Mgm comp pro controllers
 

Ok so I am now living in Prague, Czech Republic, and I have written to MGM to see if I could meet with them to discuss some of the issues that keep a lot of people from purchasing their controllers. This is the first response I received yesterday.

Dear Jerry,

thank you for your e-mail and sorry for not answering you sooner :-)

Also thank you for all nice that you wrote about our electronics. All of that is the reason why MGM compro is known between most demanding modellers as #1. I am not sure if I understand correctly how you mean this sentence "Most ESC companies have a warranty servicing department that keep re-manufactured/refurbished controllers on hand for immediate turn around shipping when another one is sent in for repair." If it is meant that there will be a MGM center in USA which will keep controllers for "exchange" in case that customer want to send his controller for repair then this is really a problem. We are much different then other producers and our products can be ordered in tens various types for each model of controller. So you can have for example TMM 28026-3 X-SERIES with options for boats and these options are different than for cars. You know how I mean it, every controller can be made in tens various types. What more it is always needed to find first what caused the "problem". In most cases (99.999%) the damage is caused by customer by for example changing polarity, using with defective motor, overloading, using with non-suitable connectors, etc., so if we will provide him for time of repair another piece then nobody can guarantee to us that he will not damage another controller. It is very fine electronics and that is the reason why it is not cheap. We are not Chinese producer that can (and have to) exchange one controller for another for free and we also do not want to do this. We know what we produce, all the parts are tested with the full load before leaving company. This is why our name is so known for its quality. Did I understand the sentence right or you meant it differently? :-)

(On the other hand I have to say that whole process of sending back and repair is very fast in fact. The spedition companies and also our service is very fast so it does not take so long :-) )

I have to say that I am also happy that you are here in Czech Republic and you can see how beautiful country it is. Mostly the Prague. I will be happy to welcome you here in MGM compro factory. It will be nice to meet you here in my office and I am looking forward to it. Unfortunately we cannot make the "tour" through the company. This is because we also produce industrial parts for other companies and we are bounded by secrecy agreements. I hope that you understand.

I hope to meet you soon too. Have a nice day here in Czech Republic and I am looking forward to you anwer.

Very Best Regards,
Martin Dvorsky, MGM compro :-)

Hope
 

It is my hope to maybe resolve a few of the more pressing issues and make it a bit easier for people in the USA to deal with getting warranty problems resolved a little bit faster. No promises, but I figured it was worth a shot. It will be a few weeks until I actually visit their shop, because it is quite far from where we live in Prague. From all accounts MGM is about 300 kilometers from Prague city center, which equates to about 150miles. So once our personal vehicle arrives in Europe we will be able to make the two hour journey to their site and we can do a little troubleshooting discusions.

While there I hope to get a little one on one instruction for setting up the MGM controllers so that I understand them better, and can get through the more technical side of setups for certain types of vehicles. All-in-all I am hoping this will be a very rewarding experience. Stay tuned.

Respectfully, Jerry Hill in Prague.

oh man, he sounds so foreign in his email :) Not making fun of him, I applaud everyone that is multi-lingual! This is one skill that I am very poor at. I just enjoy reading english from non-native speakers :) Sounds like a very nice fellow though, and I'm sure you're trip to visit will be at least fun!

Both points he makes about the exchange and repair policy seem pretty valid to me.

I mean, with Castle an MMM is an MMM, a Sidewinder is a Sidewinder. But with MGM there are so many customization options it's not practical for them to have every possible ESC with every possible combo of features standing by for an exchange.

And I think it's perfectly reasonable for MGM to want to inspect a controller to decide if it failed by a product defect or if it was user error before sending a replacement. We have to remember Castle does tend to spoil us when it comes to warranty and repair. Often times they'll replace something no questions asked when it could very well be user error (not us, we're all perfect, it's the guys on those other forums :wink:).

I would really love to try one of the X-series, but at this point in time I can't justify the cost.

Correct
 

Yea you are correct on all accounts, but I just thought that maybe after sharing some conversation with them, that there may be some middle ground or compromise that can be made to help speed things up just a little bit. I to have been on the fence for purchasing one or two of the newer "X" series controllers, because yes they are somewhat expensive, but they are the golden egg of ESC's with all sorts of bells and whistles. I do have two of the older versions that I hope to use at some point for one of my trucks. At least I should be able to have some fun learning a few things directly from the two brothers who own this business and control every aspect of how these toys are made and setup for vehicle use. I am excited just for the adventure and being able to say that I have been here. I am sure that it will be all good. I am a lucky man.

