Trevor Crook

Yes, I've read that there are some poor copies that melt when you solder them. I've also read some bad feedback on some that GC has sold. Hence, despite being a regular GC customer I buy my XT60s from E-Bay. I always choose a top rated UK seller, and verify that the seller states that they are originals, using high temperature nylon. Usually buy them with the correct heatshrink, too. No issues so far.

Hmm, don't know where the winking face came from!

I was chatting to our club chairman a couple of weeks ago and he was telling me he'd made some measurements on an Eneloop Rx pack under load. He said that the results were very impressive, better than most cells he'd tested. Unfortunately, although he told me the various figures he obtained, I've forgotten them! Sorry that this is such a vague contribution, but I'd be confident of using them as a pack in my modest (up to 6' sport and sport/scale models.

Yes Kevin, I'd noticed there was another LED - red so it gets your attention!

Steve They do look similar, don't they? I can only speak for the Funjet - capable of high speed, but will fly slowly if required, quite robust. Mine was pretty good on a 150W setup, I'd work up from there. Sadly, mine is no more, but if I wanted a similar model again I'd give the HK product a go!

Update and conclusion I initially e-mailed Horizon describing my problem. I got a reply next day suggesting I try re-binding with the Tx further away as swamping occasionally gave problems. Tried this, no joy. Didn't expect any really as the satellite LED didn't flash even before the Tx was switched on. I posted it back to Horizon last Friday, and got a new one in the post today, Tuesday. That's a pretty impressive turn around. The new receiver checks out fine. With that level of service and no problems 'til now with about 10 Rx's and 2 Tx's between my son and I, I won't be changing radio brands any time soon!

Funnyflyer You don't need Sky sports and all that football rubbish to watch F1 - the basic Sky HD gets you the F1 channel. Like the others, though, I refuse to line their pockets, and I watch the BBC package, which I was very impressed with yesterday.

Woo Hoo! Just checked the board in my Sanwa Gemini and the artwork looks the same as in Kevin's photos. Obviously I'll double check with a scope, but it looks like this excellent guide can also be applied to my car tranny too. Must get around to it soon.

Yakmad That's a handy tip, although I've got an oscilloscope tucked away for such things, fortunately. I'm hoping the board in the Gemini is the same as in the RD6000 so the encoder output is easy to find from the pictures above. I think it uses the same case moulding, just with a moulded blank where the trainer socket would be. Engine Doctor Interesting comment on 35MHz Tx issues. The Gemini on 40MHz has never caused any problems during racing - I know the environment is different, but you do get the receivers passing very close under other transmitters. Most of the guys have moved to 2.4 now, though, and I'm thinking of joining them, if only to avoid waving 3 feet of aerial in front of their faces!

Kevin Excellent guide. I don't fly Sanwa, but I race cars with a Sanwa Gemini Tx, and as crystals are nearly impossible to get I've thought of this conversion, so I looked inside the Tx. From memory, the layout is very similar to the one you've shown, but there's no trainer socket. I'll do a closer comparison soon.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through mine now - as a subscriber it came last Monday. Usual quality production, with a good variety of content. One thing I noticed in this issue (although it may have been happening for some time) is that all of the photos of review models are flying field shots. A picture of how they come out of the box would be nice. Also, the reviews these days seem very fair, with warts and all, and it would be nice to see photos of some of the problems and the solutions as the article describes them. The reviewers are excellent writers, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words! I hope this is seen as constructive criticism - RCM&E is head and shoulders above the competition in both content variety and quality, which is why I subscribe to it.

Allan That's encouraging. I've initially sent them an e-mail to ask if I should just take it back to the shop - I'll see what transpires.

Thanks, Chris. Looks like I'd better contact Horizon and/or the supplying shop. First time I've ever had to deal with their after-sales, so I'll be interested to see if they live up to their good reputation.

I've just bound a new AR6210 receiver to my DSM2 DX7 transmitter. Everything works fine, but the satellite receiver doesn't seem to have an orange LED in it, unlike my older 6200s. Can anyone out there confirm this is the case, or have I got a faulty one? Just thought I'd ask the community before contacting Horizon.

I agree with what everyone has said about the DX6i programming - it's very straightforward. I believe the new DX7 and DX8 use the same logic. The Futaba T6J was reviewed in a recent RCM&E - last month I think. It looks quite nice, but was criticised for having a small screen - the trim positions can't always be displayed, for instance. One other thing to bear in mind with the Spektrums is that the DX8 is more than just extra channels - the build quality is better than the DX6i and it feels much more solid. That said, my DX6i did all I needed and nothing ever broke. I only changed it for a (old style) DX7 because a clubmate offered me a deal I couldn't refuse!

