Other hobbies and money-pit obsessions...

[Stuka]

Someone needs to get it over with and fly a mini projector under one of these. That would be interesting to see at SELEM.
...

That would be SO illegal outside of SELEM -
And SO cool to see!!!

[Lazerjock]

My RC fleet currently includes a Blade CX3, mSR, SR, 400 3D, and 500X helicopters, Nano QX and 350 QX quads, and ParkZone T-28 plane.
Each of these can be flown with my Spektrum DX-6i or DX-9 radios.

(I also have a Futaba 14SG and a Synergy N7 700-class nitro helicopter on the bench, but that's another story...)

Man, I had no idea you were so into the hobby.

[Lazerjock]

You can get a Spektrum DX-6i radio now for $139.
That's for a 6-channel, spread-spectrum radio with 10 separate fully-programmable model memories.
(Which means each memory slot can be custom-configured for conventional airplane or multirotor, helicopter, or sailplane. Each model only needs to be programmed once, then it's always avaialble with just a few clicks through the transmitter's menu system.)

The Spektrum radios are compatible with a huge list of bind-and-fly (ready to fly - just link to your transmitter) models from E-Flite, Blade and Parkzone, ranging from tiny indoor quads (some with cameras) and micro helicopters, up to 700-class helicopters, GoPro-carrying quads, jets, and scale warbirds with operating flaps and retractable landing gear.

http://www.bindnfly.com/

The micros that are equivalent to what you are buying overseas do cost a bit more than those imports, but the trade-off is you have radios, aircraft, parts, and batteries readily available at the local hobby shops (HobbyTown USA is one of the franchise shops that carries all these brands), with the supply & warranty support of a major US distributor (Horizon Hobby).

In laser terms, it's a bit like i-show versus some of the more "mainstream" laser hardware and software like LSX, the various Pangolin packages, etc.
If you're going to get serious about it, in the long run it might be cheaper to just jump in with the good stuff.

All 100% true! The hardest part for a new person in the hobby other than learning to fly is picking your equipment.
1. Go cheep like most people and just keep buying birds that come with transmitters. This is how everyone starts off until they decide if RC is for them.
2. Jump in and buy a good quality transmitter. Eventually if you stay in the hobby this is where you will end up.

One other option:
I'm not a Spektrum guy. Its sort of like the Ford Chevy debate. Which one is better? It's all a matter of personal preference. I have a Futaba 9C. Mine has a removable frequency module in the back. This allows me to swap modules so I can control Spektrum aircraft as well as Futaba. Of course this costs a little more money too.
I had this transmitter at FLEM if you remember.
Chris.

BTW '09 was the year I brought my little co-axle heli to SELEM and everyone tried to take it out with laser pointers. I believe there is a YouTube video out there of the fun. SELEM has never been the same. Sorry

Chris

[Stuka]

Man, I had no idea you were so into the hobby.

Yeah, other than occasionally tinkering with the micros, I had been on a many-year hiatus from this particular money-pit, but started rekindling the interests late last year.
(The availability of some pretty nice ready-to-go quads made it SO easy to get going again!!)

A LOT changed during my "break" ~
I'm amazed at the technology packed into the radio and flight control systems these days!

The big copters are a work in progress ~
I'm doing just about all the aluminum upgrades on the 500X, and eventually it will wind up in a scale Bell 222 fuselage I have on the shelf.

The N7 nitro will be a summer build, and right now plan on taking my time getting it ready & flying.
Given the cost of and size of what will actually be in the air (almost a 5 foot rotor span ), I'm not going to rush it...I don't think...maybe...

(That N7 is WAY above anything I planned on building and flying anytime soon, but a winnning raffle ticket at the local helicopter fun fly kind of sucked me back in to the point of no return )

[Stuka]

All 100% true! The hardest part for a new person in the hobby other than learning to fly is picking your equipment.
1. Go cheep like most people and just keep buying birds that come with transmitters. This is how everyone starts off until they decide if RC is for them.
2. Jump in and buy a good quality transmitter. Eventually if you stay in the hobby this is where you will end up.