Hey Jerry,
You are in Europe, you can make it to MGM in an hour.. LOL
Definitely keep us posted on how the trip goes.

I'd like to see how this turns out as well,they sound pretty reasonable.
And jerry,you realize your living the RC'ers dream right? What I'd give to be that close to one of the best esc manufacturers out there!

I'd rather be in Kansas next to Castle lol.

Or Idaho next to Tekin....:mdr:

Gotta say, Love the MGM controllers.. my 24160 has been treating me very well ever since I've had them... I like Castle too, but I wish an ESC like the Mamba XL was out 4 years ago.. Maybe Allen Bradley should start making ESCs for us.. :)

Differences
 

I am not here to bash or put down any of the ESC manufacturers. They all have + & - about them and getting to use each of them is a great experience for any of us. I have MMM's, I have Schulze, I have Novak's, and I plan to own some Tekin RX8 combos as well. The MGM comp pro's have their own appeal as well, and I feel lucky to have an opportunity to be here and get the chance to spend time where they are made and sold. I get to share conversation directly from the hourses mouth so to speak and learn more about them. Tell me any of you would not do the same if you were here? Yes I am living a dream for myself and hopefully I may be able to help others in doing so. I am not trying to take anything away from anyone else, just merely sharing info about my experiences overseas, because I know that a lot of others will never get to reach out in the same way to acquire the info we would all like to have about this matter first hand and face to face. I would not mind paying a visit to Schulze, or even Plettenberg as well one of these days to do the same thing if I can manage to travel into their neighborhood.

I went with a friend last night to a local hardware store just for the sake of checking them out and comparing them to what we are used to in the states. When we walked in the fornt door it was like walking into a Home Depot back home. It was as if someone had visited Home Depot with a video camera and then came back to Prague and said build this for me here. Even the orange and white coloring was a mirror image. BUT not only do they have lumber, hardware, and garden stuff, but they also carry birds, fish, rats, snakes, hamsters and such, plu they also carry all of the caging, tanks & feed for them as well. They even sell wimming pools. All-in-all it was quite impressive to see. Their pricing was also very reasonable. I am sure that I will spend some time there over the next few years.

Unfortunately not
 

Unfortunately not. I finally got around to inputting MGM CompPro's address into our new TomTom GPS and according to the map/stats it is about 190 miles from Prague, and a three hour drive on the freeway. So the wife and I agree that we will take a weekend trip to Zlin and spend the night so we can really enjoy the trip. Once we have our van we will make arrangements with The Dvorski brothers to meet and setup over night accomodations. I have already told wifey that I would more than likely want to spend several hours at the plant/shop with Martin Dvorski and that she may want to find some shopping in the area while I get educated on their ESC's and business. Then we can spend the following day enjoying the countryside and tourist points of interest before heading back to Prague. I finally picked up a new local cell phone and will have services setup on it Monday. Now I have to get some social/buiness cards made up for my travels around the European theatre so I can keep in touch as I make contacts throughout the region. I have to come up with ideas for graphics and such for my cards. Something very business like, but also social in nature since I am not yet employed by anyone. I never considered any kind of inport/export buisness, but who knows? I wouldn't mind doing something that might help others overcome dealing with overseas customs issues and things like warranty issues with European buisnesses.

If anyone has ideas or graphics assistance to help me find a good design for an exciting sort of buisness card that would be most helpful. I would kind of like to involve my retired US Navy status as well as my R/C interests. I have to say that I am most excited about our adventure so far, and even more so for the things we may get to do over the next three years while we are here in Europe. I spent time in many parts of Europe during my US Navy career, but that was directly related to work, and not for the fun of it. Now I get to see things from a completely different perspective, and can also spend more time enjoying our surroundings instead of being focused on work related issues.

I'm jealous Jerry.

That would be awesome Jerry. I don't think you are bashing any ESC manufacturer.. This is a discussion, and that's what is for. We all have different preferences, and many of us have owned our fair share of different ESCs.

Really???
 

Really??? Ah come on, Huston is a nice place to be. he he he he he he. Yea thanks man. I know how lucky I am just to be here, and to be here as a dependant is even better. I get to do just about anything that I want, but do hope to be employed once we get the house settled in a couple of months, and my shop setup in teh garage. We feel that after suffering for so many years putting up with crap from bosses, and EX's that we deserve the life that we have. We are not rich by any means, but I sure feel rich today with the life that we have together. My wife just keeps looking at me with a smile on her face, and I could not ask for anything more.

