MFC-03 or Servono or Beier

[buff69]

Hi I don't know which to go for so any thoughts or +points - points your knowledge is most welcome many thanks

[backtomyroots]

The MFC units are ancient. Difficult to program and a little complex to use, especially since the instructions focus on Japanese.

I would skip those.

[berman]

It depends what you want to achieve with it.

The multi function units are an all in one unit (with integrated lights and an esc), designed to get the most out of the tamiya trucks with a basic analog 4 channel radio. The '01' came out in 2003, was marketed towards the American rigs and has a nice sound and pretty easy to use controls (if you use it regularly you will have no trouble remembering the trim movements for the special functions).

The downside to the '01' is it only has a few sound steps, and the brakes are barely proportional, so tend to lock up easily. Also the indicators are 'on' as soon as you turn.

The '03' is ten years younger and more refined. It has an emissions friendly longitudinal 6 cylinder sound, has a false start option, electronic clutch, flashable high beams, and the throttle is far smoother than the '01'. It also has a rev matching downshift, which is why you have to 'teach' the unit the 'gearbox' in the setup. The throttle feels like an esc compared to the msc-esque '01'.

As an all in package they achieve what most people want, you have to get creative with installations (bar the Cascadia) if you want the interior as well, as the units themselves are quite large.

The servonaut (SMX and now superseded by the SM7) is little more than a couple of shrinkwrapped circuit boards. They are a component unit, so once you buy the SMX/SM7, you need an esc (the servonaut escs are prefered) and most buy the ML4 light unit, this all works out to approx 2/3rds the size of the MFU's. They have 3 sounds, V8,V6,L6, with some adjustability. They are probably the most refined unit, but it comes at a price, twice the cost of the multi function units.

The Beier USM RC-2 is fully adjustable, rewritable, and probably the most complex out of the 3. You can use it for trucks, ships, trains and many other toys. You can download and record your own sounds off youtube and the like or use ones already available on their Sound Centre. Like the servonaut you have to run an external esc, it has light function included but you have to build your own LED circuits. You can set the whole unit up to suit the way you like it. There is so many parameters you can adjust it is mind boggling. You will need to know your way around a computer to make full use of it but you can get by with the tutorials on YouTube. It is also the cheapest of the three.

Note:

The multi function units are all inclusive, sounds, lights, (incl LEDS) vibration units and speakers, plug and play. Both the Servonaut and Beier start with just the main CPU (with a couple of cables maybe) and you work up from there.

Up to you what you decide

[Percymon]

Great summary Neil

[buff69]

Excellent thank you you have told me exactly what I need to know and it's much appreciated this will be my first r/c truck build so the plug and play option sounds the best for me perhaps I can get a bit experimental with the other options with other builds as I'm shore that I will be hooked on this hobby but for now the mfc-03 will be the one I will be putting it in the Merc Actros 6x4 although I'm a Scania man that Merc does look nice once again many many thanks and if there is any other things you could tell me about the build or any thing really I'm all ears