Posted by Jordi Muñoz on January 3, 2010 at 10:00am
If you want the most reliable technology with the possibility to add a 2.4Ghz signal booster for long distance missions well... That will cost you around $600 dlls plus shipping and tax!! (without the booster). But.. You can get the same by buying this Turnigy 2.4Ghz that is COMPATIBLE WITH JR MODULES for $69.99. Yes that right! You can just buy the Spektrum module for JR and you are done! You will have 9CH plus the possibility to mod it for long distance range and the best 2.4Ghz technology on the market .If you only need 7CH just buy the Spektrum version that includes the 7CH receiver (cheaper), all for just $179 dlls.Also exist many other super cheap options for the 2.4Ghz (you only care about the wireless technology no the radio itself, the transmitter box is just a bunch of potentiometers and switches converted to PPM, except in helis) just to mention some other cheap options like the Corona 2.4Ghz with 8Ch's or the X8. In both scenarios you can still plug the booster.Important Note: Spektrum and JR are the same company, you can use Spektrum receivers with the JR 2.4Ghz transmitters and vise versa. I heard that Spektrum is just the test bed for new technology's (like 2.4Ghz they were the firsts), when the product or technology become really mature they switch it to JR brand.
Just an fyi, the cheaper airmod (the $110 one) has the same tx module, so it will work with the turnigy 9X radio. The only difference is in the receiver, the $110 kit has an AR7000 ($100 by itself, so the air module is in essence $10), the $180 kit has an AR9000. 7 channels vs. 9 channels, both receivers have the same failsafe abilities (important-the AR6110 series and below ONLY HAVE THROTTLE FAILSAFE!), the only real advantage the AR9000 holds over the AR7000 is 2 extra channels and one more remote receiver, which is important if you are flying a larger plane.
Hooks, developers of those gadgets they only need change a BIT so make compatible with JR/Spektrum, the PPM frame is just inverted. The only bad point is that you need external battery. =/ But with ArduPilot mega the only purpose of the radio will be redundancy. ;-)
But anyway i would like not to discuss about Spektrum vs Futaba (is like religions and politics) i have to say that many people had issues with Spektrum as usual and others with Futaba. This post is just about a cheap solution for 9Ch (very important in the UAV world) and the possibility to adapt the boost for very long distance missions (also very important). A key point here is the diversity receiver that Spektrum offer, this feature is the only one that guarantee you reliable reception when you are far away. One of the receiver have 4 built in receivers!! In that way you can place it all over the airplane in different orientations, if the weak signal is not able to reach any of the receivers for any reason is likely that other will do it. Do you remember when you had to move your bunny antennas from your old TV to get good image every time to change the channel? Well imagine that you can put 4 antennas in different positions, so the one with best reception is the one that will be used.
Sqt Ric,
I wish... ;-) .. But if they let me choosee between a Spektrum DX7 or Futaba FUTK7004 7CH, i will absolute choose Dx7, the software is more advanced and the receivers have diversity and configurable fail safe for all the channels (not just throttle). I also have a Futaba 9Ch and JR 9ch (both 2.4Ghz), and the software for JR is WAY better (and you can do any mixing you can imagine with JR, with futaba you can't)... Not to mention that you can do the booster trick and other goodies. But yes Futaba is way more commercial. Should i invent the PPM translator from Futaba to Spektrum? That way all the Futaba stuff will work on JR/Spektrum... ;-)
But it's just a shame that most head tracker and joystick interface are made for the Futaba sh... :-(
Someone told me that JR got issue for bad plug design also low voltage out. Thats why all these things are made for Futaba.
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I wish... ;-) .. But if they let me choosee between a Spektrum DX7 or Futaba FUTK7004 7CH, i will absolute choose Dx7, the software is more advanced and the receivers have diversity and configurable fail safe for all the channels (not just throttle). I also have a Futaba 9Ch and JR 9ch (both 2.4Ghz), and the software for JR is WAY better (and you can do any mixing you can imagine with JR, with futaba you can't)... Not to mention that you can do the booster trick and other goodies. But yes Futaba is way more commercial. Should i invent the PPM translator from Futaba to Spektrum? That way all the Futaba stuff will work on JR/Spektrum... ;-)
Don't go dissing my Futaba now.
Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter
But it's just a shame that most head tracker and joystick interface are made for the Futaba sh... :-(
Someone told me that JR got issue for bad plug design also low voltage out. Thats why all these things are made for Futaba.
Like this PnP Joystick
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