Mode One

Why do digital servos cost so much more than standard servos? How long have digital servos been on the market? Do you think their price will come down in the future?

e-sailpilot86

Well, the technology in standard servos is relatively old, and the parts for them are mass produced in higher quantities. The price of the analog servos has also stayed about the same for eons... Honestly, I'm not sure why the digitals are so much more expensive. The tech in them is nothing extraordinary compared to non-r/c related items. I'm sure that some day, a good engineer with a background in R/C, will decided to dabble with servo tech, and come out with something as good if not better than what we've got right now, and will accomplish this in his or her own garage. I'm sure it couldn't be that hard to make a home-made digital servo hack for analogs. BTW, low end Futaba digi's have come down in price, but they're not quite to analog in price. Well worth it IMHO.

Mode One

e-sailpilot86, Can positive shift system servos be used with negative shift radio system flight packs? I.e. Do the servos care what shift the receiver uses?

blkstne

My Feedback: (1)

I just so happen to have an old tower hobbies catalog from 2003 and started looking through it to see how prices have changed just in a few years. All of the basic servos were about $10-15 more than we pay now. ALL of the digital servos were over the hundred dollar mark. Considering that now you can purchase some digital servos for as low 35-60 dollars I would say that digital servos have already dropped down in price compare to just 2 years ago.

Edge 540

Yeah, but still...
Its all in the market size. Dell can sell me a desktop computer for $399 and a digital servo costs $100. Four good digital servos on a funfly plane costs the same as a brand new computer!!!! Yeah, not a very good computer, but a computer none the less. Look how many digital cameras are sold for around $100. No one can argue that a servo has more technology that even the worst wal-mart special camera. Game systems, DVD players, cameras, MP3 players, cell phones.... Almost every other electronic gadget in the $100 price range has FAR more technology than the best servos. Its all in the sales. R/C companies sell to a TINY fraction of the customers who buy computers, cameras, game systems... They still have to make money, so the price goes up. Making a 2% profit on 12 million xboxes is easier that a 30% profit on half a million servos. I wonder what the actual manufacture cost for a servo is...
Its not a BAD thing. I bet the prices will keep dropping. It's amazing how far electronics have come- even in the last few years. I haven't been flying THAT long, and I remember when there were no digital servos. I cant wait to see what will be next.

Javier-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

Can someone explain...

1- Which is the difference between standard and digital servos? (not in price of course )

2- What means three and five pole servos?

3- Which is the advantage of coreless servos?


Thanks,

Javier

Edge 540

Well...a search will give much better explanations but:
digital-better amplifier
5 pole- more precise (less "steps" in motor)
coreless-most precise motor

The best servos are digital coreless.

Javier-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

Thanks Edge!