terrific supporters of many, many local and national events. It would be a sad day indeed if Smart-fly ever closed up shop.

I know RR has his reasons for shunning less robust products on the market, but if the demand is softening, and consumers are asking for cheap and simple- maybe it's time to compromise a little. Come out with a "ECO" line of bare bones products like the servo city power bar, or a simple voltage drop diode soldered to a 6" servo extension for A123 ignition batteries, or a bare bones IBEC ( I know- I know). Keep the luxury lineup going for more discerning customers that want the best. Like FASST users. If Futaba ever comes out with an answer to the "powersafe" receiver line... That's going to be tough to compete with.