Modern radios - questions - research

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

good morning to all-

Unfortunately it looks like the well of NOS Magnum Juniors from the 90s has dried up and I'm gonna have to get into a modern radio.

I am pretty sure I'm going to buy the MT44, Sanwa, and I'm seeing rumors that it's about to be discontinued if not already has been.

I'm thinking about what my usage will be and what I need.

I won't likely be racing.  Could happen but I doubt it.   I do see myself possibly installing LEDs into my models.  I'd really like headlights in my Golf I'm building.  Does this require a channel on the radio/receiver?

The Sanwa MT44 to my understanding is 4 channels.   From my foggy memory of the old days, rarely did we use more than 3 channels.   Some people used a 3rd servo for shifting of some models from what I remember or doing some other function.

Why would you need 4 channels today? Lights? Brake lights?

 

Servos:  It looks like most are super pricey and don't come with the radios.  This blows my mind.  $329 radio and all you get is the receiver and radio?

Does Sanwa make basic servos (thinking like the S148 Futabas of old)...?  Can I use other brands of servos with the MT44?  Is there a reason to do so?

Sorry for so many questions and rambling, I'll take the answers off the air     Thank you.

[bRIBEGuy 3044]

Typically any brand of servo will work with any brand of radio.  Lots of cheap servo options out there... I tend to like Hitec.

Tx itself, will be dependent on brand preference and the features you want.  I like Futaba, but the programing can be non-intuitive.  Be sure to look into Rx cost as well, as some get pricey quick if you need to buy a bunch of them (Futaba for example).

More channels = more options for future work/usage.  MANY modern vehicles use a 3rd channel for a 2-speed transmission (dig, remote locker, etc...), so having a 4th channel opens up the options for lights.  Or you can use channel 3 & 4 for lights, allowing separate control for say, headlights and AUX lights.

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

14 minutes ago, bRIBEGuy said:

Typically any brand of servo will work with any brand of radio.  Lots of cheap servo options out there... I tend to like Hitec.

Tx itself, will be dependent on brand preference and the features you want.  I like Futaba, but the programing can be non-intuitive.  Be sure to look into Rx cost as well, as some get pricey quick if you need to buy a bunch of them (Futaba for example).

More channels = more options for future work/usage.  MANY modern vehicles use a 3rd channel for a 2-speed transmission (dig, remote locker, etc...), so having a 4th channel opens up the options for lights.  Or you can use channel 3 & 4 for lights, allowing separate control for say, headlights and AUX lights.

That really helps!  Thanks for this info.

[Frog Jumper 3658]

I have a Sanwa MX-V.  Its a wonderful Tx, but its almost impossible to find replacement Rx units.

I'm thinking about upgrading to a MX-6, but I'm happy with my cheapo FlySky at the moment.  It helps that you can buy Rx units for about $10 per...

Terry

 

 

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

I just don't want to use something that feels cheap and lightweight.  I hand held the MT44 and it feels a bit more substantial.  I think I'm locked in on that radio because the Futabas now are a joke.  They feel like toys.  Sad but true.

I realize I have to act quickly b/c the MT44 is out of manufacture.  Cost of more receivers and servos is def a concern.  I don't see myself owning more than a 5 or 10 vehicles going forward.

My top priority is how the radio feels to hold.  Strange I know, but I like having some weight there.

Features, expandability, reliability, ease of support, those are the next ones.

Problem is, almost nobody carries Sanwa locally so I will likely be ordering online.

[bRIBEGuy 3044]

14 minutes ago, JeffSpicoli said:

I just don't want to use something that feels cheap and lightweight.  I hand held the MT44 and it feels a bit more substantial.  I think I'm locked in on that radio because the Futabas now are a joke.  They feel like toys.  Sad but true.

My top priority is how the radio feels to hold.  Strange I know, but I like having some weight there.

This logic technically makes no sense, but I am 100% in agreement with you!

I have an older Futaba 4PK, and while not as substantial feeling as the 3PL I had before it, it's still quite nice in the hand.  A couple years ago, I picked up a 4PM for my wife, and while it's as good (if not better) than my 4PK, it's crazy light and as such, feels like a "toy" in my twisted old man brain.  I can logically understand that it's using less batteries, better materials, and a bunch of other things that should make the lighter weight a "benefit", but somehow... it just makes me sad.  Luckily my wife has none of these preconceived goofy notions, and she LOVES how light it feels.  But, here I sit, contemplating upgrading my old 4PK to a new 10PX, and I can't get over the "fear" of paying that much for something so much lighter.
The more I type, the more I realize how dumb I am... 

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

I just ordered the MT44 from Desert Hobbies, I'll look into these hiteck servos. The receiver on the MT44 looks nice and small.  Should work nicely in the Golf Group 2. 

I'm assuming I can plug in a Tamiya ESC or any ESC into their receivers.

 

[Frog Jumper 3658]

I’ve been using Futaba 3003 and 3004 servos for a couple of years on my light duty cars, including the BarbieFoot.  They work great for being so cheap…

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

I'm just going to look for something maybe midrange, but micro or small to keep as much open space on the chassis as possible for this car.

