I am new to RC and about ready to order my first radio. The listing for the radio I want says I can get the frequency at 44 or 68 if I specify at time of order. My question is how do I know which one I should go with?

44 is airplane 68 is for cars and boats.
Which do you have?

I will be using for airplane, so it sounds like I need 44.

Thanks for the quick response! Now I can go order.........

Yes, 44 is that you want.
11-60 is aircraft

Ground vehicles are 61-??

Flying Frog,
I hope you've done a LOT of research. Don't just go jump in a buy stuff without knowing WHY you are getting the stuff you are. It's very easy to throw money away in this hobby by not doing some research first. []

Good luck, and welocme to RCU.
Dennis-

Yes, I've been doing a lot of reading. My dilema was about the freq setting for the radio. Now I know diff between the ranges. What I'm not clear on is what happens if someone else has the same frequence as you at the airfield?

If someone is on your frequency they will interefere with each other. If you are flying your plane and someone turns their transmitter on you will most probably lose control. Most clubs operate a scheme to prevent this. It is often in the form of a 'peg board' where there is one peg for each frequency. If you go to pick up your peg and it is not there it means somone is on your frequency and you will have to wait till they're finished.

Frequencies can be changed by changing crystals. These are not too expensive.

Which radio are you planning to buy? Have you decide what model you want yet?

hi as for someone else at the field being on the same channel or frequency most all flying fields have a frequency boards with pins and as each person uses that particular frequency he removes the pin so everyone will know the frequency is in use and hopefully prevent any radio related crashes hope i explained it so it is understandable

Not sure how things work on the other side of the pond, but in the US it's illegal and against FCC regulations for an end user to change the crystal in any transmitter.

*Transmitter Crystals Can Not be changed to another channel except
by a licensed service center. It is against FCC regulations, and
illegal for the user to change a frequency determining component
of a transmitter. If the radio is not retuned, it can be a hazard
spectators, modelers or property, and void AMA insurance coverage.

Apologies for that. It is not illegal in the UK.

Sorry if I have misled you.

I have decided on the Futaba 6EXA. As for the plane, I am going with Goldberg Eagle 2 kit. This seems to be a good trainer and am looking forward to building it.

I have a 6EXA and it's a pretty slick radio, Im sure you will like it.

Good luck.

I have the same radio. I like it. But I don't quite understand the 44 68 thing. When I ordered mine I could choose any airplane frequency I wanted, or I could just have them send one at random first available, which I did. Why would they offer you a channel that is not for airplanes?



Wings

Knowing what I know now, I guess I would have asked the question differently. The reason for the 44 vs. 68 is the initial listing from Tower hobbies. They state that for the radio selected I should substitute 44 or 68 for ** in their item #. It was not until I actual ordered the unit that I saw a plethora of frequency choices, not just #44 or #68.

Flying Frog,
I checked this question up in my basics of rc book that came with my kadet lt 40.
To start you can use channel 44 or 68 (which #68 isn't even a channel according to the book).It is the frequency which can either be used for surface(75 MHz frequency)or air(72 MHz frequency)


All or this was according to the book.

To see the approved RC frequencies, go to the AMA website
http://www.modelaircraft.org/comp/frequency.htm

its not really a channel they are talking about but a freq. and the reason they would offer one that is not for airplanes is because you might want to use the radio in question in a ground vehicle like a car or boat etc. cause not all toys have wings

Correction, this is a channel, 68 is a channel that is reserved for ground use.