Advice needed

[EarlyBird]

26 minutes ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

for some obscure reason Futaba have decided to move the trainer switch to the top right and make a standard 2 position switch, which if as an instructor you are used to a spring loaded switch on the left (6EX) was a real pain to remember when it was all going wrong.

Same at our club and after a couple of crashes the switch was changed to a spring loaded one. No problem after that.

 

Steve

[Eric Robson]

A new Spektrum NX8 with a 8020t rx is about £440 the rx in the photo of the one for sale is not available now, which does not mean it is not ok.

I am not keen on second hand gear, no doubt most is ok but for piece of mind I prefer new, I have both Spektrum and Futaba both 6 channel and have never had the use for anymore. I have the Spektrum DX6e with rechargeable battery and it has been trouble free for the last 3 years, it has had a lot of use on all types from park flyer to 80" span scale planes.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Eric Robson
added some text.

[MattyB]

2 hours ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

Totally agree Matty.

 

I like the futaba gear, i am used to it and confident it its performance and will recommend it over spektrum as i did not get the same feeling of quality and reliability from the spektrum radio i own and have used for training. Personally i wouldnt touch frsky with a 10 foot pole. Not because i claim models will be dropping like flys if you use it, but because i have not seen evidence that they wont. I will keep an eye on it, and may consider it in future once i have seen it in the flesh/many years of in service reports are available. But for now i will stick to what i know to be reliable (one futaba radio failure in 30+ years). 

 

Thanks for taking the time to prove my point about radio tribalism, Jon 😆. I think you have stated this thing about needing 30 years reliability record before you'd leap before - did Futaba have that when you bought your first set from them? 😉

[Jon H]

24 minutes ago, MattyB said:

 

Thanks for taking the time to prove my point about radio tribalism, Jon 😆. I think you have stated this thing about needing 30 years reliability record before you'd leap before - did Futaba have that when you bought your first set from them? 😉

 

What are you on about? I havent proven anything, clearly you missed my point. Objective assessment of the pro's and cons of a system vs what you already have is not tribalism, its common sense. Telling the op that his futaba is no good and he must fly spektrum is another story. 

 

Its is funny though that you have dismissed futaba as old and irrelevant and promoted the new stuff. I cant remember for sure, but you fly frsky dont you? Perhaps i am not the one that has an issue with tribalism. 

 

And at the time i started flying futaba i was about 12 and didnt give any thought to things like reliability. It wasnt my money on the line at the time! That said, my dad had flown with that radio for about 15 years before i got it and it still works today. 

 

 

 

[Masher]

Oh my gosh, here we go

 

[extra slim]

Pro's and con's of radio gear is of course relevant, but the only important aspect is "what the person who is going to teach you prefers/is comfortable with". If you understand FULLY your futaba, get a slave tx and understand all of that ASWELL, so if the instructor asks you to add 25% exponential, or set 65% rates on ailerons, set throttle end points, you can do it, no problem, then I cant see too many problems personally. The people who suggested Spektrum I suspect are very familiar with it, know it, and dont want to spend time at the field working out how to do something on a futaba, or reading the manual, as it is just another time sapping hurdle. people want to fly, get air time, their model or yours. A fella turned up at our club with Spektrum tx and a buddy tx, no one else was flying spektrum.. problem was he did not have a clue how to operate his tx, nor showed any inclination, and just annoyed everyone, who had to repeatedly take time out of their flying or other pupils time working out how to do something..  If you dont take the advice, go against the grain or turn up with something that you or they dont know how to operate, but states it WILL work.. then I doubt anyone would change course to accommodate you with much enthusiasm. 

[Frank Skilbeck]

2 hours ago, EarlyBird said:

Same at our club and after a couple of crashes the switch was changed to a spring loaded one. No problem after that.

 

Steve

Yep, we didn't want to go messing with students own radios and it was just easier for us to lend them a 6EX with FASST rx while they were on the buddy box, it also allowed them to fly with their own Tx. By lending them the set they were responsible for keeping it charged up and bringing it to the field.

