Just wanted to mention this radio for those who have or are contemplating multi channel boats or who have several different boats.
This radio is unique in that in addition to the two normal sticks it has three dials across the face. The dials can be programmed including being mixed for any function. The dials location allows access by either hand to the functions they control. On most of my boats I use a maximum of five channels so the the three dials and the two sticks work perfectly but on this radio there are 9 available channels!(you can save $50 by ordering the radio with a 7 channel receiver, though)
Another excellent aspect of this radio is that it is available STOCK on 75 mghz which is the band assigned to surface vehicles.
If you have several models this radio can store the set up for each one and by pushing a couple of buttons you can switch quickly between models.
If you’ve ever had set up problems because you needed to be able to adjust how much a servo or winch moves this radio has end point adjustments that make that a piece of cake. If you’ve ever experienced the programming of a Guyatt winch you can forget that with this radio-it adjusts revolutions right from the transmitter.
The radio also includes servo reversing and mixing between all channels that can make some complex models easy to operate and the radio is incredibly easy to program.
So if you’re really getting into the hobby this radio can make a lot of heretofore difficult things easy-its not cheap-about $350US but for multiple models or multichannel sailing it is terific.
I have a FF6, I think its called 6XAS 75MHz in the USA(mine is 40MHz…its ok here in Japan!) and I am very satisfied with it.
Its a 6 channel TX and you have all the mixing possibilities as well. Here s the link: http://www.futaba-rc.com/radios/futk35.html
The price is about 250 USD…of course it depends where you get it!
I guess it all depends on what you’re doing with your radio. The layout of the 9c is better than any radio I have seen in terms of the location of the three dials. The six channel radio uses up four channels on the two sticks and there are a number of control functions one could have where placing them on a stick would be disadvantageous.
On a typical set up for a spinnaker boat the sticks are “normal” as on any other radio and the right knob controls set/douse, the center knob spin trim and the left knob jib slot.
The knobs make it really convenient for such a 5 channel set up-ergonimically speaking.
Tower Hobbies has been offering their 6XAPS every month in their Speedweek since before Christmas but when you go to order it, it is a discontinued item. I keep checking just in case.$240
Go to www.servocity.com to buy radios instead. You can get a 9C for $289 with receiver, battery and 2 standard servos. I think they sell 7C’s and Eclipses TX’s for approx $150.
For the 9C it really doesn’t matter if you have a 9 channel reciever or not as channel 9 is only available in PCM mode and is only an on/off channel assignable to a switch, not proportional.
Or you can sail with the best 2 stick radio ever made.
The JR PCM10SX
A bit overkill, but I love the looks at the pond when I pull it out of its case.
People are more interested in the touch screen and all the beeps it makes than anything else.
It is great as a start timer and leg counter.
If it matters, most sailboat racers using multichannel radios are using JR PCM. The principal reason is the radios are the best at rejecting interfearance. The JR’s also have very sophisticated adjustments for dual/expo rates and throttle curve. They have a new 6 channel unit that you can have converted to 75 at no charge that sells for about $250.
On the other side of the spectrum, the low cost radio of choice seems to be a two or three channel hi-tech. The am versions unfortunately seem the most likely to suffer problems in large fleets.
Multiplex has recently been acquired by hi-tech, how that will affect them in the future is an open question.
Don’t think I’ve seen hardly anybody racing with the suggeted 9 channel Futaba.
Like Peter, I use a JR 10SX, way overkill and high price but an amazing radio. It has two auxiliary channels on pots on the side of the case so you never have to take your hands off the sticks. The moto for those of us using the unit is simply:“Nothing succeeds like excess!”
The Futaba 9c also has programmable levers on either side but the three dial layout on the front face is really effective for some multichannel applications. And for a fully programmable ,mixable radio with multi model memories it is a very good value. I think you can buy approximately three Futaba 9c’s for the price of one JR 10 channel-which is an excellent radio.
I underestimated the JR price for the 10X radio: it is $1,249.99 on special on eHOBBIES http://www.ehobbies.com/rc-air-jr-jrp1646--html
What’s important to understand is that you could control a spinnaker equipped canting keel schooner using the Futaba at 72% less cost than purchasing the JR. In otherwords 99% of the functions conceivably needed on a racing rc sailboat could be controlled with the Futaba at a considerable savings! And you still get the screen and carrying/stowage case-a very ,very good value for multi channel sailing.
Friends have told me that they have problems using a Hitec FM single conversion radio and receiver with an RMG winch in big fleets. Interference sometimes causes the winch to get reprogammed/messed up/in need of reprogramming. The solution for them is to buy a Futaba 7 channel dual conversion rcvr and then use Futaba dual conversion crystals in the radio and rcvr.
Ah to have the money to buy the toys!!!
$1`249.99 for a radio I could see the devorice settlement now.
I agree that maybe a person would need a bigger radio (over two channels) depending what they are doing and what they are sailing.
But for the class of sailboat I am useing ,Victoria and soon to have a IOM the HicTec Ranger 3 fm Is enough for me. Seems to work good for the rc car racers hereNo one I talk to has had interference problems.
“Friends have told me that they have problems using a Hitec FM single conversion radio and receiver with an RMG winch in big fleets. Interference sometimes causes the winch to get reprogammed/messed up/in need of reprogramming. The solution for them is to buy a Futaba 7 channel dual conversion rcvr and then use Futaba dual conversion crystals in the radio and rcvr.”
A couple of things I found out the hard way. I have a Futaba FP-R127DF reciever (75mhz) that came with my Futaba 6YG. I lost the Futaba transmitter, (The sailbox fell out of the truck, becase like an idiot, I forgot to put the tailgate up).
Any way, I purchased a Hitec Laser 6 transmitter on Ebay as a replacement thinking all my crystal sets would work (luckily I still had them).
They won’t!!!. After numerous attempts on all 4 crystal sets I had, I just couln’t get the damn things to work together.
After discussing this with the Hitec Folks at R/C Universe, the problem was solved. The only way to make a Futaba Receiver(which is Dual Conversion) work with a Hitec Transmitter (75mhz(Single Conversion) is the following:
The Hitec transmitter MUST use a Hitec TX Crystal, and the Futaba Reciever MUST use Futaba DC RX Crystal on the same channel. Once this was figured out, I’ve had no problem using the two together.
All manufacturers crystal’s won’t work in other manufacturs Transmitters and recievers. Within the same manufacturer a single conversion crystal won’t work in a dual conversion reciever. I was sent by mistake a hitec single conversion ch 43 crystal and it won’t work in a hitec dual conversion reciever. However somes things do work across manufacturers. You can use the Hitec spectra module in Futaba 8uaf and 9CA Tx’s although not much use to boaters since I don’t believe there is a ground channel spectra module.
In addition Futaba and Hitec FM radios are by default negative shift and JR and Airtronics are positive shift so Futaba TX’s can’t be used with JR or Airtronics recievers. Some newer hitec recievers are shift selectable as is the Eclipse TX so they will work with either.
