rcpak.com; Pakistan's largest website on RC Hobby

Hi All. Being a newbie and holding an active interest in this hobby , i would like to have some advice regarding what to buy as a first step for an RC. Currently there are some futaba EX 6 channel RCs available for around 16K rupees but since i dont know how big an enthusiast i will turn out to be , i prefer to make a smaller investment at the moment. Can someone guide me as to what RC will be good for flying a trainer plane or a heli? Also it would be great if you could include a price quote and place to buy it.
Thanks a lot in advance...

hey ...

get a good radio ... if you end up continuing this hobby it will be an asset and you will happy for a long time (Paisay puray kare ga).... if you decide not to persue this hobby in future you will be able to sell it also. Get atleast 7channel full range 2.4Ghz radio. If I were you I would go for Futaba 8FG (Lastest 8 channel 2.4Ghz radio).. You win and you win!

On the other hand if you buy the cheap radio and later on decide to continue with the hobby in future you will have to make additional investment to replace it. On top of it you will not be able to sell the cheap radio anyways. You lose and you lose!

Thank you salman bhai for the valuable input. will try to follow your advice and look for the 8FG. I found the 6EX here but will try to get the 8FG. I am just trying to decide if i am that much into this hobby as of now or not. Your suggestion regarding selling it is also a good one, i think ill bring ibrahim/tipu on board with this idea and then if i dont follow it ,maybe he can.
Thanks for your ideas.
//usman

Futaba 8FG is a nice choice with a high end functions at a low price tag but still pricy ($480 with 1 rx) for a new person. The available functions could be difficult to understand and work around for a new person into RC and may not need all of them for quite sometime.

The other good option would be to buy a Futaba 7C 2.4GHz half the price ($270 with 1 rx) of 8FG and still have the options which I guess should work along for quite sometime for someone entering into the hobby. The expansive part with Futaba radios is that full range receivers starts from 7 channels which cost around $100 (before discount).

The third option is to get a used Futaba 9C which is a module based radio and can be upgraded to 2.4GHz by simply buying a new 2.4GHz module. The good thing about 9C for you would be that you can use not too much expansive receivers when using an FM module. Castle Creations Berg are nice receivers which will cost you around $40 and will get your planes in the air.

I hope this is useful for you.

Salam

The reasons I am suggested 8FG are
it is much easier to use compared to 7C especially for someone new in this hobby. the functions are intutive and interface is much better. Secondly I reckon a lot more people will be ready to buy it compared to 7C in the time to come. 7C is being around for some time now!

Salman,

There is simply no way one can deny how good the 8FG is. I really admire the step Futaba took from changing the look of this radio from more traditional to a more futuristic one. This is surely a radio of the future. My only concern for Mr. Manaji is that it may be a little pricey item for him who is not sure about his hobby future. So it is good to have some other options too. I have both 9C and 7C and utlizing all of their features one way or the other, have even exceeded the models limit (10 models) of my 7C

When I know that I have reached to a certain point in my hobby and when I know that I can afford it I am not gonna miss a day and will buy myself a Futaba 12Z.

Cheers,
Salam

guys dont you think he should go for a 6 channel, 2.4GHZ, spektrum dx6i that should cost around $220 with TX and Rx.
if he continues with the hobby, the dx6i should last for at least three years before he might want to graduate to 8 or 9 channels. besides spektrum 2.4 GHZ RXs are cheaper than futaba , starting from $50 for parkflyers and $ 70 for full range RX.

and if manaji decides to quit then i think dx6i should sell quick being cheap and preferred by beginners on a low budget.

Manaji

Since you are a newbie, you must decide which route to take. Either concentrate on airplanes or on helis, that is initially. Taking on both at the same time, may cause you problems.

Your first radio will depend on your decision above. If it is airplnes, I would suggest a simple 4 channel Futaba/Hitec/JR with nicads would be adequate. If it is helis you opt for then go for a heli radio which may be 6 Ch.

Later after you have learnt to fly, you may buy a more advanced radio with all the bells and whistles. You may then sell off the Tx and Rx and still keep the servos for use with the new radio.

It may also happen that you lose interest in this hobby so if you do decide to give up then a lot of money would'nt have been lost and most of it could be recoupable.

Notwithstanding the above, it is indeed your choice as to how much you would wish to spend in terms of time and more importantly money.

Skysailor

About 3 years back I bought 9cap for 33k as my first radio and am using it since. I know people are ready to pay 20k for it even now. I did not feel the need to upgrade or buy any new radio. I was using most of it's functions after 6 months this includes flapron, throttle curve, idle high/low, throttle cut and some basic mixing and timers. I have seem poeple buy 4 & 6 channel radios and then buying a new one within first year.

My point is to invest in the best radio you can afford and you will not regret your decision. Pls also know that the features you get in good radio actually make your life easy ... General preception is that you need these features when you have become a pro whereas in reality you need these features when you are starting....

Do not get anything below 7 channel, 7C or spectrum dx7. if you can spend more than 8FG or JR9x.