any continuing interest?
 

i see most of the posts here about the dNano are nearly 5 months old. are customers in america still interested in the dNano? we're working on getting some to the states and are opening a shop here in pattaya

i'm sure there would be if not for the continual slip in time lines, sole distribution setup and general lack of timely information. it's like you have to fight kyo to get anything from them and when you do, it's cryptic, vague, or just disappointing.

it's a great product! we just can't get it...

I'm in Hong Kong right now, but will be back in the US in about 3.5 months. If the Kyosho store is open today, I'm picking one up! :)

The points arch2b made are valid, and probably most of the problem. Hang in there, Kyosho will get it together. Hopefully... :o

we're selling them here in thailand... made a few tracks, got a new blog up. its a great littel car & i'm addicted... i'm hoping others will catch on, but you're right, kyosho is being protective about this one

People over here were more interested in them when they were first released, but since Kyosho is always late to the game, it's starting to dwindle.

That and the price alone are driving people away. They are extremely cool cars, but simply not worth the price of admission. That kind of money can and will buy you so much more in the R/C hobby that you can actually race.


I can totally see Kyosho shooting themselves in the foot with this one. I'll end up getting one, but that's cause I'm a diehard micro fan. These just won't make it over here with that kind of pricing.









silla

i don't believe dNano fits the american market either. cultural attitudes and a change in the way people see this hobby in the states make that obvious. then again, i'm just one guy & someone smarter than me could come up with a way to make people shell out that dough :D

I definitely think it's a niche, but I was born and raised in the US and I think it's awesome!

don't get me wrong... i love my country but one has to acknowledge cultural & geographical differences when discussing product marketing. japan is a tiny country compared to the US and that alone introduces a completely different way of thinking for business professionals & their social habits. this item obviously isn't designed for middle/low income hobbyists & one can assume that just based on the product pricing scheme. currently, the US economy isn't a great place to try to sell luxury goods :(

All very valid points, but I just wanted to let people know there is some american interest.

Even if the US economy was booming, the dNaNo would still fail here at that kind of pricing. It offers alot of whistles and bells that aren't required for running it and that hurts it in the end.

Most US owners will never see a need for 2.4RX/TX, or the PT (personal transponder) as most will end up running them in the living room till they get bored with it, so they could have left those out and dropped the price to just an insane one, instead of a really insane one.lol

Very few people at the track run Kyosho, cause you can't hardly get parts for them. The mini-Z line is fantastic too, but go to a LHS and ask about one and you'll see what I mean.

Even in a failing economy, people are willing to spend money. Traxxas is getting ready to release their new 1/16 E-Revo wih a brushless system already in it. It will be no where near what a dNaNo costs and will come with twice as much. See where I'm heading???



People all over the WORLD know that Americans will buy what ever they want, when ever they want and that's one of the reasons for the price. Just really trying to take advantage of consumers. You think people in Japan are paying $400+ dollars for one of these? NOPE!

The dNaNo shop in Miami will fail for the same reasons. It's not hard to price your self right out of the market these days.


I still want one, but it's mainly for the "cool" factor. It's not like there are any places to race around here. I've tried to turn the locals onto them, but they just turn a deaf ear to it, cause for the same money, you can race 1/8 nitro on a big off road track with quite a few people that have similar interests.










silla

saying a dnano is just like any other r/c mini is like saying a diamond is like any other rock out there in the backyard. kyosho didn't develop it for your "play around the house" toy market and quite obviously, they have no desire to attract that market so while you may have points in mind, they're completely irrelevant to the product we're discussing. take a look at http://dnano.jp and browse their online shop. use a currency converter and you'll see the pricing is just about on level so yes, they are paying and again, its because of their perspective of value.

1/8 nitro??? :eek: you're kidding me... engines, gas, parts & all the things you need to be competitive can skyrocket to over 2 grand before you hit the track. racing a dnano just takes buying a model & a starter kit... so, even if you got any necessary uprades, you're still looking at LESS than 800 bucks. how does that compare to 1/8th racing in any way?? :confused: (btw, i do race 1/8th truggy).

The MSRP for the traxxas mini is $300 RTR. Do the math.

No. They're paying $280. ;)


Not to mention RCP is developing a new track specifically for the dnano. You'll be able to make any layout you'd like, unlike the existing tracks. When people get tracks or make tracks to run these things on, I think they'll catch on. People thought the same thing about mini-zs at their release. Boy were they wrong.

