Differences between models ?

[Gary Nuttall]

Am a newbie and am looking at the Futaba 6K. However, it seems that model numbers are like Dyson cleaners...there's lots of variations! Can anyone therefore please explain the difference between Futaba T6K - 6 Channel 2.4GHz T-FHSS (Dry) & R3006SB Combo (Mode 1) and Futaba T6K - 6 Channel 2.4GHz T-FHSS (Dry) & R3006SB Combo (Mode 2) ?

Thanks

[Frank Skilbeck]

Gary, the difference is the stick mode, Mode 1 has throttle and aileron on the right stick with rudder and elevator on the left stick, mode 2 is aileron and elevator on right stick with throttle and rudder on the left.

[Denis Watkins]

Gary, the modes are completely different styles of flying, that is determined by you, your club, and your instructor.

Keep up your research and questioning

But ultimately you should spend some time at your local club flying site to decide

[MattyB]

Don't do it! There are many other far better value and better specced radios than a Futaba 6K, and those alternatives don't confuse users with a "protocol soup" the same way Futaba love to do, plus RXs and telemetry gear are far more reasonable.

FrSky and Graupner are both great, as are FlySky. Jeti are similarly priced but have far more functionality. Avoid Hitec and JR though; Hitec have announced they are exiting the TX market, and JR were declared bankrupt a while ago, and despite an asset transfer to a previous partner company the future of their products looks extremely unclear.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

I'd agree with Matty, the 6K is not a "good value for money" investment in my view. As he says, there are others that are more powerful with more features, better priced, better resourced with low cost Rx's and sensors etc. and various add ons (useful later). Research more widely would be my advice.

BEB

[Frank Skilbeck]

Posted by MattyB on 24/03/2018 22:50:34:

Jeti are similarly priced but have far more functionality.

Matty, where can I get a Jeti for £160 please?

[MattyB]

Correct, you can’t - they don’t really do a true entry level set. What I meant is the overall pricing of their stuff (RXs, telemetry gear, 14ch and up TXs) is in the same (premium) ballpark as Futaba. Jeti’s telemetry integration and mixing flexibility is far better however, and I would take their physical quality over Futaba too. YMMV.

Add in the fact they have a single, well proven protocol (far less confusing than Futabas multiple flavours of FHSS and FASST) and develop new and innovative products at a far faster rate then it is difficult to make a case for the old stager that is Futaba these days. Yes it’s very reliable, but so is almost everything else - it’s the human that installs, sets up and powers the gear that is orders of magnitude less reliable than modern digital RC.

Edited By MattyB on 25/03/2018 21:22:04

[Gary Nuttall]

Thanks all for the really useful feedback. Sounds like "Mode 2", i.e. aileron/elevator on right stick works for me

I have already joined a local model club and am taking on board advice wherever it's offered. Funnily, it was a club instructor who suggested the Futaba 6K. It should be remembered that I am a complete novice and that the subtleties of additional functionality etc will be wasted on me (for quite some time). In fact anything beyond basic 3-4 ch control (or as I think of it up/down, left/right, faster/slower) melts my head anyway! And yes, I know that's oversimplifying it but I'm not going to be executing Aresti programme negative-G flicks (not intentionally anyway).

Thanks again.

[MattyB]

Posted by Gary Nuttall on 26/03/2018 14:03:57:

Thanks all for the really useful feedback. Sounds like "Mode 2", i.e. aileron/elevator on right stick works for me

I have already joined a local model club and am taking on board advice wherever it's offered. Funnily, it was a club instructor who suggested the Futaba 6K. It should be remembered that I am a complete novice and that the subtleties of additional functionality etc will be wasted on me (for quite some time). In fact anything beyond basic 3-4 ch control (or as I think of it up/down, left/right, faster/slower) melts my head anyway! And yes, I know that's oversimplifying it but I'm not going to be executing Aresti programme negative-G flicks (not intentionally anyway).

OK, but the problem with that logic is that when you DO want/need additional functionality for a more complex model you will need to buy a new TX. That will be very expensive because it will have to be a Futaba in order to work with your existing RXs. The alternative is that you buy a better value alternative now that has more functionality than you need currently - you don't need to use any of that, but it's all there when you do want it, and for no extra cost.

