Can someone recommend a decent tachometer that is not too expensive that works well, and also offer any tips on using one? I want to buy a tach so that I'll be able to get my Saito set up properly and keep it there. I've read comments saying the Fromeco TNC is very good, but at around $85 - $95 new, it is too expensive for me. Hopefully the cheaper ones will work okay. Thanks.

I use the hobbico will only do 2 and three bladed props (all i use ) and umm ya works great had mine for a few seasons and its still going strong and its cheap ~20$

Steven

I also have the Hobbico one, seems to work fine. Had it about 2 years also. You can also use it for 4 blade props, just put it on 2 blade setting and cut the number in half.

I had a Magunm that I really liked. That is till I loaned it to one of the heli guys and the big blade snagged it out of his hand and kind of totaled it. He bought me a replacement GloBe. It has more features than the Magnum, but it just isn't a good tach. I get some realy strange readings, IE my Mag 91 four stroke at times reads 23000 rpm at mid range. Turn it off and on a few times, wiggle it around and change the angle to the prop and it will settle in and give what I presume are accurate readings. Absolute readings are not what I have to have, but rather a good consistant reading at near idle and near top end of 10,000rpm.

I've got to replace it one of these days.

Don

I have a Globee Intellitach that I paid $24.99 for from Tower Hobbies. It gives me consistent results and I've been happy using it to break in and set up both 2-strokes and 4-strokes.

I have a GloBee and Tower's Hobbico knockoff. Why two of them?

The GloBee was flakey, plus it wasn't easy to read on a bright day. And one summer day, the sun blackened it's display and it was worthless until it cooled off overnight. And I bought it because it's higher price suggested it would be higher quality.

At Tower, the GloBee and the Hobbico Mini-LCD Digital are both $25. But the Tower brand tach, which appears to be the Hobbico with a Tower label on it, is only $19.95. That's the one I got and it's excellent.

Tips are easy and simple.
Read from behind the prop. It's easier to point up from there. And it's safer and you can also reach the needle valve. And needless to say, have someone else hold the airplane securely while you're doing the reading/adjusting.

They work more dependably if they're pointing up, if they see sky behind the prop. They work by sensing light and dark. If the prop is silhouetted, they count the dark against the light. If the prop is against a similarly lighted background, they have to see the prop as lighter than the background or catch a reflection off the blades. Which doesn't work well for some.

My globee also gave bad readings until i glued on a 5/8 rubber hose about a inch long over the sensor led. Now it has much better stablity or repeatable readings. For a cheap mod it's an easy fix instead of tossing in trash as i almost did. Just angle behind blade untill it locks in and adjust needle down xx rpms and fly... better than using my old ears to tune.
Rich

I have the hobbico, works fine but once I learned how to tune an engine by ear I rarely use it.
I sometimes break it out to see what I get from certain prop/engine combos.
@ $20 you can't go wrong.

I use the [link=http://hangar-9.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=HAN111]Hanger 9 Tach/ESV[/link]. I like it because it has a tach in it that will read 2,3, and 4 bladed props. But it also has an Extended Scale Voltmeter on it which is great for checking your batteries with. It's two different tools in one.

As an aside piece of FYI info, here's a good way to check the accuracy of your tachometer. Point it towards a florescant light source. On a two bladed setting it should read 36/360/3600 RPM. This will vary as to what exactly is read from model to model, but it should still be a factor of 60 of some sort. If it reads a value other than a factor of 60 then more than likely your battery is weak. This applies to countries that use 60 hertz electric setups, US and Canada. A lot of European countries will have 50 hertz electric and the readings will be a factor of 50.

Ken

Thanks, guys.

Sounds like the ones you mentioned will do the job for me at a reasonable price.

I have tried both the hobbico and Tower tachometers... both seemed to work fairly well. I have no reservations recommending either. I have not tried the H9 version shown above, but no doubt that works well too.

If you consider a tach is more of a reference than an absolute measuring device, they are just fine for the typical modeler who wants to compair performance between props or as a setup varies day to day.

I have an expensive Allen Booth tach, but honestly for most of my racing and sport needs I still use a 20 year old Royal $25 tachometer. Similar to the hobbico in size and performance. Most of the time I just lay it on the ground next to the nose of the aircraft, placed aft of the prop, and it reads rpm quite well while leaving both of my hands free. My test stand includes a simple (rubber band) tachometer mount just after of the engine for the same purpose - so I do not have to hold it the whole time.

The Hobbico tach seems to do just as well with the hands-off approach, as long as the sensor end is propped up a bit off of the ground.

I guess Ive been lucky with my Globee. I think Ive had it 5 or 6 yrs and its been very reliable.
Every blue moon I will point it at a florecent light to check the calibration. If it reads 3600 rpm, set to a two blade prop, I know its good to go.

glowbee is part of Hobbico ---- i think the chances of all three of the tachs being essentially the same --- is pretty high.

im with rcken, i love my tachometer and expanded scale voltmeter all in one package, takes up less space in the flight box, making it more likely to have both with me at once! .............now that i think about it, there is no way i can't have both there at once. point being, it is a handy device that serves double duty and seems accurate compared to the globees in the club which i have heard only good about as well.

I decided on the Hangar 9 DVT dual function "tach/voltmeter" model, which seemed pretty appealing since I also needed something to check the various battery voltages, and it will be a space saver also. I just ordered one from RC Superstore on eBay, $45.95 and free shipping. Thanks.