Ok I decided Im gonna get the Raptor .30 with the os.32 sxh. Now for everthing else. As far as the tx goes im thinking about the Futaba 8uhfs 8 ch FM, with 53001 servos. For the gyro i was thinking about the 401/w 9253. My question is will the 9253 servo be compatable with the FM rx, or do you need a PCM rx for a digital servo???

Is there anything different you would buy? or does this sound like an ok package for a noob. Id rather spend a few more bucks now and be happy with my purchase, then have to upgrade everying in a few months anyway.

Thanks a lot for any input

I would recommend spending a little extra to get PCM.
Digital servos will work with any type of system, you don't need PCM.
The GY401/9253 combo is great.
The rest of the setup sounds really good, but I'm a big JR radio fan and I would urge you to take a look at comparable JR systems. I don't want to start a debate, but IMHO, JR kicks butt over Futaba.

Everything you list is good ,but I would look at the Airtronics 6000 super radio over the others. It has everything you will need and it is a very good radio

PCM isn't needed, and you won't see any benefits from spending the extra money for it.

I personally LOVE my Futaba PCM system, it's the 8 chan you mentioned, with a PCM reciever. Only reason I'd change is for the new 9C system, it has even more cool abilities.
I'v been flying Futaba systems for 25 years, never had a radio failure. I have splatted several due to dumb thumbs...

I refuse to put anything other than PCM in my helos. I flew with PPM for several years, and had occasional glitches that caused me to loose my concentration, once I switched to PCM they all went away. I know about the argument that it masks problems, but I think of it in terms of not masking problems, but enhancing the signal. Anybody who actually understands the differences will agree that PCM is cleaner than PPM. I will never use PPM in my helo again. EVER

And in comparison to how much everything costs that is relying on the RX, the extra costs is not that much.

PCM or PPM are both FM. The differece between them is the signal the TX and RX sends and receives . In FM or PPM the signal on a scope looks like small spikes, on PCM the spikes are sguare. thats the reason PCM has fail safe, if PCM gets a glich it goes into hold or some preset crash mode, IF IT DID NOT THE NEXT TIME THE RX SEES A SIGNAL THE RUDDER CH COULD BECOME THE ELE CH. Thats the reason for fail safe. FM on the other hand gets a glitch it jumps around until the interferance is gone. Yes PCM is smoother it has 1024 steps the servo moves FM has 512 steps. I fly both, but I would rather know that something is loose on my machine or that I have outside interferance. I had a glitch on my X-cell Pro II it was the RX wire rubbing through on the frame , save one chopter. I have at seen four chopters crash because PCM locked out to long. For those of you who think PCM is new not so -Kraft and Bonner had fail safe in the sixtys and seventys they dropped it said it was better to fly through the interferance then crash. Remeber PCM could be masking that loose screw in a metal gear servo. I like PCM better it's smoother but I check the helis I have it in alot more for loose parts and running wires.

You are not correct in that PPM(FM) moves the servos in 512 steps. PPM is pure analogue and the servo movement has an infinet number of steps as opposed to PCM that has 1024.

PPM would never switch the channel signals. The signal is sent with the channel signals after a wide coded start pulse. If it doesn't see this start pulse the other channel pulses will be ignored till it sees the whole sequence complete.

Everything I've read, and that's a lot, leads me to believe that PCM is more resistant to noise and interference so that's why sometimes glitches that were present with PPM disappear when changing to PCM.

I had a glitchy antenna once and the machine would go into failsafe, everything to hold except throttle to idle, and the glitch would disappear as the rpm dropped. It gave me a chance to save it when the system returned from fail safe.

This is my opinion only but I'd rather have a heli go into failsafe and drop than to have it glitch and go out of control who knows where.

Lots of people fly PPM with out a problem and others prefer PCM. I prefer PCM. You use what you fell comfortable with.

Good luck

Thanks for the help. I just ordered the fut 9chf tx, and the GY401 servo combo. Should be all I need. Now I just need a muffler/pipe, thinking about the weston.

Thanks again for the input.