Our new master suite is very much like a Vegas hotel suite with a huge sitting area, walk-in closet, and a pretty normal shower/restroom area. We feel like we are staying in a hotel suite every night. Very cool. Please don't be jealous, just live your dreams. One day in the not so distant future (2017 ? maybe) we will be settled in the USA, but for now, WOW the world is our oyster.

Yea kinda. But I'm happy for you mang.
I have family in Holland, but nothing attracts me to that country. I have family in Suriname as well, but I don't see myself moving back there. Houston is great and so is Austin and San Antonio. Houston has alot of nice parks and its a big city. Orlando is where I would like to finally settle down in.

Every ESC manufacturer has it's pros and cons with their line of products. That is why it's fun to try different ESC's and see what they have to offer.
I wish Castle and Tekin would have a Build to Order program as well. Hey that could create work for another 2 workers.

Orlando, florida
 

Well Orlando, Florida was my home for about 15 years (1990-2005). I can tell you that it is a nice place to live as long as you can take the humidity and heat during the summers. 100 f with 100% humidity can be quite daunting. Still I enjoyed living there. I worked as a lead tech at Universal Studios for about 6 years, before meeting my wife and embarking on this world wind life abroad. With a little money in the bank one can live quite well there.

Still we are going to enjoy living abroad for a while, until the wife reaches her retirement qualification. Then we will decide where to go from there. We also own a house in San Francisco, California, which we can always fall back on if the need arrises.

Being a native Houstonian 100% humidity at 100 degrees is nothing unusual. I think snellemin will survive just fine there. I think I would pick the Tampa area of Orlando but that's just me.

High ground
 

Personally I go more for the high ground nowa days with potential global warming issues. There has been an awful lot of unusual flooding all over the globe, so I opt for higher ground. 90% of Florida is right at sea level or not more than 15feet above it. So I shared with the wife that we will not live below 50ft above sea level from now on. If the oceans rise as predicted 20 to 30 feet due to the melting ice caps then Most of Florida will be under water, and the gators will rule the entire state. In fact a good portion of Florida is already swamp land. Who really knows what might or might not happen, but we are not taking any chances for permanent residence. Hell Georgia might become ocean front property one day soon?

I'll be gone by the time the oceans had risen long enough to flood my house lol. Gators roaming in my backyard will be cool. I'll make sure I always have a loaded rifle just in case.

Enjoy youyr stay in the Czech Republic Jerry.

Here is the latest response received from Mr. Dvorski regarding warranty repairs. I also shared with him that we plan to travel to his plant once our van arrives in mid April.

Dear Mr. Hill,

thank you for your e-mail. I am happy that the situation about repairs is clear now. I have to say that in fact it "only" take weeks (maximumly). Normally the controller is here within 7 days after sending from US and the repair can be make very quickly so for example the controller can be on the way back to US in about day or two after recieving here in MGM. So in less then 10 days the controller is allready on the way back. In case of using express airmails it can be sooner. On the other hand sometimes there could be problems with customs so sometimes the customs holds the parcel for few days (till they can accept that it is just the controller for repair so there is nothing to declare). Of course we can talk about it more when you will be here in MGM compro :-)

I am very happy that you like Prague. Me personaly love Prague :-) .

Looking forward to meet you here in MGM. Have a great day! :-)

Very Best Reagards,
Martin :-)

When you go visit, can you ask them when their industrial page is going to get updated? It's been under "routine maintenance" for quite a while now. They have some brief descriptions of some stuff I am very interested in.

Sharing info
 

Hey BG I just sent him another email, and attached your request. I expect that he will answer tomorrow, and I will happily post his response in this thread.

Respectfully, Jerry Hill in Prague.

Right on Jerry, could not have said it better myself. I have always liked your way of thinking. You have my respect...:yes:

Thanks joe.
 

Thanks Joe. And you mine. I learned a long time ago not to dwell on negativity. Find the best in everything. And what that means to me is even if something is not quite the best that it could be because of elements out of my control, that there are always lessons to be savored. And if there is anything that I can do to cahnge things in a positive way, then I better get busy. Knowlege is power is my favorite moto. I need more friends than enemies no matter where they come from. I think thats why I so enjoy traveling around the world like we do. Thank you Joe for being a good friend.

I hope that I am able to help bridge the gaps between MGM and the rest of us here on RCM.

