Futaba not compatible with Futaba/When is a bargain not a bargain

[graeme jones]

I recently advised a beginner to buy a Futaba 6J radio for his Irvine Tutor trainer. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, it was being offered at a bargain price with a "free second receiver". Secondly, the programming is more like the 7C Tx that I use than is the case with th 6EX Tx which was the second option.

The bargain price turns out not to be. At Ripmax prices, the 6EX complete with servos, NiMh batteries and charger is £205. Some LMS's discount them down to just £160. The 6J is £150, but that is only for the Tx and (2) Rx. He has also had to buy servos (£37) Tx battery and charger (£18) Rx battery (£7) and a battery cover compartment upgrade cover (£4) taking the total cost to £216.

OK he didn't pay the full price, the LMS gave him a discount so the total was around £180 (£20 more than 6EX) and he has got a spare Rx, but he's still not happy, and neither am I.

When we came to use it, there is another problem. Because the 6J only uses a 4 cell Tx battery, my 7C Tx won't work as a student Tx when connected to the 6J by a trainer cable. The 7C won't talk to the models Rx because of the FASST/FHSS compatibility issue. Buying an FASST Rx (£60)  for the model and using the 7C as master and the 6J as student won't work without buying a 12FG trainer cable (£26), because the Tx voltages are incompatible.

The only other way round this is to buy another 6J Tx, at £150.

Unless, of course, someone has another solution?

If I'd known all this beforehand, I would have insisted he buy the 6EX, even with it's poor programming system.

Graeme

Edited By graeme jones on 28/08/2013 17:51:46

[Ace]

Hi Graeme, Have you thought about one of these ? Ok you will need a receiver to match each TX but you can then remove yours once he is compedent to fly solo. Seems a much cheaper solution without any compatability problems, will even work with different makes of equipment. - Ace

[Phil 9]

Ace that wiggit seems a really great idea. I can see why none of the main manufactures produce such a thing. There is no money in it for them and does not tie you into one brand

Edited By Phil 9 on 28/08/2013 19:40:43

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

.

Edited By Martin Harris on 28/08/2013 20:13:00

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

I would be a little wary if the learner is using a fairly basic transmitter with one of these. I'm sure it would be fine if you could assign the normal non-latching trainer switch but on a couple of examples I've come across using lower end Futaba transmitters the user has had to use the switch pre-assigned to channel 5 (gear).

OK, it's perfectly possible to use this but if your reactions/muscle memory are like mine, in a rapidly developing situation you will take your finger off it, realise within half a second and then have to find it to switch it, maybe taking another half second or so - and travelling at 100 feet a second or so, if it's heading groundwards behind trees you can be in a very awkward situation before you know it.

Don't ask how I know this!

 

 

 

Edited By Martin Harris on 28/08/2013 20:14:08

[Frank Skilbeck]

Is this just a cable issue, I managed to buddy my Multiplex Royal Pro M Link to my Spektrum Dx6i, the link between the two transmitters shouldn't be determined by the transmission protocol as the master Tx does the transmitting.

Note the Multiplex Royal Pro has a 7.2v battery and the Dx6i 4.8v.

[Rick Tee]

Spektrum and JR slaves are powered by their own battery so the issue does not occure, Futaba slaves are powered by the master hence the voltage problem. Not sure about multiplex but looks like they work the same as Spektrum/JR.

[CARPERFECT]

If you read the manual it tells you what you require. You or he needs to spend £26 and buy the micro 12fg trainer cord. You will us the 6 j as the master and he the 7c as slave. the cord will ajust the voltage from 4.8v to 9.6v .

Or buy a FR Sky TfR 6 £22 and use the std micro cord if you have one ? and put that in the Tutor, then use the 7c as master and the T6J as slave. There is no problem with the voltage. When he is solo sell the FR SKy TFR 6 on EBAY £15. total cost to him £5 not £150. Plus if you had shopped around you could have got The T6J for £119 with free second receiver. You mentioned that you bought a tx battery 4 cell. Yes it will fit but thats the wrong one. It takes 4 dry cells 1.5v = 6v A 4cell rx battery is only 1.25v = 5v. No new battery cover required just remove the plastic battery dividers. All this is true as i have done if for my son as I upgaded from a 6exp 2.4 to the t6j and he is still on the 6ex

Edited By CARPERFECT on 29/08/2013 07:15:57

[graeme jones]

Have I misunderstood about the 12FG cable then? I thought it reduced the voltage from 9.6 to 4.8. Does it actually increase the voltage from 4.8 to 9.6? If this is correct, why doesn't the 6J work as student Tx when connected to 7C as master? If it did work would the screen on the 6J show the battery voltage of the 7C (approx 10V) or does it have circuitry to reduce it to the correct level (around 5V)?

I did miss a point from my first post. I fly mode 1. This has never been a problem using FASST systems, simply bind the model's Rx to my 7C Tx and the student uses his own Tx in his preferred mode (3 or 4 if he's left handed). This is what I would do now, using one of my spare FASST Rx's, but I'm still left scratching my head as to why the 7C and 6J won't talk to each other. And before anyone asks, yes I have enabled the trainer function etc.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Graeme

PS the rechargeable battery that Ripmax do for the 6J is 4.8V not 6V. The 6J did come with a second "free" Rx and was around £119 (I did say there was a discount) but the total cost was 50% more because of all the extras.

Edited By graeme jones on 29/08/2013 07:57:15

[graeme jones]

Update from my LMS - he has checked with Ripmax - I will need the 12FG trainer lead and it works both ways, reducing the voltage if the 7C is the master Tx, increasing it if the 6J is the master Tx. No wonder it costs £26.

He's going to order some for stock, apparently I'm not the only instructor to have been stumped by this issue.

Graeme

[CARPERFECT]

Glad you are sorted Graeme. But the 4.8v is the wrong one .This is from the manual

1) Press and hold the MODE and END buttons while simultaneously turning on the
transmitter.

Press the DATA INPUT lever upward or downward to select the voltage at which
the Battery Voltage Alarm will sound. If using four AA Alkaline (dry cell) batteries, the alarm should be set to 4.2v

If using a 5cell NiMh battery it should be set at 5v

They make a special battery for the t6j and it`s about £10plus charger From Inwoods. it`s a 2/3 size 5 cell aa.

if you use the 4.8v the low alarm will go off at 4.2v . the tx should be used at 6v
 

 

Edited By CARPERFECT on 29/08/2013 20:17:50

[Tartan81]

please excuse me rcm&e friends but...im going to interupt this forum topic with something similar i havent read the previus posts so excuse me

i happen to be useing a futaba skysport 6a and tonight after coming from the pub and fired up my simulator only to find out that i have no power going to my transmitter i have had an issue with it before (previus post) but that problem was quickly solved ..now the battery should have power in it, i didnt knock it anyway more than usual, i know this is a bit vaige but surley the problems simple, its usually fine..if not flawless

can sombody give me sudjestions on the possible flaws ,,,tonight...its 11 oclock ..please and thanks

roy

[Tartan81]

all good in the hood ..same old story please excuse me peeps on this forum and thanks for the response ..yeah peeps..fixed now though will not last long so better be more carefull in the future

futabas my fav brand-forum poll

[Bernie]

I have always had Futaba ,I started with a 6EX 35 megs , Then got a 4.2 same type of body etc . Never had any probs with either ,apart from friendly club members messing with it and cost me a new trannie batt.Still got them and use themboth came in at about £160 + the only thingg that is pricey isexstra reciveres.