Very Basic Questions
 

Ijust bought my first plane on Craigslist and have already hit a severe stumbling block. The plane came with a Futaba 3 Channel Radio and Receiver. The guy I boughtthe plane from has said he hasn't used the planein a few years. I've (to the best of my knowledge) followed thedirections to chargeboth the transmitter and receiver, but it doesn't seem like anything is happening(the manual says Ishould see a green light illuminate on thecharger, but it's not).

My first question - is it possible that the battery is completely deadand cannot be charged? </p>

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

I think you answered your own question. In any case a suspect battery should discarded and a new one used in its place. I change out at three years no matter.........:)

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Yes, it is very possible that the batteries are dead and will not charge. However I do find it a bit odd that both the receiver and transmitter batteries are dead together. My first instinct here would be to look at the charger to see if it's working. I would recommend that you contact the local clubs in your area and see if you can get an experienced modeler to look at the equipment to determine where the problem is.

Ken

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Is the battery plugged directly into the charger or is it going through a switch? If it's going through a switch, move the switch on and off and see if it lights up in one of the two positions.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Thanks for the responses everyone. After I posted, Ipulled all the guts out of the plane and determined that there's a faulty connection somewhere between the switch (it has a connection to plug the charger into it) and the battery. When i plug the charger directly into the battery, the LED on the charger lights up, so Ithink I'm now getting a charge to the battery in the plane. However, the transmitter battery isn't showing any life at all after a night of charging. I think the transmitter battery needs to be replaced. I did a little poking around and found out that Ineed a 9.6V 8/450mAH Nickel Cadmium Battery for the transmitter. What's the best place to buy replacement batteries?

Also - is there a way to determine if the battery in the plane has in fact charged?

Thanks again everyone!!

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

I would open up the transmitter ans search around for a fuse. It may be blown.

If that doesn't work, remove the battery, plug in the charger (be sure the transmitter is off) and check the leads that the battery plugs into to see if there is a current coming in from the charger. If you don't have a volt meter, pick up a cheap one from your LHS or Radio Shack - it'll always come in handy.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Hi!
A9,6V, 450 mAh pack is a dinosaur!
We use 1500-2800mAh NiMH packs today!

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Curious... as I would hate for you to have a bad experience..... what kind of airplane did you get?

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

The plane is a PT -40 Trainer from Tower Hobbies and it is a bit old, so the dinosaur comment isn't too far off. Can i upgrade the batter pack with no ill effects on my transmitter? As long as I stay with the 9.6V Ishould be fine, right?

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

If it fits and it is 9.6 volt, 8 cell nicad or NiMh you will be fine. a larger capacity battery will just take longer to charge(with your charger) but will last longer flying.-BW

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Ok, so what i'm hearing is check (or replace) the fuse in the transmitter, replace the battery with a 9.6V 8 cell pack in the transmitter and give that a shot.  Both easy to do (fingers crossed).  Thanks everyone - I'll definitely be back soon!

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

What is the model number of the transmitter?
That will make it easier to find the right replacement pack.
Many older Futaba transmitters used an odd connector compared to the current models.
Hangtimes Hobbies www.hangtimes.com makes battery packs for most transmitters and the prices are much lower than a Futaba branded replacement.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

The model number for the transmitter is FP-T3FN by Futaba.  So here's another weird thing I just noticed.  The receiver is a 7-Channel receiver with 4 ports being used.  The Transmitter is a 3 channel Transmitter.  Is it possible that I have the wrong transmitter for this receiver? 

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Ok, I'm looking at the manual for this radio right now ( http://manuals.hobbico.com/fut/3fn-4...6fn-manual.pdf ). I'm having some serious doubts about even being able to use this radio because of it's age. I can't tell exactly how old this radio is but from the illustrations in the manual we're talking about a few years back. There could be problems using this radio if it's older than the 90's when they made a requirement for all radios to be narrowbanded. If it's not narrowband then it's illegal to use this radio in the US.

Ken

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Wow, time for an upgrade.-BW

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Wow - that's a bit surprising.  Okay, so next question.  I need a new transmitter then - will i need to replace the receiver, servos, etc. in order for the transmitter and receiver to communuicate or will i be able to just buy a new transmitter?  Can someone recommend a system (or transmitter if that's all I need) that is both inexpensive (as I may just crash this thing 2 minutes into flying it, provided I can actually fly it) and good?

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

This looks promising.
[link]http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/438140.asp[/link]
Reciever -Yes, need a new one
Servos-No, you can keep them.
The above link comes with everything except-Batteries.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Keeping the servos may once again depend on the age of the servos. If they are as old as I think they you may be better off just replacing them. is it possible to take a picture of the radio, receiver, and servos and post that picture here??

