Castle Creations ICE HV, Mamba XL & Hydra Ice HV Warning & Recall Advisory |
The performance of a component used in the Castle ICE HV 60, ICE HV 80, ICE HV 120, ICE HV 160, Mamba XL and HYDRA ICE HV controllers has changed from the original specifications for that part. This tolerance change may lead to failure of the affected controllers.
For your safety, we request that all customers cease operation of these controllers immediately. Send all of these controllers back to Castle for modifications required to improve the safety and reliability of these products. This recall includes all controllers labeled as V3. There are no charges associated with this modification.
The only controllers that are properly modified and are approved for operation will be labeled clearly as ICE HV (Amp Rating) 2, Mamba XL 2 & HYDRA ICE HV 2.
We understand that you may not wish to return your controller. Those that have served you well are likely to continue doing so; however, controllers that you may have recently purchased should be assumed to be assembled with the problem components.
If you insist on using these controllers, please be advised that the risks of continued usage begin with severe burns to you and/or others, as well as property damage to your RC vehicle or surroundings. Please wear fire-proof gloves when connecting any HV controllers that use 8 or 10 gauge wire to their power source.
REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE
Click this link and follow the directions of advisory 2011 - 03 to process your return if you have any of the following controllers.
Phoenix ICE HV 60
Phoenix ICE HV 80
Phoenix ICE HV 120
Phoenix ICE HV 160 & ICE HV 160 LITE
Mamba XL
Hydra ICE HV
North American and all non-European customers:
Please return controllers to Castle in Kansas via a traceable delivery service:
CASTLE CREATIONS, INC
120HV SERVICE / Service Department
540 N.ROGERS RD.
OLATHE, KS 66062
European customers:
Please return controllers via a traceable delivery service to our new European repair center:
CASTLE CREATIONS EUROPE BVBA
120HV SERVICE
GEELSEWEG 80
2250 OLEN
BELGIUM
Note: The Olen office cannot support technical support or warranty calls at this time. Direct all questions to Castle using the normal tech support or warranty service addresses.
Hobby dealers and commercial customers worldwide:
Please contact
Lori at Castle in Kansas to make arrangements for return of your stock.
Please be sure to include a copy of the return confirmation generated by the web site in your package.
We sincerely appreciate your patience in this matter. As hobbyists ourselves, we understand your disappointment at not being able to use your controller during this period.
Thank you,
Team Castle
FAQs
1. It may not be possible to economically repair some controllers. Those controllers will be replaced by refurbished controllers that were made from unsold controllers that have been recalled from the sales channels.
2. We will replace the control board in as many returned units as possible. We will make sure that you receive your exact controller. This will likely cause the process to take a bit longer, but it will ensure that you are comfortable with the prior use of the controller that you receive from us.
3. As we cannot state in advance the criteria for reparability vs. replacement, please remove all connectors from your controllers before sending them in to us.
4. Due to the manner in which most of the ICE HV controllers and their heat sinks are assembled, we do not recommend that users ask to install the replacement board themselves.
5. We cannot give you an exact estimate of the time required to return your controllers. We will keep you updated as to the status of our repairs via email. We understand that you may be frustrated by this experience, and we will be happy to talk with you individually, but our Tech Support staff do not have any more information to offer you beyond the statements made in this announcement.
Castle Creations ICE 120 HV Notice |
While Castle takes all controller failures seriously, many have felt that our response to the incidences of failures in our Phoenix Ice 120HV was taking too long. We didn't make any official statements as we couldn't identify any particular pattern or cause for the failures. Our Repair Dept. keeps track of our returns - for any reason -- and the returns of the 120HV were actually very low; less than 3%. We generally see more than that rate of return just from crash damage unrelated to the controllers. Given that we've produced more than 10,000 of these controllers, a low percentage of failure still results in a lot of upset customers.
We've recently determined that some, again some, setups stress particular components in a way that causes the controllers to fail instantly. The failure mode allows a complete short circuit to occur. Our controllers are designed to carry high currents with as little resistance as possible. This is advantageous when the controllers are operating properly, but this leads to extreme currents and heat when the controllers fail. As the ICE controllers are encapsulated in metal heatsinks, this heat is further concentrated such that physical injuries or property damage may occur.
Our engineers have tested a hardware modification that greatly reduces the risk of this particular failure. We do not recommend using Phoenix Ice 12HV controllers until they have been modified to this new standard.
Please return any 120HV controllers that you may have for one that has this modification. There will be no charge for this exchange.
Please advise anyone using a 120HV controller of this notice.
REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE
Click this link and follow the directions to process your return.
North American customers please ship to Castle in Kansas via a traceable delivery service:
CASTLE CREATIONS, INC
120HV SERVICE / Service Department
540 N.ROGERS RD.
OLATHE, KS 66062
European customers may return their controllers via a traceable delivery service to our new European repair center:
CASTLE CREATIONS EUROPE BVBA120HV SERVICE
GEELSEWEG 80
2250 OLEN
BELGIUM
Please be sure to include a copy of the order confirmation in your package.
NOTE: For purposes of fast turnaround, you will be sent another Phoenix Ice HV 120 controller. Remove all connectors, etc. from your ESC before shipping as they will not be returned with your replacement controller.
Our Technical Support and Repair staff do not have any additional information, calling them will only lead to additional frustration for all involved. We will advise you via email of the expected shipment date for your return.
We apologize for any problems this matter may have caused, and we hope that our candor and willingness to repair these controllers will help maintain your trust in our products and service.
Thanks,
Team Castle