IronZ

My Feedback: (3)

Hi all!
I'm getting back into the hobby after a few years away. Like a fool, I sold most everything I had and now have to "re-tool" as it were. I'll be purchasing a radio system after the holidays and I'm having trouble deciding. Now, I've been reading all the threads about Spektrum, Futaba, and Hitec (those are the brands I'm considering). I'm aware of the complaints about brownouts, heat, etc. That's not what I'm looking for. I guess I want to know what you feel your Tx is lacking as far as features and such. Do you want to use a certain setup but it won't let you? That kind of thing. I want at least 7 channels so I'm looking at...

Hitec Aurora 9 (radio seems sweet, but I can NOT stand that wire hanging off the back)
Futaba 8FG
Spektrum DX7/8 (leaning towards the 8)

In the past I've used JR, Hitec, and Futaba with no complaints really. I'm not a competitor or anything, just fun-fly and MAYBE some 3D (if I can get good at it hehe). I'll be flying 1.20ish size birds max with gassers on the nose.

My final question is this.... why was it easier to name my daughter than it is picking out a radio? lol

Thanks for any help!

Z

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

I had the Airtronics RDS-8000. That radio does not allow you to independently setup ailerons (you can adjust the endpoints together, but not individually).

Futaba 6EX: Does not support dual elevator servos.

Great thread. People always ask what radio to get - better to find out about the limitations so you're not disappointed like I was, twice!

Airtronics SD-10G - does everything, probably will even name your daughter for you (and give you a 9-point curve for adjustment).

JIMF14D

Ten days after you start using the A9 you won't remember there is a wire on the back.

You will remember:

Easy model set up
Great Screen
Super Flexibility on servo and function selection
Saftey functions like beep on high rate or throttle up at Tx start up
Downlink of battery Voltage and SPC port
Nice feel of handgrips and smooth ball bearing sticks
Great value for the $s

After you have it for 3 months you will like:
Bulletproof RF link operation
Low Rx prices
No need for adding multiple Aux Rx claptrap to make up for poor link performance of brand...............X
Great Support....Mayberry can even be funny at times here on A9 pages.
Lots of info on Rc Universe at these pages
Easy Tx and Rx software updates as they come out!

Go with Hitec, not the Herd!

DougV

The question is:

Do you need telemetry right now? If yes then you’ll have to go with the Aurora 9 or the DX8 because Futaba do not have telemetry yet. Out of those two, I’ll go with the Aurora 9.

If you don’t need telemetry right now, then the 8FG is an excellent radio. Futaba voice telemetry is to be out by March.

Doug.

bogbeagle

TBH, there's nothing that I dislike about my TX.

It does everything that I want (and much more).

Well, a flip-out camp-chair and coffee-bar would be nice, I suppose. And some tasty sandwiches, with a little pickle.

Even the price is OK.

Multiplex Cockpit SX. Not mainstream gear in the US, I know. Owned by HiTec, I think.

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Well they ALL work and will get the job done, so I'm going to suggest something that tends to be overlooked but was important to me.

Go visit some LHS's and hold 'em in your hands, it might boil down to that as there are some which I like, some which I hate and some in between. Then you can come back to the forums and get involved in all the "discussions" about which has more of, or less of, whatever folks think is important to them....

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

Futaba 12Z

The timer alarm is not loud enough for my tastes - especially on a busy flying day.

Dan

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

Had a Futaba 6EX. I didn't like the fact that ALL of the dual rates were on one switch.

Almost bought an 8FG. Decided against it, felt "slick" in my hands, afraid I would drop it. That, and I fly thumb/finger both on the right stick, and I kept getting my finger between the stick and the TX case when giving full down elevator and left aileron when I held it in the hobby store. Mind you, that's just me. I have no comments on how the radio operates, I didn't buy it.

Currently using the DX7. It's ok, programming is a little awkward compared to my old XP9303, and you have to watch out that you don't accidentally push the bind button on the back as you turn on the radio, at least when it's setting in the box I use to carry starter, radio, tach, etc, when I'm racing. I have had that happen and ended up setting out a race because the TX and RX were no longer bound. Other than that, no problems.

Thinking about a Hitec A9 maybe this winter. Don't know yet..

IronZ

My Feedback: (3)

Dual elevator support is a necessity for sure and I was about to ask "which radio" but that is way to subjective.

I hope that is the case. I really like what I hear about the Aurora 9. You really can't beat the bang for the buck. You are right about Mr. Mayberry. I've been enjoying his posts since I joined the forum way back in '01, lol. Wow, 9 years ago and only a couple hundred of posts, lol, oh well.


I'm not sure I really NEED it at all. I think for me it is more of a cool feature than anything. I REALLY like the idea of monitoring Rx voltage on the Tx though .


Isn't that the truth!! I would never leave the field, haha.


That is exactly what I will be doing. It doesn't matter what the bells and whistles are if the radio doesn't feel good in the hand. You're spot on with that one!


That could be a problem. It kind of makes me wonder about the voice telemetry stuff coming to the market too. Will you actually be able to hear it?



My first impression of the 8FG was... that is ugly! lol, It's grown on me though. I kind of thought from the looks of it, a thumb/finger flyer would be better off with the 8FG. Thanks for the heads up! I'll pay attention to that for sure when I get to the LHS. I hope they have one!



Thanks for the posts guys! If anyone has anything else to chime in, please do so! I want all the opinions I can get.

Z

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I was back at the LHS again today.. fondling the new radios. The Futaba 10C, the 8FG, and the JR9503.

In my hands, the older case design JR9503 is still the most comfortable - to me. The 8FG is a close second, and with the sticks lengthened some, I don't think I'd be bumping my fingers into the TX case at the extremes like I was with the sticks adjusted to a short length.

The 10C feels somewhat "thick" to me, but perhaps I have smaller than normal hands.

The LHS owner did say he's thinking about getting an Aurora 9 to see how they'll sell, he's going to call me if he does. I'm in no hurry, won't be doing much flying till next spring anyway.

Minnreefer

Well, I will throw in my 2 cents, I have an Aurora and I have not had any complaints about it, except the flap slider beeps every time it goes past halfway point, at the field it is nice, but playing with it on the sim at night drives me and my wife nuts. I was also concerned about the wire, but it has not been an issue at all. I will say, I do like the basic RX battery telemetry, it saves me from buying volt-watches and it is very easy to look and see where your rx battery is between flights.

But I will admit, I have not gotten even close to enough flights this year to really be a good judge.

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

That so often seems to get ignored in discussions about transmitters. I can't fathom buying one without having made sure it fits my hands well.

My 9303 is pretty good. The only complaint I have is that the rubber strips on the side are too small to be of much use. I'm not sure what their purpose is.

I do like the Aurora. I'm in no hurry to change transmitters, but once they make a revision that gets rid of the wire on the back I'll have to look at one. Maybe I'm not careful enough with my things, but an exposed wire on the back of the TX just seems like a potential problem to me.

madman75

About 90% in the club I fly with are Futaba flyers. A new member got a Futaba 8FG and us all of us don't like the 8FG. The menu is too hard to navigate and the terminology is different and hard to understand. The manual isn't much help either. We tried to use throttle cut and didn't get it to work. Had trouble setting up a trainer radio to it. All of us Futaba guys are wizards on our 7C, 9C and 10C radios but the 8FG is just too hard to understand.

TimBle

I'd recommend the 8FG.
Firstly its actually a 10 channel radio. Eight proportional channels + 2 switched channels.
It is compatible with Futaba's S-Bus technology which opens up more than just the 10 channels the radio is capable of.
S-Bus is something that I feel many people have not fully grasped yet and it will change the way we set up our aircraft.

The software in the 8FG is upgradable via a SDcard. 20 model memory can be expanded withe SD card.
Its a FASST system which means you have the most secure link in the business.

Ok some will say Futabe recievers are more expensive, and they only have 4. 6,7, 8 and 14 channel receivers available.
I have to admit that the lack of reciever choice has never bothered me. I use mostly the R617 and R6008HS recievers. If need 10 channels then the R6014HS or R6108HS S-Bus reciever is available and both offer me more than just sufficient channel inputs for all sorts of devices.
The recievers eem to work down to a much lower voltage than other brands and the high speed link up makes any glitch very temporary and unnoticable. Reboot on the recievers is amongst the fastest.
The design of the 8FG is also very simple elegant and light weight with excellent balance.

Airtronics (SANWA)is also nice but their radio's have ben beaten up by the ugly stick.

Of the 3 you are considering, the 8FGgets my vote

pilotpete2

Well, it certainly took me a few hours on the bench to learn the 8FG, but them I'm a bit slow on the learning curve. Now when I go back to my 9Cs, I get all screwed up
Pete

aerofly0610

I just got an Airtronics SD-10G,,, i guess my only complaint is all the programming options give me a headache... 

TimBle

programming the 8FG for me is much more logical than the other brands and even older futaba radios. You have to remember that its servo operation based. I think the logic will be clearer once you try a S-Bus reciever. With the programming of S-bus servos you have to consider servo function, not programming function. For example, with setting throttle cut, older radios would require you to activate throttle cut to ON.With the FG series, you activate the function then set the servo to the off position so thatwhen you flip the switch you flip the servo to ON i.e throttle cut on.Other radios move the servo to the off position i.e. Engine off.

ChuckA

I can't get a new Evo in the US. I really like the superior LOGICAL programming method of the Evo but the fantastic superior feel and balance of the Evo will keep me from going back to the plastic porcupines of the Futaba and JR transmitters that I gave up almost 10 years ago. I switched to the Cockpit MM in 2001 and flew it until the Evo became available in the US. Fortunately, I have two Evos and Hitec (the US importer) has such good service that I should be in good shape for several years.

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

interesting how this thread has morphed... the question was, what do you NOT like about your transmitter. It's come around to what folks DO like about their transmitters, and plugs for their favorite brands..

TimBle

good point.

Something I don;t aprticulalry like about all new transmitters is that their screens are far from the pilots field of vision. They rely on alarms to convey information. Surely with the tech avaialble today, a heads up display via a pair of zooty sunglasses is possible and cost effective??

DougV

Alarm volumes on my Futaba 12FG and 8FG are a little to low. Hopefully they'll add that to the next update/upgrade firmware.

Doug.

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I wish MY transmitter would not let me fly my race planes into the ground.... but then, the airplanes would just get old!

I think my biggest issue is the loose nut holding the sticks.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

While I am quite delighted with my SD-10g, I found the swash mixing menu a bit difficult to find the first couple of times I went looking for it. Once there, it also wasn't particularly intuitive to work with. It does get the job done quite well, however.

captinjohn

I would never buy another Futaba 6EX FASST radio.
It is cheap made
TX battery seems to go down fast
Will not do too many airplane fuctions...real hard to get to work in newer airplanes
The nicads are being phased out
Weak servos...chances are you will need better ones right away.
The On-Off switch is not in the right place.....too easy to hit another switch beside it.
The price is way too high new for what you get. Should be $100 less.
Vey poor case compared to other Futaba radios.

I would say every one that got one should get a Free update to the 7EX...at least you could use more fuctions that you need. They have made enough money to do so for the price the costed new. I have seen used complete Futaba 6EX go for $100 used. What does that tell ya................................................ .....................................

ChuckA

Large hard to clean screens. I NEVER take my eyes of my plane while it is in the air so large screens are no help. The tiny screen of the Cockpit MM was big enough for programming and was not so likely to be damaged.