picking radio

[vtjeep]

how do i pick a radio .. what do i look for ? what is better then the the rest for the price? im thinking of buying a thunder tiger 50 to start with something gas and somthing stable .. unless u have any suggestions .. thanks

[pd417]

I'm fairly new to helos, only been flying for about a year. One thing I found out early on was to get a good sim to start with. Everyone has their favorite, I happen to be using RealFlight 4 right now. I was able to hone my skills and save a ton of money from not constantly crashing.

Your choice of a 50 size nitro helo to start with might be a little ambitious if you don't have any experience. You are correct though, they are more stable but will cost more to repair. My suggestion (for what it's worth) is to get a good 450 size bird (Trex, RC-Tek etc.) and learn with that.

As for a radio, a good majority of folks here (including myself) are using the Spektrum DX7, a good radio to grow with. Search the forum, you'll find numerous threads dedicated to it.

[vtjeep]

do not want to go electric want gasser ...so im leaning to raptor v2 or 50

[WayneBrown]

find someone on your area that is flying and willing to help you, and get what they are flying.
You will share in the knowledge that they have gained, and possibly share some parts when you need them.
Avoid the Thunder Tiger engines unless you are a tuning wiz, they are a PITA and a POS.

[sleddog7]

Good advice on the last post Wayne.


Avoid the Thunder Tiger engines unless you are a tuning wiz, they are a PITA and a POS.

A while back I remember someone posted this statement, I thought it was funny "... The break-in time for an OS engine is 2 tanks....The break-in is 2 months for a Thunder Tiger."

Mike

[Pinecone]

Various clubs are Futaba or JR or Airtronics. If you get what everyone else is using, there is move local help.

Only thing is now, it seems that EVERYWHERE people are flying DX7 radios. :)

The DX7 has the advantage of being 2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum, which means less interference and no worries about someone else turning on their radio and causing you to lose control.

If you are buying a radio to start with, I HIGHLY suggest the DX7.

Basically as you move up in the number of channels (6 is the minimum for helis, 7 for a nitro heli with governor) you get more features, more programming options, better screens, better graphic displays of what is going on, nicer feel to switches and case, etc.

If you are serious about the hobby, buy a fairly high end radio just so you aren't buying it in 6 months.

One caveat, stay away from the Futaba 6EX, it is not a good radio for heli use.

[cd5]

DX7 +450+sim=affordable fun anywhere,anytime.
This leads to experience and skill. Then get a big nitro.
Simon

[kamtsa]

how do i pick a radio .. what do i look for ? what is better then the the rest for the price? im thinking of buying a thunder tiger 50 to start with something gas and somthing stable .. unless u have any suggestions .. thanks

Your main decision is whether to go with 72Mhz or 2.4Ghz. I would strongly recommend going with 2.4Ghz. The receivers are more expensive but you avoid all that frequency coordination game and the risk that somebody will transmit on your 'channel'.

Between the 2.4G systems, I believe (though I don't have hard statistics) that JR are way more popular than Futaba. JR sales under two brand names, JR (high end) and Spektrum (mid market). You can go for example with the Spektrum DX7 which is a decent system and sells for about $350 (with receiver and 3 servos). If you want to spend more, people talk highly about the JR X9303.

Note that the same transmitter (e.g. DX7) typically comes with several packagings. For example you can get it bare (transmitter only), with small servos, larger servos, different receivers, etc, so make sure you get the one that fits your need. Also, some transmitters come with different configuration (e.g. Mode 1 vs. Mode 2) so again, make sure you pick the one that is right for you.

BTW, I am using (on a Trex 450) DX7 mode 2 with A6100 receiver and three DS285 servos and am very happy with the setup. The only limitation I encounter is the limited model management (no backup to a memory card, no model exchange with other transmitters, no PC link, etc).

Kam

[Pinecone]

DX7 and X9303 also come in Heli and Airplane versions. Make sure you get the Heli version.

Spektrum has been around longer, that's why you see so many more of them. Futaba just got their 7 ch out, about 1 year after Spektrum.

And lastly, Spektrum receivers are cheaper. I just figured out, I have saved $1100 by buying Spektrum over Futaba on receiver savings alone.

[JasonJ]

I am always one to be against the "me too" concept. Buying what everyone else has just rubs me the wrong way. HOWEVER, with this hobby as well as most, you should at least do a ton of research on what works well, is reliable, has good support, and you can make your choice. The DX7 is very popular and it is difficult to argue against that. The Futaba 7C 2.4 seems to be decent, but the receivers are more expensive. I plan an upgrade to a DX7 from a 72mhz Futaba sometime this year. No one flies here that I have seen, so I don't worry about being shot down, but eventually I'll want the flexibility of being able to go to a field and not worry about interference as much.

The helicopter is the same thing. Research what works well, don't just go and buy what Billy-Bob at the club bought. Billy-Bob might not be that bright, and he might have bought a pos. Don't let other people make your choices. Do the research, make your own choices, you'll be much happier...These forums are chock full of horror stories, you''l figure out what is crap pretty quick...

[kamtsa]

...I'll want the flexibility of being able to go to a field and not worry about interference as much.

Considering the popularity of 2.4G, pretty soon this will be the case with 72Mhz systems ;-)

Seriously, I wonder if people that start from scratch (no RX, etc) still buy 72Mhz these days.

Kam

[Pinecone]

Except that more of the one box RTFs are coming with 72 MHz, so you have to worry about the person down the street with thier Xmas or birthday present.

And they are not limited to a few channels like before.

And oterh than helis, a lot of people are still buying 72, because of cost. You can get a 4 - 5 channel baisc 72 Tx for well under $100.

[JasonJ]

Yeah, you have a 1 in 50 chance of getting shot down with 72 mhz since there are 50 channels. I had thought of getting one of those thingies that can tell you if something is on your channel, but it wouldn't help much if someone down the street fires up their model while you are in flight. I'll just get the DX7 and be done with it...