Alternate radio options???

[HTVboats]

I have been watching this to see when the $bigbucks boats need $bigbucksradio would surface. Take a look at electronics history starting with the Texas Instuments calculator and where the price went. In more recent history the flat screen and computers were priced in the thousands not too many years ago. That $5000 tv is now under a grand. Funny the main stream radios have barely budged pricewise and some have increased with inflation. I have used Cox/Sanwa, Airtronics, Futaba, Nomadio, and now own 2 GT3-B's. The weakest signal was Nomadio but thats with a RX that transmits data back to your radio. great features I rarely used. Over 30+ years I have had a few failures and 99% of the time it is MY fault with corrosion on contacts or battery issues that I could have prevented. I did make one light carbon fiber cowling and found out your signal doesn't go very far. The carbon fiber didn't survive the crash either, but the boat did. I watched a guy run a boat into a cement seawall the next run after pouring water out his radio box. The equipment is only as good as it's operator.
A Hyundai will get you from point A to B, will a Mercedes change much from point A to B. We turn right and left and have a throttle function. Your choice on buying 10 recievers for the price of one name brand. The guys with most of the horror stories about equipment don't own that equipment just heresay. The more I run my Fly-Sky's the better I like them. So does my wallet. Means I can buy more props or a Neu instead of a Leopard which will make a difference. Your money your choice.
Mic

[viper1]

I agree with the whole cheap radio-expensive boat thing though ,it is a little unnerving at first ,

I went through the same experience when I switched over all my 3-dimensional toys including turbine powered jets to (relatively cheap) Frsky w telemetry (not flysky) Best move I ever made.

My recently first boat (Genesis) has the HK 310 radio, cheap again. I only modified the RX by soldering a coax connector on the rx board, so I could use a Frsky extended antenna, works flawless, more programming than you will ever need, and I specially love the timer activated with the throttle trigger.

Only drawback is the relatively small mechanical travel on the steering wheel.

[sundog]

If they fixed the software issues from the factory on the GT3 I'd say they were an ok radio. But they don't have a true model memory, remembers the bind but non of your settings and the exponential doesn't work. You have to go through the process of modding the radio to be able to flash the firmware to fix factory problems.

I use the GT3B and have had no problems. I must have a newer one (2 years old) because it has model memory - all I do is dial up which model I'm using, and it remembers all of the settings - I don't have to change a thing. And the new receivers have a failsafe built in - so you can't go wrong with this feature packed system - especially when you're getting the whole system for the price of most receivers! I opened all 10 of my receivers when I got them (for $6 each!) and sprayed the boards with spray on clear Liquid Electrical Tape and they are now waterproof.


On a different note - I noticed when posting on this site I don't have spell checking. Wonder if it's just on my end?

[viper1]

[siberianhusky]

All fine and dandy, glad all of you are having great luck with your radios but for most of the reasons listed plus a number of others I won't bother going into you'll never convince me. I'll stick with my over priced but well supported radios that my LHS stock.

[Big Lebowski]

Airtronics mx3x

[SweetAccord]

I went through the same experience when I switched over all my 3-dimensional toys including turbine powered jets to (relatively cheap) Frsky w telemetry (not flysky) Best move I ever made.

My recently first boat (Genesis) has the HK 310 radio, cheap again. I only modified the RX by soldering a coax connector on the rx board, so I could use a Frsky extended antenna, works flawless, more programming than you will ever need, and I specially love the timer activated with the throttle trigger.

Only drawback is the relatively small mechanical travel on the steering wheel.

That is what I did with the hack module with two Futaba's. My review: http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/showthread.php?26650-FrSky-DHT-8ch-DIY-Telemetry-Compatible-Transmitter-Module

The ASSAN is just as good; but to be honest I like it better as the receivers are so small and thin and extremely reliable and inexpensive. They are not water proof but that is easy to remedy. I use them in cars and boats. You don't need the antenna exposed to get amazing range. The cost of doing this beats the other options on the market. I just picked out a nice inexpensive 10 channel Futaba and did the hack. Futaba is easy to do as they label the boards. Airtronics don't label their boards as I tried on an MX3 and needed to use a Oscilloscope meter to find the PPM line but it's do able.

Most will just pay more and go buy what is already available online or at their LHS. I don't like to conform to that if don't have to just to pay more which is fine for some. I would only say this option is good if you like a particular radio that has features you want and you want to be able to control more than one model and want small and inexpensive receivers. Another advantage is that there are a lot of neat accessories with these modules that other radios don't have or you have to pay twice to three times as much to get.

There is just nothing else on the market like these for the performance, cost, availability, and size. I've run these now for more than a few years (4) and never once had any issues in different area's under different conditions at different lakes. They are small and easy to bind and the failsafe work perfect. At one lake that I run at it even has a power line that runs across the lake and some have issues with interference. Both the ASSAN and the Frsky have been run there and not one glitch. I even run the range as far as I can see past the power lines and people usually ask what system I'm running! Iv'e spent a lot of time reading reviews and looking on message boards for people that have issues with these and have not yet found any so I took the leap of faith and was glad i did.

Here is what I use:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8354__X8D_2_4GHz_trainer_port_X8_hack_module_PPM _Only_.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8389__X8_R4_4Ch_2_4GHz_Receiver_.html

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__14353__FrSky_V8HT_2_4Ghz_DIY_Module.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__24788__FrSky_D4R_II_4ch_2_4Ghz_ACCST_Receiver_w_ telemetry_.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s..._Receiver.html

This is another option since you asked.

[sundog]

Thx, Viper. I bet I've glanced at it before and it never registered.

Husky, what you are saying is of course true. I've read some bad reviews, but the majority are good, and there is a huge userbase if you do have any problems. I don't use the exponential, so that has never effected me. I just like cheating the middleman! And I'm cheap to the nth degree when it come to certain things. But I can see where controlling an expensive rig with an inexpensive radio could be unnerving. For the most part, I'm a 'take a chance' kinda guy; always have been. And it has gotten me into many a tight spot (but always a learning experience!). I guess "do you feel lucky?" is a good place to start...