New Futaba owner: Futaba 8J
 

New proud owner of the Futaba 8J Air mode 2.
Well,
it was time to upgrade from the Futaba 10C Air 72Mhz!

Why did you choose the 8J?

why not?

Well, for $40 U.S. more you could have the 10J. It's not that much more and seems a better radio. Please don't feel I'm criticizing you. I'm in a position where I might have to upgrade into a new radio and have been studying the field (all brands, all radios) and I'm trying to figure what might work for me. 40 bucks for me one way or the other is a non issue. The 8J looks like a fine radio. I know you must have done your research and came to some conclusions for your needs. One thing I don't like about the 8J or 10J is the battery solution. Futaba lets the hobbyist decide if he is going to buy a charger with a rechargeable battery or just use 4AA's. Just was wondering what things that you felt were the decision points that you decided on the 8J? Maybe its the planes you fly. Maybe its the experience with Futable you have had. Otherwise they look like nice radios. Just wondering.

I like the 8J better than the 10J, because I didn't want to give more $ for 10ch,
that I didn't ever use with my 10C.

Also, the 8J has a newer stylish look and in your hands feels perfect.

Yeah, I wish I could hold each radio I look at on the internet and see how it feels. As far as deciding between 8 or 10 channels, that's a tough one for me. Currently I'm in a 6 channel transmitter and when I bought it I thought I would never need 6 channels. Well guess what, the current plane I'm flying uses all ports on a 6 channel receiver. So the next radio will have to be a 8 channel minimum, and maybe 10. But I think I could do well with an 8 channel. Sometimes with electronics the next model up offers things the other doesn't. For example the 10J is a T-FHSS, S-FHSS, and FHSS system. Where as the 8J is only a SFHSS and FHSS system. And other things. Here's a chart that Futaba offers for comparisons between models. Futaba® Radio System Feature Comparison
One thing I really like is the built in antenna that can't be broken off.
I think you made a great choice for yourself and wish you happy Radio Control flying.

Tom Nied, Carol Stream, Illinois.

Tom,

thank you for your kind words!

2.4Ghz is a huge upgrade over old 72Mhz systems.

The frequency hoping technology is awesome!

Just FYI.

I am assemblying a 4/5AA nimh battery pack for my 8J.
I use 5 cells to hit the 6.0V mark.
The cells are 1200mAh.
Also,
just in case someone wants to calculate the appropriate mah of the pack,
I measured from 160ma to 210ma of current drain when ON.
So mine will be able to run for arround 6h continuously!

Best
Kostas

Here it is guys:

Here's my battery pack.

Looks pretty slick. I'm amazed by how low the current drain is. 6 hours run-time is way more than anybody might need. I recently replaced the batteries in my DX6i with 4 AA 2100 mAh cells. Last week I had 6 ten minute flights and maybe only had a tenth .1 of a volt drop. On my Tx the low voltage alarm goes off at 4.1, and when it is fully charged shows 5.6 volts. We need to fly more.