The Futaba 2.4GHz System

[Jerry Dunlap]

Since there has been interest expressed in the "Spectrum" type radio system, I thought I'd mention how the new 2.4GHz System from Futaba worked for me this past weekend during practice water and racing. The brief answer is, "It worked really well."

I had the system in a 3.5 Stock Tunnel(no surprise there . I did a range check on the water and the boat was at least 200 yards away and still under control. Which is a good thing because I had the boat WOT during the range test.

The system has two modes: PPM and HRS. I was using the HRS mode which means I had to use digital servos. I'm using a 3PKS tx. Still getting used to the idea of not having to pull out the antenna before releasing the boat. :lol:

Disclaimer - I am sponsored by Futaba. However, since nothing has been posted about the 2.4 GHz System I thought some might be interested.

JD

 

[lohring]

I've been running the Spectrum system for nearly two years now and I still try to pull out the antenna. It must be an old guy thing.

Lohring Miller

 

[mt. gay rum]

Glad to hear this,,,but still worried,, i've seen way to many boat have problems with this system,,not with the 3pk but with the others,,,My 3pk is awesome as it is,,but have purchased your new system waiting on results,,,i mainly run scales so iam a little nervous about it so far...PLEASEkeep me posted....

 

[Twinsrule]

Problem is you can't run 2 receivers in your boats like alot of us do.

I rather have the 2 receivers and worry with crystals and be safe than depend on the 2.4 ghz stuff.

Never understood why folks put as much time and money in there boats especially a twin not to run twin receivers. Cheap insurance if you ask me.

James

 

[Brad Christy]

James,

Why can't you run two servos? When you bind your reciever, just do two for the same boat. Seems like it would work just fine.

FWIW.......

I've had no problems out of my Spektrum system. I'm using the actual "Spektrum" radio. You know.... the one that was built in the old JR XR-3 Tx case. Not that first glitch after I got the "user errors" fixed.

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

 

[Twinsrule]

Brad,

Not 2 servos but 2 receivers. with the spectrum you would always have one trying to fight for an open frequency.

James

 

[Brad Christy]

James,

My mistake on the "typo". I meant receiver.

As for Rx's fighting over an open channel...... I've had both my boats on at the same time and both seemed to respond as expected (although, the Tx being set to run boat "A", it did mess with direction, endpoints, etc. on boat "B"). I think as long as a receiver doesn't get "mixed" signals, it doesn't go looking for an open channel.

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

 

[mt. gay rum]

Twinsrule,,,please explain to me the two receivers how that works and how to set it up

 

[Mark Bullard]

Guys I want to share what I saw this past weekend. I just deliverd Jackson Model Boaters in Jackson TN their new clock. The clock work as expected until the middle of the first round and then we could not start the clock. This clock is wireless from the console to the clock floating in the water. It uses a network wireless bridge on 2.4GHz. Of coures you know what happen next. There was a boater in the pits with a new DSM radio. I never thought about these new radios when I put this clock together. And since they are suppose to go and find a clear channel I did not think there would be a problem. But what I saw was if the receiver was turn on first it would go looking for a host and therefore lock my clock up. If the transmitter was turn on first it would not effect the clock. Now there are some safeguards to prevent this from happening on my network but I did not have them set. To get around this problem we just had him leave his radio off untill we started the clock once running he could go on and run his heat. After the heat was over all we had to do was reset my network connection. So I can say that there is a signal coming from the receiver and it might get confused.

I watch this boater run and he had lot of problems with his boats. From what I saw it look like his boats where going into failsafe all of the time. I thought that my clock network may have been making them do this. But he told me he had alot of the same problems in Evansville a few weeks earlier. I did notice that when his boat stop behind the clock or close to it that the statis lights on my network would see the receiver looking for a host. I have heard that these radio do not have good range and this follows what I have read. Maybe my clock was causing his boat to sometimes go into failsafe, I do not know.

Now here is something that everyone need to be aware of. The 2.4GHz is a public-use spectrum by the FCC. It is used from networks, cell-phones, TV remotes, to garage door openers or in other words it can be used for anything. Now would you trust your nice boat to a floating spectrum like that.

Mark Bullard

 

[Rudy Formanek]

Jerry, how about a pic or two of how it was installed in the boat? Rudy

 

[jevmax]

I have used the Futaba 3PK racing boats for many years, and absolutely love them. I recently got several of the new Futaba 2.4 gHz systems. Even though the perception from press photos is that there is no antenna, there actually is one. It's about like the antenna on the Spektrum units. The major problem I have with the new system is that the printed instructions note that it is a "car only" system, and clearly states that even under "optimal" conditions and with a 6 volt receiver pack, the range will be only 80 meters. In the future, if they can get about four times better range....I'll try them again.

 

[Don Ferrette]

.............. the printed instructions note that it is a "car only" system, and clearly states that even under "optimal" conditions and with a 6 volt receiver pack, the range will be only 80 meters...............

I think this says it all, 80 meters is just a tick over 262 feet, the front straightaway is longer than that end to end. You all need to keep in mind these were designed for a market other than us...... :blink:

This is right from the Futaba spec page on the 2.4 FASST system-

SPECS: Communication Method: One-way operation system

Mode: PPM, HRS (Auto-Detect)

Maximum Operating Range: 262.5' (80m) (optimum condition)

For Safety: F/S, B-F/S, ID (about 4 billion ways of pair

identifications)

Transmission Antenna: Mono-pole

And BTW- mono-pole means ONE, not two as was implied elsewhere about this system. :blink:

Twinsrule,,,please explain to me the two receivers how that works and how to set it up

Mike it's redundant systems- two receivers, two battery packs, two switches. One set of battery, RX & switch controls the steering & the other throttle & 3rd channel if applicable. The idea is that if one fails you can still either steer under you run out of fuel or hopefully shut the engines down before a collision with the shoreline occurs. Any twin I build gets set up this way & I feel is only way to go in a boat that big, that powerful & subject to that much vibration. Here's a pic of someone I know well who became a believer in redundant systems in twins after an RX failed---

https://www.intlwaters.com/gallery/displayimage...10108&pos=1

 

[mt. gay rum]

After reading this no thanks no way,,not designed for boats in any shape or form,,why on earth would you ever take the chance :angry: :angry:

 

[Rudy Formanek]

The 2.4GHz is a public-use spectrum by the FCC. It is used from networks, cell-phones, TV remotes, to garage door openers or in other words it can be used for anything. Now would you trust your nice boat to a floating spectrum like that.

Mark Bullard

Mark, believe it or not, we are not alone on 72/75 mhz, the FCC has been putting industrial radio control in between our channels for years. I guess you should call Spektrum and tell them thier DX-7 will never work in a $5,000.00 giant scale plane or a $10,000.00 R/C jet. All that said, it does seem like 2.4 gig and water is off to a bad start. Rudy

 

[Niklas Edlund]

Do note the Futaba 2.4GHz systems arent yet available on all markets everywhere in the world yet. In some cases the approvements are'nt ready etc.

Our first batch of CE sets looks like this:

https://www.intlwaters.com/gallery/displayimage...&fullsize=1

They indeed have a receiver that has no external antenna at all. This one I would highly recommend NOT to use in boats in general. But it works great in almost all car applications. It has two internal antennas.

For some reason Futaba has chosen to introduce the system with different spec receivers on different markets but I think we in europe will get the one where they have an short external antenna also for the next production run.

The one with external antenna (also) is said to have slightly more range. Do note at least one of the two internal ones is in use also even if one has the external antenna R603FS receiver.

Do note, the Futaba 2.4 GHz system is different vs for example Spekrum. Im no electronic whiz but the Futaba one is "frequenzy hopping spread spectrum". The Spekrum uses an different system where it seeks the band once and locks into 1 free frequency and stays there (please correct me if Im wrong). The Futaba one seeks the band all the time and jumps from one frequenzy to another in milliseconds...

 

[Twinsrule]

Twinsrule,,,please explain to me the two receivers how that works and how to set it up

What we do when using twin receivers is setup one receiver to run your throttles and 3rd channel mixture control, The second receiver is for sterring only. You will need a receiver pack for ea receiver as well as seperate switches. I also highly recommend the use of thos connector keepers or what ever they are called that you slip over the male and female connectors to keep them form vibrating loose.

Purpose is if you loose a receiver you have control of the other and I also strongly recommend the use of PCM this way you are protected even more so of glitches low batteries of any nature. I have used PCM radios from the first day they were introduced and yet have had a shutdown of any sort while racing or practicing. It's just insurance any way one looks at it and why chance an entire winter of building your prize boat to have it hit a bank for some unapparent reason other than radio failure.

James

 

[Mark Bullard]

The 2.4GHz is a public-use spectrum by the FCC. It is used from networks, cell-phones, TV remotes, to garage door openers or in other words it can be used for anything. Now would you trust your nice boat to a floating spectrum like that.

Mark Bullard

Mark, believe it or not, we are not alone on 72/75 mhz, the FCC has been putting industrial radio control in between our channels for years. I guess you should call Spektrum and tell them thier DX-7 will never work in a $5,000.00 giant scale plane or a $10,000.00 R/C jet. All that said, it does seem like 2.4 gig and water is off to a bad start. Rudy

Rudy,

Yes I know that the FCC has been putting industrial radio control between our channels. I do not know anything on radio's and how there frequency works. I know enough to be a danger to myself. But I have worked with radio control a very long time. And I have read all of the things that you have wrote about radios in the past. And you have gave me a better understanding on radios. I was just reporting on what I saw this past weekend and how it was stepping on my clock's network. Now once I set my safeguards to prevent these radios from stepping on my clock's network I will not look back. I will stay with my present 75mhz equipment. Why I feel that it is another marketing sceme to sell new radios. It is just like the so call "Digtal Servos". They still use pots for the position feedback. Nothing digtal about that.

Mark

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

Jerry, how about a pic or two of how it was installed in the boat? Rudy

Rudy,

The receiver looks just like the regular Futaba 3-channel receivers. Only thing different is the antenna is about 7" in length.

Re: 80 meters suggest range

When I did my WOT range check the boat was at least 150 meters away from where I was standing on the beach.

Re: Using twin receivers

Seems like if you turn on the tx first(as plainly stated in the directions) the two receivers would then lock onto that channel.

I am not attempting to promote the the Futaba 2.4 GHz System. Just provide information on my experiences with the system.

JD

 

[Twinsrule]

[seems like if you turn on the tx first(as plainly stated in the directions) the two receivers would then lock onto that channel.

I am not attempting to promote the the Futaba 2.4 GHz System. Just provide information on my experiences with the system.

JD

Think about what you just said there a min....

Ok now if 5 racers was all running the 2.4 ghz system then which radio you turn on is going to lock down whos' receiver?

this goes for running 2 receivers in the same boat turn the radio on then after it locates the open channel turn on the receiver. This receiver will then find the radio. Turn on the enxt receiver.... This receiver then will not find that same channel as it is occupied..... it's setup to find an open system when turned on the radio locates it then the receiver follows and locks in. Once locked no other receiver can get onto the band. If that was true then you would have other receivers jumping band widths to lock onto the first Tx turned on or the one turned on just before the receiver was powered up.

James

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

James,

You have a good point. I know it works with one receiver. I have no idea why it works, it just does.

I definitely understand the reason for running two receivers in a twin hydro. Control of one function is better than no control of two.

JD