Old TX to 2.4 convertions

[Basil]

I have seen in the past conversion units for sale to bring old TX's up to modern standards. can anybody throw some light on this please.

Bas

[Phil Green]

How old Bas?

[Robin Colbourne]

In the UK, Phil Green & Shaun Garrity, of the Pontefract club are leading lights in 2.4GHz conversions

 

If anyone comes across boards to allow FlySky-compatible conversions, I would be very interested.

Looks like I've been pipped to the post by one of the gurus!

 

[Basil]

21 minutes ago, Phil Green said:

How old Bas?

I dont know any detail, it caught my interest. I thought I bet I can find some guys that know all about that and will fill me in on some detail. You often come across old TX stuff.

 

Bas

[Robert Cracknell]

Bas

Have a look at this YouTube video by RC Model Geeks...

 

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

Here is one I did a good few years ago.
 

 

And all the bits to do another one.


I had three of these TX back in the day. This is the last of them and my only remaining 35MHz system.

[Phil Green]

2 hours ago, Robin Colbourne said:

In the UK, Phil Green & Shaun Garrity, of the Pontefract club are leading lights in 2.4GHz conversions

 

Thank you for the kind words Robin, but really its Mike Kitchen now  🙂  Mikes encoders are the equal of any commercial computer-radio.

 

2 hours ago, Robin Colbourne said:

If anyone comes across boards to allow FlySky-compatible conversions, I would be very interested.

 

I dont know if you can still get them, but the Flysky RM series RF modules are very good:

https://mode-zero.uk/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=72&p=127

and

https://mode-zero.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=738&p=5882

 

Otherwise the multiprotocol modules do Flysky, have a look on Aliexpress.

 

Bas, have a browse around mode-zero where you'll find lots of examples.

Cheers

Phil

 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

Watch out old some of these old radios have rubbish wires soldered to the potentiometers that move with the sticks and does break off in time, maybe also from contamination from model fuel with castor oil in it.

😂😂

[Andy Stephenson]

Also, on early radios, the gimbles were made of roughly moulded plastic which had a lot of play around the centre.

Apart from the nostalgia effect, it beats me why anyone would want to use these unergonomic angular metal cased radios.

[Phil Green]

1 hour ago, Andy Stephenson said:

Apart from the nostalgia effect, it beats me why anyone would want to use these unergonomic angular metal cased radios.

Beats me why anyone would want a metal box with just a button on it, but it takes all sorts...   😁

[Robin Colbourne]

8 hours ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:

Watch out old some of these old radios have rubbish wires soldered to the potentiometers that move with the sticks and does break off in time, maybe also from contamination from model fuel with castor oil in it.

😂😂

The Sanwa Conquest was notorious for that.  Usually it was the aileron potentiometer wires which failed first.  Confusingly, Futaba called what they sold as the Futaba Challenger in the UK, the Futaba Conquest in the USA, although the Sanwa and Futaba products are to the best of my knowledge, unrelated, although of the same era and level in the market.

[Robin Colbourne]

9 hours ago, Phil Green said:

 

Thank you for the kind words Robin, but really its Mike Kitchen now  🙂  Mikes encoders are the equal of any commercial computer-radio.

 

 

I dont know if you can still get them, but the Flysky RM series RF modules are very good:

https://mode-zero.uk/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=72&p=127

and

https://mode-zero.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=738&p=5882

 

Otherwise the multiprotocol modules do Flysky, have a look on Aliexpress.

 

Bas, have a browse around mode-zero where you'll find lots of examples.

Cheers

Phil

 

Thank you Phil, that is very helpful.  The FlySky FS-RM003 module appears to be still available.  Would taking the case off allow the RM002 conversion process to be followed for the RM003?

[GrumpyGnome]

14 hours ago, Andy Stephenson said:

Also, on early radios, the gimbles were made of roughly moulded plastic which had a lot of play around the centre.

Apart from the nostalgia effect, it beats me why anyone would want to use these unergonomic angular metal cased radios.

Same reason as people climb mountains, or swim the channel I guess....... because they can.

[Max Z]

 

8 hours ago, Robin Colbourne said:

Thank you Phil, that is very helpful.  The FlySky FS-RM003 module appears to be still available.  Would taking the case off allow the RM002 conversion process to be followed for the RM003?

 

Hi Robin,

I did just that a while ago when converting an old Robbe (Futaba) Kompakt to 2.4 GHz for a friend, unfortunately I cannot find any pictures anymore. But do read my story on the FlySky RM003 and the troubles I had to get it going. In the end it was a matter of reversing the polarity of the PPM signal, which seems to differ from the RM002, and THIS TOPIC on ModeZero will tell you how.

 

The soldered aerial connection was a hindrance, but I got around that by carefully dismantle the plastic bits of the aerial, and fit all the remaining innards inside the Tx (plastic) casing.

Edited December 18, 2023 by Max Z

[Phil Green]

If there is room inside, you can leave the module cased, which can make it easier.