Ken</p>

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

As a LHS owner I see this happen alot. It really hurts me to see a new person try to get in the hobby and buy something on the net without help. The plugs on the servos may be the old three pin type. Not knowing what he paid for the plane, by the time he replaces what needs to be, he may be close if not over new price. He may even need engine work done. Find a local club and ask for help. Or send me a PM and I'll send you my phone # and we can talk. I've been flying for over 20 years and have never seen a PT-40 has a 3 channel. Dennis

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

excellent advice,MINN......a HOBBICO expanded volt meter costs less than $10.00 and will save a lot of crashed planes due to battery failure......they are also very easy to read for a "newbie".......red means don't fly, green means fully charged and ready for flight.......i don't always trust the light on the wall charger......i guess you could say i had a good teacher, back when i joined my first RC club......my mentor taught me to charge and test all my batteries the day "BEFORE" i go fly.....sometimes if your charging batteries and loading planes into the car,etc., etc. the day of flying, you might get in a hurry and over look something, that could result in an accident.......i check my batteries right after i finish charging and i check them at the field after every 2-4 flights, depending which type of plane i'm flying and how hard i decide to push it that day......my parkflyers and trainers fly around in circles all day and don't draw/drain as much current.....on the other hand, my 3d'ers are hanging on the prop all day, which puts a lot of strain on the 5 servos and that tends to draw the batteries down considerabely more......point is, $10.. volt meter will pay for itself very quickly and is a lot cheaper than a $300.00 plane.......simple math i would say.....HOPE THIS HELPS......(KOOLKRABBER47)..........

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Lots of really great advice - thank you all.  So, I think I am going to replace, the transmitter, the receiver, and servos.  The old 3-pin plugs are in everything.  I need to be sure each of the devices work with each other.  Are packages available with all three components?  I need a 4 channel transmitter, receiver and 4 servos.  Can I get a recommendation on something relatively inexpensive?  I paid $80 for the everything, which now finding out that I can't use the transmitter is a bummer.  Probably should have just spent the extra money and got a newer plane...</p>

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

I WOULD DEFINATELY AGREE.......IF YOUR GONNA BUY A NEW 450MAH BATTERY, YOU MIGHT AS WELL SPEND $10.00-$20.00 MORE AND GET A MODERN NIMH HIGH CAPACITY PACK.......I'M NOT EVEN SURE YOU CAN STILL BUY A 450MAH TX BATTERY ANYMORE......GOOD OBSERVATIO THOUGH,JAKA........IF ALL US RC VETERANS KEEP PITCHING IN, WE'LL GET THIS NEWBIE POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION......(KOOLKRABBER47).......

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: NChakmakian

The plane is a PT -40 Trainer from Tower Hobbies and it is a bit old, so the dinosaur comment isn't too far off. Can i upgrade the batter pack with no ill effects on my transmitter? As long as I stay with the 9.6V I should be fine, right?
[/quote

dinosaur or not, i'd say your definately on the right track......many newbies don't ask enough questions, you on the other hand are one of the smart ones......that's what these forums are all about......we veterans of RC are here to help any way we can.....in the old day's we had to go it alone......there weren't any forums 25 years ago and the internet was kinda in it's infancy,too.....i was lucky to live near a big city that had a club with almost 150 members and i had a lot of help......the pt-40 is still around and i think my fellow rcu'ers will agree, it's still around for a reason.....it's one of the best trainers for the money and the fact that you got it with motor and radio is a big plus.......hang in there,ask lot's of questions ang we'll get you in the air soon enough with out all the unfortunate crashes hopefully.......(KOOLKRABBER47)......

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Compare radio prices, sometimes a very basic 4-6 channel is not far from a better entry level computer setup that will last you thru at least the intermediate stages.
I started with a non computer radio when computer radios were still a little pricy........didn't really take long to upgrade as the multi plane ability is a real plus. Find a good instructor
and have them help if at all possible sounds like your plane may need a good going over along with the engine, probably nothing than cannot be overcome.

Welcome to our world!!:D

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Hi!
A good choice is either a Spektrum/JR or Futaba 2,4Ghz set! These are companies that has been around for many decades
I use JR and Spektrum myself.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Good advice!

As a novice it is difficult to stomach paying more for a higher priced, more capable radio.

I WISH I had listened when that same advice was given to me. I - THOUGH - the prices was too high to do this.

After I tallied the costs of my string of increasingly more expensive TX's, purchased over time, I found that I could have spent the same money on at least a couple of the very top of the line radios.

Had I even purchased one of these, it would have replaced all of the TX's I did purchase and handled ALL of my planes.

It would have ultimately have cost me 1/2 the price, while giving me a much better radio to use.

