Originally Posted by NovakTwo (Post 117577)

I think items designed and produced by individuals for these niche markets are a wonderfull way to go. Novak was a garage/kitchen table operation for quite a few years in the seventies---it was in the right place, at the right time, with the right resources. That's how new companies are born.

Little guys with no payrolls or overhead can take the chances that larger companies can no longer risk. After all, Novak has about 45 employees, who expect to be paid on a regular basis! Best wishes to Lutach and Griffin-RU---it's interesting to see what inventors can come up with. There is some guy in Thailand who has stacked Novak power boards---we can't read the copy, though, because it's in Thai....

At heart, Bob Novak has always been a "tinkerer" and, if you could see his office, you would know that his heart is still in tinkering. We just wish he worked a bit faster! Fortunately, Adnan has taken over the electronic and motor design for @ the last 20 years.

The whole brushless technology revolution is exciting for electric R/C cars---if the industry can be revived, BL will do it. Nitro RTRs have really taken a huge share of the market. Maybe BL 1/8th scale products can help revive electric and bring back some of the excitement.

Originally Posted by NovakTwo (Post 117493)

You probably shouldn't bring up "passion" for the R/C industry. Bob got involved in R/C planes when he was a young boy and spent his entire working career in the industry. Novak has been around for 30 years, so the company has had years of involvement in the industry. We even know all of the people who have sold their companies---Losi, Associated, Orion/Peak.

But, I think what you mean by passion is, why doesn't Novak make some of the cool products that posters here want. Making a few, hand made products to be sold to a select group of customers is easy. Manufacturing the products to be sold to thousands of users at prices buyers are willing to pay is another matter.

For every product a manufacturer replaces, or gives away, free, the company must sell 5-8 new items to recover the parts/labor/overhead costs of that free item.

Bob, Adnan Khan (Novak's Senior Designer), and the entire tech staff are definitely well-informed about comments on various forums---both the complimentary ones and the not-so-flattering. So keep the ideas and comments flowing.

Originally Posted by lutach (Post 117659)

If Novak comes out with a system that will fulfill our requirements which is good for most 1/8 racers and bashers, I'll buy one. Just make a sensored system that handles up to 10 or 12S lipos and design a 2 and 4 poles motor to fit the bill. It should be easy for you guys. Now if you say it is not easy, then I guess there is some trouble within the company.

Castle seems to be having their fare share of troubles. I know CC has engineers and I'm pretty sure Novak does as well. Put them to work. Novak makes a profit on current products and why not use some of the profit to design new products. It might not be a big gamble if you listen to us users. Now if you guys at Novak need help procuring the electronic components, for a price I can share my secrete.

Originally Posted by NovakTwo (Post 117804)

With all due respect, if coming out with this HV system (at a price any of you would be willing to pay) was that easy, Castle or Tekin would be selling them already. It seems that the Monster store offers quite a few super high voltage controllers--what's wrong with using them?

The upfront R&D and tooling costs for complete new systems is pretty high, and, at this time, the super high voltage market is pretty small. When, or if, some car mfg releases an 1/8th scale electric buggy things may really change.

Originally Posted by lutach (Post 117831)

R&D is a killer when you're designing something completely different. They already have the MPU software OK. I know this beacuse Videoton of Hungary sent me quotes for a prototype product and they changed the quote 8 times before they had it right, but this was for a new product. Now for products they already make, they might change for something compatible and that is it. I would like to see a system that could also run the sensored Aveox. Does Novak have their own engineers?

Originally Posted by NovakTwo (Post 117868)

The only people foolish enough to invest in NE are the Novaks.

You have a charming misconception of the profitability of R/C electronics and other products. There is a reason why Losi, Associated and Orion/Peak have been aquired by bigger companies in the last few years.

As soon as a company comes out with something new and exciting, it is only a short time before a Chinese factory manages to knock it off.

Originally Posted by snellemin (Post 117889)

Kinda odd that he never spoke to you again. Unless he really didn't want your business(he had a really good deal somewhere and threw you off by mentioning Digi-Key), or was just plain embarrased.

Originally Posted by snellemin (Post 117889)

Kinda odd that he never spoke to you again. Unless he really didn't want your business(he had a really good deal somewhere and threw you off by mentioning Digi-Key), or was just plain embarrased.

Originally Posted by NovakTwo (Post 117914)

I take it you have never met Bob B. from Astro Flight.....

Originally Posted by snellemin (Post 117915)

Nope :no:. What's the scoop with that guy?

Originally Posted by gyn77 (Post 118130)

This is a mail that castle creations wrote me on yestarday answering my questions about MM:

"The stuff about a change in the Mamba Max that makes it not work with over a 4s pack is not true. It has not been changed and it has always been the case that if you plug in a 5s pack there is a good chance that the ESC will quit working and be damaged. Some will withstand this and work OK on 5s. Either way they are out of warranty. There is no check that makes them not work on a 4s pack. Be careful with technical details presented as fact on discussion groups. The person that started this rumor has no contact with us and if we made a change like this, we would let people know. We do say that if the Mamba Max is used with 4s it is out of warranty but this is not an ESC
limit, 4s will destroy our high Kv motors. The ESC is actually OK on 4s, but
still out of warranty."

Originally Posted by johnrobholmes (Post 124799)

From what I have been told, the 4s rating is out of warranty because the lipo packs keep a higher voltage over the life of the pack. This leads to more heat buildup, and the motors that Castle sells with the mamba max wont take 4s WOT either.