fly-nerd

which computer radio on the market today is the easiest to use?
i want to stepup a bit from my futaba non computer. i have nothing but futaba flight packs
thanks
flynerd

Rocketman612

My Feedback: (85)

While I don't have mine yet. The 9C'S at the field look great and their owners love them. Easy to use is the overwhelming comment. Pete

IronCross

Never had anything but Futaba but I have a 9C and love it. It is so easy to program and use

Blackbird-RCU

Get the 9C :thumbup:

voegdmcm

My Feedback: (3)

I had a 6xas, but the 9c is really something if you can afford it.

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

The RD6000 is the easiest to use, in my experience. Instead of laying out the menus by function, they're layed out by the control they affect. Want to change your throttle endpoints? Go to the throttle menu. Very intuitive.

And it works with Futaba flight packs.

CP140

Have you considered one of the Airtronics RD6000/8000 models? You can select which "shift" you use so you'd still be able to use your current flight packs...

dmajchrzak

My Feedback: (17)

Hitec Eclipse 7 + Spectra

Fly w/ any receiver on any channel. Fly plane, sails & heli's. 5 Programmable mixes.

Great computer radio on a budget.

flytheedge

My Feedback: (84)

I've only had 2 computer radios in this hobby: the Airtronics RD6000 and the Airtronics Inifinity 600A. I LOVE the RD6000. The setup is easy to follow and can set your throttle endpoints in a matter of seconds! It's probably the best radio out there, except for maybe the RD8000 but I can't account to that.
Clint

PS. With my experience, I've seen more Futaba radios "goof up" than Airtronics radios. I've never seen an Airtronics radio that hasn't been excellent and never had defects. On the other hand, Futaba guys down here always have problems and are always going to Jerry, J J Freestyle, for extra help or support.

Flyfalcons

Airtronics radios aren't perfect though. The pots on my Infinity 600A went bad after a few years.

9C!

flytheedge

My Feedback: (84)

That may be so, but the Futaba boys always have problems. Either their servos have defects or their receivers keep going bad or the radios always go bad. There's always something wrong and it makes me proud to be an Airtronics owner. Mine have never gone bad or had defects.
Clint

FlyingPilgrim

My Feedback: (26)

Stay away from the 8uaf / 8uap. They are a ***** to learn how to program. I had to buy an aftermarket book in order to figure it out, and still have to refer to the manual every time I want to change something!

Flyfalcons

Wow, it didn't take too long for this thread to become a "my radio is the best and everyone else bought junk" thread. I have never seen one particular brand of radio have more problems than the other, and I have seen a lot of radios. Any modern brand-name system will be very high quality, though nothing is perfect. If someone says that all Brand X radios they've seen are junk, then he is either stretching the truth or has not had enough exposure to that brand. It's as simple as that. Thousands of people buy radios of different manufacturers and are quite pleased. The radio brand war is ridiculous; they're all good.

SimJen

i've just got a RD6000 and it works like a charm. Better price than the Futaba equivalents and more features.
Everyone down here loves Futaba, they do nothing for me (just my opinion).
Easy for people to start bashing other brands, from my experience I have seen all brands fail at some point. Never seen a TX fail though, except thru being dropped/abused.

SimJen

rjbarthel-RCU

had a T6XAS and have a flash 5 but the FUTABA 9CAP is like compairing DOS to WINDOWS !!!! its absolutly easy to use !! and loaded with features !

jschenck

My Feedback: (23)

Yea but comparing Futaba to Airtronics is like comparing Windows to linux.

Windows crashes all the time !!!


< INSERT SMILEY >

speleopower

My Feedback: (1)

Well, of course there is JR and WE all know they are the best.
Hahaha
Without a radio brand war what would there be? Monokote vs Towerkote. That's a boring brand war.
Have fun and keep smiling.

jschenck

My Feedback: (23)

Competition is good. I am glad that Airtronics has *finally* made their receiver/servos compatible with the others making them a bit more appealing.

I just wish that we had at least one American radio manufacturer. too bad.

Lanier/CGM - are you listening? Perhaps revive the Kraft name brand and make a radio targeted at the high volume market sport flyers. Make it as feature-rich as the Hitec/Air/Futaba 8ch radios, higher quality and keep the price reasonable. Yes JR is nice, but the price!

I'd pay extra to have equipment stamped 'Made in USA'. make mine a metal case with real nice gimbals.