Plus, saying that getting into dnanos is about the same price point as getting into 1/8th scale nitro r/c is borderline ridiculous. $280=$2000. Don't think so. ;)

I never said, or compared it to any other mini, or micro. I simply said that part of the price was because of added features that most american buyers would'nt need. PT's jack the price up and if there are no tracks to use it on, then why pay for it?



I never said I didn't understand the value behind these cards. What I did say, was that most consumers and not just in the USA, but all over the world know they can get more "bang" for the buck when it comes to the hobby of R/C.


Sure you can. I see new people come to the track all the time with RTR buggies/ RTR truggies and RTR whatever they sell. I never said you'd get a Kyosho ST-RR, or a Mugen MBX-6, or XRAY, ect for that price. I said you could get on the track for under what you could could get on a dNaNo track.

I race nitro too, so I see it all the time. And to get started with a dNaNo here in the US, is $240 for the car, $155 for the starter pack. That's just under $400 and it's just the car and TX. RCP is expensive and you can drop almost a grand on that, so that's close to $1,300 and you still need the timing system from Kyosho, so that's even more and you'll still be running by your self. So, yeah, you can get involved with R/C racing at a fraction of the cost to get into racing these dNaNos

R/C gear loses value so quick, espcially nitro, so you can even pick up slightly used high end gear off ebay for pennies on the dollar. Go see what an older MBX5T is going for.




And things never sell for the MSRP, so that makes it even cheaper, and the dNaNo is $400 RTR here, so tell me again how that's not cheaper. I think you need a math lesson.



Which is cheaper that $400



That's making it even more



Why do you think it takes $2000 to get in to racing nitro 1/8 or nitro 1/10?

This isn't $2000 http://cgi.ebay.com/OFNA-Hyper-ST-Tr...3A1%7C294%3A50 and you can go right to a track and race all you want. I've been racing R/Cs of all types for years and you don't need the most expensive rig to win. 75% driver 25% truck









silla

you're completely ignoring glaring facts for the sake of argument....

required to RACE nitro:
1) Car
2) Engine
3) Gas
4) Batteries
5) Charger
6) Radio (DSM)
7) Necessary Accesories (ie starter box, clutch shoes, etc)
TOTAL COST: ~2000US+

Required to RACE Dnano:
1) Car (all necessary tools come with car)
2) Radio (comes with charger and car battery)
3) Batteries
TOTAL COST: ~250US

tracks shouldn't be included in such a calculation but if you like, an RCP track is around 250US so you're still looking at 480US at the most to run at home. the tracking system is maybe 150US and you're STILL at only 630US.

assuming you're the one intitating the racing, then include the cost of the 1/8th scale track and timing system (AMBrc runs about 3k used). there are tracks available already but was it like that for 1/8th scale 5 years ago? everything starts somewhere.

why would you even compare traxxas to kyosho racing products? the only thing traxxas makes for racing is the REVO and its a monster truck. like i said, you're comparing diamonds to cobble stones so you're making it painfully obvious that you can't see the difference in value OR quality here. like i said from the beginning, kyosho's marketing demographic for this item is HIGH INCOME COLLECTOR's, not your average hobbyist... without taking that into consideration, you'll never understand why kyosho is not in a rush to just sell it to anybody, anywhere.

How can you get better bang for your buck. You don't have to pay another $50 - $100 for a transponder plus the initial cost of the vehicle.

I'm gonna break this one down nice and slow for ya because clearly I'm not the one who needs a math lesson. ;) $2000 is high, but getting into dnano is still clearly cheaper.

- Team Associated RC8RS Race Spec RTR Buggy $500
- AMB Transponder $100
- Nitro Fuel $90

Total: $690

-Dnano RTR (includes chassis, body, battery, charger, and 2.4ghz transmitter) $280
-RCP Mini-96 $200
-Timing System $175

Total: $655

690 - 655 = $35

The timing system isn't totally compulsory either. You could save $175 and have people count your laps for you.

Retailers can't sell things but a small percentage lower or higher than an MSRP. Even though the acronym has suggested in it, the price isn't very suggested.

sorry guys, but my estimates are on buying good equipment & cars for racing... quality stuff doesn't come cheap & going cheap normally means losing cuz of broken parts, faulty systems that are considered "bargains".... ex: m11 radio 270US, losi 8ight race roller 650US, ninja jx21 engine 300US, additional tires, chargers, gas, etc about 300US, ambrc transponder 100US = 1620US before tax & shipping.... even with all the available hop-ups for dnano, you're still at less than a grand & none are required for being competitive... there is no comparison, we should leave it at that ;)

I agree 100%. No matter how you look at it, getting into dnanos is cheaper.

