ben goodfellow 1 Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 well just went on and its all shinney new , i hope it faster than the last one that way i can spend quicker,,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanN Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 With some price increases aswell I notice. One item I was looking at for c£39 is now £44, and another that was just under £22 is now over £25. I'm also pretty sure the Durafly Spit Mk 24 is £6 or £7 dearer than when I last (recently) looked. I wonder if its just a few items, or is this across the board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 HK prices in US$ so the UK £ all the web site does is apply a conversion factor which will be different when you pay, hence the quoted price will fluctuate with the exchange rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanN Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Yes, I (sort of) was aware of that. However, having had a look at recent exchange rate history I'm not seeing anything that completely accounts for the above. Could it be that the "base" HK prices have been raised? Not necessarily a criticism nb - for all I know they might have been holding increases back for as long as poss Just interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 It looks nice, but is a bit clunky... Keeps moaning about me using Safiri on a Mac and Ipad, ... and no I don't want a guide to the sites new features again! .... and boy was it fiddly trying to set my country to UK on and ipad! [That was one long scroll list!] Moan now over...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Posted by Frank Skilbeck on 20/07/2013 20:49:39: HK prices in US$ so the UK £ all the web site does is apply a conversion factor which will be different when you pay, hence the quoted price will fluctuate with the exchange rate. One of my "nags" about HK is that they've been using the same exchange rate (£1 = $1.613) since at least January. Back then it was quite a realistic rate but since early January it has become more and more out of touch with reality and making the prices look more favourable than they really are. Don't forget, whatever the £ price says, HK will charge you in US$. The conversion to £ is done by paypal and/or the banks and is thus completely out of HK's control. From a quick look just now, the exchange rate used to show the (indicative) £ prices has been changed to £1 = $1.515. This will make the prices in £ look a bit higher than they used to be - but they'll be much closer to what you actually end up paying. So well done HobbyKing, and hopefully the exchange rate will be frequently updated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 ...and it's still in Dollers! "Improvement"? Nope, not likely! Hobbyking stuff is rubbish. Cheap and nasty, planes are ok, but don't trust their electronic stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Posted by Paul Marsh on 20/07/2013 22:36:20: Hobbyking stuff is rubbish. Cheap and nasty, planes are ok, but don't trust their electronic stuff. That's a rather sweeping generalisation, Paul, and far from my experience. OK, a lot of the stuff is built down to a price but most customers realise that and apply a bit of thought to their purchases. Remember, a lot of items sold by HK are also sold elsewhere, often re-badged and at a higher price. If you've an axe to grind, it would help your case in convincing me if you could be more specific..... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down Under Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I for one shop at HK with the knowledge that it can be a hit and miss affair, but so far I have had no misses. That been said, many of the motors and esc's are priced such that they are 1/3rd the price of my LHS. Sure the quality might be 1/3rd that available in the LHS, but if I buy 3 motors or ESC's and one gives out, they way I figure it, I'm still ahead. People who continue to shop at HK with high expectations are leaving the door open for possible dissapointment. Look at this way, if HK stuff was so rubbish, and they only received complaints, they would have been out of business by now. The reallity, for every one compliment, you will hear 5 complaints (made up statistic but you get my drift). We tend to only see the complaints. What about the 1'000's of statisfied customers you don't see! Sorry Paul, but I agree with Pete about sweeping statements... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I had trouble with HK, but that was a PR issue, which failed, on their part. Also, I've known several people who bought esc's motors and servos and they packed up. Was talking to a chap at Costford, yesterday who was in Inwoods buying some decent servos for a HK Edge he bought. He said half the servos packed up, and were so slow and poor tolerance, that it was making the plane awkward to fly. Also didn't want a elevator servo to pack up at the wrong moment. Someone crashed recently, when their HK esc burnt out, caught fire and the model went it, someone else had a brand new motor at the field, but after one flight, died and it was the motor, not esc. On the subject of the website - it's still in US Dollers, so no improvement there. Just for information, there was a trader at Cosford