KingSalomon

I am in the market for a new computer radio. What is a good, and reasonably priced one? Also, i have no LHS, and Tower Hobbies doesnt carry JR. Is there another good online hobby shop that does?

I think one computer radio will be better than my regular 4-channels...

John Murdoch

My Feedback: (11)

Try Chief Aircraft
http://chiefaircraft.com/cgi-bin/rcm...els/Model.html
They usually have some Okay deals...

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

You can try Horizon Hobby
They sell JR

tommy s

My Feedback: (55)

Some good ones used on the marketplace here.

tommy s

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Just get a futaba and be done with it.

WhtBronco

I'd suggest getting the new JR 6102. I have 2 of the JR 662 radios and I like them very much. The 6102 is the new version of the 662.

You're right a single 6 channel computer will do all your 4 channel radios can do and much more. The digital trims are simply wonderful. No more trying to oh so gently adjust the trims while in flight. With the digital trims just bump the trim lever with your finger you always get 1 +/-.

Anyway I just like JR and have for about 10 years now. I just never really liked Futaba, though I had several. I think the new Futaba 6EXA looks like a good radio as well. Either would be money well spent. If you have the money get more channels. I sure wish I could afford the JR 8103. I never thought you could use all those features, but if you have them you'll soon find they are very useful.

jbflier

If you buy a JR, (which I use) I would not order it from Horizon. You'll save aprox. 25% if you order one online.............

Brian Smith

My Feedback: (117)

RD 6000....I have/had 3 of these now..I have flown full house saiplanes and Giant Scale Gasoline motor models on them..They are very user friendly..Very easy for a 1st time person to learn to use and very reasonable in the prices.. They may not be any better or worse than the others, but I have been "Very" pleased.....My 2 cents..Brian

John Murdoch

My Feedback: (11)

Dan,
What ever radio you choose, make sure it's will meet your current and upcoming needs. What I mean by this is, if you choose Futaba, JR, Hitec, don't limit yourself to the planes you have today. When I started this hobby/sport, I bought a JR Quattro. Then, within months, I bought an EX421. Shortly after that, I went to the JR 662. Then shortly after that, a 8103. If I would have pooled all the money together that I put into all these radios, I could have bought the top of the line JR 10X which would have handled any of my R/C needs.

I would suggest to anyone just getting into this hobby/sport that you look for the top-of-the-line stuff. If you plan to stay and andvance in flying, it will save you lots of money in the long run. If you decide to get out, then it's sure a lot easier to recover some of the investments because the top-of-the-line stuff resale value is worth a whole lot more than the beginning/entry level products and when you're using these items, you're not limited to what your equipment is able to do, you're limited to your ability to use the equipment.

This is just a suggestion based on my experience. Take it with a grain of salt or not.

AirGar

My Feedback: (7)

Well, I imagine you'll hear about everyone's "favorite". I recently just stepped up to a computer radio, and I chose the RD 6000 by Airtronics. For a dummy like me, this was "first time user friendly" as Brian stated. I now have 2 of them, and am looking at the 8000 series....you know...for future...

Gary

TT2

My Feedback: (13)

232Cap-Tain has it right. Get a radio that you'll be able to grow into. Ten or eleven years ago I bought a JR 388s which (at the time) was JR's second-best radio. When the 8103 came out with digital trims I immediately bought one and sold the 388. The 8103 didn't do much more than the 388 but it was MUCH easier to program. I moved up to a 10x last year because I wanted more mixing flexibility and triple rates.

I would strongly suggest the JR XP8103DT. It will handle most planes and do it VERY well. The upper-end Hitec radios still don't hold a candle to the 8103. Guys are constantly fighting the Hitecs...especially when it comes to dual elevator setups.

Ultimately your choice of radio greatly depends on how AND IF you'll use the features the radio has to offer.

-Tom

Teachu2

My Feedback: (133)

You can't go too far wrong with any of the radios mentioned. The manufacturers have very carefully positioned their offerings to space between each other, and each model has advantages/disadvantages when compared to others. Without a LHS to be able to actually put your hands on a radio, you end up comparing specs.

I have owned radios from all 4 majors - Futaba, JR, Airtronics, and Hitec. Never had a problem with any of them. I have gone exclusively to Futaba/Hitec for compatability. My primary radio is a 9CAP (far easier to program than the Super7 and 8UAs that I previously owned) and I have enough flight packs to run out of memories even with the Campac. I own a few Hitec flight packs as well - fly them with the 9C Tx.

Recently, one of my sons decided to return to RC, so I went shopping for a system for him. Knowing that he might not stick with it influenced my decision, in that if he faded away (or got a new girlfriend) I'd end up using the system myself. My LHS (bless 'em) stocks both Futaba and JR. The Futaba 6EXA made the most sense for me - 6 model memory, digital trims, expe and mixing, 4 standard BB servos - all for $159 + tax.

I've stayed with Futaba because they are the biggest in the US. Their quality and features are up to par, and I can buy parts and accessories anywhere. As I tend to trade up to new Txs every few years, I like that Futaba stuff seems to hold up on resale better than the others. Recently, I've found exceptional bargains on Futaba stuff online - ServoCity has 8ch Rxs at 2 for $100 - that have been very pleasant bonuses.

Buying a radio is like buying a new car. What someone else swears by may be unsatisfactory for another person. You pay your money and you make your choice. Do some searches on Google and see what's available, what prices run, and who sells them. Service used to be a major factor, but isn't anymore IMO. Prices have dropped on gear while tech time has skyrocketed in price to the point that the difference in having a damaged/crashed Rx or servo repaired and buying a new one is insignificant - and they all seem to work out of the box.

Enjoy whatever you end up with!

Swashbuckler

My Feedback: (1)

How about a Futaba 7C? I just bought mine, plus 4 standard BB servos, for $250 from Tower Hobbies.

CP140

One advantage the RD series, is that you can select which "shift" you transmit, so you would be able to use it with your existing receivers (on the same channel of course)... you could also go for the Hitec Eclipse with Spectra module and then you would be able to transmit any shift on any channel you want!

Peter Khor

My Feedback: (4)

And where would you find JR radio sets 25% cheaper than Horizon's site?!? eg, 6102 on Horizon site is $250, so who sells for $188? 8103 Promo is $380 ... who sells for $285?

The most I've seen is free shipping, but otherwise prices are pretty much the same, or ~$10 less at most.

SwampFlier-RCU

you can try www.quantummodels.com
fo rradios

wildthing7037

Hi,
I had good experiences with my Hitec Eclipse. A good bang for buck radio if thats what you're after. Though I do like my new JR 3810 though

Stefan

rrweather

My Feedback: (7)

Like 232Cap-Tain said, consider the fact that higher-end gear will typically get you more money on the used market. About 2 years ago, I was really getting into R/C. I purchased a new (at the time) 9C. 3 months later, I found out I was being moved (U.S. Air Force) with little hope for flying time in the near future. Instead of packing my gear up and hoping for the best with military moving, I decided I wuld sell most of it until I had time to really get back into it. Luckily for me, I was able to sell my 9C for ALMOST what I paid for it. Obviously you would take a loss of some kind but it should be less with higher-end gear, as long as you take care of it. If you are already growing out of one radio, what is to say you will not outgrow this next one. More money typically gets you more options as well. It is nice to have mulitple options available to you when you go to program your radio instead of doing it the one way your radio knows how.