TechWun

iTrader: (5)

Actually, they did. Let's break this excerpt down a little. My translation of course

#1

For a free T-Shirt:

Go to your favorite online forum. Some examples are rc-monster.com, rcuniverse.com, traxxas.com, radiocontrolzone.com, rcgroups.com, and rctech.com.

Translation: Here are the sites we would like you to SPAM

#2

Go to the electric or battery section

Translation: We would like you to go to a non-manufacture specific section of the forum to do something you shouldn't be doing there, and we cannot do ourselves without consequence.

#3

and write a little review about your MaxAmps pack and how much you like it.

Translation: Tell the world you love our stuff.

#4

Then drop an email to [email protected] with what the pack was, where you posted the review, your t-shirt size, and your full name and address. We will send you out a T-Shirt free of charge just for spreading the word about our products.

Translation: Help marketing tally up which packs are the most popular amongst certain users, prove to us you boasted our products where you shouldn't have on our behalf, and let us know where we can send the alleged 'FREE" t-shirt that actually just cost you your self-respect.

#5

This is our way of saying “Thank you” for being a loyal MaxAmps fan!

Translation: Thanks for the cheapest method of spamming without consequence a manufacturer could ever hope for.



- Matt

foolio

iTrader: (3)

I nominate this for post of the day...maybe year!

fhm555

iTrader: (2)

No, I don't work for maxamps. Do you work for trinity?

I'm letting the cat out of the bag. I've bought some IB1400 cells and assorted battery building junk from them for my mini cars before I started using team scream cells and they always gave my orders prompt attention and never failed to throw in some small something extra like an additional foot of shrink or a few extra cell bars. I never got a christian themed card, just a hand written and signed thank you note in every order I received but it's been more than a year since I placed an order so that may have changed. More recently I picked up a maxamps 14.8V 2100HV lipo pack for a nitro starter box, a 7.4V 1720 lipo receiver pack for one of my 8th buggies, and a hyperion cell balancer for these packs. I got these items in a combined order with a fellow racer who placed it, so I don't know what kind of card he may have received with the order, but the service was just as prompt as it was when I ordered for myself. What I do know is the lipo packs and balancer have performed flawlessly in their intended applications and have in fact exceeded my expectations in terms of use between charges. Before I made the decision to go with maxamps packs I also looked very hard at HTBatteries, VXR, and ProTek cells. In the end, my decision to use maxamps lipo cells for these applications was based solely on my good past experience dealing with the company and their products, and the 100% positive feedback I received from the local electric racers who have been using maxamps lipos for the past 2 (or more) seasons of off road racing. Oh and BTW, where's my free t-shirt??

Regards the maxamps press release.

I had not read it since I first found their site several years ago, and the only difference I saw when I read it just a moment ago was the addition of the info regards traxxas choosing maxamps lipo packs for testing their new brushless systems. Does it sound over the top? Of course it does, it was after all written by the owner of the company so why would it sound anything but? As for "chocked full with half-truths, misinformation, and downright lies.", could it not just a easily be characterized as a statement from someone who absolutely believes what they are saying is true and is proud of their innovations and accomplishments in advancing a (relatively) new technology? Do you have any personal experience to back these claims? If so, please post it, as I'm always interested in any valid info, be it good or bad, for products related to r/c. Just as I tend to be wary of over the top glowing reviews, I am even more so of over the top scathing reviews. Your opinion of maxamps would lead me to believe you either work for one of their competitors or have had some kind of personal axe to grind with the company.

I was reluctant to mention my experience with maxamps because I didn't want to give the naysayers any additional excuse to view my general low opinion of all forms of advertising as biased. It's a necessary evil of business and I've engaged in it for my own businesses over the years, but it does not make it any less distasteful or in any way diminish the "snake oil" air all its forms exude. I simply find it ironic in an industry where companies live or die by how hard push their products, one form would be considered proof simple of low character while another form of exactly the same thing would be viewed as helpful and acceptable.

To sum up, and this will be the last I've got to say on this subject, I've had dealings with maxamps just like I have with many, many, many other r/c related aftermarket and OEM's in the 10 plus years I've been doing this, and for the most part my experience has been good to excellent with every company I've had dealings with. There have been exceptions, but they have been few and far between. I firmly believe the vast majority of companies/individuals involved in the supply side of this hobby/sport are sincere in their desire to do the right thing by their customers. The true litmus test is longevity and in a field where companies pop up and disappear virtually overnight, the simple fact that maxamps has been not just in business, but growing for the last several years would indicate to me they are doing something right. That being the case, why condemn them for a single error in judgment? They are after all, only human.

kuzo

iTrader: (11)

I hope you don't mind my jumping in here. Regarding the press release. I've found two very specific claims that are a more than over the top that bother me.

