RCU Forums - Futaba 14SG Review.

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Futaba 14SG Review.

Futaba14sg review..Before I received my Futaba 14sg radio I had searched the internet for ages but could not find any reviews on it. The following is my honest opinion and review based on my experiences with this radio.I bought the Futaba 14sg as a replacement for my first radio the Futaba 7C 72mhz. I was worried about the cost of genuine Futaba RX's but found FrSky fasst receivers for $21 on Hobby King. I put them into my smaller planes of .40 size and smaller. The two selling points for me was the telemetry (for RX voltage) and the ability to use any of the Futaba 2.4ghz frequency hopping protocols. FASST, FASSTest, SFHSS and FHSS. For those who don't know, all Futaba 2.4ghz radios use frequency hopping systems that allow the radio to skip continuously between frequencies to avoid interference. The first 2.4 system Futaba made was FASST. This was a very 'over engineered' system and consequently quite expensive. It is still used by most futaba users today and so it has stood the test of time. S-FHSS is Futaba's cheap version and is quite fast and also to Futaba's safe standard. None of these however, are capable of having the RX 'talk back' to the radio and send information like RPM, temperature, height, etc. Then Futaba came out with FASSTest. FASSTest is Futaba's two way system. This means that FASSTest is Futaba's only telemetry capable protocol. The 14sg is a great radio to get because it means that no matter what type of Futaba 2.4 RX you have in your planes, you will be able to use them in this radio. SBUS is another nice feature that allows you to use up to 16 servos in one receiver.Packaging.The 14sg came in a small box compared to other futaba radios. It was well ppackaged and no damage was obtained in transit. Upon opening I found the manual, neckstrap, 6vbattery, LIFE battery bracket, a switch, screw driver, RX and charger. It is worth noting that the charger is only a 110 volt charger and so it would be useless in some countries. The TX itself had protective plastic screen covers like that on an iPod. They were however, so badly applied that I removed them straight away and bought new ones. The sticks had a very tight tension but that was soon altered through the tension screws through the rear of the case under the grips.Closer look at TXCompared to my Futaba 7C the 14sg was quite heavy which I like because it adds to the quality feel. The plastic was fine and I really liked the styling. After feeling a Spektrum DX8 in the shop I was looking forward to the rubber grips. I was a little disappointed when I felt the 14sg grips because they are very hard and not very rubbery although they are probably more resistant to methanol. The neckstrap holder perfectly balances the radio. The screen is a nice size and I found navigation great with the sensor touch. The TX has two home screens. One has lots of information and the other enlarges the two timer displays. The alarm is in my opinion loud enough but the vibrating option is not very powerful. The gimbals, once adjusted to my preferred tension felt fine and smooth. The Futaba 14sg overall has a modern, compact and quality feel to it.Linking.Linking the included Futaba FASSTest RX was easy to do but unconventional. I involves some setting up in the systems menu but is explained well in the manual. The FRSky RX's were also easy to link by powering up the RX, holding down the failsafe button on the RX and turning on the TX. Of coarse the TX has to be in FASST 7ch mode for It to work.Switches,There are 6 three position switches on the 14sg, 1 two position switch and 1 two position spring loaded switch. I really like there being 6 three position switches because I can, for example, set timer start, reset and pause all on one switch. As well as flight conditions, dual rates etc. There are also 2 rotary knobs and two sliders on the rear. I love these for flaps, undercarriage, etc. The switches are slightly wobbly but I don't think it is a problem.Manual,The manual is fine for me and is for the most part okay.Software updates.The software update was a quick and painless process. It is done through an SD card.Features:This is where the 14sg excels. I like the dual rates. They have up to 5 different rates. All of the exponential rates are laid out in a brilliant graph. Model selection is easy and it can be done from either the home page or systems menu. There are three different menus. They are the system menu, the link menu and the model menu. Setting up functions such as dual aileron and/or dual elevator is simple and straight forward with the manual. Mixing is easy if you follow the manual. One disappointing thing is that there are no flight conditions in airplane mode. Flight conditions is a function that allows you to have the plane set up in different ways for different phases of flight. You switch between flight conditions using switches. Maybe with a future update theflight modes will be usable in airplane mode too. There is a headphone plug in the rear of the transmitter. This is currently useless but I heard somewhere that it will be able to be used for voice output when the next update comes out. The key with a TX like this is to use the manual!Use:I arrived at the field and began setting up the planes. Using the Frsky receivers I conducted a range check. To range check you hold the center of the sensor touch and turn on the TX. You press the center of the sensor touch again and it will start a countdown from 90 seconds. Once the timer is up the range check is finished and the radio will automatically start to transmit at full range again. The clone receivers have worked well in my .40 sized planes for over 12 hours flying time and have not had any problems. I have not flown with the included RX yet but I have set up a plane that is soon to be maidened.The design of the transmitters back is amazing and very comfortable. I get that locked in feeling they advertise.Telemetry:Telemetry only works on FASSTest and so I have only had a chance to test it on the ground and yes the RX voltage works as it should. I will buy additional sensors for height, speed , temperature and RPM in the future.Summary:Overall I love this radio. I am very satisfied with it and with the clone receivers. It is all very cheap. The Futaba 18mz is the next step up from the 14sg and for the price I can't see a huge difference between them in functions.Futaba 14sg radioTower Hobbies$549.00FrSky TFR6 7chHobbyking.com$21.49

RE: Futaba 14SG Review.

