RCModelReviews wrote:Yes, it would be a simple firmware fix -- but I suspect that to implement such a fix in a public way would first require some kind of acknowledgment that there is a problem in the first place.
I don't know that a public acknowledgment of problems would be necessary.
A new version, as mentioned earlier, fixing current problems and perhaps adding a few new features could be done without any more than introductory fanfare without any reference to problems with the previous version. It's done all the time in the software environment. All they gotta do is offer a backwardly compatible "bigger/better" version and afficiandos will jump to upgrade. The honorable thing to do, of course, would be to announce that it "corrects" problems with the previous version but that also puts them at risk from those who may have lost aircraft due to problems with the previous version.
If they admit their problems, they're screwed; if they don't admit them, they're dishonest. They're caught in a Catch 22 situation and I suspect their lawyers are the real culprits behind their reluctance to discuss the situation with you, Bruce.
I've never looked at the fine print in the documentation that came with my Spektrum but if there's not a disclaimer clause somewhere absolving them of any damage to aircraft or boats or vehicles the system is used with, they've gotten bad legal advice. Even with such a disclaimer, they can still be liable for collateral damage and anybody can sue anybody else for any reason in spite of disclaimers. Lawsuits are expensive and multiple lawsuits can break a Company.
But as Jab said above, if you were able to identify the problem, they had to know about it before they put the system on the market. If they knowingly put a defective or quesionable product on the market then maybe they ought to be broken.
In all fairness, however, it seems from comments on the blogs that they are working well with customers to resolve individual problems and that's one NOT so small thing to their credit. None of this, of course, excuses them for their hostility or refusal to communicate with you.