Ancient Controller
 

Hello.

I have recently come into a rather old, but in good shape controller plus reciever and servo's. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it would be worth keeping? I don't really know anything about controller technology and the changes over the years. I believe this is about 16 years old.

All the parts still work. The servo's respond to the controller.

Junk or oldie but a goodie?

Details:

Controller

72MHZ - 44
Airtronics Vangaurd PCM
VG6P 6 Channel Transmitter

Receiver:
Airtonics PCM Dual Conversion Narrow Band Receiver

Servo's:
Airtronics
94102

RE: Ancient Controller
 

This radio or its direct relative is still in production. MSRP $289.95
http://www.airtronics.net/VG6000.htm

RE: Ancient Controller
 

I fly radios older than that.

RE: Ancient Controller
 

You might find older equipment OK to fly. But 16 years in the electronics industry is equivalent to 1000 years in other industries. My preference is to stay current with the technology.

Bill

RE: Ancient Controller
 

Is there a reason to not use it though? New stuff is great but if this will do the job...

RE: Ancient Controller
 

2 years ago I was at a swap meet and I purchased a NIB Airtronics Vanguard 6 channel radio (exactly the same model that you have). The manufacturer sticker on the back said it was made in 1994. I got a great bargain on it. I brought it home and put it in my everyday "throw around" plane. It gets more airtime than any other radio I have, including the computer radios that I own. It's a great piece of equipment and I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I were you. IMHO Airtronics makes great equipment. Airtronics is all that I fly. IMHO I'd use the radio if you I were you, you can't go wrong!!! Heck, if you don't want it let me know and maybe I'll see if I can buy it (no promises with christmas coming up :D ).

That's my 2¢ worth.

RE: Ancient Controller
 

Just make sure the batteries cycle OK and you should be good to go. If the batteries are bad just replace them, but DON"T use it if they are not good. ENJOY !!! RED

RE: Ancient Controller
 

Hi!
Old...??? I still use servos that I got with my JR radio in 1980...and I still have functional servos from my first radio bought in 1975 (Futaba S6).
And my current radiosystem was bought in 1994 (JR 388X).
Old to me is Kraft, EK and Proline systems from the early to mid seventies...:D

Regards!
Jan K
Sweden

RE: Ancient Controller
 

Thanks everybody! I'm feeling pretty good about what I got now.

BTW, receivers accept all the different sizes of servos right?

RE: Ancient Controller
 

Hi!
Yes!
JK

RE: Ancient Controller
 

It wasn't that long ago that I lost my very first plane - .20 duraplane with that fiberglassed wing. Still running with original AM radio equipment too (Shhh....don't tell the AMA).


btw, it was a bad control horn, not the radio that caused the crash.

DT

RE: Ancient Controller
 

DT there is nothing aginst FCC regulations or AMA rules to outlaw AM equipment and as a matter of fact AM units are still manufacturered to this day. What is aginst FCC regulation and would negate AMA insurance is to use any old wide band type be it AM or FM(ppm).

PW be aware, of the fact, that Rx is set up for the 'Old Style' Airtronics servo and switch plug. The power lead and ground is reversed from all the current manufacturers plug. You cannot just plug any old plug in.


You can still get adapters (old style to Z) at Servo City. There still may be some new servos at various suppliers with the 'Old Style' plug for Airtronics also. There are other ways to reverse also but perhaps you would do well by using the adapters if you chose to get other servos. Many folks have destroyed their Rx's by goofing up the reversal.

John

RE: Ancient Controller
 

Solid advice. Thanks.

I guess getting a newer receiver would be wise?

RE: Ancient Controller
 

what are you talking about old wide band such as ?????????????????????????????????????????????

RE: Ancient Controller
 

wide band rx from futaba that i know of are r-7 ,r-4,r-6 [these are am]r-107m [fm] older kraft rx that are single conversionbasically most any thing made before 1991.ace silver seven rx.most all tx can be narrow banded.i still fly with series 72 and newer kraft equipment no problems

RE: Ancient Controller
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: jamie

what are you talking about old wide band such as ?????????????????????????????????????????????
[quote]


Such as many of the 'old wide band' Tx's produced before the 1991 deadline that outlawed the sale of all but Tx's that met the new US federal limits for the width of a Tx's emissions both AM and FM(PPM) in some cases. Some Tx already met these standards AM or FM prior to the cutoff date and many more did not.

Fact is if it were not for these narrowband standards then we would not have fifty channels avaliable to use now but back to a very limited number of channels.

In addition if you were to use an 'Old Wide Band' tx now you will be spattering direct interferance accross several channels either side of your channel not to mention the commercial channels that are interspersed between each of the Hobby Use channels on 72 Mhz. If you were to use an 'Old Wide Band' Rx now then 'You' will be subject to direct interferance from several channels either side of you and agine not to mention the commercial channels that are interspersed between each of the Hobby Use channels on 72 Mhz.

John

RE: Ancient Controller
 

"Wideband" is a radio set that uses more frequency range than it needs to.

An everyday example of what a wideband set is like this - If you are sitting at a restaraunt table eating amongst your friends with your elbows sticking out, you would be using more space than you need because you are intruding into other people's space. If you could somehow tuck your arms in you could do the same eating, but using much less space. This would be narrowband.

You and your friends sitting together from one end of the table to the other are the frequency spectrum.

Wideband and narrowband terms these days is directly related to how much data can be put through at once. Cpmplanies used wideband sets earlier on because of the lack of technology used in making the radio sets meant they had to space the frequencies out to prevent interference. Nowadays they can squeeze them together without interference.