Go Back  RCU Forums > Electric Aircraft Universe > Electric General Discussion
PLease help newbie get started... >

PLease help newbie get started...

Community
Search
Notices
Electric General Discussion General Discussion forum about rc electric related aircraft, accessories, flight, tips, etc.

PLease help newbie get started...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-05-2003 | 12:47 AM
  #1  
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From: Miami, FL
Default PLease help newbie get started...

Ok Ive been wanting to get into this hobby for a while need some help..
1. Want a good radio so i do not have to upgrade in the future...
2. Looking for park RTF FLYER to start... electric
3. What is the best batteries and charger i can get...

Wanted to buy rtf kit, but i want a better radio than most kits offer...

Also if i get a seperate radio and plane how hard is it to put servos in it.

will i need to by micro servos...

thankss,,,,,
Old 03-05-2003 | 03:53 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,145
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From: Oskaloosa, IA
Default Re: PLease help newbie get started...

Originally posted by GEORGE1021
Ok Ive been wanting to get into this hobby for a while need some help..
1. Want a good radio so i do not have to upgrade in the future...
2. Looking for park RTF FLYER to start... electric
3. What is the best batteries and charger i can get...

Wanted to buy rtf kit, but i want a better radio than most kits offer...

Also if i get a seperate radio and plane how hard is it to put servos in it.

will i need to by micro servos...

thankss,,,,,
Answers:
Question Number 1:
A radio which you will not have to "upgrade" in the future will cost you a chunk of change. Money which at your stage of the game would be better spent elsewhere until you are sure this is your hobby.

If you stay in electrics, a Hitec Flash 5 is a good starting point, but a little expensive for a beginner.

If your insistant on getting a radio which you might not ever need to upgrade you can go ahead and get a Hitec Eclipse, or a Futaba 9C, or a JR8103. But IMHO you don't need any of those right now. They will just be money spent that you could use elsewhere (about $250 to $450). (But of course, you could always step on up to the Futaba 9Z for a mere $1,300)

You'll be better off getting started on an inexpensive 3 or 4 channel and stepping up from there.

Question Number 2:
Most electric Park Flyers are what we call ARF (almost ready to fly). They are not that involved to build. If you really want to avoid the most building, pick something that is mostly foam with good instructions (A GWS Slow Stick is an excellent choice, but it is not "an RTF". There is some building)

Question Number 3:
The battery pack will depend on the airplane/motor. Until you have those, the battery question cannot be answered.

The charger is a different story.

The best charger IMHO is the Schulze. A bottom line Schulze is about $170. There are many good chargers that will allow you to get airborne at a fraction of that cost.

The last question:
Most likely on the micro servos. But again, this depends on the airplane.


My real advice is to go to the Electric Beginners forum and check out the thread on beginners airplanes. It's one of the first threads listed. There are several good threads on different beginner airplanes.

If you have people flying electrics close by I suggest you go see those people. They will be glad to help you and will have a lot of knowledge for you to pull from. They will also tell you what to avoid and what to buy. They will save you money!

Don't get hung up on having "the best" right now. Your not ready for a computer radio yet and are probably at least two years off from seeing any advantage in one.
The same is true with chargers. To drop $170 dollers (or more) on a Schulze at this point in the game IMHO is not the best idea. You will get a better idea what type of flying you want to do as you learn and advance. If all you are going to do is "fly the oval" in a park, you don't need a computer radio and you probably won't need the super charger.
With the advances in electronics, todays best is tomorrows has been. Save your money until you need the features.

I hope this has helped and welcome to the worlds greatest hobby!
Old 03-06-2003 | 01:57 AM
  #3  
Member
My Feedback: (3)
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 59
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From: Leberal, KS
Default PLease help newbie get started...

I would go with this :

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXVU20&P=0

It's a good aircraft, inexpensive and can be flown out side and in a large indoor area. I would say this or the GWS glow stick. But this is a cheaper alternitive.

Teamturbo all the way.
Old 03-06-2003 | 01:03 PM
  #4  
goofup's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From: Yukon, OK
Default PLease help newbie get started...

For my take on getting into this hobby, see "My Advice To Newbies" on my RC page of my website. You should be able to get there by clicking on the "website" button below.

As for a charger, I think the best bang for the buck is the Wattage PF-12 peak charger. This charger is designed for packs from 150 mah to 2000 mah, 4.8V to 14.4V (4-12 cells). The PF-12 will peak charge just about any Ni-Cad and Ni-Mh battery pack you'll ever likely to get. The best part is, not only is it AC/DC, it's only about $50!! I love mine!

Goofup
Old 03-07-2003 | 03:37 AM
  #5  
Member
My Feedback: (1)
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From: Redmond, WA
Default PLease help newbie get started...

Goofup's info for newbies is very good.

I'd recommend the SlowStick - got one for my 7yr old son. He's doing great. Having started in this hobby about a year ago, I shopped around for good deals and outfitted his SlowStick for about $175 (kit, tx, rx, xtal, servos, esc, battery packs). It shouldn't take you more than 2 hours to put together.

The beginner planes is a good thread too.
Old 03-07-2003 | 08:41 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From: phoenix, AZ
Default PLease help newbie get started...

I'd say don't buy an RTF with the forward thinking you're already doing. Best plane would probably be a Slow Stick, cheap, easy to build, and very fun to fly. Get on Ebay and buy a GWS 2002 field peak charger for $25, it will charge any nicad or nimh battery that any of the park flyers use. If you really think you'll be into this hobby go for the Hitec Flash 4 or 5 computer radios. About $170-$200 but you'll get servos and a receiver you can use with the SS. You can get the GWS pack with a 4 channel Dream Starter basic radio with servos and receiver for around $120.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.