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

I often wonder why we can't attract more newcomers. 😉

[Mike Blandford]

4 hours ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

. . . Personally i wouldnt touch frsky with a 10 foot pole. Not because i claim models will be dropping like flys if you use it, but because i have not seen evidence that they wont. . .

I'm still using my FrSky Taranis X9D+ as my main Tx for flying and I've been using this for over 8 years with no problems.

I have 10, production FrSky transmitters, and a few prototypes, and I haven't had any failures in normal use in more than 9 years.

I also have over 20 receivers and quite a lot of telemetry sensors, several Tx modules and several ESCs. The only failures are two receivers and these were caused by me applying incorrect power connections when doing some involved development work!

 

Mike

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

"Advice needed" ?

Be careful when mentioning brands, the natives can get somewhat emotional.

 

Purely because you've joined a club and it's there your future lies at present, how much have you invested in the Futaba ?

[tiny-james]

I'm getting feed up now the Futaba battery charger has stopped working !!

will my Imax charge my radio charger.

 

 

 

[EarlyBird]

7 minutes ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

Yep, we didn't want to go messing with students own radios

They are Club Futaba Txs that had the switch changed. The students that bought Futaba used their own equipment and as you say took responsibility for it, a useful lesson in itself. 

 

On my first visit to the club, I was told by more than one member that I had made a big mistake buying Hitech and would need to buy a second Tx and buddy lead as no one would teach me as they were all Futaba. Just before the instructor arrived, I was talking with a more friendly helpful member who told me he did buy the second cheap set for the same reason and only used it four times before he was off the buddy lead. That made me think. The instructor arrived and after introductions he asked if I had a model, Tx and batteries charged up. Yes, but there is a problem as I have bought Hitech. He went to his car and fetched a Hitech buddy Tx and lead. He checked it worked set up both Txs and marched to the flight line with me following in disbelief. I did not expect to be flying as quickly as that. Just to put the length of time on a buddy system in perspective, for me it was two weeks. I was told some refused to come off it, of those that did two years was the longest. The buddy system can create a feeling of comfort for the student and in some cases a reluctance to go solo. Having said that I do believe the buddy system was a great innovation and the benefits far outweigh the problems.

 

As an aside that was when I learned about LMA as there were a few members there with beautiful big models, I was embarrassed to get my little RTF foamy out of the boot in such illustrious company only to be told not to worry as they will keep out of my way, and they all had started with little models. I did find out later that one started with a Jetex free flight model at the age of nine or was it seven, anyway it flew, and he has not stopped building since he does not use Jetex more like 600 cc motorbike engines.

 

 

Steve

[Don Fry]

Tiny, getting back to your needs. First up, if the instuctor(s) do a particular brand, that is what they do. They might not realise multi protocol transmitters exist. They might not want to fart about doing a learning curve. No benefit for them, and stress multiplied. Remember, they foul up, they have to say sorry to you, and they are not on a payroll doing a job. As John Stones says, how much have you invested in Futaba, with a broken switch.
On the other hand, I reckon that NX 8 would be OK. Be a pretty hard nosed Club Secretary to rip off a Club member. Value, £250 tops. Second hand, no warranty.

But, it’s a complicated bit of kit, and not for a beginner. You might grow into it, or find it’s got too many switches, and options,  or find as you go and grow, it’s a brand that is not for you. You might pick up a transmitter, and it fits YOUR hands, then you go in that direction because you have some knowledge, and you have learnt who does good advice. 

I would be tempted, to get a basic transmitter, Dx6E. If you like the club, it’s worth the investment.

Us lot on here are not your instructors. In life experiences you are not a kid, if you like them go with them.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

Buy any radio ( even the rubbish ones mentioned ) and come to our club, I love fiddling and programming them  it can be good fun,

I normally get them programmed for at least an afternoon flight in French or English, and look how the Sun follows me around,,,🥳

[Peter Jenkins]

35 minutes ago, tiny-james said:

I'm getting feed up now the Futaba battery charger has stopped working !!

will my Imax charge my radio charger.

