Futaba 8U/9C/9CS Synthesized Transmitter Module???

| Anyone have any details on this yet? There is nothing about it on Futaba's | site and Tower only lists it as available in Late November. | They've been promising this module for a long time -- it's even been found in catalogs. It was supposed to be out in October, then Feburary, then March, then October, now November ... you get the idea.
Don't believe the hype until you have one in your hands :)
| A while back I had a conversation with a pilot who had the 9z and he said | that he used the radio's built in programming to change the synthesizer's | freqs. The 9c doesn't have that programming that I am aware of and so does | this use the rotary dials like the modules for some of the other Futaba | radios?
My guess is that it's just like the Hitec Spectra module, and so the answer would be yes. But it's just an educated guess, and I'm hardly certain.
| Will it work with PCM and FM?
Having a general idea of how the radios work, my educated guess is yes. I'm pretty sure of this. After all, the current modules work with both PCM and PPM, why wouldn't this?
| Will it work with high and lo band receivers?
Almost certainly. Yes. It would be silly to make a synthesized module that can't actually do the entire band.
| Will be worth Tower's quoted price of $99 since single freq modules | for the 9c are $49.99.
Well, if you need three or more channels, yes. If not, probably not.
Still won't give you shift select like the Hitec Eclipse will, but it'll almost be there. If it ever comes out ...

Find a hitec spectra module. It works great in the 9C. I use it all the time.

I have 9Z and I have news for you. Unless you put synthesizer module in it there is no menu for changing frequency either. Only after the synth module is properly inserted and recognized by the radio, does the new frequency menu apears. Therefore 9C could be similar, by having the menu build in the software but it is inhibited unless proper hardware is detected. The beauty of software is: once you write the code and have enough memory, it doesn't cost anything to include extra functions. Of course we will have to wait and see how they implemented it. As a side note, after they release new flagship 14Z radio (X-mass maybe?), they probably will be coming out with new line of Tx's, based on similar technlogy to 14Z (like 2048PCM?). I would wait and see what the new technology has to offer before sinking more money into possibly obsolete system?

Great... new technology. The last thing I need is to start jones'n for a new radio. Either way the synthesizer might be worth the money. I'm lucky that right now no one else at my club uses my channel but that could change tomorrow.

Unless you hook a car battery to your transmitter, don't expect more than 2-3 flights before you have to recharge, and don't expect it to work with shift-selecting receivers. Also don't expect AMA to pay a claim if your plane goes out of control and kills someone.

yep yep yep and yada yada yada.