Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I would like to offer to buy any Futaba 9-C radio John comes across for the ten bucks plus shipping. I use a 2.4 module in my old one but still use it for 72 when needed.
I do tell anyone just getting into the hobby to go with 2.4, no reason to start out with old TECH when you need a radio anyway. A new radio will come with a RX too so your already ahead of the game. A lot of bundle deals to be had. Some even offer cut rate prices for extra RXs.
For those of us that have been flying for a while and have a lot of 72 around it works just as well today as it ever did. Like John I like Hitec gear, I use the Hitec 2.4 module and RXs for the 2.4. A club is a club and has there own rules, good to check in with them for advice and see what there rules are. A club can vote to allow only 2.4, some events have already done that, it's not an AMA rule but a club can instate it.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Huh? Don,t recall saying anything about a 9C for ten bucks or for that matter any other radio that is a module type and therefore an easy 2.4 conversion.

John

Heck your 9C is not old, Now here is an old radio. Thanks to a couple of very smart young whippersnappers shown busy in my shop converting my old orbit to 2.4. Hmm bought that radio in 1970 and its even been illegal to use for the last 22 years (orange/white 72.400). Thanks to them I now use it once more. What a joy.

ka8jvx

My Feedback: (1)

Got a nice email from L8cruiser. The radio I promised him will be in the mail Monday.
KA8JVX

L8cruiser

I have only been a member here for a little over 24 hours. Already I have been welcomed, received great information and have been given a radio to get me started. Thanks ka8jvx for the radio. It looks like there is a great group of people on this forum . I look forward to learning from all of you. Thanks for all the replies.

ratshooter

Thats good of you Ka8. Thats what I like about this hobby is people willing to help. If the OP was near me I would love to help him get started and learn to fly. I haven't taught a new flyer in many years.

I admit that my third time back in RC about 2.5 years ago I bought an analog 6 channel system. I didn't want to mess with a computer radio. I do have two computer radios now but all 3 radios are on the 72mhz band.

I am glad the OP started this thread. I have been curious about the 2.4 stuff but don't know anything about it. But my next radio will be a 2.4. I just don't know which one. I am confused about spread spektrum as opposed to the other. I have had excellent service from Hi-Tech and would probably by the radio John B stated he likes. Nice shop by the way John. I am jealous of those "young whippersnappers" of yours who must really know about electronics. I am a complete idiot when it comes to that stuff.

I have learned to program my computer radios but I don't mess with them enough for it to be easy for me. My best quality is that I am hard headed and refused to be stopped by some gizmo.

So please keep this discussion going.

bth9318

My Feedback: (24)

That sx600 is an excellent first radio. now take those planes to your local club tomorrow and get them looked at and get some help.

bth9318

My Feedback: (24)

check out the turnigy 9x. excellent radio,2.4 ,inexpensive ,inexpensive recievers (make sure to range check them) lots of info on them, sold my dx6i and have been using my 9x for four trouble free years and I fly a lot in the summer.

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

You and I are in total agreement however flying non PCM 72mhz is a disaster waiting to happen.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

My recommendation that the OP go to 2.4 GHz was not based on 72 MHz being unreliable. I use 72 MHz myself. I believe that, aside from the frequency conflict issue, 72 MHz is just as reliable 2.4 GHz. But the frequency conflict issue is a big deal at some fields.

I think that someone just starting out should use 2.4 GHz. 72 MHz is becoming uncommon at many fields. Instructors may not be equipped to buddy with a 72 MHz system. Other club members may not be able to help him with his radio installation problems because they have never used 72 MHz themselves. And then it is hard to be the guy who is 'different', especially for someone just getting started.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

Why is PPM (versus PCM) 72 MHz a disaster waiting to happen? I thought that PCM was debunked as no better than PPM. I have a collection of PCM and PPM receivers and have not noticed either as 'better'.

