If anyone knows me you know im trying to get info soooo i have seen sone vidieos and the servo unit is a littel unknow to me sohelp if you can and by the way i am going futaba so info about jr or other brands wont help unlees there is something elss to it

thanks,
SEEMEfly1

Servo's are the little black boxes that are attached to the control surfaces on planes and heli's that moves them in response to your stick movement on the transmitter. There are many different kinds, but I'll give you a general rundown:

-The motor on the inside moves an arm on the outside of it that moves back and forth. The back and forth movement pushes and pulls on a control surface to move it up or down. Nominally, they rotate 45 degrees in each direction, but with a computer transmitter, you can adjust this. (Also, retract servos move 180 degrees in each direction to actuate mechanical retracts)
-Servos can run on either 4.8 or 6.0 volts. 6.0 volts will provide more torque and holding power than 4.8 volts, but also drains the battery a little faster.
-There are analog and digital servos. Digital servos have a small computerized unit that controls their movement, and are usually more expensive that analog servos. They do, however, provide more torque and holding strength, and this is why they would be used, usually in high performance planes and heli's.
-The different brands dont make servos that function differently, so there is no significant difference between brands. Its just that servos come in a huge variety of sizes, holding strength, torque, speed, and gear material (nylon vs metal gears for example).

-Always follow a manufacturers recommendations for servo torque for a specific plane, and plan to at least match if not exceed the recommended torque requirement. (Servos for throttle's dont have to be as powerful as those used for flight surfaces) Usually, this information is found in a plane's manual, so if your planes have manuals, you most likely will not have to come on here and ask what kind of servos to use for what application; the information will be there.

Hope this helps to inform you a little more about servos. There's still a ton more info you can and will learn about them.[sm=shades_smile.gif]

i kno basic i havnt started flying but will i relly want to kno the ton of stuff like manily what people like in compered of digitel and anolog

First off, just because you are going Futaba doesn't mean you can't use other brand servos with your Futaba radio.
Analog vs Digital?
My opinion, Digital servos are only needed in helicopters, radical 3d and maybe some competition, other than that they are a waste of money and suck up your battery faster.
For most sport flying you will not notice any difference between the two.

im flying gas or do you mean transmiter

Transmitter/reciever. You can really use any brand servo you want with your Futaba radio.

You can use JR and HiTec servos with lots of other brands of receivers including Futaba. And that's good because the HiTec 225 is a standout. It's a better price too. Size, power and weight beat the closest Futaba offers in that type. And there are a number of other HiTecs that thump Futaba servos. And JR has a couple that are also standout servos. And they have those LHS deals with their "everyday" line of servos that're great values and good servos.

You can only use Futaba servos with Futaba receivers. And with Futaba extensions and Y cables.

Really? I guess I better tell my Hitec receivers to stop talking to the Futaba servos that are plugged into them!

WHAT DOSE FUTABA MEAN BY BALL BEARING SERVOS

Servos where the output shaft is supported by ball bearings instead of plain bushings. Difference is similar to bushed or ball bearing engines. Smoother and less drag.

[color=#FF0099]Gentlemen,
Me too! I have Futaba receivers, but some of my servos are Hi-tec. Only problem I ever had was replacing a futaba aileron servo with a Hi-tec.....yep and the reversed servo put my plane full throttle into the tarmac on take-off.....oops! Learned from that lesson! [X(]
Bev

Maybe da Rock is too lazy to take the little tabs off the connectors? Nah, that can't be it.

WHAT CONECTER bruce88123

Every servo has a wire lead that you plug into the receiver. Futaba servos have a "key" (essentially a tab of plastic) on one side of the connector that plugs into the receiver. This is done to ensure you plug the servo in correct (I assume). Not all receivers have the cutout to support this "key", in which case you need to cut that off. Hopefully this is clear, otherwise maybe someone with some pictures can better explain it.

OK

See picture.


Edited... picture would not upload.. local network trouble.

Will try later.

DS.

Here's the diagram that CGRetired was referring to (at least I think this is the one)

As you can see, the Futaba has a little "tab" on the side of the plug. You can shave that off and use it with other receivers. Also, you can use other servos with your Futaba receivers. As noted on the diagram, with older Airtronics you will have to reverse the wiring.

A lot of manufacturers are now producing what's called a "Z" connector. Z-connectors are universal and you can use them on anything. The Z-connectors are actually the same connectors that come on the JR and Hitec equipment in the diagram I provided

Ken

That's the one, Ken. Thanks. Don't know what was going on earlier, but the local network was definitely acting up.

Anyway, the only difference from the drawing is that on the Airtronics Z connectors, the signal wire is blue. Others are yellow, orange, or white.

Dick.

Oops...... I forgot about the HiTec receivers that are sold as compatible with Futaba. I was thinking about the Futaba servos having that tab on the servo's connector that stops them from being plugged into any receiver that isn't specially made to accept Futaba brand servos. And those HiTec receivers not only work with Futaba transmitters but with Futaba servos.

ISNT IT JUST THE BEST TO HAVE THE SAME RESIVER AND SERVO

Not always. Some servos are better than others. In fact, there are quite a few of the "pros" that will use one brand of radio and a different brand of servos. If you look at some of the higher quality radios you will find that a lot of times they are sold without servos. This is because a lot of pilots like to choose specific servos for their style of flying, and at times those are of different brand names.

Ken

Hey beginners.............

If you don't already know, the Futaba male connector won't plug into any female connector unless the female connector has been designed to accept the specially shaped Futaba male connector. UNLESS you take out a razor blade or knife and successfully cut off the tab that Futaba molds on their male connectors. Don't cut yo'sef. And don't slip and cut more off the connector than that tab.

Then you can use those Futaba servos with almost every other brand of stuff. Or you could buy almost any other brand of servo and use it with almost anything, including the Futaba stuff.

FOR A BIGINER

THAT WAS TO RCKEN

Yes, for a beginner it's usually easier to just have the same brand. But that is usually taken care of because a beginner will buy a radio that comes with all of the servos included. The reason why I answered your question the way that I did is because when questions are asked like that it gets false "tales" going around the hobby. It's easier to dispell rumors from the start and then they won't float around forever.

Ken