9ZWC2 Manufacture Date

[Wa11banger]

Hello freakers

I just bought a used 9ZWC2 and was wondering how I tell how old it is. I did a search here and came up with nothing about this topic. So I called Hobby Services and asked them, the tech there told me there was no way to decipher how old a radio is or what date is was manufactured. Can any of you shed any light on this? as I cannot beleive there is no way to tell how old one of these radios is.

Thanks
Rick

[flyinfool]

I don't know about the age, but there is a place to check and see how many hours of on time the radio has had.

It is in the service menu. To access this you would need a service menu enabler like the ones from http://www.model-gadgets.com/. Unless you feel comfortable shorting various wires together in the tx. :shock:

The service menu enabler also lets you recalibrate the sticks. This should be done at least once per year. Just do not mess with other settings unless you know what you are doing.

[DavidH]

Rick,
As far as I know from looking thru the service menu on the Z's. They don't have an electronic serial number or DOM in the software.
But there is a serial number on the bottom of the case. You might call Radio South and see if they can decipher a DOM from the serial number.

The WC2 version came out in mid 2000 after Hashimoto won the 1999 WC's using a prototype WC2. So if the radio was bought in the first year it is 5 years old.
Now the problem is and this is problem. Back when the WC2 came out, there was lot of WC1 owners that sent there radios in and had all the blue labels put on them so they would look like a WC2. Even had the 3 positions switches installed acrossed the front. It is a problem making sure it is a true WC2. The processor in the WC2 is different than the processor in the WC1. The 3 position switches and the processor is the only different between 1 and 2.

David

[Wa11banger]

Thanks Jeff I think I will get one of those service enablers. :D :D Even tho I am electronics affluent I dont think I want to be shorting out things in my radio lol

David,
Mr. H. Thanks for the tip, I called Tony and he believes that to be true also, so I emailed him my S/N and he is going to get with his Futaba contact and see how its done and get back with me. He said basically I was talking to a phone answerer and not a technician when I called Hobby Services is why I got the answer I did. Thanks for the heads up on the conversion radios :WOW . Everything does seem to be authentic. Did they just change out the stickers over the buttons or the actual face plate? The faceplate has T9ZHPWC2 printed in the lower left hand corner, but if they replaced the whole faceplate there would be absolutely no way for me to tell the difference. I appreciate your info as always

Merry Xmas to all and Happy New Year
Rick

[DavidH]

Rick,
The WC1's I saw that were cosmetically changed. I would have not known they were not WC2's had the owners not told me. The couple I of WC1's I saw had the 3 position switches placed across the front also when they had all the WC2 labeling added also. That is why I hope you can find out from the serial number when the radio was manufactuered. That would be the only way I know to find out if it is a true WC2 without taking back off and looking at the processor. I would think the WC2 processor has different markings than the 9Z and WC1 processor.

The original 9Z did not have the Fuel Mixture Control menu or the DUO mode in the gyro menu. That was the difference between the 9Z and WC1.

David

[WillJames]

Can't you reset the radio on-time timer with a full system reset? (Shorting the two pins in the battery compartment)

The stick recalibration works GREAT withthe UltraPac. I have one and lots of people have used it and liked the results. Seems like the end points are where it really makes a difference.

Rick, did you ask the person you bought it from when they bought it?

[NolanManley]

The service menu enabler also lets you recalibrate the sticks. This should be done at least once per year.

Man, Since I bought this radio, I have had the feeling (and seeing in pitch menu) that my Collective stick is always a little high at zero pitch. I would assume I need to calibrate the sticks.

Will, whaz's the ultra pack deal you mentioned? :) How does it let you get to the menu needed. I know it adds model memories. Didn't know about any other. I have an aftermarket campack (double mem with buttons) that was advertized on RR a year or so ago.

Thanks

[WillJames]

You hold the button when you fire up the radio, and it goes to the "secret" menu. Gotta love the secret menus on Futaba stuff. ;)

I have the directions to the Ultrapac I will PM to you Nolan as it sounds like probably what you have.

[flyinfool]

Will
Yes shorting the pins will reset the clock, but most people do not know about that.
Shhhh i'ts supposed to be secret. Only Futaba KNows about that. :roll:

[NolanManley]

You hold the button when you fire up the radio, and it goes to the "secret" menu. Gotta love the secret menus on Futaba stuff. ;)

I have the directions to the Ultrapac I will PM to you Nolan as it sounds like probably what you have.

