Spartan DS760 gyros

[Andy from Sandy]

At what point has the exchange rate affected the manufacture of the Spartan gyro that it has also gone up in price?

[raptorheli2]

the sensors alone for example are made in USA. price for them has changed considerably.

also the gyro for uk customers hasn't changed if you buy the sport and upgrade it free of charge to the UK only.

the price increase is about 14% for the 760ds or price is same for the sport. other companies have gone up about 30-50%.

cheers

[Angelos]

So with the free upgrade, we're effectively being offered a 'price hold'.

This is exactly it. Due to decline of GBP our production costs (electronic components) have increased which in turn pushes up RRP. You may have noticed similar price increases on many other helicopter products. We however wanted to support the UK heli community which is affected the most so we came up with the free upgrade scheme.

The launch of the "ds760 Sport" is also in line with our plans to offer a cut-down gyro (previously mentioned as ds650). While UK customers were offered a price hold, international customers from countries with stronger currencies now have the choice of a cheaper gyro.

-Angelos

[robgt]

The price rise may be related to currency differences, but IMO that's completely irrelevant.
The DS760 is the hottest gyro product on the market (which is why it's like rocking horse shit) and Angelos would want his head read if he didn't increase the price to not only reflect demand, but also it's comparitive value.
Consider the GY611 - a lesser gyro costing significantly more.
Consider the GY401 - a significantly lesser gyro costing about the same.

Great products should be able to (and do) attract a premium price. I think we've been very lucky to be able to buy it so cheaply for this long.

Cheers,
Rob

[Angelos]

At what point has the exchange rate affected the manufacture of the Spartan gyro that it has also gone up in price?

UK does not manufacture electronic components. They are all imported from USA and the Far East. US Dollar is the global currency in the electronics market. Spartan buys such components to build gyros.

Last summer £1 used to buy you US$2 worth of parts. With today's exchange rate you need £1.45 to buy the same parts. That is a 45% increase. Admittedly some of our suppliers have absorbed a bit of that and we have absorbed even more. Which is why as a UK resident you can still own a ds760 at the same price you would have paid last summer.

-Angelos

[machasm]

Can the upgrade from the sport to the full version be done at home or will I have to send it back to Spartan for the upgrade?

[Angelos]

Home of course

-Angelos

[Dashik]

My sport will be with me tommorrow Along with the USB adaptor, which I beleive does the same as the Bluetooth adaptor but cheaper using my netbook. Also got some K&B medium dampers all for my T-Rex 600e. Can't wait to see if my 3d Tail in and figure 8's now turn into Krause-esc Hard 3D like Andy at Fast-Lads said it will

Also got the nice Align yellow canopy for when I pickup my 250 in a week or so

I shop better than women!

All from Fast-lad

[Tim Procter]

Home of course

-Angelos

Just the words I wanted to hear.

[machasm]

Home of course

-Angelos

Is it just a case of loading the 1.08 F/W?

[scallybert]

Sport

Is it just a case of loading the 1.08 F/W?

I've been playing around with a Sport, and key things I've noticed so far:

Gyro itself seems completely physicaly indistinguishable from Standard;

Packaging is pretty much indistinguishable (Seems to have an 'S' sticker on the back);

Documentation seems not to have been updated;

Does *not* appear to communicate with Flash-USB (so no PC set-up utility);

http://www.spartan-rc.com/products/ds760s/ds760s.php - "Note: Product registration and firmware update management server expected to be online by the end of Jan 2009."

I've got a support call into Spartan to see if it doesn't have Flash-USB support, or if it's me doing somethig silly.

Personally, I don't think I'd like the Sport without Flash-USB support.

However, as a way of allowing UK customers to get a DS760 at the old price (via free upgrade), I'm appreciative.

I love the DS760s on my H200s, and the one on my G5 will be great. However, I'm about to stick an £85 LogicTech 2100T on an EP100, and I'll be interested to see how it performs. Perhaps that's what the 'Sport' should be compared against ?

[machasm]

I've been playing around with a Sport, and key things I've noticed so far:

Gyro itself seems completely physicaly indistinguishable from Standard;

Packaging is pretty much indistinguishable (Seems to have an 'S' sticker on the back);

Documentation seems not to have been updated;

Does *not* appear to communicate with Flash-USB (so no PC set-up utility);

http://www.spartan-rc.com/products/ds760s/ds760s.php - "Note: Product registration and firmware update management server expected to be online by the end of Jan 2009."

I've got a support call into Spartan to see if it doesn't have Flash-USB support, or if it's me doing somethig silly.

Personally, I don't think I'd like the Sport without Flash-USB support.

However, as a way of allowing UK customers to get a DS760 at the old price (via free upgrade), I'm appreciative.

I love the DS760s on my H200s, and the one on my G5 will be great. However, I'm about to stick an £85 LogicTech 2100T on an EP100, and I'll be interested to see how it performs. Perhaps that's what the 'Sport' should be compared against ?

From the same page you linked to
For a small fee your gyro can be updated within minutes to the latest fully featured ds760 code at home using the Spartan Flash-Link USB interface.

[scallybert]

From the same page you linked to
For a small fee your gyro can be updated within minutes to the latest fully featured ds760 code at home using the Spartan Flash-Link USB interface.

I'm not sure I get your point..?

You can't do the upgrade until the server is in place (which it seems it's not yet.) I've no doubt you will be able to once that's in place. (Sorry if I appeared to suggest otherwise.)

I think for those of us in the UK that get the free upgrade, the Sport is a nice discount on the full version.

If that free upgrade weren't available (when the offer expires, or for Johnnie Foreigner), I don't think I'd buy a 'Sport'. I think I'd pay the £18 extra for the full version, or look elsewhere.

[raptorheli2]

you can't use the ds760 sport with PC as that is why it is not a full blown DS760. the software isn't enabled on the gyro..............until you get the free update which is due out as per the website.

cheers

[robgt]

Surely the USB port is enabled to somehow allow the firmware update?
This can't be as confusing as it seems, I'm sure... but it does seem confusing
LOL
Cheers,
Rob