Best deal on a 6 channel radio with 4 servo flight pack...

Dave

I recommend that you check out

and look at their Tracker II. It's an eight channel and probably not the cheapest up front cost system but could save you money in the long run. Just my $0.02.

Good luck. Art

In article , David B. Thomas Jr. wrote: | Newbee wrote: | > Where can I find best deal on subject items? Thanks ahead of time... | |

That answer is very underwhelming. :)

Tower Hobbies is indeed often the best place to buy Futaba equipment, especially complete transmitter/receiver/servo packs.

However there are several other options.

is the cheapest place to buy servos. Almost all servos are compatible with each other (at most, you'll need to file off a nub or change the order of the wires, and even the latter is only needed with really old equipment) so there's no need to buy Futaba servos for your Futaba radio.

Hitec makes excellent servos, and their prices, epsecially at ServoCity, are usually a good deal cheaper than the others. I only buy Hitec servos now, except for a few random micro servos.

For a transmitter, you've got many to choose from. Futaba, JR, Hitec, Airtronics all make excellent radios. I've no personal experience with the Tracker II that another poster suggested, but it certainly

*looks* like a winner. (Having a synthesized frequency would be VERY nice.)

I have a Futaba 9C, and I love it. It's a bit pricey, but not much more than Futaba's 6 channel computer radios. If you're serious about this, you might want to get it now rather than a six channel radio later.

The Hitec Eclipse 7 looks good as well. No personal experience with it, however.

For receivers, note that Hitec and Futaba transmitters and receivers work together, and JR and Airtronics work together. Some radios, like the Eclipse 7, can be used with any type of receiver, and you can buy special receivers by Hitec that work with JR/Airtronics, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

Keeping that rule in mind, you don't need to buy Futaba receivers for Futaba transmitters. Hitec makes some excellent receivers that cost a good deal less. (Don't forget that you usually have to add the price of a crystal to the cost of your receiver, and that crystals are usually not safely swappable between brands.)

FMA Direct at

makes some *excellent* small receivers if you're into tiny electrics. The M5 rocks, and you can get it cheaper from Whatever you get, you probably want FM rather than PCM. It's cheaper, and PCM usually only works with the same brand of transmitter and receiver -- Futaba PCM receivers will only work with Futaba transmitters.

If you're just starting in the hobby, you'll probably want to use a buddy box, and so your transmitter needs to be compatible with whatever your instructor will use -- which usually (not always, but usually) means that it needs to be the same brand. Not the same model, but the same brand.

If this is all greek to you, you're probably best off buying a complete matched set -- transmitter, receiver, servos, battery. But once you get the hang of how all this works, you can save money by shopping around.

If all you need is a non-computerized, used, 6 channel transmitter and receiver. Let me know, I might have one to sell :)

The best answer depends on your needs. Let us know more specifically what you need, and the help can be more pointed. If all you want to begin with is a standard .40-size trainer, then for new equipment, it is hard to beat a complete system from Tower/Futaba.

But if you have special requirements (smaller servos for a park flyer, or larger ones for a larger airplane), then it's pointless to buy a system with four regular servos you may never use, and can't get the value out of. If you like to shop, can do a competent e-search, know the characteristics and features of different systems, and have patience, then you can find new or nearly new (though perhaps discontinued) equipment on eBay. For the same that you'd pay at Tower for a basic system, you can sometimes get a computer mixing radio on eBay.

Right now its the basic .47 trainer. But looking to maintain a certain amount of upgradability though. I've looked at the tower /futaba combos... I guess one of theirs is probably the best deal going... right?

The new 6XAS looks good (under $200) or the Airtronics RD6000 Sport or Super, Just a couple suggestions... Daze