DaddySam

My Feedback: (9)

I've been reading about the "dots" on the newer Futaba receivers, and became worried that my son's and my radios had the older receivers and that they might fail in the summer heat. I emailed Futaba and they said to send them in if I was concerned. The were still under warranty. Bottom line, both of my son's rx's (617) had bad CPU's and they replaced them free. The new rx's have the gold dots. My receivers (the 8 channel FAAST) both checked out okay. So even though we had not had any trouble with the system (yet) Futaba did right by us. Plus their turnaround was fast and I asked for and received a sheet of Faast decals, which neither of our radios came with. Thank you Futaba!
Sam

glasrep

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks Daddy Sam,

All too often the only posts are from people who feel they were wronged by a supplier of equipment. It is refreshing to read that someone contacted the company, did as they asked and got competent and timely service. I fly JR and have had issues with equipment, and found their supplier to be of the same quality as you did. Thanks to all who do things right when things are not right!!

summerwind

Daddysam,

are you saying that Hobby services replaced your 8 channel Rx's too?

DaddySam

My Feedback: (9)

Summerwind,
No, although I have to admit that I had hoped they would. They said that they checked them out and that they performed to specs on the bench. Since they did replace the 7 channel rx's I have to assume that the 8 channel rx's passed the same tests that the 7 channel rx's failed....
Sam

summerwind

thx Daddysam,

i have to say as well that my recent experience with Hobby Services was another EXCELLENT in the book of customer service. they took care of my issue and went beyond my expectations.

Grampaw

I logged on today to ask a question, but before doing so, I read down a ways here and I now feel like the guy in the story books who slept for 40 years. You people are mentioning things I never heard of! I just made my 78th lap yesterday, and today I really feel old! But let me get on with why I'm here.

I got out of RC Flying a while back (been trying to figure out how far back, but can't seem to get a handle on it.) I would like to say a couple or 3 years, but can't be certain about it.

Anyway, we just bought a new home and with it came a Shop building out back which was one reason we bought the place. I still have 3 planes, flyable with a little TLC first, and I have a Futaba T6YF TX and several Futaba RXs, a mixture of Futaba and Tower servos with a few Hi-Tecs thrown in. My other radio is a Tower System 6FM TX.

Both radios and their RXs have been connected to a Trickle Charge set up and each got a
period of "Dry Runs" on the Living Room floor occasionally...everything behaved correctly to the signals sent from the TXs. Due to a period of bad health, I did no flying at all, must less giggled any sticks, so now my batteries are down, zeo, zilch. I went looking but Tower nor
Hobby Lobby, list the 9volt, 8 Cell Nicad TX packs these two TXs need, so now I really began to feel I "slept" too long. Then here today I'm hearing about "Dots!" What's a DOT!?

I logged on to find out if I'd be better off buying two new radios instead of getting my two sets mentioned checked out, and maybe Overhauled. I saw that Tower has 6 Ch. Futabas
for $135, and that's not bad.

So guys, there's my predictament. Whats the general concensus on which way I should go now. I'm really leaning towards new equipment, but when you've had as much fun and good flying as I did with those two rigs, it's hard to let them go...kind of like "Old Blue, my 1986 Ford 150 half ton, I hate to part with her also. Looking forward to hearing from you guys on this. Grampaw

ira d

I would say the radios you have proberly ok except the batterys if you dont have
a way to cycle them and test there capacity i would get new batterys.

The dots are on Futaba 2.4 receviers that were sold after about Sept 09 it is an
upgraded receiver that has much better heat tolrance than the non dot version
along with other improvements as well, Hobbico will not give you a straight
answer about the dots or the heat issue im just repeating what has been
posted here and other sites. Also please note there are still some non dot
receivers in pipeline some who purchased last month received them.

DaddySam

My Feedback: (9)

I'm sure that your radios are okay, but you'll have to buy two sets of Tx and Rx batteries, which will run you $50 or more. Why not buy one computer radio (I'd say 2.4 but that's just a preference) and one extra rx? Futaba has a deal through Hobbico, if it's still going on, where you get an extra rx free with the purchase of a system. then you buy one more rx battery and you're good to go. You can re-use your old servos or not. I really think that one Tx capable of several different models is the way to go.
My Two Cents
Sam

Grampaw

Thanks for the quick comeback guys. I had figured to invest in a TX Battery pack as it would fit both TXs which would get things moving as far as checking the balance of my Airborne gear, but as I mentioned I can't find an 8 cell, 9v pack for the Futaba TXs. Hobby Lobby used to handle individual AA Nicads with Solder Tabs. I've made up packs using them from H. L. and using the wiring and connectors from the dead packs. Worked for me. But they aren't listed in Hobbby Lobby's Battery listing. Soldering those without tabs is a Bear! I have a couple of "Holders" for Receiver Cells, so AAs without Tabs work well there.

I'm not dead set on getting both the Futaba and the Tower radios up and running, at first
anyway, so one new TX may be the better way to go for the time being. My first priority however is my new shop...as it seems to have been changed from Shop to Storage Shed for all boxes of dubious "stuff" my Sons-in-laws were confused about. All that has to be be sorted out before anything related to flying can take place! It's always that way.

Thanks again for the info guys, and if any of you know where I can find AA Nicads with
Solder Tabs give me a yell. I would say use my PM but in the move my address ran afoul of some AT&T rules and they shut it off. Moving is a *****! Gotta go open some more boxes now. " 'Preciate the words y'all!" Grampaw

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

Transmitter battery pack for the Futaba 6YF:

FUTM1440 NT8F600B TX 9.6V 600M 4YF 6EX US$39.99

Transmitter battery pack for the Tower Hobbies 6-channel transmitter:

TOWM6000 S3K TX NICD 9.6 500MAH 4FM,4TH US$34.99

You can order both from Tower.

sevans16

Humm, Well I have what I consider questionable service on my one month old 14MZ. I sent two PM's to Bax with details and no responce from him in over a week. I have the read reciepts via the PM system here on RCU!!

I am not happy with Hobby Services or there leader Bax.
We have never heard what the deal is with the Dots. It has been over 2 months since Bax posted that he had asked Futaba for and answer and would let us know as soon as information was giving to him. I find it hard to believe that Bax/Hobby Services has not heard anything from Futaba Japan in over 2 months!!!

It is a shame they make such a good product!!! I switched to JR late last year and am already back. It sure wasn't for the "Good Service"!!!!

summerwind

was JR better or worse?
not sure what you are saying here.

i had an issue with an item, Bill read my PM's as well, but no reply, but i got excellent service from Hobbico..........actually, things went way better than i expected.

sevans16

Well, Bax got back to me. Said it took a few days to follow up on my repair order.

Last year about Oct I switched to a JR 12x. First my TX battery would not charge. I sent it all in to the shop. I had a bad charger that was replaced(almost 4 weeks with shipping time). Then the radio kept losing bind between flights. That is I would build the plane up get ready to fly and it would not link up to the TX so I would have to get to the RX and rebind it. I hated programming the 12x. It is the dumbist thing ever. I would be able to see what I wanted but I could not select it to program that function. I would have to back out of a menu, go in another menu somewhere, disable something, back out of that menu and back to the first menu and then I could program the function I wanted too. Not all switches are programmable with the 12x. Some switches can only be programmed to certain things. There were lots of little things that drove me nuts. It did not have the awesome connection my 12Z had either. The responce seemed slower. the 12x seemed closer to the feel of my 9C super radio.