Radio discussion

[Bill Gibson]

You tube has tons of videos from all over the world of 2.4 airplanes suddenly falling out of the sky for no apparent reason . I don't think any system is without fault and phasing out a perfectly good system was a way to simplify setting up races . Forums are filled with discussions on binding problems and other signal loss issues . I upgraded to the 2.4 system so I could race but will never feel good about the phasing out of 75 Mghz .

The Model aircraft club i belong to in the written rules absolutely allows FM for radio systems as does the IMPBA for model boats............as Tom said 2.4Ghz systems have lots of problems, as i have seen first hand at the model field. While im on a tare being a loyal user of Futaba systems for over 45 super good years, its my opinion that Futaba is slowly but surely pricing themselves out of the market for middle income hobbyists, which is why so many modelers are going to lower priced systems, and i dont blame them!

 

[Wasted wages]

I still believe that Futaba’s FM Magnum 1024 pcm radio system is the most bulletproof system ever…. It just worked.

 

[Grimracer]

I have use them all and not sure I 100 percent agree.. not from the fact that is was not a reliable system.. more that it was more reliable in a setting with other systems.. When 2.4 came out I knew is was a game changer.. it made radios just another tool in your tool box.. no more IMPOUNDS.. (people dropping or tossing radios) yes.. we have seen that and YES it cost a guy a radio. No more whos got the pin.. no more picking your boat off the rocks because somebody turned on, on your frequency. (safer really)

I for one have not see all the "planes falling out of the sky" the cars and boats crashing and gloom and doom of 2.4.. truth is quite the opposite. Not from my systems anyway.

I have flown them with what is VERY likely over 100 systems on at the same time within 1/4 mile.. NEVER AN ISSUE. Not from my systems anyway.

I DO NOT allow my system to get all "Funkey, dirty, abused or miss treated.. I ENJOY taking care of my systems!

I currently race a Futaba 7PX Limited
I currently fly Futaba 14SG and 16IZ

I have had no issue with any of these radios when I am at the pond or field by myself OR at an event with several 100 others.

I am not switching.. lol.. PEROID.

NOW.. have I industry knowledge from other brands?.. YES.. I do.. I am not switching... PEROID.

in the end.. AS LONG as you have trust in your system.. you have the operating results to make you feel that way.. CHOOSE what works for your program..

Cost
Performance
Features
Durability
Company Support

We are all in this together..

LETS PLAY RC!!!!

Grimracer

 

[John Beardslee]

Another factor in favor of 2.4 is that it isn’t affected by metal noise, ie: all those push rods and metal to metal things we use in boats.

 

[John Beardslee]

I think the odds are pretty good that many who have made the switch to DSM are using digital servos but haven’t changed battery chemistry, thus living on borrowed time before a brown out causes a signal failure.

 

[Grimracer]

John, There are some things worth learning about the systems we have now..

When 2.4 came out so did a lot of other stuff too.. Lipos, Life, BIG push for Digital and brushless servos... all this was kind of ganging up on us.

With all of this the rules kind of changed.

not JUST switching to Life pack but the CORRECT Life pack for instance. (i got my self into issues on that one)

For us boaters.. a diversity RX and 400 mm antenna are best...

Now that I have myself tuned in.. I have had Z E R O issues of any type at any of the events we attend.

PLEASE FEEL FREE to lean on me (everybody) if you ever have questions regarding 2.4 installs and best practices. I don't have all the answers and IT CAN take time to get them some times.. but we beat down doors best we can.

Grim

 

[Dave Gilles]

was play boating on the lake and I got way out there goofing off and the boat stalled from the safety kill switch or fail safe. that rescue was fun as all I had was a air boat and I could barely see the white gas hydro. went home and checked google earth approximate distance was somewhere in the 200-220 yards range. the antenna is curled up in the radio box and my viewing area is flat at the shore. Ive since uncurled it at least.

 

[John Beardslee]

John, There are some things worth learning about the systems we have now..

When 2.4 came out so did a lot of other stuff too.. Lipos, Life, BIG push for Digital and brushless servos... all this was kind of ganging up on us.

