So I've been getting back into digging out my old combat gear and found a brand new (well, at this point in time lets say unused since they don't make them anymore) Airtronics VG400. Unfortunately, it's in 72mhz and not 75. I think I recall 72 being cheaper and Airtronics willing to exchange 72s for 75s at no cost. Unfortunately I forgot about it and didn't send it in in time, and now that is no longer an option since they don't make the VG400s. I COULD use the 72 in a boat, really nobody would ever find out... but I don't want to. I'd rather play it safe. So what are my options? I can't really afford to just buy a new 4 channel... and the only VG400 I could find for sale online anymore was only $10! I think I spent close to $100 on this... It's got everything with it, still in the styrofoam packing (but the blue cardboard box is missing). Anyone do airplanes and willing to make a trade or an offer? Any suggestions for other options?
I think Radio South will convert a 72MHz radio for you, but the cost is likely to be more than a chinese 2.4GHz setup.
On the other hand, would it be worth it? Consider that 2.4ghz radios have been giving people all kinds of troubles in the WWCC, especially the cheap chinese ones, while "old-fashioned" 75mhz radios just keep chugging away. I no longer use my 2.4ghz radios, and actually bought myself a new 75mhz Polk 8-channel radio for $100.
Once you get the Chicom 2.4's worked out they're okay. It DID takes some doing to get the programming set up, but once we worked through that, it was as good as a Spektrum. I never had a good experience with a Polk; The Tracker I and II's have noisy transmitters and if one was anywhere near my channel I couldn't even put a boat on the pond. My old Airtronics VG400 is a champion though. That's what I'm using in MN Jean Fromage.
I've always used Airtronics Vg400s, and never had a problem... so in that regards I don't really have experience with different equipment or issues. Are 8 channel radios only $100 now? Jeez, I remember when bagging a 4 channel for that price was still a good deal. Am I really that old?!
With the HK radios, almost every person using them in my club has had them randomly lose signal at least once. Gascan and I have had that issue at least once per day, always with fatal results for our battleships. 10 feet away, 100 feet away, fresh batteries or not, we were still losing signal. On at least two occasions, it wasn't even signal loss (with associated failsafe activation), but loss of control with all servos twitching like mad. The number of problems encountered did seem related to the number of 2.4ghz radios in use, and on one day with particularly large attendance, someone with a Spektrum reported problems as well. After trying every possible thing we could think of to prevent the issues, we gave up and switched back to 75mhz. Gascan's 5-year-old 75mhz Tracker III has been working like a champ. excellent control in all conditions, as long as the receiver's antenna hasn't rusted out. It worked so well that I bought a new one for myself. During the stormy Wooden Boat Parade in San Francisco, our radios worked fine all the way to the far side of the pond, while several skippers (including someone with an expensive Futaba 2.4ghz radio) lost signal less than half-way across the pond. That was probably due to the rain and waves, but still... I usually like new technology but 2.4ghz radios have completely failed to earn my respect.
It would be interesting to know how many 2.4's you had out on the day of signal failure. I have used a futaba for years and have had major glitching issues and a signal drop out at about 20 feet out. That one was in four boats so I couldn't have made the same mistake too many times. My second one was the same. The spectrum 2.4 (6xi) I use has performed flawlessly over 15 days of full battles and hours of testing at home. It never glitches, has two reciever antennas and loads of nice features like a timer built in. I liked it so much I bought a second one and refitted the fleet. i'm not saying there isn't problems but I wanted to present the other side of the case for the 2.4's in case someone was looking at buying new radios.
I wonder where all these 2.4GHz radios are that are having glitching issues (in the boats), and what's powering them. I've heard that the bindable receivers running on main power have issues with voltage spikes causing a loss of bind. Spektrum actually sells a plug-in capacitor that goes into one of the servo slots that deals with this, Dave Ranier has one and gave one to Brian K who was having similar issues. Another thing is that if the antenna of a 2.4GHz rcvr is below the waterline, or has metal around it, it's going to have some issues with glitching/failure to respond. Microwave frequencies simply don't penetrate water well, and almost any length of metal is longer than 1 wavelength at microwave frequencies (and hence blocks signals well), whereas one wavelength at 75MHz is something like 4.5 METERs, making the 75MHz sets less picky (and 75MHz penetrates water well at short range). So if you have trouble with your 2.4GHz set, try moving the antenna higher or away from sources of interference (or signal-blocking wire bundles). Also try using a receiver battery pack if you don't already do so. Steve Andrews of the IRC runs a giant C-cell NiMH receiver pack in his battleship. I was agog, but he laughed and said, "I don't have to worry about receiver power!"
