Beware of Fake Spektrum radios and receivers on Chinese Websites

Started by indianhobbies.com, November 24, 2010, 09:37:55 AM

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indianhobbies.com

Please note some chinese company has copied the spektrum brand and are marketing radios are dx6i. These are spurious and counterfeit and very dangerous to use. When ever you buy any spektrum goods ensure you buy directly from their dealer/distributor like www.indianhobbies.com.
The radios available on hobbycity and similar websites are not Spektrum Radios and produced very likely by a duplicate/counterfeit chinese company

Attached is an email received from them highlighting the same directly from Spektrum.

Horizon Hobby has seen your e-mail address as an intended recipient of several broadcast e-mails from Koko RC in Shenzhen, China.  Koko is offering to sell various alleged Spektrum branded receivers and transmitters at severely discounted prices.

Horizon Hobby has acquired each of the offered products from Koko and has determined that none of the products are authentic Spektrum goods; they are counterfeits.  Koko is utilizing inferior subcomponents in the manufacture of these goods.  Koko is also using software that includes copies of an older version of Spektrum receiver code.  This combination of inferior hardware and questionable software has not been tested for compatibility and reliability the way authentic Spektrum branded products are.

Horizon has filed legal action with the appropriate authorities against Koko for infringement of the Spektrum mark and our trade dress as well as a violation of Horizon's patent rights and copyrights.  Horizon will continue to take whatever action is necessary to block the importation of these counterfeit products worldwide, including action against businesses distributing or retailing these products.

Even more important, though, is the need for all in our industry to understand the risks of supporting these counterfeit products.  Use of fake Spektrum products such as these by Koko could put a modeler's safety at risk.  Horizon Hobby waives all liability for any incident involving these products from Koko.  Horizon will not offer any warranty, repair, or replacement with regard to the Koko product.  Importers of these fake products will be solely responsible for any injury or damages related to the use of this inferior product.

Koko is very adept in making their products cosmetically identical to authentic Spektrum products.  The only way to ensure the sale and use of authentic Spektrum products is to purchase those components from Horizon Hobby or from our authorized distributors or retailers.

Steve Hall
Vice President of International Operations and Risk Management
Horizon Hobby, Inc.


Link of Exclusive India Dealer http://www.spektrumrc.com/StoreLocator/Default.aspx?Search=True&Tab=Int&Country=India
Ph: +91-9372246142.

indianhobbies.com

For any queries you can post here : [Admin Note] Link removed, any discussions on this topic should be here itself
as it may be likely this post/page is not visited often enough to respond in time

ujjwaana

Hmmm! I have seen the following trend on RC Groups regarding the Cloned Spektrum/Futaba Rx:

1. People are selling off the Cloned OranageRX Spektrum Rx
2. People are selling their original Futaba FASST Rx (and may be happy using OrangeRx Futaba Clone)

I wonder if  only the later cloned one has worked well ?

If it not just because the low volume, the OEM Tx/Rx manufactures have been cutting unreasonably large profit for long. Even if they have priced the 2.4 up to recover the R&D costs, the older FM ones were equally over priced. If I see a sub $100  Chinese Tx, the build quality is pretty comparable to that of OEMs.

Thanks Sunil for alarming unsuspecting people buying a fake one, thinking it is genuine. But if it goes for Cloned Rx, which any intermediate flyer would know what they are buying, they are not only working fine, but incredible for the price (which the OEM should have priced the originals around).


Futaba 8FG Super | HK-450v2 | FA-22 Raptor |AXN Floater-Jet | FunJet | Black Horse Edge 540 | Amp Master 015 | 2.3M Big Brother

sharlock

I already know this.. copying any thing orignal is a Chinese RIGHT, but making a exact copy with the same company name is disgusting...  I dont think anyone here in India orders a Spektrum radio from China..  more over people here are more use Futaba. But which website sells clone Spektrum sets i would like to see that.

anwar

This is no different from people using Corona receivers on JR or Futaba Mhz radios. The initial versions of Corona had issues, but they were fixed in later versions. People know what they are getting into in terms of security/risk, and the OrangeRX folks make it clear that these are currently only tested for smaller models. Never heard about Koko so far, must be the OEM for OrangeRX.