With all of this the rules kind of changed.

not JUST switching to Life pack but the CORRECT Life pack for instance. (i got my self into issues on that one)

For us boaters.. a diversity RX and 400 mm antenna are best...

Now that I have myself tuned in.. I have had Z E R O issues of any type at any of the events we attend.

PLEASE FEEL FREE to lean on me (everybody) if you ever have questions regarding 2.4 installs and best practices. I don't have all the answers and IT CAN take time to get them some times.. but we beat down doors best we can.

Grim

My main issue is the loose nut on the transmitter. Other than that I’ve had zero issues with DSM in my heli’s, giant scale planes or boats and I made change about a year after it came out.

 

[Bryan haley]

What about Spektrum / JR Airtronics ?
Are they still around?
Anyone use them ?

Stick with futaba I use spectrum alot with my planes and in the spirit of profit there equipment is usely obsolete in a year or 2 they keep coming out with new upgrades like telemetry and new radios ever other year and mothball stuff that only a few years old and a lot of it isn't cross compatible in my opinion horizon hobbies destroyed tower hobbies and it's a shell of its former self .and is not builder friendly anymore been using futaba since the 70s and not one time have I ever had a radio failure can't say the same for spectrum

 

[Roxyflash]

The Model aircraft club i belong to in the written rules absolutely allows FM for radio systems as does the IMPBA for model boats............as Tom said 2.4Ghz systems have lots of problems, as i have seen first hand at the model field. While im on a tare being a loyal user of Futaba systems for over 45 super good years, its my opinion that Futaba is slowly but surely pricing themselves out of the market for middle income hobbyists, which is why so many modelers are going to lower priced systems, and i dont blame them!

Very well said everything has gone up

 

[David Krienke]

Stick with futaba I use spectrum alot with my planes and in the spirit of profit there equipment is usely obsolete in a year or 2 they keep coming out with new upgrades like telemetry and new radios ever other year and mothball stuff that only a few years old and a lot of it isn't cross compatible in my opinion horizon hobbies destroyed tower hobbies and it's a shell of its former self .and is not builder friendly anymore been using futaba since the 70s and not one time have I ever had a radio failure can't say the same for spectrum

I remember when Jr first came out with pcm and you would set a failsafe and it would just lose signal for no reason and your plane would just fly away and crash.... ahh those were the says.

 

[Wasted wages]

Funny thing is I’ve NEVER had an issue with airplane radios,,, and I’ve done some dumb ****… flown the to the edge of sight,, up into the clouds, never lost radio…

My FM radios in boats worked very well, never lost one due to a radio failure..
first 2.4 I installed, boat went down the back stretch and made a 90 and took off… zig zagged across the lake a few times started making donuts until we swamped it with the retrieve boat… I ended up throwing the receiver in the lake and set up a new one..
seemed to be ok after that, but I’m still leary about 2.4 radios…

 

[Grimracer]

Frank, Then you can see the challenges with 2.4 near the water. The the main reason Spek had so many issues as a marine radio early on. A large part of that was channel surfing (Futaba) and not.. (Spek). They have gotten much better however. (they have a very nice, very smart dude working RF for them now)

The VERY FIRST 2.4 FAST receivers that came out in the surface market had blue labels.. (yes.. FAST with blue labels) they "COULD" be challenged by HEAT related issues. (I never experienced it but we did prove it in the test lab.) that was over 15 years ago now.. (time fly's) that's been solved for years now...

We became quite enticed by that short antenna (both TX and RX). BAD IDEA.. LOL... yes they work BUT.. one better pay close attention to your installation and operation. ITS ALL GOOD, working great.. I love this.. . until its not.....

From my testing and from Futaba USA.. get that RX antenna as far away from the water as you can......(its not hard) but we choose to ignore. (I did for a time too)

Most of the air issues I see at the local club are radios un-binding.. (note.. we at Futaba LINK), we do not pair or bind.. (that's the other guys),, if ya know what I mean. I know.. generic but it help us talk about what's what.

Be well buddy.. we all in this together!

Grim

 

[Timbo Whalen]

John, There are some things worth learning about the systems we have now..