Cashpoboy

My Feedback: (7)

Now that you are thoroughly educated....I mean confused.....Ta Da.....you must now choose. It doesn't really matter. Both work fine.
Finding a club seems to be the only thing that everyone agrees on.

tmulligan

Having made many of the mistakes already discussed, I suggest buying a Spektrum DX 6i ($125) and a couple of Spektrum receivers to match or a Tactic TTX 650 ($139 including two matching receivers). Do NOT buy a transmitter that does not have model memory; you'll be wasting your money.

Tom

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

[QUOTE=JPMacG;11786442]Why is PPM (versus PCM) 72 MHz a disaster waiting to happen? I thought that PCM was debunked as no better than PPM. I have a collection of PCM and PPM receivers and have not noticed nce ther as 'better'.
PCM is in fact much batter than PPM. Since the received signal must contain the correct code to be recognized by the receiver it is less bothered by local generated interference. It also has nearly 3db processor gain. A 3db increase in receiver sensitivity is the same as doubling the transmitter power
The tournigy 9x (2.4ghz)has been out for a year now and has proven reliability.At $100 why get anything else to start with.If you want a computer radio get the Taranis($175). It has more power than you will ever use

Rodney

I have used, and still use, both PPM and PCM on 72MHz and have never had a problem. True, if buying new, I'd suggest 2.4GHz and I also use that frequency but there is nothing wrong with the 72MHz stuff. In some cases it is better. The only two drawbacks to 72 MHz is the longer antenna and the possibility of interference from someone else that is on the same channel if your club does not enforce frequency control.

jester_s1

Obviously, there are different opinions on this, and a lot of it truly depends on what your plans are. I hope you consider the information I gave you in my other post, as it takes the long term view of what doing this hobby means from a financial standpoint. Frequently, a few saved dollars today means more spent dollars a year or two from now.

It's great someone stepped up and gave you a radio. Enjoy it and pass it on to another newbie when you can. In the meantime, it will be smart to start saving your money for a 2.4ghz radio and receivers and for your next step up airplane. I suggest to new pilots that they plan to move to an Ugly Stick or Sig 4 Star ASAP after solo'ing. If you are a normal speed learner, that probably means upgrading sometime in the Fall. If you can save $300 or so by then and scan the local classifieds for planes and engines, that will get you ready to really advance your flying with a maneuverable but forgiving sport plane through the winter and next spring and summer.

dirtybird

My Feedback: (5)

There are more than two drawbacks to 72.
1) the transmitter draws more power running down your battery quicker.
2) The receiver is less robust. 2.4 has no fragile crystals or IF cans.
3) The receivers cost more. ( New. The exception is there are a lot of the being sold cheap because the owner no longer uses them)
4) Many meets no longer permit 72
5) If you need more than 8 channels the response time can get slow.
6) The receiver is much more sensitive to local generated RF. (Sparks due to metal parts rubbing together)

L8cruiser

I went to my local club yesterday and an instructor was there. He asked me if I would like to fly the club trainer. I said sure. I flew a couple tanks of fuel. It was a good time and received some good information. He said most people have upgraded to 2,5 but nothing is wrong with 72mhz . He said look at the frequency board , you will have it almost to yourself since most have upgraded to 2.4. On the upside of using 72 MHz , there is less chance now of getting shot down because most folks are on 2.4.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Fantastic L8cruzer sounds like you are getting involved with a club and will be finding some excellent mentorship. Finding that first mentor is so important in this hobby/sport to your later enjoyment and success.

I would like to ad a couple of points first on the basic 2.4 v. 72 discussion. Now I am not an RF expert of any kind but I did have my first successful RC flights in 1959 and I have never stopped since. I prefer to call myself a survivor and I have been through I think five major changes in how our RC airplanes are flown and the changes in the systems themselves, Make no mistake the changes I am talking about are huge and makes this 2.4/72 thing seem almost silly.

