Modify old 35mhz transmitter or retire it?

[QUADDRA]

Hi.

Thoughts and opinions please-

Ive not flown for a while and now on returning to the hobby see that 2.4mhz is the way forward. At present I have an old 35mhz seven channel Multiplex Cockpit MM transmitter. My question is - Is it worth keeping it and converting the Multiplex transmitter to 2.4mhz or would it make more sense financially and practically to just bite the bullet and retire the Multiplex and get myself a purpose built 2.4mhz set?

Bearing in mind I will probably also need to acquire a new transmitter battery, please advise on either 2.4mhz unit to get for the multiplex conversion or a good reasonably inexpensive replacement.

Many Thanks

Andrew

[Dave Bran]

Worms, Can...................

Many people have changed 35MHz Tx to 2.4GHz by fitting the FRSky internal "hack module", then using FRSky Rx. (which also gives telemetry).

Factors:-

How "tired" is the Cockpit?

Does it do all you want?

How quickly are you likely to adapt to a different system?

If money is very tight have a look at the FlySky 2.4GHz system. Less than £50 for a Tx/Rx combo and 6Ch Rx (with telemetry!) are roughly £9 each.

For a bit more look at FRSky Taranis.

[Don Fry]

Nowt wrong with 35 meg, a transmitter battery is cheap enough. Take your time before changing over, and don't get bounced into a brand you later regret.

[cymaz]

Try a new battery, do a thorough range test and check up. If all is working well and reliable, why change?

You aren't going to fly in front of the public at a show are you? If so ,different matter all together.

There's a chap in our club to regularly flies using a Skyleader set up. Another chap has your Tx .

Get some expert club advice on your gear as well. There might be some local radio interference issues.

Edited By cymaz on 25/10/2015 07:37:25

Edited By cymaz on 25/10/2015 07:39:20

[John F]

It is definitely worth buying a new one rather than converting your old Multiplex.

Yes, it is relatively, in terms of tech, old, but you won't have any compatibility issues or inherit a breakdown that might be imminent. Yes your Tx might be good for another 20 years if you convert it but if there's a niggle starting to occur. . . . .

You will have a learning curve but you won't be scratching your head as, I am guessing, you used mixes on your old set.

What Tx depends entirely upon what budget you have to play with Andrew, what you want in terms of channels and how much you're willing to spend as you'll need new receivers, depending upon how many models you have, as well as the Tx.

Your old brand, Multiplex, starts around £229.

Spektrum 6 channel, DX6, is £149. DX6i is sub £100 now (and still very capable) DX7 is £230 (ish)

Futaba starts around £180 for 6 channel

Graupner 6 channel starts £150

These will all do various mixing rates no problem and are all capable radio systems.  Obviously the more channels you want the more it costs.

Then there's the FrSky Taranis which is programmable to the nth degree at around £195

Hope that helps.

Edited By John F on 25/10/2015 07:56:05

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[John F]

Andrew asked for opinions. Mine are:

Use an old bit of kit and you might be transferring issues that are developing due to age, although it will still work.

Use new kit - no such problems and a good choice.

No one has stated that the old kit was unusable or illegal but there are benefits to both sides.

Is that not being a bit rude and dismissive Percy, advising to pay no attention?

Edited By John F on 25/10/2015 08:10:26

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[John F]

Someone obviously does feel it is rude and dismissive!

PM sent.

Edited By John F on 25/10/2015 08:37:14

[ted hughes]

The greatest advantage of 2.4 is that you can switch on without worrying you are interfering with someone else's frequency. The downside is there is less excuses for crashes!

[gangster]

It's a personal choice. That multiplex is a nice bit of kit you may be disappointed if you changed To be honest the sub £200 sets mentioned in earlier posts are good and very reliable but they do feel a bit cheap and tacky in comparison to a mid range bit of kit of a few years back

i can see no reason to be rail roaded into UHF 35 is better than ever because with so many using 2.4 there is less wait for the peg and less chance for shoot down. The only thing I would consider though ,is if you intend to fly electric. There is a school of thought that under weak signal conditions the esc could interfere with the signal on 35

Personally I use 35 for glow and 2.4 for electric

Edited By gangster on 25/10/2015 09:14:41

[leccyflyer]

In response to the OP - since the Multiplex isn;t a module capable transmitter, I'd say that it isn;t worthwhile modifying it to 2.4Ghz, but will point out that loads of folk are still quite happily using perfectly serviceable 35mhz gear. For the price of a TX battery you would be up and running again, immediately with no hassles and in just returning to the hobby a period of consolidation with gear that you are familiar with might be a good idea. You will need to weigh up very carefully which 2.4Ghz system is right for you and you can do that whilst operating the 35mhz gear.

