I was using my TX to install and adjust servos in my Vista sailplane when all of a sudden the elevator stick loosened up and will not return to neutral on its own. The TX still works but you have to return it to neutral manually, and I will not fly any plane or glider in that manner.

So now, before beginning to learn to fly I have to replace my TX. I thought Futaba was better quality than that, anyone have any disconcerning words to say about Futaba? Should I replace it with another Futaba or does anyone know if Tower Hobbies brand is better?

It is a Skysport, and the replacement TX has to be compatible to all the Futaba gear I have.

Could have been worse, coulda been in the air when it broke.

Does the stick move normally?? Are you saying that it won't return to center otherwise??? If this is the case it sounds like the centering spring for that stick as come off. Carefully remove the back of the radio and see if the spring is missing. If you haven't used this radio yet it must still be new right??? You should be able to have Futaba take care of it under warrenty if it's anything more than the spring coming off.

Ken

It sounds like the spring has simply come off. It's usually very easy to put one back in place. It's easy to tell by carefully removing the back of the radio and looking to see if the spring is missing.

Ken

Here are pics of the damage.

Photo 1) The entire backside
Photo 2) Closeup of elevator stick
Photo 3) A broken off plastic piece that should be somewhere

photo 1) No, that is the ratchet for the throatle. Leave that where it is. It didn't move over itself
photo 2) move the aileron and you should see how it works. It's usually a spring that center aligns the stick. You can see it in the bottom of the pic. Please see my pic

Its possible I could repair it but I need a new spring.

Go to the Futaba support forum
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/tt.asp?forumid=125
Contact Bax or Krysta to see if there's a chance they'll send you a spring.

I have to believe the original spring is inside the transmitter somewhere. There are few holes it could have fallen out of.

That being said, I don't know that I would put the battery back in until you find the spring..... Springs are metallic and...... well, you know.

The plastic parts of those Futaba radios are made of low quality. I have seen many of them crack in different areas, and you must be the double of careful because if your radio falls from your hands it will be broken for sure. Before replacing the spring take a second or third look at your radio and see if there are plastic parts missing or broken.
Tower radios are a copy of Futaba so you have to expect the same or lower quality.
I would buy other brand, I highly recommend the JR radios, but there are other brands in the market like Hitec and Airtronics but I can't tell nothing good or bad about them as I hardly have seen them (JR and Futaba seems to be more popular at my field).

alfredbmor
I have to disagree I am a little on the clumsy side and have drop kicked both of my futaba radios. They still function perfectly. I have even broken the handle on one. What do you use? It must weigh a ton as sturdy as it sounds.

You need to contact http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_1131517/tm.htm and explain this all to them. Things happen to all brands of equipment. Good chance they will fix it under warranty but you need to check with them. If you keep monkeying around with it they may not though.

Hi shd3920
Is it possible that what you are calling the elevator stick is actually the throttle stick? On the vast majority of the radios we use, the elevator is on the right side of the radio, moves forward and backward, and is spring loaded to return to neutral. The throttle is on the left, moves forward and backward, and is not spring loaded to return to neutral. It clicks as it is moved. This system is called by a number, I believe, but I cannot recall what it is. In the other system, the right and left sticks are reversed, but I am not familiar enough with this feature to offer any correct information. I do recall reading that on some radios, one system can be converted to the other. Let me know.

I am sure it is the elevator stick as it broke while I was adjusting the servo.

You're referring to the difference between Mode 1 and Mode 2 (Modes 3 & 4 also available). When switching between mode 1 and Mode 2 the ONLY functions that differ are the Elevator and Throttle. Ailerons and Rudder are the same.

I hate to see someone bad-mouthing the Futaba radio like alfredbmor has done. I have been in R/C since 1972 and have had at least 7 Futaba radios. Not one of them has had the type of "problem" that alfredbmor has described. It is absolutely ridiculous to believe that a company as popular as Futaba is would do what alfredbmor has described. The cost of warrantee would eat them alive. Any company or product can and will have the occasional problem.

Villa: with all respect I have to say that I have posted what I have seen and experienced, I am not receiving a share or beneficts from any Radio Company and for sure I am not afraid to speak good or bad accordingly to my experience. I can "Bad-mouth" Futaba as well as JR, Hitec or Airtronics with the only condition that I have seen the facts.

I have a Futaba 4YBF that I've been flying for years. I accidentally knocked it off one of the impound shelves at the field a couple of years ago, and it landed right on the trainer switch on the corner of the radio. It busted the case and knocked the switch off the radio.

Plastic things aren't meant to be dropped four feet onto concrete, so it's not much of a surprise that it broke. Hobby Services' price list said it would cost $38.99 to replace the switch. This is the same transmitter that Tower Hobbies pays you $3.00 to take for free instead of just buying a flight pack.

I've just kept it and flown it with a slightly cracked case and a missing trainer switch. I have a Futaba 7C that I have set up for my trainer since the 7C has a trainer switch to use with my buddy box. The 4YBF comes in handy for sport planes. I've been flying my Goldberg Tiger 2 with it, and I was planning on moving the radio system over to a new Tower Hobbies Vista 2M sailplane I'm putting together.

As a happy Futaba 4YBF owner, I'd admit that my radio was more fragile than I would have liked. That doesn't mean that it's not a good radio system, just that I shouldn't be bouncing it on pavement.

I agree. About 80% of the flyers I know use Futaba and I don't know of any issues particular to that brand. That includes one flyer who travels to Europe frequently to represent the US in FAI. My giant scale club mostly flies Futaba and they trust some mega time and $ models to that brand.

I've NEVER had a piece of Futaba equipment fail except for crashed components. And I bought my first four-channel TX from them in 1978.

Even some of my rebuilt servos (new gears) and receivers (repaired antennas and replaced crystals) from obliterated aircraft are still flying in other models.