One other option:
I'm not a Spektrum guy. Its sort of like the Ford Chevy debate. Which one is better? It's all a matter of personal preference. I have a Futaba 9C. Mine has a removable frequency module in the back. This allows me to swap modules so I can control Spektrum aircraft as well as Futaba. Of course this costs a little more money too.
I had this transmitter at FLEM if you remember.
Chris.

BTW '09 was the year I brought my little co-axle heli to SELEM and everyone tried to take it out with laser pointers. I believe there is a YouTube video out there of the fun. SELEM has never been the same. Sorry

Chris

Can't go wrong with a Futaba, no doubt!
That was my primary go-to radio brand when I was really heavy into the hobby years ago, and I still have TONS of Futaba servos and hardware in a box, just in case!
(Along with the recently acquired 14SG system I'll use on the N7).

What I really like about the Spektrum is the availability of so many ready-to-go bind-and-fly aircraft.
Until my two big copters showed up, I was all about keeping it simple, and the Spektrum options definitely fit the bill.
I'll still be using that system for everything I currently have except the N7, and that's only because the N7 showed up with a radio.

That said, I do agree 100% -
at the end of the day, Futaba, Spektrum, and most other established brands do essentially the same things, and it really does get down to a Ford vs Chevy debate!!

I do find it somewhat annoying that Futaba, Spektrum, and a few others have all jumped on the spread-spectrum technology bandwagon, but they all have their own protocols and aren't compatible with each other's receivers without adding additional converter modules.

Kind of reminds me of some of the real military aviation projects I've been supporting the last few years...

And yes, it IS your fault ~
See what you started!!!

[norty303]

Also consider the FrSky Taranis transmitter (of which i own one, and am a fan, particularly of the OpenTx firmware which is open source and awesome!)
You can get a FlySky plug in RF module for ~$10 which is the protocol all your Banggood stuff runs on (although I'm not sure you can control the special stuff like camera and water cannon with them, a Google will resolve that for you I expect from RCForums or similar)

[Stuka]

Also consider the FrSky Taranis transmitter (of which i own one, and am a fan, particularly of the OpenTx firmware which is open source and awesome!)
You can get a FlySky plug in RF module for ~$10 which is the protocol all your Banggood stuff runs on (although I'm not sure you can control the special stuff like camera and water cannon with them, a Google will resolve that for you I expect from RCForums or similar)

The OpenTX solution definitely offers some interesting options, especially for someone that might want to dig into the programmable firmware!
I'm starting to see a few of those around the local flying sites in Huntsville ~
Taranis seems to be gaining popularity with some of the guys getting into the larger multirotors.

It will be interesting to see if the Taranis / OpenTX capabilities really gain a foothold in the US, and if the "big boys" decide to adopt some of that same flexibilty!

[DrEvil]

I have one of these although I need to get some parts for it. A light gust of wind to control of it and sent it to the ground.

http://www.xenonproject.com/rc-helic...-p-136660.html

[buffo]

BTW, I also blame Adam, but in my case it's for the laser sickness.
There I was, asking some basic questions from a tent in Kuwait, and some dude named "buffo" chimes in and starts giving me all kinds of pointers and answers to questions I hadn't even thought to ask yet.

Guilty as charged, your honor...

I linked up with him at a laser gig in NC shortly after I returned stateside, and it's been pretty much downhill ever since...

I remember that gig - that was the one where my DPSS blue laser died! (Well, it didn't die, but it dropped to 10% of it's normal output). Man, that was a downer. (Still have that laser though, and it's working normally now....)

you guys better not get me hooked on these at selem!

RESISTENCE IS FUTILE!!!

Was about to say the same thing. Chris, you have no choice. Embrace your destiny. Log on to BangGood.com and all will be well. Join us!

Man, I had no idea you were so into the hobby.

If you think Randy is really into RC, you should see his model train collection! No HO gauge for him. Nuh-uh! He went all the way baby... Lionel... Top shelf. (Makes me drool just thinking about it.) Maybe if you ask nicely he'll post a picture or two.

Adam

[badger1666]

We had a quad flying around the hall at last uklem projecting beam me up syle 445nm cones
Does that count as projecting ?
Uk-laser (robin) wired up a motor with a mirror glued on and a 445nm diode to a spare rc channel

That would be SO illegal outside of SELEM -
And SO cool to see!!!