Geoffrey I couldn't see in your posts whether you had used heatshrink over your joint. If you don't, even silicone wire will fail as it will flex at the end of the solder and fatigue. If you cover the joint with heatshrink, the flexing will occur at the end of the heatshrink, away from the solder, and should be fine.

Dave I'm a believer in supporting your local model shop - use 'em or lose 'em. However, if you haven't one within easy reach, Brentford R/C seem to be Spektrum specialists. West London Models is another R/C and electric specialist in the London area. You can probably find loads of other places selling them on line. Also check out the ads in RCM&E. E-bay is a possible source of secondhand units, but take care - there were a few service bulletins on DX6i's a few years ago, so you need to be sure everything has been sorted. The best way to buy secondhand is from a known source, so belonging to your local model club has its advantages, for all sorts of other reasons too.

David Regarding your earlier question on the radio gear, I haven't any experience of the Saturn gear, but I'm sure it's adequate for the basic functions. Bear in mind, though, that it's an entry level radio and if you stay in the hobby you'll probably want more functionality, model memories etc. If you want to use the AR600, look at the Spektrum DX6i transmitter. It's fairly cheap, but offers lots of functions for the money and has 10 model memories. It will also make the huge range of bind and fly aircraft available to you. As others have said, try something a bit less ambitious before the Spit - something with a low wing and ailerons, but sport rather than scale, will be a good stepping stone. Good luck!

I saw these a week or so ago - Sussex Model Centre have them for £85.50, and I think they're in the Galaxy Models ad in the latest RCM&E. They look good, don't they? They also do a couple of monoplanes, but I think you made the best choice for potential indoor flying, Stephen. Let us know how you get on.

Simon A few observations from an electric convert. Your pricing above reflects my experience that using Chinese sourced electrics is cheaper than glow. I don't think you've mentioned whether this would be your first electric model, though. If so, remember to factor in the cost of a charger, wattmeter and a hefty 12V field battery. I've converted several glow ARTFs to electric, and have always performed surgery to give easy battery access - if you've come from a traditional modelling background, you should manage ok. If it's any help, my son has a 64" Seagull Decathlon that flies very well on a 700W setup. I'm with you on the aversion to oil - my electrified Flair SE5A is a joy to take home compared to its OS40 FS predecessor from 20-odd years ago. Mind you, that did sound soooo good puttering past! Good luck with whichever way you decide to go

Are the HK receivers CE marked, and does this affect insurance? One of the club's I'm in doesn't allow 2.4G receivers to be a different make to the transmitter or module because of this worry, and the odd issue with cheapie Rx's (obviously mixing JR and Spektrum DSM2 stuff is ok)

Ah - that should read "a few years"!

Forkbeard Excellent sum up above by Simon. He's not quite correct that you have to re-bind after switching Spektrum Rxs between models though - you can re-name the model and change the control movements etc. without re-binding. However, re-binding is a good idea to set up the failsafe in the new model, and it's not exactly hard. My son and I have been using Spektrum for a few ears with no radio link issues. I started with a 6i, but had the chance of a little-used 7 about a year ago, so traded up. The 6 was excellent to use, but does seem a little flimsy, although nothing on mine broke. I haven't handled a Hitec 2.4, so I don't know how it compares. I did some instruction a few years back with a Hitec 35MHz owner, and it gave faultless service.  One Spektrum gripe I have is that you have to manually start the Tx timer each time by flicking a switch. My 35MHz Futaba tranny can be set to count down from opening the throttle. No idea how the Optic timer (if it has one) works, or whether this matters to you.  As others have said, they are both excellent radios for the money - see if you can compare them at your LHS - have fun deciding!

I had one 20-odd years ago, powered by an OS40 4-stroke. Dredging my memory, I can't remember any really bad things about it, but you'll need some rudder with aileron to make it turn nicely (not uncommon with this type of aircraft). I cheated and mixed it in the tranny.

Buying a low end Futaba set at present needs some care, because ot the apparent transition from FASST to FHSS - apparently FASST is going to be their top-end system, but there are probably still some of the 6EX etc. sets around with FASST, which means you would be locked into expensive receivers as FHSS is not compatible.   This sort of issue doesn't exist with entry level Hitec and Spektrum sets.