Question of the Week — What’s your Favorite Radio Programming Feature?

Question of the Week — What’s your Favorite Radio Programming Feature?

Over the years, RC transmitters and radio systems have developed from basic escapement Galloping Ghost rigs and Reed systems, to 27 and 72Mhz systems, to today’s amazing 2.4Ghz programmable computer controlled radios. What’s your favorite new radio feature? Dual-rates? Mixing? Wing and tail configuration, Telemetry, or something else? Tell us what you think is the best thing about your new computer radio system… We’d like to know what your think.

radios

Updated: August 4, 2014 — 3:52 PM

33 Comments

  1. Obviously 2.4 Ghz is the best. The attention point now is on the programming features and, not least, the simplicity of how you can program your radio.
    For example my Futaba 7C (2,4 Ghz) is fantastic for radio transmitting interference free, but isn’t so simple to program….

  2. flight conditions……

  3. Of course Expo and throw are the two best but also at the top is the ability to mix controls.

  4. servo travel limits

  5. Large Back lit LCD displays and the ability to have one radio and multiple airplanes stored in memory. Also, some of the newer radio systems will perform complicated mixes for you based on tail and wing configuration. That is a nice feature as well.

  6. Mixing and travel adj are top of the list, but what I’d like to see is more than four proportional channels.

  7. short transmitter antennas that don’t catch on things!

  8. Aurora 9x SLT and throttle curve make it easy to fly multi copters.

  9. I like the aileron/rudder mix that helps so much with adverse yaw. It makes scale models like the J3 Cub fly much more realistically and helps them stay in the groove!

    1. Kind of off the topic but Mike Schaefer, how did you go about setting up the aileron/rudder mix on the J3. Have a 1/4 scale and not sure how it is done.

      Thanks
      Ellis

  10. #1 – Exponential, to keep me from over controlling with some of my “tritchier” models.
    #2 – Control mixing, to allow adding rudder to aileron, just as I did with feet and hands in full-scale airplanes.
    #3 – model-specific mixing, so I don’t take off with the transmitter set for the wrong model.

  11. I like the timer feature on my Tactic TTX650. Since I’m flying electric it lets me know when it’s time to land, avoiding dead stick situations and long walks to retrieve my planes.

  12. Silverton to rudder mixing and end point servo setting

  13. Expo, End point, throttle cut, servo delay

  14. Throttle to Elevator on some birds that want to climb on hard throttle..

  15. telemetry with voice (Taranis).
    it lets me know when it’s time to land, and if the signal is going weak
    A type of insurance

  16. Kind of off the topic but Mike Schaefer, how did you go about setting up the aileron/rudder mix. Not sure how it is done.

    Thanks
    Ellis

  17. expotential

  18. On my 14MZ, I like to be able to place a delay between my flight conditions. This way, when I switch from one condition to another, then the control surfaces don’t jump, they move smoothly. Also, I like to have a “Landing Condition” which ensures that any and all mixes are disabled; great for a potential deadstick during a 3D maneuver. The sequencer is great for blinking LEDs on my night flyer.The ability to have my 14MZ “remember” the control inputs (like for knife edge coupling) is really handy for setting these mixes up. Finally, having my radio speak to me and tell me which aircraft is selected and which condition is selected is really handy.

  19. Telemetry is of the biggest help for me so that I can monitor my electric motor and pick the correct prop for competition like a LMR event. Just can’t hear an electric motor to tell how it is performing
    at altitude.

  20. Telemetry, all my equipment coincides for use with telemetry, so now its a matter of using this technology to gain the expertise.

    1. Sorry, back to basics: Servo reversing, Just remember how hard it was sometimes to accommodate servo installation, as well as exponential and channels mixing.

  21. Dual rates and exponential programming—–definitely.

  22. Telemetry and Voice are my favorites for my large electric models. It monitors my battery voltage and lets me know when it is time to land and the battery will be at 20%.

  23. Me I like them all. When I started you couldn’t even reverse the servos.

  24. First is having expo. Then travel adjustment. Mixing control surfaces,and the Down timer

  25. My favorites are dual rates and programmable switches. Comment to radio manufacturers, why can’t we get color touchscreens? I can get a color touchscreen on a $20 MP3 player. I would pay a few dollars more for that feature.

  26. “Instant Trim”
    I have used programming from top Brands like Futaba, Spectrum, & JR. All programming pales when compared to OPENTX. You find this firmware on the FrSky Taranis. OPENTX can be flashed into the low cost Turnigy 9X, 9XR, & 9XR-Pro. Nicknamed “The Peoples Radio” it is very easy to use for newbie’s. It can also do more complex mixing than any of the other brands. It has everything the others do but has many features the top brands do not have. Just to name my favorite is “Instant Trim”. Ever maiden a plane that is so far out of trim you can’t take your right hand off the stick? Instant trim solves this by a flip of a switch. For example, as you hold your plane flat and level with say a lot of up elevator and right aileron, toggle your designated “Instant Trim” switch and your current stick placement is dumped into your trim settings. Presto, your plane is very close to perfect. Now you can finish trimming in the usual trim tab way. I like using one of the buttons on the left side of the radio to make it easier while maidening that plane that is just way out of trim. Dwight Martin President – Aeromodelers Club of Guam

  27. As i fly mostly electric gliders , also F5J comp. , i like flight conditions . But if thinking deeper , maybe honor must go to this , that rc radio transmitter is having processor and program , what allows end user to make all these mixings . Just be smart enough to push buttons !!! Day by day forward , transmitters are being lighter , same time ballbearing gimbals , color displays(touch screens) , telemetry and so on are presented . Wonderful life !!!

  28. i have a 6 i and I may be slow, but, there are more features than I believe I will ever use..I am not a pro-flyer, and I know I will never be able to do all the stunts.
    But I think this TX could have been explained in more detail than the manual does!!!

  29. That’s a tough question. I fly IMAC and after programming all my digital servos, I then jump in to transmitter programming; throw limits, expo and mixing. My favorite mixes are throttle to aileron and rudder to aileron to help with throttle transition and adverse yaw.

  30. Hi,
    Flaps operated for slow deflection by 3 position switch.
    This is basic featue taken from fullsize plane is not simple to program in most radios.

  31. Arrive at digital trim screen? Tactic ttx650

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