 

 

 

As no one has answered Tiny James, I'd offer 50% of new value with an absolute max of 60% and that only because it really is in tip top condition with the box and manual in pristine condition.  If he won't deal then buy new.  That having been said, I've bought a lot of JR DMSS stuff between when JR had gone bankrupt and the new company that has taken over JR resurrected it.  Never had a problem and never sent stuff away for checking!  Perhaps its the JR quality? 😜

[MattyB]

20 minutes ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

 

What are you on about? I havent proven anything, clearly you missed my point. Objective assessment of the pro's and cons of a system vs what you already have is not tribalism, its common sense. Telling the op that his futaba is no good and he must fly spektrum is another story. 

 

Its is funny though that you have dismissed futaba as old and irrelevant and promoted the new stuff. I cant remember for sure, but you fly frsky dont you? Perhaps i am not the one that has an issue with tribalism. 

 

 

I am pretty sure I was the one telling him that his Futaba was perfectly fine, and that any current radio system available today will be hugely reliable if you a) understand how it works, and b) install and power it correctly. I didn't dismiss Futaba as irrelevant or promote any specific brand, but I did state Futaba their sales are declining which is demonstrably true - see the surveys on this very site if you want proof of that, though there hasn't been one recently as far as I can see. Perhaps it's time for another one, it might be interesting.

 

I do use Frsky and Radiomaster at present, but historically I've been a happy user of JR, Futaba and Multiplex sets at various points. If RF reliability really were the only consideration I would happily use any brand available today (including Futaba) that leverages a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) protocol; that is actually all of them at this point! However, with reliable RF now ubiquitous for every brand, I personally now primarily select on other factors - telemetry and third party integration, flexible mixing, an off-TX setup facility, physical quality and bang for buck all feature highly for me.

 

The problem for Futaba right now is that a) lots of people now know that far cheaper kit can be reliable, b) they never cracked the PNP/BNF thing like HH did, and c) have been far slower than competitors to embrace new technology and bring out new kit. In combination these factors mean they are far less attractive to newcomers anad established flyers than they used to be.

[tiny-james]

I would really like to thank all that has given advice on my dilemma.

 

After a lot of advice and the recent trouble with the battery charger on the Futaba plus a good argument with the instructors in mind and what they already use and know I would be foolish to use a different Transmitter. After all I’m a beginner and have a lot to learn. If it’s a Spectrum they use then it’s better to buy a Radio they are familiar with as I see it they will be taking the time to teach me and also they will know their radio equipment inside and out. So, what have I spent on a radio well £189.00 six years ago and it was in the hands of a sixteen year old boy (my son) with a quad he built himself. I’m not saying he didn’t look after it, but I wasn’t there when he was using it.

 

Peter has answered my question quite well and the asking price he has suggested is spot on £250.00 I’m happy to pay that if it gets me in the air and flying with a good instructor. Let’s face it the buddy system is a service that is given for free until I’m ready to cut the training wheels off.

 

With a switch that needs replacing, a new battery replaced and now a new charger what’s next chip inside the transmitter. So I will replace the charger but have the Futaba as a backup/spare you never know my son may want to fly again and it was his radio to start with

Sods law I will find the missing Spektrum the day I buy the NX8 but if I remember correctly, The transmitter didn’t come with a battery or a RX

 

Again thank you

Ps I would rather put the money towards a balsa plane (pnp) electric I don’t want the extra hassle of a IC power unit but maybe it’s for the best

[Martin McIntosh]

Way way back at the age of 12 I started model flying, mostly unsuccessfully and wanted radio which you had to build yourself if you wanted anything which actually worked. My mentor took the model up from launch for the maiden and from then on I was on my own. It was the only way to learn in those days.

Nowadays it is in my opinion far too easy using buddy leads but at least your models should last much longer.

My only Futaba set has been an EX6A 2.4 when they came out just to see if this new system worked OK which it did and I was impressed until it came to programming mixes which were rubbish. I soon bought a JR DSX9 (same as Spektrum then) and have used it ever since; I now have three Tx`s the same because being old hat DSM2 they are cheapish. Rx`s are a mixture of JR, Spektrum and Orange and never any problems with them. (Don`t use Orange with Spektrum for some reason).