There were probably 8 or 9 radios on 2.4ghz that day when lots of people had problems, of various different types. A Futaba 2.4, a few Spektrums, and the rest were Hobby Kings. Everyone was already aware of the water-related issues with 2.4ghz radios, and had performed fine on previous battle days. The radios that had the most trouble were the hobby Kings. At one point, all the skippers using Hobby Kings were out of commission. Only one person reported problems with a spektrum (possibly due to other issues in his boat), and the Futaba 2.4 was just fine. During the Wooden Boat Parade in SF, all the 2.4ghz systems were having trouble because of the rain and heavy seas. The rain was pouring, the wind was blowing the rain almost sideways, and waves were regularly crashing over the decks of most ships sailing that day. So it's no wonder they had signal issues like that, not even the Futaba 2.4 was immune. The ground freq radios, with their better water penetration, were just fine that day. So I guess my point is, if you're gonna go with 2.4ghz, don't get a cheap chinese radio. No matter how tempting a 6-channel radio with dual knobs for $40 is, don't do it. The cake is a lie. The cake is a lie. The cake is a lie!
With great respect, I like my cake and it has not failed me To a certain extent, you get what you pay for, but then the cheap $6 servos I got from HK are the most water resistant I've used. Multiple sinks in the last battle I was at, and no glitching, and this was a rudder servo that I had to throw in at the last minute that was NOT waterproofed in the least. The radios may have individual issues, but no one out here has had them. How are you guys waterproofing your radios? And if you're using WT boxes (bad idea) are you opening them to release moisture overnight? I'm trying to understand the difference in our experiences with the HK radios.
This thread should have a giant warning sticker: "Warning: Anecdotal Evidence Ahead. YMMV" Up here in the Pac. Northwest we also have enjoyed our cake. I'm not sure that we've had more than 3 - 4 of the HK radios on the water at the same time and we generally don't sail all that far away, but they've worked great for us. My Maru has one of the v1 radios, I scotchkoted (several layers) the primary rx and remote rx components and then put them back in their casing. Its seen a few trips to the bottom and has had no tx/rx related problems at all. No WT box and often the rx seems to be sitting in a puddle in the waterchannel when I open her up. On the other side of the question, the 75mhz stuff, we seem to have constant issues with. Maybe we just have a lot of RF noise up here or something, or maybe too much of our gear is getting old, or maybe we just have lousy luck, but too often I've seen boats get 25yds out and then go out of control, or just pick up random interference and do its own thing for a few minutes. One boat would twitch and fire guns everytime it was placed in the water in one pond - the problem vanished with the switch to the HK2.4. We've also thoroughly detoured this thread from the OP. Sorry.
If you'd like to dispose of your HK2.4 radios that you've deemed unworthy, you can drop them in a box and send them up our way.
No worries on hijacking the thread, it's still relevant since I may have to buy a new radio anyways. I just wish someone would buy this 72 from me...
You all need to add the cap to the receiver. I had nothing but problems when I first got my Spektrum. After I added the cap all my de-syncing issues went away. Hobby lobby sell them, and other stores also have them. My local hobby store here in Orlando also carries them. They work with any receiver. http://www.hobby-lobby.com/voltage_protector_capacitor_2212_prd1.htm
Why? What if you don't have the extra channel available for the cap? Mine are all being used. What model is your spectrum and is it before or after the recall? That is a basic cap. I bet it costs more to ship it than it would be to make it. Thanks for the link, I will be making up a few
you could just hack up a servo lead / extension to wire the cap in in parallel, you're just looking to put a capacitor on the rx's power bus
