Your Opinion-This is not a "Which radio is best" thread!!!

[bbrown2828]

Futaba 14sg.. had to be the easiest radio I have seen to program

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[landshark]

Hmmm....how to answer this. It first would be fair to say I "LOVED" the Aurora when it first came out. 9 Channels then was pretty much the standard. It was easy to program, felt really good in my hands and did not weigh a ton. Lots of really cool features I knew I would be using. I loved the radio features. What I didn't like about it was not dependable. One day I might go flying and it would be crystal clear and not a single worry in the world. Then next day? Anything I flew would have a weird twitch. I had been over my setups a million and half times. Never ever found an issue. NOTE: My son is still flying the same one he purchased "BEFORE" I purchased my first one. He still has "NEVER" had an issue. Our setups are identical all the way down to servos, wiring, rx's, batteries, switches...everything. Fast forward, I replaced that A9 with another A9. Same lousy crappy unreliability. In fact, nearly lost my big 260 on Maiden day this past April. Fast forward a little further. Replaced the second A9 with an A9X. All seemed to be well. Dual processors, same great feel. Same weight, same awesome programming. And have been very pleased with it, until recently it too has started a twitch now and then. Plain and simple, I don't trust it. I don't think anyone would like to take a radio to the field they didn't have complete confidence in.

Thanks Stang. My story is very similar. I went from A9 to Futaba 8FG(still have) to A9X. I missed the ease of use and feel of the Aurora and felt that the A9X had all the bugs worked out. Your story is not comforting....

 

[rcpilotacro]

Well

This could be a complicated reply, I was a Futaba guy for a long time, started with 3 Channel one (I still have that radio), went onto Futaba Sky Sport and stayed on it for like 4-5 yrs (Golden period i would say)

1. I presently have JR XG 14E Tray radio - i bought this to do 3D Long Sticks slightly wide apart setup and a palm rest makes quick inputs a breeze''

2. Futaba 14 MZ / 18 MZ class apart, warbirds, Slope Soarers and Jets are on these (barring FPV gliders)

3. Sanwa (Airtronics) SD 10G Exceptional for Helis, this one is modified a bit on the throttle side where i have reduced the travel so as to not loose time is transiting from +ve to -ve collective, If for heli i would strongly recommend Sanwa/Airtronics

4. My OpenLRS is on Futaba 10 CHP (Used it with 72 MHz for Heli earlier), This is modular radio with Futaba flavor, Flew FPV on this extensively. (FPV Sucks though)

5. Taranis X9D plus is complicated but one of the best radio for FPV and stuff, i've got RMILEC 433 Mhz LRS on this, with antenne tracker and stuff. For all kinds of combination and channels this is it. In fact i will be converting its shell to a tray from a milled billet. I change over to Range Video LRS on this on requirement basis. I do have a 9XR pro with orange LRS on it ( for non expensive testing)

7. There is nothing like Futaba 7C, Spektrum DX8 for foamies and park flier, simplicity and ease. My son and daughter are using them.

This is a generic reply, you could make a decision based on your requirement

 

[rcpilotacro]

Ah !

one other thing, if going for the latest, go for the one that has telemetry atleast it will warn you in case low rx batt and before loosing TX signal

 

[-Rick-]

Hmmm....how to answer this. It first would be fair to say I "LOVED" the Aurora when it first came out. 9 Channels then was pretty much the standard. It was easy to program, felt really good in my hands and did not weigh a ton. Lots of really cool features I knew I would be using. I loved the radio features. What I didn't like about it was not dependable. One day I might go flying and it would be crystal clear and not a single worry in the world. Then next day? Anything I flew would have a weird twitch. I had been over my setups a million and half times. Never ever found an issue. NOTE: My son is still flying the same one he purchased "BEFORE" I purchased my first one. He still has "NEVER" had an issue. Our setups are identical all the way down to servos, wiring, rx's, batteries, switches...everything. Fast forward, I replaced that A9 with another A9. Same lousy crappy unreliability. In fact, nearly lost my big 260 on Maiden day this past April. Fast forward a little further. Replaced the second A9 with an A9X. All seemed to be well. Dual processors, same great feel. Same weight, same awesome programming. And have been very pleased with it, until recently it too has started a twitch now and then. Plain and simple, I don't trust it. I don't think anyone would like to take a radio to the field they didn't have complete confidence in.

Very much like my story with the A9. Loved the programming, thought that the radio would last me a long time. It didn't. Had one incident with a nitro plane where I wasn't sure if I had a lock out. 2nd with a gas plane but again wasn't sure because I was landing in a nasty cross wind, thought maybe it was a gust of wind. 3rd maiden flight of a 30cc pilot extra 260, a minute into flight in a bank, nothing, could just stand and watch the plane go in. I kept trying til the plane hit the ground. So now I have the A9 in a little electric plane that I always fly close in. Won't dream of putting it in any gas plane, don't like the thought of killing someone with an out of control plane plus I'm disabled so I can't afford to throw planes away.

Bought a used jr9503. No more problems in at least 200 flights.

 

[stangflyer]

Thanks Stang. My story is very similar. I went from A9 to Futaba 8FG(still have) to A9X. I missed the ease of use and feel of the Aurora and felt that the A9X had all the bugs worked out. Your story is not comforting....

