Big Futaba fan might switch to JR

[tbirg]

I would like to first point out I have been an ardent supporter of Futaba for many years but I really think Futaba is totally missing the boat with their 2.4 GHz offerings. I have owned my Futaba radios over the years : 6ex, 8u, 9c and 9z WC2 and I absolutely love them but I might have to switch to JR. I do not want to start a war over which is better but Futaba is definitely missing the boat with 2.4 GHz.

I consider myself to be an average flier. I own several helis(from Trex 450 to .50 size nitros) and planks (park flyers up to 1/4 scale). If you look at a distribution of the what people fly I would think I am smack dab in the middle. Most people do not own .90/gasser helis, giant scale planes and jets. I think the average flier can get away with a 7 channel radio(i perfer 8 in my heli setup). My current fleet consists of 3 park flyers, 2 - TRex 450s, TRex 500, TT Raptor Titan, TRex 600N, 2 .40 planks, 2 .60 planks and 3 1.20 planks.

The dilemma I find myself in is in Futaba does not have a 2.4 "one radio fits all". They do on the transmitter side but the receiver side is severely lacking. JR seems to have it all.

I would just like to see where other fliers fit into this. Am I on an island by myself.

450 helis/Park Flyers

Futaba:
Receiver which came with the 6EX (only would work with a 6EX or 12/14 channel radios. What about us guys with the 8/9 channel radios. Well they solve that problem…discontinue it. Replace it with a receiver which only uses micro plugs(so now my hitec servos are useless and I am stuck using Futaba servos. Or you could go with a R617FS (7 ch, $100) receiver which is huge, will almost double the cost and has long antennas which must be placed 90 degrees to each other.

JR:
AR6100/e: small package, small antennas. Good price ~$50.

EDGE: JR by a mile

Trex 500

Futaba:
R607FS($100): currently have one in my 500, works great, have not had an issue. Don’t mind spending the money considering the cost of the chopper.

JR:
Could go with either a AR6200 ($80) or a AR7000($100)

EDGE: Even


Nitro Helis

For the way I set up my helis I prefer a separate switch to turn the governor on/off so I would require an 8 channel setup. Most users will get away with a 7 channel setup.

Futaba:
R608FS - $160

JR:
AR9000 - $170

Edge: Even


Nitro Planks

Futaba:
R617FS - $100. Again the issue I could see with Futaba is getting 90 degree separation of the antennas. On a .40/.60(which I would think is the most popular) model there is generally not a lot of room inside the fuselage and the width of the fuselage is less then the length of the antennas. As the size of the planes increases this becomes less of an issue.

JR:
AR6200 - $80 or AR7000 - $100.

Edge: JR(on the smaller sized planks)/Even – on the larger planks

On gasser planes(33% & up)/Jets Futaba has a commanding lead with the 14MZ but I do not see the average flier owning these planes.

[Shakes268]

Are you familiar with the R616FFM FASST receiver?
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXUDS7&P=0

Yes, it uses JST but they will have adapters. That starts to move into the 6100 space a little, even if its a bit more.

I am running 607s on nitro planks and there has not been an issue with 90 degree separation even though I have not seen a hard/fast rule that you have to set it up like this. I believe futaba recommends that you just keep them apart. Spektrum is who has demands that they must be 90 degrees from each other dating back to the AR6000 park flyer receiver. Remember, both technologies are implemented differently.

[tbirg]

Shakes: You are correct..thanks for the info. I re-read the TM7 instructions. It is ideal to have the antennas 90 degrees from each other but not necessary.

I find it weird that futaba would come out with a receiver with this connections. I know they did it a while back for park fliers on 72MHz and I have never seen anyone use one of those receivers ever. As far as I know Futaba is the only company who every built a servo with that plug. Maybe they just want to sell more servos? I think a 6 channel receiver with standard plugs would sell a lot more.

The price is still a little disheartening....$70, then you have to buy the adapters. I personally try not to use any extensions at at all after having some of my control services do what I like to call "the center shuffle". The center shuffle is when you center input on a surface after it was deflected and the surface osciallates around center before it finally stops in it center position. This usually happens due to a bad connection or bad extension. To me this is adding more complexity then needed. I like the KISS solution myself. They already made a standard connection for the speed controller why couldn't for the rest of the channels???

[mjws]

Heh. Just did the switch myself. I was pretty much set on a 12fg for last October... but then it didn't come, and it didn't come. Next thing I know Spektrum has receivers that hit every niche I fly.

