I can see both sides of this issue. Manufacturing and product development is always a balancing act. As a manufacturer (and I am one as well), you just have to do your best to gauge market demand for a product, and given that you see a potential, you have to take a leap of faith, knowing that if you leap often enough, sooner or later you will belly flop. It's part of the game. It's how you gain credibility as an innovative company.

To GridRC, a couple of questions, if you are willing to share. What do you consider to be your break-even point if you pursue this product? And, were your other drop-down adapters profitable or a loss to produce?

To the RCTech readers interested in this product, GridRC is not asking for your money or your credit card at this point, just an email committing to buy when/if the product is produced. IMHO, it seems like a pretty low threshold from a commitment perspective.

Tio Lico, if we can get 35+ people, the project can begin immediately but not with the current numbers.

Right now the committed list is only 12 people and the operating costs of a CNC shop (labor, utilities, rent) are expensive and the machines are used only for jobs that pays the bills. Ten drop downs don't pay bills.

We have not taken anyone's money. Once we do take prepayments, those that pay will get their drop down for sure. As for potential, 4PL drop down is not a high demand item but a preference niche upgrade. If you check our website, we have designed a lot of innovative products.

The drop downs for the 4PL or 4PLS will look no different than the ones we did for the MT4, but custom fitted for the 4PL. Right now we don't have time to take a machine off-line to spend a week to make up a prototype. You need understand why.

Ron
Team GRID

http://www.gridrc.com/Team-GRID-imag...st&category=24

Can we see a pic of it on a 4pl? You say it's the same but how will the consumer know if there isn't an actual picture or cad drawing of it? You keep giving us the same answers and i think i speak for everyone when i say that we're tired of it. Go re-read those last few posts and see it from our point of view. We've heard your side dozens of times, please listen to what the consumer is saying.

We would have to buy a 4PLS and then wait for available machining time to make a prototype. We made drop downs for the DX3R and the MT4. Is drop down for a 4PL so unbelievable?

Didn't you tell me that you are going to buy your drop down from another company a month ago?

You don't have to buy a brand new 4pls. You could easily cut cost by prototyping a regular 4pl. I didm't say i was going to buy a drop down from another company. I said i was going to buy one from whoever made one first. I'm tired of waiting and will pruchase one from any company that decides to manufacture one. You could be that company. Btw pretty sure it's free to sketch up a CAD drawing of a 4pl dropdown. That would be a better way to convince people than showing product we've already seen.

You may not care about the 4PLS because you have a 4PL, but there are people that want to see the drop down on a 4PLS before they buy. Since the 4PLS is the new replacement, we need to confirm that the drop down will work on both or else additional costs on two different drop downs and for us to buy two radios for this project.

Right now the 4PL has been flagged as discontinued at Towerhobbies.

I gotta say that after seeing some of Grid's products.... I'm impressed. Nicer than I imagined. I'm definitely in for a 4PLS drop down!



I'm a little surprised by this....as popular as the 4PL is.

Got an email about the dropdown being produced and asking for $$. I hope the ones who have been asking show their support as well. I'm surprised there isnt any mention of it on here...

That is unusual. No email to me, i started the thread and was the first to ask for one. Also i find it weird they say they are producing prototypes on their performance parts thread and don't mention it here at all. Kinda fishy if you ask me. Why wouldn't you post updates and questions about a drop-down on the thread dedicated to it?

Heres the email I got a few days ago:...


Hello all,

We do not want to hold up the 4PL drop down pilot any longer and thus have decided to do it now so you will have yours before the race season is over.

We will be confirming in the next few days if a single drop unit will fit both the 4PL (which is now discontinued) and the 4PLS.

We will also will reserve one of the machining centers on hold for this project.

Please remit your payment as soon as possible to our PayPal address; [email protected]

Price for the 4PL drop down (satin black) is US$79 plus shipping to your region.
USA $17.50
Canada $10.00
International (outside USA/Canada) $17.50

I will keep you posted and we can communicate on our RCTech threads instead of the current 4PL thread which is not ours to begin with.

Team GRID off-road thread
Team GRID on-road thread

If you have any questions, please email or post it on this thread as I will keep close to it everyday.

Again thank you for all your support!

Regards,
Ron

Then what exactly is the point of this thread? Wouldn't it make more sense to post info about it here?

Why because it makes more sense for Team Grid to post info on their products on their own dedicated thread. Not on a thread created by someone else.

$17.50 shipping for a small item?

Ok, then explain the point of this thread.

Have no idea. Ask yourself that question. You created this thread. Lets see how many of those that are begging for a drop-down actually fork out the money for one.