My club is mainly Futaba because this was marketed in the SE but there are now a fair number of Spektrums. I think that Spektrum has had some bad press because in other parts of the country there is a lot of it and new users maybe do not fully understand how to install gear or the fact that many of these need a 6V pack to operate reliably.

I occasionally use other systems such as Turnigy and FrSky and again no problems.

Do not make the mistake of buying a none computer set or less than 8ch because you will soon grow out of it.

 

[Jon H]

Matty. Your comment landed a bad moment as i was already irked by something else. Having tried to post a constructive and non biased comment i didnt appreciate being labelled as tribal with all the implications that brings. I never said alternatives were bad, only that they do not meet my requirements for justifying a change. There is way more to this whole radio choice thing on my side, but unless i write an essay detailing 30 years of flying experience, close to 15 in the model trade and all the experiments and tests i do on stuff just for the research value it is not always apparent where i am coming from and why. I have a robust stance on certain topics, products etc and very often this is because of some testing or experience i have which is far too time consuming to go into on a forum post. 

 

In the case of Tiny-James, using the same radio the instructors know does have value, but you might be able to get a better deal on a new radio than take the risk with a 2nd hand unit. I am not suggesting it is the case here, but the coincidence of 'you must buy this thing' and 'this guy happens to have one for sale' is something i am wary of. It may be totally genuine, it may not. You have to be the judge of that one. 

 

On the i/c vs electric side, both have their own pros, cons and inconveniences. It mostly ends up a wash. 

 

 

[tiny-james]

Jon this person had said at my walk around he had bought a New raido but never tried to force it on me it wasn't until I asked on the clubs facebook page/group that he came forward. I see it as a member just trying to help me out also guide me.

[Frank Skilbeck]

2 hours ago, tiny-james said:

I'm getting feed up now the Futaba battery charger has stopped working !!

will my Imax charge my radio charger.

 

 

 

Yes, providing you have the correct plug to go into the Tx, just set the battery to the correct type and off you go.

[EarlyBird]

9 hours ago, tiny-james said:

Jon this person had said at my walk around he had bought a New raido but never tried to force it on me it wasn't until I asked on the clubs facebook page/group that he came forward. I see it as a member just trying to help me out also guide me.

He sounds like a good club mate to me. Before parting with any money I would ask to try it/feel it and ask your instructor for advice. I am sure there will be no problem and that you are making the right decision, based on your previous post. 

 

Steve

[David Davis]

Tiny James there's nothing stopping you from keeping the Futaba transmitter and using it with a Futaba receiver in another model.

 

About 85% of my club fly Futaba, the other 15% including me, use Spektrum. One clubmate uses both and another uses an old Multiplex FM transmitter for his electric gliders but Futaba for his i/c models. The best pilot in the club uses Frsky. He works in IT.

 

I shy away from Frsky, Radiomaster, Taranis and similar transmitters because I am a computerphobe and feel that they might be too complicated for me to set up!  That said they seem to work very well and they are reasonably priced.

 

I use a Spektrum DX9 as my main transmitter. I keep an old DX6i as a slave transmitter and have the use of an old DX5e Mode 1 transmitter for Mode 1 beginners which is useful as I live in France where most pilots fly Mode 1. I can buddy up both transmitters to my DX9 wirelessly.

 

I have always had good service from Hitec servos, the HS311 in particular, but am giving Savox a go in a large sports model.

 

Just my two pennorth.

[john davidson 1]

19 hours ago, tiny-james said:

I'm getting feed up now the Futaba battery charger has stopped working !!

will my Imax charge my radio charger.

 

 

 

Careful about polarity, remember Futaba and Spektrum use opposite, I label my leads prominently

[Don Fry]

Tiny, I once lost a model, simple answer, the transmitter shut down, flat battery, at a higher voltage than the factory set battery alarm. It’s horrible just idly watching it tumble to earth, dead, smashing in contact. Lesson learnt.

I think you need to have a good look at that transmitter, and what you are staking on it working and continuing to work. Would you buy that transmitter?

Edited December 6, 2022 by Don Fry