They hit my uber light small stuff (6300 or 6100). The hit it out of the park for me with the 9100 for my big stuff. I run A123's for rx and it is soft switched and redundant plug and play. All the options made it rather compelling.

The 616 isn't out yet. We haven't been able to get FASST rx's (even though I work at an LHS PT). You're stuck with an ugly big 8-channel or a honkin 14ch rx. Both are more expensive and this swap for me is pretty close to 30 rx's.

Broke down and bought the x9303. If I could justify the 14MZ and just burn the money on rx's I would do it in an instant. But this is cost effective and a great radio. Heh. Always been pretty vendor neutral... but it'll take a long time for me to consider myself a JR guy.

Mike

[tbirg]

Mike,

I hear ya. I walked into a hobby store I frequent. They had a 9303 2.4 heli that somebody ordered and never picked up. They offered it to me at a price I couldn't turn down. They also sold me some receivers dirt cheap. Let's put it this way I could sell it for cheaper than the Horizon does and still make a nice little profit on it.

After playing with the radio for a while at home I do not like the feel of it in my hands. Nor am I a big fan of the switch placements. I think I might just go out and buy a the spektrum module for my 9c and be done with it.

I know the latency of the 9C is worse than the X9303 and the servo grouping is not designed for CCPM but if I can get the same performance out of it as I do now with 72MHz that will be the way go.

Ted

[peter84]

tbirg,
As a big Futaba I tend to agree with you about Futaba and was days away from buying a X9303 2.4, that was until I saw the ads for the Futaba 10C. I went to the WRAM show and tried the 10C, it felt nicely balanced and the software was similar to my 9C, such that I had no difficulty finding changing from acro to heli and then checking the 7pt curves. I walked over to the JR booth and tried the same thing but did not like the feel of the radio, the switch placement nor the software. I have no doubt that the X9303 is a good radio - it is just that I prefer the look and feel of Futaba. I suppose this is like the Ford versus GM discussions in the car world!
Anyway, I placed my order for a 10C upon my return from the WRAM show.
Safe flyng, Peter

[tbirg]

Peter...I feel the same way...I want a 10C but the thing that really irks me is the receivers futaba has availible. Until they come out with an affordable 6 channel for park fliers which uses normal plugs I can't make the jump. I might buy a 10C for my bigger stuff and a Spektrum module for my 9C for the small stuff.

[Hotwings]

i guess i don't understand, i have the 146i on my 450's and i changed to the 607/617 receivers and they were the same size. how small do you need them to be? i can't wait for the 8 ch receicvers to come out for my nitro ships (i use gov in all of them) my 600 e uses the 14 ch 2.4 and it's great, just two ant instead of spectrum 4 with two receivers. Futaba leads the way, they instituted 2.4 in their factorys many years ago. I now have 4 7 ch and 3 14 ch receivers and waiting for some 8 channels asap. Ron

[mjws]

6300's are 3g and tiny. 6100's are close. Both are under $50. Much much nicer than 617 for small stuff. The 8 channel will be nice, the small 6 will as well when they come up with one that has regular connectors. But we could buy this stuff for over a year now and futaba has yet to release.

Nothing close to a 9100 or 922 in the futaba line. Data logging is nice as well. With money to burn I'd fly the 14MZ and 14ch myself... but it would be thousands more. In time they'll close the gap, and the 10C should be great.

Actually had a buddy just dump his 14MZ fasst for the same reasons. I couldn't believe it. (You'd have to pry it from my cold dead hands, but I'd be divorced.)

Mike

[tbirg]

Hotwings,

Have you ever seen a 6100e receiver? They are tiny and light. The 607/617 are bricks compared to them. Like MJWS said they can be found for under $50. Why would I want to put a $100 receiver on a plane that costs $150 for an plane, motor and servos?

I have one 146i and but I perfer the 156 on my small stuff(have them on 2 450's without a glitch).

What is the the deal with the 616? Why in the world would they put those connectors on it. I have yet to see one person who uses those futaba servos with that connector. It's so stupid they would put out that receiver before on with normal connectors.

I ended up selling the 9303 to a buddy for what I payed for it. I want to switch to 2.4 but I don't have to. My one weakness is being very impulsive when it comes to this hobby.

I am going to hold out on 72MHz as long as I can. I probably will end up getting a 10C...I just wished Futaba would get off their asses and catch up to JR. With the special JR has going on now with the 2 free receivers Futaba is going to get thier butts handed to them.