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Ron’s HeliProz South . MTA Hobbies . Model Rectifier Corp

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e-Align T-REX 250-450-500-600 > Align USA issues
 
 
jcrack_corn
Veteran
Location: End of Time

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
Official Align USA bashing thread.

I'm done with them. After sending my SE tail case over 2.5 months ago, I am left with nothing, no replacement, and they wont send the orginal one back that failed where the mount meets the backend. (they claim they sent me a replacement, uninsured via USPS, lol, no insurance or priority mail on a ~40 dollar part that weighs under 8 ozs).

I can live with that. I cant live with them denying to me and others that there is no tail belt issue, no ESC/430L issues (random smokings), no QC issues with "supposed" factory loctited parts, no main gear trueness issues, etc, etc, etc.....I'm tired of hearing from Andy "we have many professional pilots who problems have none, if T-rex problem, our pilot would no first." lol

They will never get a dime from me again, i will continue to morph my current t-rex into a hybrid of aftermarket parts, and the next one will be aftermarket everything.

Add your rants to the list (although it wont matter because "Mark" at Align USA told me "we dont read runryder because you cant believe what you read there"...

Known Align Quality Control

All Versions


1.) Swash (all variations except those with "Align" printed on front) may seperate during flight...search for fix.
2.) Ball Links - change to SS to avoid tight or loose fits or out of round conditions.
3.) Tail belt - will fray randomly OR if front and rear pullys are not aligned. No predictable way to keep pulleys aligned flight to flight. Fix is remove roller, change all pullys to metal (with high rims) and spray with lubricant.
4.) Main gears, blue or white - out of round causing mesh issues. No fix known except aftermarket gears.
5.) Any align Screw - metal is soft and will strip, must use high tolerance drivers to have any chance or switch to SS upgrade kits.
6.) Landing skids - no known difference b/w standard and "bump resistant" besides color and price.
7.) Rotor blades - all versions of align "Fiber" blades are plastic and wont track due to "floppiness"
8.) Main shafts and Tail shafts known to be manufactured outside of spec being too large or too small to fit bearings properly.
9.) Beware of all Align motors (quality), random smokings/bearing failures reported in all flavors. (430L is great power for the price but you get what you pay for)
10.) Align front metal tail pully....spins off of shaft eventually.

SE

1.) SE tail hub and screws - Change screws to hardened socket head caps if not included in kit and change hub to steel.
2.) 430L motor with gold endcaps - will seperate eventually causing catastropich failure of heli in flight.
3.) 35A ESC w/ gov mode - known to smoke spontaneously under no great loads with both 11t and 13t pinion.
4.) SE metal tail case known to fail where round mounting section meets tail case (only two small aluminum strips hold these two pieces together, one on top, one on bottom
5.) Pre-assembled Parts requiring loctite per manual, have not had loctite applied. ESPECIALLY SWASH BALL LINKS! CHECK!

XL

1.) HDE-CDE upgrade - links wont clear canopy. No fix except to cut canopy or use align branded servos (iffy at best).
2.) XL Plastic tail case has been known to fail (likely due to screws only "biting" on one-half of case.

NEXT!!

.......
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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Professor Fate
Key Veteran
Location: Goose Creek S.C.

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
The lack of quality with Align in the last 6 months to a year turned me away also. I went with a Mikado Logo10 3D. So far it's have preformed faultless.

Welcome my son, Welcome to the machine
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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owenc17
Heliman
Location: huntingdon valley, PA - USA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
yea wulfgang relax. I just purchased a T-rex and I wish I had the oppurtunity to read this thread before I purchased it. I still probably would have purchased it though. What if the manufacturers of all products censored rants and raves about their products. We need to speak up about negative feedback or else its never going to get fixed.

I got the XL CDE and I hope nothing is wrong with it.

Thank god for opposable thumbs.
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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Pistol_Pete
Elite Veteran
Location: Tampa Bay non-Buccaneer

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
I feel for you...I have a list of boycotted things and places...guess what...they are still in business regardless.

As for rants...well...then there's rcgroups...and many others...feel free to post on ALL of them and see if anyone cares. Unfortunately it won't make a difference to anyone and no one will join you in boycotting a thing. Sorry but you are in a lonely path.

