I have an opportunity to buy a transmitter from an engineer friend at work. It's an older 8 channel Futaba computer radio, maybe a Futaba 8UAP. It has a new battery and he said it has a synthesizer he added that allows you to switch channels on the back of the TX. It does not come with servos or receiver and he's asking $125. Should I grab it up?

I only have one plane right now, the NexStar, but I would like to add dual ailerons and flaps...I would only need 6 channels for that I believe, but eight would be nice to have for sometime later I would think. Opinions???

IMO, it's not worth it. You'll have to buy a flight kit (RX and servos, RX battery etc) which will be about $120. So you'll have $250 in the system when you can buy a new medium range comuter system for near that. Depending how old it is, some field frown on using the old wide band stuff anyways (so I'm told). I am dealing with that exact situation now.

Good luck,

"some field frown on using the old wide band stuff "

I'll agree with you on every point except this one.

A Futaba 8UAP is a FM/PCM fully 1991-type accepted (narrow band, gold stickered) TX, capable of operating at any field in the USA.

I had several 7UAFs and they were fine radios in their day. The point of cost is well taken. Radio prices have dropped through the floor in the past 15 years. There's so much available for so little, it's not hardly worth buying the old equipment, even though it's perfectly good and useable.

Dr.1

PS I will add that, if you already have a flight pack, then go for it. That's a good price. The 8UAP has many, if not most, of the features found on more modern computer radios.

The 8UAP is a good radio and it only came as a narrow band unit. It's also a limited computer radio and is capable of straight FM or PCM use. MANY are still in use. In other words it is a nice little radio if you are sure you will stay with Futaba 72 MHz radios. As to the value, it's hard for me to say.
The synthesizer itself
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHKB1
is worth @$90. You can also put Spektrums 2.4 GHz modules in it later if you want to.

I can't recall how many model memories it has but you can look up the manual in Futaba's site. www.futaba-rc.com

It's not a GREAT buy but not a bad one either IMO depending on things mentioned above.

It's not a bad radio at all. It was Futaba's top mid-market radio in the 1990s, being replaced by the 8UAPS, which was replaced by the 9C series. You wouldn't have to pay $125. http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_gu...smitter_id=172 That's what they've been selling for here. Make him an offer.

With the synthesizer, that makes the radio a bit more valuable. The other aspect of all this is you'd have two compatible radios. All you need then to have your own buddy-box setup is a cord. You've talked about how it's tough for you to connect to your instructor. Get this stuff, and anyone out at your field can give you a hand. Once you're to the point of soloing, it can still be nice to have a safety net until your experience catches up with your skills.

IMHO you should buy your own BRAND NEW radio when you can afford the one you want. There are lots of changes happening in that market right now. There is nothing wrong with good used equipment at all, but I think you would enjoy having a shiny, new, unscratched, modern computer radio with only YOUR dings and dirt on it. Get proficient at flying, decide where you want to go in the hobby and buy the equipment that the BEST people doing that particular thing are using and use the equipment they are successful with.

This does not necessarily mean that certain radios are better for particular types of flying. It's simply a matter of maximizing the quantity and quality of HELP you can get from superior flyers. If they know your radio, they can help you with setup and programming mixes much more readily.


Good Luck, whatever you decide to do!!!