Bump for a great idea.

I would be interested.

The MT4 drop downs are not exactly flying off shelf. It is a good thing we are running a small batch because the hundreds and hundreds of promises from a few racers have fizzled away. Those that made those promises never bought.

What racers ask for and what they actually buy is two different things.

Here is what 4PL owner said to us; "Looking forward to a drop down, but I need to get the radio skins first because my radio would get noticed first with it. You know, looking like a pro gives me more confidence when I am racing"

As for the 4PL, we will keep watching this thread.

Radio skins are the least thing on the mind of most racers and bashers. I look at the driver's stand @ my track and only 2-3 people out of the 50 total have a skin on their radio, regardless of brand. I know most drivers think the feel of the radio is what comes first. Being comfortable when driving is a top priority when driving, and especially when racing.

If a racer really wanted a drop down, they would have bought a 4PKS. True a percentage of racers don't want to shell out the bucks for a 4PKS and settle on a 4PL. The rest of the masses buy the 4PL mainly for cost and never have a need for a drop down.

Radio skins and back light are high on MT4 owners, so 4PL owners are not that much different. We prefer a drop down just like you, but from a business point of view, manufacturing a product that just won't sell is another. Look at Upgrade RC and their product offering of skins for radios, car bodies, chargers and even light stands, people buy them.

So, thus the reason we need to watch this thread and decide in a month's time to do or not to do the project. Racers have budgets. They expect to pay $33 for a drop down because the skins cost $33.

We got another feedback from another racer, "I don't want to pay 25% of my radio for a drop down".

I guess the question I have for you is, how many drivers at your track own 4PL verses 4PKS? and how many of those 4PL owners will actually "BUY" a drop down if available?

Ron
Team GRID

Most run spektrum at my track, but there are some guys that might be interested in a drop down. All i know is that a drop down is a must for tight layouts and technical sections of the track.

i just found this thread a day or two ago and the only thing on my mind is that there is a possibility of this happening. I've tried a friends 4pk and loved how the drop down felt. I am 100% committed to this product and cannot wait for it's release.

I've never felt uncomfortable driving with transmitters as they are. Never tried one with a drop down wheel though. Can someone explain the benefits of having a drop down please.

It creates a way more natural feel and can really help you get comfortable when driving. The stock position for the 4pl is awkward where it's located. I struggle to find a spot on the wheel where i can feel comfortable the whole race. A drop down option would definitely help my driving be more consistent.

We decided to go forward with a drop down for the 4PL but only as a pilot run. You can not order these on our web site because it will be a custom run.

We received promises for hundreds and hundreds requests for the MT4 drop down and when the time came to go to production, only a handful actually order. Please understand our decision to do the 4PL drop down as a pilot only. Drop down are in general, preference upgrades which majority racers don't care for.

The pilot will be prepaid and only customers that prepaid will receive their drop down. Once we cut off the prepaid, we won't be able to take more payment as the run would have started. We have to incur the cost of purchasing several 4PL radios for R&D and testing plus the cost of prototyping and pre-production units for this pilot.

Since the 4PL was never intended for a drop down, no mounting holes are there for that simple reason. In order for the GRID 4PL drop down to be installed you will be required to disassemble the radio and drill mounting holes outside the steering post on the case. We will include a correct drill bit, mounting hardware and complete instructions to do it. The final result will be a professionally installed drop down on your 4PL.

We are serious about this project, and if you really want a drop down then send me a PM so I put you on that list. If I feel we have enough people, then you will be asked for the prepayment in advance. We then will need at least one to two weeks to mill up a prototype and test. When testing is done, production units will be made.

Regards,
Ron
Team GRID

I'm signed up for the pilot run, who else? I'm so ready!

Im in too

The only part about this project that has me concerned is drilling and tapping your own mounting holes to be able to run this drop down wheel. Me being a machinist I will have no problems doing this, but this might just be the coffin closer on this project for the average Joe. I would like to see pictures of the installation process.

my names on the list aswell

edit** I believe no taping will be necessary because I'm thinking that the screws heads will be on the inside of the radios plastic case and thread into the drop down. But I guess it could be designed in a different way.

I don't think drilling holes would be an issue if there is a sticker template you can lay on radio for holes that need to be drilled.