mikenlapaz

I have a 9C and I'm thinking of purchasing a 4YF to use as a "buddy box" on trainer cord. Shopping, it appears that Futaba's buddy box is just a 4YF without antenna, Tx module, or battery.

If the 4YF were used without module or battery (getting its power and sending its signal via 9C):
1) Can the hi and low rates be changed (9c) while the trainer switch is active? Once changed do they affect flight with trainer switch held?
2) Are the trim setting lever active on the 4YF while the trainer switch is active?;
3) If trainer settings on 9C are set to allow 4YF full control of all surfaces, do all the programmed mixes 'intergrate' into the commands from 4YF when train switch is active.
4) Are there any known problems matching these two radio for training?

These may all seem basic but instructing is new to my instructor. Matching up his Futaba 8 whatever to the 9C leaves one radio all misconfigurated when we finish. I may be over cautious be it seems a dedicated trainer radio "buddy box" may be a better solution.

Help share you experience.

olivier

Hi,

The 9C offers for buddy box purpose as master transmitter a very usefull option : when setting trainer programming to "func" (manual page 40), this transmitter will provide all her settings to the slave transmitter. This means that the slave transmitter must not have programmed any mixing, trims-offsets, reverse servo or whatever. The great advantage is that any simple 4-channel slave transmitter can be used to learn/improve flights on any more complicated plane (2 or more servo in wings, delta, V-tail, spoilerons, etc...) or any heli. This programming option exists since 1989 on Multiplex transmitters. Nowadays also on Multiplex MC3010,3030,4000, Royal Evo, Futaba 7C/FF7, 9C/FF9, Robbe/Futaba FC18V3.1 and V3.2, Graupner MX22, MC22, MC24, JR6102, JR10Xair (JR named it "pilot link" ).
I often use this function for clubmembers who wants to fly my airplane : they just use an empty memory on their TX and they plug in the buddy lead, that's all!

This also means that whenever a slave transmitter (that is programmed for the training model) is connected to a 9c with the option "func" active, the slave transmitter will seem to be "all misconfigurated". If for instance the ailerons must be set on "reverse", you will set that in your master 9c. If you also set the "reverse" for ailerons on your slave "Futaba 8 whatever ", this "reverse" will be reversed by the 9c because the latter is providing all settings for slave transmitter. Result : slave transmitter seems to be "all misconfigurated". To avoid this problem, 2 solutions :
a) bring trainer settings in 9c to "norm" and slave transmitter fully programmed for trainer model
b) bring trainer settings in 9c to "func" and slave transmitter without any settings activated

To answer your questions :
1) Yes and Yes
2) Yes, but normally if 9C as master with the "func" active, no need to trim the slave, just leave all trims centered. There could be a slight movement in control surfaces of the plane when switching from master to slave, due to slight differences in stickpotmeters or TX-calibration. This should then be adjusted with trims on slave transmitter.
3) Yes
4) No

I have one trainee that was fed up to hear from some instructors: "oh, no, that's difficult, I'll have to program your model in my transmitter etc... So he just bought a second used transmitter, so not any instructor has any such an excuse for not learning him to fly.
Of course, if the 9c is yours as trainee and this TX is used as master, no excuses like above at all if 9c set to "func".
Eventually check my website for more details. Also chec faq n°17 and 18 on Futaba's website : http://www.futabarc.com/faq/product-faq.html#q106
Happy learning and landings,
Olivier

mikenlapaz

olivier

Thanks for the time you took to give such a useful explanation, it's appreciated. The order for the 4YF has been placed. It included a second trainer cord micro/micro end connectors.

Look forward to visiting your site.