PREVIEW of Futabas new 9C Super now available in RCPower!

Nice job, Futaba! It's too bad that loyal Futaba users who already bought a 9C now have to sell it at a loss and pay full price for a "new and improved" 9CS. Perhaps a lesson could be learned from Multiplex where functional software upgrades are free for the life of the radio and can be done by a simple download from the Internet. As far as the change in switch locations, Multiplex radios don't care WHERE the switch is because you can assign any function to any switch location you like. Although now that I think about it, Futaba really does "do it better" because they get to make all that extra cash off of their loyal base of customers with it's "planned obsolescence" scheme. Nice job, Futaba!

MJC

"AMCross" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@rcgroups.com...

??? Street price for the 9C is less than $300, discounting for the receiver. The last I checked, the 9-channel EVO starts at $700 and goes up.

Good point. However, once you've bought TWO Futabas (your original 9C and then the Super9C to replace it if you want those "new and improved" features), you've spent $600 and STILL end up with a radio that doesn't come close to the capabilities of the EVO. Plus, when the EVO get's a "new and improved" software upgrade, you don't have to spend one dime. Like I said, good point!

MJC

Good point? Bite me. I'll spend the $300 the day after I decide my life is really missing acrobatic sailplane mixes. The same goes for you. If you want those mixes, you won't get be getting them on your EVO, free or otherwise. In the meantime, forever as far as I can see, I can spend the $400 elsewhere. (Not that there's anything else wrong with the EVO. It's your tone I object to.)

You may not like my tone (I would have thought by now that you would realize that tonal intent is difficult to tell in writing only so maybe you're a little too sensitive), but whatever my tone is, it sure isn't as direct or intent as your "Bite me".

MJC

| It's too bad that loyal Futaba users who already bought a 9C now | have to sell it at a loss and pay full price for a "new and | improved" 9CS.

I don't *have* to sell mine. It still works. I expect that it'll continue to work even once the 9CS is actually out too. | Perhaps a lesson could be learned from Multiplex where functional | software upgrades are free for the life of the radio and can be done | by a simple download from the Internet. As far as the change in | switch locations, Multiplex radios don't care WHERE the switch is | because you can assign any function to any switch location you like.

To be fair, I could change the switch placement on my 9C too. Open it up, move some wires around. Might require some soldering, but not much.

(That's assuming that the programming can't do it, of course. It can move switches around a good deal there already.)

| Although now that I think about it, Futaba really does "do it better" | because they get to make all that extra cash off of their loyal base of | customers with it's "planned obsolescence" scheme.

To be fair, my 9C isn't obsolete. Neither is my 6XS, or the four channel transmitters I've got. My 9C may not be the best thing out there, but it never was -- even when I bought it, there was always the

I like my 9C -- don't get me wrong. And I do realize how easy it would be for Futaba to upgrade 9Cs to 9CSs -- probably just a few firmware chip and some (probably optional) rewiring. Oh, and new knobs -- big whoop. But they've chosen not too -- probably for economic reasons. After all, why upgrade something for cheap when you can sell a new one for full price? They're a business, so they'll do whatever they think will make them the most money. And contrary to popular myth, providing better customer service does not always mean you'll make more money.

Granted, I probably won't buy any more Futaba radios (Hitec offers similar features for quite a bit less money, and Multiplex (owned by Hitec now) offers many more features for slightly more money, and as for receivers there are several brands that are much better yet cheaper) but the current ones I've got still work fine and handle most of my needs. The only things my 9C is currently lacking that I really wish it had are shift select (which will never happen unless I add it myself, I know) and a synthesized module (may come soon, we'll see.)

Is this a law somewhere? Better call the cops on me then because I don't plan on buying a new radio. My Super 8Us do everything I need, and the 9C I just acquired used does even more.

The 9C Super isn't targeted at 9C owners. It's targeted at people who are considering the new JR 9303.

You could assign practically any function to practically any switch on the Super 8U... Are they touting it as a new feature on the 9CS

Who said anything about obsolete? Maybe the new radio has more features, but the old ones will never be obsolete so long as humans have opposable thumbs.

If you're so foolish that you've "gotta gotta" dump your 9C for a 9C Super just because, then you deserve to be parted from your money.

It's called capitalism. Learn it. Love it. Live it.

It would be wrong to blame the medium. Written English is very capable of expressing nuance and meaning. Still, an explanation is in order. The tone I referred to was an overall sense from multiple messages that, to you, anything that is not an EVO is something less. Where I'm concerned, owning both a 9C and a 9CS is owning roughly twice the transmitter of the EVO for less money. As to obsolescense, I still fly with my 9V. I can't disagree with you more about the need for field upgradable firmware. "Bite me" seemed to sum all that up pretty nicely.

Well, not ALL of us loyal Futaba users will sell their 9C's at a loss or otherwise. I like my 9C and have no desire to sell it.

Now, my 8 Track collection on the other hand....

Well, Futaba has Multiplex beat in one major aspect, which is VERY important to me: