What a difference a score makes

[Doug]

Okay, I've been flying a HawkSky for a while now. It's the first plane in over 20 years - well, closer to 30 - and my first e-powered. The plane came RTF outta the box. I've replaced the ESC once and am using 2200 mAh batteries, but the rest is stock. The last few times I've flown, the plane behaved erratically. Motor cutting out, diving, spiraling, stuff like that, making it difficult to control. I figured it was the receiver, so I bought an inexpensive Futaba 6EXP and a Hitec 5 channel micro receiver. I took it out this morning (winds around 17 mph) and hand launched.

Boy! What a difference that radio and receiver made. Not the fact that there were no glitches, but the smoothness and response! Touch the stick and the HS obeyed! Now I realize that you all are use to these new radios, but my last radio was an Citizenship 4 channel. It was hand built with discrete components and housed in an aluminum box. You had to lead the plane a little because of the delayed response. The radio that came with the HS was better than anything I'd had in the past, but it is a little coarse on control compared to the Futaba.

Now I'm wondering what the new 2 gHz radios can do. I guess I'll stick with the 72 mHz unit for now, it has more features than I can use. I guess I need to try flaps since the HS has 2 aileron servos - just for the fun on it.

Okay, enough of this, thanks for letting me spin a story!

[CHELLIE]

Originally Posted by Doug

Okay, I've been flying a HawkSky for a while now. It's the first plane in over 20 years - well, closer to 30 - and my first e-powered. The plane came RTF outta the box. I've replaced the ESC once and am using 2200 mAh batteries, but the rest is stock. The last few times I've flown, the plane behaved erratically. Motor cutting out, diving, spiraling, stuff like that, making it difficult to control. I figured it was the receiver, so I bought an inexpensive Futaba 6EXP and a Hitec 5 channel micro receiver. I took it out this morning (winds around 17 mph) and hand launched.

Boy! What a difference that radio and receiver made. Not the fact that there were no glitches, but the smoothness and response! Touch the stick and the HS obeyed! Now I realize that you all are use to these new radios, but my last radio was an Citizenship 4 channel. It was hand built with discrete components and housed in an aluminum box. You had to lead the plane a little because of the delayed response. The radio that came with the HS was better than anything I'd had in the past, but it is a little coarse on control compared to the Futaba.

Now I'm wondering what the new 2 gHz radios can do. I guess I'll stick with the 72 mHz unit for now, it has more features than I can use. I guess I need to try flaps since the HS has 2 aileron servos - just for the fun on it.

Okay, enough of this, thanks for letting me spin a story!

Hi Doug the RTF stuff uses cheap-O electronics, its wise to rip out the cheapy radio in a RTF plane and use good eletronics in them, No need to go to 2.4 the 72 Mhz radios are just fine, and IMHO Better if you want a Super good Receiver, get the Berg Receivers for 72Mhz, They are the best of the best for 72Mhz, They are made by Castle creation, never ever a glitch when using a Berg receiver, and they dont cost a fortune too i Like the Berg 4L receivers in my park flyers. on all micro receivers, use a little scoth tape to hold the crystal in, because they have very very small pins and can vibrate out, use Berg Crystals with a berg receiver, hope that helps, Chellie

http://www.thefind.com/instruments/b...berg-receivers

http://www.castlecreations.com/suppo...user_guide.pdf

[Heli Jim]

The biggest advantage to the 2.4 Ghz radios is that you don't have to be concerned with other people
flying on the same frequency as you. Speaking as a long time flyer that has
lost planes because somebody turned on their transmitter "just for a second" I am
very glad that I made the change. Another plus is if you fly at a field with other flyers,
you don't have to wait for the frequency pin to fly either.

The other advantages is the ability to do mixing, use expo, and all
the other neat things that the computer transmitters can do.

