packyj

I've had the notion to use my firebird freedom to train my nephew who is just getting into the hobby. It hasn't taken long to realize that, when he gets into trouble, it's a little difficult to take control of the plane when both of us need access to it. Having located the crystal on the main board I was curious if unsoldering the existing crystal and replacing it with one on the same frequency as my futaba radio. This would make this plane a real trainer capable of being buddy boxed. A little more of what I think of when I think of a "trainer", apparently parkzone hasn't thought of trainer plugs on their rtf remotes yet....


Any opinions or experience with this issue? Any help is most appreciated

drunkenbushman

That is a vry good question, i do not know i have acctually tried it myself but it sounds like it would make sense.

I like the parkzone Transmitters so i wonder if i could change the crystal in that to a hitec crystal?

patnchris

The Firebird Freedom uses the 27 mgz frequency and I would think your Futaba would be 72 mhz. While both are FM , neither has anywhere near enough bandwidth the cover that range. So the answer is NO.....It is not possible....Pat

Pilot352

I also question the methodology. You got two transmitters, both on the same frequency (if possible). How do you plan to take over the control when he loses it? Have him turn his Tx off then you turn yours on? You can't have them both on at the same time, the plane will get "confused". A real buddy box has only one Tx transmitting. It connects the student radio sticks to the instructor radio. Only the instructor radio transmits. If the student loses control, the instructor disables the student's control sticks and uses the sticks on the instructor's radio.

Once the plane is "out of control", it will take too much time to get him to turn off his radio and you to turn yours on. During this transition, the plane will be totally out of control, which is very dangerous.

Also, as Patnchris said, the Park flyers usually are in the 27Mhz band and regular planes are in the 72Mhz band. The radio tuning is entirely different. It's not just the crystal but the internal electronics which determine the transmit frequency. Most radio electronics are tuned to operate within a bandwidth (range of frequencies). Going outside this bandwidth would cause the TX not to function. This is the same with the receiver.

My 2 pennies

-Pilot

P.S. patnchris, How's that MUS flying? WooHoo!!!

packyj

Thanks for the quick responses... I was unsure of the operating differences between the two frequencies so thanks for clearing it up before I brazenly destroyed a perfectly flying plane. I had intended to use my radio in the typical buddy box fashion connected to his futaba he just inherited. Although turning on two remotes would take about as long as taking control of the plane out of his hands while he holds the remote... Maybe this is an idea that can be filtered into future planes being marketed as 'trainers' as most recommend being buddy boxed for the opening stages of the hobby, while at the same time the planes being marketed to these people are incapable of this money saving feature.