afmedic911

Hydro Junkie

Never seen one used so I can't say. I only have Futaba equipment, a 9CAP being my present radio. IF you feel you want to get into this hobby, do yourself a favor and stick with Futaba, Airtronics or one of the other big names as they are proven commodities

Sherv

My Feedback: (1)

THe FS is a fantastic radio but must have v2 firmware or else you are going to have to get the usb cable for it and upgrade with custom firmware to get extra features and iron out the bugs.
I suggest getting the Turnigy 9x v2 instead since i know for sure it has the v2 firmware and it is the same controller just hobbyking brand. I love mine and the stock Tx Module in it works great and has good frequency hopping. However I replaced my module with a FrSky (best for the money imo) JR style module since the 9x/FS use JR style modules.

You can get the turnigy 9x for cheaper than the FS too!

Regardless of Radio I suggest buying the FrSky module anyway down the road, because the Rx modules are cheaper than anything futaba sell and generally cheaper than all the other brands too and made with high quality parts and it is no clone!
But for starting out to save money use the stock module. Theres nothing wrong with the stock module... I just wanted telemetry and longer range so i got the FrSky.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=19673

You can use the 6ch hobbyking receiver with the 9x to save space/weight and money.
this one here works with 9x
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...er_6Ch_V2.html


Review

http://rcmodelreviews.com/turnigy9xv2review.shtml

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sexp2iKWz0g[/youtube]


Review of FrSky

http://rcmodelreviews.com/frskyreview.shtml

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t31P1riiwqI[/youtube]

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

afmedic911

I take it you are an Air Force Medic? Is that correct? If so, Thank you for your service to our Country! I am US Coast Guard Retired, 26.5 years. Welcome to RCU.

Regarding transmitters, well, generally, we (meaning a good majority of us) usually recommend Airtronics, JR/Spektrum, Futaba, and Hitec radio systems. The reason is that we are most familiar with them and any of the radios in these brands will give you great service and have pretty much any sort of mixing you may require as well as multiple aircraft memories.

Personally, I have used Airtronics RD6000 and RD8000 radios, but these are the older 72MHz systems. Airtronics has come out with a line of 2.4GHz systems, starting with the RDS8000 that have a great reputation.

I have also flown with Futaba, again, older 72 MHz technology and have had absolutely no problems with them.

And, lastly, I own and currently fly with Spektrums. I have both the DX6i and the DX7 radio systems, both on 2.4GHz Spread Spectrum. Both are outstanding radios and I highly recommend them.

I have not flown with the Futaba newer generation 2.4GHz systems, but they are highly regarded here on RCU by all that use them.

You just can't go wrong with any of these radio systems. Sure, they may cost a bit more than the lesser known systems, but you get what you pay for in this hobby.

CGr.

startazz

Some good advice there for you to soak up afmedic911,my first radio was a Spektrum DX6i and i'm now flying with a DX8 both really good radios and i've never had a problem with them,but the radio you like i've only ever heard good things about it,the videos posted by Sherv are made by a youtube friend of mine (Bruce),he is some one i would trust 100% and he has nothing but good things to say about that radio,so i'd say you can't go wrong with it mate and i'm waiting for the new version (9X-R) to come out as i'm thinking of trying it out,you will be able to put you own radio module in the back so i can still use my Spektrum receivers with the right module,it should be with us in a few months so you might want to keep your eyes open for that one two.

Here i'll leave a couple of links for you,one for the radio which you can buy in the USA for a good price and the other link is to the HK forum which will tell you everything you might want to know about the new 9X-R,plus if you do go over to that forum you will be able to find all the info you want on the 9X too,good luck and your on to a winner as far as that radio goes and if i had to pick my radio all over again i'd probably go for the 9X or the newer 9X-R,as they can do all what my radios can and more and from what Bruce is saying they might well be a better radio,so it's not true that you get what you pay for in this hobby,if i believed that one i'd wouldn't still be in the hobby as the prices for models and radios or anything to do with it is really high from my LHS and some other online stores,so your doing the right thing by looking for better options.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/f....asp?TID=28792