When 2.4 came out so did a lot of other stuff too.. Lipos, Life, BIG push for Digital and brushless servos... all this was kind of ganging up on us.

With all of this the rules kind of changed.

not JUST switching to Life pack but the CORRECT Life pack for instance. (i got my self into issues on that one)

For us boaters.. a diversity RX and 400 mm antenna are best...
PV
Now that I have myself tuned in.. I have had Z E R O issues of any type at any of the events we attend.

PLEASE FEEL FREE to lean on me (everybody) if you ever have questions regarding 2.4 installs and best practices. I don't have all the answers and IT CAN take time to get them some times.. but we beat down doors best we can.

Grim

We used the Futaba 3EGX for quite a while, even sent it to Radio South in Florida for mods. Also used a loaded heli antenna with. All said, it was NOT 100% foolproof.

When we decided to get back into this deal about 8-9 yrs ago, we found a killer deal on eBay from Big Sky Hobbies for a Futaba 4PV w/R304SB Rx with stock antenna, with 4"-5" sticking out of boat. Only ever glitched once, and am fairly sure it was due to moisture in rigger radio box....and it went into failsafe mode.

I love that radio....bought some longer antenna's and am thinking about going diversity Rx. But what will I do with these 9-10 brand new R304SB's???....

 

[Grimracer]

Timbo,

I would use them.. if you have long antennas on them.. use them!

Grim

 

[Bill Gibson]

John, There are some things worth learning about the systems we have now..

When 2.4 came out so did a lot of other stuff too.. Lipos, Life, BIG push for Digital and brushless servos... all this was kind of ganging up on us.

With all of this the rules kind of changed.

not JUST switching to Life pack but the CORRECT Life pack for instance. (i got my self into issues on that one)

For us boaters.. a diversity RX and 400 mm antenna are best...

Now that I have myself tuned in.. I have had Z E R O issues of any type at any of the events we attend.

PLEASE FEEL FREE to lean on me (everybody) if you ever have questions regarding 2.4 installs and best practices. I don't have all the answers and IT CAN take time to get them some times.. but we beat down doors best we can.

Grim

Frank, Then you can see the challenges with 2.4 near the water. The the main reason Spek had so many issues as a marine radio early on. A large part of that was channel surfing (Futaba) and not.. (Spek). They have gotten much better however. (they have a very nice, very smart dude working RF for them now)

The VERY FIRST 2.4 FAST receivers that came out in the surface market had blue labels.. (yes.. FAST with blue labels) they "COULD" be challenged by HEAT related issues. (I never experienced it but we did prove it in the test lab.) that was over 15 years ago now.. (time fly's) that's been solved for years now...

We became quite enticed by that short antenna (both TX and RX). BAD IDEA.. LOL... yes they work BUT.. one better pay close attention to your installation and operation. ITS ALL GOOD, working great.. I love this.. . until its not.....

From my testing and from Futaba USA.. get that RX antenna as far away from the water as you can......(its not hard) but we choose to ignore. (I did for a time too)

Most of the air issues I see at the local club are radios un-binding.. (note.. we at Futaba LINK), we do not pair or bind.. (that's the other guys),, if ya know what I mean. I know.. generic but it help us talk about what's what.

Be well buddy.. we all in this together!

Grim

Mike, I use R324SBS Diversity receivers in my race boats and have had ZERO problems so far! I dont use digital servos and i do use Life receiver batteries......my question is do i need a longer antenna on these receivers?

 

[Timbo Whalen]

Timbo,

I would use them.. if you have long antennas on them.. use them!

Grim

How long of an antenna tube, Grim?....I hate those long whips!

 

[Grimracer]

my recommendation is always going to be use a long RX antenna.

EVEN the diversify installation "matters" to take full advantage of the system. (sorry about the repost on the video).

 

[Grimracer]

How long of an antenna tube, Grim?....I hate those long whips!

yep.. LOL.. I get it.. 12 in or so will get it done..

 

[Timbo Whalen]

yep.. LOL.. I get it.. 12 in or so will get it done..

Yeah?....screw that!