I will add more photos soon. If you have any questions I will try to answer them.

RE: Futaba 14SG Review.

i have the 14sg
I bought it for my sailplanes. I like the slide switches for the spoilers.
the manual leaves a lot to be desired.
ex: the "program" function has all of 2 whole pages to explain how. youre supposed to be able to program any situation from what you learn on those two pages.
in all of the programming functions there are never any examples of common programming.
it took me hours to figure out how to set up (a very common feature these days) dual elevator servos.
finally found a post that said to use ailevator function and set aileron to 0% and elevator to 100%. or something like that.
my old airtronics rd8000 actually has a dual elevator function (you just "select" it) and it is listed in the book.

aside from all that, Im really enjoying the radio. with some use, it has become easier to program and the virtually unlimited functions that I can program are impressive

I have one function I can not figure out.

the timer on the motor run.
the two timers can be programmed in a few ways.

I am looking for:
when I open the throttle I want the timer to run, and when I bring throttle to "0" I want it to stop.
this way I can monitor the battery time.
I almost have it figured out, but im missing something.

can someone explain the steps to do this?
jon

Jon,

Go to the timer T1 and press RTN, scroll down to Mode and change it to Down, scroll to Alarm and change to 10:00 then scroll to Start press RTN and select J3, in the J3 ON/OFF menu scroll to ON/OFF and change that to REV. Now put the throttle stick where you would like the counter to start, scroll back to POS and press RTN. Done!

Hope that helps,
Doug

Thanks much for the quick rreplying actually needed it to count up
Not down
i just reversed that from your directions
i think I was originally goofing up by trying to set a "stop" action aalso I knew it almost made sense to me I was just missing one step
ive got it now
i like to monitor the battery usage for the flight
jon

the model type was originally selected as "airplane" mode.
i decided to select "glider" mode.
when i did all my programming was lost.
i re programmed it.
only thing i can't do is my snap roll functions.
i had 2 functions set up on switches
SD was a gentle turn - slight up elevator and slight right rudder.
SE was full up and full right rudder. if i need to spin it down.
is there any way to create these 2 mixes in programming mixes?
doesnt seem to. all i want to do is flip a switch and have the elevator move a set amount and rudder move a set amount.
jon

Quote:

Originally Posted by FLYMAD (Post 11549107)

Fabulous review, very detailed and informative.

I have owned a 14SG for several months now and use it for 3 Helis and two fixed wing aircraft. Overall I really like it.

I agree with you on the Frsky (Orange) Fasst receivers, they have performed identically to the Futaba receivers in my Helis for years.

I did have an issue with my 14SG when it was new but fixed it myself (probably voiding warranty but that's ok.. it works perfectly now)

Vid here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpFan0kDSR0 Make sure you calibrate the gimbals to get the absolute best accuracy from your radio.. (a bit on the 14SG here also)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaDdcg4G2jo

I bought a few frsky rx's they link and work fine
i tested one in a full scale range test on the ground in a straight line and compared it to the 7008 rx
the frsky was about 1/3-1/2mile
the futaba was about 30% greater distance
in the air I would expect the range to be a bit more
but I fly sail planes and can reach over 4,000 feet
so I need the range
but I will use the frsky on my .40 size powered a/c

Quote:

Originally Posted by jb86 (Post 11602837)

You should have no trouble at all getting 4000 Feet ( 1200 metres)

In all my range testing I can easily get more than 3000 meters (over 10,000 feet) with both Futaba, FRsky and JR/Spektrum.

Some vids.. these are ground ranges, I also think they would improve in the air.

First one is 2800 meters (9200 feet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPIWgfgvxAU This one is 1500 meters (4900 feet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVIR0a9s8TE

im gonna keep a close eye on this thread ordered on wed and showed up Friday morning now that's good but not the amazing thing I was an airtronics guy now a futaba owner lol

bought one of these when they first came out.

after almost one full flying season, very happy with the purchase. I use it with 2 planes, one on FHSS and one on FASST. From the flyers point of view, they both are working great. No issues.

I haven't done any of the sd card upgrades yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattnew (Post 11617084)

Yes it is definitely a nice radio to fly with, feels more substantial than the 8FG: I did the SD upgrade recently and added the speech engine which seems to work well in a bench test.
Shame you have to wear headphones though.

I prefer the headphones or ear bud, especially when flying at a club where noise from other people and or aircraft is a factor. But if you fly by yourself, then I guess it wouldn’t matter IMO.

Doug

Hi Flymad, Jon, Doug, Rob and everybody else,
Thanks so much for the excellent and helpful info that you shared here!

Use of a Futaba 9CAP has been great for a long time 🌞 ... but the info here has greatly helped to start shifting over to the 2.4 GHz 🙂. I’m not there yet but the Futaba 12K is started and it’s very similar to the 14SG. Apparently the software is the same (except that only the T-FHSS and S-FHSS can be used in the 12K).

