So many radios to choose from

[fun2goman]

hello all. im new to this awesome hobby and need some help choosing a radio. does any1 have any recommendations and why? thanks :D

[Crazy Ant]

Hey fun2goman,
I'm also new, and i'm using a JR 2610.It's inexpensive, fairly straight forward to use, and a good one to learn to program on.
though I'm sure others will tell you to go bigger and better, as you progress with this hobby, they say ,why not buy the better one to start with so you don't have to buy another one later, but in my opinion, this one would last you quite some time.
I'm sure you'll have some other comments fairly soon. best of luck to you cheers!!

Pitch/throtle curves also easy to see and use!

[CLM]

Another good radio for the beginner or tight of wallet is the Hitc Optic 6, I have one and really like it, about the only thing I gave up was a graphical representation on the curves, but then again if I need to see the shape of a curve I can use graph paper ;)

However, if you look into one avoid the synthisized module, there is many reports of issues with the module, in fact I think most all problems I read about in my research was the synthisized module.

Chris

[tdswan]

Another problem with the synthesized module comes from the user not using only one frequency for all of their models. This can cause huge problems when at a flying field in a frequency-control situation. At my club, we recently had a $3000 33% scale plane "shot" down by one of these little gems. IF you get one with that module, make sure you check your frequencies before you turn it on around other pilots.
A JR 6102 or 7102 will carry you well into the hobby and is comparably priced to the Optic 6. It's also a much higher quality radio in fit and finish. The programming on the JR is second to none in my opinion.
Any 6 channel will do to start, though.

[Crazy Ant]

just to be clear, the JR 2610 and the 6102, are one and the same radio

[fun2goman]

im looking to purchase a mid level radio that i wont outgrow quickly. im willing to spend between $300-500.

[tdswan]

A JR 8103 is a nice radio on that price range that you shouldn't outgrow very soon. It's what I'm currently using.

[fun2goman]

can some1 explain the difference between FM, PCM, and SYNTHESIZED. which would be the best for helis and why? thanks guys :D

[cbflys]

FM = Frequency Modulation
PCM = Pulse Code Modulation

When we talk about our radio control transmitters, FM (or PPM) is an analog representation of the pulse width that tells the servos what position to move to. PCM is a digital representation of this pulse width. PCM also has the added feature of fail safe - which allows the servos to move to a pre-determined position and/or stay in their current position upon loss of radio signal.

Synthesized simply means that the transmission frequency (channel) can be selected by means of a switch (it could be hardware or software) on the transmitter and thus is not limited to use on a single channel that is specified via a crystal. You don't necessarily have to have a synthesized receiver to use a synthesized transmitter. You can set the transmitter to the frequency of a crystal frequency controlled receiver. However having a synthesized transmitter/receiver combination is what makes it most flexible.