[CHELLIE]

Hi Jim, yes that is an advantage to the 2.4 radio, but with Berg Receivers on 72Mhz, they will lock onto your Transmitter just like a 2.4 and prevent that. only if a radio is closer to your plane, then it might be a issue.


http://www.castlecreations.com/suppo...user_guide.pdf

Transmitter Signal Recognition (TSR) process:
The receiver "learns" the characteristics and specific signal signatures of your transmitter when you power it up. After that, the receiver will only listen to your transmitter*.
Note: If a similar transmitter on the same channel is powered up and is CLOSERto your receiver than your own transmitter, loss of signal/fail safe may be experienced.

[AEAJR]

72 MHz works fine as long as you can avoid frequency conflict.

However I generally direct new pilots to 2.4 GHz systems to avoid frequency conflicts and to take advantage of the new bind N Fly planes from Horizon using Spektrum 2.4 GHz. Buy the plane, bind it to your Spektrum or JR radio and go fly. RTF without the radio.

Hobby People has just started building a line of iBind planes which do the same thing, but are based on Airtronics 2.4 GHz.

Hobbyking can't be far behind.

It will be interesting to see if Tower Hobbies comes out with a line based on Futaba 2.4 GHz.

[Doug]

Thanks for all the info, you all. I'm an old electronics guy that started out in vacuum tubes. Today's radios seem like Star Trek stuff! I mean, in no time at all, R/C radios have gone to the point where you can have 100 people standing on the flying field all using the same Tx, flying what would look like the squadron of jets that attacked the ship in the sci-fi movie 'Independence Day.' And not interfering with each other - in theory at least.

Too many things to learn in this hobby ... how can you not stay interested?

[MaxAdventure]

Originally Posted by Doug

Thanks for all the info, you all. I'm an old electronics guy that started out in vacuum tubes. Today's radios seem like Star Trek stuff! I mean, in no time at all, R/C radios have gone to the point where you can have 100 people standing on the flying field all using the same Tx, flying what would look like the squadron of jets that attacked the ship in the sci-fi movie 'Independence Day.' And not interfering with each other - in theory at least.

Too many things to learn in this hobby ... how can you not stay interested?

The technology is phenomenal. I still have/use my original equipment from Circa 1980 (narrow band certified FM stuff) and my newest is a JR 9303 2.4. with some JR 9717 high speed digital servos using 2048 frame resolution and a response rate that is unbelievable. ( read through a comparison chart somewhere) My original FGK radio was a top radio in it's day, it certainly works and works well. My 9303 is a marvel, and what we'll see in the next few years will make my 9303 look like my FGK. At least from a speed and option perspective.

[kenchiroalpha]

Hi
I agree the new tech is awesome lately
Got many Txs going all the way back to the early 70's
Recently got a JR 12 X and im loving it
Take care
Yours Hank

[Doug]

Originally Posted by kenchiroalpha

Hi
I agree the new tech is awesome lately
Got many Txs going all the way back to the early 70's
Recently got a JR 12 X and im loving it
Take care
Yours Hank

Now that's what I call a great historical display! Isn't that a Kraft unit sitting up on the box in the first photo? The Smithsonian would like that photo! Talk about discrete components, I'll bet that Tx has 2 battery packs in it. Gotta love the box case - made for a good ground plane for transmission. What is the third unit from the left on the box in the first photo? I don't recognize the design.

[kenchiroalpha]

Originally Posted by Doug

Now that's what I call a great historical display! Isn't that a Kraft unit sitting up on the box in the first photo? The Smithsonian would like that photo! Talk about discrete components, I'll bet that Tx has 2 battery packs in it. Gotta love the box case - made for a good ground plane for transmission. What is the third unit from the left on the box in the first photo? I don't recognize the design.

Hi Doug
OS Digital circa 1971
Take care
Yours Hank

[road king 97]

I have a orbit radio some where in my shop i picked it up at a garage sale about 10 years ago , slide the button once and the plane goes right ,slide it twice and it goes left. The radio has tubes in it. lol No elevator ,no ail ,just rudder. Think about that kinda flying the next time you are having trouble programing your computer radio. lol joe