koastrc

Some time back one of the instructors brought a older person to me to see if I could help. The student, the older guy, suffered from a rare illness that caused his hand to tremble. Talking it over with some of the others we figured we try a transmitter tray. The dude refused saying the other guys didn't use a tray. So I got a couple of our champs to fly for us one day. They both use trays. One is a 3D guy and a good one. The other is a pattern person and a good one also. We built him a tray with ply, metal strips and cotton rope. It was a ragged looking custom build for his radio. Some years later we kind of ran into the same problem. This time we tried the neck strap. Now we are kicking around using the tray or strap all the time. The problem is when a new guys come out they just don't see the tray or straps. I have started using a neck strap. It helps I guess.
When I competed I used a tray. Knocking around burning holes in the sky I didn't see much use of the tray. Thumbing the sticks. Now my thinking is using some sort of platform for the transmitter. Not sure if I will teach like this or not. Do know we have a few opinions about every subject concerning beginners. What do you folks think. Would enjoy hearing.
One note. While wearing the strap I did a knife edge the length of the field. I felt like I had better control. I don't know, but I would sure like to know what you all think. I know the old dude we first tried became a darn good sport flyer.

Steve Steinbring

I just finished up a rather senior student who like your student was a bit unsteady just holding the box. The tray allowed him with the combo of a certain amount of expo to make more pure control inputs. I find the tray a very useful tool instructing, and use one myself when flying pattern.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

I started using a tray several years ago after developing a tremor. The tremor is gone (beta blocker), but I still use a tray when flying responsive models. When it's a trainer or the like it's not worth the hassle. A tray does have a couple of drawbacks. You can't easily lift up the transmitter to use it for blocking the sun, and you have to move your eyes a lot if you need to look at the transmitter, to find a particular switch, for instance.

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

Knowing that I will never convince a die-hard strapless flyer to even try a strap, I will say when I started I flew without one for a couple years, then switched to using one by practicing with it a on the simulator one winter. I can't imagine going back to hanging on to the transmitter, my hands are so much more relaxed with a strap, I can concentrate on the sticks, not dropping the box. I considered using a tray but don't see any advantage with my style (thumb on the end of the sticks) of flying.

bogbeagle

Transmitter trays ... love 'em. Been using them for years.

This is my current one, made from a bit of spare ply and some oddments. You can't see from the photo, but at the rear, there is a small drawer which houses a couple of sandwiches and a small flask of coffee.

Single hang-point, fabricated from a large bolt.

There are several ali brackets which tuck into my belt and keep the tray close to my body. I can still fly a naked transmitter, if I need to.

The problem with the sun has already been mentioned... easy fix; don't fly through the sun.

Like most of the questions posed on this site, there is no definitive answer, since we are really talking about "preferences".

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

Easy for you to say; at your latitude the sun's way up high during the day in the summer. Down here it can be pretty much aligned with the end of the runway in the morning or early evening. Sometimes you get to choose between blocking the sun and making a downwind landing.

bogbeagle

Not true. It's usually behind a cloud in the summer.

And, in the winter, it's too dark to fly, anyway.

Charlie P.

I don't use a tray but I have come to favor a neck strap.  Allows me to "loosen up" and relax my arms a bit more.

ec121

My Feedback: (2)

I started using a tray when the sweaty Alabama summers made the xmtr. slick. Peel and stick Velcro helped gripping the xmtr. some, but a tray with shoulder hooks really did the trick. More relaxing, better stick control. I don't care for the strap pulling on my neck.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

From day one I was more comfortable using a strap, my instructor would use one once in a while. I can fly without a strap but it just doesn't feel right? I tried a tray but due to some neck problems I didn't like the added weight. These days I see different ways to attach them to the body and I will give the trays another try, until then I will just use my strap

red head

I have a student that insisted on " flying the box ", turning the box instead of moving the sticks. It took a couple flights before I relized what he was doing, then when I corrected him he wouldn't do it for a bit then he'd go back to Flying the box .

I got a tray for him and we used it for a few flights then he made a copy for himself. He doesn't use it now and I haven't noticed a lot of box flying. Maybe it helped, maybe not. I'm not a tray or strap flier but have no qualms about suggesting it if it will help. ENJOY !!! RED

crossman

I decided to try a strap a few of years back and now It seems awkward without one. The only one in our club that I've seen use a tray flies competitive pattern.

carrellh

I have a lot of nerve damage in my arms and hands due to a spinal cord tumor. Without a tray I would not be able to be involved in the hobby.

My tray is a Falcon Expert from Norway. The place I ordered it from is no longer around. This http://www.tjdmodels.com/mrmheli-traystrap-p-613.html is sort of similar to mine.