BTW, any updates about your shop?

yep... just posted one last nite. ;)

Must've missed it. Checking now... :)

You two are too funny. And your pricing is way off the mark. Racing is racing is racing. I know people at the tracks that have the same points of view, but that don't make it so.

I don't understand why you keep saying I don't understand the value of the Kyosho dNaNo? I totally understand how nice and advanced the set up it has is. That has no bearing though. Just cause I see it, doens't make it the way of the United States. And making comparisons from a collector to a racer is 2 totally different things.

Just cause you can spend $2000 on a buggy/truggy doesn't mean that's what it takes to get started. I know people with that much tied up in mini Zs.

Nitro might be $90 over where you are, but here in the good ol USA, it's a whopping $22 per gallon on average. I pay $27 for Byrons Gen 2 25%race and PT rental is FREE with your $10 dollar entry fee.

You DON'T need a starter box. A roto start will do, or a pullstart will do.


Did either of you 2 bother to look atthe link I provided, or were you too anxious to reply with nonsense?

We laugh at new comers that drop that kind of money to get started. It's simply not worth it. Yeah, Traxxas isn't known for their "race" kits, but the Revo dominates the MT class...


I know how much a 8ight T roller is and I'm telling you, it's the fan boys that follow the leader in what they buy.

I'm from the SHOW ME STATE, guys, so don't tell me, show me. Show me where I can buy a dNaNo in the States for under $300 RTR. Post a link, or stop saying it's so.



You couldn't be more wrong about MSRP, guy. The MSRP on the Revo was close to a grand and it sells for almost half that.

I know you guys want to argue about it, but you've picked the wrong site to do it on.


You guys are way off the mark and it shows. Not only that, but it's people like you that keep new people from joining the hobby, cause you make it sound sooo expensive. It can be, but it doesn't have to be and that drives new comers away. A $500 O.S. Speed doesn't win races, practice does. PERIOD





Funny stuff guys.







silla

Alright folks, I'm seeing smoke. Before it turns into Flames...

Opinions, debates, objections, etc...All are fine and even welcome in the case of helping the hobby. What's NOT welcome is taking it to a personal level. no more personal attacks, please.

NanoTrax,
Personally, you're in Thailand which automatically puts you in my "good people" list (since I'm 1/2 Thai!) :) I also like your site, very nicely done and your being a shutterbug certainly doesn't hurt! ;)

But as a Mod/Admin on this site, I have to ask you to please stop announcing/advertising anything about your site while you're here at ours (Since TinyRC.com is also a shop). ...If you'd like to arrange something about advertising on this site, please feel free to contact the site owner directly.

Now, the topic of this thread is interest (or the lack thereof) in the DNaNo. Let's keep it that way and not bring other scales into it.

My take on it...
I believe Kyosho was/is gearing the DNaNo to being a strictly Japan/Asian product. Japanese culture is very much high tech based (man, they've got toilets that look like plane panels!). They love super sophisticated, in super small size. The DNaNo with all its' high tech capabilities and size fits very nicely in that culture.

Over here in the States, we're a culture that's not all that hyped about technology. We want BIG, FAST, LOUD and INTIMIDATING...And we want it CHEAP...But there's a few of us out there that also love micro technology and fewer yet of us that are willing to pay a little extra for it.

...To a point!

NanoTrax, you mentioned a total cost of ~$250 for DNaNo...WHERE?! Cheapest I've found is on eBay. RTR is $290(US), then there's still the $40 shipping cost and you still have to get the AA/AAA batteries. Even on your site you sell a combo RTR for 11,800 Baht ($335) and I'd imagine that's before shipping costs as well.

For me, I'd be willing to pay up to $280 for a DNaNo (RTR, including the cost of shipping). But considering Kyosho's mentality of keeping the DNaNo out of the US, thereby making us have to pay considerably higher for inflated prices and import costs, I'll curb my inner child and hold-off until I can get it for my price range. If that time never comes, oh well, it's Kyosho's loss.

