When can we expect the next update for the Commander remote control?

When can we expect the next update for the Commander remote control?

Released: 03. December 2019

Development to full maturity

Our customers have been asking us again and again recently when the next update for the Commander remote control is coming. The answer to this is relatively simple: There is no update in the works. Why? Because no update is necessary. We last released a software update in May 2017 and thus optimized a small detail. Otherwise the Commander is completely mature in its current form and doesn't need any further updates. It’s the result of a long and in-depth development process – as with all our products and models.

Your own remote control out of necessity

We will be celebrating 20 years of ScaleART in 2020! These were very exciting years for us, during which we created many innovative products. ScaleART models are now just as functional as their big counterparts. That’s why we were confronted with the problem ten years ago: How do we remotely control the whole thing? More and more functions of mechanical and electronic nature required more and more extensive control electronics. The remote controls offered on the market were no longer capable of meeting our complex requirements, or could only do so in an extremely cumbersome and incomprehensible manner. The time was ripe for a ScaleART remote control.

All functions combined into the Commander

We felt an urgent desire to create our own uncompromising remote control that meet our needs in functional model making. With our models in mind, we thought very long and hard about what this new remote control needed to do, how it should work and look like, what material it should be made of, etc. We found the right answers to all these questions during an intensive period of development. At the top of our list was absolute operational reliability so that ALL areas of functional model making could be comfortably covered with one remote control both today and tomorrow.

Top marks and satisfied customers for six years now

After many prototypes and extensive tests for operational safety, range etc. we were able to deliver our very first Commander SA-5000 in April 2014. Minor programming errors and adjustments were corrected by software updates until 2017. The first Commander was followed by many more, which were delivered worldwide to loyal and satisfied model-building customers. We have been listening to our customers enthusiastically share their experiences with the Commander for almost six years now. During this time, the innovative remote control always received top marks in test reports in renowned trade journals.

Further development of the Commander series

At the suggestion of our customers, the Commander Basic was followed by the Commander MiniCOM. We also developed our own 100 percent zero-play, precise joysticks that are equipped with Hall sensors instead of potentiometers. These have been installed in the Commander Expert Line for a year now. Although the Hall sensors consume considerably more power, the Commander Expert has the same operating time as a normal Commander remote control. Thanks to new battery technology, the Expert is operated with a capacity of 2,500 mAh. These batteries can be retrofitted in every Commander SA-1000 and SA-5000 via Plug and Play (PnP).

Perfect control even without any updates

Development for the Commander continues. Our aim is not to constantly annoy our customers with updates or by grandstanding with alleged updates. Instead, we offer the excellent service and reliable components you have become accustomed to. This means that the Commander remote control is always ready for use and completely mature. Only those enthusiasts who are looking for a longer operating time or a more precise control system can simply retrofit their Commander without any additional updates. In this spirit, we would like to thank all of our Commander customers for their trust and wish them lots of fun with what we believe is the most beautiful hobby in the world: functional model making!