Would someone explain the relationship between the servos and remote controller and how do you know what to buy and how to set them be gentle I'm a newbie at this? And what do i look at when buying a controller?

What size plane are you flying

Is it a 40 size glow engine or a speed 400 electric

Generally one buys a radio outfit that comes with the transmitter, receiver, battery, servos, and charger. They are all designed to work together

But they come a few different sizes depending on what kind of plane you are going to buy

Whoa! Expansive question.

Very simplified answer: The transmitter sends a signal to the receiver in the aircraft. The receiver interprets the signal and decides which of the control channels was activated and then sends a pulse to the servo. Modern servos are proportional to the transmitter movement and so a movement of 30% of the control stick will result in a movement of 30% of the servo travel in the desired direction. Though the servo movement can be adjusted almost infinetly (as I said, this is a simplified description).

Servos come in many, many variations and must be selected for the job at hand. They run from $12 to $200 or more. From tiny for small electric aircraft to large enough to lift a cinderblock as needed to fly highly aerobatic models weighing 50 lbs or more.

The transmitter has have as few as two or three channels to as many as 14 (I used to own a one-channel transmitter). There are mixes (one channel tied to another) that allow additional control and effects.

What to buy depends on the depth of your pocket, your immediate plans and your needs right now. Buying a more complicated transmitter may make sense if you plan to move up in a few years. With technology being what it is don't plan more than three years ahead for what you'll need. A six or seven channel transmitter for a glow-fueled pilot starting out is a sensible choice. You'll have to ask someone else regarding electric motors, but I imagine it is similar.

How you set them is specific to each and every model and a general answer is impossible. You adjust them mechanically, or program them as the installation requires. Usually a combination of both.


Find a local mentor and you'll save time and money. It is confusing starting on your own and in 30 minutes a good instructor can set you two years ahead of a self-taught pilot.

No truer words were ever spoken. This may save you a lot of money

I think you need to refine your question a little - it's fairly broad. Are you asking which servos will work with which receivers? Do you want to know how they should be set up mechanically, eg: placement of servo arms & pushrods etc? As Charlie P pointed out there's as many different types of servos as there are types of models (air, ground & water based). Stronger servos are used for larger models, or models that will get a lot of force applies to their control surfaces (eg: aerobatic models). Digital servos are a lot more expensive but are generally far more precise, usually with strong load capabilities. Some servos have metal gears in them for added strength (and cost). Others are programmable, to deliver customizable torque curves etc.

Then there's electronic compatibility - there is (basically) two different types of connector - the futaba ones and the airtronics/JR/Spektrum/Hitec ones (though I'm sure there's several other types that're more obscure). They pretty much all have three wires, positive, negative, and signal, usually with signal in the middle of the connector with the others on either side. Digital servos (as I understand them) require a digital receiver whereas the older (cheaper) analogue designs will work on any receiver.

Hope that helps a little. If you have any more specific questions feel free to post them here.

read this about radios

http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmar...L+Sig+dkcj8117

This is more good info for beginners:

http://www.gettingairborne.com

http://www.gettingairborne.com/radios.html

Thank you everyone for the information, now it's time to print it all off and read...Terry

If I understand your situation correctly, you're just getting into this money pit If you are planning to use a 2 stroke Nitro engine, and a Trainer airplane (like a Tower Trainer 40, Nextstar, etc...) Here's what I've found to get you going and not break your bank "testing the waters" of the hobby:

Transmitter:
Futaba SkySport 4 + Receiver = $30-$50 ebay
***Yes you CAN get some pretty high dollar transmitters and receivers, and you can certainly get a transmitter with more than 4 channels for "future expansion" but in the beginning you really only need 4 channels (throttle, rudder, aileron, elevator). I picked up one of these transmitters (channel 48) for $40 and it's a nice, simple reliable transmitter that doesn't have any bells and whistles (like "end points") but it does a dang good job. It's an FM transmitter, not a 2.4Ghz, but I've never had a range problem and for $30, you really can't get into the game for any less.

Servos:
Futaba S3003 Standard Servos = ~$9 /each
*** I've used these servos on alot of planes and they are cheap and reliable. If you hit a hobby store, sometimes you can buy a "bag" of them ( I picked up 6 for $45 ), they use "J" connectors so make sure your receiver has this connection (JR servos use a different type). Generally, Futaba receivers match Futaba servos and JR receivers match JR servos.

Batteries:
600 to 800 mAh NiCd rechargeable
*** Even if the transmitter comes with batteries, they're probably shot, buying new ones is just a smart thing to do. A standard NiCd battery is between $15-$25 -> you'll need 2 (one for the transmitter, one for the receiver/servos). Make SURE your charger (the SkySport4 usually comes with a charging plug) matches the battery type!!!!

So for a little over $100, you can have ALL of your electronics that you'll need to make the 1st faltering steps and crashes into the world of RC flying. I've got this same setup (plus a couple of other transmitter/recievers) and I've never had an equipment failure or issue. Sure, they're NOT top of the line or cutting edge technology, but they WILL make a plane fly (and crash) just fine

Good Luck [8D]

Minnflyer,

Just a suggestion. Rename the stickys. At least the one that says "Ken and Minnflyer have joined...."

A more suggestive title would be "Basics for Beginning Flyers", or "Beginner Information", or "Beginner Plane Setups" or... you could probably write something more illustrative.

I suggest this because a number of posters are apparently not realizing there is basic information in those posts. I wondered about that, and went to look. The topic does not convey to me that basic information is found within.

Just my humble opinion,
Dave Olson