jester_s1

I'm going to recommend, like CGretired said, to stick with the established brands that have a good track record. Pretty much anything that hobbyking sells is bottom of the barrel quality wise with no quality control and using the absolute cheapest components and manufacturing methods. Sure, you can get a radio set for $60 that has most of the same features as the $200 one from Hitec or Airtronics. And if you happen to get one that's built right and whose materials didn't have any faults it will work. But it's a crap shoot whether you will or not. And if your plane noses into the pavement because your radio failed, it will cost you at least as much as you saved in buying a cheap radio. There's really no such thing as "cheaper but just as good." Invest in a quality radio and plan to use it for a long time through multiple models. You'll find the cost spaced out over the lifespan of the unit to be inconsequential compared to the other things you'll have to buy like fuel and your time.

Sherv

My Feedback: (1)

While I agree hobbyking products are hit and miss especially if it isnt made by in house hobbyking. But if you research you will find that Turnigy and DuraFly (hobbyking) are 9/10 times quality and reliable products. If you research on hobbyking you will find products that are good and reliable.

All of the turnigy plush and sentry ESCs I've owned are great and resilient and the blue hobbyking ESCs i've owned are also superb. All of the turnigy, rhino, and zippy batteries i've owned were superb. I also like the turnigy motors and my 35 sized NTM prop motor that was 19 bucks!!! Is sick too.
There are hundreds of proven quality products there as well as many duds/garbage. You just need to research

opjose

Can't agree at all with that statement.

Most of the heli flyers at our field ( and you KNOW how picky they HAVE to be about their components... ) have switched to HK batteries and motors. They are quickly swayed by the reliability and sustained power obtained by those who have switched for a minimal cost. They rate the batteries better than the big name brands...

I'd prefer to see newbies with bigger name radios though, so that they can obtain help from others... but a blanket "pretty much anything" statement is simply not true.

As with anything else you can find hits and misses. Unfortunately most of those "misses" tend to be had by people purchasing the exteme low end of the product spectrum and/or who don't know what they are doing...

There is a BIG difference between a $30.00-$40.00 motor or servo or other component from HK versus a $5.00 one.

That said I've put up some of their $9.00 servos against $40.00 ones from the likes of Hitec, etc... and the former have done better, with more reliability, etc.

I've purchased big gas planes from the U.S. warehouse as well and find them good with decent components... though the instructions are lacking.

All of that said, HK is not in the support business at all ( ugh )... so if you need handholding, or even fear having to return a component, stick with local vendors.

Still with TX's... I'd recommend name brands, if only to be compatible with the majority of flyers.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I buy batteries, small motors and ESCs from HK but they will be serving snow cones and ice tea in hell before I would ever trust one of my planes to one of there radios. If there is a problem with it then due to the lack of customer service it will jump up and bite you in the butt!! Stick with one of the name brand radios. I changed my Futaba 9-C over to 2.4 so I can still fly both 2.4 and 72 with the same radio, I used the Hitec Module though so in the future if I buy a new radio I will be able to buy the hitec A-9 and I will have all the nice Hitec receivers already. When I was looking to buy a new radio I had decided on the Hitec A-9 but didn't have the cash but I was able to get in on a deal for there 2.4 modules and have been changing my planes over to 2.4 slowly by buying new receivers as money comes my way.
I won't cover Hobby King with a blanket statement but I will say BUYER BEWARE!!!!! Do a search about Hobby King here if the search engine is working and decide for yourself.
Small items I will take a chance and if I have a problem with the products I can afford to take the loss.

Sherv

My Feedback: (1)

Jose brings up a good point. I would go to a local club and see what they use and buy the same brand. Most likely it will be Spektrum. This will help buddy box when starting out and make it easier. Jose was helping me out when I first built my Advance 25e and we couldnt buddy box with my turnigy (it didnt work with spektrum). For that reason I would go with a name brand... Otherwise with my experience and after reading others I find it hard to buy such an expensive radio like futaba... Especially when you pair the Turnigy with a FrSky module. I love futaba, my car/truck radios are futaba but I'm tired of paying 89 dollars per Rx. I had 9 cars at one point... the cost was outrageous for receivers.