And here is your reply from Martin Dvorski himself. If you get on the website you can find his email address and communicate directly with him. He is anxious to speak with you on your request. Good luck with that BG.

Dear Jerry,

thank you for your e-mail. Yes, it can seem that the "industrial" product list is not actual BUT all of industrial products are ready and allready sold in many types. The only problem is that the website is still not ready - this is the problem. We hope that industrial webpages will be ready within next 14 days (i hope so). So as I wrote if your friend is interested in any of our industrial products or in some custom products he can contact directly me. Then we can discuss all the possibilities. Please be so kind and let your friend know these information.

Thank you again and hope to meet you soon. Have a nice day (today the weather should be very nice :-) ).

Very Best Regards,
Martin :-)

Latest update.
 

Well we have been in Prague for about a year now and I though it was time to stop in and up date things about this thread and possible plans to make this trip. I have received a few emails asking me about this trip to Zlin to visit with MGM so here is my response.

Moving to Prague has been a wonderful experience and we are enjoying our lives here getting to see things that most Americans will only see on TV. I had no idea where Zlin was when we first arrived here, and had planned to take a drive there one day and meet with the MGM owners. Once I finally got the chance to do the proper research and looked into making the trip I was amazed to find out just how far it really is. In order for me to take a trip to MGM it would take me about 8-10 hours to drive there, and cost us a pretty penny in fuel. Gas here runs about $8-$9 a gallon, which means taking a drive to and from MGM would cost us about $1600 just for fuel alone. Plus an overnight stay and food adding another $200-$300. Considering the cost of a drive to MGM compared to what we can get a flight to ana Francisco for I am sorry to say that flying to the bay area is more important for our family. I really am intereted in visiting MGM and meeting the owners, but that is just a bit too much for me to spend for such a trip. We may still make this trip at some point, but with all of our kids needing us to make trips to California and Settle for weddings, babyshowers, and childbirths of our grandchildren the cost of a trip to Zlin is just not possible right now. Getting to Zlin any other way is just not possible or worth the time and money it would cost. It is disapointing to say the least, but I just cannot justify that kind of expenditure. I am sorry for any disapointments I may have caused you guys, but life unfortunately is not always fair. I have to be realistic about things like this and keep my wife happy while doing so.

No worries Jerry. We all understand that you thought you would be closer than you actually are.

The footwork you have done has shown me that there is quick response to e-mails. In this day and age a quick response to an e-mail is about the best customer service one can ask for.

If I ever need a 15kw controller I will order from MGM:yes:

Just out of curiosity, did you mistype a digit on the fuel costs or did I get the wrong Zlin on google maps?
Can't imagine you really need ~180 gallons of fuel for 2x ~190 miles and still take 8-10 hours (google calculates ~3 hours one way) each way.

The point is that it is more work than he originally thought it would be, and that he is no longer going to make the trip.

The calculations may be off, but the sentiment is the same. :yes:

I did get the point :wink:
As I said, "just out of curiosity"...

And 3h one way would be back in his initial day trip idea.
Long day, yes, but only one.

I read between the lines and came to my own conclusion- the wife said, "no":lol:

Oh you mean those 1600$ were combined fuel costs?
200$ for fuel, 1400$ in various investments to get the wifes OK?
That would explain it indeed:lol:

Your right jo
 

No your right Jo. I miscalculated. For some reason when I used Yahoo maps I came up with a totally different figure. So with the actual distance only being 320km, or 640km round trip thats not near as bad. Thats more like $150-$200 for fuel for the trip. I am sure that I can talk the wife into making that trip, and maybe spending the night out that way. Which would make it more like a romantic adventure. I would still want to make some kind of puchase on one of their newest ESC's to make the whole trip a worthwhile endevour. We still have to hold off on it for now though. The wife is in San Fancisco this week for a baby shower while I keep the kids from killing each other, and she goes again in June for the birth. Then I have to fly to Seattle in Aug to walk one of our daughters down the aisle. These flights are not cheap. Thank God we get to stay with family to save a few bucks. I may be able to squeeze this one in some time over the summer. We will just have to see how things go $$$$$. Thanks for having my back Harold, even though my info was a bit off. My life is all about the wife though. As long as she keeps smiling I am a happy camper.

I'm just a youngin' but that to me is life in a nutshell. You can talk equality all you want, but women are softer. They are carers and nurturers, and require constant attention and entertainment.

Men just want a pretty gal, and they are a lot prettier when they are smiling:yes: