Has anyone come across one of the several websites selling "new" Spektrum brand recievers well below market price? Or the number of these being listed on Ebay? I'm convinced that these are Chinese made counterfeit products. In my opinion it's one thing for a company to market a "DSM2 compatable" reciever- and something quite different to manufacture an exact (externally) copy. I don't want to see our sport/hobby flooded with imported counterfeit junk that does not meet the quality standards, and is not warrantied by the brand manufacturer. If I want to buy a cheap, orange, "compatable" rx for a cheap foamie- that's fine. If I want to spend extra bucks for an "authentic" DSM2 rx, for a model that I've invested some time and money in- I want to be sure it's up to specs!

If it's an outright rip off down to the logos then yeah, but if it's a clone in design only I'm fine with that. Pretty much all innards of electronics are made from Chinese produced components anyway.

Originally Posted by dedStik

If it's an outright rip off down to the logos then yeah, but if it's a clone in design only I'm fine with that.

It is my understanding that the OrangeRX is a completely different design, internally, from the Speks.

That was my understanding as well. The guys at my LHS berate the Orange they claim many are assuming it's a Spektrum product instead of Spektrum compatible and sending them to HH for warranty service.

Buy cheap, buy twice, Judge Millian said that!. I hate it when I buy full price and the item dies one week after the warranty period. I have about had it with PC hard drives, etc., etc. You need a live-in IT guy just to keep up with RCG forums and e-mail, typing this on laptop while PC is getting new HD and reinstall of OS, etc, etc.

Originally Posted by dedStik

That was my understanding as well. The guys at my LHS berate the Orange they claim many are assuming it's a Spektrum product instead of Spektrum compatible and sending them to HH for warranty service.

Well, that's odd. The OrangeRX is produced with an orange shell to clear any would-be confusion between the two. And of course it's a different size, and has different logos.

If you LHS is anything like many others, they just berate them because they aren't selling them. If they were, it would be the greatest thing going

@Foam

That would be my guess as well, but common sense is uncommon.

@E-Challenged

I've said it more than once, all components come from the same place, whether your computer is a thousand dollar HP or a $300 Acer. Of course there are some differences.

Originally Posted by kwiktsi

If you LHS is anything like many others, they just berate them because they aren't selling them. If they were, it would be the greatest thing going

This, I'm sure it kills them that I'd rather spend $10 on an RX that is just as functional as the $75 name branded RX they'd rather sell me. Though in my 20 year old trainer I will spend the $75 for the name branded RX. At least until the Oranges prove themselves, I do have a few Oranges.

Originally Posted by dedStik

This, I'm sure it kills them that I'd rather spend $10 on an RX that is just as functional as the $75 name branded RX they'd rather sell me. Though in my 20 year old trainer I will spend the $75 for the name branded RX. At least until the Oranges prove themselves, I do have a few Oranges.

I am not a Spektrum guy, but I have seen people have good luck with the Orange RX in bigger, more expensive planes. Like you though, I don't know if I'd use them in much more than a foamy/park flyer until I've had some stick time with them to prove themselves to me.

The real problem here is not with the orange HK clones. HK has a clear disclaimer that they are not Spektrum brand rx's -and they are made to look different. The problem is with the products that look exactly the same, brand name logos and all, that are being sold as genuine, new, Spektrum recievers from asia for $10.

I ordered a DSM2 compatible rx from a place I do business with quite often and whom I trust. I did put it in my inexpensive slow stik to try. After about 5 minutes flying, the stik lost signal, I suppose, and nosed into the dirt. When I made another order at the HS I let them know what happened and they sent me another one. I figured it was a fluke with the first one as I have never gotten a bad product from the HS. Well, 2nd verse same as the 1st. After 5 min. it lost signal and crashed. Now I was told to keep it away from my rx and ESC and I thought it was good. Now I am at a loss as to what the problem might have been. I do wonder if more distance from the ESC and rx would have changed anything, but not much room on a stik. I know one thing though, in my $700.00 P-51 I have a not cheap Spektrum rx with a satellite as well as the rest of my $ planes. As I get into more expensive equipment I am starting to wonder if all the diehard Futaba guys are right. Dave/ZZ

I have about 20 Orange Receivers - the Plastic Case and shrink wrapped versions and i have never had a problem. I fly a lot too.

I bought a DX7 in the beginning of last season and have to say that i can't see a difference between the orange and Spektrum receivers. Of course all of my stuff is foamies. I have considered picking up a satellite reciever but never took the plunge.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Orange RX stuff. The Spektrum branded knockoff stuff? Not sure.

You think we have. Problem with counterfited items talk to some one that works in the auto, aviation, or nuclear powerplant world.

Originally Posted by dougdel63

Has anyone come across one of the several websites selling "new" Spektrum brand recievers well below market price?

Yes, over 2 years ago. This is nothing new.

Originally Posted by dougdel63

Or the number of these being listed on Ebay?

Yes, over 18 months ago. This, too, is nothing new.

Originally Posted by dougdel63

I'm convinced that these are Chinese made counterfeit products.

Agreed. And it's nothing new.

Originally Posted by dougdel63

I don't want to see our sport/hobby flooded with imported counterfeit junk that does not meet the quality standards, and is not warrantied by the brand manufacturer.

Unfortunately we've already lost a good part of that game. Yet despite being Chinese, many of the compatible and imitation products have lived up to good quality standards — and, naturally, some have not.

Over a year ago I purchased two Futaba compatible Orange receivers, and about 18 months ago I purchased two DSM2 receivers, one an Spektrum imitation and one a Spektrum compatible. All came from China. And all four worked fine — but I only bought them only for testing while deciding on what 2.4G radio I should focus all my finances. They all passed the tests. And then I sold them. "Huh?" you ask.

Ironically I finally settled on a 2.4G radio from Sanwa/Airtronics, and, to my knowledge, the Chinese have not yet copied Sanwa's FHSS algorithms simply because the sales market is much, much smaller than Spektrum and Futaba. Why Sanwa/Airtronics? Don't ask. I love the low latency (I use their FHSS-1 receivers) and have never had a problem.

But my reason for focusing on this 2.4G brand has nothing to do with low-cost receivers.

It was bound to happen. What haven't they copied? Heck they even copy the copies.

Like said, the same factories produce for more then one company, so it's nothing for them to make similar or outright identical products for someone else, or even themselves to sell.

They've got no development costs to recoup, so it's just a matter of running a "few" extras on the assembly line that they can sell for a tenth of what the original goes for.


And yep I've got a dozen or so of these copies in birds. And I've had problem none with em.

And my LHS carries them, direct from a US company, and it isn't Horizon/Spektrum. Oh and they are triple the price from HK.