You will find a pattern in this 2.4/72 thing and it is quite evident in this thread. You see folks like myself and many who have responded here that have been around a while tend to accumulate a great many airplanes, I have for some years now I have had around fifty airplanes and there are those whose collection are approaching the 100 mark. Now typically with these folks as you can imagine a complete changeover is very expensive so naturally these folks are going to resist any change at all. This will be quite evident in their posting even when the subject of the thread or question is about new folks who do not have these fleets of aircraft and in the enviable position of being able to embrace the new technology with no financial handicap that many of us faced.

Also I would like to address now the comments about the 72 being "just fine". OK yes I have in the past used that same expression and yes it is just fine at least as much as it ever has been. However since my total changeover to 2.4 (I think my receiver count is around 56) all the little mystery glitchs and yes even mystery crashs totally disappeared (using Hitec equipment) .

Someone mentioned it in this thread but it was totally glossed over and that is 2.4 Rx's are far more durable that 72 units and that is yes by my personal observation. This is a major consideration for someone just starting, that's a fact.

OK this is getting a little tedious and for that I am sorry but I think its fantastic that KA8JVX has sent you a Futaba 9C, it is a very capable radio. What I would do if and what I tell all my students who are new is do not waste any money at all on flying 72. Instead use that 9C as a building block and simply convert it to 2.4, Futaba has their modules that will convert it or for example we locally have many fellows using the 9C with a Hitec module and Receivers.

I stand by what I said in my first post and for new fellows who are not burdened with a lot of obsolete equipment to spend any money at all on old tech is bad advice.

John

[email protected]

My Feedback: (1)

i like being on 72 i dont care what people say or think about it it is ok iam 82 and been on 72 since it came out i do have one on 2.4 but 72 i like iam not telling any one what is the best radio>the best thing is to go to your local field and ask the people there and see what they fly>> i like ford pickups they are the best>> now who has a better pick up

ka8jvx

My Feedback: (1)

Actually the radio I sent to L8 is a JR SX-600 not a Futaba. Still a good radio to get started.
I started with a Heathkit and then Ace. Both worked fine. The Heathkit was on the old 75mhz band.

jester_s1

Why is it that every time someone asks about radios we have to have this 72mhz vs. 2.4ghz conversation again? 72mhz equipment isn't even being made anymore. That's how much the community has embraced 2.4ghz technology and how good the newer equipment is. Yes, there are a few older guys who were happy with 72mhz before and are still happy with it now, much the same as there are a few older guys who drive carbureted vehicles even though fuel injection makes an engine so much more efficient and trouble free. The OP got a 72mhz radio for free so he should use it (assuming it passes a thorough range check). When he's ready to invest in more capable radios, he should buy 2.4ghz (actually will have to buy one unless he goes the very used route). That's really all that needs to be said on the matter IMO.

W7APD Alan

What a hoot these discussions are. Everyone has an opinion, and it generally boils down to, "I like what I use, so it must be superior."

I could probably call myself an "old timer" in this hobby, because I first flew RC in the 1960s, and I've used most of the frequencies and technologies along the way. (I don't consider myself an old timer, or even particularly experienced, because the truth is I've spent more time "out" of the hobby than "in" during the 45 or so years since I first got my feet wet.) Nevertheless, I'll offer my thoughts, because this is (after all) the internet and that means everyone is entitled to my opinions.

My first RC radio was a single channel flapper on 27 MHz, like Galloping Ghost only rudder only. It was really weird but obviously a step up from escapements, which I never flew. Never had any problems with it, perhaps because I flew far outside of town on a friend's farm, and because that was long before the CB radio craze took off. I wish I still had the radio, though I know it would be model suicide to fly it today because 27MHz is like that.

After leaving RC behind during my college years and while starting family and career, I eventually got a 5 channel Heathkit RC system on 50 MHz. I figured that would be safe because, hey, it's limited to hams only and I'd probably be the only guy in 20 miles using 6 meters for RC. My first model that I flew with the Heathkit, a Goldberg Falcon 56, lasted most of one season, before suffering a total loss of control (while flying at an unfamiliar field) and augering in at about Warp 3. I never determined if I was shot down maliciously, got zapped by a commercial or amateur transmitter nearby, or if something intermittent in the radio came loose. I never flew that radio again.