So, for me at least, it's not a matter of losing interest (I'd still LOVE to get a DNaNo), it's a matter of my perception of what the worth of a DNaNo is and right now the pricepoint doesn't match that perception.

hey Namuna... i don't mean to offend with promotions and i've already contacted tinyrc about ads. as our ability to sell online grows, we'll make the investment here shortly. i'd be proud to sponsor this site!

note: the price on our site is what we are required to post at the moment, if one buys the combo in the store, it'll be a bit cheaper. i do think your analysis about dnano value is accurate and you're correct... you can't conveniently buy the dnano anywhere and its even more difficult in the states. again, sorry for any offenses, i'll continue to past minus any promotion :)

ps - Namuna, send me an email and we'll discuss adding a dnano to your collection ;)

True, yet one of the sadder realities of US culture imo. Hopefully, we will develope more of a love for technology. Our youth seem to be doing so anyways.
I think it long past time to throw off the false machismo of fast, loud, and intimidating. Truth is, the roar of the IC engine belys the fact that it has no real power and a gearbox must be introduced to allow any kind of torque over time without shaking it into pieces.
I look forward to time that the US embraces the high pitched whine of technology as cool and not the belching scream of the IC engine.
Funny how it has come, in some ways, to define men in the US and therefore, what they value.
Sorry, the substance of the thread, capped by Namuna's comment, caused a bit of thought in me about future directions and how so much needs to change.

I will have to look into these cool little cars. I hadn't really paid any attentiion to them 'til now.

has anyone heard anything at all from any of the sole domestic distributor stores? we've seen release dates come and go....

fyi, i think the sole distribution thing alone will do more harm than good. as much as i support local hobby shops, e-commerce is the growing future when retail outlets are struggling do to overhead and cost of operations.

for example, hasbro has cut back on thier retail lines for gi joe products and pushing them more into online exclusives. they don't have to subject themselves to being pushed around by the likes of walmart, retail outlets in a shrinking economy are reluctant to place large orders for fear of having product waste away on shelves, etc. etc. etc. this is a growing trend as industries are adjusting to a tuff market condition all the while kyosho is sticking with the same style that frustrated so many in the very begining of mini-z's. those who fail to adapt, are doomed to fail. i've been preaching advertising and distribution via online for years now, that and advertising outside the small box that is the rc community. others like rcp are doing so successfully.

I agree. So much is changing in the retail market and companies need to adapt.

These little cars are very cool. They are expensive, but having spent a several hundred dollars in the last few months on $100.00 4 channel helicopters, I understand that one has to pony up the cash to get a certain level of quality and functionality.

I'm not sure I would buy one of the Dnanos because I'm more of an HO scale guy. I have a couple Epochs, but I never play with them anymore as I don't have room. Actually, I can count on one hand the number of times I used the three I have. If they had squeezed this tech into a 1/64 size chassis, I would be all over it. I don't see that happening as the 1/64 micro craze is pretty much dead now and it never really got to hobby class anyways.

Hopefully, I'll live long enough to see HO rc cars revitalized and manufactured more like these Dnanos. I may get one anyways. I love micro stuff and these seem to be qood quality micro RC.

i'm hoping kyosho gives me some room online with dNano as well but based on what i've seen at their japanese shops, the plan really doesn't fit much of anywhere EXCEPT japan. i never thought i'd be into micros but once i got one of these... man, i'm hooked. i haven't even had the chance to hook it up to the PC due to the lack of an ICS cable. once i open the store, i think i'll have a better supply of parts & a greater selection of auto scale bodies *crosses fingers* :D

I had raced mini-z for a few years, then sold off my stuff to cover other hobbies, still have my track! now that my son is getting old enough to race and shown some interest, I was looking to get started again. I would love to get in to these as we don't have that much space, the dNaNo is just what I'm looking for, but as others have said, trying to find them at a good price, is imposable considering I would have to buy two of everything. I hope they get everything straighten out so we can get them here in the states!

This is interesting. Looks promising for people in the US interested in the dNano.

found a car at a pretty good price under $200 shipped to the usa, now I just got to find a start pack!

if your in the u.s., think twice before purchasing anything from outside the official u.s. sole distrubutor chain. kyosho has been very clear about anything done outside this channel would not carry a valid warranty within the u.s.

yeah I know, but right now there doesn't seem to be a "official u.s. sole distrubutor chain" and who knows how long that will take? I order from a reputable dealer over seas and used a credit card so I should have some protection.

there is, it was announced in the other thread.

the date however has continued to slip and at this point, we are still not sure when this will happen.

I saw that too, unfortunately for me the nearest HobbyTown USA is in another state.