Getting back into RC

[wrong_turn]

I've not been into RC for quite a few years and things have changed. I used to run nitro-powered planes and a petrol FG Marder. I had a pretty good radio at the time, but sold everything when times got a bit hard.

I've been given a vintage plane (a Junior 60) but I'm going to need to stock back up on the electronics - servos, batteries, chargers etc. But I have no idea how things work now. I'm thinking of getting at least one other kit but not sure if it will be a tank or a helicopter, maybe another 1:5 car if I can find one at a reasonable price.

Is 2.4Ghz the way to go? Bearing in mind range due to the plane. I have a couple of cheap Chinese quadcopters but they don't go as far - I've had them up to a few hundred feet with the cheap radios, though I had to modify one of them with a wifi antenna as it only had about 1" of wire before.

I take it there is no need for crystals any more? How do they pair with the receiver? My cheapo ones will only pair with the quad they came with.

I was looking at this one as a starting point - https://howesmodels.co.uk/product/radiolink-t8fb-b...

[clockworks]

2.4Ghz is the way to go if you want to buy new gear. No crystals, very little chance of interference, and can be used for both air and surface.

Older FM stuff (35Mhz for flying, 40Mhz for surface) will still work fine, and the odds are most of the other people will be using 2.4Ghz, so little chance of clashes.

Personally, I stick with Futaba gear. Not cheap, but never had a problem with it. If you aren't fussed about having the latest computerised radio, secondhand Futaba gear is a good choice, and not far off the price of new Chinese stuff

[wrong_turn]

Thanks,

I think my last one was a Futaba from ebay, it had a little display and I could limit the inputs so if I let one of the local kids have a blast, they couldn't crash a 10+kg buggy into anybody at 40mph!

I think I should buy modern kit, there's no real rush so I'll keep watching Ebay for a decent branded set.

[DIW35]

Echo what clockworks said; 2.4 is the way to go. There is a binding process that links the receiver to the transmitter. Most modern Tx also have a decent model memory, which means that once you have set up a model with throws and trims, you can store it in memory, making it easier to switch between different models.

[mph999]

These are excellent

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/radiomaster-tx16s-w-ha...

Multi protocol so can work with receivers from different manufacturers.

I use one of these …

https://www.hobbyrc.co.uk/frsky-taranis-x9d-plus-2...

Popular with quad flyers but absolutely fine for planes.