selling Hobbyking bits. Poor Hobbyking had no stock with them, and this shop was selling it for them! Having an empty trade tent is not quite a good idea, after all...! Edited By Paul Marsh on 21/07/2013 07:14:32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dav84 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Once again, another Hobbyking post changes from the origional topic to HK bashing. People who have problems with any service/company are always going to be the most vocal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Posted by Paul Marsh on 20/07/2013 22:36:20: ...and it's still in Dollers! "Improvement"? Nope, not likely! Hobbyking stuff is rubbish. Cheap and nasty, planes are ok, but don't trust their electronic stuff. Funny, I feel just the opposite, I've had no problems to date with electronic items, the models are cheap and nasty though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben goodfellow 1 Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 well i have quite a few orders with little in the way of problems , just got 4 x 5 cell lipos for 26 pound each, cheap uk ones were 40-45 pound each, just wish they would beef the choice of stock up a little as said on here a thousand times. but overall service has been great . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 This thread is drifting away from the OP which was clearly intended to discuss Hobbyking's new site appearance - and I'm just as guilty as anyone.... Can we stick to discussing the new site interface and leave HK's sales philosophy/quality/pricing policies for other threads please, folks? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkippyUK Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 How many times do we have to go around this HK purchasing merry-go-round - you're buying from HexTronik Limited which is a Hong Kong based trading company with warehouses around the globe and they sell in US$ irrespective of where HexTronik Limited choose to ship the goods from - get over it and read a few more posts on this, and other forums. According to the guy on the stand at Wings 'n Wheels, HK cannot sell over the counter as all contract of sales are currently 'off-shore' and the other tent selling HK stuff have a 'Wholesale Account' and are a UK company but were 30%+ on HK's web pricing but had no direct association with HK (HexTronik Limited). Sorry, drawn into off-topic discussion. On HK's new site, I like it as it's easier to navigate on my mobile. Skippy Edited By SkippyUK on 21/07/2013 09:54:22 Edited By SkippyUK on 21/07/2013 10:04:11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben goodfellow 1 Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 the only thing maybe is when you sign in why cant it automaticaly set your ware house , currency and location , its not any quicker but maybe thats down to the volume of users? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanN Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Posted by John Privett on 20/07/2013 22:35:21: . From a quick look just now, the exchange rate used to show the (indicative) £ prices has been changed to £1 = $1.515. This will make the prices in £ look a bit higher than they used to be - but they'll be much closer to what you actually end up paying. So well done HobbyKing, and hopefully the exchange rate will be frequently updated? In that case I guess this means its a "correction" of prices that were previously being understated, (until you got to "checkout", that is) rather than a price hike, in which case its a welcome amendment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Hi Guys Hobby King accolades. I'm a newbie and have just bought my first model (Bixler 2)( UK Warehouse) Well packed and all extras as per order. Delivered within two days. No damage. What more can I ask??? Well, actually one more thing!!! I have been trying unsuccessfully to join in on the HK forums. I have registered, I have logged in, I get the welcome notice, I then select any of the topics And I get an Error message. I go back to the top and learn that this "error" message may be because I have not used the forum recently. So CHICKEN and EGG, anybody know how I can gain access to the HK forum as a newbie??? While I am here, and my apologies in advance to the forum and moderators, I have a question about the harness lengths normally attached as part of a servor. I need to purchase two servors for the Bixler 2 Flaps, and need to be sure that the harness will reach the fuselage. (this is why i was trying to reach the HK forum) Sorry for these silly newbie questions. Go With the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 No such thing as a silly question as we often say, Bruce Can't help with their forum issue, I'm afraid - I'm a member and look in from time to time without a problem. Re the servo extension leads. Servos come with a variety of lead lengths depending on the manufacturer, normally somewhere between 10 - 15cm or so long. I've recently bought a Bixler 2 and you will need a couple of extension leads for the flaps to reach through the fus to the Rx location. It helps if you extend the aileron leads, too, for convenience sake. 15cm leads are enough. If you are going to have flaps on one channel, you'll need a 'Y' lead to connect the