It can be internal like my Logictrol, possibly with an aerial extension lead, or inset into the back panel like the S/C set above 🙂

If I remember you have to choose the right receiver type for the RM002 or RM003  module, version 2 or something, I forget 🙂

I've a chart somewhere... I use R6B rxs with my RM002 module

 

Edit:

Here - the TH9X row is the RM002

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Phil Green

[Andy Stephenson]

9 hours ago, Robin Colbourne said:

The Sanwa Conquest was notorious for that.  Usually it was the aileron potentiometer wires which failed first.  Confusingly, Futaba called what they sold as the Futaba Challenger in the UK, the Futaba Conquest in the USA, although the Sanwa and Futaba products are to the best of my knowledge, unrelated, although of the same era and level in the market.

When I got back into flying in 1980 I checked out which radio I was going to buy. The choice was between Futaba and Sanwa. The owner let me look in the back of each Tx. There was no comparison, the Sanwa Tx looked like a 1960s far eastern tranny radio with components hanging off the PCB at all angles, the Futaba looked as if it had been assembled by a robot with all the components in neat rows. The Futaba was the obvious one to buy.

[JOHN MOSLEY 2]

4 minutes ago, Andy Stephenson said:

When I got back into flying in 1980 I checked out which radio I was going to buy. The choice was between Futaba and Sanwa. The owner let me look in the back of each Tx. There was no comparison, the Sanwa Tx looked like a 1960s far eastern tranny radio with components hanging off the PCB at all angles, the Futaba looked as if it had been assembled by a robot with all the components in neat rows. The Futaba was the obvious one to buy.

Yes my Conquest did that while I was practicing for a loop roll competition, the wire used was very poor quality and rigid, problem was it went to into full roll mode. 

Edited December 18, 2023 by JOHN MOSLEY 2

[John Wagg]

Futaba Challenger with Frsky DHT module. ( Now been superseded with the XHT module which will do both D8 / D16 protocols. )

https://www.t9hobbysport.com/rc-gear/frsky-tx-modules

Made so it just plugs in allowing the original 35Mhz board to be easily re-instated if required.

Edited December 18, 2023 by John Wagg

[Robin Colbourne]

7 hours ago, Andy Stephenson said:

When I got back into flying in 1980 I checked out which radio I was going to buy. The choice was between Futaba and Sanwa. The owner let me look in the back of each Tx. There was no comparison, the Sanwa Tx looked like a 1960s far eastern tranny radio with components hanging off the PCB at all angles, the Futaba looked as if it had been assembled by a robot with all the components in neat rows. The Futaba was the obvious one to buy.

The sad bit was, the Sanwa was a nicer layout as it had a flap quadrant lever on the side of the transmitter right under one's index finger, if they had had the Futaba internal build quality I would have been tempted.

[Basil]

This subject is interesting for a mature newbie to our hobby.I am assuming that by using a 'Flysky' module the TX becomes 'Flysky' protocal.

If this is the case; ..... I have seen Flysky 10ch Tx for about £40 around, . The base TX Sanwa Futarba.... price plus module costs work out in excess of the £40. So why not just buy a new/SH Flysky.   I will head for cover as I have obviously missed something here and am preparing myself to get shot down in flames .....again.

I am assuming we are talking 35mhz original TX , not cheap on ebay.( Surely not all types /brands of 35mhz are convertable).

Bas

[Max Z]

Hi Bas,

 

People convert older transmitters to 2.4 GHz as a special interest, not to save money. If your interest is to acquire a budget set, FlySky is not top of the bunch, but is very good value for money. I am happy with my FS-I6 (but under the Turnigy brand).

[Phil Green]

If you're just starting out and unsure where your interests will lead, a complete Flysky outfit is a good buy. It's a budget set but fully featured and with excellent range. Get some hours under your belt and then decide which way to go, as a hobby it a very broad range of genres and a Flysky will get you started 🙂

 

[Basil]

Thank you for your replies. I asked because , not having any experience of some older equipment, I dont have the back ground. I was unsure what the interest was other than a money saving. I bought secondhand Spektrum TX for my start in the Hobby.

Thanks again.

Bas

[GrumpyGnome]

FrSky and FlySky are different and shouldn't be confused.

 

There are a number of FlySky sets in the club. Around £60 for a 10 channel tx and 6 channel rx. Never seen any issues.

 

There are also a number of FrSky set. All costing above £200 for the tx alone - although txs for under £100 are available.  Again, no issues seen.

[Basil]

14 minutes ago, GrumpyGnome said:

FrSky and FlySky are different and shouldn't be confused.

 

There are a number of FlySky sets in the club. Around £60 for a 10 channel tx and 6 channel rx. Never seen any issues.

 

There are also a number of FrSky set. All costing above £200 for the tx alone - although txs for under £100 are available.  Again, no issues seen.

Thank you for highlighting this point, I was not aware of the diffrence.

Bas