There a multiple TXs that you could buy that give room to grow, and for the same or less money than a 6K. These sets work with telemetry accessories and RX prices that are lower, especially for the higher channel count RXs. Most importantly IMO are the fact that many of these sets have "telemetry by default" i.e. FrSky telemetry RXs are cheap and send back signal strength and RX battery voltage information by default, meaning you are highly unlikely to lose a model due to RX battery failure or a dodgy receiver installation. That is extremely valuable for any modeller, but especially beginners.

[ChrisB]

Dry means without a battery.

The best option is to join your local club as it will be one of their members who will be teaching you and it’s highly likely that they will use something called a buddy lead which connects two transmitters together and allows the instructor two give you control via a deadmans switch, thus he can take control more easily. However, you can only use the same make transmitter so they’ll talk to one another. Therefore the make you get will usually be determined by your instructor, unless you want to buy two transmitters and a lead that is.

If you visit bmfa.org you’ll be able to find your nearest club.

[Gary Nuttall]

Thanks MattyB. Battery failure/dodgy receiver is a fair point which I hadn't considered. The future proofing side of things is less of a concern as I realise this might be just a foray into the activity for me - and I may decide that I don't want to go beyond a certain level (or, heavens forbid, give up). Am sure there's the risk of days on a damp, cold, windy, field thinking "there must be something else I could be doing"..... and I could just become demotivated. At this stage having lots of buttons, switches and dials is actually off-putting rather than inspiring. If it turns out that I become totally hooked on it then I'll take the hit (financial and time) at that point.

[Gary Nuttall]

ChrisB - the club I'm a member of has been really helpful already and I've managed to get what;s considered a reasonably suitable first model and transmitter (which is compatible via buddy cable with a club transmitter). So am actually "good to go". Have had a bit of an odd compatibility issue with this setup though and so was pondering if replacing with new transmitter(s) now might be the simplest solution. Fortunately, the issue of buying two transmitters isn't too much of a problem either as my son and I have started together, so I could just buy one for each of us.

[MattyB]

Posted by ChrisB on 26/03/2018 14:36:04:

...The best option is to join your local club as it will be one of their members who will be teaching you and it’s highly likely that they will use something called a buddy lead which connects two transmitters together and allows the instructor two give you control via a deadmans switch, thus he can take control more easily. However, you can only use the same make transmitter so they’ll talk to one another. Therefore the make you get will usually be determined by your instructor, unless you want to buy two transmitters and a lead that is.

Sorry, but the text in bold is no longer correct. These days it's perfectly possible to buddy many TXs of different makes - you just need the right lead/wireless setup and a bit of time to setup the master TX correctly. I have done this myself with FrSky and Spek and also with FrSky and Futaba, but other combinations are perfectly possible.

Edited By MattyB on 26/03/2018 15:10:33

[MattyB]

Posted by Gary Nuttall on 26/03/2018 14:40:53:

Thanks MattyB. Battery failure/dodgy receiver is a fair point which I hadn't considered. The future proofing side of things is less of a concern as I realise this might be just a foray into the activity for me - and I may decide that I don't want to go beyond a certain level (or, heavens forbid, give up). Am sure there's the risk of days on a damp, cold, windy, field thinking "there must be something else I could be doing"..... and I could just become demotivated. At this stage having lots of buttons, switches and dials is actually off-putting rather than inspiring. If it turns out that I become totally hooked on it then I'll take the hit (financial and time) at that point.

In that case you should definitely consider a cheaper option than Futaba! Here's one option - 16 channels, full telemetry, custom voice callouts on the switches (a really nice beginner feature) and cheap receivers; cost just over £100. It does have a few extra buttons and switches, but not enough to become confusing IMO. The OpenTX operating system is a little different to a Futaba, but as you will not have to "unlearn" the software from a previous TX that should not be an issue for you. If there is someone in your club with a FrSky transmitter I would recommend you at least have a chat with them before committing to a 6K.

Edited By MattyB on 26/03/2018 15:09:44