NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

I coordinate flight instruction for our club. Regarding buddy boxing, we are constantly baffled by Futaba radios and cords. We see your chart http://www.futabarc.com/systems/trainer-cord.html but we don't understand it. We have about 10 buddy boxes, all with the round jack. This includes two nice 6XA computer radios. A student has a new 6EX and the manual says not to use a round-jack buddy box; As a result we are buying a new T4YBF trainer box. The 4EXA manual does not say not to use a round. Could you please, please put together an actual X-Y matrix of your current and recent-past radios Vs. what radios / trainer boxes work with it ? It would be greatly appreciated. We have several instructors with JR/Spektrum radios. We expend too much time on this issue and this issue affects what we recommend to students.

NOTE I had a related question back in June that BAX answered http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9818451/tm.htm but that answer left me still wondering what radios CAN be used, for example old analog radios with the round jack or the T4YF trainer box.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

Today was a good flying day and we concluded that we need to get all new equipment. Fortunately someone is donating a 7C and someone else donated the new T4YBF. I doubt that we ever got any of the old round port boxes to work with the new family of Futaba radios. I still think that creating an X - Y matrix or some other clarification of the Futaba website would be a great benefit to all concerned. What is really confusing is the 3 columns that the tables are divided into [do they mean anything ?], and no definitive statement about compatibility / non-compatibility. The availability of the round to square cord leads people to believe the old equipment is usable for buddy boxing when it is not. The LHS does not understand this and sells wrong stuff. The manuals could be improved.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

You just need to get the correct cords from Tower.

There are square to round cords, square to square, round to round.

Chris923

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

UPDATE 5/5 CHRIS 923 IS RIGHT. I did testing on an 6EX today and we got two old analog transmitters to work as buddy box, and also an electronic T6XA. The manual for the 6EX disallows any box with a round jack and all three of these have the round DIN jack.


NO WAY ! The newer 6EX DOES NOT WORK with any of the older radios with round jacks. That cord is usable according to Tower as follows:" Examples: the 9C to 8U or the 4YF to 6X". , Their table [see http://www.futabarc.com/systems/trainer-cord.html ] shows the radios in two groups, but some of the radios in the upper group like the 9C [2004 era] will connect to radios in the lower group. The manual for the 14MZ [2005 era] has a table that lists radios that will work, and some that will not. This is why I am asking for an X-Y matrix that includes all radios and trainer boxes. Include both the 72MHz version of the 7C and the 2.4 version, neither manual says anything about compatibility of buddy boxes.

If your student has a new Futaba radio you need to have another one [or the new trainer box T4YBF / FUTM4376] and a square to square cord. You could use their wireless system FUTM1010 in place of the cord but really that needs to be covered in the hopefully forthcoming X - Y matrix as well. The manual for the new [2011] 6J is very clear on compatibility, pp66, much appreciated, thanks.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

The three columns in the list mean nothing. They were likely a cut and paste from somewhere else when the page was constructed. All of the transmitters listed are inter-compatible with the trainer system. Some will use the micro-connectorthe ones with the small "(2)". All others use the round plug. The 8FG and 12FG require a special trainer cord if they are being used with one of the transmitters in the list.

Finally, some transmitters must have a PPM signal to them, and they are also listed in the text.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

We have used a 7C 2.4 gHz radio with an old round port Sky Sport buddy box. The 8FG will work with most but not T6X, T7U, T8U, and T9Z [manual is clear]. The 6EX: two students bought these and they won't work with old round port, we bought a new TY4BF box to go with these.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

OK, the 8FG and 12FG won't work with those older systems that used the round plug.  That's because they require a special trainer cord when used with transmitters that have a 9.6V transmitter battery pack, and the special trainer cord comes with the square micro connectors, only.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

Bill - we have a lot of students with the 8FG now. Our plan is to use the new T4YBF s in our equipment pool. This is the new trainer box which has no battery, costs $49.95. We will leave it to the student if they want to buy the 12FG voltage drop cord to connect to another Futaba radio. The T4YBFs won't get lost but I am afraid of having the 12FG cords [MM-TC-FG] misplaced or misused. I assume the T4YBF will work with the standard micro/micro LXDRA6 cord, right ?

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

Yes, it will.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

Bax,
I have a new 8FGS. I also have an old Conquest box that I used with my 7UAF "Super 7" back in the day. I still have the Super 7 too. I want to train my son and figured I just need the square-to-round cable to make one (or both) of the older Tx's work as a buddy box. The Conquest has no battery...the 7 does.

Am I correct in my thinking?

Regards,
Ronbo

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

Ron - I asked Bill to take down my posts today because I had a lot of miss-understandings. Basically the old analog boxes or the dedicated buddy boxes such as T4YBF work with all Futaba transmitters. Their manuals and the information on their website are not always clear and consistent on this fact. The 6EX manual says to not use any box with a round plug but today I ran 4, the T4YBF, two old analog [non computer] radios and a T6XA which is a computer radio , all with the round plug. Futaba could easily clear this up for us. I spent days on the issue. We love Futaba but buddy boxes can be problematic.

RE: NEED COMPLETE BUDDY BOX MATRIX
 

We had another productive day at the field. Although we got some very old analog radios to work with the 6EX, we often have problems with the round DIN connector. I highly recommend to everyone just get the new T4YBF buddy box and a micro/micro cord and live happily ever after. Ditch that old stuff . On another topic, there is a one-second transfer delay going from instructor to student on the 6EX, our favorite radio now is the 8FG, scrape up the money you will not regret it. One of our guys is selling his DX8 cheap [made by you-know-who], beware that one.