servos (Y leads are available in various lengths) but in that case you'll need to cut a new nest for one servo so both face the same way in the wing. The alternative is to have a reversing switch for one servo - I used one of these but one of these will do nicely. If you're buying extension leads, it's worth buying a multi-pack - you'll be surprised often you'll be glad you've got a 10, 15 or 30cm lead to hand..... If you have any further questions, feel free to start a new thread and we'll keep this one for site discussion Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Hi there Pete Thank you very much for the response and Info, and of course your patience.. Glad that you have a Bixler 2 also, so you can relate to my situation. Optional Flaps: Yes, I was planning to have both flaps on one channel operating on the TX rotary switch. I have a similar arrangement on my RC model simulator. (I have asperations toward powered gliders after achieving some competency certification, hence my interest in the flaps) I understand the Y lead, and i presume that the servo reverser lead goes onto the branch heading toward one or other of the servos? I'll purchase those, so, that aspect is out of the way. Now the Bixler 2 Ailerons servos These are already prewired and the leads are 55cm long. I do agree that i'll need extension leads for those. At least they do reach into the fus. I wonder if the servos which I will order for the flaps will come pre wired, and if so do i have to solder extensions with joints inside the wings? or is there another more logical approach. I'm perfectly happy about fitting sleevs and soldering, But I'm just wondering about a good length for the extension leads. e.g. 60cms? (You can probably see from this that I am absolutely new to all of this) BUT, I am really enjoying the learning curve. Thanks for the help this far Go With the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Yes, you have the flap system understood If you buy a short Y lead - about 10cm, most of the 415mm of the reverser can stay tucked into the fuselage under the wing. A 15cm extension on the other lead will give you plenty of slack to play with. 15cm extensions for the ailerons should be enough. IIRC, the provided leads were just long enough but the route throught the fus is a bit tortuous, so the extensions just make it a bit easier. In general terms, the fewer links in wiring, the less chance of a problem, but one joined connector shouldn't be a problem. The JST plugs and sockets on servos are a slim fit and it's worth either getting the leads with a retaining hook on the socket, or just make the joint secure with - as I often use - butchers string, or you can use adhesive tape or heatshrink to eliminate the risk of the plug and socket parting inside the wing. It won't happen but belt and braces are no bad thing. No soldering is necessary - the joints will sit under the infill foam on the underside of the wing. Once your leads arrive you'll see what I mean I'm off out now but will look in later.... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Thank you for all that info Pete. I've now got the bigger picture, I'm more confident about what's going on with all the bits and pieces. The good news is that I'm off to the club flying strip tomorrow, to pick some more brains over there. I have an Instructor lined up who will help with the maiden flight, and provide some hands on coaching, once I'm ready. Out of curiosity, after one has fitted the servos and wiring in the wings does one glue the wing strips in place, or use some sort of cellotape which can later be removed if needs be? Cheers for now Go With the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 With many models the tape option can be useful but in this one, you must glue the bottom strip in place as it forms the second half of the wing joiner tube. If you use tape you'll leave the wings behind sooner or later and doesn't fly well on a carbon tube.... I used the supplied adhesive which retains a degree of flexibility, unlike CA which could also be used. All well so far! Pete PS - Do not leave the wing joiner in place whilst the glue sets..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I think HK have a cracking web site which must be one of the reasons why the company has become so successful, UK LMSs please note. There is stacks of product information and specifications even if some people might have issues with the accuracy of it sometimes! Then there are all the product photos. How many sites have you seen with just one out of focus picture and no close ups. I think the best thing about about the HK Website are the reviews. If you see half a dozen negative comments about an item in your basket then you have been warned! Perversely people still seem to buy some items that are clearly turkeys. As always, buyer beware! Off thread slightly (sorry) I have bought a couple of cheap and cheerful models from HK that have been a load of fun even if the quality was not great-I wasn't expecting much for the price. I have also bought stacks of servos without a single failure- perhaps I am just lucky or maybe it's that I read the reviews carefully as well as other forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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