Next came a series of Futaba 72MHz FM radios, and a Futaba PCM rig. I never lost a model while using any 72MHz radio, at least not due to radio problems. Lost a few due to construction errors and a few because of some idiot holding the radio. Today, following yet another absence from the hobby, I'm back again. I still have my 72MHz radios and they still work, I even flew one of them for a while, but after reading up on the 2.4G systems, I decided I was due for a new radio. I settled on the Spektrum DX8 as being all the radio (and far more) than I think I'll ever need, bought one and color me happy.

The truth about 72MHz radios is that they are as solid and reliable now as they ever were. The frequencies we use are allocated nationally (and in most cases internationally) for use in RC. If the usual precautions are observed, like not turning on a transmitter unless you have the pin, odds are you will have an excellent experience, and your airplane will last as long as your skill level is ahead of it. However, 72MHz radios do require exclusive use of the channel, and the result of interference is the same as on 27 and 50, and the possibility of being shot down, accidentally or deliberately, is real. But with good batteries those radios should have lots of life in them.

The 2.4GHz radios, while not immune to problems (and bringing some new ones of their own) at least have solved the frequency issue. Because 2.4G systems use GUIDs to connect transmitters and receivers, and spread spectrum to get your commands through despite other radios, many of the old problems are gone, replaced by new issues of fading and blocked antennas and the like. Shoot-downs because of other RCers is likely a thing of the past, although I wouldn't ignore the problems of FPV downlinks, radar systems, or even a rogue microwave oven. As Forrest Gump said, "Stuff Occurs," or something like that.

Conclusion? It's all good. Fly. Enjoy. Always have a new model under construction because you're gonna need it someday.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

The Futaba 4YF is in stock at Tower Hobbies right now for your flying convenience. 2.4Ghz radio systems overcome the shortcomings of pilots more than any shortcomings of the 72Mhz radio platform. Frequency hopping prevents other pilots from shooting you down when you and your flying buddies aren't watching the frequency board. Other technologies like Model Match and Safety Link prevent you from flying your model while using the wrong model memory on your computer radio.

All of the great debates in RC forums are basically pointless: glow versus electric, ARFs versus kits, 72Mhz versus 2.4Ghz, Futaba versus Spektrum. You don't HAVE to choose; you can own them all and fly them all. If you own some equipment and it's working well, then keep using it. If you need to buy something new, pick the combination of performance, features, and value that makes sense for your current project.

If you stay in this sport long enough, you'll have a variety of different radio systems, different power systems, and different aircraft. You end up using what makes sense for a particular project and a particular situation. I use Airtronics receivers in my sport planes and pattern planes, I use Hobby King 2.4Ghz receivers in my electric combat foamies. The Airtronics equipment is better, but I don't want one of my 92824 receivers to get busted up while flying foamy combat. I love Enya glow engines, but I use a Thunder Tiger Pro .46 on my Sea Master float plane. I don't want to put one of my Enya engines on the bottom of a lake.

I fly my trainer plane on 72Mhz. I have the radio equipment, it works well, and I like presenting new students with a pair of radios that don't appear intimidating or overly complicated. If I had to buy a radio and buddy box setup for a new trainer, would I stick with 72Mhz? I guess it would all depend on what all was available at the time I was doing the shopping. Whatever works is just fine.

bjr_93tz

The OP got two 72Mhz receivers in the deal and was asking about a buying a 72mhz transmitter hence the discussion on what might be his best option now. Buy a cheap 72Mhz TX for the two RX's he has, or scrap the RX's he has and go to a 2.4 system?

Personally I think he should scrap the two 72Mhz RX's and put in all new 2.4 stuff, BUT the cheaper option in the short term might be to pick up a 72Mhz TX and use what he has?

ka8jvx

My Feedback: (1)

He can scrap the two receivers he has if he wants to. I sent 2 new ones with the transmitter I sent him. At least let him use the 72 mhz equipment before telling him he needs 2.4 ghz.