FRONTPAGE Lamptron's Official Statement Regarding Unauthorized Reproductions

[Overclockers.com]

Lamptron has a bit of an intellectual property dispute on its hands. We’ll tell you what’s going on and share Lamptron’s official statement on the matter.

... Return to article to continue reading.

 

[Bobnova]

Sounds like the Lamptron flavor of the Foxconn issues that have plagued everybody.
Also known as "Welcome to using dirt cheap unethical Chinese labor to build your products".

While I do not like, condone, or support theft of IP, I have to think that maybe, just maybe, the guy should have been paid as promised. From my brief survey this morning it looks like this is a fairly clear cut case of "what goes around comes around", and/or the Golden Rule.

 

[Mario1]

"We cannot be responsible for any present risk to the consumer and the hazards these products pose as cannot be overestimated, as these products are not tested and approved by Lamptron certified technicians."
The "G-Vans" fan controllers are really dangerous, I almost got poisoned by one.
If I only knew that it wasn't inspected by a Lamptron certified technician before buying it...

 

[Seebs]

Putting aside whatever issues between Lamptron and whoever started G-Vans may exist... I don't think this is the type of product that I'd want in my computer case.

 

[Bobnova]

lol, that's a bit sad for a copied design.

 

[txus.palacios]

lol, that's a bit sad for a copied design.

QFT. And that GVANS guy says that was Lamptron real stuck from factory?

Don't think so.

 

[Mario1]

Putting aside whatever issues between Lamptron and whoever started G-Vans may exist... I don't think this is the type of product that I'd want in my computer case.

View attachment 103936

Why not?
I don't see anything wrong in that picture. It ain't like they're running a stripped wire through the components that shorts the sht out of everyting.

 

[Seebs]

Why not?
I don't see anything wrong in that picture. It ain't like they're running a stripped wire through the components that shorts the sht out of everyting.

Simple... If I'm spending $50+ on a controller; I expect the manufacturer to have done some quality control on their end. That wire tells me that there was a trace missing on the design and that rather than correcting the PCB they went with the cheap alternative. And then there is the fact that the middle cap is already starting to bulge. No thanks.

 

[ehume]

But does an official Lamptron unit have that wire? From what I've been able to see of Lamptron products outside controllers, I wouldn't be surprised to see such a wire in a Lamptron controller. Anyone have one from, say, a year ago to compare?

 

[Bobnova]

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Lamptron/Fan_Controller_FC5/images/fc5rear.jpg

Actually looks like a significantly different design.

V2 version: http://skinflint.co.uk/?morepix=607980

Assuming that thing is a FC5 clone, it looks like one.

I wonder it Gvan grinds the ID label off the mosfets like Lamptron does.

 

[macklin01]

The "G-Vans" fan controllers are really dangerous, I almost got poisoned by one.

Care to elaborate on that?

 

[Mario1]

Simple... If I'm spending $50+ on a controller; I expect the manufacturer to have done some quality control on their end. That wire tells me that there was a trace missing on the design and that rather than correcting the PCB they went with the cheap alternative. And then there is the fact that the middle cap is already starting to bulge. No thanks.

Maybe the problem was corrected in a newer PCB rev.
If I was a manufacturer who built 50,000 PCBs that miss a trace I'd figure out a way to make those boards work too. Don't see how a wire bridge could hurt anyone.
I believe the angle the picture is taken makes the mid cap look like its "starting to bulge".

Care to elaborate on that?

I was being sarcastic, I guess I fail at it.

 

[macklin01]

I was being sarcastic, I guess I fail at it.

Ah, thanks. I was trying to see if you had more insight on the "dangerous products" claim by Lamptron, since it seems a bit melodramatic to me. (Lousy products that may not perform as expected? Sure, I buy that. Products that can physically harm people? Color me skeptical.)

 

[Bobnova]

Probably refering to a lack of RoHS certification, either due to not paying the fees/bribes or due to using leaded solder.
That is 100% guesswork on my part.

Alternatively they may be saying it just as PR.
Or they may be concerned that the new guy isn't using the same MOSFETs and/or control setup as the Lamptron unit, which may cause Exploded MOSFET Syndrome.

I'd like to take this moment to call Lamptron out on their highly sketchy move of grinding the part ID numbers off the MOSFETs on their controllers. That's every bit as professional as a hand soldered wire on the PCB

 

[Spawne32]

Ah, thanks. I was trying to see if you had more insight on the "dangerous products" claim by Lamptron, since it seems a bit melodramatic to me. (Lousy products that may not perform as expected? Sure, I buy that. Products that can physically harm people? Color me skeptical.)

Id be happy to address these concerns and your right to be skeptical over the whole thing, as the intention of this rival company was solely to introduce skepticism into this situation. The units that you see replacing ours in retail stores are being made from inferior products at a much cheaper price, this is how they are able to undermine our retail sales. They copy the same power specifications that we list on our product descriptions, as you may have seen...word for word, many of those descriptions I wrote myself personally to translate them into english, however the inferior components are not cable of handling these power spec's and thus cause the unit to fail in a normally catastrophic manner.

Probably refering to a lack of RoHS certification, either due to not paying the fees/bribes or due to using leaded solder.
That is 100% guesswork on my part.

Alternatively they may be saying it just as PR.
Or they may be concerned that the new guy isn't using the same MOSFETs and/or control setup as the Lamptron unit, which may cause Exploded MOSFET Syndrome.

I'd like to take this moment to call Lamptron out on their highly sketchy move of grinding the part ID numbers off the MOSFETs on their controllers. That's every bit as professional as a hand soldered wire on the PCB

Although I was not able to include it in the statement, most of our newer products are indeed RoHS compliant, and we have an extensive engineering and quality control process to ensure that these units are safe. The last thing we want is someone burning their house down due to a fan controller.

The removal of the part ID numbers is and was strictly for the purpose of preventing copies, and as you can tell from this experience we have now, it has worked. All of the imitations you see hitting the retail shelves do not use the same individual parts on the PCB's out of the sheer fact that they either cannot afford them or cannot locate the source.

 

[Mario1]

Ah, thanks. I was trying to see if you had more insight on the "dangerous products" claim by Lamptron, since it seems a bit melodramatic to me. (Lousy products that may not perform as expected? Sure, I buy that. Products that can physically harm people? Color me skeptical.)

I totally agree with you.
Sure, the overal quality of the product could be worse, but I believe its the same way with all the ripoff products.
Being able to hurt a person in any physical way whatsoever - hell no.
Worst thing a fan controller can do is die on you, which will (most likely) lead to you being pissed off.