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LOL
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Des Moines, Iowa USA
Joined Nov 2007
7,494 Posts
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I must be the exception to the rule as I thought the 9Z was relatively easy to program. There were a number of cheat sheets available on the internet user groups of the time. Like Mr. Holts's books today, they greatly simplified the programming by explaining and giving an overview of how a 9Z is programmed. Once you had a good understanding of the process and Futaba's mindset, it was easy from there.
While I like my 18sz a lot, there are still some things about programming the 18 that leave me wondering at times. Like with the 9Z, the owners manual is the main problem as it is confusing at times with glaring holes of missing information that you are left to fill in the blanks. No one will ever accuse Futaba of having a great manual and this hasn't changed much over the decades. I use conditions on more complicated airplanes, but rarely do when a simple dual rate or other switch program will satisfy my needs. As Judge has said many times, there are many different ways to program these transmitters to achieve the same goals. |
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Quote:
You been drinking some foreign substance before you wrote this????? It took me three days to program triple rates on a Funtana 90 when I first got the radio, I'd have quite happily thrown the thing in the trash on a number of occasions. Neither Tower or Hobby Services were of any help. If it hadn't been for a number of guys over on RCU who knew that radio, I'd have been sunk. Once I got the hang of it, it wasn't all that bad and it's the radio that taught me to never tinker with the programming on an existing model without backing it up first. Because as you noted, the manuals aren't worth much and the only way to learn anything was to experiment. |
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Des Moines, Iowa USA
Joined Nov 2007
7,494 Posts
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Quote:
Yes, I was quite frustrated with the 9Z when I first got it but like I said, the various online user groups ... mostly heli related were a great help. We're probably talking 1999 or 2000 here by the way. Once I learned the mindset of the programming it became quite easy. I've been more than a bit frustrated with the 18sz on a few occasions when I couldn't find what I was looking for in programming .... often times related to the functions menu. Maybe an age thing but I get frustrated when I know I've done something before, know the setting I want but can't find where to find it in programming. This is where the Futaba manuals let you down because of minimal indexing. Had the same problems with some JR radios where you had to have X, Y and maybe even Z enabled before you could access the A - B program you were looking for. Then sometimes, the manual you are using doesn't apply to your particular radio due to unknown factors. Sometimes programming our radios is just not intuitive or logical at least for normal humans. Overall though, things all work out in the end and I'm pleased with the radios I use these days. |
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Yeah the time frame is about the same. I got my 9Z after saving for almost a year. There were rumors that it was going to be discontinued but Tower, Hobby Services and Bill Baxter all denied the rumors. So I bought the radio and three weeks later it was discontinued. Tower had a 30 day exchange policy so I contacted them and they said sure, send it back, what do you want? I told 'em I wanted one of the new 12Z's which were still about three months out. They told me I could not exchange the radio for something that was not currently in stock.
That was not the only issue. Two weeks after the warranty expired, I had a gimbal problem and had to send it in to Hobby Services. I explained everything that had gone on and asked if they could warranty the fix. The answer was no. The next radio I bought was the newly released Spektrum DX-7, no more "hits" ..... Your 18SZ comment is interesting. I got my first 18MZ when JR failed to come up with a replacement for my 12X. A lot of that had to do with a couple of guys at the model club using the 18MZ radios and one was a whiz at programming the 18MZ, or almost any radio someone might hand him while asking for radio help. I can work with it now, but my 18SZ seems easier to program than the 18MZ and they are basically the same radio with very similar capabilities/programming. The only difference is the way the two are laid out. I'm like Bob, I tend to use the 18SZ most of the time because it feels better in my hands and does most anything the 18MZ will do. |
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Des Moines, Iowa USA
Joined Nov 2007
7,494 Posts
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I still actively use a 14sg and 8fg and see no reason to retire them. They work well and aren't worth much to sell so I just keep them. They're worth more to me to use than their $$ value. The 18sz is used in most of the better, more expensive or complex planes.
Regarding the 9Z, I had both the original model and the later WC. Both were very reliable radios that I enjoyed very much. The only problem I ever had with either radio was the common bolt coming loose in the bottom of the antenna. Easy to fix if you catch it before it falls out. |
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I bout had a heart attack the first time I decided to set conditions on my 14MZ
Didn't have anything backed up or recorded on a plane that I had spent about a month getting fairly well dialed in with dual rates Needed more rate settings so decided to do conditions and ALL my rates changed to 100% Should have made a trip for some clean shorts Now I always use conditions from the beginning And as to Scootrs first post I do use al dif on my precision planes Lets me hold a better track when rolling / especially on angled up or down lines |
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