I don't know how many of you visit the Pattern forum, but there was a thread started in that forum asking who used a Transmitter Tray.

Again, I don't know who gues there and who may have read the thread, but I thought it worthwhile to ask here.

Do you use a transmitter tray?

If so, why? Does it improve your flying?

If not, why not?

Just curious.

And, if you DO use one, did you purchase it or build it yourself?

I've tried a few different ones, but the one I like best is the one my instructor uses, and, of course, it's not something you can readily buy. So, if you bought one, or if you know of a place that sells them, pleas pass that on to us.

CGr.

I'm one of only a couple of us at my club who uses a tray. The big reason I use one is that when I fly on my sim I'm sitting down at the computer and use both my thumbs and forefingers. This is the way I'm comfortable. I use this tray http://shop.rcamodels.com/High-Wing-...ping-HWT-1.htm which lets me keep my hands high enough to fly like I do on the sim. The company makes four different models. I'm very happy with doing business with them as they make quality products and have good shipping times.

Tom

No I don't use one. I'm more of a "Thumbs Flyer" and the tray just gets in the way. I once tried the tray and I felt very uncomfortable with it. However, I do use a neck strap. I asked a few 3D flyers at my club what they thought about them a few years back, and they thought it was just a fad.

It kind of reminds me of the cigarette girls in the past... don't it?



Pete

yes, i use one,

the reason being i have a spinal cord injury and my body does not work as it should and i drop things and fall quite often so it keeps my expensive radios a bit safer ......




bass

I use one when flying aerobatic planes. A friend made it for me; it looks a lot like the high-wing tray (post no.2). I can control a plane more precisely with thumb and fingers than with thumbs alone, but it doesn't work with a trainer cord so I don't use it for instructing and for a plane like a Kadet Senior or Lazy Bee there's no need.

I don't use them, I'm a strap person. Several of the guys at my field do though. It's split about 50-50 home made or High Wing. Like Bass I have a lot of problems and now my hands tend to go numb on me so I may be going to a tray in the future. I will try one first though. I have two disc's left in my neck that aren't ruptured so I'm not sure if I can take the added weight? I still hold my TX in my hands, there usually isn't any pressure on the strap until I start getting tired. When I feel my lower body giving up that standing crap I don't fall like Bass {had a few close calls though} I spread out like a saw horse and lock up my legs, looks stupid as hell but I lost my ego a while ago so I don't care. If I had room in my van to haul one I would be flying from a bar stool. It's Vegas, nothing odd looking about a bar stool in this town.

If you use a strap, do you use 2.4GHz? I found that, when using the strap on my Spektrum DX7, when I let go of the thing, not when I'm flying of course, but when I put it around my neck at first, the "center of gravity and the strap position on the transmittter causes it to point the antenna right at my chin, and causes the sticks (most fearful of moving the throttle when I don't want to move it) to move when the face of the transmitter hits my chest.

The LHS (yeah, the one that closed last year) had this aluminum gizmo that screwed into the hole on the front of the transmitter that offset where the strap connect and allows it to be better balanced.. so that it doesn't do it anymore.

CGr.

CGretired,
 You can make the same "gizmo" with an eyebolt and a couple of nuts. Lot of guys at our field have done the homemade offsets instead of spending the extra for a fancy "store bought one"!!!!!

Ken</p>

The one I have was given to me by the LHS owner. But, I need one for my DX6i. Yeah, I could heat up an eye-bolt and bend it to make the right shape to offset the "CG" on my transmitter so it doesn't tip over when I hang it around my neck. I wonder if the other 2.4's are the same?

Anyway, I was hoping that someone had a set of plans to make a TX tray out of wood. The one my former instructor has, he bought it from a place that is no longer making them.

CGr.

Quite a few years ago I used to fly pattern and used a tray then. Later found the tray to be a neusance so stopped useing it. However, then started using neck strap and have settled on that. I found I had better feel of sticks when tx is supported.

This one?

I thought about buying one of these a while ago...but forgot about it till I read this post.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Spektrum-Neck-St...item5ade3b3dba

Always use a tray. Home-made.

I have a hook on the near edge of the tray, which tucks behind my trouser' belt. Keeps the tray exactly where it's meant to be, whether I'm flying 2.4 or 35 meg.


The only problem with the hook is that, now, I can't go model flying in the niff ... no belt, you see.

Why don't you don the belt only? You would therefore still be able to feel "close to nature". Just watch out for the prop blast, might just catch a cold on your....ahem....chest.

I inadvertently formed a mental picture of a couple of the guys at our field kneeling on one knee and flip starting an engine while "in the niff". Then I went and vomited. I'm ok now.

I use a tray because my hands aren't large enough to be comfortable holding a large transmitter and using the two finger method and flipping the occasional switch. Gets hot in Alabama in the summers and the trans. gets slick. The fuzzy part of the stick on Velcro helps my grip, but the tray is better. I don't use the side supports so it is more like a strap but it doesn't pull on my neck. Makes flying more precise for me.

I picked up a tray at the Toledo show and I just started using it...

This tray:[link=http://www.jerrycozort.com/]Jerry's flight pads - Click me![/link]

So far I like it.

What it does for me, is it holds the TX at the proper position even if I let go of the sticks completely.

This is great if you need to adjust glasses ( as I always do! ) or scratch an itch, without having to worry about the TX shifting on a lanyard, moving the controls.

What I dislike is that in spite of the plastic guard, in the long run this tray design may damage the TX Bezel at the bottom.

The neck strap is thick and comfy.


All of my TX's have those "L" shaped type "Neck strap adapters" pictured in prior posts.

I guess they are better than nothing, but I find they really do not help the balance of the TX... your just as well off clipping a lanyard to the TX eye hook directly.

A couple guys I know use the trays. I don't use one because it is just extra stuff to carry. I like lightweight setup with just a neck strap seems to work nice for me. The guys that use the trays really like them and speak highly of them.

Hi CGRetired,

I don't use one but one of our club members sells them along with a host of other R/C stuff. The adhesives are amazing.

http://www.christiantraders.com.au/

Cheers,

Colin

Yeah, that's the gizmo.

CGr

If you get serious and want precision equipment to achieve precision flying, look at this tray. Not cheap, but is the best.

http://www.rctraymanusa.com/

I use a tray and love it. I like being able to rest my hands on the supports and use my thumb/forefinger on the sticks.

I use this one: http://www.thunderboltrc.com/tray/index.html

Had a home-made one, but it looked homemade. No question RCtrayman is the Cadillac, but the 3rdhand is a close second.

I started using one years ago back in the early 80's when I started flying RC helicopters. I got the idea from reading a old RC/ Helicopter book from England. Seems that the Brits like using them alot, So I thought I would try it, I loved it and have always used them since. I like the secure feel that they offer. When flying fixed wing you can take your hand off of the throttle stick and swipe at nats or other pesty insects that fly around your face. To me it's a safty thing. But that just me!

Here is the model that I use. It's from Spring-Air products in Florida.

http://www.retracts.com/radioTray.htm

Jim

I likw my tray, and Im a thumb user. I find it helps me keep the transmitter steady and me from moving around too much esp during a contest.

That's a nice looking tray, Jim. Looks similar to the 3rdHand. I concur with all the reasons you state above for using a tray.

Randy

I have tried a lot of trays, either at shows or at the field. For some reason the ones with the straps around my neck are uncomfortable for me. The ones with the aluminium hangers, like Third Hand or Spring-Air are much more comfortable.

For now, I hold the TX between the heels of my hands and use thumb and forefinger. Will probably get a tray in the next few years.

Ken Erickson