I have two JR PCM10sx 10 channel radios I bought for flying, and thought it would be cool to convert them to 2.4 GHz for use in ships. Although the radios are designed for airplanes and helicopters, there are plenty of features that work for ships. I considered going the Hobby King approach, but decided to play it safe, and went with a Spektrum module from Horizon Hobby. It was a fairly straightforward conversion, and tested it yesterday on the pond in our Gunnery & Maneuvering event. It worked perfectly, and I'm very happy with the results. If you have a modular JR radio, you might look into this module. If you have a JR or Futaba modular airplane or helicopter radio, and have successfully used a different conversion module for it (such as the Hobby King), I'd love to hear how it worked out for you. Here's the module I bought: http://www.horizonhobby.com/Product...=SPMMSFUT7 The TX module will work with any DSM2 receiver. Packaging The equipment comes packaged tightly, and well-protected: I ordered the 7-channel AR 7000 module ($99.99), figuring I wouldn't need to spend the extra money ($79) for the 9-channel RX. I saved money, but the 7-channel comes with the "SmartSafe" fail-safe only. The SmartSafe fail-safe lets you decide what throttle setting you want the radio to default to, in the event the receiver loses signal from the transmitter, and the other channels keep their last positions before signal loss. This is handy for the throttle, but I would rather have had the option of pre-setting all of the channels for neutral - a feature available in the 9-channel module AR 9000, but not the AR 7000. TX Conversion No permanent TX modifications are required to use the 2.4 GHz module, and no mods are required inside the TX case. There is a cable that runs externally from the TX module to the antenna, but it doesn't get in the way, and it's very toughly made. To install, screw in the supplied TX antenna adapter, and then slip the 2.4 GHx antenna over the adapter. Insert the plug-in module, and screw the cable fitting onto the post. Receiver The receiver is actually 3 receivers (2 on the circuit board in the main RX case, and a tethered secondary RX that should be mounted at least 2" away from the main unit). The orientation inside the hull does not seem to be critical - just the separation. The binding process is the same as any other 2.4 GHz system, and instructions are provided for both ESC and non-ESC setups. Range I experienced no glitches or range issues on the pond, and ran my Lutzow at the normal distances used for combat. Caveat Although I have had no problems with range, JR says that this is not a "boat module," and does not recommend it for this use. After discussing this today with tech support, I learned that JR does not recommend not using it for boats, either. JR's "official" position is that it wasn't designed for this purpose, and they have not submitted it to the same level of testing in the marine environment as they have in the air. Rob Wood
I looked at a Hobby king 6 channel tx w/a 8 channel receiver. Should I get it for a North Carolina and under ships or no?
I'm pretty sure at one time I saw a Futaba conversion too, using the Futaba 2.4g technology as opposed to the Spektrum.
The only problem is that the FCC sees non-branded (or the mixing of other brands) modules to violate the law as they have not been tested to comply with the FCC requirements. So if you have a Futaba radio, you have to use a Futaba 2.4ghz module. Hitec use to market their 72mhz modules as universal for this Futaba conversion, until this issue came up. Many people didnt like having to pay $100 for a simple channel change and the Hitec Modules promised "any channel change with one module". Ya it sucks to have to pay more for a branded module, but sadly you have to. You can get spektrum 72mhz to spektrum 2.4, and Hitec 72mhz to Hitec 2.4ghz, and Futaba to Futaba 2.4ghz modules. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, you can not mix 2.4ghz brands and receivers. (example can not use a 2.4ghz spektrum receiver on a futaba 2.4ghz transmitter).
One of our guys used the Hobby King conversions at the Brouhaha last year. It didn't go very well. It turns out that they don't work well in close proximity to other 2.4gz radios. He was out of control half of the weekend. He later got Spektrum radios and life was good.
Hi Rob, I have the same transmitter as you and have two questions. 1. Any particular reason to convert to 2.4 other than being 'cool'? Were you getting interference? 2. How have you set up your transmitter in terms of what channel/button does firing, etc? regards Peter
