New Radio for expanding fleet.....

[JMSCARD]

Well I've got a 3pm 2.4ghz and 3 recievers.... a dx3 with 3 recievers.... and a BUNCH of FM radios..

I am going to keep using the 3pm and the dx3 but I want to get rid of all my fm radios.....

My question is:

Is the Tactic 2.4ghz a good radio for my boats? can I hook up (5) recievers to one radio?

I like the fact that the radio doesnt have all the adjustments that me "sport" running my boats I don't need..... but does it still have good reception even though there is no antenna??? also if I put the reciever in a ballon to protect from the water is that going to cause a problem... again because of the no antenna? thanks for all the help....!

Tower has a good deal on the tactic right now...
tower has them for 59.95 and 23.95 each extra reciever... and if I spend $150 I get free ship and $20 off.... so it sounds like a good deal.... $155.75-20= 135.75 total with (5) recievers and free shipping.... not bad heh?

[Doby]

I'm running 10 boats off of one Tactic (not all at once though).

No problems with balloons either.

[JMSCARD]

Hows the range? I like to run em far away sometimes....

[Doby]

Well I run them mainly on race courses but I have had one where I couldn't tell if it was coming or going,,,,so I suppose thats pretty far. I downgraded from my Spektrum as well. It was a great radio and never had any issues, but I never used all the features and the electronic trims were a bit of a PITA as well.

Also, the Tactic only needs 4 batteries vs 8 for my Spektrum.

[sailr]

I have never experienced a range problem with the TACTIC. They work great. Looks like they recently reduced the price from $79.99 to $59.99 for tx/rcvr. You can buy the "Towerhobbies" receiver (exactly the same as tactic, different label) for something like $18.99 I think.

I have 3 transmitters and 16 receivers. They can be used interchangeably. You just have to bind the rcvr to the tx the first time!

[JMSCARD]

yeah Tower has the tactic radio on sale for $59.95 and the tower brand still at $69.95 so I figured why not go right with the tactic brand.... are you saying I can buy the tower recievers though? as those are $18.95 instead of $23.95.... I'm sold otherwise though.... I am buying one way or another..... I would just buy from steve but the shipping is free to at tower because Ill be spending enough.....

[JMSCARD]

And yes Doby the electronic trims are a PITA for sure... exactly the reason I want to get out of them....

[Flying Scotsman]

I have a Tactic radio (came with the UL1) and they are a bargain but for a large fleet I would use your Futaba or your Spectrum as they have memory and other features I find useful, just my 2 cents and yes their receivers are expensive and if you have carbon fibre in your hulls I would be leery of a receiver with no external antenna.

Douggie

[Jabbo]

Good to see all this good feedback because I just ordered a tactic radio from tower today to go along with my new velocity mono.

[Brushless55]

I use the spray electrical tap on my receiver, flipped my SV two weeks ago, water got into the hull and the receiver was wet, blew it out threw my boat back into the water and it works perfect..

[BHChieftain]

Well I run them mainly on race courses but I have had one where I couldn't tell if it was coming or going,,,,so I suppose thats pretty far. I downgraded from my Spektrum as well. It was a great radio and never had any issues, but I never used all the features and the electronic trims were a bit of a PITA as well.

Also, the Tactic only needs 4 batteries vs 8 for my Spektrum.

Note the new spectrum DX3S uses 4 batteries.


I'm using that with the MR3000 receiver-- which is my first 2.4ghz setup so I can't really compare with first hand experience, but I do like the MR3000 reciever design which is highly water resistant, and has 2 attennea leads (in case the radio loses touch with one), and one of them is very long so you can get it way up high out of the boat. From what I've read, 2.4GHz and H20 don't really get along that well...

I've read some folks losing radio contact with other 2.4 setups, I bet it has to do with how the receivers are mounted-- need to get 'em above the waterline.

One additional benefit of the DX3S (or R) is model memory-- I though I would never use this, but I have a primary boat, and a rescue boat. When I use the rescue boat to retrieve the primary boat, I don't want any signals going the the scuttled boat... so this setup eliminates the need for me to carry around a separate radio.

-Chief

[tomstoys2]

This is good info. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a 2.4ghz system.
I have been tempted to pick up a Tactic but having Model Memory is really key to me. I have a ME3000 I picked up a few months ago that I plan on running in a Carbon/Kevlar hull. I just need to pick a transmitter.

[Rumdog]

The new Traxxas 2.4ghz system is excellent too! I picked up tx/rx new on ebay for 50 bucks. rx is 5 channel with 2 ports for ch.1 It is good if you want to run 2 steering servos. It also has a multifunction knob that can be programmed to control steering and throttle expo, dual rates, and trim. The rx also has a short external antenna.

[Rumdog]

For about 100 bucks you can get the futaba 2PL that has 10 model memory. That's what I use in my boats mostly.

[tiqueman]

Wait a second.. lets go back to Chiefs post... on a 2.4 that has multiple model set ups, are you saying that if your running your primary boat on model one and roll it, model 2 is set up to your rescue rig and it doesn not transmit to moldel one?????? And is this for any 2.4, ie Futaba?

[BHChieftain]

Wait a second.. lets go back to Chiefs post... on a 2.4 that has multiple model set ups, are you saying that if your running your primary boat on model one and roll it, model 2 is set up to your rescue rig and it doesn not transmit to moldel one?????? And is this for any 2.4, ie Futaba?

Hi,
That's right-- witth model memory, the transmitter binds to a certain receiver. So if put two boats in the water and one is set to model 1 and the other to model 2, you can control them independently.

-Chief

[tiqueman]

So Ive had a Futaba 2.4 for close to a year and am still luggin around another radio to the pond for my rescue boat.. and/ or any other boat I bring to run... Guys, I am so LAME!!!!! And Im considered a FE Addict. :hide:

[BHChieftain]

So Ive had a Futaba 2.4 for close to a year and am still luggin around another radio to the pond for my rescue boat.. and/ or any other boat I bring to run... Guys, I am so LAME!!!!! And Im considered a FE Addict. :hide:

Doh!
:tongue_smilie:

But to your defense, what if your primary radio dies and that's the reason your boat got stuck in the middle of the lake? Then you'd wish you had your backup radio to run your rescue boat.
(I gotta figure that is a low probability event...)

-Chief

[tiqueman]

Doh!
:tongue_smilie:

But to your defense, what if your primary radio dies and that's the reason your boat got stuck in the middle of the lake? Then you'd wish you had your backup radio to run your rescue boat.
(I gotta figure that is a low probability event...)

-Chief

And exactly why I run a seperate radio for my rescue boat. :o :roflol: yeah.. thats it!

[Simon.O.]

For an ever expanding fleet that some have, has anyone used one of these.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=10608

I am keen to give one a go and want to know if anyone has had much luck with one.

I use the same brand in a 4ch 2 stick variant with my tow-in boat and it is fine.

[JMSCARD]

So I got my Tactic Radio yesterday... I also bought 6 Tower 2.4ghz recievers as they were $5 cheaper a piece and I was told they were the same? So what do I do just bind all the recievers to the one radio? I take it I will just want to be sure that my other boats don't have "juice" going to them when I am using the radio on another boat as I know that these tactics obviously don't have model memory.... I made my choice for the tactic as alot of guys who race even use them..figured they had to be good.....