Action R/C Electronics
About the business
ACTion was started by Craig Talbot in 1994. Craig was an enthusiastic
modeller, primarily interested in boats and trucks, who wanted a particular
sound effect which he couldn’t find in any shop. Being a skilled electronics
engineer he set to and designed one. This proved to be very successful
and was soon in demand from other modellers, so Craig began to expand
his range of sound simulators. When he was made redundant from his job
he was persuaded to build ACTion into a full-time business. Sadly he passed
away in May 2007 but not before he saw his friend Dave Milbourn take over
the business.
Dave is perhaps best known for his design and drawing work on the recent Model Slipway kits, but he has been in and around the model trade for a long time – having designed the original Precedent Huntsman 31 in 1972 and most of the subsequent Precedent model aircraft kits e.g. Hi Boy, Bi Fly, T-180.
All of the ACTion units are made “in house”, which means that if the one you need isn’t already in stock then one will be made up for dispatch on the same day. Units in DIY kit-form are packed to order. Stock units can often be modified for a specific purpose (e.g. we have sold more than one P14 Destroyer Sound unit for use as a doorbell!) or we can offer advice on using them in specific installations. There is a fixed-charge repair service for ACTion units and this fee can be credited against the cost of a new unit if the old one proves to be unserviceable. We can’t, however, repair non-ACTion items or undertake special projects or one-offs.
Please note that ACTion is a ‘mail-order only’ business and, although we like to see our customers, you should always let us know in advance if you want to collect your goods. We attend several of the regular model shows at various venues during the year, so make a visit to see us and have a chat with us there. We usually take our whole range of products (except kits) but if we run out of stock then you can order with payment and we’ll send on your goods post-free after the show.
Dave and his wife Liz pride themselves on the quality and speed of their service – just like Craig, they like to get it right.
About the products
The ACTion range includes electronic speed controllers from 1A
to 20A; motor/steering mixers; multi-function controllers; in-line fuse-boards
and full power-distribution boards; several different sound effects units
e.g. foghorn, steam whistle, ASDIC, destroyer “whoop”; R/C switchers from
one to four functions; bulb-flashing devices and engine sounds for smaller
models which are coupled to the speed controller and whose “revs” increase
with engine speed. We also have the fantastic P100 Noisy Thing which is
a comprehensive digital-sound-sample playback system. Many of these units
are microprocessor-based and most can be purchased either ready-built
or in kit form. Other items such as motors, speakers and smoke-generators
are also stocked for your convenience.
What we don't sell.........
We aren't a general model boat supplier; we are a specialist retail-manufacturer
and so we only sell the items which are on our price list. This
doesn't include such items as radios, servos, props, couplings, shafts,
rudders, batteries, chargers, cable or boat fittings. While we
are happy to point customers to other traders' websites, we believe it
is the customer's role to source and order items from the appropriate
supplier.
Wiring diagrams
There are now over 150 of these on the website, covering not
only the whole Model Slipway range but several other manufacturers' kits
and many "freelance" designs, including three bait boats. They
are now catalogued according to the manufacturer's name (where appropriate)
to make them easier to find. We also have an Excel table of these drawings
which shows the various units fitted in each installation, along with
such information as number of engines, sounds, bow thruster and other
functions. You can use the various clever devices within Excel to sort
and filter out the exact installation you require. If anyone would like
a copy of this file (Excel 2003 version .XLS or .CSV) then just send us
your E-Mail address. Please note, as explained above, that we may well
not sell every item which is required for an installation as per these
diagrams, and we certainly don't sell full installation "kits".
Our Price List should be your guide.
P100 User Manual Parts 1 and 2
These are now available to view and copy from the website, under
"Articles". Part 1 deals with the installation, connection and
operation of the unit, while Part 2 is for those who have purchased the
optional CD-ROM and wish to choose which sounds to load, as well as format
and upload their own sounds. The installation of Windows 7 drivers is
also now covered. I should mention that a printed copy of Part 1 is supplied
with every P100, and Part 2 is included on the CD-ROM - these website
copies are for user reference or further information for prospective buyers.
FUTABA 2.4GHz radio - Update - Jan 2012
We heard from a customer that the new Futaba 6J radio will not
operate a P94 properly. We've now obtained a set and can confirm that
every ACTion product seems compatible except P94. We have also
recently had a similar experience with a Futaba 2.4GHz Skysport radio.
We've now found that the 6J set doesn't use the time-honoured method of
transmitting the signal pulses for each channel in sequence; rather it
sends them out almost simultaneously. This means that the pulse code detection
software in P94 is unable to distinguish between the throttle and steering
signals because they now "overlap". We have concluded
that we can't adapt the P94 to work with these sets without a total redesign,
so if you want to use a 6J or 2.4 GHz Skysport set then be aware
that P94 isn't compatible with it. Please note that the "old"
2.4GHz FASST Futaba sets (e.g. the 6EX) and the VHF Skysports work fine
with P94. As far as we know, all other manufacturers' 2.4GHz sets are
fine, too.
How to use this website
On the left-hand side of this homepage you will see a blue rectangle,
headed Main Menu. If you move the cursor of your mouse over each sub-heading
it will change from an arrow into a pointing finger. If you then click
once with the left-hand mouse button then one of two things will happen,
depending upon which sub-heading you select:
Where the sub-heading is Main Menu, Home, Price List, Dates or Contact Us, then your web browser will take you straight to the relevant page of the website.
