hi guys,

ok,, besides not having to worry about interference from other guys radios what are the differences between a fm and the 2.4 ghz radios?

i can get a futaba fm for $79.00 nib and an extra 60 bucks for another receiver.. or i can get a futaba fasst 2.4 for $189.00 nib and 90 bucks for an extra rx.. so if i got the fm i would save around 140 bucks.. they both have a 10 model memory and the led screen. the fm doesnt have as many buttons which would be less confusing.:}

i am pretty sure i will never race or even be near other guys and their trucks.. so what would be a good reason to get the 2.4 ghz over the fm? i was pretty much set on getting the fasst system until i saw the fm's.

now i'm wondering what to do. has anyone had experiences with both? i'm sure most guys will say spend the extra money and get the better radio but as i said i really dont think i will ever race.. if i got the fm i could use the money saved to get some hop up's for my trucks.. i have the revo3.3 and the newer tmaxx 3.3. thx for any input....jake.

The main difference is that at 2.4ghz the transmitter can send much more information than a standard FM radio in the same amount of time. That means the servos are much more responsive to the transmitter and you get better, smoother control over the truck. It's not really that noticable if you're bashing, but if you're racing that extra control helps you follow a consistent line thru turns.

Also the extra buttons on the FASST lets you program things like steering rate and servo throw and a bunch of other things that are needed for racing but not really necessary for bashing.

are you asking about differences in features or how they work?

I think he basically wants to know whether the extra $140 is worth it.

Jake, I have 4 of the RTR radios, a futaba fm and the spektrum dx3. The 2.4ghz always has the advantage of the smaller antennas as well as everything else mentioned. If you're not worried about these features then some very nice used fm radios are going on sale.

yea,,, mine main thing is what are the advantages over the fm from the 2.4.. i saw that the antennas are better on the 2.4 and that the 2.4 has much more features. but i am wondering how much the extra features are really needed for just backyard bashing and running by myself or with 1 or 2 other guys.

i just cant see myself getting into racing just yet or anytime soon. those guys would blow me away!! their trucks are all hopped up for that and mine are pretty much stock. what i really want is a radio that will be able to control 3-5 trucks so i dont have to lug around 3-5 tx's.

so do you think that the futaba fm is better then the stock tx's that come with my traxxas trucks or any other simular trucks. i probably could swing getting the 2.4 now but i wouldnt be able to get another tx for a while.. if i got the fm i could get the tx and a extra rx right away..

plus some of the post i have read it seems like a lot of guys are having troubles figuring out how to set the 2.4's up. i'm sure i could do it with some trial and error.. but i bet that the fm's are much easier right off the bat!! i also know you get what you pay for but i am just wondering if it is worth the extra cash to get a nicer radio that i might not even need. thx again fellows... jake

oh, well, if that's the case and he/you won't be running with others or racing then go fm
heck, get a programmable fm and even running with others won't be a problem

the only real advantage, other than bragging rights, for a lone basher would be the lack of interference
but if interference is not an issue now then it's very unlikely that it will be with an fm system

yea,,that makes sense.. of course it would be nicer to have the 2.4 system. but i guess i could always get one later on if i decided to race.. but as of now i am just a loney basher so having the nicer radio right not would not be a waste but kinda!!

i am going to think about it a couple days.. here is the one [fm] i was looking at..what do you guys think??]


[link]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170226184793&refid=sto re[/link]

if you want fm try looking at he jr xs3. i think its a good radio for the price. you can find one band new on ebay for about 80 bux with receiver.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/JR-XS3-SYNTHESIZE...QQcmdZViewItem

also this way you dont have to worry about crystals

i dont run with others but still use 2.4 (I have a futaba 3PM 2.4 and a losi 2.4 radio) one reason is the antennas, smaller is better, another is NO glitching..... and finally, I dont have to worry about little timmy down the street getting a new RC car on the same channel as mine....

ya if i go 2.4 later down the raod im going to go with futaba. i have heard of to many problems with the spektrum. i have had any problems with my fm radio so ill probebly keep that for a few years

Just food for thought: I have a Stampede as my all-around basher truck. Until I went brushless, the stock traxxas TQ AM radio worked perfectly, I never noted a glitch. In my planes, FM works fine with brushless systems, though I am slowly switching over to Spektrum since others are on my channel at the club flying field now. Back to the Stampede - when I put the Sidewinder in it, the Traxxas AM setup became unusable at anything more than 25' away. I even moved the receiver as far from the ESC as it would go. So, I put in an FM system I had lying around. This works much better, though some glitching still occurs when it's more than 75-100' away and I'm on the throttle. So, I put a Futaba FASST 2.4ghz receiver in it - presto, no more glitching.

That was my really long story illustrating why you ought to consider 2.4ghz if you plan on upgrading to brushless.