Ice Cream Anyone?

[Owdlad]

I believe using a tray is the better method of controlling the model, but again that's down to personal opinion or preference as Peter says in his post.

As a tray user my advice is this; If you're going to use a tray? Buy a Tx that's designed that way. Ie the old Graupner Mc, Robbe Fc or Multiplex profI series. I advise this simply because the gimbals are wider apart and all the switches are designed in such a way that the hands flow naturally over the Tx. Whereas your standard Tx fitted to an aftermarket tray just doesn't work as the tx is designed to be supported by the hands and I found the switches are in the wrong position or inaccessible.

It took me 6 months to convert from thumbs to tray! so please persivere because once you've made the transition I can guarantee you will never go back simply because it's the better more acurate way of controlling the model.

Hope this helps

[Frank Skilbeck]

I normally fly with a tray radio and that's my preference, but I learnt on a handheld Tx and can still swop between types easily. But my fellow handheld/thumb fliers can't fly planes that are on my tray radio, so our club models are all on a standard handheld radio for that reason.

I always flew holding the stick between finger and thumb and using a tray came easily, but thumbs only fliers find changing the way they hold the sticks the biggest challenge.

[stu knowles]

I came to prefer a tray mounted TX but it did take a while. Once I got used to the tray I changed the sticks to some (very) extended version supplied with the transmitter (MPX) Again, they took a bit of getting used to but now I much prefer the precision that they offer with the added bonus of three stick mounted buttons which are great for sucking up the gear just as you break ground without moving hands from the stick at a critical moment. The only downside that I find is that it stops others from having a go with whatever I'm flying

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Thanks for the helpful comments and advice chaps.

I should report that I had a further 3 flights with the tray system on Sunday - so that makes a total of 11 now. Again they confirmed a lot of what I had been feeling on the first "encounter". I'm certainly not phazed by this - as I've said I'm a "finger and thumb" flyer anyway, so the leap is not so big for me perhaps. I'm actually just beginning to enjoy this,.....a bit! Maybe?

One "hazard" I have found - I turned up at the strip on Sunday with; the maodel, the batteries and all my stuff etc. including my Tx case of course,....

only the Tx isn't in the x case is it? Its fixed in the tray which is,....yeap, on my work bench back at base!

Trip home to get it!

BEB

[Barrie Dav 2]

Here's one I made earlier:-

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Well this tray was as cheap as chips! (About £14 ) from E-bay. Unfortunately my digits seem to be stiffening with what might be arthritis so a tray was suggested and I got the unit pictured. It comes as a kit from http://www.wtotoy.com a Chinese company and is reckoned to be universal to suit most transmitters. Certainly my Futaba transmitters all fit to it and I have secured them with twisted garden wire although I am told you can get releasable tie-wraps which could be better?

if required a 'buddy lead' can be inserted at the back of the tray.

It's still on E-bay for £14.04 with a delivery quoted at 3 days.

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 03/08/2016 16:28:09

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 03/08/2016 16:33:21

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

I' a dedicated "thumbs only" flyer but when I was learning to fly helis I used a tray so I could rest my hand on the tray & use "fingers & thumbs" on the sticks......

Now I can't fly fixed wing with a tray but I can't fly helis without one....

[Owdlad]

My home made tx tray

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Owdlad]

Don't worry Percy Mode 1 is alive and kicking..... all the best pilots are mode 1......oh no I've gone and done it now

[Martyn K]

I made my own tray - using the platform like that used by Mike E above.

This one for my Futaba - with additional 'wings' added and covered in Fablon.

I then bought and modified another tray for my Taranis

I had to make a few mods to the transmitter to make it usable.

I had to reverse the trainer switch - not too difficult

I had to invert the side sliders - that was tricky as they were keyed

It has taken me a long time to get used to it. I didn't use a strap before. I was finger/thumb right hand and thumb left hand supporting the tranny with my left hand

I think the tray is great - I can still fly without it, but it doesn't feel 'right' any more. Has my flying improved? Its hard to say, what I have realised though is that I am not contorting my arms when flying (with a tray) now so its less stressful. It also means I can put the tray down on the grass and the back doesn't get covered in pooh and stays dry. I think my flying is more consistent now - it means I am consistently average - not good - but I have noticed that throttle and rudder control is now much easier than before.

