I'm using the Futaba 4 vf tx with s3004 standard servos. In the instruction manual that came with the radio, I couldn't find any information regarding range checking the equipment. Can someone tell me the procedure for this radio?

Hi flyerdarren,

For aircraft, the in-air range is the one that’s important, but it’s almost impossible to safely determine. Mount your aircraft 3+ feet above the ground, away from wires, transmission towers, houses, and so on. Have a friend watch the model as you walk away from the airplane with your transmitter in hand, antenna fully extended. Work the controls as you walk away from the model. With most transmitters, you should get 1,000+ feet. Because the air range is several times the ground range, this will give you good range with the model in the air.

Once you have a ground range that you’re comfortable with, collapse the transmitter antenna and walk it out again. The transmitter will now have a range of anywhere from 15 feet to somewhat over 100 feet. Whatever your tested and fully operational system demonstrates is the normal range for your system.

I hope you find this information helpful. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 217-398-8970 for Support, 217-398-0007 for Service or via fax at 217-398-7721 or by email at [email protected].

Sincerely,
Krysta
Lead Futaba Customer Service and Programming Technician
Also you may want to check our Website at (http://www.futaba-rc.com)

Krysta,

Every radio manual I have looked at said to range check with the antena retracted, and you should be able to walk out 150-200'. Your claim that 15-100' is acceptable troubles me. I am not sure I would take off with a model that only has a 15-20 ' ground check. Most advise from the past has been to optimize you radio installation to make sure you get good ground range. Please let me know if all previous manuals are bogus and if it is indeed fine to fly a model that only has a 15' ground range.
I would think that a radio manufacture would hold the tollerance on the radios to something better than 15-100+ '.

Your comment that in the air range is impossible to determine????? I am flying a 2500.00 plane, if you tell me that you cant say what the range for your radio is, then I want my money back for the 9CAP I just got.

She said, "it's ALMOST impossible to SAFELY determine." How would you propose to check the in-air range? I can't wait to hear this..... She also never specifically said that 15'-100' was accpetable, just that that's what it could be. Would I fly at 15'? Not no but HECK no! But a possible range of 15' to 100' sounds right to me, considering all the variables: tx model, tx voltage, rx model, rx voltage, rx/antenna installation, aircraft construction, field size, buildings/obstructions at or near the field, trees, powerlines, etc., etc., etc.

flyerdarren -

Check this page - http://www.futaba-rc.com/faq/faq-q331.html
It pretty much spells out exactly what you need to do. Hope this helps! Good luck!

The transmitter will now have a range of anywhere from 15 feet to somewhat over 100 feet. Whatever your tested and fully operational system demonstrates is the normal range for your system.

Above is the quote from krysta

Matlok the link you gave says 100' MINIMUM for safe flight.

I have been at this for 28 years and this is the first time I have ever seen in print a manufacture rep state that 15+ feet is good enough. The 15' figure should never have been used in the statment above, unless it was to state that ANYTHING IN THE 15-100' RANGE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I am not about to tell anyone how to do a range check as this is for the manufacture to determine.... Is this not what we pay for ??? The knowledge that the product will work as advertised??? I am not asking for anything other than for the manufacture to elaborate on the above post.

If you think for one second that I would fly an aircraft (h*ll I would not even drive my car) with a 15' ground range, then you do not have the required number of cells functioning to even atttempt an inteligent conversation.

I stated in my post that I have read all the manufactures literature on range checking, and my post showed figures not unlike those in the link you provided, therefore, I must have done this before.

Thanks for all the replies. Just so I'm clear, I should be looking at a ground range somehwere over 100'. Is that with antenna retracted or extended? Also, just as a side note, I found the manual that came with the radio system to be very lacking. It said nothing about initially charging the batteries, range checking and a couple of other areas were a little vague. I would suggest that Futaba look at their manuals and take a little time to get a little more detailed.

Antenna retracted!! Or possibly extended one segment. Range check with a fully extended antenna will be over a mile if it could be measured without interfering objects (i.e. in the air).

Ross

Thanks

It is my understanding a valid argument can be made that the less range with the antenna down the better the design of the radio. With the antenna down the RF is coming from leakage from the circuit board etc not the anatenna.

Gentleman,

I sincerely apologize that a typo in my prevoius post has caused. Unfortunately also, our server was down yesterday and I was not aware of what was going on.

My statement should have read:

"The transmitter will now have a range of anywhere from 90 feet to somewhat over 100 feet".

90 to 100 feet is the MINIMUM amount of range that would be acceptable.

But as matlock did, if in doubt PLEASE check our FAQ at:

http://www.futaba-rc.com/faq/faq-q331.html


I hope you find this information helpful. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 217-398-8970 for Support, 217-398-0007 for Service or via fax at 217-398-7721 or by email at [email protected].

Sincerely,
Krysta
Lead Futaba Customer Service and Programming Technician
Also you may want to check our Website at (http://www.futaba-rc.com)

See... All better now, and we have good valid info posted.

Thanks Krysta for the clarification.

akflyer,

You are welcome, and I promise to check for typos next time before posting..... :-))

Krysta

It's all so clear now... :-)

I don't always range check because I always have a good charge on my batteries and "baby my equipment".
I really have been trying to get in the habit, and I will from now on. I had my 6 Channel, non computer radio, have a solder connection crack at the antennea/circuit board connection. I crashed a plane on a Sat. and took the blame. (pilot error)? The following Wed I did a range check before flying again, and both planes I had "got the gitters" at about 50 feet .. antennea down. At 300 feet, ant. UP... same thing. Both planes are on the same channel so I knew it was the radio. Soooo..... ya gotta check 'em every time!! I was able to repair the plane and even though I had some extra expense it was a good lesson. If I would have skipped that range check that next Wed, I would have put another one in. ........... lownslo.........

Bob