At the servo saver step and front linkage step with this car.

[Tbird232ci 333]

I used a FlySky GT3b for a few years, and the only reason I stopped was that I tried to upgrade the voltage regulator, convert to lipo and do a few other mods and did something wrong. 

I currently use a GT3c and it's a bit nicer. Already has a lithium battery in it and a better voltage regulator. I haven't gotten to it, but there is a firmware update that can be done to increase the model memory to something like 64 models.

On the topic of lightness, I have seen other people have a similar concern to the point of using lead weights and tape to add to weight and balance to the transmitter. Then using some tennis tape to make the controller have a little more girth.

 

 I know you made your choice with the Sanwa, which is a very good choice. I wanted to add some input about the FlySky as other people may be looking around for something more modern and it's an inexpensive and viable option.

[Mad Ax 9310]

Sanwa radios are great, I don't use one but I know lots of people who do and they're very happy with them.  I would like to think that compatible receivers will be available for a while even if the Tx is discontinued, but I can't say for sure.  You'd have to check the receiver specs.  Like many others, what puts me off of a brand-name radio is the cost of compatible brand-name receivers.

In case anyone else wants further input - I had / have a FlySky GT-5, which was well-featured if a bit light, but after very little use the throttle pot wore out and a replacement is rarer than rocking horse poo.  I'm not the only person who's had this problem and for that reason I can't recommend them.  OTOH, I absolutely love my FlySky FS-i6 stick transmitters - I deliberately bought the older i6 and not the newer i6S, because the old one looks like a proper transmitter and the new has that same horrible lozenge square-with-rounded-corners style that smartphones were cursed with a decade ago and are only barely growing out of now.

[Jonathon Gillham 4605]

The MT44 is a great choice. The new MT5 is out but it only works with the new FH5 rx and they will be expensive for a while yet. I have the MT4S and while its older now it still works great.

The only downside to Sanwa is the price of rx. However, they are so popular that secondhand rx often come up for sale, grab them when you can. The other thing is there are clone rx available which work well. I have the DasMikro and ARX versions and have had no issues with either.  These are just from Banggood.

The FH4 rx should be available for a long time yet as they have a lot of tx that use them, including the flagship M17. I think the MT5 is FH5 only because of the cheap clones for FH4 and FH3 and Sanwa are trying to get people back to their own rx.

I only use 2 channels for the car, the other 2 are used for a transponder and cooling fan.

Servos - it sounds like you're sorted but I have found some cheap ones from SPT and JX which work well, have metal gears and great specs of arpund .1 sec and 10kg (give or take). I have quite a few and all work, although with these cheap brands you do risk DOA. Cheaper though (like those MG995 clones) have given a lot of grief so I avoid anything too cheap.

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

I ordered the MT44 and Desert Hobbies had it out the door in 2 hours.  So kudos to them.   I'm not used to that level of service.

It will probably be too much tx for me, but I liked how it felt when I held it in my hand at a local shop.  

I will probably put the rechargable pack in it. 

I'm going to see what servos my local shops handle tonight.  It blows me away what some of this gear goes for now.

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

What you getting in higher priced servos besides metal gears and bearings?

[Mad Ax 9310]

6 minutes ago, JeffSpicoli said:

What you getting in higher priced servos besides metal gears and bearings?

Speed and/or torque, and precision.

Race servos are very fast and precise.  An expensive Savox will be very quick, have almost no play in the gears and spares will be readily available.  If you go cheaper, you risk it being less precise, having more play in the gears, or not being able to meet the quoted speed.  I used to buy Alturn high speed race servos for around £17.99 each, they are metal geared and fairly fast, but then I discovered Savox's entry-level servo is only around £25, in real terms is faster despite quoting a slower figure on the box, and has metal gears.

Crawler and monster truck servos have lots of torque, but are slower.

It's worth checking the torque and speed ratings when you buy servos.  Faster servos make a massive difference to my enjoyment, although I rarely spend more than £25 on a servo unless it's for a special race car.

Another thing I meant to mention earlier about the additional channels - you can use them to power extra things like lights and winches, but you generally need an extra module to control them.  You can take power from a spare port on the Rx to run a string of LED lights, but they'll always be on.  If you want to switch your lights on and off from the Tx, you need a light controller that plugs into one (or more) of the receiver ports.  Some generic light controllers don't actually need extra channels, they take headlight / brake light / turn signal input from the throttle and steering channels.  They come with Y cables so you can run the light controller and your servo / ESC off the same channels.

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

This is what I ended up picking up locally.  Looked at a 2s pack for the car but not sure I wanna change the plug on the ESC yet but I’m guessing that might be inevitable. 

[Bash 356]

That servo is more than powerful enough for your Golf CS and will work perfectly with your Sanwa Tx. Just as a quick note, Hitec servos typically use a 24t servo output spline compared to 25t for Futaba and most other servo manufacturers, so you might need to pick up a different servo saver as every Tamiya kit I've built hasn't had parts to accommodate Hitec servos, but I've never built a kit that old so I'd just double check beforehand.     