I lean down on the transmitter - it takes the weight of my arms and that keeps it very stable.

I have also learned to fly the right hand sticks with my left hand - very useful when performing a right hand - hand launch.

I think its worth persevering with..

Martyn

 

 

Edited By Martyn K on 04/08/2016 13:48:09

[Lone_Wolf]

Our whole club is mode 1 except for perhaps 2 members. When I joined they said we fly mode 1 here and as I could not yet fly mode 1 was how I was taught.

I have been thinking of trying a tray for some time now. Currently a thumbs and strap man. Not entirely comfortable with that as I think a tray might improve my level of control.

[Geoff S]

I've been using a tray for years after I bought a universal one from M&M developments. I still have that as a spare but stopped using it a lot after I bought a Multiplex 3030 transmitter with the added parts which make it work like a tray. I used the old M&M tray when I first bought my Taranis but bought the special tray like BEB's about a year ago.

It goes together quite well but I also found it needed a strip of sticky back foam under the transmitter to make it firm. I also put some foam on the bottom to stop the Perspex getting scratched when I put it down on our hard runway. I also found that it didn't hang at the right angle and needed to drill more holes in the support bracket further back. That was an advantage as it meant I could shorten the arms thus making more room for my hands. I discarded the supplied harness in favour of a simple neck strap which works perfectly for me.

A few months ago it was on the ground and the wind blew a model onto it and broke one of the side arms. I've made new ones from some 11mm surfaced marine plywood offcuts I'd saved after it was used to panel our new shower cubical (never throw anything away ). I was surprised to find my home-made side arms are lighter than the Perspex originals.

It's brilliant and I wouldn't be without it. It means I can fly reasonably accurately which, because my hands don't move as they should (or once did), I wouldn't otherwise.

Geoff

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Glyn44]

Why has nobody mentioned that there is room for a cold beer whilst your flying, ?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Geoff S]

When I joined my current club as a mode 2 flyer and I found everyone was flying mode 1 it just meant I had to test fly my own models. So that was a good thing. If I have anything I'm a bit uncertain of I wait until Ian Redshaw turns up. If he crashes one of my models then it's certain I would have done so and a lot more spectacularly.

The only problem I had was that he wasn't too keen on the built in tray on my Mux3030 but he coped and still flew with thumbs. He must have long thumbs

As for cold beers - all I had trouble with when I first got my Taranis was that there was nowhere to put the candelabras that fitted so well on the Multiplex.

Geoff

[Owdlad]

Contrasting styles.....Which one of the pilots looks more relaxed

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by Owdlad on 08/08/2016 17:01:41:

Contrasting styles.....Which one of the pilots looks more relaxed

The one taxying out?

[Max Z]

Posted by Percy Verance on 04/08/2016 19:21:58:

Here's a relatively modern take on the tray Multiplex style, made from foam naturally......

I have the same tranny/tray combination, and I am very happy with both. I found already early on that I prefer a tray over a handheld, and made one for my first transmitter out of bits of plastic and sections of alu curtain rail.

I never understood why people went for a full wraparound tray, two properly placed suspension points for the neck strap and supports for your hands are more than enough. I can see pictures of commercial and home made trays in this thread which rely on four suspension points, two at the front and two at the back. That's how my first home made example was, and I found that the two straps leading to the front points were interfering with my hands when I hand-launched a model and wanted to get my hand back on the stick in a hurry. My next Tx, a Multiplex Mc3010, was a lot better in that respect, it had fold away brackets and add-on hand rests. However, it still leaned forward a bit much. The MPX Royal Pro and its tray are superb, the foam may look a bit cheap, but it feels great.

Edited By Max Z on 08/08/2016 20:02:33

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Owdlad]

As a typical Yorkshire person the tray for my mc24 was home made, cost next to nothing and took an evening to manufacture.

We're modelers, so why buy when you can make

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Max Z]

I like it the way it is, PV. No need to toughen it in my view, and it might just spoil the comfortable feel of it.

Edited By Max Z on 08/08/2016 22:39:04