JR Propo Is Dead. Long Live JR Propo

JR Americas have posted news regarding JR Propo as brand on their Facebook-page.

JR Americas Facebook post

The complete post from JR Propo: (From their post here)

Notice of Discontinuation of JR Production April 5, 2018

Dear loyal JR Customer:

We regret to inform you that all production of JR Propo branded and engineered product has ended.

Like many other RC manufacturers of late, JR Propo Japan experienced significant financial issues starting in 2017. In an effort to sustain the brand, JR made the decision to license JR Propo products to be manufactured by Konishi Mokei Company of Japan.

While JR Japan’s intent was for this move to separate the JR brand from their financial issues so the brand could continue and thrive, due to a combination of legal actions as well as recent decisions in brand direction made by the new manufacture, JR Propo branded products will no longer be manufactured using the JR Propo name, or to the previous stringent JR design specifications.

Although Konishi Mokei has offered for JR Americas to carry their re-branded, re-engineered products, our experience working with Konishi Mokei since obtaining JR production rights has been less than satisfactory, nor is it one that we are comfortable in perpetuating.

During our time of business with Konishi Mokei, several instances occurred that have unfortunately caused our company to have a loss of confidence with regards to their business ethics, methods, and practices.

In addition, due to manufacturing and component supplier changes, specifications and material changes on newly produced products have caused many of these products in some cases to vary significantly from the original JR designs, also creating a cause for concern.

The “made in Japan” level of quality that most JR users have come to expect is simply no more now that production has been moved outside of Japan on key items.

Although many products continue to look like JR manufactured products with new labeling, we have concerns about the changes in components and design, combined with a lack of professional, long term testing.

We feel the products currently being developed and manufactured by Konishi Mokei will likely not meet the previous level of performance and quality as required by both JR, and their customers.

Please know that our company and staff are still committed to the support of our JR customers, and we have inventory on many key JR branded, JR manufactured products. We will continue to offer these products through the JR Americas website as stock allows.

Moving forward, we are pleased to announce that we will soon be announcing several additional new product brands. We believe these new product offerings will offer comparable substitutes for many currently unavailable JR products. We believe these products will be well accepted by our current and future customers.

Servicing of JR products will also continue business as usual, and we believe we can continue to keep our loyal JR customers “feeling the difference” for many years to come.

We thank you for your many years of commitment and loyalty to the JR brand, and we will continue to service and support JR as well as other exciting brands of products moving forward.

Best Regards

JR Americas.

What does this mean?

As JR Americas have stated, JR as a RC-product does not have any positive future. How and where Konishi Mokei will market their product will be seen but I think it’s safe to say that JR as we have known it is now dead. As JR Americas stated they are taking care of customers regarding service etc, so that side is covered at least in US.

RC-hobby especially the plane and heli-side of it is suffering at the moment. It is becoming more and more a hobby for older men, junior-activity in many areas globally is non-existent if not totally dead. (I’m sure there’s exceptions locally) I’m very happy to see some bigger exceptions, the whole FPV-scene is one area where growth have been huge in recent years and especially the fact that it’s done by generally young people. Who knows what they will be flying when they get older?

Losing one of the major brands in RC-world is not a good trend. Let’s hope there will not be any more of news of this sort.

11 thoughts on “JR Propo Is Dead. Long Live JR Propo

  1. Respeitosos cumprimentos:
    Operando Jr desde o meu inicio de RC, anteriormente era o voo livre e borrachas, com um JR \ Graupner de 2 canais, usado num planador, rebocado por um motor OS .10 em uma gondola, na frequência de 27 mhz canal 7, a fiabilidade do Tx e servos fizeram com que tivesse um gosto especial pelos produtos JR percorri quase toda a gama média de JR. Ainda tenho um Graupner\JR há ceca de 30 anos, neste momento a trabalhar com todas as frequências em FM e 2,4 DSM2 e DSMX, autentico membro da familia.
    Posteriormente tive uma loja de aeromodelismo RC&M Rádio Control & Modelismo, sempre com material JR,
    fornecido pela MacGregor.
    Foi com tristeza que hoje procurando na Net um manual de um DSX 11, li com consternação o desaparecimento da JR.
    Obrigado pelos bons momentos que passamos juntos "J R"

  2. As a JR die-hard, I am still in shock that the brand *and* the quality offered is no more.
    RIP JR… I will use my existing JR gear until it wears out now…

  3. JR XP9303 was my first serious radio and my club moved away from FM I added a Spektrum DM9 module

  4. I have a solution to the hobby's lack of growth problems. I can and have easily convinced kids and most anyone to get into the hobby of RC aeromodelling. Is anyone interested in how I do this and would they like to learn how to learn this method? So far those who know that this method works fear it will overcrowd their roster with too many newbies. See the problem here? One would think that a struggling member of the industry would take me up on my offer to help them.

  5. Long time JR user here. Four years after the JR transition, they keep afloat by selling essentially the same radios they released 10 years ago. Solid equipment but getting old. Their receivers have improved with the 2K new references but their price is out of line. With the limited user base and hence reduce cash for R&D, I honestly do not see they coming with anything that can compete with the current top brands. I

  6. JRPropo is alive and well. The information on this page needs to be updated.
    JR radio products are available from Deeforce Aviation. https://www.deeforce.net/
    A new transmitter has been released this year. Elite is the new Tx offering.

  7. @Randy Smith
    did you fail to read about the questionable ethics of Konishi Mokei and then from the about on the website you posted..
    https://www.deeforce.net/about-us-1
    ABOUT
    The History of DFA and RC Depot
    RC Depot (Konishi Mokei Co., LTD), has work alongside with JR PROPO for many years. RC Depot began Dee Force Aviation (DFA) brand almost 10 years ago.

    I Mourned the loss of JR Propo, this is a Zombie company with Bad ethics… this is NOT the JR Propo we all loved.. I for one will not support them..

  8. FYI
    It has been reported that there is a problem with Jr legacy transmitters and TX module compatibility with newer spektrum dsm2 compatible Receivers. The old receivers work with the Jr equipment but the newer spektrum Receivers that are dsm2 compatible may appear to work but they are not compatible. Losing binding is one problem. Crashes have been reported.

  9. The original letter from JR Americas was a bit of mudslinging towards the new company. Plain and simple, the JR we all knew went bankrupt. instead of helping perpetuate the name JR Americas has sour grapes because they chose to not play with the new company the emerged from the bankruptcy. The new equipment coming from Jr Propo/Deeforce is top notch. Please consider the source of the badmouthing before deciding on the JR/Deeforce brand.

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