Selling at the NEAT Fair

The 42 vendors saw brisk sales throughout the Fair, and some vendors ran out of certain hot -ticket items. Some merchants used the NEAT Fair as a launch platform for announcing new products. Others showed new concepts that they hope will soon go Into production so we can sport them on our models in the near future. Here are just a few of the new goodies I found as I meandered around the booths.

AstroFlight has a new version of its 110 Deluxe charger dedicated to charging Li-poly batteries. Called the "Deluxe Li-poly," it's capable of charging 1 to 9 Li-poly cells up to an 8A current.

A new vendor, Sombra Labs Inc., showed a pre-production unit of its new "Crystal-Less" 6-channel FM dual-conversion receiver. This employs a second programmer module that allows you to set any RC channel on 72, 75, 40, or 5OMHz. You dial up the channel on the programmer, plug it into the receiver, press a button, and the new frequency is set. The receiver also automatically selects a high or low FM deviation, and it sells for $65. The programmer module will sell for $10 (you need only one of these).

FMA Direct displayed a complete line of assembled Kokam Li-poly battery packs that included its new 34OmAh HD cells, capable of 2OC loads. Other packs have capacities of 700 and 150OmAh and are capable of 1OC loads. FMA also has a new style of connector and connector blocks that make It easy to achieve parallel-pack hookups. I noticed that the company also had a new 3OA, state-of-the-art ESC with many automatic features.

Retter Muren of Norway lectured and flew his new product, the Proxflyer (also the name of his company). This helicopter, which he developed, weighs only 90 grams (3.2 ounces). Probably the most unusual feature is that it doesn't employ servos, gyros, or mixers. It achieves all of its control via three separate electric motors and three speed controllers. While in flight, it appeared to be totally stable, and I am told that it's easy to learn how to fly.

The folks at Hobby People were kind enough to donate a set of their new Cirrus micro RC components that were raffled off during the indoor RC fly-in on Saturday night. They supplied one of their new CS-3 Micro Joule servos, which weighs only 3 grams, a Micro Joule S5A ESC rated at 5 amps continuous and a Micro Joule receiver (above the ESC) that weighs only 2 grams and has auto-shift capabilities. These components will allow the flying of 2- to 3-ounce total weight RC models and should be available in production quantities soon.

This is just a sample of the cool, new and innovative products that were shown at the 2003 NEAT Fair. be sure to attend in 2004 so you can be the first to see, handle and buy the new products as they are unveiled.

-Boo Aberle

Copyright Air Age Publishing Jan 2004
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