Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

A friend who has been awy from the hobby for a long time brought over a Futaba Conquest (FP-4TNL) 4-channel AM radio. It's on channel 56 at 72.910 Mhz. He still has the transmitter, receiver and 4 FP-48 servos. Interestingly the receipt was still in the box showing that he bought the gear in 1988 for $129. The whole set up has exactly 2 flights on it as his plane and his experience with the hobby was short-lived. What if anything would you recommend salvaging and reusing? Is anything compatible with today's gear?

Tom

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

The servos and switch harness can definitely be used. The radio and receiver is a judgment call although I would purchase a newer FM/PPM radio.

Bill

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

Hi Tom,
Brings back memories, that set was my first R/C rig back in 88'
The transmitter should be no problem, as mine bought in Jan. 88 was gold stickered narrow band, that receiver regrettably is not narrow band, so it can't be used at an AMA field.
Futaba still sells the 4 ch. AM narrow band receiver but it takes the current J style connectors, not the old G connectors on those servos.
So, yes there is life in that old conquest, only the batteries should be considered a total write off, but the receiver can only be used at a private flying site where others are not flying.
Good luck,
Pete

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

The only problem with those older futaba sets is that the servo and reciever connector setup has since changed to a more universal system, with pins on the reciever instead of on the servo's in your case. Unless you modified the servo's (it works i've done it) and replaced the plug with the newer one, you won't be able to interchange any of them with newer recievers...
The transmitter as said should be fine, i've been using an ancient 2ch AM for ages for ground based rc things. Wouldn't trust it in the air tho! :D
EDIT: sorry missed what pete said :) But yeah, those servo's are worth keeping. :D /EDIT

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

Thanks all! I believe you've told me everything I need to know.

Tom

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

Sorry, but if your transmitter is not narrow band, it is not legal to use. Non-narrow-band equipment became illegal to use in 1991. Conversion to narrow-band use, including replacement of the receiver, replacement of the battery packs, and upgrading the servos to new connectors would cost as much or more than a new, equivalent system.

If only the transmitter was upgraded, and the batteries replaced, and you risk flying with a wide-band receiver, then you'll likely pay 75%-80% of the cost of a brand-new system that's on FM and is narrow-band.

If the transmitter is already narrow-band, then it should cost you about $40.00-$50.00 to replace the battery packs.

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

Several folks have mentioned "gold stickers" in this post and others to identify narrow band equipment. I don't see any such stickers on this gear. Is there a sure fire way to determine whether or not it is narrow-band?

Tom

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

Yes and you just received it from Bax in the post above (a Futaba rep). There is nothing in that package that is usable, not even the switch except the servos and to use those you must change out the old G plug for the newer J plug. A G plug will not properly function in a modern Rx, The pin spacing not compatable.

The bottom line is even if you ignored the fact that the Tx is wide band and illegal just getting the thing operational is going to cost you near as much as a modern unit and certainly a far less capable unit.

No Club or organized (AMA or otherwise) event is going to allow its use and folks who insist on using dirty radios become very unpopular rapidly.

RCMA gold sticker program ran from just before the 1991 cutoff that wideband units were no longer allowed to be sold to 1998 the cutoff date that manufacturers were no longer allowed to do tweaking of old wideband units to allow the older units to meet the standard. In the case of Rx's they were simply pitched as none could be narrowbanded.

Some independant shops may have done narrowbanding of some Tx's after this date but the advice that you still hear to day to "Send it in and have it narrow banded" is ill advised.

Don,t confuse the use of very old units utilizing the 27mHz band as used by some vintage flyers. The 27 mHz band never was never subjected to narrowing bandwith limitation as the 72mHz systems were. Its still legal to use these systems as far back as the fiftys.


John

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

Tom
I gold stickered a couple thousand transmitters. The only way to tell if it is narrow is to have the right equipment to make the measurements. This will have to be done by one of the AMA approved sticker stations. I'm not sure who is doing it any more.

My opinion..buy a new system. The time and money to get it up to date is not worth it. Once it is up to date you will still have an old radio. I know some may have a different opinion but that is just mine.

Pete

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

Thanks again. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth across the board. Didn't want to tell a friend that the best place for his gear is the scrap heap before covering all the bases.

RE: Old Futaba AM - What is salvageable?
 

i hate to bring back dead threads but can anyone link a place were i can find batteries for this?

mine have finally given out after so many years...