Home
Up

Choosing a Radio

Having decided upon the model you wish to learn on, you need to select the appropriate radio equipment. For a beginner this will probably be your biggest investment so it pays to make the right choice!

Most members at our club fly Mode 1. This is the same as around 90% of flyers in Australia and essentially your primary controls are on 2 separate sticks. Your primary turn control (rudder in the case of a 2 channel glider) is on the right stick (along with throttle control on ratchet if multi channel). Your elevator control is on the left stick (along with secondary turn control if multi channel). Note that down elevator for the model means pushing the left stick forward (or away) from you.


Two typical  transmitters at the club, both 6 channel, the one on the left is a computer radio, on the right is not, but it has servo reverse and travel end point adjustments

Our club allows flying with either 29mhz AM, 36mhz or 40 Mhz FM transmitters. If you decide to buy FM we recommend you buy an odd frequency number - don't worry - your hobby supplier will understand. Please make sure that you select a frequency that is not being heavily used by club members (see Frequency usage at Sunset Soaring).

The cheapest entry level transmitter will be a 2 channel 2 stick unit on 29mhz. You can buy dry cell however rechargeable nicad cells are used by nearly everyone, and are more convenient as the pack in  the transmitter and receiver can be charged overnight just before you go flying.

If you wish to move on from 2 channel gliders into more advanced gliders or powered aircraft, you will need to purchase a unit with 4 or more channels. These are either 'computer' transmitters with aircraft memory and mixing features, or non-computerised. Note even the non-computerised may have useful features such as servo reversing and travel adjustment.

In addition to the transmitter, you will need a receiver, receiver battery pack (usually 4 cells rechargeable) and 2 servos. For a glider, you can use standard size servos that are cheap and reliable, however you may consider smaller and lighter servos (minis or micros). These usually cost more, however you end up with a lighter model.

Just as with model selection we recommend you talk to the experienced flyers at the club prior to purchasing.