ORIGINAL: HarryC
Darryl,
Don't get fooled by Futaba's marketing dept hyperbole.
JR, in association with Graupner, has been making 12 channel radios since 1997. JR/Graupner now make two different 12 channel radios.
The 14 MZ is not a true 14 channel radio. It is 12 proportional channels plus 2 of Futaba's 1-bit, 2 position "channels". Since a rubber band driven escapement in the 1960s was able to give 3 positions, not just 2, it is hardly something to be proud of.
If you are willing to use the word "channels" for those +2 things, then the Multiplex radios are 17 channels, so I hardly think Futaba has anything to boast about.
The marketing hype gives data frame times for the 14MZ in comparison to the 9Z and boasts that this shows the 14MZ is a wonderful new thing, the "real time response" radio. Err, no, what it shows is that the 9Z is not a real time response radio. The 14MZ is now as fast as a 9 channel PPM radio, that's what Futaba calls "real time response". It's good they have squeezed 12 + 2 channels into that same time, but don't go thinking you are going to get a radio that feels any faster than an old PPM set.
The Multiplex 4000 has been able to talk to its pilot since 1995, so the 14MZ hardly breaks new ground there.
Where is the channel checker? The frequency scanner? The safe in-flight programming capability?
So it can show a picture of your model. That's really useful isn't it?
It will be a very very good radio, but ignore the hype and the chrome and the flashing lights, and read the real numbers. It's is nowhere near being the ground breaking radio that the hype suggests.
Jeeezus. You talk about "back in the escapement days..."
Dude...even back THEN...for forty years...Futaba has been making GREAT radios that were reliable, had great features, and were reasonably priced, and Multiplex has been playing catch-up. It's like a frickin' Tucker automobile...nobody ASKED for a single central headlight connected to steer with the steering wheel. They said "ooh, cool!" and then went on to BUY something that had comfortable seats.
So don't bust on Futaba...futaba is LISTENING to what people want and giving it to them, bigtime, at really affordable rates, while Multiplex is eating their dust.
Especaially if you are a sneaky-azz rep without a signature, jumping in on a thread that has NOTHING to do with multiplex, sneaking in hype for their own product while slamming somebody else's.
Ever see a Futaba(or JR) rep behave like that?
Maybe the skanky reps have something to do with Multiplex being so unpopular?
JR is great, too. They finally came up with something to rival the 9C futaba, I bet whatever they come up with to rival the 14 is going to be really, really impressive. Are they maybe a little too slow on this? Maybe...but I'm not sure it makes a difference, as most of the people who are going to buy one of these will wait.