<POLITICAL>
My next engine will be either a Fox or maybe a MECOA for this reason. I don't mind Japan's products, but I really don't want to support the Chinese government any more than I have to.
</POLITICAL>

rjbarthel-RCU

well if LINUX is that good wonder why everyone isnt jumping to get on that ship ! My WINDOWS XP hasnt ever froze on me ! And Ive had it for as long as xp has been out ! oh well thats not important !!!!! but radios are ! our club here has around 65 members and only a very very small number have Airtronics they seem to like them ! and thats ok by me ! and I think even a smaller number have JR ! its a hands down a Futaba thats at the field ! and theres getting to be more and more Hitec also ! If the user can understand a radio and how to program it and take advantage of its features and the radio works without troubles its a great radio !! I thought my T6XAS was great till I got the 9CAP !! and compairing the T6XAS to the Flash 5 the Flash has it also !! But then thats just my opinion !! no facts or data base to back me up just my opinion ! But thats based on in my hand and useing them combined with my personal opinon! having features and not knowing how to use them is how many people are out there ! I dont seem to have any trouble understanding how to program but i know many guys that cant even set thier own watches !! so to them talking about a computer radio is trash ! but then its like power seats in your car if you dont know how to use it !! Its going to be a pain in the a** !! and you will hate the seat !! And by the way Mr jschenck Im not going to trash LINUX or AIRTRONICS Ive not used niether to say anything about them !! I know that AIRTRONICS and JR have very good products also ! I just have not bought one of them yet !! maybe some day I will but for now I have Hitec and Futaba !!I enjoy the hobby too much to slam or throw mud !! But if you screw me over everyone will know !

jschenck

My Feedback: (23)

just some easy ribbing! I too enjoy the hobby way too much to get into a teeth grinding argument of FORD vs CHEVY

besides my AMERICAN MADE Toyota is better than your Canadian Chevy or Mexican Ford any day!


hows that for insiting a "flame war" !


I do think that if more people had a chance to use Airtronics and JR and Futaba and Hitec, we would make more informed decisions! They probably all have their + and - 's (Unlike windoz and linux :-)

I suppose we will all have to rely on RCAdmin and crew to make some unbiased reviews and side-by-side comparisons!


aaahhh, this thread is getting to be too much fun, I better go to bed so I can enjoy the first 50+degree day in a month here in Omaha. Charging the 'Angry Eaglet' as we speak.

Photo of the ANGRY EAGLET!

coomarlin

My Feedback: (1)

In all seriousness, the 9CAP would probably be perfect for you. It would work with all your other futaba gear and could not be easier to program. Not only that, it has 95% of the functionality of the 9Z for 1/3 of the money.

I stepped up to the 9C from Hitec and although I really liked the Hitec, I didn't realize how good the 9C was until I got my hands on it.

As far as the RD6000 is concerned I think it's also a great radio. A buddy of mine at the field has one. It's well built and fairly easy to program. But it does not have the advanced functionality of the 9C when it comes to switch and channel assignment. Just my 2 cents.

rjbarthel-RCU

That just it !! How many of us can afford to go out and buy one of each trans just to do a hands on side by side compairison ! And the mags are selling ad spaces to all these companys ! do we think they are going to be that honest in thier performance test articles :surprised !! ,
Hey the want them to keep placing ads !thats how they pay bills too ! but also by how many readers they had is greatly effecting their ad prices and sizes !! So its kinda a we will say this but not this !!
like I said earlier at our field Futaba is by far the most used ! I learned to fly and my first purchas was a futaba skyport witch i still have !
if there were more of JR`s or Airtronics there I could have talked to them about thier likes and dislikes ! but thier wasnt so Im buying what I know !
wow thats one mean looking eaglet LOL !!
But just for the record my Chevys are all american assembled but like we all know the parts are made world wide !!but then anyone that thinks thiers is 100% american made then the joke is on them
In our would today thier is so few 100% of anything its crazy :disappoin But I still wouldnt want to live anywhere else ! maybe south a bit now so I can fly more but I will stay ere in the USA !! have a great r/c day :thumbup:

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

Don't see much here about the Hi-Tec Eclipse especially with the Spectra module.It has the advantage of operating many diff.things heli,planes,cliders etc. and easily changing frquencies which at its price paid$215 .We are getting quite a few at our field and so far no big problems are easy to program too.Know that are lot of good expensive Txs out there,but for the low budget guy this thing does a lot.