Futaba what model should I buy
 

I have just purchased an older futaba fp-t4nbf (4channel) fm radio with a 127 receiver (gold stickered). I want to get another radio so I can buddy box. My question is, should my second radio I purchase be something newer 4 or 6 channel and what models would you recommend (futaba only). I plan on getting serious with this hobby. I have a couple of planes and a good friend that has had me flying. any suggestions??

Futaba what model should I buy
 

If you really are "serious" about the hobby, buy the best you can afford. The 9C is great if you can afford it.

Futaba what model should I buy
 

I would recommend the 9C, serious or no. It is a very good transmitter.

No flightpack for the 9C?
 

I was going to get a Futaba 6XAPS, but am starting to lean toward the 9CAF FM which comes with the 8 channel R148DF and servos of course. I really don't need all nine channels yet, and am really buying this radio as a base for all my future aircraft.

I just seems like I'll be too limited with a six channel radio if I decide on a complex aircraft (flaps and retracts). I just ordered a Big Stik which I will modify for flap operation, so will only need five channels from the 9C right off the bat.

I'm perplexed, however, that Tower Hobbies doesn't have any flight packs for the 9C. Is that the price you pay for buying something almost top of the line? What gives?

Thanks,

Price for the Futaba 9CAF FM
 

Futaba 9CAF FM (PCM capable radio, just need a R149DP receiver)

Tower Hobbies has a $25.00 off orders of $299.99 or more this month. I’m getting the 9CAF FM, fully equipment with servos etc., CAMPac, and an additional fifth servo for $378.00.

Here’s the link to their site:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXASY0**&P=0

What a deal! :)

Keep In Mind
 

Many people have problems understanding how to program the 9c. Its a great TX.........but its way overkill for the average Sunday flyer. Most people buy the 9c for the same reason they buy a 50 thousand dollar SUV.....to impress the neighbors. You might hold off for a few weeks while Futaba works out the bugs on the 6exa which is far cheaper than the 9c.....easier to program.....and probably meets the needs of many Sunday flyers.
I was going to buy a 6exa when I read a problem they are having with one the the mix functions.
I program computers for a living......I dont need anymore complexity in my life. Right now I use a 6da for most of my flying.
If your worried about retracts.....most six channel radios are covered for retracts and throttle adjustments.

My point is........everyone says buy the 9c......what they dont tell is your going to have to read the manual about 12 times to use all the advanced features..........oh........and dont forget to take that manual with you to the field......you may need it there too.

yup
 

9C !

It is the easiest radio to program that I have seen, and I have seen quite a few-

It had digital trims, so you are not bumping them all the time-

And a timer for timing flights- these two are super important for a beginner!
Has tons of other stuff also!

james

Break out the manual
 

I'm an engineer and have no problems breaking out the manual (even at the flying field). Shoot, I love figuring things out.

I'd like the 9C because I won't have to purchase another radio in the future, and have as much flexibility as possible in one system. Heck, it's the difference of $100 to $200 for three more channels and PCM capability. No brainer in my book!

Also, I don't give a darn what anyone else thinks and am not getting it to have the "baddest" system out at the flying field.

Re: Break out the manual
 

Do you really believe that? Each generation of radios has new bells and whistles designed to make it attractive to the folks who owned the radio it replaces. Ask the guys who owned an 8U and replaced it with a 9C... :)

This is coming from a guy that's owned many radios, mostly because I just like the new features. I've never needed more than a 6-channel really, but I sure like the bells and whistles of more complex radios.

Truth be told, most folks could get by on a good computer 6 like the RD6000 for a long time. When they reach the point where they need greater functionality there'll be newer models than the 9C out there, with all of the latest and greatest functions.

The idea of only purchasing one radio may seem attractive, but once you've been in the hobby a while you'll understand why it isn't realistic for most people--changing needs, wants, and technologies.

Re: Re Break out the manual
 

You make a good point MikeL. It’s unrealistic to assume that this radio will take care of all my needs for future aircraft, but at the price why screw with a six channel when I can get the flexibility of nine?

How’d you know I wanted to play with the extra bells and whistles anyway.

Anyway, too late. I ordered my 9C this morning for $378.00 with five servos. What a bargain!

Futaba what model should I buy
 

I am extremely happy with my 6XAS, and what a deal from Bruckner's at $129.99 for the transmiter only.

Admittedly I will probably own a 9 channel setup at some point, but money is tight at the moment.

Ernie

Futaba what model should I buy
 

My post has created quite a stir about this 9c. because I am just begining I have been looking at the futaba xas 6 channel for my second radio to buy. I have a conquest fp-t4nbf on Cannel 11, and a 127 reciever.(this is my starter and trainer unit) and I want to buy one good radio. I was thinking about the xas and two more #127 recievers. my three planes are ready to fly but all three have AM recievers & futaba 3003 servos. what would you do, to get all three planes ready for the feild. NOW REMEMBER I AM NEW TO THIS BUT I AM HOOKED. what radio or radio's and recievers would you guys recommend? Do I want all of my recievers on channel 11, how should I set up the different planes with radio's and recievers. What is pcm?
Thanks for your time!!!!
Millmnt

Futaba what model should I buy
 

It all depends on how much you're willing to spend, and where you see yourself in another 2-3 years. None of us can really make a quality suggestion without knowing those two bits of information.

The money part should be easy, but it's not always so easy to decide where the hobby will take you when you're first starting out. Take a look at the guys at your field who've been doing this for a couple years, and see what kind of radios they use along with the types of planes they fly. Being serious about the hobby means different things to different people.

If you believe you'll only need six channels for the next 2-3 years, buy a 6-channel radio. The one fact about our radios is that they keep getting more feature-rich and less expensive with every generation. In a couple of years Futaba will have the 9C Super out, just as they have done with every base radio design the last decade and a half. There was the 7U, the 7U Super, the 8U, the 8U Super, and now the 9C. Each revision does more than the last, and does it cheaper.

I keep all my models on the same frequency. It makes things simpler for me. The field I fly at isn't very busy, and I've only had to share my frequency twice in the last couple of years. Most clubs keep a roster of who uses what frequency so that people know which are the least used. If your club has this, check out how many folks are using 11. If there aren't many, keep buying 11.

PCM is a different way of encoding the data from the TX. When people refer to "FM or PCM" what they really mean to say is "PPM or PCM." In a nutshell, PPM (what you use now) is analog encoding, while PCM is digital encoding. Neither is inherently better than the other, in my opinion. You'll find many, many different opinions on this matter, however. :)

Re: Keep In Mind
 

I'm not sure how this post ties in with reality.

The 9C is very intuitive, and you don't need to read much of the manual to set up your plane for flight. When you're ready for the advanced features you'll know it, and by then you'll be familiar enough with the radio to do what you want with it. If all else fails, there is the manual, but once you learn how to make adjustments with the radio, everything comes naturally. A couple of my club members have purchased 9C's early in their flight training, and are having no problems using it.

Again, this is just my opinion, but you should take my opinion over someone who is using a 6DA and probably has zero experience with the 9C.

Futaba what model should I buy
 

The 9C is a great radio, one of the best I have seen, but I don't think it will buddy with your older 4NBF that you want to buddy with. Make sure it will before you buy it if that is what you want to do. I don't know the 4NBF very well but it seems the buddy port was the old style on that one. You may have trouble with all the new radios buddy boxing to that if that is the case.

Futaba what model should I buy
 

I have buddied my 9C to the standard 4 channel Futabas using the adapter cord, and it worked well. Haven't tried it with the 4NBF specifically, but the adapter cord seems to work fine.