For Products and Diagrams, however, a second “fly-out” menu will appear. You should then move you cursor over the name of page you are interested in, and left-click once.
The Products are divided into pages of similar units (e.g. speed controllers), and there are two pages of Miscellaneous item at the end. Except for the very last page, further product information is available if you move the cursor over the picture of each unit/product, when it will turn into a pointing finger. If you then left-click your mouse once it will open a PDF file which contains the full instructions, wiring diagrams, a photo sequence of building the kit version etc. These are large files and may take a while to download, depending on the speed of your Internet connection. You won’t be able to download and save these files but you can print them out or “bookmark” their URLs for future reference.
The Wiring Diagrams are divided between complete installations for all current Model Slipway kits, and other diagrams which have been done either for general use or have been specifically requested by ACTion customers. Finally there are some articles which have been compiled to explain various aspects of RC Model Boat electronics, and are (of course) biased towards our products. If you're installing the radio and other functions in your latest model there is almost certainly something in amongst them to inform and inspire you.
We thought long and hard about this but we concluded that many
customers wish to confirm that they are buying the correct unit for the
job they have in mind before they make a purchase. It’s easiest then to
give us a call and, if the unit is suitable, the transaction can be completed
over the phone. It’s also far more secure than posting your card details
over the Internet, which still worries many people – us included. Having
said that, we're not aware of any security problems with our customers'
credit card transactions since we took over ACTion.
You can also order by E-Mail, but it’s best then to forward your card
details split between two or more E-Mails. Please note that we will
now require the 3-digit security number (from the Signature strip on the
back of the card) as well as the card account number, cardholder's name
and address and card expiry date. We accept Mastercard, VISA, Maestro
(UK only), Switch – in fact, just about all of the recognized credit and
debit cards except AMEX. We can also accept Pay Pal, although we reserve
the right to supply only accredited Pay Pal purchasers (as considered
necessary). Please note that orders paid via Pay Pal will carry a 2% surcharge
to allow for their commission, which is twice that charged to us for Mastercard/VISA.
International Bank Transfers are acceptable but we would
strongly urge you to check with your bank on how much they are going to
charge you to do this. We had a customer who was charged almost 25% of
the value of the transfer as fees - and then we were also charged
by our own bank for converting A$ into Sterling! Finally there’s the good
old-fashioned “snail-mail” post. Cheques should always be made out in
£GB Pounds Sterling; we regret that we can’t accept cheques in any other
currency. Please make Cheques/Postal Orders out to “ACTION R/C Electronics
Ltd”
Finally, we are a mail-order business so goods are sent out strictly on a payment-with-order basis. We will only debit your card when the goods are sent out, although it’s very rare that we are unable to despatch goods on the same day. We don’t offer credit so please don’t ask us to send goods with an invoice for subsequent payment – it’s embarrassing for all concerned to have to refuse.
Out-of-hours phone calls
We don't have a separate business phone line so if you ring outside
our normal business hours then you will be interfering with our
homelife, and you might get a pretty terse reply......... Sorry - but
we can't afford our own 24/7 call centre!
Carriage charges
These are shown at the end of the published Price List, and should
be added to the value of the order before sending it off. For customers
outside the EU, we generally weigh the items and will quote you an actual
cost price. We use Royal Mail First Class post as our “default” carrier
although we will do our best to comply with requests to use alternative
carriers. Such costs will always be charged to the customer. We don’t
aim to make a profit from our carriage charges.
International customers should note that our terms are DDU i.e. they are
responsible for paying any import duties and taxes due in the country
of destination. Acceptance of these terms is implicit in placing an
order.
Fiscal matters
We are now registered for UK Value Added Tax. This means that
the price list is VAT-inclusive and applies to all customers within the
UK and the EU. Customers outside the EU are able to purchase goods VAT-free;
please give us a call to obtain a firm price, including shipping.
Warranty Terms and Conditions (aka The small print……….)
ACTion R/C Electronics guarantee all products to be free from
manufacturing defects for 12 months from date of purchase. This does not
cover suitability for specific applications; components worn or damaged
by use, tampering or incorrect connection; misuse; alteration to original
components; damage to batteries or other equipment through use, or shipping
damage. Where goods are found to be faulty, the customer shall return
them to ACTion R/C Electronics in their original condition and with their
original instructions, packaging etc.
Where a fixed repair charge is applicable, ACTion R/C Electronics shall undertake repairs to the extent that they are judged economically viable. Where such is not the case then the customer will be offered the option of crediting the repair charge towards the cost of a new unit or having the faulty unit returned and the charge refunded (less the cost of return carriage). Our liability is limited to repairing or replacing goods to their original specification and will not exceed the cost of the goods. By using the product the user accepts all liability. We reserve the right to modify this guarantee without notice. None of the above affects your statutory rights.
In any instance where you are unhappy with either our goods or our service then please contact us informally before taking any further action.
Recycling
We try to do our bit for the environment and we are conscious
of the EU regulations about the safe disposal of electronic equipment,
so we would ask that you return any unserviceable ACTion unit to us if
you are unable to dispose of it properly. As regards the packaging of
our goods, we frequently make use of materials which have been used by
our own suppliers to send goods to us, so if your box looks as if it’s
been made up from another one then it probably has!