Do you have any suggestions or other tricks that would be helpful to address/try now ... a few years after this great info was posted?

Best regards,
Dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albatross1 (Post 12734349)

Dave, I bought the 14 due to its use of all the Futaba 2.4 protocols and have been very pleased with it. However, I would buy the newer 16IS today for just a little more money but get more channels, more programing and an easier to use touch screen. I just did the latest upgrade 9 on my 14 and added the sound program. I really like the versatility of choices of receivers and have many Futaba and FrySky receivers (about 1/3 the price of Futaba). The manual kinda sucks, but you can download a user book from Amazon for Kindle for both the 14 and the 16 transmitters. You may want to look at both the manuals from Futaba's web site and Kindle to read up about what you are getting into before you lay down you hard earned cash.

Hi Oldsalt1

Thanks for those thoughts 😀. The 12K is what I have and it has a couple less channels than the 14SG or 16IS, but it’s a nice improvement too 😀

Futaba support confirmed that the 12K and 14SG have the same features & software. The Kindle text sounds like a good idea though ...

For the upgrades, is there any risk to upgrade from version 2 to 4?

The FlySky sounds interesting too but can it be used as a T-FHSS? 🤔

Best regards 🌞

transmitter decisions

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albatross1 (Post 12739867)

I am up to version 9 upgrade and the new sound upgrade as well. I don't know anything about the FRSKY radio. I think it is open protocol, but to this old fart would be a complicated can of worms to learn all the programming to make it work for the Futaba receivers I have. Someone else that has that radio might be able to address those issues. If you already have the 12, then that may work just fine. I haven't seen very many multi-channel receivers that are affordable above 14 channels. I have several FASST 14's from HK that work quite well with my l4SG, and 10CAP. I also use many versions of the T-FHSS that support up to 8 channels for that protocol. Good luck in your search.

Hi Oldsalt1,

Thanks for those comments. The orange receivers have failed for a couple of other friends, resulting in a few plane destructions. The crash causes for those are unknown though. 🤔

... I think a lot like you about using the other receivers too, so that thought might be better to leave alone. 😀

Interesting that you’ve used 9 updates so far. That is a good example and the Futaba devices have never been a problem for me going way back too. I guess that fear cab go away too 🙄😉

Cheers,
Dave

I also bought the 14SG because it will do all of the protocols. I only have ever used the FAST. I never tried the orange RXs, but since you could get the futaba R6017s for around $60 I went that way.

I dont care for the programming on the 14, its way to cumbersome as compared to the older systems. So much so, I haven't ever used to fly anything in two years since I bought it. I am sure its a great system, but its not easy for this old dog to be taught new tricks.

Orange receiver failures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengli (Post 12755843)

I tried a couple of the orange receivers in some of my smaller planes. One of my favorites was one of the follow up 3D planes after the U Can Do. I had upgraded that plane and switched to one of the Orange 2.4 8 channel receivers. A couple of minutes into it's maiden flight all controls were lost, but luckily at low throttle and low to the ground. When it crashed it took out the firewall and dented a wing tip. Everything was still hooked up on inspection but the receiver would only work intermittently. That is when I decided to trash all my orange receivers and swithch to other more reliable brands. I have NO problems with Futaba, Turnigy or FrySky receivers..

Just bought the Futaba T16IZ

I bit the bullet and bought the T16iz and am thrilled with it. It is so much quicker and easier to program with the touch screen over the scroll wheel of the 14SG. It is also lighter and a little smaller than the 14 making it easier to handle for flying. Beware however if you want to copy files or upgrade you must use a smaller than 32GB micro-SD card. The information on this is in the Web only full version manual on page 128, I think. I wasted a couple of hours trying to use a larger micro-SD card but thank God for another thread on this referring to the upgrade requirements I quickly and easily upgraded from the 3.3 version it shipped with to the newer 4.0 version available on the Futaba website. There are also some terrific U-tube videos available on programming there also. The 16 will most likely be the last radio I buy (famous last words).

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengli (Post 12755843)

I followed the advice of someone else on this site and got the Malcomb Holt book available through Kendle on Amazon. It was a very cheap download. The Futaba manual is somewhat tedious and not at all user-friendly. The Malcomb Holt's version is very straightforward, logical and easy to read. After a couple of hours of reading and fiddling with the transmitter, the light bulb lite and all became somewhat obvious and less difficult to program for this old fart. I had already bought the 16iz by that time, but don't regret its purchase either. Now I have the 16 for primary and the 14 for backup. BTW, I think Futaba got the message from us Holt fans and really did a better job on the 16iz Full Web version manual. The 16 only comes with a short version, nearly useless paper manual, so I visited the Futaba website and downloaded the Full Web version, printed it out two-sided copy on my printer, bound it and now have a paper copy for quick reference. The full web version is also available on the Tower sales listing for the 16iz and receiver combo. If you try the Malcomb edition you may start to really like the 14SG. Good luck and safe and happy landing.

Malcolm has a book for the 16SZ/18SZ which also applies to the 16IZ. Worth a look. Programming is very similar.