The better radios also can do things that save you money in other hardware, such with reversers, etc.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

http://www.nitroplanes.com/2-4ghz-tr...airplanes.html

I'm thinking of going with this combo kit for the transmitter and receiver.  The next question is; do i need to be looking at specific servos to go with this receiver?  If so, again, i need some help.  How can i tell they are compatible?

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

If you'll look at the bottom of the page it says "professional advice" that is a big joke with them. they don't fly. they sell only. I'm giving you a list of three radios
Hitec 4 ch tower # LXANT^ $119.99 with servos
Futaba 4ch tower # LXEFJ4 129.99 with servos
Spektrum 5ch 2.4gig Horizon # SPM5500 $99.99 no servos.
These are the very basic radios. Two are 72mhz the other is the new 2.4gig.All servos will work with all radios. Please before you spend any more money talk to someone that has been in the hobby for a while. Until you have been around the hobby for awhile stay away from the net and cheap pricing.
For example if you want a trainer that is complete look at the horizon alpha 40. horizon HAN 4400. the plane engine and radio already installed. three year warrentee on the engine and radio. $299.99. you already have spent $60. A new radio at 119.99. you up to $180, and what else may need work. the price od used keeps getting higher. Dennis

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

what part of massachusetts are you in? I live south of boston about 1/3 of the way to the cape

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

YOU SIR ARE A VERY GOOD STUDENT....YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY OBSERVENT AND HAVE BEEN PAYING VERY GOOD ATTENTION......WITH SKILLS LIKE THAT, I AM SURE YOU WILL GO VERY FAR IN THIS HOBBY......AND YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR RCU BRO'S TO GUIDE YOU ALONG THE WAY.......DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT.......(KOOLKRABBER47)........

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

I went  with the Hitec 4 ch with servos.  Thanks.

Next question - I have the Tower Hobby .40 engine.  Do I NEED to buy glow fuel or can I buy 2 stroke mix at the LHS or Home Depot and mix with gasoline?  Much like a weed eater...

Thanks for everyone's help with this - very helpful!  So, I'm up to $200 for an old plane (engine still hasn't been tested at this point). 

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

haven't seen the plane but small planes are glow fuel or electric and buying fuel from tower hobbies is expensive due to hazardous shipping costs. tower 40 is glow

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

find a LHS to get youer fuel. Dennis

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Dennis - you are saying buy a two stroke mix and do that?  Just want to be clear...Thanks.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

You have to get glow fuel. The Tower.40 WILL NOT run on gasoline without an expensive and painful conversion. If you do not know where a local hobby shop is in your area, try to find a local flying club and ask the members where they buy glow fuel. Put your zip code in the search box at http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx and it will find clubs in and around that area. If email contact doesn't work, call the contact number. A lot of RC pilots do not spend a lot of time on email but most do answer the phone.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

the only places I know where people usually buy fuel is in hanson at hanson hobby or go to new hampshire to rc buyers warehouse I do not know of too many other locals. the charles river club might know some closer to boston but I only know one south of boston until I get closer to the sagamore bridge

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

you want two stroke glow fuel and I have mixed results on tower hobby motors. some great and some others that stall a lot

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

You do not have to buy premixed glow fuel but you'll probably find it is a lot easier than blending your own.

The main point is that gasoline and two cycle oil intended to mix with gasoline are not compatible with your engine.

You need two or three ingredients to make glow fuel:
1. Methanol. Some race cars, go-karts, and motorcycles run on methanol so you can probably find a local source.
2. Oil that will mix with methanol. Castor oil is one choice. There are also synthetic oils or castor/synthetic blends that will work. The oil you use for your weed eater probably will not mix with methanol.
3. Nitromethane. This is optional but a huge majority of flyers in the US use fuel with it. Top Fuel dragsters use it. You may or may not find a local source.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Futaba might be able to upgrade that radio to 72Mhz narrow band. But you would need a new reciever. But time may have run out on that as well. When the frequencies changed a lot of the older radios were upgraded to the narrow band. Some are collectors items. I don't think Futaba is. But old Kraft, Proline, Orbit, and a few others are.

RE: Very Basic Questions
 

Yes, I'm really trying to get him in a good store or a club for help. Tho all the information he is getting here is good, it tends to wonder some. We haven't even discussed glow grivers, fuel pumps, electric starters or flight syms. now that he has picked a good radio he can use the buddy box. His old radio was AM and wide band with no buddy box. Theres just to much to tell him and for him to learn, and I can't type that fast. Love to see new people get in the hobby, thats why I opened a LHS. Certinly didn't do it for the money. He has my phone # and he can call any time just to talk. If i had his zip i could give him some phone # to call. Dennis