Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Model Boating => Topic started by: terence on December 22, 2007, 12:27:05 pm
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I am thinking of treating myself to a Futaba 2.4 ghz radio set in the new year, and would be interested in any feedback from those of you that have used them.
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Terence,
Depends what you want to use it for. I believe it is not a good system for Submarines but is excellent for surface vessels. Model Boat magazine have just done a review of it and it gets top ratings.
Welcome to the Forum and happy Xmas.
Barry
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Terence,
Not bought one because I am put off by the high cost of additional receivers - I expect to use my sets in more than one model. Apart from that they are very attractive - no crystals, smaller Tx aerial etc.
Barrie
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Terence
Limited in terms of Auxiliary Channels 5 and 6, as these are not proper "proportional" channels and therefore can only be used as ON or OFF for a maximum of two separate lighting or sound circuits. Ripmax-Futaba Service Centre have confirmed that these channels can't be converted to 3-way switches or rotary knobs, either. I have several customers who've been disappointed by this aspect when they found out AFTER buying a set, but it's all down to what you want to do with it, I guess.
Suit yourself?
FLJ
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I bought one of the first Futaba 2.4ghz sets into the country back in July - I'm slowly but surely selling all the rest of my 'conventional' sets.
Range is very good, well over half a mile, and all motor/servo glitching has gone.
Highly recommended :)
On the subject of receiver prices, take a rough cross-section of prices on that well known auction site, and compare new genuine Futaba 40mhz 6 channel receiver prices with the same spec 2.4ghz receivers, and the difference is not that great.
The great advantage from the system showed itself when I attended several regattas during the Summer.... Frequency control? Not necessary...
Did I mention the antennae are tiny? 1.25 inches, I tape one under the deck and put one one vertically into the superstructure - Excellent for 'scale' models.
I've got receivers setup in 5 models so far, 2 yachts and 3 electric scale models.
-Rob
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I normally just switch the reciever between boats. The Spektrum radio I use is programmable for several different models. The reciever is not much bigger than a postage stamp, and weighs but a few grams. Velcro and double sided tape holds it nicely, anywhere you care to place it. The servos are the only thing that stay in each boat. The programming for throw lenghts, and the ability to mix each channel eliminates the need for expensive throttle/rudder mixing devices. And as mentioned before, you'll never need to worry about frequencies again! 2.4GHZ is definately the wave of the future.
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hi all i first saw the new 2,4ghz sets at the warwick show and have been hearing bit about them on this forum. Am i right in saying that the only benfit of them is at show or on a club lake you dont have to worry if some has the same frequency as you. Ie on 27 and 40 mhz you had to check that the frequency was free. john
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That's not the only benefit. Glitches from motor noise are a thing of the past, as well as most other electro magnetic interference.
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Lots of benefits I'd think, not least of which is that you're not waving several feet of aerial rod about everywhere you go! Being more serious, I'd say that the main benefit is the almost total immunity from interference by other transmissions. This may not be a problem at a well-regulated sailing water (like the club I belong to!) but I imagine must be a considerable comfort if you sail on "free access" water where anyone might wander up and turn on a transmitter on the same channnel without checking. I've just acquired a Spektrum DX6 kit to put in my next project SB Lady Daphne. One of the main benefits I can see is the very flexible channel mixing. It'll be very easy to control two sails from one stick with different sheet throws on each plus a couple of other ideas I have. I shall probably use the 2 switched channels 5 and 6 for the leeboards.
Happy Christmas :)
Guy
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Check out the Spektrum DX6i that comes with the latest Blade 400 Helicopter (Dirty word, sorry).. :embarrassed:
Its a 2.4 radio that is due out on its own here in the USA @ $170.... so about half that in the UK... O0
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Its a 2.4 radio that is due out on its own here in the USA @ $170.... so about half that in the UK... O0
........then there's the carriage from USA plus any Import Duty plus the UK distributor's margin plus the retailer's margin plus the VAT............ nah. Just swap the $ for a £ and you'll be nearer the mark. I'd just LURV to be wrong, mind you! Shame about those flaming 2-way switches, though......
