RhyanO

Ive been looking for a 7-9 channel radio system for my airplanes. I have several 4 channel Futaba radio systems, and since I already had their systems I was looking at the 7C or 9C radio systems. The prices for each are ~$250.00 7C and over ~$300 for a 9C. These are each just a single channel system not synthisized.

THEN I stumbled across the Polk's Hobbies web site and they have a Tracker III system that comes with a fully synthesized transmitter and reciever all for $200.00.
Im thinking this has got to be too good to be true! I can't think of any reason not to go with this system.
Has any one else worked with this radio system that can shed some more light about this system.

Do you know if I can use my current Futaba recievers with this system?

Thanks much for the info?

Ryan

ALbert.S

Have been flying mine since last year It is the Tracker ll model I have four of the matching seeker receivers and they all have performed perfectly I also use Hitec receivers 555 and the Hitec Supreme models and one Futaba receiver. This transmitter talks to them all. I use the equipment for Q500 racing and all my 1/4 scale gas models. No problems with ignition noise With the Seeker receiver you can let your buddy fly your plane with his transmitter. Does that go over big WOW A great system It is only FM however so if you have PCM receivers the transmitter will not talk to them. It has worked on every FM receiver I tried

Lynner532

Good question Rhyan, was thinking about same thing myself. I have a Futaba 6EXA which I'm basically happy with but I'd like to be able to name my models, and I'm intrigued by the built in scanner on the Tracker. I don't think anyone at my club owns one so it would be an instant novelty. I've currently got standard Futaba and Hitec receivers so I guess that wouldn't be a problem.

The one question I've read on related posts is whether the Tracker has enough flexibility in mixes. I'm not flying 3D, heli's or anything exotic so I don't think that will be an issue for me today, but I do wonder if anyone knows of any specific and useful mixes that are not supported.

I read last week Tracker III is due to start shipping soon. Should I order one???

saramos

I've followed the threads conscerning the mixing capabilities of the Tracker II. It looks as though many of these issues were corrected in the later revisions. The Tracker III will have a memory card, and To quote Lewis Polk "This card will allow updates to be self installed without coming back to the factory". I don't plan on doing a lot of 3d mixes anyway.
Getting an 8 channel, synthesized transmitter and receiver for $200 is too good of a deal for me to pass up. I have one on order.
I just hope it ships soon!

Scott

fritzthecat

My Feedback: (4)

- It's ugly. Yes, the new case too.
- No dedicated software for Helis and Sailplanes
- No LCD display for curves and mixes
- No PCM receivers
- Did I mention it's ugly.

If you are flying planes only or basic sailplanes the Tracker is a great radio. For more sophisticated and specialized tasks it's lacking. That's what the Futaba 9Z, 14MZ and JR 10 series are for.

mhannigan

I can answer that question.

Polk Radios are crap.

stefanovm

Can you please support your claim that Polk radios are crap. There are many of us out here who have never used one and we are looking for some specific information before making a purchase. Is there a reason that you believe Polk's new tx will not address some of the current issues? Thank you.

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

aw, look at his number of posts (2) - he's just a troller. Looking to get people to react.

Polk's Tracker II is great. I'm on the list for a Tracker III, too. Notice the guy who criticized it and mentioned the two thousand dollar transmitters. The Tracker II is a great transmitter at an introductory price. The Tracker III isn't out yet, but the intro deal is too sweet to pass up.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Slew1 and scar check hannigan's profile and his one and only other post. Not only did he dig up an old thread almost two years old, He picked one so that he could take an easy shot at JR. You said it scar - Troll, My definition "a small mind that needs hide behind the keyboard due to the lack courage to face the real world"

John

RhyanO

So anyway back to the topic,
Thank you all for the feedback thus far.

Does anyone else have any feedback on this radio system?

Thanks much,
Ryan

ALbert.S

The scanning feature is a neat selling point but======The receiver/sensing device in the transmitter is not very narrow banded My friend who has a Tracker ll and is a combat flyer loves the system but==== When about 8 flyers get ready to do combat he can't turn on because the Tracker transmitter won't turn on because it thinks the channel is busy since there are people on adjacent channels. I have run into this problem also at a Q500 race my cure was to grab the transmitter antennae while turning on or keep the antennae down until it turned on.Last year I was using the scanning mode at our field and found about 5 channels that the tracker said were busy but since no one else was at the field I figured it was interference but no one has reported problems at the field. So I don't use the scan feature just check the frequency board I think the Tracker is a great unit for a pilot who knows how to fly and dosen't need all those computer mixing things to make him look good.

