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Digital vs Analog Servos

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Old 10-12-2010 | 01:42 PM
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Default Digital vs Analog Servos

What is the differences, perfomance etc, between digital and analog servo's? Besides price that is.
Old 10-12-2010 | 02:36 PM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

Digital use more battery juice...... Good Luck, Dave
Old 10-12-2010 | 02:53 PM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

You can do a search on this topic for more info but digital holds better in all positions but most sport pilots wouldn't notice the difference. Depending on the plane and how you fly analogs serve just fine. I use them both and often mix servos for different controls. For most planes 60 size and under analogs are a good choice so you can save your money but I still like digitals on my rudder and elevator. 60 size planes I use the cheaper Hitecs digitals. Not needed but I like them.
Old 10-12-2010 | 03:09 PM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

Speed and return to zero are better in digtal.  Both of these can be lost if you're not using extremely well connected control surfaces with zero slop.  I prefer good coreless servos . . . but then I'm cheap.
Old 10-12-2010 | 03:54 PM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

as mentioned, Digitals centre, move more accurately to commanded position and hold that position more accurately (without hunting) than analogue servo's.

On sport planes I use analogue (Escapade)
On my 46size Extra I use to digitals on the ailerons (digitals are generally also faster than most analogues) and rudder. I don;t bother with the elevator because the plane is so responsive to elevator input that a digital's performance is not even noticed. I use JR 591's for elevator.

On my Pattern aerobat I use digitals all round, except throttle where i use a simple cheap Tower Pro analogue.
for my pending Pilot Rc Edge 540 i'll use digitals all round
For the pending Focke Wulf Ta 152H I'll use std analogues all round.

basically for scale warbirds or <.60 size sport aerobatic planes, std analogues are good enough.
for anything that pulls high G manuevres and requires precise orientation, e.g Knife edge flight, 3D, pattern, IMAC, hi torque digitals are the way to go.
Old 10-13-2010 | 08:11 AM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

As Timble noted, I have mixed the Spektrum servos, which are listed as digital, with analog servos, and, as he did, I used the analog servo for the throttle and the "digital's" for the control surfaces.

I don't know if the OP was referring to the true, expensive digitals, which do draw more current and are more in tuned for use on larger sized planes, or for precision action.

And, I don't know if the Spektrum servos are true digital or not, such as with the Airtronics 94780M $117.99 or the Hitec HS-7955TG $119.95.

Looking at both Airtronics web site and Tower Hobbies, there are less expensive servos that are labled as "digital", if they say digital, then, they must be, right?

CGr.
Old 10-13-2010 | 09:58 AM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

Sure
Old 10-13-2010 | 10:08 AM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

ah you open another minefield. When is a digital a digital and when it is not..?

Well what we refer to as digitals servo's often are nothing more than zooted up analogue with a IC type circuit instead of caps and resistors. These digital servo's can be no better than an analogue if used with a reciever of low speed. Its fairly pointless using an expensive digital servo and the reciever sends a low bit command to it.

Then there is the coreless digital which IMO is a true digital since it uses a stepper motor instead of a gearbox. These are are super fast, have massive holding torque and have a price tag to match! These are over kill for anything smaller than 30% scale aerobatic planes and reall y come into their own in the larger 3D type aerobats.

The basic, simple digital with gearbox is usually good enough for smaller aerobats since they still centre more accurately.
But for high torque coreless is the way to go.
Old 10-14-2010 | 11:13 PM
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Default RE: Digital vs Analog Servos

I'm using Hitec HS-325's on all my 40 size planes. It's cheap and does the job. However, I ordered an Aero-Works Yak 54 1.20. That I'm planning to put Hitec HS-5645MG's on all surfaces - which should be minimally enough. If your also flying helicopters like me - definetly FAST/High Torque Digitals all the way.

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