FLJ
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so with this 2.4 do you still need the motor capacitors??
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Probably open to further correction but here goes. the reason for "suppression" capacitors on the motor is to cut the electrical noise generated by the motor. If you take a battery and place it near a radio tuned to a quiet background, then do a striking short across the terminals you will hear a click in the speaker. You have in effect made a spark transmitter, which was used in the very early days for radio communications, so when a BRUSHED motor is used, you can have a constant spark generator, you can also hear a "mucky" motor on a radio and we used to go to great lengths to get a clean reception on our car (full size) radios cos of the spark plugs and dynamo. Because your new 2.4G operates outside the frequency of the interfearace by the motor it doesn't mean it's OK to generate Fallout for your mates,don't know how much an unsuppressed "screamer" generates or how close you need to be to cause a glitch on someone Else's gear, but it's worth playing safe?
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Fergot to mention although it is intimated in my diatribe, this applies to BRUSHED type motors,no experience of brushless or inrunners or outrunners yet, but the fact that you have to generate 3phase to control them may or not affect the receivers. Probably too small to matter, but for brushed motors how much does three 100V ceramics from Maplin cost?
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Talking of car ignition suppression, when we built racing engines we chucked out all the suppressors and used outboard motor plug connectors. B*ggered up TV reception within a hundred yards.
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How much does three 100V ceramics from Maplin cost?
Cheap as chips, dear boy - but the P&P to Long Island, New York would be breathtakingly uneconomical........ ;)
FLJ
(Determined to make Admiral before 2008 8))
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Maplins dont do them at 100v only 50v posting out there it would go air mail so including postage they would poss cost £1,50!!!!!
Stavros
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:embarrassed: Sorry Bigford for Maplin substitute RadioShack. OK you Pendantic s3d's I didn't read the profile address {-) {-)
BUT, what have I wroten as the first sentence on reply 12? ? ? ::) :P
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Can't fault your reasoning - IMHO it makes no sense to leave these off in any circumstances. BTW Are you by any chance Johnny Wroten? Where do I claim my ten shillings?
FLJ
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all my cars never had the caps added to them, i only started hearing about them
in the boat forums. i'm in the market for a multichannel radio soon for the
happy hunter. i really like the robbie f14navy but the the 2,4 stuff seem the way to go
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Its a 2.4 radio that is due out on its own here in the USA @ $170.... so about half that in the UK... O0
........then there's the carriage from USA plus any Import Duty plus the UK distributor's margin plus the retailer's margin plus the VAT............ nah. Just swap the $ for a £ and you'll be nearer the mark. I'd just LURV to be wrong
Horizon's projected price in the uk for Transmitter / receiver... £110
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Blast from the past FLJ Lobby Ludd? ? ?
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Blast from the past FLJ Lobby Ludd? ? ?
Too much past, mate! Ref price of RC gear; sounds good IF it's right. Don't mind being wrong if everyone wins a prize.
FLJ
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There used to be another issue.
Something to do with power output of non EU sets.
Something like US sets knock out more (don't know the actual unit as I am not a radio buff) Watts, and are non EU compliant. As EU permitted Tx output is much lower.
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Pretty sure that has been fixed now. The UK regs now allow 100mW if I remember correctly.
Barrie
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Barrie, you are right. 100mWatts is the limit in the UK but in the USA the limit is 1Watt. Not that the American sets are that high but they may be over 100mW. For more details go to - http://www.ukrcc.org (http://www.ukrcc.org)
Fred
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Fergot to mention although it is intimated in my diatribe, this applies to BRUSHED type motors,no experience of brushless or inrunners or outrunners yet, but the fact that you have to generate 3phase to control them may or not affect the receivers. Probably too small to matter, but for brushed motors how much does three 100V ceramics from Maplin cost?
I've been looking into brushless motors for electric flight. All the info I've found is that suppression isnt required for these motors.
As for the 2.4Ghz sets, like any new technology, I'd be inclined not to rush out and buy a new set just yet. If you can, hang fire and see what new additions are made to the fairly basic 2.4Ghz transmitter set ups. But that's just my opinion!
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I have rc helicopters, and the spektrum kit (tx and rx) is as previuosly mentioned standard on an eflite blade cx2. I just picked up a tx (4channel, with additional proportional knob), and 6 ch rx for such a heli for £15.00 on fleabay, admittadly that was cheap, but there are a couple on there now . Its a pretty basic piec of kit, but perfect for my use as I only want 1 extra channel, and my local lake attracts loads of kids with their 27mhz and 40 mhz boats, so I have no interference worries, stubby aerial, only 4 aa batteries in the tx, just got to keep the rx nice and dry!
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I have a Spektrum DX7 2,4 a good bit of kit i think just go to the lake turn boat tran;s boat in to water and i am a happy chappy have ten boats all in all just 1or<a href="http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s78/jinks8/?action=view¤t=047SmallWinCE2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s78/jinks8/047SmallWinCE2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">[/url]2
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Hi
I can't imagine that the Spektrum Pmdevlin refers to is a DX6 or DX7. I bought a DX6 recently on ebay and they are fetching around £100 AFAICS. It's certainly not basic by any means. Preset and programmable mixes, dual rates, exponential function, adjustable servo travel, 10 model memories etc etc
BTW I bought mine for use in slow speed scale models but i've heard the odd rumour that some people are having problems with 2.4 GHz in models which generate lots of spray. It makes sense in principle, given the tendency of water molecules to absorb microwave radiation, but has any one actually had problems in parctice?
BTW again. I should add that Horizon advise that the DX6 shouldn't be used in boats at all.
cheers
Guy
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One off our club members had a problem with the DX6 but he got his from the good old US of A In parts off the lake it would hit a dead spot got his self a DX7 from UK had no prob's after that.He runs fast electric. The fastest boat i have is a club 500 i will say I have not had trouble with my set O0
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This is probs the noob question of the year O0 Im thinkin of gettin a 2.4 but is the dx6 really ok? I dont want to spend loads of money on a 2.4 atm because of the lack of 3 way switchs, but iv found a place in the UK that is sellin the dx6 for £50 and im thinkin it might be worth gettin one for alittle while ( the lake i use it an open water )
Im not sure if they are £50 else where il have alittle look into that, but im guessin its worth a try with one?
all the best
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2.4Ghz for £70! Look here http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=26029&catCode=598&tamiya=0 (http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=26029&catCode=598&tamiya=0).
Trouble is it's an amazing scale model and you won't want to break it up to get the radio out. I saw one on Saturday and could not believe the performance. It has 2 true servos and I presume one direction motor control. I asked the guy (at Leamington MRC show) if the radio was a true superhet or broadband like many other toys and he showed me the tx which took a couple of seconds to register was 2.4Ghz. He said he paid £60 for it.
Absolutely ideal for those aircraft carrier flying off projects! But also for small R/C boats. Even includes Lipo battery and motor. How the world is changing.
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Guys, 50V ceramics are perfectly good enough. You can also use transient voltage suppressors across the motor. these like back-back fast zener diodes that clamp at their rated voltage. e.g 15V for a 12V system. Use these AS WELL as the capacitors, not instead of.
I've also written an extensive article on RFI suppression and I sell all the parts, ferrite beads etc. My home page is
My RFI Suppression article is at :
Link Dead
I also make and sell some very advanced sound modules. take a look at :
Link Dead
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I've also written an extensive article on RFI suppression and I sell all the parts, ferrite beads etc. My home page is
My RFI Suppression article is at :
I also make and sell some very advanced sound modules. take a look at :
***All three links in the post redirected to online casinos***
David,
This leads to two conclustions.
Either you have been hacked or you are a spammer. I am almost certain it is a hack.
TT Moderator
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Probably because this thread is 15 years old, the domain names have long since been sold off to a company that uses dead links to reroute to dodgy sites…