First: "Anyone who is telling you that their cells are “safer” does not have a good understanding of the technology."

Totally untrue as we know there is a huge disparity between cell safety.

Second: "We use our own MaxAmps cells in our packs."

They are not a lipo cell manufacturer and to claim it this way is really misleading.

Now, I will say this: Maxamps does have a great pack assembly technique which lower end packs don't even come close to. I just really dislike how they skirt around their cell source the way they do.

Leodis

iTrader: (16)

WTF? Where did that Trinity reference come from? I'd be best described as a "Trinity Hater" (if you read some of my posts regarding Trinity) and based on your two long ass posts in this thread, I'd say you're a "Maxamps Apologist".

I've had the same experience with my Maxamps 8000, but that's not the issue.

Emphasis mine. Like I told my mom as a 4 year old when she caught me in a lie: "But mom, I made it up to be the truth".

Do you really want to go there? There's so much BS on that page that it will take me an hour to dissect all of it, but I'd be more than happy to do that after work today if you want.

Wrong and wrong. I've never worked for an RC related company and I don't have a personal axe to grind. My Maxamps 8000 works just fine thank you very much. I just don't like some of the BS Maxamps pulls and the fact that they aren't transparent about who supplies their cells, but they're not the only company who does that.

Same song, 29th verse. It should get better, but it's just getting worse.

Emphasis mine. I couldn't disagree more. There are some RC companies who have been around for a long time that are actually hurting the hobby right now. Longevity only means that a company can stay in the black. It does not mean "they are doing something right", IMO.

fhm555

iTrader: (2)

It's obvious we have very different views concerning the motivations of our r/c parts suppliers, and it's also obvious we will not change each others minds in this respect so I can't see any more discussion on that subject doing anything but making things worse.

I would however very much enjoy a dissection of the maxamps "about us" page. I'm not looking for mistakes or trying to catch you in something, I'm asking because my knowledge of lipo is poor at best and what better way to get some good lipo related info than to have someone with knowledge on the subject clear up the misconceptions being laid down by the folks at maxamps? I got out of electric racing years back primarily because it died out locally, but I was also becoming discouraged by the cost to compete in the nimh "battery wars" which were really kicking into overdrive at about the same time. We are starting to get some local interest in electric off road again, enough that I'm thinking about giving it another whirl, but it will have to be with lipo due to the longer mains being run these days in electric. If you feel up to it, the info would be much appreciated.

Jason Pelletier

iTrader: (33)

honestly who cares.

fhm555

iTrader: (2)

I would think lipo newbies would really care. I know I do.

Until I read all the slams against maxamps on this thread I thought I was beginning to get a handle on lipo, but apparently I don't have a clue about the importance of source of cell manufacture or the pros and cons of pack assembly. Since both seem to be vital safety issues, I would think that kind of info would be important to anyone who lacked it.

Unless of course we are just supposed to repeat the same mistakes made by those with more lipo experience. If that's the case, what real purpose does a form like this serve?

Just trying to up my lipo knowledge quotient.

Shazbot

iTrader: (8)

Joe, how could you possibly fit any more knowledge into that head of yours? For what it's worth, I am sticking with Maxamps. Excellent customer service and a quality product, what's not to like? The way I see it, if you don't like the way they advertise then just buy from someone else.

Mike J

fhm555

iTrader: (2)

I kinda felt the same way about maxamps, but after some of the comments I've read in this thread there are apparently more problems there than simply poor judgment when it comes to advertising methods. Being a lipo neophyte I didn't want to make a costly mistake which could be avoided with the help of these veteran lipo jocks who feel maxamps is lying about their products.

As for additional knowledge, there is no such thing as too much information.

Oh and BTW, congrats on your border wars win. I never doubted electric would spank nitro if they ran heads up. Score one for the ampheads. I'm bummed the XXXT CR won't be out in time for the resurrection race so I could run electric instead of nitro, if I get to run it at all.

tyreguy

iTrader: (148)

so do you still feel this way?

glassdoctor

iTrader: (4)

did he have some problem with maxamps or something?