I must admit that indeed Align has at least listened to their customers early on and hence the XL...best bang for your buck...hands down...no if and or buts...regardless of what anyone else says in here...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So....would it be safe to say that the XL version does not have such issues?

Sure it might have others that I have yet to experience such as swash coming apart since purchased and crashed several times since nov 05...420L motor top did come apart AFTER a really bad crash...but since repaired...not-a-thing.

EDITED:
Quote 
Sorry but free speech does not apply to a privately owned forum


Sure it does...whether it gets erased is another issue. otherwise why be a lemming if you can't speak your mind?

<><>...the lunatic is in my head...<><>
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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owenc17
Heliman
Location: huntingdon valley, PA - USA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
Referring to Pistol_Petes post: I didn't realize we were talking about the SE, are we? Well thats good that the XL is reliable, I got scared for a moment.

Thank god for opposable thumbs.
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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Professor Fate
Key Veteran
Location: Goose Creek S.C.

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
It has issues also. The swash plate reverting back to kit form is one of them.

Welcome my son, Welcome to the machine
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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quattrokid73
Veteran
Location: Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
Truth is, every heli can be nitt-picked. The trex is popular because it is relatively inexpensive but a good performer. There are aftermarket companies that DO make quality parts for them.

I have seen resistance towards the other decent 400 sizers, though.

Kyosho's EP400 is a good heli. Noone is giving it a fair chance though. Also, the MX400 Pro is a good little one too. They all have pros and cons. There IS more than the Trex though...

I chose to get a CDE because of the great deal I got, and the parts availability and level of support in the community.

Adam

Aero-Model/Hacker Brushless/Mikado 2007
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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YOUNGBLOOD
Senior Heliman
Location: Diamond Bar CA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
I was double charged for landing gear for my trex.(8.99) After many calls to ANDY with Alliance RC the money was never returnded its not worth months of phone calls so I gave up. The next time I see ANDY I will let him know in person
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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clive45
Veteran
Location: NSW Australia

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
??

I suppose that with the price we pay for the TREX we must expect some problems. We all expect to get a Rolls Royce for the price of a Mini, nice if you can get it but this is the real world.
I use to rant and rave and it never really got me anywhere, just made me feel better for a while, but the problem still existed. I have found that a letter outlining the problem and offering solutions to it a better way of getting a result.
You are dealing with Taiwan and they have a different outlook on business to us, so we have to go around not head on.
When you concider the quantity of TREX's out there and the very varied knoledge of the owners maybe the number of problems are not so bad. Having said that there a several problems that do need to be addressed. Maybe you should all send letters outlining you problems and solutions to the supplier in your respective countrys.

Just another outlook on the problems.

Don't forget that you maybe one in hundreds for "ANDY" to handle and with the best will in the world, he relys on his staff in the end. You know how it goes. But a nice letter may get a better result.

Well I will be off now to sort out some of my own problems on my TREX. Which is made much easier by all you guys who supply endless amounts of advice and encouragement.

THANKYOU one and all.
04-06-2006 Over year old.
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TrexZ28
Heliman
Location: San Diego, CA, USA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
Haha. I'm not complaining. Sure I may have run into some of the issues mentioned in other posts about the Trex, but....they can all be fixed. Hey I started RC helis in Dec. 2004 with a GWS Dragonfly. Now that IMO is real CRAP so I'm not complaining about the Rex. I've been RC flying on and off since 1987. Now I'm back into it big time. One change I have really noticed since I gotten back, is that actually BUILDING something is a lost art. I remember building planks from real kits that were just boxes of balsa, lite ply, spruce, birch, etc. and cutting, sanding, shaping and glueing. Now everything is an ARF, and helis are kinda like erector sets. I think that since it is much easier to get into RC flying quicker, people have less patience or no patience at all for this hobby. I just expect to be tweaking on any of my flying machines from time to time. Its expected. If I'm missing a part I'll find one. Big deal.
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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jcrack_corn
Veteran
Location: End of Time

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
Thanks Mark (only edited the main title!). I disagree in this case...the average t-rex buyer will fly it, crash it, give up and switch back to cars or planks.....only the initial investment. Guys like us will 2x the original cost of the heli back into it in upgrades/repairs over time. They are catering to the average buyer, but they SHOULD be catering to us, because we will spend at least 2x (and more than likely 5x-10x over a heli's life) on the product!!!