The intellectual property issues can only be confirmed when the courts deliver their verdicts, as OrangeRX makes it clear that they have developed the receivers independently (just like how Compaq started making clones of the original PC from IBM).  Looks like the presence of an FPGA in these are a clear indication that it is not a "copy", and more of an independent engineering effort.

In any case, Spektrum and JR are parting ways, and Spectrum will lose its significance sooner or later :

http://www.rcindia.org/radios-and-receivers/jr-going-completely-fhss-parting-with-spektrum-dsm-dsss/



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anwar

Quote from: ujjwaana on November 24, 2010, 10:49:49 AM
Hmmm! I have seen the following trend on RC Groups regarding the Cloned Spektrum/Futaba Rx:
1. People are selling off the Cloned OranageRX Spektrum Rx
2. People are selling their original Futaba FASST Rx (and may be happy using OrangeRx Futaba Clone)
I wonder if  only the later cloned one has worked well ?

I thought it was because :

a.  The Spektrum clones are out of stock, so people are selling them for like $20 (double the list price).
b.  People are selling the original Futaba because many of them bought these for their park-fliers earlier (as no other models were initially available), and now they can get 2 clones for the price of selling one original.

According to the forums, the clones are working well for park-flying on both.
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spitfire

looks like i have found one of them
Have a look at it....it is selling AR6100e just for $10

http://www.oomodel.com/spektrum-dx6i-dx7-ar6100e-24ghz-6channel-dsm2-receiver-p-185.html

In one of pic there is written 'patent pending' on product and other pics are similar to original one.

anwar

That is a different case than the OrangeRX ones, this is pure cheating when they package it to make it seems like a Spektrum original.

The OrangeRX ones sold by HobbyKing (only $8) now make it clear that they have no association with Spektrum, and these are not "copies" :

http://www.rcindia.org/radios-and-receivers/hk-spektrum-compatible-rx/

So far, there is no public news of Spektrum going after HobbyKing/OrangeRX/FrSky with legal action.

Ultimately, it is great for the hobbyists that 2.4Ghz receivers are available for less than the price of a Mhz crystal (not even the receiver!)
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laxmansuthar

Hi....last monh i have purchased 3nos 2.4 futaba clone reciver from www.**model.com it coming with hard case & it 8 ch 1 no. reciver in 39.USD only..

NOw i mounted in 1 in my heli & 2nd is in park flyer & 3rd in My .75 size extra 300s....all are working very fine & even very good range..I am heppy with these recever,

regards
laxman
Futaba T7c.2.4, boomrang trainer 46., 60size Extra 300s, Raptor 30v2, raptor 50 Titan, electric biplane, Thunder Tiger raptor 50 titan Se, J3 piper cub, Tarot 450 sports, Align 500,

anwar

I hope you meant http://www.himodel.com ?  We are a free and open forum, do not worry at all about posting links to any shop ;)

http://www.himodel.com/radios/FrSky_2.4G_8-channel_Futaba_FASST_Compatible_TF_Receiver_TFR8.html

I have been flying them (the HobbyKing version of the same thing) on 450 size helis and foam planes (including an AXN Floater), and they work just fine.  Just remember to do the proper failsafe setup, and test it on the ground (after tethering the aircraft).
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laxmansuthar

Futaba T7c.2.4, boomrang trainer 46., 60size Extra 300s, Raptor 30v2, raptor 50 Titan, electric biplane, Thunder Tiger raptor 50 titan Se, J3 piper cub, Tarot 450 sports, Align 500,


sharlock

I think these are not clone but actually a black market Spektrum sets sold for cheap... but i am 90% sure these are not a copy Spektrum but real Spektrum transmitter & this is not new if the radio itself is been manufactured in China & also sold in the black market.

anwar

The word on the street is that this is an older discontinued batch of the AR6100 from the factory.  The new one is AR6110E.
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anwar

Quote from: laxmansuthar on November 24, 2010, 11:41:05 AM
3rd in My .75 size extra 300s....all are working very fine & even very good range..I am heppy with these recever,

Please do keep us posted on using these on big glow birds like your 0.75 Extra 300s.  You are doing a bit of trailblazing by putting these receivers on the bigger birds !
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indianhobbies.com


prateek13

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