WessexWyvern said:
Thanks ianwood for suggesting the 14SG as a P2 TX replacement. I'm contemplating building some cheap and simple fixed wing aircraft as well as building some mini quads,so I've been wondering where to start when it comes to radio gear and that would seem to fit the bill, particularly as I already have an iOSD, canbus and anti-interference board wedged inside the shell. I don't really want to try and find space for another RX if I can avoid it.
Is it easy enough for a complete novice to bind to the P2? And do you know if it would limit me in anyway when I expand into using it with other aircraft (ie are the RXs particularity expense, hard to source, not suited to certain types of a/c - that sort of thing)?
The Futaba has many features - some alluded to in this thread - that make it fun to use with the Phantom. It is not necessary to have it - but it isn't necessary to have a Phantom, either. I trust the stock DJI rx, BTW, so there wouldn't be anything wrong in using it 100%. It's just that I have a Futaba 8 for the Phantom and it is very nice and feature rich. I have a 14sg for my T810 - which I need since I'm using more than 7 channels.
Binding to the P2 rx is the same as binding the stock tx. Use the manual - it is simple.
I've run into this issue of whether the Futaba will work well with other RC aircraft. The answer is that it will if you have the option of installing your receiver - your rx will not be cheap (> $100 in some cases). For BNF (bind and fly) aircraft which come with their own receiver, it appears the Futaba won't mate up easily. The weapon of choice for the small RC world such as Park flyer, 3D, etc is Spectrum. Many of the BNF aircraft expect a Spectrum or compatible of at least 4 channels. Hobbyking make cheap, small rx for them (< $20) and even 3 axis flight stabilizers for $25 or so. Tie one of them up to a foamie and you have a fairly stable platform even in mild wind.
The good news, a 6 channel Spectrum works for most aircraft - and it only costs $129 new. Although I have a Devo 7 that I got with an F550 and have been using it successfully with non-BNF. The DX6 (Spectrum) has full features, model selection and program-ability so you can dial in important features such as Elevon control, Dual Rate, and Exponential. Expo seems one of the most important and the cheaper tx do not always have it.
You want mode 2 if you expect the throttle to be on the left.
You will probably want centering throttle sticks for the multis. If you do that, then you don't want to use that tx on an RC aircraft.
So - in my normal fiscally conservative way - I said screw it and bought the Spectrum and am now looking at converting my RC airplanes to Spectrum/OrangeRX rx and stabilizers.