kwblake

Hey folks. I have read numerous posts about the subject, but to be quite honest, I don't understand the difference between the two. In a recent thread, one member made a comment about analog trim being so much better for the throttle. Could someone please explain.

Thanks

Bozarth

My Feedback: (15)

Analog trim levers move. You can tell how much trim you have added by either looking at it or by feel. Some guys like to be able to pull their throttle stick all the way back to idle without killing the engine. They will then move the trim to cut the motor off.

Digital trims are like buttons on a calculator. You cannot tell how much you have added. It is hard to use a digital trim button to go below idle because you would have to keep pushing the button (or in some cases, hold it down) but it takes longer and is not convenient. Thus the advent of the cut off switch - where you program a switch to move the throttle that last little bit required to kill the motor.

Not sure which radio manufacturer still makes transmitters with analog trim levers.

Kurt

The photos show analog trim levers. The third photo shows a Tactic transmitter. The throttle trim is analog while the others are digital.

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

Analog trim on the throttle is easier to kill the engine if your radio dose not have a throttle cut function. For everything else the digital trim is the way to go. For one the digital trim won't get bumped when the radio is transported or a friend looks at it. Secondly if your radio supports more than one model the digital trims will not need to change position when you switch from model 1 to model 4.
(We are so spoiled these days with the digitals )

david

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Digital trim started showing up maybe 20 years ago and true to form most of us resisted but once you have digitals not very likely you would ever want to go back and just like David said never agine have to guess where the trims go for every model in your radio.

Except for the very lowest cost radios there might be some analogs still out there but virtually every quality system out there today has digital trims and throttle cut. Never agine the need to take your thumb off the rudder looking for trim in a panic trying to get your engine to shut down.

Also many modern system have infinite selectable trim response, in other words you can select exactly how much trim response you get every time you push that trim, that means no waiting if you please


John

jetmech05

Analog trim is full on with the trim lever moved all the way up and full off or down when the trim lever is all the way down. The lever stays where it is....Now digital trim is more like a button 1 push is 1 beep up and another push is another beep and now youre 2 clicks of trim up, down works the same way....I like digital so much better...if I need to know where my trims are I just look at my screen

acerc

When I first purchased my Futaba T8FG I really, really, did not like the digital trim on any channel. But after a little use and getting use to it it is much better. First is the digital trim stays with each model, no moving the trim lever for each plane. Second the digital has a wider span of use, if needed. I set every plane up so the idle is at zero thus after shutting off with the trim simply return to zero. But after getting even more comfortable with the radio I now have trim kill, choke kill, throttle cut, and on some I even have an opto kill.

kwblake

Thanks guys. Something I am a firm believer in, is,if you don't know...........ask !!!!!!!

Thanks again.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Some people still like the analog trim just so they can feel the clicks, it's just another of those choice things. I use my throttle trim on a three way switch, {digital} up is the high idle or what I use to start the engines, one click down is the low idle set so the plane doesn't roll when in the pits or on the runway, all the way down is the kill switch. I have gotten in the habit of automatically hitting the switch as soon as I take off so in flight the plane has a higher rpm, about 2000 so I don't have a flame out. When I'm ready to land I flip the switch down one for landings. Sounds like a lot of work but I don't even think about it, everything just happens. Even when I had analog trims I still had the idle on a switch to kill the engine. You just work with what you have.