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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: roger on January 28, 2009, 07:26:47 PM
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a friend of mine who is not computer savvy ask me to ask a question. it seems he found an old storage locker with a lot of older r/c stuff and wanted to know if things like old servos and stuff were still good from 1998 .and things like radios and in general just old radio things...
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You're saying that this radio gear is from 1998? Like that's supposed to be olde or somethin'? LL~ Steve
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probably not as good as a Fox 35 from say about 1960 right?lol
LL~
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I think anything post 1991, w/ AMA gold sticker, is still legal to fly.
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You're saying that this radio gear is from 1998? Like that's supposed to be olde or somethin'? LL~ Steve
Kinda like most of my stuff. Too old to be any good and not old enough to be collectible.
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Hi Roger,
Keith is on the right track. y1
In the last 2 years we have all gone to 2.4 systems. These do NOT require any set frequency. This has made everything made prior to around 2006 obsolete.
I'm sure these radios your friend has do have some value, and they are still legal to fly. It is just that there value is way down. I have two computer radios that cost around $900 each, and are only 5 years old, they are now worth about $<100 each. The 2.4 systems are great and they are like moving from tired old fox's in CL to modern powerful electric power systems in CL, a huge leap forward! :!
The best thing to do is take the stuff to your local RC Club meeting and try to sell it, just don't expect much for it.
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2.4 is great for me, I have got two 72 Mhz sets for about nothing and our field has no interference problems so I'm in for cheap!
It's kinda like why airline pilots like used Jaguars, depreciation...
Chris...
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If they range check O.K. and the servos operate smoothly thay are probably perfectly servicable. They would need new batteries, but the rest would be good for general sport flying. They would be good for a basic trainer to get some interested newbie / father - son combo in the air for low cost.
The biggest problem he would have is that some " local R/C Experts" that populate flying fields will say they are not legal- won't work at their field - cause interference - etc.
I still have a 1988 Futuba Conquest AM 4 channel set that I sent in and got " Gold Stickered" for the 1991 narrow band conversion. I maintain it by chrging / replacing the batteries and blowing the dust off with compressed air in a can.
It still works fine - the receiver is not that big / heavy. I bought some mini-servos for it and use it on a park flier electric Slow Stick. It may not be 7 channels of Computer Gee-Whizz with 10 model memory and an LCD screen that I can program with an interface to my PC, but it flies a model airplane just fine!
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It may not be 7 channels of Computer Gee-Whizz with 10 model memory and an LCD screen that I can program with an interface to my PC, but it flies a model airplane just fine!
well said
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2.4 is great for me, I have got two 72 Mhz sets for about nothing and our field has no interference problems so I'm in for cheap!
It's kinda like why airline pilots like used Jaguars, depreciation...
Chris...
Hi Chris,
You have a good point. I like my new 2.4 radios, but I have been tempted to start using my CH 30 radios again. At our Electric field 99% of the radios are 2.4s or 27s. I would never have to worry about interference on CH 30! #^
They may even be OK at Whittier Narrows now? But it is still hard to beat the security of the 2.4 with the new dual receivers.
Regards, H^^
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When I was flying R/C, I used the 6 meter amateur band frequency of 53.3 MHz. I could fly any time without a worry about someone else on or near my frequency.
Floyd Carter
K6BSU
p.s. I still have the original 10 channel reed bank receiver that I designed and built for Orbit R/C (Bob Dunham) back in about 1955. Hand wired, big and heavy, but it works. His production version was much smaller.
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Hello Floyd,
So you were the man that designed the Orbit gear. As a lad I drooled over the Aeromodeller article about the high tech Orbit reed system. There were photos of some of the LARKS members, with their Smog Hogs. I am convinced that the article referred to a Fred Dunham, but you were there, so you should know better than I!
I never realised that you had such an illustrious track record. Hats off gentlemen to a very smart man.
Andrew Tinsley
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I still fly my old 1986 JR Century 7 PCM radios that I flew pattern with. They are both gold stickered, and work just fine in my old time free flight planes. I do have to use a 10,000 ohm resister in the spark plug lead to keep out the spark noise from my old sparkers. I would like to have one of the new 2.4 gig radios for that reason. I have heard that you can cut the resister down to like 100 ohms without interference.
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I don't go that old, but I pulled a circa 1976 3 channel flight pack out of a 1/2A RC airplane I still have around. It weighed a paltry 12.8 OUNCES. Same today is under 2 ounces. :)