Turnigy Batteries, ESCs, Motors, and NTM motors are well known to be top quality... In fact many times the motor is generally rebranded and sold here in the states by guys like E-flite.

example...

http://www.horizonhobby.com/products...70kv-EFLM4025A


vs


the same exact thing less than half price... These Turnigy G series motors are very very very popular

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=14401



Here is the NTM motor I use and general consensus... Good stuff
It is in my advance 25e using an 11x8 prop

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

I used the Sentry version of this ESC which is the same but has a balance plug that allows the ESC to monitor each cel of the battery instead of an AVG voltage to do the cutoff. It also has a switching bec.
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...idProduct=2166

works great! My setup pulls 51Amps and no trouble to far... With Turnigy Nanotech 35c 4s 3300 batteries that also work flawlessly.

afmedic911

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions, I think I will go hang out at my local club and see what they fly with. I also will be visiting my local Hobby shop and see what they have to say. There are so many choices out there and is very confusing.

Tim

jester_s1

I'd love to know who that's well known by. Every test done by an independent tester I've ever seen puts the Turnigy, Zippy, etc batteries at or near the bottom of the heap. They are heavier than the higher end brands for the same capacity and don't put out the amps that better batteries do. If I need to post some tests to prove that I can. And anecdotal reports show pretty conclusively that they don't last as long either as the major brands. Of course, they are cheaper so it's to be expected that they aren't as good. It's up to the pilot to decide whether or not they are a good value. But anyone who thinks they are "top quality" or as another poster said "superb" simply hasn't used the actually top quality stuff or either doesn't fly machines that are demanding enough on their batteries to make a difference. Speed controllers and motors either work or they don't, so I could see buying bargain basement stuff from HK there, but even then I'd be surprised to find an apples to apples comparison done by an independent tester that would show the HK motors to have the same power at the same weight as the other brands that cost significantly more. Even if they do, durability is another factor although for motors at least that mostly entails the bearings holding up.

Now as for the original conversation on radios, I guess the OP can do what he wants and I'll wish him the best.

Chucksolo69

I gotta say, I agree with jester completely. I tend to stick with the name brands simply because I have been bitten by generic "clone" stuff in the past. I would advise the OP to go with Spektrum, JR, Hitec, Futaba or Airtronics before I would recommend a knock off of anything. Regardless of how many people tout these, how many times have you heard of people trying to contact HobbyKing and striking out. I have NEVER had an issue with Horizon Hobby or Hobbico when problems arose, and I have rarely ever had an issue with their products and when I have, they have always stood behind their brand/product. The only time I bought from HobbyKing was for lipo batteries for my RC cars. Even charging them as recommended resulted in them ballooning after a couple of months. I know it wasn't my Dynamyte charger as It has charged all my "brand" name batteries just fine.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I agree but because I have the one small electric plane and it's just a toy I fly at the end of the day I found buying my motors, ESC and several battery packs from Hobby King. If I would have had one of those HK problems I would have taken it as a buyer beware loss. It really is stretching it to call the HK products quality, I call them cheap but OK to use. I wouldn't use or install anything from HK in a plane I treasure. Not once I have seen any of there products used in any of the high end heli's at my clubs. The little toy type yes but nothing high end. Ever!!

jester_s1

And I have some Zippy packs I use for my Stryker and 450 heli as well. They are good enough to scratch my park flying itch on occasion. If I really wanted those planes to perform to their potential though, I would pay more than $7.99 plus shipping for my 3s 2200 packs.

countilaw

Iagree, I would never buy anything from Hobby King. They sell very cheaply made products and most of their products are cheap copies of other companies products. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Most people, that I have found, get paid for recommending HK products. They act like satisfied customers, but in reality they a pushing their product because they get paid to do so.

Stick with the well known brands such as JR, Hitec, Futaba, and Airtronics. They have good customer support, warrantees and history.

