Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

After my order shipped from Heli Proz, I noticed that that I had ordered a Futaba R138DP receiver LO band and a Channel 40 xl. Whoops, wrong rx.

No need to tell me that they will exchange it for me. My question stems from a "know it all" at our field that claimed he once talked to a Futaba rep who told him that there is no difference between the HI band and LO band receivers and if you have the wrong one, don't worry about it.

Anyone have any input on this?

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

FWIW---Tony Stillman of "Radio South" says the same thing---

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Channel 40 is only 0.100 mHz higher than the "top" of the low band. I'd say to stick the crystal in and give it a thorough range check. If it performs well, you're in.

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Some years ago I changed a Futaba PCM receiver from channel 50 to 26. I have flown it for years with never a problem. I don't think I would worry about it. Just go fly!

Steve

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Its funny how some feel they know more than the people that made it.

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

I'm not here to create any trouble, I just question the purpose of this entire thread..... Read on....

The phase in bold sounds like hearsay to me, if I ever heard one. It could be truth, it could be a lie, it's still hearsay.

And the purpose of this entire thread is so you feel good with yourself knowing that you are still doing something wrong??? And where does taking responsibility for your own actions fall?

Exchange it for one that is not marked HI / LO. If I'm not mistaken that's how they ship right now.

Rafael

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Go ahead and swap for a R168DP if you can find one. 8 channels and NOT HI/LO sensitive.

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

And the purpose of you posting on the thread at all was what?

I just wanted to know what the facts were. It has nothing to do with me "feeling good about myself".

And FYI, a poster on the helicopter forum told me that some Futaba receivers now come marked Hi-Lo and they are tuned in the middle of the frequency spread.

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

I personaly like to deal with facts. If someone says that it can be done I would like to know the sensitivity figures before and after the change. Also I would want to know the method of measurement of those sensitivity figures.

Just saying I tried it and it worked ok doesn't give me much to go on.
I want data so I know what the risk is and if it is worth it.

good luck,

pete

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

-My purpose was to make you take responsibility for your own actions that seems to be lacking on this society lately. Do what is right! Not just ask the question so you feel comfortable with doing something wrong.

-You have the facts, you purchased a receiver marked Lo band and intended to use it on the HI band. You know that Futaba labels their receivers Lo / Hi for a particular reason that they don't seem to share with their clients. AND you know that they can easily exchange it for you. You can't avoid those facts. Pretty cut and dry.

-More hearsay. Why would Futaba tune them to the middle of the spectrum and still mark them Hi / Lo? I really don't care what they are marked or how they are tuned. Doing the right thing is the endstate here.

If i was an Investigator and was sent to investigate and accident that you caused, and found this, guess where I would put the blame on? Futaba clearly marks their receivers.

Rafael

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

If you have a Futaba receiver marked Lo band, it is tuned to the center of that low band (11-35), if you have a Futaba receiver marked Hi band, it is tuned to the center of the high band (36-60).

Futaba NEVER recommends crossing this line between high and low, it is NOT good practice. You run the risk of glitching, range loss, and possible injury to spectators or other pilots if you do not have the receiver retuned properly.


Futaba now makes most of their receivers available as center tuned to both bands so that you may use any channel crystal you like in them. But they will be marked as "Hi/Lo".


I hope you find this information helpful. You can also reach our Futaba support technical team at 217-398-8970, or via fax at 217-398-7721.

Sincerely,
Krysta
Product Development & Support Specialist
Futaba Service Center USA

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

The plot thickens. a post form the To kill ALL hearsay. [8D]

Rafael

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Rafael,

With all due respect, you jumped to a faulty conclusion because you couldn't wait to take the opprotunity to preach your "personal responsibility" sermon. At no time did I say that I intended to use the improper receiver, I just was interested in the facts.

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

The fact that you came here asking the question, with the facts listed above give me the reson necessary to reach my conclusions. I did not need an opportunity, You negated yourself that opportunity when you said: You had all the information and still came over here asking the question, which you knew the answer to.

We do not need to keep argueing, the facts are laid out and Krysta settled all discussion.

Rafael

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Well maybe "intended" is a bad choice of words, but the rest of the facts stay the same. Now you can clear all those ol' wife's tales about Futaba receivers.

Rafael

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Sir, I have not argued one thing. Why don't you read what is actually posted instead of jumping to conclusions so that you can attack someone. The reason I posted the statement "No need to tell me that they will exchange it for me." was an attempt to save the finger effort of all those that would have immediately posted, "They will replace it if you send it back."

Go pick a fight somewhere else.

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

RCjon,

Paying attention to Rafael is like paying attention to Rosie Odonnel - your response will only provide underserved credibility to absurd points of view. Answering a technical question with a response founded in social behavior probably means the source has no knowledge of the technical issue. I thought your quesiton was a good one and that Krsta's anser was informative - although I still don't know if a receiver, tuned to the middle of the lower band and used in the upper band, is more likely to experience any 'additional' connection problems than a receiver tuned to the middle of the upper band. My education is mechanical engineering so I am out of my area of expertise. I will say that I have used low and high band receivers interchangably (both Futaba and JR) with high and low band crystals and have never had any problems.

You had a good technical question - thanks for asking it. Hope Rafael takes all of this in the right spirit :D

Howard

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

Well my education is Electrical Engineering and I've worked in the Avionics side of that since 1976. It does make a difference. Just how big of a difference is debatable without instrumentation much like the TX crystal debate. There WILL be a loss of sensitivity for EVERY step you take away from the channel it is tuned to. Futaba has apparently designed their new RX's with a flatter tuning curve that allows for all channels to work acceptably (to them) in one package while the older units did not.
Just because you did not fly far enough away to lose control of your model does NOT mean you did not suffer a lesser signal strength.

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

You are going into semantics now. I'm not picking any fights. I'm not here to create enemies, I have enough as it is. :D A helicopter pilot in a world of airplane pilots. :eek: Go figure!

I meant we can quit discussing the issue because there is no issue now. You need to exchange the receiver for the appropriate band, which is something you knew all along. It does not matter what my background is, I just know that being safe in this hobby is paramount for me, to keep this hobby alive. If you ignore safety, the goverment will make it safe for you, just the same thing they are trying to do to guns.... (And we do not need to enter in a discussion about that) :eek:

And that sir, is irresposible behaviour. Me as an AMA CD and the president of the local club would not allow you to fly that aircraft in public if I come to know that information.

Any technical information like Krysta's I take it in and make notes about it. I take it in the right spirit, the spirit of doing things right and experimenting within the boundaries of safety.

Then again, thanks to Bruce88123, the issue is laid to rest once more.

Rafael

RE: Futaba Hi Band vs Lo Band
 

JR recievers do not (and never had) have a HI/LO issue. Their RX's use a different technology than Futaba's. Futaba split thiers HI/Lo to give us the best sensitivity they could with a small penalty IMO of not being to cross the divide line. Not a big deal to most of us.