They have made it easy for me though, next time I need a part, I will buy aftermarket, until the frames are toast, then i will pick one of the half dozen current CF flavors of "T-Rex" frames out there.....

BTW: I've also gotten (i have a pack right now) tail shafts from align that are about .5mm too thick (so they wont fit in the bearings!!!

THe only thing they seem to be really good at is 325 woodies (which i will continue to buy).
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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jcrack_corn
Veteran
Location: End of Time

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
One more thing (LOL)...which goes to the heart of this thread...I ASKED them about the ESC heatsink when I was voicing my displeasure with the kit (SE). They said that it was placed on the outside because it will still work a little like that and it is not really needed for that ESC anyway.

SURE, RIGHT. Extruded aluminum (then anondized) is SO cheap these days (FYI, its very expensive for those who dont know, probably 1 or 2 bucks per heatsink as cost for them)...so cheap that they just add it on instead of leaving it off and saving millions since "its not really needed."

I'm just tired of them not owning up and making things right (as opposed to doing the fixes and selling for higher price!!!!)...thats not how this country works!
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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OPEXMAN
Senior Heliman
Location: Gloucester County, NJ

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
I'm surprised to see so many complaints about Align. I have an MX400 that is 75% TREX and I couldnt be happier with The Align parts. They are cheaper than Ark/Helimax parts, readily available, and even the plastic parts have better tolerances then the ARK parts. I make sure that I'm buying them in a hobby shop so if there is a problem They will make it right, right on the spot. Dare I say I wish I went with the trex first. but I've learned a lot converting it to aluminum Align Parts. If you look at the ark/helimax posts all you hear about is how bad the stock rotor head is and how new pilots are scrambiling to find the aluminum center hub.
I guess the grass is always greener.

Frankenheli
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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quattrokid73
Veteran
Location: Huntingdon Valley, PA, USA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
This is a few Trex owners out of thousands.... Sure, others have their problems too, but everyone has issues with their helis at some point.

Aero-Model/Hacker Brushless/Mikado 2007
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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OPEXMAN
Senior Heliman
Location: Gloucester County, NJ

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
Really, What goes up must.....and will come down....Hard.

04-07-2006 Over year old.
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Hivoltage
Senior Heliman
Location: Ohio

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
Holy Crap....I just bought an SE that is not eeven here yet, and it's a piece of junk already????

I Dont Have No Stink'in Signature
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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clive45
Veteran
Location: NSW Australia

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
??

The ESC problem may not exist in thier country (Weather) so they think everything is OK. I must admit anyone who designs an ESC and tacks on a heat sink on the outside is wasting his time and thier money. But it works over there and so it should work where ever you are. They need masive loads of feedback for them to change and if it is going to cost them profit margin I don't like your chances. But you have to try or modify it yourself, at least you know it will work correctly if you do it.
I have the Align 25A mp ESC and the heat sink fins are a joke especially if you run it during Australian summer 40deg C, so I took it off and put a better one on. Works for me.
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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rdlohr
Key Veteran
Location: Pittsfield. MA USA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
The good part about this thread is that after having read all the rants, I didn't learn anything I didn't already know from other threads. I feel bad for the people who have had problems, especially when Align does not make good on them. If customer Service did similar things to me, I would have been talking to that president they show flying the 600.

Overall though,I notice Align actually fixing things over time and putting out inexpensive products.


-#-> Still Flyin, crashin and lovin it!
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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BJames111
Elite Veteran
Location: Billings, Montana

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
I don't know what people are doing with their trexes, but mine is fine, I started with the 450x about a year ago, no problems, and now an SE, again no problems. Maybe I'm lucky. I'm just wondering if some of these "problems" come about after crashing the thing repeatedly?

Brian James
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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ShellDude
Elite Veteran
Location: East Coventry, PA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
one word is all i can add. its really the only part from Align that I care to complain about... everything else is reasonable.


SWASHPLATE
04-07-2006 Over year old.
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e-Align T-REX 250-450-500-600 > Align USA issues
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