in the list of functions in the adverts, it claims that channel's 5-8 are switch assignable. my problem ( me i guess ) is that i can not work out or find out, how to take the flap control off the hard to use rotary knob, and get it on to a 3 possition switch which would be more user friendly. any clues ???

Locoworks,

You want to go into the basic menu, and go the the second page. Select "AUX-CH". When you press the dial, you will get a listing of each of the channels. Use the "Select" buttons to select which channel you want to change, and then use the dial to change that channel to the switch you want.

This is the same procedure as the FAQ that asks about turning a channel "off". You just select a switch, knob, or slider instead of "NULL".

Here's the FAQ:

http://www.futaba-rc.com/faq/faq-9c-q509.html

Remember, select a switch instead of "NULL"

thank you. sorted.