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

26 minutes ago, Bash said:

That servo is more than powerful enough for your Golf CS and will work perfectly with your Sanwa Tx. Just as a quick note, Hitec servos typically use a 24t servo output spline compared to 25t for Futaba and most other servo manufacturers, so you might need to pick up a different servo saver as every Tamiya kit I've built hasn't had parts to accommodate Hitec servos, but I've never built a kit that old so I'd just double check beforehand.     

The current horn and arm from the steering don't line up well.   There needs some tweaking for sure.   Hopefully some can chime in on what to do.

[tim.senecal 487]

my recommendation would be the Flysky FS-NB4 4 channel pistol radio.  for $250, you get the transmitter, and two 4 channel receivers...  not as fancy as the sanwa, but does 100% of what anyone needs to do with a simple throttle/steering setup, and has reasonable modern programming that makes sense. (some of the lesser flysky pistol radios like the gt3b have REALLY crappy software)

i also agree with everyone about the hitec servos, and you won't need anything fancy for the vintage golf.  it was designed back when a standard size servo was analog, and produced less than 40 oz/in of torque.   if space is at a premium, i would recommend a hitec hs225bb...  it is a ball bearing analog servo with 50+ oz/in of torque, and it is about 2/3 the size of the 645mg.  not sure if you are aware, but mg stands for "metal gear", which is also overkill for the vintage golf...

[bRIBEGuy 3044]

12 hours ago, JeffSpicoli said:

The current horn and arm from the steering don't line up well.   There needs some tweaking for sure.   Hopefully some can chime in on what to do.

The 645MG is a nice servo...I use them in lots of buggies & trucks.  Definitely overkill for what you are doing, but hey... that's better than underkill, right?   

When you say the current horn and arm don't line up well, do you mean that they don't install onto the servo (as mentioned, different brand servos have different spline patterns/sizes, and will require different servo horns) or that once installed, the arm does not sit in the proper orientation?  If it is the latter, then this you will adjust with your Tx programming once it shows up.  Also ensure you adjust the servo end points and to not travel farther than the physical limits of the steering system.  It's easy to break parts with a modern servo if endpoints aren't set properly.

I'm not a Sanwa guy, but the MT44 is a nice radio.  Congrats!

[sosidge 624]

13 hours ago, Bash said:

That servo is more than powerful enough for your Golf CS and will work perfectly with your Sanwa Tx. Just as a quick note, Hitec servos typically use a 24t servo output spline compared to 25t for Futaba and most other servo manufacturers, so you might need to pick up a different servo saver as every Tamiya kit I've built hasn't had parts to accommodate Hitec servos, but I've never built a kit that old so I'd just double check beforehand.     

Very good point about Hitec servos. They are not directly supported by Tamiya (rumour is because of a copy of the Grasshopper from back in the day) which means that you won't necessarily be able to use your Tamiya servo horns on them.

Brand new Hitec servos used to come with a little Tamiya adaptor but that will only work for some of the servo horns.

I wouldn't recommend Hitec in general (never a very good servo, and barely in business these days), and certainly not for Tamiya builds.

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

Heres the issue….

[Mad Zero 316]

I wouldn’t swap my MT-44 for anything, for me it’s the best (car) radio I’ve ever used &  I’ve used top-end stuff costing way more. It took me a while to get it set up physically, including a slight chamfer on the trigger & some messing about with shims, spring tensions etc but once dialled in it fits like it’s not there & it’s pretty much weightless with a LiPo pack in it.
Firmware & software do all I want it to and plenty more I’ll never use, good clear display, cloned RX’s are cheap as chips from Ali, it’s even got flashy blue LED mood lighting in case ur into rap or wear shades indoors.
I actually got mine without servos bc I like to choose those for myself so can’t comment on the Sanwa ones but the TX is a fine bit of kit. Highly recommend it. 

Way more modern looking than an equivalent Futaba too..

[Nicadraus 6197]

Hey Jeff!

I'm a Sanwa MT44 user and very happy with it. I actually like it better than the Futaba in terms of feel and features. As @Jonathon Gillham had mentioned, the MT5 is an updated version of the MT44, only difference is that the newer platform is FH5 receiver compatible. Other than that, it's the same. So parts and accessories  for this MT44 is still very much available if in case needed. 

Having more than two channels can be really useful. My MT44 is controls four (programmable up to 20 cars) of my cars while my other TX has four cars. The 3rd and 4th channels are assigned to lights in my crawler. Can also be used for winch if assigned/addressed. There are also several RX that are compatible. I have the RX482 and AFRC RXS2482 (RX482 aftermarket) receivers all of which have internal antennas.

[JeffSpicoli 1363]

I did watch some YouTubes before ordering it but nobody really did a quality video on it.  Nonetheless I’m pretty confident itll be fine. 

Kinda hoping to find a rubber grip to go on the wheel.  My Magnum Sport has one that has nice notches in the grip.