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ALTA's Grounded - Critical Issue - please read

Discussion in 'ALTA' started by Tabb Firchau, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. Tabb Firchau

    Tabb Firchau Administrator
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    Today we discovered an issue with the ALTA wiring and are recommending an immediate grounding of the in-service fleet.

    We have identified that motor signal wires may fray after around 200 open and closing cycles on the folding boom.

    If the connection is damaged, the ALTA will not initialize. But there is the possibility that an ALTA could have a compromised wire and still pass the initialization checks. This leaves a scenario where if the connection were lost in flight one of the motors could shut down.

    As such the safest option is to ground the fleet and repair the faulty wiring.

    Freefly discovered this information today and is acting swiftly to issue the service bulletin same day. Our customer’s safety is top priority and we are committing to a transparent and expedient resolution.

    We have not received any reports of motor signal wire failures from customers in the field. Our Engineering team has identified a solution and is presently putting together a resolution plan. We will provide an update within 48 hours.

    We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience that we know this will cause you. We hope you keep in mind our commitment to our customers and our products as we make this right.


    Tabb


    We will be sending out a service bulletin shortly....
     
  2. Peter Lethbridge

    Peter Lethbridge New Member

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    I'm glad you are taking proactive steps to correct this. My concern is how long this will take to fix. We all have work lined up for these machines and a lot of money invested.

    Lets hope this can be fixed without having to send the whole machine back.
     
  3. Rolf Ableiter

    Rolf Ableiter Active Member

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    thanks for that information!!!

    is there anything we can check to see if one of the cables is compromised?
    mine is far away from 200 open and closings but if i can check anything it would be great...
     
  4. MIke Magee

    MIke Magee Active Member

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    Tabb, this is never the type of news we want to hear, but we are SO grateful that you are handling this product with the level of safety and professionalism that you are.

    Having lost substantial money in failures that were known but not communicated by "other" vendors, you are building trust with every SB.

    Thanks.
    -m


     
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  5. Michael McVay

    Michael McVay Active Member

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    +1
     
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  6. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    Good on ya, Tabb. Thank you. I'm sure this was a painful discovery, but we all know that proactively addressing such things is far better than sticking one's head in the sand and hoping that it goes away. This just makes a great ship even better. We all await your guidance.
     
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  7. Chris Jordan

    Chris Jordan Member

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    BALLS right there. Tabb is the man.
     
  8. Peter Lethbridge

    Peter Lethbridge New Member

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    Hi Tabb, Are we getting the update today?
     
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  9. Chris Jordan

    Chris Jordan Member

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    Yup I need my ship in the air asap to get ready for a motion picture job.
     
  10. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    What were you flying before you had the alta?
     
  11. MIke Magee

    MIke Magee Active Member

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    Just in:

    Thank you all for your continued patience while work out the final details and logistics of the solution. All units will need the signal wiring replaced. We have set up an RMA process to get your units back to us for updating (and back in your hands) as quick as possible.

    Please note that our target *turnaround time is 7 to 10 business days but given some of the unknowns (ie; unit arrival timeframe), there may be some fluctuation in that estimate. We will let you know when and if that happens.

    To start the process, please reply to this email with the information below. Our Support Techs will respond with a prepaid standard shipping label within the next 2 days. We will then update the ALTAs in the order they arrive.

    Required info for prepaid standard return shipping label:
    full name
    the address you will be shipping your ALTA from
    our phone number
    your ALTA serial number – this is located (6 digit number engraved above the status light on the back of the unit)

    *Turnaround time is defined as the day after the unit arrives at out facility to the date it leaves our facility back to you.

    Best Regards,
    Denise

    Denise Fitzgerald
    DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

    WWW.FREEFLYSYSTEMS.COM
    INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | VIMEO

    Freefly ALTA – Look to the Sky

     
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  12. Chris Jordan

    Chris Jordan Member

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    S1000 with Gh4. They insist on the Arri Mini and prime lenses.
     
  13. Thanks for posting that Mike - If folks could send the information noted above to the Support@freeflysystems.com address and not directly to me, it will expedite the process a bit.

    Thanks,
    Denise
     
  14. Tabb Firchau

    Tabb Firchau Administrator
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    Yes,

    We sent out details to each customer. Unfortunately the units have to come back. We are prepping a re-work war room and getting all hands on deck to turn these units around as quickly as possible

    Thanks
    Tabb
     
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  15. MIke Magee

    MIke Magee Active Member

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    Tabb, if I were local (Alas, Boston), I'd come in and help gratis. Invest in good coffee. Well done.

    -m

     
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  16. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    It's interesting that it's the signal wires. I somehow assumed it was the power wires. I guess the signal wires are more delicate. Thanks for looking after us #freeflyers.
     
  17. Rolf Ableiter

    Rolf Ableiter Active Member

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    okay - this is not good...
    i am locateted in Germany and turnaround time is 10 business days from arrival to send at/from freefly (and there is something saying me, that it will last longer).
    shipping from Germany is about 3 business days minimum each = 6 days. So the ALTA wich arrived brand new a few days ago will be on the road for 16 business days(!) wich is in fact a month. I have 7 day jobs with the ALTA to do in October. no other machine. if i loose these jobs i loose lots of money and i loose customers (wich is the biggest problem long term).
     
  18. Aj White

    Aj White Member

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    Well, they won't say this but I would just do the jobs and RMA it after. I have nowhere near even 100 flights on it so have still been messing with it for the last few days. Again, it's always good to be safe but not sure it's a worry when brand new! Just my $.02
     
  19. Rolf Ableiter

    Rolf Ableiter Active Member

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    that's what i need to do.
    it would be a good idea for freefly to have a service partner in germany (or europe).
     
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  20. Peter Lethbridge

    Peter Lethbridge New Member

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    I'm in a similar boat, in the UK, have jobs to do. will loose money as a result of being without the machine for 2 weeks. I can't say I'm pleased. Perhaps a more logical approach for the foreign owners would be for Freefly to send a replacement machine and swap it out with the current one. They are all new. This would reduce/eliminate the downtime. I don't think any new European user has anywhere use that could cause the problem
     
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