The great Futaba/JR debate

[Keybaud]

My LHS is a heli-only place, which is useful, but they are also vary
"JR Rule the World", which seems to prevent them from providing me
with unbiased advice. I am new to helicopters and I've read a fair
amount on what to buy, etc, but I am a little unsure as to which
transmitter to get.

I can get a better deal with Futaba as I can get a useable one from
Ebay or Hong Kong due to the removable frequency module (UK air is 35
MHz), but my LHS recommends JR as they are "helicopter designed".

The LHS isn't even "reasonably priced", so that is one factor in the
Futaba's favour, the other being that Futaba have a lot more
information and support for their products available online.

The transmitters that I have identified are:

JR PCM 9X and 3810 (UK version of 8103)
Futaba 9CH and 9ZH

As an example:

UK Price for 3810 £500 = $800
UK Price for 9ZHP = £1,200 = $1,900
US/Hong Kong price for 9CH = $435- $624 depending on servos.
US/Hong Kong price for 9ZH = $800 - $1,200 depending on servos

As you can see, for the price I pay for a 3810 at my LHS, I can get a
9ZH (albeit without servos) from the US or Hong Kong. Can anyone
provide me with a brief description of which is worth buying over the
others and why (or point me to a URL)?

As an aside, the kit I'm looking at getting so far is a JR Voyager 50
or a TT Raptor 50 with an OS 50 SX-H, with a Futaba GY401 and S9253.

Thanks,

Simon

[Rob Plourde Jr.]

All the radios work equally well so whichever one you get is fine.
The thing you have to consider is the help. If you expect to get help from
the LHS, then they might not help you out with Futaba.


"Keybaud" <keybaud@removeme.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c9ioovgqr6tprl69e05r1hvoburn27f2ig@4ax.com...
> My LHS is a heli-only place, which is useful, but they are also vary
> "JR Rule the World", which seems to prevent them from providing me
> with unbiased advice. I am new to helicopters and I've read a fair
> amount on what to buy, etc, but I am a little unsure as to which
> transmitter to get.
>
> I can get a better deal with Futaba as I can get a useable one from
> Ebay or Hong Kong due to the removable frequency module (UK air is 35
> MHz), but my LHS recommends JR as they are "helicopter designed".
>
> The LHS isn't even "reasonably priced", so that is one factor in the
> Futaba's favour, the other being that Futaba have a lot more
> information and support for their products available online.
>
> The transmitters that I have identified are:
>
> JR PCM 9X and 3810 (UK version of 8103)
> Futaba 9CH and 9ZH
>
> As an example:
>
> UK Price for 3810 £500 = $800
> UK Price for 9ZHP = £1,200 = $1,900
> US/Hong Kong price for 9CH = $435- $624 depending on servos.
> US/Hong Kong price for 9ZH = $800 - $1,200 depending on servos
>
> As you can see, for the price I pay for a 3810 at my LHS, I can get a
> 9ZH (albeit without servos) from the US or Hong Kong. Can anyone
> provide me with a brief description of which is worth buying over the
> others and why (or point me to a URL)?
>
> As an aside, the kit I'm looking at getting so far is a JR Voyager 50
> or a TT Raptor 50 with an OS 50 SX-H, with a Futaba GY401 and S9253.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Simon

[Keybaud]

I've just found out that the JR PCM 9X and 3810 also take frequency
modules, so I guess I ought to look at what JR transmitters are
available from outside the UK as well.

Simon

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 20:29:03 +0100, Keybaud
<keybaud@removeme.hotmail.com> wrote:

>My LHS is a heli-only place, which is useful, but they are also vary
>"JR Rule the World", which seems to prevent them from providing me
>with unbiased advice. I am new to helicopters and I've read a fair
>amount on what to buy, etc, but I am a little unsure as to which
>transmitter to get.
>
>I can get a better deal with Futaba as I can get a useable one from
>Ebay or Hong Kong due to the removable frequency module (UK air is 35
>MHz), but my LHS recommends JR as they are "helicopter designed".
>
>The LHS isn't even "reasonably priced", so that is one factor in the
>Futaba's favour, the other being that Futaba have a lot more
>information and support for their products available online.
>
>The transmitters that I have identified are:
>
>JR PCM 9X and 3810 (UK version of 8103)
>Futaba 9CH and 9ZH
>
>As an example:
>
>UK Price for 3810 £500 = $800
>UK Price for 9ZHP = £1,200 = $1,900
>US/Hong Kong price for 9CH = $435- $624 depending on servos.
>US/Hong Kong price for 9ZH = $800 - $1,200 depending on servos
>
>As you can see, for the price I pay for a 3810 at my LHS, I can get a
>9ZH (albeit without servos) from the US or Hong Kong. Can anyone
>provide me with a brief description of which is worth buying over the
>others and why (or point me to a URL)?
>
>As an aside, the kit I'm looking at getting so far is a JR Voyager 50
>or a TT Raptor 50 with an OS 50 SX-H, with a Futaba GY401 and S9253.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Simon

[Guy Nicholas]

"Keybaud" <keybaud@removeme.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bbuoovsauef2erd38lq6us3ajnj93cou2t@4ax.com...
> I've just found out that the JR PCM 9X and 3810 also take frequency
> modules, so I guess I ought to look at what JR transmitters are
> available from outside the UK as well.
>

If you are going to do a comparison compare the 3810 to the Futaba 9C or the
10x to the 9Z. Those are more comparably matched. I am the only one at our
field that owns a Futaba. I had a 8103 and liked it but when I went to
upgrade I went with Futaba. I didn't want to be another one of the 10X
clones at the field. I listen to them bad mouth mine, how hard it is to
program etc. Yet there is only one dude at the field that really knows how
to use it. I always hear them say, "hey Mike how do I..." and his reply is
like, "don't use code 43, use code 17 instead" or whatever. Yeah, and mine
is hard to program :)

One thing to do is download and check out the manuals for each and give them
a brief read.

The Futaba manual is here http://www.futaba-rc.com/manuals/index.html
I am not sure where the JR manuals live. I have both the 10X and the 8103
version in PDF format and I will email them to you if you would like.

Later, Guy

[_]

JR manuals are available at the Horizon Hobby
website.Http://www.horizonhobby.com


"Guy Nicholas" <guy[nospam]@gui-soft.com> wrote in message
news:512jb.779042$uu5.136224@sccrnsc04...
>
> "Keybaud" <keybaud@removeme.hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:bbuoovsauef2erd38lq6us3ajnj93cou2t@4ax.com...
> > I've just found out that the JR PCM 9X and 3810 also take frequency
> > modules, so I guess I ought to look at what JR transmitters are
> > available from outside the UK as well.
> >
>
> If you are going to do a comparison compare the 3810 to the Futaba 9C or
the
> 10x to the 9Z. Those are more comparably matched. I am the only one at
our
> field that owns a Futaba. I had a 8103 and liked it but when I went to
> upgrade I went with Futaba. I didn't want to be another one of the 10X
> clones at the field. I listen to them bad mouth mine, how hard it is to
> program etc. Yet there is only one dude at the field that really knows
how
> to use it. I always hear them say, "hey Mike how do I..." and his reply
is
> like, "don't use code 43, use code 17 instead" or whatever. Yeah, and
mine
> is hard to program :)
>
> One thing to do is download and check out the manuals for each and give
them
> a brief read.
>
> The Futaba manual is here http://www.futaba-rc.com/manuals/index.html
> I am not sure where the JR manuals live. I have both the 10X and the 8103
> version in PDF format and I will email them to you if you would like.
>
> Later, Guy
>
>

[Alan Robson]

you can buy 35Mhz Jr equipment from cyberheli!