Thanks fellas

[DavidH]

Nolan,
Unless Angelo changed his Ultra packs. There is some dip switches on the Ultra pack. You position the switchs to activate the function to access the service menu.
At least that is how the dual 64K campac I have from Model-Gadgets works. I bought this a few years ago when Angelo first started selling them. I have calibrated the sticks and switches on a good many Z's since I have had it. Even kept a couple of pilots from having to send there Z's back in for calibration.

Here is the site for Ultra-Pak/Service menu enabler.
www.model-gadgets.com

Rick,
Also saw a post on another forum where someone said the first two numbers of the serial number will tell you what year the 9Z was manufactuered. If that is true then mine was made in 1973 I would guess since my number begins with 73. But I got mine in 2000. Hope you find the answer to the manufactuer date question.
Let me know what you find out.

David

[Wa11banger]

Thanks all for your replies and David that would suck because thats the info they gave Tony.. I called Tony as you said to and he got me the info straight from Futaba.

The manufacture date are the first 4 digits of the serial number. The first two are the year ( 02 would designate 2002) and the third and fourth digits are the month (07 would designate July).


So following that information my radio was either Born in Aug of 2002 or it was converted with new skins at that time. See what would worry me about that is that the S/N is attached to the case. So if it were changed it would get a corresponding S/N. :shock: I put in my request for them to verify it was infact a WC2. I also am going to order the gadget so I can look some things up. I would truly love to know how many hours are on this radio since birth.

David, Were you sponsored by Futaba when you got yours? If so maybe you all got different radios to tinker with. Just a thought.

Thanks again all
Rick

[DavidH]

Rick,
I put my reading glasses on and looked again <G>.
Tony is correct I would think.
I got my radio in Aug 2000. Yes I was team pilot then also.
The first foru digits are 0072. I was out in the garage looking at mine when you first asked. Brought it in where I could look more closely and that is the first four numbers. The above numbers should transpond to July 2nd 2000 or Feb 7th 2000 as DOM. Since the rest of the world puts the date before the month . I would think that is correct for my radio. Glad you found out. I have never asked before. It is good to learn how to tell.

Thanks
David

[Wa11banger]

HEHE good to find out your radio wasn't made in 73' lol.. I have to break out the specs from time to time myself :D

Well this one is going in for some adjustments and an overall looking at as I do not know its history and neither does the person I bought it from. I know the throttle stick is way to loose for my liking and there doesn't seem to be a way to adjust the tension. I have found all the other little screws behind the grips for tightening stick tension for the other controls but there is nothing for the throttle. I even took the back off with Nolan to verify that the adjusters for the throttle are missing completely. I know its supposed to be silky smooth which it is, but it freely flops around. I will be sending it in and asking for a post season check, gimbal check, throttle tension check, lithium battery replacement just because, and an antenna contact and health check. If you all can think of anything else I need to specify so nothing gets missed I would appreciate it. I would like to get it back in as new as possible condition. :D :D Where I have no worries except the Masters degree I need to now get so that I can understand programming it lol..

Thanks a mil guys
Rick

[NolanManley]

Thanks for the info David. ;) I did get the 512K/256K UltraPAC-II back early last year 2004.

Rick ... get your tail back to work ... on that home theator. I'm getting tired of beating you in Billiards. :shock: :lol: :twisted:

[Wa11banger]

LOL Oh Yah.. forgot to mention to you all... Don't bet with Nolan if you are playing pool with him.. Even if its your own home turf table lol.. He is one hell of a pool shark.. The Theatre room will be finished in Jan bud. Working out the specs on the sound system and am almost done.. I am going to need 9 speakers for the room and 6 amps for the seating.. I want those immersion seats to jump off the floor if the movie has explosions. :shock: :lol: :D

[ChrisLaFollette]

I want those immersion seats to jump off the floor if the movie has explosions. :shock: :lol: :D


:lol:

[NolanManley]

Rick is doing up a theater room RIGHT!

Don't bet with Nolan if you are playing pool with him.. Even if its your own home turf table lol.. He is one hell of a pool shark

Come on bud. You know we both had enough beers that it didn't matter. :lol: