That is absolutely correct and what you do not understand is the fact that the Rx you are looking at is bound to the buddy box it only Receives information the buddy box transmits and it feeds this info through the master transmitters buddy cord imput (look agine at the photos). The master transmitter is bound to the airplane and only the airplane as always and has the same range as always.

The only range limitation concerning the buddy system is the distance you can be between the boxes. Now my fellow instructor tested this out with the Futaba commercial system (remember I think the Attack system is limited to Attack units, the futaba system is capable on a number of standard Futaba units) and we found the Futaba unit would reach its limit around a hundred feet. At which time The buddy box failed to respond and of course the master was still in full control of the airplane.

I have not tested the full 'Box Range' of my unit yet but Jester that thirty feet I mentioned earlier was a partial test and why I mentioned this.

So The Futaba unit has been out two years or so and I as well as other here have been watching this very closely so RPM there is no Jury still out on this. The system works and works very reliably.

The Hitec setup I have come up with is not a Hitec product but it works exactly like the Futaba unit and the only differance is the need to power it differently since the the Hitec cord has no power abvalible through the cord like Futaba does.


Now Villa I am sorry if my communication skills fail me and I have attempted to answer your question but what one must remember is the answer is not a simple and obvious one it involves subtle effects on the student and how when an instructor can use simple body english and step out of the students personal space (the grocery store check out line syndrome). I am not going to go on about that other than to say without giving it an honest try then perhaps you will never understand.

Costs? This setup has cost me a cut up Hitec standard cord, a nine dollar Rx, a new but left over 270mah Nich (think I buught a bunch on sellout a while back at 6 bucks) and some solder however if it would have been avalible two years ago commercially for Hitec I would have gladly paid the price of a Futaba unit a hundred bucks or so.

Now Villa I too am no newbie and I too went through the Rc march of technology with my first successful RC flight in 1958 or so and I never stopped. I would like to ask you to think back now how you reacted when the first buddy box system became availble. I am willing to bet that you like I groused about it big time an swore that we would stick to 'Snatch the Box'. I bet you freely use the buddy cord now for your students don,t ya?

John