I like the one at the bottom of this page http://www.qualityrcproducts.com/prod_deluxetray.html that has a harness that goes around the back and shoulders compared to a neckstrap.

I have thought about getting the harness for my tray.

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Tray, strap? Noooooo way. Just keep the transmitter in your hands and avoid the neck pain on flying nights[:-]

Lightspeed1551

My Feedback: (4)

When I first started flying in 2002 I seemed like 70% of the guys flying were using them. Over the last 2 years I can't say I have seen more than 2 guys using them.

red head I almost spit my coffee onto my laptop this morning when I read your post about the box flyer. That's funny. I suspect the guy has a Wii at home and figured it would work the same.

landeck

My Feedback: (1)

When I switched to dual stick 4 years ago after flying single stick for 35 years, there were two things I did not like. First, with single stick you have the tx on solid footing in one stable position since it is held in the crook of the left arm. Second, with single stick it is natural to hold the stick with thumb and fore finger - thumbs only just doesn't work. Therefore it just seemed natural to use a tray with dual stick. And I must say, it has worked out very well.

Bruce

Villa

This year I started using a strap on my transmitter. Some of my finger ligaments have shortened, and deformed my fingers-old age, even though I'm still a young 76. Prior to using the strap I was not able to hold the transmitter as secure as I wanted. Problem solved. Now I worry about the strap snagging on something and ripping the transmitter out of my hand. To prevent that I always wrap the strap around the transmitter and tie a knot in it. Seems to work out well.

carrellh

Without a tray I cannot fly. The person mentioned in the first post may have a medical condition similar to mine.

Everyone is different. There is not a universal answer to the tray/strap/nothing question.

dakoris73

When I was in training, I didn't use a strap. It wasn't until I started learning Pattern Flying that I tried using a neck strap, and found it was so much easier to concentrate on what I was doing rather than worrying about dropping the transmitter, or having the added weight in my hands. My flying became much smoother and nowadays, I find it a challenge to fly without my neck strap. I've tried a tray as well, and I like the idea of just being able to concentrate on my flying, but it does feel a bit cumbersome sometimes. Overall, my neck strap is one of the easiest ways to improve my flying skills, and I would recommend them to everyone if I could.........

But thats just my thoughts...................

opjose

IMHO straps or trays are a MUST.

I've run into situations... (e.g. multiple bee stings while flying! ) where not having had a tray or strap would have resulted in the loss of a plane.

I also dropped the TX due to sweat and high heat, and thanks to a tray/strap there were no real problems recovering.

I prefer a tray over a strap, because a well designed tray will prevent you from accidentally moving the sticks if the TX slips out of your hands.

I've had a TX slip on a strap, which caused the engine to run up fully.... with the tray this could not have happened the way it did.

When training people I find the strap or tray quite useful, as it lets me keep one hand on the trainer switch while I adjust their buddy box, or help them move their sticks.
The tray keeps the TX in place.

A good lightweight tray adds no "neck pain" or noticible weight.

ec121

My Feedback: (2)

I will concede that my tray is a little inconvenient when starting the engine, etc., but once I got my routine worked out that doesn't bother me anymore. But the pluses outweigh the minuses.

PatrickCurry

My Feedback: (20)

I don't use either, but I'm going to try both.  I've never been able to use just my thumbs, I like the dexterity of the thumb and forefinger..... not that I'm a great pilot, I just like to float around, but I still like the control of both digits on the stick.  I'm starting to get arthritis in my hands though and it hurts pretty bad sometimes so I'd really like to try something that doesn't make me hold on the radio *and* fly.  Maybe I'll just get me a "scooter" and build a shelf on that to lay my radio on and then I won't have to worry about it.  

carrellh

We have a club member who can only walk a few steps, and he has sensitivity and dexterity issues in his hands. He works with one of our instructors who helps with starting and getting the plane to the taxiway. Like me he flies on a buddy box because the issues with his hands could be a safety issue without it. He uses a scooter and shelf almost exactly as you described. If his plane dies on the runway he drives out and hooks a line to it and tows it back.

If we worried about being different than the other pilots we wouldn't be able to be in the hobby. The fact that scooters, trays, etc are available gives us the opportunity do do something we enjoy.

PatrickCurry

My Feedback: (20)

I'm sorry Carrellh, I didn't mean any offense, I was just making a joke.  I didn't mean to say something that would "hit home" with anyone.  I'm glad your club member is out there doing it and if we had someone like that in our club we'd all pitch in to get him in the air as well, no matter what it took.  I truly apologize to everyone if my lame attempt at humor was out of line....