Don't let my worries frighten you. As mentioned, I am so anal about my setups. But I can only tell you what I have experienced. Over the last five years with either the A9 or the A9X, I have had far too many unexplained incidents that I have become so leary to fly my planes simply because of trust issues. No, I have not yet ever lost a plane due to radio failure. I think, No... "I KNOW" I have just been very very lucky. This past April when I maidened my 42% 260, I truly just stood there in shock as the girl was headed straight, (and I do mean straight) down with no response. As was the case with all the numerous occasions that every one of my other models had done in the past, so was the case with the 260. After a lapse of a couple of seconds, she came back on line.... got it leveled out and landed it immediately. That was the last and final flight on that A9. Replaced it with the A9X and every single one of my planes problems immediately disappeared. I was certain now that both previous A9's were the problem. It did not matter which rx. I was using... I have not changed not one setup nor one rx. However as I said, every problem seemed to have gone away. That was until this past fall with the 260. As mentioned earlier, I believe I found the issue with the ignition battery plug. I have flown it about 15 times since then with no further problems. So with that being said, was "that" what caused my problem? At this point, Unknown but I believe so. At this point do I implicitly trust the Hitec radios? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Hence the reason I purchased the JR XG11. Granted, the programming on the Hitec is such a breeze to get through. But I would sacrifice learning a completely different radio...(No matter how difficult) to insure that my models are safe. To me a 200 dollar airplane is the same as one of my 6,000 dollar airplanes. It hurts less in the wallet, but is no different when it comes to the safety of others as well as any one of my models.

 

[-Rick-]

Don't let my worries frighten you. As mentioned, I am so anal about my setups. But I can only tell you what I have experienced. Over the last five years with either the A9 or the A9X, I have had far too many unexplained incidents that I have become so leary to fly my planes simply because of trust issues. No, I have not yet ever lost a plane due to radio failure. I think, No... "I KNOW" I have just been very very lucky. This past April when I maidened my 42% 260, I truly just stood there in shock as the girl was headed straight, (and I do mean straight) down with no response. As was the case with all the numerous occasions that every one of my other models had done in the past, so was the case with the 260. After a lapse of a couple of seconds, she came back on line.... got it leveled out and landed it immediately. That was the last and final flight on that A9. Replaced it with the A9X and every single one of my planes problems immediately disappeared. I was certain now that both previous A9's were the problem. It did not matter which rx. I was using... I have not changed not one setup nor one rx. However as I said, every problem seemed to have gone away. That was until this past fall with the 260. As mentioned earlier, I believe I found the issue with the ignition battery plug. I have flown it about 15 times since then with no further problems. So with that being said, was "that" what caused my problem? At this point, Unknown but I believe so. At this point do I implicitly trust the Hitec radios? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Hence the reason I purchased the JR XG11. Granted, the programming on the Hitec is such a breeze to get through. But I would sacrifice learning a completely different radio...(No matter how difficult) to insure that my models are safe. To me a 200 dollar airplane is the same as one of my 6,000 dollar airplanes. It hurts less in the wallet, but is no different when it comes to the safety of others as well as any one of my models.

It's not you that has me worried! I an annal about my set ups as well. I have been flying for a very long time, never lost a plane due to a bad setup. I flew with the old 72mz radios for 10 years at least. Never lost a plane due to a channel problem. Only "radio" problem I had was a servo motor spun in its case on a elevator.

So when I came back to the hobby after a "raise a family" break, 10 years or so I thought I should get a new "great" 2.4 radio....and made the mistake of buying an A9!!! I now know the helpless feeling of having a out of control plane, never had it before and never want it again!!!!! I always flew JR before so I went back to JR, now I like 2.4 again!!

 

[landshark]

Maybe I am trying to convince myself that the A9 has been a problem, but the A9x has been good. It does SEEM like the problems have been with the A9, but will I really be comfortable with the A9X? I can't say yes at this time...

Appreciate you guy's stories.

 

[-Rick-]

Maybe I am trying to convince myself that the A9 has been a problem, but the A9x has been good. It does SEEM like the problems have been with the A9, but will I really be comfortable with the A9X? I can't say yes at this time...

Appreciate you guy's stories.

Probably much like you, I ignored all the stories I read on the flying sites. Thought to myself before I bought it that it couldn't be as bad as some people were saying. Always hear about the bad stuff first! But hey, they are still selling them and yes, a guy near me flys with one all the time with zero problems. So it should be okay...... wrong!!!

If you are one of the lucky ones that got a good working radio, which I truly hope you are!! You have a radio that is, to me, one of the easiest to setup to your plane!!

Guess all I can say to you is good luck and be careful with that radio till you have had many, many flights with it. But keep the plane away from crowds and pits while flying.

That's it about my a9, sorry to get off track!

 

[2walla]

Jeti has the best,most advanced link, but i think the system has the potential to be too flexible. Futaba makes a good system but the bad taste from dealing with hobby services a few years ago keeps me at bay. Jr lost me when they dropped backwards compatibility with their new protocal. Hitec never did anything for me on and airtronics is a too small a market share. Spektrum has the best marketing, best receivers(powersafe) and a decent protocol but it is maxed out with the dx18. I ended up getting a dx 18 to replace my 12x.