Survived another GAS attack

[Stu :)]

There's been a bit of local price blow out on the Spektrum DX6 kit or stand alone transmitter, I guess it's been superseded by newer models, but...

I was THIS close to buying one, I had the wallet open and my thumb on the credit card. Lucky for me common sense returned from it's lunch break at very moment and reminded me to ask how much the receivers would cost each then calculated the price X number I'd need AND that I get away with using cheap park-flier receivers for one fifth of the price.

For now I'll happily stay on 72MHz.

Stu :)

[Kmot]

In NZ, is 72Mhz used for surface r/c vehicles? What freq. is used for air?

If you fly model airplanes, and had to deal with the congested model fields here in the USA you would soon learn the economic value of 2.4 Ghz systems. ;)

[Aerominded]

I've gone spektrum and I'll never go back to 75 Mhz... the cost of the Rx compares to the cost of a cheap 75 Mhz radio kit but being a computer radio with 10 model memory, you only need to mess with one Tx and you get WAY more flexibility...

As Kmot also points out it is also very nice not to have to worry about channel conflicts...

[Rob_P]

With (5) planes ready to fly and (2) boats, I can't afford that many replacement Rx.
I'll stay where I am for the time being....

Has the Spectrum 6 been upgraded yet or is the "inefficient" voltage regulator still feasting on you mA???

[Aerominded]

I changed the battery out to a 2700 and can use it all day long without getting the warning beeps... the battery change was the only "mod" I did...

[Kmot]

It's more than the inconvenience of channel conflicts and having to wait your turn. At a place like the Sepulveda Basin, the much more common occurence is a shoot down when someone who either doesn't know or simply doesn't care switches on to your freq.

[lowdive]

there's nothing cheap about 72MHz... it's perfectly fine. 2.4GHz merely offers you the convenience of not having channel conflicts. that's not entirely true, either, though. mix up enough 2.4GHz radios and you WILL get conflicts. the guys at hobbyclubusa took 40 2.4GHz radios out to their local field about a month ago and came across problems with just 10 radios on. i mean severe servo glitching. i highly recommend that you don't get an Airtronics radio. it was the worst of the lot.


as for switching, it's really personal choice so more power to you! i'm still on 72MHz myself :)

[Shaun Hendricks]

I'm just going to buy the 2.4ghz upgrade module for my Eclipse 7. It's not bad and I can get it with a 10 channer receiver. Then slowly upgrade my other receivers and sell off older stuff. I'm used to the radio so the upgrade module is a godsend.

Now what to do with my JR XS3 transmitter! UGH! :D

[lowdive]

i thought about doing the same with my optic 6. you looking at the modules from HC?

[Aerominded]

there's nothing cheap about 72MHz... it's perfectly fine. ....as for switching, it's really personal choice so more power to you! i'm still on 72MHz myself :)


Oooo, sorry, Lowdive, I didn't mean it that way... :o :o :o there are a lot of very fine radios on 72MHz, of course! by "cheap" I meant hitec "ranger" or Futaba "attack" in the $40 range with servos... which is close to the cost of a Spektrum Rx ($50) :)

To 2.4 or not is definately personal preference... neither being "the wrong answer" :)

[lowdive]

too true.. there are crappy radios on the market. want some? hehe

[Kmot]

Yeah sure, you can buy a $1000 72 Mhz radio and that ain't cheap. But the kid who's never been to the field before will switch on his $49 72 Mhz radio on the same freq and shoot you down!

the guys at hobbyclubusa took 40 2.4GHz radios out to their local field about a month ago and came across problems with just 10 radios on. i mean severe servo glitching.

Boy, do I find that hard to believe! There are normally a MINIMUM of 10 guys on 2.4 at the Basin at any given time. Usually more like 20 or more.

Where's the report? I want to read it.

[lowdive]

i was a casual observer. if they have an official report i don't know about it. i was there, saw the radios switched on and saw a test model madly glitching away. rudder, aileron, elevator was all over the place. of course, engine was not started for this...

one thing that didn't cross my mind when i posted earlier, but had thought about before, was that they had the radios in quite close proximity to each other. as in, sitting on a table side by side. i suppose this could add to the problem and it's not a realistic, real-world application as i don't know of any fields that put pilots shoulder to shoulder.

don't forget, this was with a mix of different radio brands. maybe they just stumbled upon a combination of factors that lead to this.

of course, that's with a plane. shouldn't make a difference for boats, though... in my personal experience i've not had any trouble with 2.4GHz (helis and boats). i also don't have ten people to hang out with. :(