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[david48]

I am building Fairmount Alpine and have found a wiring diagram drawn by Dave  of Action electronics (now gone to Component Shop) for Mr Mike Burke..My intended set up I hope will be much the same as the drawing  but I have a stern thruster as well . My question is    , would it be an advantage to have the F14  navy trans or just  the F14. I was not going to power the winches, fire monitors maybe at a later date but  I will do lights and sound .I do not know why I have chosen these model of transmitters, but when I read through all the ads for the different types thy all seem to be more aeroplane / helicopter based. Thanks for your help,  and a belated Happy New Year to you all
David   

[BarryM]

Apart from my two Digifleet Tx/Rx systems which I would not part with, I use a F14 navy. Good logical layout with all the room for expansion you could ask for and trouble-free operation.
Barry M

[Subculture]

The F14 is a fairly straightforward non computerized 8-channel set. It's also 40mhz- wouldn't you prefer 2.4ghz? Isee no benefit to using 40mhz unless you're building subs.

It has the additional circuitry for the add-on encoder boards to expand well beyond 8-channels, but the expansion boards aren't cheap.

If you don't require these additional channels, I would look at something like the Turnigy 9X which gives you 8-channels, and lots of flexibility for about £40. This a modular set, so you can change to different systems if you wish just by swapping out the tuning module in the back.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8991__Turnigy_9X_9Ch_Transmitter_w_Module_8ch_Receiver_Mode_1_v2_Firmware_.html

[david48]

Thank you all for your help I now have to decide 2.4 or 40  all a bit of a mystery to me.

[dpbarry]

Its like anything. It depends What you wish to do in the future.


For me, I have a F14 navy twin stick. It also gives me the ability to add modules onto it in order to expand channels as indicated in a previous post. Yes, they are expensive but you also go the homebrew route which I am working on at moment From

http://cp-elektronik.de/

Its a German site but most of the guys speak English.

Declan

[inertia]

The F14 Navy Twin Stick has the advantage of emulating a full-size twin-throttle binnacle, so you can use tank-steering if you fit each motor with its own speed controller and connect them to the two "throttle" channels. The disadvantage comes when you try to use a bow or stern thruster as well, because you are left with only one transverse stick (on the RHS stick) and you will need this for rudder control. Your only option is then to use an "up/down" movement (of the RH stick) to control a side-to-side movement of the model (thruster) - this is not intuitive at all. I also am not convinced that actually using the twin sticks is as easy as it seems - you will have to use a Tx strap if you still wish to operate the sticks with both hands. An ACTion P94 fitted to the motors and steering will do the mixing for you and save a channel, so why spend an extra hundred quid on a fancy twin-stick set? For those who say that the P94 is expensive - yeah, it is, but you're going to need two speed controllers for tank steering anyway.
As for 40MHz vs 2.4GHz, if you intend to sail where there are a lot of other folk then I suggest that 2.4GHz is worth considering. If not then go for the F14 Standard - or F16 if you want the extra two 'slider' proportional channels and a degree of computerisation. The additional modules are expensive but they are specifically designed for boats, whereas such features as are fitted to multi-channel 2.4GHz radios are generally of very limited use on a boat.
I went through this whole argument with myself recently and bought the F16 afterwards - I saved myself a large amount of money by buying it on-line from Engel in Germany, too!
DM

[david48]

Well there comes a time when the decision has to be made a F14 it is going to be ,there will be those out there might not agree with me, I might come to regret it but hey-ho here goes. Thank you all for the help it is gratefully received

[poll]

 
   Hi David
   If your decision is F14 then go for the standard one.
 
   John

[emlra]

You will sometimes find the twin stick module advertised on fleabay.
 
I wouldn't be without my F14 Navy for the Hermes......twin stick is easy....the sticks are so close together a twisting movement betwixt thunb and finger is enough to provide the differential steering!
Regards
Rex

[Del773]

Just a thought from a complete newbie, but couldnt you take the centering springs of the 'Elevator' chanel on a normal/standard Tx and use that for the second ESC?
Just a thought.
Derek

[destroyer42]

Hi Del773,
I have the navy twin stick and would not be without it also I use it on my large Towboat, twins sticks for props, right hand stick for aft rudders and slider for twin backing rudders or bow thruster. You can also get the 2.4ghz robbe/ futaba conversion kit which is very good the conversion fits into one of the module wells and converts your F14 into 2.4ghz or at the flick of a switch back to 40mhz, so you only need one transmitter for your needs, but you have to change your RX to what ever you have in the boat . The only down side is it doesn't work on the decoder modules.
 
Destroyer42

[upscope]

I used the the Robbe/Futaba F-14 during the mid nineties, before uprgrading it to a Navy Twinstick for submarine operation, in the late 90's i purhased the FC-16, that i then converted to a Navy version, to which i still use to this day. Yes it is a full computer set, but i fly aircraft too so understand ll of the aircraft relalted functions.
 
Many model boaters dont know how to use these aircraft functions to suit boat needs such as the mixers in the set, i now use alos the Futaba 14MZ as my main radio, but my trusty FC-16 is still used for sub use as being 40mhz.
 
If anyone needs help with utilising aircraft functions on a boat, please ask.
 
Paul

[irishcarguy]

Hi Destroyer I have an F14 too, could you tell me or anybody where to buy the 2.4GHZ conversion you mentioned in your post, thanks, Mick B.

[flashtwo]

Hi,
 
I've used my Navy F14 (40MHz) with the Aerokit Firefloat, which has twin fire monitors and the seachlight.
 
The F14 was very easy to modify to give three extra channels for the monitors and searchlight. Each additional channel just required a 5k potentiometer with a 2k7 resistor at each end of the pot. Using the standard Futaba three pin connectors, the extra channels can be plugged into the spare positions on the board. The plastic fascias can be knocked out and the potentiometer and suitably sized knob can be fitted where they are most convenient.
 
By use of the twin-stick and rudder controls the Firefloat can spin either way within its own length looking the part of a garden sprinkler with the monitors spraying the water!
 
Ian.

[destroyer42]

Hi Irishcarguy,
The F14 2.4 ghz conversion is actually done by Robbe / Futaba, it's on their website. You can have the best of both worlds at the flick of a switch from 40mhz to 2.4ghz, it's not cheap about £130 GBP.
 
Destroyer42

[raflaunches]

I am also considering in the next few years to modify both F14 twin sticks to 2.4GHz hopefully the price will drop over that time (I wish more than hope!). Unless another frequency suddenly comes up that we will have to change to, I will stick to 40MHz until I can save up for the conversion.

[Subculture]

You can mod the sets with many of the conversion kits available. I did my FC16 (very similar) with a Corona kit, but if I was doing it over, I'd get one of the Orange modules and fit that in- that makes it Spektrum compatible, and you can then use the dirt cheap Orange receivers.

[Stavros]

Conversion is less than £50 squid

 
 http://www.giantshark.co.uk/frsky-24ghz-communication-system-p-405725.html
 
http://www.giantshark.co.uk/frsky-v8frii-channel-receiver-p-407563.html
 
Dave