Futaba 6 EXP 2.4

[the unmagnificent man]

Having owned a Futaba 6 EXP 2.4 for a couple of months now i thought I would share my findings with anyone who may be interested. I bought it when 2.4 became legal in France back in April. My main reason for buying the 2.4 was so that it would be possible to fly legally in both England and France without the need to change receivers and transmitters, another added bonus was that I have an expensive nitro powered boat which can also now be run with the same trustworthy transmitter. After buying the transmitter i decided to do some range checks. The results were to say the least, absolutely incredible. At ground level we managed to have the servos working correctly sitting in a cardboard box testbed whilst on the back seat of my car at a distance of one and a half Kilometers (about a mile) and then I drove to a bridge 2.4 kilometers away and due to the extra height the thing still worked, again inside the box and inside my car even though it says that signal will be lost if something sheilds the signal. This means that i could fly my model well out os sight and yet still be able to control the flight surfaces. There are downsides however, the flaps potentiometer/dial has been replaced with a switch. This is rubbish for a fine movement as the flaps are just "on" or "off." As for prevention of flying with the wrong model memory, well unfortunately model 1 will still fly in model 2 memory mode if you are forgetful. The irratic flying tends to remind you though. Luckily it is possible to match this system via a buddy lead with existing Futaba 35Mhz sets as long as they have the square peg, so if the irratic flying happens you can pass it to your buddy for him to sort out. I agree with the review in the mag that the receiver is a fantastic piece of kit small sturdy light and full range as well as easy to lock onto your transmitter, they are cheap enough to if you source them fromm the internet. I managed to buy two for £84 including the postage. Compare that to some of the receivers out there. Futaba made some cut backs as well, I didnt like the poxy 700Mah battery pack they stick in the back but hey they dont charge that much for the tranny in the first place. One last thing. Even though there is no chance of shooting down another model on 2.4 its still adviseable to put 2.4 pegs on your board at the club! Why? well whilst your flying and enjoying yourself there is the possibility that some poor so and so on the "old" sytem looks on the board, doesnt see a 35Mhz peg and just thinks you have forgot to place a peg and is frightened to mither you whilst flying, or switch on in case of a shoot down. Then when he finds out that he could have switched on when he arrived may cause a little animosity. After flying 2.4 i will not go back to 35Mhz. Hope this helps someone. Alan..........mmmmm I thought this was going to appear in the review section...Ah well i may have hit the wrong button but at least I didnt crash.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Thank you very interesting. Why not leave a review in our products section ?

David.

[Kelly]

Hi
Great review I agree with you.The only thing bugging me is the lack of any receivers in my local model shops.
Would be grateful for the web site address for the extra receivers.
Cheers
Kelvin

[Dave Bran]

Thanks for that.

Just to cross a few t's and dot a few i's...

Have you actually used the 2.4 TX with a 35MHz in buddy mode??........and both ways round??

Reason for asking as my LMS guys state it will not work, and they are pretty experienced people, who people listen to.........including up to now me!!

Also to reinforce that this site could be useful to ensure we are not being ripped off. Tell us where guys and how much, and if you got good service!!!

[the unmagnificent man]

Hi Kelvin, The web adress is www.amainhobbies.com I havent been able to find anywhere in the uk at the moment that comes anywhere near the price of a main hobbies. Like i said i got 2 for £84 and that included the postage. Please remember though that there is always a chance that you may have to pay some sort of import duty when ordering from abroad, although as yet I have been lucky. Alan

[the unmagnificent man]

Hi Dave I have used the 2.4 as the master with a 35Mhz 6exa as slave and it was perfect. I havent tried it the other way round but if the software works in one direction I cant see why it wouldnt work in the other. The slave doesnt actually get switched on so the signal exits via the master. You can even remove the crystal and leave the ariel down on the slave (reccommended) I would go and try it now unfortunately my transmitters are in France and i'm back in the UK at the moment. I will double check this asap and let you know. Alan

[Dave Bran]

Alan,

Thanks! I have two 35MHz 6EX's, the early "pot" flap one and the later "switch" type (as 2.4 variant).

These are used either way round on Buddy no probs.



I want to make next one a 2.4, but cannot transfer if Buddy not fully operable.

I have also been told by LMS that Futaba buddy system is more than just use of pots, as the digital trims are also used, enabling a pupil to be handed an "out of trim" model to make him/her trim it, while the instructor has a trimmed master ready to save the model.....

So, again as I understand it, yes, the "Trainee" TX does not need a crystal, but as I understand it, it does have to be switched on.


Regards,

Dave

[the unmagnificent man]

Ah! when i tested my radios with the buddy lead i tried it on my trainer which only has 4 channels. So i have no idea about the other two. I would imagine that if you have a pot on the slave and a switch on the master that when you turn the pot on the slave nothing would happen until the pot reached half way and then the servo would operate to its full extent as it would with the switch on the master. I tried to swap the switch on my 2.4 for a potentiometer but it still only acted as a switch at the half way point. I later found out that this is because of the software Futaba programmed into the radio. As for giving a trainee an out of trim model, well its true you have to set up the master, then plug in the slave on an unused model memory. pull the trainee switch and check that no servos move. If they do you have to adjust them with the slave radio until there is no movement when you switch the trainee switch, making sure that the throttle is in the same place on both master and slave. One final thing, you do not switch on the slave, it takes its power from the master. Sorry its a bit long winded but hope this clears things up a bit. Al OOPs just to make sure anyone who is reading understands.... you do all the trim adjusting before you fly and without the motor running not when you are handed the model in flight, as i am sure you all knew anyway.