The only other proviso I would make is that if you;re going to be flying electric, best to bite the bullet and go straight to 2.4Ghz - waving goodbye to the glitches that seem to occur regularly with 35mhz set ups. In that position, with a non-module capable TX, I' personally go straiht for a dedicated system Hitec, Futaba, Spektrum,JR, Frsky - there's a lot of choice out there.

[Don Fry]

Quadratic, I assume you have receivers, your set is not that old, it's a quality set, with good gimbals, and will see you back in until you see your way forward. For the price of a battery. The world changed when 2.4 came in, and the old days when all the brands were much of a muchness is gone. The new stuff is much more personal preference, don't spend money now, and kick yourself for years with the wrong brand. And I don't know you but as you have what has always been a an expensive brand, you may just have a fussy attitude towards your gear. It's getting a little bad tempered above, but remember it's human nature to try to sell the brand/setup you have bought.

[bert baker]

Is it a legal thing to do, yes will work, but does your insurance cover you, for having a modified radio.

[PatMc]

Posted by bert baker on 25/10/2015 09:25:06:

Is it a legal thing to do, yes will work, but does your insurance cover you, for having a modified radio.

What's legal about it ? Why shouldn't your insurance [assuming you have it]cover it ?

[Phil Green]

My advice is dont buy anything, use the Cockpit MM as it is, on 35. Its a fine set. Many glider enthusiasts actually prefer them over modern gear. Theres always a chance you might not take to flying again, so why waste money?
If you've been here on the forum a while, you'll realise there are lots of members whose reaction to slight obsolescence, any problem, any doubt, anything beyond a light arrival, is to throw stuff away - which they justify as risk mitigation. In fact very seldom is that necessary. Fit a new battery (theres no reason on earth why that should cost you £25 as suggested), do a full range check, then stick it in a 'foamy' for a couple of sessions.
You only mentioned the transmitter - presumably you have a few receivers for it. If not, then that expense will influence your decision. But from someone who has done gazillions of conversions, stick with the Cockpit on 35! (All 'in my humble opinion' of course)

Cheers
Phil

PS I did a Multiplex Picoline recently for a friend and it was a very straightforward conversion, plenty of room inside for his OrangeRx DIY module. Its a very similar set to yours, conversion to 2.4g is an inexpensive option.

 

Edited By Phil Green on 25/10/2015 09:58:14

[Dave Hopkin]

Before you invest in anything, test the old 35Meg set out, range test it, shake it around etc - take the back off and check for any corrosion, dry joints, wire rot etc etc... If it all works then why replace it? Its legal, not many other users on 35 anymore. If you are planning to go electric then you may want to consider the increased change of RF interference from the ESC/Motor, but if your IC then "Keep calm and switch on".......

[Cuban8]

Unless money is very tight I'd be inclined to advise a change to 2.4. I have perfectly good 35 gear myself, but TBH the advantages of 2.4 outweigh any loyalty to my trusty FF7 & FF8. Unless one flies alone, having the worry of a shoot down by a careless club mate eradicated by 2.4 technology is compelling enough for me.

It's a pity that so much otherwise good gear is now languishing in our workshop cupboards and drawers, but it does say something when at our club's auction last week, the plethora of 35 gear that was on offer either didn't sell or was bought for pennies (literally!) so that the thriftier members of the club could harvest batteries, switches and servos with the radio gear itself heading for the skip.

[ted hughes]

It seems sacrilege to get rid of perfectly serviceable 35Mg gear, but the same thing happened when dvds supplanted vhs and cds supplanted vinyl, with even worse costs to the collectors.

[bert baker]

Posted by Cuban8 on 25/10/2015 10:09:58:

Unless money is very tight I'd be inclined to advise a change to 2.4. I have perfectly good 35 gear myself, but TBH the advantages of 2.4 outweigh any loyalty to my trusty FF7 & FF8. Unless one flies alone, having the worry of a shoot down by a careless club mate eradicated by 2.4 technology is compelling enough for me.