www.cyberheli.com


"Keybaud" <keybaud@removeme.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c9ioovgqr6tprl69e05r1hvoburn27f2ig@4ax.com...
> My LHS is a heli-only place, which is useful, but they are also vary
> "JR Rule the World", which seems to prevent them from providing me
> with unbiased advice. I am new to helicopters and I've read a fair
> amount on what to buy, etc, but I am a little unsure as to which
> transmitter to get.
>
> I can get a better deal with Futaba as I can get a useable one from
> Ebay or Hong Kong due to the removable frequency module (UK air is 35
> MHz), but my LHS recommends JR as they are "helicopter designed".
>
> The LHS isn't even "reasonably priced", so that is one factor in the
> Futaba's favour, the other being that Futaba have a lot more
> information and support for their products available online.
>
> The transmitters that I have identified are:
>
> JR PCM 9X and 3810 (UK version of 8103)
> Futaba 9CH and 9ZH
>
> As an example:
>
> UK Price for 3810 £500 = $800
> UK Price for 9ZHP = £1,200 = $1,900
> US/Hong Kong price for 9CH = $435- $624 depending on servos.
> US/Hong Kong price for 9ZH = $800 - $1,200 depending on servos
>
> As you can see, for the price I pay for a 3810 at my LHS, I can get a
> 9ZH (albeit without servos) from the US or Hong Kong. Can anyone
> provide me with a brief description of which is worth buying over the
> others and why (or point me to a URL)?
>
> As an aside, the kit I'm looking at getting so far is a JR Voyager 50
> or a TT Raptor 50 with an OS 50 SX-H, with a Futaba GY401 and S9253.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Simon

[david]

The interesting thing is that in the technical run-down of the world champs
in Heli World this month JR outnumbered Futaba by about 2:1.

Mind you, they all used coolpower too, barr two or three chaps on prosynth,
so maybe at that level it has more to do with buig sponsorship budgetts than
anything else!!

D




"Keybaud" <keybaud@removeme.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c9ioovgqr6tprl69e05r1hvoburn27f2ig@4ax.com...
> My LHS is a heli-only place, which is useful, but they are also vary
> "JR Rule the World", which seems to prevent them from providing me
> with unbiased advice. I am new to helicopters and I've read a fair
> amount on what to buy, etc, but I am a little unsure as to which
> transmitter to get.
>
> I can get a better deal with Futaba as I can get a useable one from
> Ebay or Hong Kong due to the removable frequency module (UK air is 35
> MHz), but my LHS recommends JR as they are "helicopter designed".
>
> The LHS isn't even "reasonably priced", so that is one factor in the
> Futaba's favour, the other being that Futaba have a lot more
> information and support for their products available online.
>
> The transmitters that I have identified are:
>
> JR PCM 9X and 3810 (UK version of 8103)
> Futaba 9CH and 9ZH
>
> As an example:
>
> UK Price for 3810 £500 = $800
> UK Price for 9ZHP = £1,200 = $1,900
> US/Hong Kong price for 9CH = $435- $624 depending on servos.
> US/Hong Kong price for 9ZH = $800 - $1,200 depending on servos
>
> As you can see, for the price I pay for a 3810 at my LHS, I can get a
> 9ZH (albeit without servos) from the US or Hong Kong. Can anyone
> provide me with a brief description of which is worth buying over the
> others and why (or point me to a URL)?
>
> As an aside, the kit I'm looking at getting so far is a JR Voyager 50
> or a TT Raptor 50 with an OS 50 SX-H, with a Futaba GY401 and S9253.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Simon

[Rhodesst]

>The interesting thing is that in the technical run-down of the world champs
>in Heli World this month JR outnumbered Futaba by about 2:1.
>
>Mind you, they all used coolpower too, barr two or three chaps on prosynth,
>so maybe at that level it has more to do with buig sponsorship budgetts than
>anything else!!
>
>D

Likewise, how many of those JR pilots were sponsered by JR? How many of the
Futaba pilots were sponsered by Futaba?

Using the World competitions as a barameter for what radio you should buy is
not going to tell you much, especially if you're a beginner. The difference
between where most of us are at, much less a beginner, and where those world
competitors are at is like night and day.

As I've said in other posts, I'm a long time Futaba pilot. I like their radios
and have had excellent reliability from the equipment and service from Futaba
when needed. I've met many folks that can say the same thing for JR. The pros
and cons between the two brands has been discussed and cussed many, many, many,
(you get the idea) times on this NG and no one has changed anyone elses mind as
to which they prefer, as far as I know.

To the beginners, trying to make up their minds as to which they want, if most
folks in your area fly JR, then buy JR. If they fly Futaba, then buy Futaba.
You'll be ahead either way.

FWIW,
Fly Safe,
Steve R.