Anyone flying the Optic 6 Sport for full house gliders?

I am constantly looking for low cost radios to recommend to new members of our glider club. If they can afford $350 to $700 for a radio receiver set-up then that is where I would direct them, but not everyone can afford that. And many don't want to buy used radio gear.

I happen to read a post about using the Optic 6 Sport for a full house glider. Not really a radio I would have thought of for FH glider. So I went and looked at the manual. I was impressed.

I find aileron diff, camber, reflex and crow mixes along with the usual stuff. While I am all for spending for a higher end sailplane radio, if you are flying a standard 4 or 5 channel radio and $350 to $700 for a new “sailplane” radio is a bit more than you want to spend, take a look at the Optic 6 Sport.

So, I would love to hear pilot reports on this radio for full house gliders. What do you think?

Hite Optic 6 Sport 2.4 GHz – A low cost entry level glider radio – $199 with two receivers and Hitec's receivers are typically about 30% less than the other brand name makers.
http://www.hitecrcd.com/products/air...rt-2-4ghz.html
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXYWL7&P=7

It is not going to challenge a Hitec Aurora or any of the higher priced radios but it seems to have enough to get the job done at a very affordable price.

I bought an Optic 6 when it first came out many years ago. I added a 2.4 module about 3 years ago. I have used it to fly a Gabby E and an Ion since 2006. Over the years, I have used it to fly many different types of sailplanes, including flying wings and RES woodies. I have noticed some latency issues when flying 3D, but this has not been a problem with sailplanes or warmliners.

The radio is easy to program and has many sailplane mixes, although a few are missing. I found it much more intuitive to program than a JR 9303. The Hitec receivers are cheaper and easier to install than some of the other name brands.

The radio has two sliders on the side which are both a blessing and a curse. You can use the sliders to control your flaps (leaving the throttle free for the motor) or to change camber, but you can also unintentionally hit the sliders and make unintentional changes to your wing. I sometimes cover mine with electrical tape to slow things down. However, the sliders are convenient for ALES, and I miss them on other radios.

I believe the radio is still a good option option for beginners, especially the "lone wolves" who are learning on their own. However, the radio has a fairly limited number of model memories by today's standards, a lighter feel than other transmitters, and eventually will be outgrown. Nevertheless, it has outlasted every other transmitter I have owned, and was used just this past Sunday to fly the Ion.

Thanks for the report. Note that you are reporting on the Optic 6. I was asking about the Optic 6 Sport, which is a different radio.

I had recommended the Optic 6 to many pilots who were looking for a low cost alternative to the high priced $400+ sailplane radios. The Optic 6 Sport is lower priced than the Optic 6 and actually seems to have more flexible sailplane mixes and more model memories.

I wish the sport had sliders.
Biggest drawback is the need to bring the instruction manual with you when flying. Unless you mess with the programming constantly and it's very fresh in the memory, it is quite non-intuitive. I couldn't fly one day because I couldn't get a servo reversed!

I'll have mine up for sale soon once I get a Futaba 9C.

Hi, I've been out of the sport for a few years now. Used to fly Slope and a bit of Hand Launch.
Have decided to get back into R/C Planes and have decided on Discus Launch gliders.
I purchased a Hitec Optic 6 when they first came out many years ago. Is it still a good transmitter or is there a new model out that you would recommend due to advancement in technology etc ?
Sorry if this has been aked before, but I did try searching the forum but didn't find much on the subject.

If you're already familiar with it's idiosyncratic programming of pushing buttons in different sequences, then personally I'd save my money. It has a great many features that will suit, what, 94% of typical planes?

The main advancement is 2.4ghz and no "channels" and no dangling antenna from the plane. That said, not may folks use FM any more so the "transmitter board" of old is virtually empty when the pits are packed.

My suggestion is to keep using what you have until the actual planes you are actually using require more than your transmitter can handle.

So, it appears a few are using the Optic 6, but very very few use the Optic 6 Sport model which is different from the Optic 6.

I use an Eclipse 7. They can be had nowadays pretty cheap, even with a 2.4 module.

crow mix, flaperons, E-F mix, F-A mix, camber adjustment (with reflex), rudder/ail mix. what else, I'm sure I am missing something

here is one for 139 BIN

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hitec-Eclips...item35c026757b

a brand new eclipse 7 pro is only 239 (no servos)

FWIW... I purchased a new radio and am debating selling my Optic 6 Sport or keeping it as backup. If someone has an interest, PM me.

I like the sailplane features, such as variable crow on the throttle stick with multiple camber modes on a 3-way switch, along with many other features.

Originally Posted by cityevader

If you're already familiar with it's idiosyncratic programming of pushing buttons in different sequences, then personally I'd save my money. It has a great many features that will suit, what, 94% of typical planes?

The main advancement is 2.4ghz and no "channels" and no dangling antenna from the plane. That said, not may folks use FM any more so the "transmitter board" of old is virtually empty when the pits are packed.

My suggestion is to keep using what you have until the actual planes you are actually using require more than your transmitter can handle.

Yeah I noticed while surfing around that their some new antenna technology. I always wondered years ago how long it would be until they became compact. Extending a piece of wire down the tail boom adding weight right where you don't want it weemed dumb........So it seems I need a new Radio !

The weight of a 72 MHz antenna is nothing on a 2M glider, but can be significant on a small electric like a Vapor.

There's one thing the Optic 6 Sport does that my brand new (to me) Futaba 9c doesn't...
it can do negative AND positive shift receivers.