Multiplex Profi 4000 did not transmit straight away when switched on,it would scan the air waves first and only switch on to transmit, if the channel was not in use, obviously every one needed to have that to make the concept work,

The only reason I purchased a 2.4 radio was, I made a big purchase of a large petrol plane and the 9 channel receiver in it had a servo lead going to every port, plus other electronics I had never seen before, It was easier to get a new Transmitter than rework the radio installation, Plus I did a data transfer, and that saved loads of hassle.

[gangster]

Well the other side of the coin is that prices of top quality 35mHz gear has plummeted and those that appreciate it can now get hold of kit we never could afford in the past. The added bonus is that the frequency is usually free,

comments about legality of conversion have raised their heads in this thread,never a shortage of bar room lawyers in this world.

however there could be a point here. I

when 35mhz came along all the kit had to be type approved ,rember the little stickers inside the Case? this involved the whole system case aerial etc. Is this still the case with rc kit.? I also recall that many ham radio kit producers were hit by the cost of type approval . Where would we stand in the case of a brand x transmitter with a hack module inside , no way would that have been type approved and a smart lawyer in a claim case could make hay out of it

Of course our beloved BMFA have been quiet on this one

[Peter Christy]

Type approval - in the form of the CE mark - is only a legal requirement if you are "bringing the equipment to the market" (ie: selling it!). It is not a requirement for personal use, though you would still be expected to operate within the legal requirements of the band.

Fitting a CE approved "hack" module is perfectly legal, as long as it is done in compliance with the manufacturers instructions. Were this not the case, a good percentage of Europe's computers would be illegal if they were fitted with a Wifi card after purchase!

Both these statements straight from the mouth of an Ofcom official!

That isn't to say that club / fly-in / contest officials may take a dim view of equipment not bearing the CE mark, but I've never had an issue with my home made 459MHz gear....

--

Pete

[bert baker]

It a question of balance, do you quit 35 meg and go fully 2.4,

I have over twenty airworthy models, probably half of them started life with me on 35meg.

I did a slow change over, fresh purchases got a 2.4 receiver and I carried on with 35meg on the other models and slowly have changed them to 2.4, I still have a couple still on 35meg, but these are the hangar Queens.

For me it doesn't end there, My son also fly's, and still needs to be on buddy box, Hmm so I need two transmitters as well.

That has left me with.

2 X FF7 Supers plus on spare

2X FF6 50th Anniversary

1XFF9 Super

1XFF9

1XJR DSX9

1XJR DSX9 Mk2

And now the DSX9 stuff is coming to and end.

I am looking forward to when 2.4 has finally settled down.

I could not have a changed the lot in one go, so it may have cost more in the long run, but at least it was manageable.

[Cuban8]

Posted by bert baker on 25/10/2015 10:46:43:

Posted by Cuban8 on 25/10/2015 10:09:58:

Unless money is very tight I'd be inclined to advise a change to 2.4. I have perfectly good 35 gear myself, but TBH the advantages of 2.4 outweigh any loyalty to my trusty FF7 & FF8. Unless one flies alone, having the worry of a shoot down by a careless club mate eradicated by 2.4 technology is compelling enough for me.

 

Multiplex Profi 4000 did not transmit straight away when switched on,it would scan the air waves first and only switch on to transmit, if the channel was not in use, obviously every one needed to have that to make the concept work,

The only reason I purchased a 2.4 radio was, I made a big purchase of a large petrol plane and the 9 channel receiver in it had a servo lead going to every port, plus other electronics I had never seen before, It was easier to get a new Transmitter than rework the radio installation, Plus I did a data transfer, and that saved loads of hassle.

Of course, it's up to the individual to decide for themselves whether they upgrade or not - and being in the camp that very much resists the upgrade fever surrounding mobile phones, computers, TV and broadband packages etc I understand the reluctance to have old technology gear gathering dust.

Just a thought though............how many of us yearn for the days of non-antilock brakes, contact breaker points, manual chokes and 3000 mile oil changes (winter and summer grades) on our cars? I think we do have to be careful to not to be overly dismissive of the new just because we merely choose to be so.

Edited By Cuban8 on 25/10/2015 11:23:04

[gangster]

Thanks for the explanation Pete. Well done on your 459 kit. I did have a brief foray into that area in the 80s using an rcm&e encoder and a Wood and Douglas 70 cms strip. Lost interest for a few reasons one was I did not know what to do RX wise I was also less than impressed with the issues suffered with the commercial stuff. So well done mate

All this is off topic so apologies but I guess the op has had all views on the matter to help his descision