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Old 01-26-2023 | 10:33 AM
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Hydro Junkie
 
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Marysville, WA
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Okay, time for some "Q & A"
  1. What brand of radios did you get in the purchase? Some older FM radios are still viable, that is IF you can still get battery packs for them
  2. Digital radios work just like the old AM and FM did, at least as far as how the controls work. The real difference is the way they transmit the signal. Digital signals now include a transmitter ID pulse that will tell the receiver to accept or ignore the signal. This ID pulse must be programmed into the receiver by a process referred to as "binding". If you buy a new radio system, the instruction book will tell you how to do this
  3. As far as the "will my servos work with a new radio, the answer is NORMALLY YES. It really depends on if the connector on the servo is compatible with the connector on the receiver. I know the first radio I bought, a Futaba two channel, isn't compatible with the new servos due to the connector configuration being opposite of the newer servos.
  4. BATTERIES!!!!! Here is where I have issues in that I don't know nearly as much as I should. When I started in R/C(the fall of 1982), Nicads were the only game in town. I still use Nicad packs for my receivers today. Battery tech has been continually changing over the years so we now have(off the top of my head and I know I'm missing some) Nicad, NIMH, LiFe, LiPo, etc. Each type has it's own unique properties AND ISSUES!!!!! As I said, I still use the tried and true 4.8 volt receiver packs in my models. One of my transmitters, however, is equipped with a LiFe pack. LiFe type batteries have a more flat power curve than Nicads but, unlike Nicads, they have a point where they will just drop off and, in some cases, be ruined. They have a very long usage time, when compared to Nicads but, and this is an issue, you have to keep track of the voltage on the LiFe pack. If you go to low, the voltage will drop like walking off a cliff.
I'm sure others will be able to fill in more of the blanks for you and, if we're lucky, update information that I may be out of date on
In the meantime, WELCOME BACK
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