What 2ch radio gear to buy?

[Guest]

My locality restricts me to 27 and 40 Mhz and then not the huge choice of bands that are useable in the UK. I think I can only use four in the 40 Mhz and six in 27 Mhz as the Swiss military uses the others. I only need 2 channel gear for my model boat, but what equipment should I buy?

My first choice is Futaba but I'm not sure if they still produce a 2ch set.

My second choice is Acoms and their 2ch set can be bought for around £30 at the moment. Is Acoms still a good choice for radio or has quality suffered?

I am likely to be using a mixer from ACTion Electronics with three Mtroniks ESCs so this is where I will be spending most of my control budget.

[Guest]

Hi Type2

As you are restricted to 27Mhz and 40Mhz then you can safely buy any sets intended for the UK as they are the same allocated frequencies here. The bands should not be too much of a problem as that is just a matter of which crystals to buy within the band allowed in Switzerland.

Futaba do indeed still produce 2 channel sets and there are plenty to be found on ebay too. Acoms are also definitely worth looking at. I do remember Acoms when they first came out and have recently purchased 2 Acoms sets for radio controlled cars. They are pretty much the same standard as all the other manufacturers now so no reason to avoid them. (Servo reverse switches fitted as standard on the Tx's) You will also find plenty of these on ebay.

Hope this helps

Regards........Mark.

[Guest]

Is there any clear leader in transmitting/receiving range? How far is a reasonable expectation of surface range over water with vertical antennas? The lake I will be using is 200m wide at it's narrowest, 1.5Km long and 500m average width. I don't want to get carried away with all that space and lose control of the model but I would consider investing more cash into a radio that had a clear surface range advantage.

[Guest]

Choice of radio gear is purely up to you, They all have the same range on fully charged batteries which is 1000m in any direction from the aerial, so that should be more than sufficient for what you want. So long as your receiver aerial is laid out correctly so that it is not blocked from picking up the signal, you will get this range easily.

Another factor to consider is the further away your model gets, the harder it is to see and thats where things can and usually do go wrong.

Regards........Mark.

[Guest]

1km range is fantastic!

My long range vision is really strong and improving, although my close up vision is gradually getting worse as I get older. I think I will be easily able to see a 63" model at 500m which is the distance to the other side of our lake, just hope I don't have to get glasses for the scale detail work.

Does laying out the receiver aerial correctly mean that it has to run vertically up the boat's mast?

[Guest]

Does laying out the receiver aerial correctly mean that it has to run vertically up the boat's mast?

You could do it that way as it will blend in nicely with all the other wires that your chosen model has. Just so long as the receiver aerial is extended out rather than coiled up tightly inside the model.

Regards......Mark.

[Guest]

Hi Type 2.

Futaba, Acoms, and Hitec all make 2channel sets.

As you are in Switzerland you should take a look at the German E-bay

where you will find some bargins in the radio department.

There is a 2channel set called a Robbe ECO which may be worth looking at. Got a pair of these but have not used them yet so I cannot say what they are like. I am a Futaba man my self and prefer the old ATTAK-R model as the later 2channel sets got a bit ugly and had a much reduced

trim function.

As I am now in my late 40`s I too had noticed a change in my sight when recently trying to paint some 1. 9/6 scale figures. I don`t need glasses for reading but I have found I need some magnification for fine detail model work. There is a head band magnifier product called the OPTIVISOR which you can buy direct from USA for @ £35 and it comes in 5 different magnifications. I have two of these in different magnifications and can highly recommend them as an alternative to glasses.

As my boating is done in ponds in parks you usually go @ half way down the pond and come back up again. I get the question from passers buy how far will it go? I usually reply as far as you can see but

60-80feet is usually the optimum range most people are comfortable with

before they turn the boat around. Of course the range decreases as the battery power drops then you have to hold the TX up a bit higher.

As Mark said the more vertical the arial is, the better is the reception, of the signal from the transmitter. I usually have a small exit hole in the deck for the aerial wire to come through so I can loop it on to a convenient part on the superstructure while sailing and then pop it back into the hull when I am finished. Ofcourse remember to keep the receiver away from the motor to avoid interference.

.....................cheers :scotland:

[Guest]

i have just bought a new acoms technicplus set for my sons new xmas present- i got it via ebay from a business seller, its new and unused, all in for £25....

i have just opened the box and its vastly improved from days of old, the receiver is tiny, and the transmitter is adequate for the money i spent, i will ditch the battery box and the servos look fine for his new boat....

i am not a fan of the LED indicators on the tranmsitter- i think its looks daft but thats just a personal choice....

but for £25 its a bargain !

[Guest]

I know what you are saying about two channel sets but if you are buying a radio at this moment in time you should seriously think about going for new technology and not something that is going to be going out of popularity over the next couple of years. A 2.4 Ghz set can be picked up for 50.00 pounds now, Spektrum do a five channel set, which do away with crystals and the worries about interference. I have a DX6i and the range and reliability are far better than any of my old 40 Mhz sets. The only limitation is that they will not work underwater so no good for subs, yet!

I agree that a two channel set is a very cheap alternative but it is also very limiting and you will quickly grow out of it. Plus the whole deal with single conversion, dual conversion crystals etc...etc.. is a real pain and many a time I have been sat on the pond side waiting for someone to finish with the frequency I want to use. My Spektrum is already set up for five models and I have enough space for five more on it.