Silverhawk

My Feedback: (1)

My Tracker II was just stolen along with my SAL glider from my truck last night. I've had it since they started shipping and I love it. I've used it at the E-Nats w/out any issues at all.

I have a voice msg in to Polk to find out if I can get a new replacement and I hope there isn't much of a wait. []

I might settle on getting another Tracker II but the III sounds really good for the money.

causeitflies

Just to add 2cents, four guys in my club have Tracker IIs and we all are waiting on the Tracker IIIs. Although I'm not 100% satisfied with the T II, I have not used any of my old Futaba, Airtronics, or JR, TXs since I bought it. Unless you fly at the type of contests mentioned above it is easy to work around the over sensitive scanner.

It works great with all my old FM RXs and I have four Seeker 8's and one Seeker 6 Micro. I use them in everything from foamy 3d's to 33% gasser.

The value can't be beat as you get big buck features at a reasonable price. I'm surprised many guys still don't know about this radio

Silverhawk

My Feedback: (1)

I am on the list to get a Tracker III also and the wait is killing me. [:@]

I also got so that the only two radios I used was my Prizm 7x w/Spectra and the Tracker II, I also have a new Eclipse w/Spectra coming while I wait.

I just hope that Polk's will let me know when there are updates this time. I was still using the original version and didn't know about the updates/upgrades until I called to order a new Tracker. []

I have one of each Seeker and just love the ability to go to any open freq at the field and knowing that I didn't have to pay big bucks to do it. I've heard these called "dial-a-crash" radios but I then explain how the Tracker won't turn on if the channel is in use.

My old radios have been delegated as "back-ups" and "sim boxes." I didn't realize how much I used the Tracker until I lost it. I just wish there was a way to save all the programs to the PC. I'll have to start over figuring out each plane's programming now when the new Tx arrives.

ptb

[&o]I have a tracker2 also
But i dont care much for the instruction manual, the mix is confuseing.
It does not give you senerios, like if you did this ,this would happen.
I also have an atrix, a airtronics 6 ch. a couple of futaba 4 and 5 ch. radios
a jr single stick for helis. and a couple of car/boat radios.
The point is the manual for the 8ch atrix is excelent , where polks manual
is lacking. The equipment works quite well though.

j_keiter

My Feedback: (21)

Just trying to get some info. I bought a Tracker III with Seeker 6 and my freind bought a Tracker III with a Seeker 2 about a month ago. He crashed his first plane with the seeker 2 receiver and Tracker III transmitter. I range checked it for him and observed bad glitches at about 30 feet with antenna down. Repeated with Futaba transmitter and same thing so it's a bad receiver. We then range checked with his old Hitec receiver and the Tracker III. Almost 200ft range with no glitches. So he flys and crashes again. Said it just went into a cork screw. I sent his Seeker 2 back to polk's and they immediatley replaced it. I range check the new Seeker 2 and again see poor performance. Two planes next to eachother. One with a GWS 8 ch dual conversion the other with the Seeker 2. at about 50ft the Seeker starts gittering. at 120ft it's epileptic and the GWS is quiet and working. Now I play with my Seeker 6. Barley 30ft and it goes epileptic with either Futaba 9c or Trakcer III transmitter. Also Tracker III antenna very sensative to touching with my hand. The servos jump when I touch the tip of the antenna. Repeated on my 9C and no problems. Sent my whole system back to polks who immediately replaced the RF Module and the receiver. Got it back and same thing. I'm worried I'm expecting too much form Polk's system but it's performance seems so poor compared to my Futaba 9C I'm afraid to fly. I'm looking for other people to perform the experiments I've done to check the integrity of there Polks systems. Be sure to have a helper watch the plane. At a 100ft out it's hard to see the control surfaces jittering. PS Poks customer service Rocks. Ron is great and seems like the type to kill himself to make things right. Also the transmitter is everything I could want. 99 model memory tons of mixes etc. Just wish it was solid in the RF part.
I'm gonna send my system back again per Ron insisting on getting to the bottom of this.

Thanks Jason in Vacaville CA

XJet

There are at least half a dozen Seeker 6 receivers in operation at our club and they all work fine.

Is it possible that you're not following the correct procedure when setting them up?

I've found that its' best to hold the transmitter antenna just close enough that it will lock. If you hold it too close then there's a risk that the receiver might not lock precisely onto your transmitter frquency -- which yould produce reduced range and jittering.

These receivers are actually so sensitive that when a guy at our club had his transmitter go bad, effectively meaning that he was flying with *no* transmitter aerial connected, all he noticed was a few glitches, despite the fact he was flying up to 300 yards away.