Hmmm...going by the previous posts.. I suppose I'll sit around and wait for my Hitec gear to disintegrate.

I can't speak for the other brands.. but I do own a Hitec Eclipse 7 as do 2 other experienced pilots at my club. It hasn't failed me yet and I believe (editorial opinion) that the Eclipse 7 has best bang for buck...

7 channels, Selectable TX shift, 5 P-Mixes, Spectra module...
Check out www.servocity.com for the best prices and delivery.

Signed,
A very happy Hitec customer.

My 6XAS just rocks. HOWEVER - if you ever want to do a plane with flaps and ailerons *4+ wing servos* you'll want 7 channels.

I see more people with Futaba than anything else. JR's got a loyal fan group as well. (just my area here)

I see a limited number of people with Hitec equipment (I have ONE hitec part in only ONE of my planes-my throttle servo on my Ultra Stick 60).

Be happy. Go with the JR or buy a Futaba 6AS. For the money I would say the 6DA futaba IS NOT worth it (at my local HS it was $15 more to get a computer radio vs non-computer - DUH!).

Anyhow. Do enjoy whatever you get. Use it 'till the wheels fall off. Then put em back on.

Huh???

I count the addition of flaps as 5 channels
(ail, ele, throt, rud, flaps)

Correct. The count is not always the count.... Anyhow I don't like Y-harnessing my entire airplane. A 7-channel computer radio would let you do full-flaperon, switchable to discrete functions like crow, configurable flaps, flap-to-elevator etc. You could also (with some programmable mixer work) keep your full-flying flaperon, while mixing only the INSIDE surfaces to your elevators, for example as an air-brake.

I'm back into it after 20 years. Years ago, I had Phil Kraft AM stuff, and it worked well for me. Then there was a 20 year layoff, and when I picked up this hobby again, I discovered that my old gear was obsolete.

I went to our local hobby shop and bought a package deal which included an ARF trainer, an engine, and a used JR XP388S radio with servos. Up and flying within days. After figuring out the arcane programming steps for the JR, I found it to be unbelievably easy to use. Man--all those models!

I just bought an 8103, too. Except for the queer center-negative charging for the xmtr, I love the JR stuff, and I'm thrilled that J & C didn't have a great deal on another brand.

Adios

Welcome back John!

Hope you enjoy that 8103, great radio.



Doug

Its a nice radio..........I could of gone with one of the computer radios.........the 6DA has many of the mixing features of the compouter radios.........without the programming.

Since it has most of the basic mixing features I would recommend it.

I know most people here say the computer radios are easy to program...........dont lose the half inch thick manual.

I had one of the 6XAS radios.........and they are not that easy to program. Its pretty easy once you play with it a while.......then a month later you want to change a setting or add a plane......and the next thing you know you have the manual out again trying remember how to make that new set of settings.

I would still have the 6XAS but it was stolen so I bought the 6DA. I fly multichannel Sailplanes and it satisfies my needs including mixing some functions.

I want a radio I can grab and go flying. I only fly one plane at a time..........so having the muti-plane function is not a big loss.

I am not putting computer down radios.......for some people they are mandatory. But dont be fooled into thinking you will up and running in 30 minutes.

In fact for most futaba computer radios that I have seen the servos will not even work out of the box till you program them.

Just my 2 cents

Quite true. However - I'd like to see the frustration involved in making a 6DA do the following:
7-servo airplane (2flap, 2ail, throt, rud, ele)
Mix so you can fly with flaps, and still have rudder-to-aileron mix, and airbrake + ele to flap for landing configuration (the fact that this airplane WONT LAND with flaps down aside) and still be able to switch to a CROW configuration.

Maybe it can be done, maybe not. I do like being able to say "I'll just sub-trim that servo over and play with the linkage later" and still fly the rest of the day.

Of course if you fly the model, and after think about your radio and you're smiling... heck you don't need advice from anyone here.

You HAVE the right one.

I would have to think about your question on getting my 6DA to do the 7 channel crow etc (and get my manual out).

I know my 6DA wont do everything the computer radios do. The problem some people who are new to computer radios is that they think they are a snap to setup and configure. Most hobby store sales people stress that point. Even Futaba and the rest of the manufacturers stress easy programming. For most people they will not be easy to program the first time or two.

Most people will spend 2plus hours just to get the basics down.

Then like I mentioned a month later you add a plane.......Im pretty good with hightech stuff but most people including me are going to have to get that manual out again........and you better take it to the field with you too.

Most of us Sailplaners mix the rudder and eilerons mechanically. And even the elevator/flaps, though I sometimes mix those functions with the 6DA I prefer to mix mechanically most of the time because it takes less servos.
We glider guys dont have the spacious living quarters of the motorized planes.

I realize the motorized guys need separte control of these fucntions so hard mixing might not work for them.

I think the new computer radios are amazing.......I spend many hours building........so I prefer the charge and run radio.

I just added another penny's worth.

Well, I prefer having flight control options.
I also didn't find computer radios at all hard to set up. If anything it's easier than the "go back and try the adjustment again" manual aproach. I also like being able to go model-to-model without messing with trim settings all over again. I know you can do this with manual radios as well, but they have fewer model options most of the time. My US60 has three flight profiles stored in memory just for that one aircraft. One is a 'trainer' configuration with some of the throw dialed out, one is a dual-y-harness version for full-flying aileron and the third is my crow-mixable variant (that was tough to program).

I would also offer that if you're not willing to learn your way around a computer radio you SHOULD stay with analogs. You could get hurt real quick elsewise (nothing like dialing a null mix or null dual rates).

Finally, I wanted a radio that would display some of what was going on. Believe it or not the simple little graphic helped me understand WHY the radio was doing as it was doing.

Note that it's sometimes easier to fly heli-aero-sail on one radio with computer setup. Helis from what I see (esp competition ones) are much better off on computer radios.

After all that has been said, I would like to add my opinion. I've been using Airtronics since 1975 or so and haven't had any problems - at ALL!!! But that doesn't mean someone else will have the same results.

For every 'BAD' radio someone has, another has the same thing with a different brand. It's all Pot Luck to begin with, and to some extent, how well we care for the radio may determine a lot.

I think you made a good decision in staying with one brand - and JR is a quality brand. I also happen to have a JR 631 and 8103 and like them also....so good luck with your new radio and try not to 'dynamically test' the survivability of your new receiver

Jerry

OK now you have heard the Ford vs Chevy argument. I am a Futaba fan and agree the 6xa is a good radio. However JR makes an excellent quality radio also. Why not STICK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. That way you have some standardization when you want to mix and match components or hook up to a cycler, fast charger etc... I recommend staying with JR to standardize what you have as you grow into the hobby.

I agree. If I had picked up a used Futaba or Hitec, as long as it had several models and is programmable, I would probably have gotten another of the same brand.

But again, I like the JR stuff except for the funky positive ground on the xmtr.

Positive ground = brit thing.

Stupid-@#)($* ford anglia....

Sigh.

Yeah - if you got JR, stick with JR. If you've got Futaba stick with Futaba.

If you've got Airtronics, consider selling on ebay.

<grin>

Or, for you current futaba owners out there, consider a reversing Y-harness, which has the advantages of NOT taking a rec'y slot, NOT requiring reverse mounting, NOT requiring any additional programming, and even offers reverse-servo trim, via the harness itself.

Great lil toys.

Get a JR 10 SX-you will not be sorry-and it has enough channels-10- so you wont out grow it......


Jackjet