Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
junkmunki

Acoms or Futaba?

Recommended Posts

Thinking back to what's accumulated in the boneyard...

Most of my M38s turned up with Acoms 227 or JR Jeep, right up to 959, Hornet, Frog, WildOne era. That would be mid 80s. 

Then when GrpC cars came along, late 80s - they were mostly Futaba.

Must've been when TT changed.

 

Every brand kept to themselves back then, no multiculturalism! Acoms had their big fat blob of a plug, Sanwa had big rectangular block and KO had that same size block with a ledge for grip but the wiring was different. JR had a half height version of that block. Futaba went alone with their G-plug (which IMHO looks more like "F" but what would a 70s kid know!?). 

Wasn't till mid-late 90s when RC industry (kinda) standardised on the Fut-J plug and wire sequence... but still there's tabbed plug & no-tab plug... <_<

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
15 hours ago, WillyChang said:

TT definitely had Futaba right up to their recent end, when it crossed the Nullarbor to Perth. No idea when they started... I only begun sticking my nose into TT wholesale lists ~20yrs ago. No idea who had Acoms account in oz, it wasn't Dawn Trading nor Model Engines afaik... so we pled ignorance & did some grey importing of Acoms radio sets around that time too. Those were Made in Malaysia units not Taiwan.

 

Which charger did you have? :) black rectangular box with knob to one side? Accumulated a whole bunch of various chargers, had to clear some to make room so I harvested the clockwork knobs out of them... only later noticed some are 15mins & are 30mins.

By mid 80s had moved to various AYK delta peak and Kyosho lambda detect auto chargers... always wanted a Tekin BC110 or BC112 though, dunno why - just looked cool in the magazine ads. 

 

I can still remember opening the bonnet of my dads car and connecting my Acoms fast charger to the battery, turning the dial and the noise it made as the fast countdown clockwork did its thing... I also remember the smell as it got hot from charging several batteries in a row....:lol:

J

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Agree with @WillyChang

Futaba also rebranded through distributors as Ripmax in the UK, Robbe across Europe and Redipak in South Africa - before building early Tamiya own brand AdSpec.

I think the FP2G rx shipped with a number of early Futaba sets - starting with the black plastic, twin gimble FP2G (with s18 servos) then the brown plastic tx (with S20 black top servos) in the first FP2GS sets.

The FP2GS then moved to a later black plastic tx combo and - to muddy waters even further ... - a lot of later FP2F wheelie sets shipped with an FP2G rx - and only the earliest have the original FP2F rx, some the FP2E. 

Futaba were far less linear (or organised ...) than Acoms and Sanwa back then 😂

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I also have one of these with a matching rx and servos. It's a nice shade of doo doo brown also.

It's as horrible as it looks and I'm not sure why I think it's charming sitting in my Frog. 

945553a0bd9622a8a84a478c05d8b3dc.jpg

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've got a pretty much even mix of Acoms , Futaba and Sanwa radio , but I seem to prefer my old stick Acoms Tech handset to run with as it fits the hand better than others I've got

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/3/2020 at 9:41 PM, NWarty said:

It's as horrible as it looks

I could never get on with pistol grip

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've got a couple old Acoms 72 MhZ receivers I ran in my old Wild Willy, and Super Champ I got when serving over in Germany. Not sure what ever happened to the transmitters. One of the transmitters I modified with a toggle switch, and installed a 2nd crystal in it so I can use one receiver to run both the Wild Willy and the Super Champ. Worked good. Just not sure what ever happened to it. But still have the receivers. 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/3/2020 at 4:41 PM, NWarty said:

I also have one of these with a matching rx and servos. It's a nice shade of doo doo brown also.

It's as horrible as it looks and I'm not sure why I think it's charming sitting in my Frog. 

945553a0bd9622a8a84a478c05d8b3dc.jpg

I have a ton of these things in both black and poo brown. When I was a lad, I'd save up for the kits and then while building the kits, save up for radio gear. Guess what the absolute cheapest radio available locally was? Yep, the ol' Aristocraft Challenger 260. I was so focused on the cars, radio gear was almost just a necessary evil for me. I slowed down in the hobby in the college years. When I ramped up again after college, every single one of those radios had quit working. My one Futaba Attack was still functional and I use it to this day with my stock Clod Buster. After that, Futaba got all my business and has never let me down.

My very first radio was a Airtronics Vector however. It lasted for about a year after getting back into it before giving up the ghost. I did spring for an MRC Top Gun for my Vanquish (as I felt the car was special and deserved a bit better than a 260). It lasted a good bit before dying in the mid 2000s.

Edit: An apology to any Aristocraft/Hitec fans I may have offended. These were merely my personal experiences with the brand and just one of their products at that, the Challenger 260. Other's experiences with the brand may vary.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

haha for all we know, that MRC might've come from same Hitec factory :) 

Have a Hitec 4ch sticks that arrived with a Bruiser; still worked (trimpots glitchy) last time I tried it but that's a decade and a bit ago now. Have a few Hitec Aggressor from around time rere started, they're not too bad. Hitec ESCs & plenty of servos too... Hitec servos were great value before bluebird and the big China flood.

Wonder who still buys Hitec these days. Their entry level RC market must've been eaten up by Flysky. Think I did see some fancy lips chargers from them in garish red & black. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, WillyChang said:

haha for all we know, that MRC might've come from same Hitec factory :) 

Have a Hitec 4ch sticks that arrived with a Bruiser; still worked (trimpots glitchy) last time I tried it but that's a decade and a bit ago now. Have a few Hitec Aggressor from around time rere started, they're not too bad. Hitec ESCs & plenty of servos too... Hitec servos were great value before bluebird and the big China flood.

Wonder who still buys Hitec these days. Their entry level RC market must've been eaten up by Flysky. Think I did see some fancy lips chargers from them in garish red & black. 

I use a Hitec Lynx 4S on my race cars, awesome value for money Radio with very fast response, and feels like a Futaba 4PKS when you close your eyes, and receivers are about $30 a pop

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I forgot i had these two beauties...

They feel really cheap and lightweight, there is nothing quality about them at all. I think i got them with a load of misc spares i bought.

At least the Graupner radio has a rubber bad around the wheel, the Kyosho doesn't even have that!

J

DSC_5635.JPG

DSC_5638.JPG

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That Graupner looks same era as Acoms Technisport/JR Python/Kyosho Perfex of early 2000s, might even share genes. Hard thin rubber grip on wheel.

That Perfex is later, late 2000s - not only them but many other brands also lost all rubber/foam on the wheel. Either slip on a foam tyre donut, or 3rd parties started making option hopup steering wheels & also adapters to bolt on a 1/10 wheel+tyre. Fun times :) 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

For me, the interesting part in this debate is actually the choice.

We had at least 6 mainstream r/c manufacturers back then - ranked to be sure but all broadly competitive with separate quirks. 

Futaba (however it was branded / distributed were, and still are imo) the best ... but everything was fluid, exciting and massively local - so what you could actually buy where you lived was often the driver !

These days r/c choice is essential cheap n cheerful or hugely expensive + imo grossly over capable - with everything delivered by Bezos next day ...

I’m acutely conscious my age may be a factor in this  - and how elitist views may sound to younger members who just want stuff to work - but what happened to subtlety + finesse in the middle ground guys ? 

Not just technical prowess but touch, feel, reliability, weight (which actually steadys hands that have just spent 30 mins as pit crew) and simple but necessary accessories?

My head says the middle ground is just no longer profitable ... probably because these days volume revenue only exists in compelling polarity not refinement - which is sort of sad to anyone who wants (and loves) spending hours eeking our every minor improvement / advantage 🤔

Anyway, I’ll shuffle off to tweaking my 70s / 80s garage ... and leave pimped RC10Bs with top end Futaba rigs to younger chaps 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/26/2020 at 6:16 PM, SuperChamp82 said:

For me, the interesting part in this debate is actually the choice.

We had at least 6 mainstream r/c manufacturers back then - ranked to be sure but all broadly competitive with separate quirks. 

Futaba (however it was branded / distributed were, and still are imo) the best ... but everything was fluid, exciting and massively local - so what you could actually buy where you lived was often the driver !

These days r/c choice is essential cheap n cheerful or hugely expensive + imo grossly over capable - with everything delivered by Bezos next day ...

I’m acutely conscious my age may be a factor in this  - and how elitist views may sound to younger members who just want stuff to work - but what happened to subtlety + finesse in the middle ground guys ? 

Not just technical prowess but touch, feel, reliability, weight (which actually steadys hands that have just spent 30 mins as pit crew) and simple but necessary accessories?

My head says the middle ground is just no longer profitable ... probably because these days volume revenue only exists in compelling polarity not refinement - which is sort of sad to anyone who wants (and loves) spending hours eeking our every minor improvement / advantage 🤔

Anyway, I’ll shuffle off to tweaking my 70s / 80s garage ... and leave pimped RC10Bs with top end Futaba rigs to younger chaps 

I am in the same boat as you, I went to my local model shop to get a tx for my Scania rc truck and was appalled at how cheap and rubbish the radio sets looked. I had planned on getting a Carson set, but when I actually held one, it had no weight to it, and it seemed really tacky and cheap.

In the end, I bought a Futaba set as it seemed the best build quality and reminded me the most of the old Acoms sets that I used to use back in the day.

Now, where did I put my pipe and slippers?.......🙄

J

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I myself used a Futaba Magnum Jr. when I got my first "real" R/C, a RC10T when those first came out. I currently use a 3PMX that I bought somewhere between the TMaxx and DingoTR. I've been a fan of HiTec servos for a long time, especially their "Karbonite" models. They see service in my Blitzer Beetle, Midnight Pumpkin, and my wife's WW2. The recent models of Tx I've held seem to weigh half of my Futaba! In part I'm sure because they use 4 cells and not the 8 of my old 3PMX, but the lack of heft to me makes them feel cheaper and toyish, regardless of how modern and reliable they may truly be. My $.02

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

haha what do you old boys think of the current/new 2PSK? :P

FUT2PSKR202GF.png

They even call it “oem” :D 

Feels very light & solid hard wheel looks cheap, but it’s definitely premium prices & I guess the guts/RX is good stuff. 

Can’t bring myself to own one just by its looks.

Plus I haven’t got any Futaba 2.4 anyway. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 hours ago, WillyChang said:

haha what do you old boys think of the current/new 2PSK? :P

FUT2PSKR202GF.png

They even call it “oem” :D 

Feels very light & solid hard wheel looks cheap, but it’s definitely premium prices & I guess the guts/RX is good stuff. 

Can’t bring myself to own one just by its looks.

Plus I haven’t got any Futaba 2.4 anyway. 

Did someone design that with their eyes closed?

It looks really cheap and nasty.

J

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...