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RE: First radios... - 3/13/2005 5:34:58 AM   
quist



Posts: 1629
Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Glendale, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		Ace single stick pulse control with the Ace Wizard airplane. 197?

(in reply to kojak41)
       Post #: 101

RE: First radios... - 3/17/2005 4:46:57 PM   
Dave 700


 

Posts: 15
Joined: 5/23/2003
From: Alpharetta, GA, USA
Status: offline 		This thread has brought back a lot of memories -

1958/9 No one flew model airplanes where I lived - Lexington, VA and then Clayton GA (1960). I had flown U-Control by myself and was bored. I tried free flight and realized that I had to go RC because of the two national forests around the town - after losing a plane or two. I asked the folks for a Babcock transistor receiver (MK IV) for my birthday and they agreed ! It cost $27 (!( and I was only 12 years old so that was very big money to me. I also got a Babcock compound escapment and built my own transistor transmitter with a center loaded antenna - with that antenna it I never had a problem with range. The plane was and AERO 07 with an Enya .06 reed valve for an engine. If the engine RPM was peaked the relay in the receiver would float and then there was no control, luckily the plane hit a dead tree branch that was hanging vertically and spun like a maple leaf and finally landed. (I could fly on the fairway at the golf course after it closed at 6:00PM -Clayton) The plane had many successful flights. I had trimmed it to glide well before I ever ran the engine. I still have that plane in its original nylon and dope covering. Now it has a COX .074 and modern radio gear. The COX is way to much engine and never gets above 1/2 throttle.

I built a galloping ghost modulator but never flew anything with it. Just tried it out on the bench, because RCM had a build article -

First multi channel was the RCM Classic which I still have- mid 60s

Then built a World Engines Blue Max in the early 70s (still have it) - Flew 72Mhz in southern Germany not quite legal, but nothing on those freqs.

The I bought an EK system - what a great reliable radio with those "tiny" servos - mid 70s (still have two of these systems)

Airtronics Spectra (same as an ACE Silver 7 with FM) mid 80s (still have it) There was a JR (Circus) sytem that was similar with the analog (pot) adjustments for servo travel and switches for limited mixing - vtail etc. not quite computer radios but getting closer.

ACE MicroPro 8000 fantastic (probably the first modern computer radio) (AM and FM decks) now with the version 5 eprom it will shift select in the programming and can name the aircraft - about 1991 A glider club I belonged to had two groups - the computer and the non-computer guys. It turned out the non-computer guys did"t realize that metal box I was flying was a computer radio until one day when I was making trim changes to a hand launch glider and they heard the beeps.

Multiplex Cockpit very similar to the ACE MicroPro use it to fly my electric foamies.

Multiplex 4000 - wow - Now this radio can do anything you can dream of in programming a system. What a far cry from the earlier rc systems.

Now we have micro systems and can fly really small airplnes with reliability.

Dave AMA700

(in reply to quist)
       Post #: 102

RE: First radios... - 3/17/2005 7:13:54 PM   
Planeclothes


 

Posts: 428
Joined: 7/12/2003
From: Orlando, FL,
Status: offline 		My first radio was a World Engines Las Vegas. It was a 4 channel (27 mhz) single stick metal orange box with a big dry cell inside, no meter, just an LED to show it was on. The receiver came with nicads. I had built a .15 size Cub kit and on the maiden flight the stupid radio went out of range and the plane was destroyed. I remember I sold this radio to a guy who was building a robot. My second (and first real) radio was a Futaba 6 channel and with this one I learned to fly rc. Second plane was an all foam Sureflite Cessna. Most of the guys at the field were flying Falcon 56s at that time, but I never had one.

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I'm only in it for the money...

(in reply to Dave 700)
       Post #: 103

RE: What was your first Radio? - 3/17/2005 7:55:31 PM   
hattend



Posts: 2059
Joined: 11/29/2001
From: Redding, CA, USA
Status: offline 		My first radio was a Kraft 5 channel "Sport" (1973) Basic radio, no reverse, no nothing - $300

I love today...LOL!!!

Don

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Revver Brother #94

(in reply to Georg Matthews)
       Post #: 104

RE: First radios... - 3/29/2005 12:30:32 AM   
boberos


 

Posts: 441
Joined: 4/22/2005
From: peterborough, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		My 1st radio was a kraft 12 ch. reed radio with Bonner transmites. The radio was fine but I gave that old DeBolt Champ a hard time as I was learning. On the 13 th flight I forgot to switch on & the plane flew in lazy circles out over Lake Ontario. 4 days later I got a phone call that it had washed up on the Bowmanville Beach.
The pieces of the model did well by keeping the radio & engine afloat. Yes the radio survived to fly again.
True story, believe it or not.

Recently I found a Bramco 8 channel rig (about 1960 vintage). If anyone has instructions, literature or schematics that they would share, please send me a P.M.

Thanks,
Bob G

(in reply to hattend)
       Post #: 105

RE: What was your first Radio? - 3/29/2005 5:33:48 PM   
luke1


 

Posts: 7
Joined: 8/20/2004
From: , DE, USA
Status: offline
Galloping Ghost back in '67 by Ace RC and a Rand LR3 actuator.
The plane was called a Whiz Kid powered by an Enya 09,
Flew it at Valley Forge........had a whole lot of fun with it,
when the nicads would work right.

Luke1

(in reply to Georg Matthews)
       Post #: 106

RE: What was your first Radio? - 4/29/2005 2:54:46 AM   
smallrc


 

Posts: 40
Joined: 1/11/2003
From: Elkland, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Ace Pulse Commander rudder only on 26.995 MHz (1972) in a Top Flite
Schoolmaster (Ken Willard design).


I now fly Kraft and Ace Silver Seven on 6 meter ham band.

_____________________________

SmallRC, the Kraft Collector

(in reply to luke1)
       Post #: 107

RE: First radios... - 4/29/2005 2:36:34 PM   
FenceMagnet


 

Posts: 344
Joined: 3/15/2005
From: Treasure Island, FL, USA
Status: offline 		"Ace Pulse Commander rudder only on 26.995 MHz (1972) in a Top Flite
Schoolmaster (Ken Willard design)."

same radio AND frequency in a Schoolboy !!!! DejaVu !!!

first proportional was an F&M 5 channel built from a kit !!




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<===================
Jim White

(in reply to smallrc)
       Post #: 108

RE: What was your first Radio? - 7/17/2007 2:57:00 AM   
leoplanes


 

Posts: 4
Joined: 1/26/2007
From: Sao Paulo, BRAZIL
Status: offline 		Well , let me think .. back in 1969 , My first r/c radio was an OS cougar 3 chanels , 27255mhz . Second was OS cougar IV , AM 27255 mhz . Four wires servos .. Third one was OS cougar V 40665mhz . No reverse servos , no travel adjust , no dual rates , no etc , no etc ... But they gave me hours of priceless enjoyment . Good golden days , OS .20 engine and a plane called Young (rudder elevator and throutle , silk and dope , ambroid glue , balsa wood , no engine starters , only wood props , no fast chargers , 450mah nicd bateries .Deacs? I think , oh yes , the good rubber bands to keep wings fixed ... . Wow , thounsands flights , beatifull saturdays and sundays . I still keep those radios and parts , and they work fine . Nowadays Futabas and JR's . What a long way .

(in reply to propeller)
       Post #: 109

RE: First radios... - 7/17/2007 5:47:25 AM   
fizzwater2


 

Posts: 812
Joined: 8/16/2004
From: Paola, KS, USA
Status: offline 		I flew CL for a few years while I saved up money for my first radio. It was a heathkit, circa 1973, can't remember the model number, just that it was an 8 channel radio, in the blue case with the black plastic top & bottom.

Next up was an ace pulse commander rudder only, then an MRC 765 5 channel in 1976. I remember the year, because they had a bicentennial special, buy the 765, get a free Enya .40 RC engine!

Then Ace digital commanders, then the silver seven in a single stick configuration, then a micropro 8000. These days, mostly JR 8103 & 9303, and a Futaba Super 7 7UAFS

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no matter where you go, there you are..

(in reply to leoplanes)
       Post #: 110

RE: First radios... - 7/17/2007 7:31:37 AM   
Craig 01


 

Posts: 101
Joined: 7/29/2006
From: Maryborough Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		My first transmitter was a futaba 6 channel,vinyl clad alloy box with black plastic endcaps and the chrome round gimbals it was on 29mhz am,cant remember the model no.This was about 1981-82.it was a reliable radio,never lost a plane with it although almost did one time to blackwire,got it back running towards plane slapping the back of the radio held head high,a very nervous moment!Next radios were a pair of hitec focus 6,after a bit of time out of the hobby returned using a jr x3810.
Cheers,Craig.

(in reply to fizzwater2)
       Post #: 111

RE: What was your first Radio? - 7/18/2007 1:11:58 PM   
TommyWatson



Posts: 981
Joined: 3/28/2002
From: Pendle HillNSW, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		My first radio was an OS "PIXI" single channel on 27 Mhz Super regen. It had OS single channel servos one for rudder and one for 3 position motor control.
usual 1 push for right, two pushes for left and three pushes and hold for motor step.

I just recently got two new in box OS servos on Ebay.

All I need is a circuit to operate a relay from a modern receiver.

Regards





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Tom Watson
Sydney Australia

(in reply to Bob Laine)
       Post #: 112

RE: First radios... - 7/18/2007 2:32:11 PM   
Prairie Mike


 

Posts: 118
Joined: 1/22/2003
From: Auburn, KS, USA
Status: offline 		wow. Reading this thread sure brings back a lot of memories.. 1st reciever was a Bonner gas tube single channel. 67.5 volts and 1.5 volts for the fillament. The transmitter was a Citizenship, I think. memory fades with time ya know. I had Debolt live wire trainer with a K & B .19 from u-control (no throttle control). Test glides got it trimmed. But I didn't have any mentor so I didn't know that you were supposed to use more than one rubber band to hold the wing on.
Laounched that puppy and watched it climb out, then just about the time I was to input a control the wing blew off and it became a lawn dart.
Next (and successful) radio was a Citizenship reed (non simultaneous) set; motror elevator and rudder. Even had a form of expo using a linkage on the servo. Remember them?
Heathkits were next: A 5 channel (spamcan) and a single stick 8 channel which I still have.

Remember "beeping" to get a gentle turn or to keep on the glideslope??

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Mic on the Prairie

(in reply to TommyWatson)
       Post #: 113

RE: First radios... - 7/18/2007 2:51:32 PM   
BobH


 

Posts: 4418
Joined: 4/1/2003
From: Springfield, VA,
Status: offline 		1968 a control air reed 10 channel system. Difficult to fly (for me) so I bought a friends home built proportional system using bonner servos in 1969 and learned to fly with that.

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BobH.

(in reply to Prairie Mike)
       Post #: 114

RE: What was your first Radio? - 7/18/2007 4:54:11 PM   
dirtybird


 

Posts: 3084
Joined: 1/25/2002
From: Mesa, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		I built and flew my first R/C model aircraft in 1953. It was a B’ssard D that I am told was kitted by Joe Wagner, the engine expert that writes for the AMA magazine. I had previously built the radio from a kit I obtained from Berkley Aetrol. It used tubes in all of the components. The gas tube in the receiver had a life expectancy of 1&1/2 hours. I never wore one of them out. The transmitter employed a 3A5 tube that required 135 v for its operation. Since I was in college at the time and short of funds, the five dollar cost of the 135v battery was more than I could afford. I put in a plug on my car radio so I could use the 150v from the car radio for my transmitter. This meant that I had to put the transmitter on the top of my car. Since all of the tube filaments in the car radio used several amps they would quickly drain the car battery. I had to start the car to use the generator to keep the battery charged while flying.

The B’ssard D was heavily loaded with all of the required batteries and had only a K&B 19 for power. The wingspan on the B’ssard D was 72”. In order to fly it, I had to throw it from a hill in order for it to have time to get up to speed before it hit the ground.

The flying procedure was as follows:

First I had to find a field with a small hill that I could drive my car up on. Then I would put my transmitter on the top of my car, start the car engine, start the K&B 19, make sure the radio was working, throw the airplane off the hill, and then make a dive for the control switch that was on a long cord from the transmitter and try to remember how many times to push the button. One push for left, two for right and three for motor control. I was using Bonners compound escapements. You young guys can have your granddaddy t