Frank

Sherv

My Feedback: (1)

man so much hate... All batteries and electronics I have are HK and not one problem. However I have bought garbage from hobbyking... 2 crappy non turnigy/hk ESCs (black cover no name) both 20 amps that both smoked but when I revisited the page... I noticed that an alarming high rate of failures reported in the reviews.. was my fault for not looking it up. Since then I look for reviews/experiences/forum posts on rcgroups about a product I want...

I use 1.99 hobbyking mini servos... Almost a year and many crashes. No problems so far.

I never claimed HK products to be better... When I can get 90% of the performance/quality for 40% of the price. I think that makes it a superb deal/item.


I challenge you to buy this plane and setup from hobbyking... less than 90 bucks with everything.
I have the exact setup the same esc/servos/batteries.
I flew it yesterday at the club and some of the veterans loved it and were amazed I was getting 20min run time on one battery with high speed passes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU_IE...u642BIQ079XHp5

Most of you rag on hobbyking without giving them a chance. You dont buy things on hobbyking by what is cheapest in their inventory.. You go by "what has the most positive reviews". Then you take it a step further and go on rcgroups and see if theres any dedicated thread there.
There is a reason why they are popular and gaining more and more customer base. I almost never ever buy RTF.. .Also go for kit and then custom select my electronics from their inventory. RTF generally is bad and underspecd in esc terms.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Come on, Sherv. There is no real hate here. The point of this forum is to offer opinions and ideas to others, especially beginners. I don't particularly like S.P.A.D.s I've offered my opinion in the past based on what I experienced with them. That was not hate, it was just offering up my experiences with them. Yeah, the object here is not S.P.A.D.s but the point is that there was no hate intended in the reply you responded to.

Just keep in mind that an opinion is usually based on fact. Everything else is based one emotional response. If a poster has something to offer that he has experienced, well, that's fact, not hate.

You can offer anything you want that is based on experience and/or fact just as you did with the rest of your response. That contributes to this forum and especially to this thread.

Lighten up a bit and allow others to offer their opinions.

Thanks for understanding.

CGr

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Hate??I said I buy things from HK but I wouldn't spend money on any high end items from them. I never spend more there then I can afford to loose. My last order with shipping was $30.00, I can't afford to loose it but it wouldn't bankrupt me. I am on RCG and the site is sponsored by Hobby king like RCU is sponsored by Tower. I have seen peoples posts removed when they have a HK problem on RCG and post about it.
I rant about the crap of a company that Tower has turned into here on RCU quite often but none of the mods have removed that??
HK is not a company I can trust enough to spend any serious money at. I just got my last order from them this month. I don't see myself needing anything else from them for a long time.
I have a friend that has been buying from them for a long time. He has several of there DLE engines but when something goes wrong with one he sends it to Valley View in Oregon, not HK in China. I needed a new ignition for a DLE but they were on back order at HK, it took them a lot of months to get them in and I didn't want a plane to be down that long, I got a new one from a friend that had a couple extras on hand. When I spoke to someone about the ignition at HK I got the run around and it took forever to get through to a person there. When I did, well, English wasn't his first language, not sure it was one of his languages at all?
Anyway, when speaking of HK, well, Buyer Beware.

afmedic911

What's the difference between a mode 1 and a mode 2 reciever. Is a Futaba 6EX good?

jester_s1

Mode 1 has the throttle on the right and mode 2 has it on the left. Standard in the U.S. is mode 2, so I wouldn't recommend anything else if you ever want anyone to help you with your flying skills! And yes, Futaba anything is good. The 6EX is what I'd call a basic sport radio. It has the programming features that most of us want and will serve you very well until you get interested in more complicated models that need multiple mixes or use more channels. [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Miniature_Aerobatic_Club]IMAC[/link] type planes will need a fancier radio as will many scale models, but for your first few planes it will serve you just fine.

afmedic911

Thanks Jester

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

One more bit of advice for you. What I would suggest you do before you buy a radio is see what the folks at that flying club are using and perhaps get one of that brand. This way, when you buddy up with one of the instructors, your radios are compatible.


CGr.

[email protected]

My Feedback: (1)

go to your local flying field and see what they are flying get a good name brand not some junk off brand

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Is there an echo around here?