[Myron Beaumont]

Hi Am very interested in your conversations regarding Buddy box things to do with 2.4 & 35Mhz.I have an Optic 6 & the new 2.4 Futaba 6 EX Can i use them together to teach 'Er indoors ('COS SHE BOUGHT ME THE fUTABA FOR MY BIRTHDAY NEXT AUGUST).I don't really understand the nitty gritty of your words but I never even realised that it might be possible .I'd love to get your feed back .It has just made me think !

[Kelly]

Hi Alan

Thanks for the info,will have a look.

Cheers
kelvin

[Dave Bran]

Small point slightly off topic but raised above.......It IS policy to train pupils to adjust trims while in flight, so they know where they are, how they work, can reach them without looking, and can therefore set up their own planes.

So I DO when beyond the basics and ONLY AFTER a ground demo give an out of trim plane to pupils so they have to re-adjust it to proper flight trim....you cannot do that on the ground, and it's a essential part of learning to fly RC successfully.

Regards,

Dave

[the unmagnificent man]

Dave, good point, i was only thinking of when you are actually teaching someone from the off, and yes it is a good idea once someone has enough experience and confidence otherwise how would we ever learn.
MyronIs the optic 6 from hitec? If you wish to use the Futaba 2.4 as a master the buddy has to have the same square plug socket on the back but I am pretty sure that the software will only work Futaba/Futaba although i may be wrong. Al

[the unmagnificent man]

Hey Myron, You could always pick up a second hand 4exa, they definately do work with the 2.4 and i am sur you could pick one up for not much on ebay for example. Just a thought. Al

[Doug Evans]

hello. i have just got the futaba 6ex 2.4g im using it in a fliton rogue bipe i think the futaba is superb! i have been using futaba for over 30 years!! i think this 2.4g is the way to go!! i also have a 9 zap WC2 radio {witch is superb} im waiting for the moduals to come out for this set! regards Doug

[Myron Beaumont]

To the unmagnificent --etc.
Thanks for advice The optic 6 tranny has a DIN plug type socket & am wondering if (with the aid of a circuit diagram ) I might make up a lead ? Always the one for a challenge me !

[Allan Jordan]

If I can get Mr. Brown to give me back my pension I will be buying a Futaba 2.4 set.
I'm not holding my breath tho' Allan J...TTFN

[the unmagnificent man]

MyronI am not electrically minded, I can solve mechanical problems but when it comes to electrics forget it. So good luck with that and if it does work let me know....not in any detail mind, just a yes or no will suffice.
AllanIf you do I am sure you wont regret it, they are quite cheap considering all the technology thats in 'em. As for the receivers I found them on the net and got them delivered to my house for a total of £42 each and that included postage.
Dougcheck out www.amainhobbies.com for 2.4Ghz receivers, just type r606 in the quick search box. Al

[Antonio Di Girolamo]

Hi,I have been reading with great interest your comments regarding the Futaba 2.4 but no one has mentioned problems of possible interference. As I fly my planes in an area where we experience interference with electric and IC motors I would be most interested to know if anyone knows with the new Futaba 2.4 that this problem of interence is eliminated. I await your comments before I purchase one of these.
PS At the moment I have two Futaba transmitors one is a zap and the second a T9CPsuper with a pcm futaba receivers 1024pcm and I find that I get interefence with both of these.
Please help.

[the unmagnificent man]

Hi Antonio, there are 2 of us in our club with Futaba 2.4 sets. We have experimented with trying to cause interference by switching my plane and transmitter on and walking a great distance away from the plane and the other guy switched his transmitter on right next to my plane and moving his sticks around, no glitches whatsoever. He then (i know this will sound silly) taped his receiver to the front of his microwave oven to see if the radio waves would interfere with the system, again no glitches. Apparently he used to work for a big electronics firm and says that microwaves do cause interference with a lot of electrical items. Not 2.4 it seems. Ask other people who own 2.4 for their stories and experiences. Al

[David Ashby - Moderator]

I wrote the review in the magazine a few months ago and have been using the Futaba 6EXP 2.4 ever since.
I use the system every week in a SebArt Katana and it's been just fine.

David.

[Doug Evans]

I have used mine in a fliton rogue bipe and have just finished a mini katana. both have futaba 2.4g radio, its superb!! next im going to use it in my hirobo fraya heli! {im very pleased with the futaba 2.4g set {my zap wc2 is now redundant!!} Doug..

[Tom Sharp]

When I first tried out my Futaba 2.4 I put the Rx in a sailplane with a geared brushed Jamara 480 motor and 3c lipo . I put one arial on the speed controller and the other I placed alonside the brushes of the motor after detaching the diodes from the brush connectors. The worst possible set up.
Our club field is near to a motorway service station. We are plauged by multiple telephone masts which seem to take a regular toll of our models in two known microwave beams which cross the edges of our field.
That said I flew the plane to great height and distances, through the known phone beams and had fellow members switch on their 35mhg transmitters when I flew close by.
A total rock solid flight.
The radio is now fitted in a Multiplex Gemini with brushless set up. Again a non event interference wise.

[Tim Mackey]

Diodes on the brush connections ?
Do you not mean capacitors ( interference suppression )

[Tom Sharp]

Timbo.
Capacitors. That's the word I was looking for. 'A Senior Moment'.

[Tim Mackey]

yeh..know what those are all about I can tell ya !