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Need to step up Sanwa or Futaba?

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Need to step up Sanwa or Futaba?

Old 07-01-2019, 10:52 PM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by powerpig

personally like the feel of MT44 over the others, don’t need any other features, Color and touch screen would be nice (m17) but don’t like the weight , Again just my preference. Local hobby shop or race track may give you chance to hold one?
Some have said the MT44 is too heavy so I guess you prefer the weight of it over the M17?

Plus I don’t want it too light!



Last edited by EvilR2.0; 07-01-2019 at 11:03 PM.
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Old 07-01-2019, 11:07 PM
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When buying radio equipment outside Europe it must have CE certification, if not it can end up in a schredder. That is why it is safe to buy the transmitter in Europe.

Regarding the costs of receivers, Futaba is much cheaper than Sanwa, the cheapest non telemetry receiver can be found for 30 euro. Even the most used 304SB telemetry receiver can be found for arround 50 euro.
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Old 07-01-2019, 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by powerpig

personally like the feel of MT44 over the others, don’t need any other features, Color and touch screen would be nice (m17) but don’t like the weight , Again just my preference. Local hobby shop or race track may give you chance to hold one?
Originally Posted by Roelof
When buying radio equipment outside Europe it must have CE certification, if not it can end up in a schredder. That is why it is safe to buy the transmitter in Europe.

Regarding the costs of receivers, Futaba is much cheaper than Sanwa, the cheapest non telemetry receiver can be found for 30 euro. Even the most used 304SB telemetry receiver can be found for arround 50 euro.
?
I’m UK based and RCmart is HK so are you saying I shouldn’t buy from them and stick with an EU supplier?
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Old 07-02-2019, 01:08 AM
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Originally Posted by EvilR2.0

I’m UK based and RCmart is HK so are you saying I shouldn’t buy from them and stick with an EU supplier?
If the transmitter has no CE certification when buying it there there is a high chance it will be refused by your customs.

Also a quick warranty handeling can be difficult with such a shop in a far country.
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Old 07-02-2019, 05:20 AM
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Few calls and emails later and decided I need to source in the U.K so my short list is based on this.

Now feel my initial budget might be overkill given my need and skill level so the current price bracket is more in the £200-£300 with the exception of the M17 which I like but do I need.. not really!

List in descending price
M17 £464
M12S-RS £320
4PV £279
MT44 £242
4PM £233

With Sanwa I’ve read a few complaints on range and menu layout/interaction, then after that the models seem quite straight forward with the top being the M17 going down but then a few topics have highlighted some owners preferring the older MT44 over the M12 etc even though the M12 is meant to be the step up?!

Then with Futaba I’ve heard a few warranty issues but as long as I buy UK I’ll have some recourse should anything happen, but then what’s with the model numbers?! The Futaba site seems outdated and missing models, and I can get a straight answer on is the 4PM which is the cheaper of the two the replacement or an addition to the 4PV.






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Old 07-02-2019, 06:03 AM
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Honestly the biggest thing is to go try the radios if you can. I went from futaba 4pls to a used m12 and the difference in response was amazing. I also raced with an M8 back in the day so i was already a sanwa/airtronics fan. The futaba was a decent radio, I wish I still had it for my bashers.

I also wasn't impressed with the M17 just looking at it online. A local driver got one a while ago and seeing it and feeling it in person was a whole different story. The sensors for the steering wheel and trigger feel amazing and while I didn't drive it the owner confirmed it carried over to track feel. So I'm getting one soon.

The higher end futabas (4pls is low to mid range) are better than what I had, but there's a reason the most common radio at the track is sanwa. RX's are expensive but there are lots of alternatives now and they work just fine. But I'd try to see how each radio feels in hand before you buy. Maybe you hate the sanwa stuff maybe you hate the futaba, or either feels fine. I can adapt but some people can't. Either way best of luck!
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Old 07-02-2019, 06:31 AM
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Maybe you did not get the full potential out of a Futaba? The T-FHSS receivers do become faster when you disable the telemetry and it will help to set the servo mode to digital. When using S-FHSS mode and receivers it will be for sure slower. Using the SSR mode with Sanwa to get the best out of it requires expensive servo's so that is also no option I think. And I would sugest the topic starter to calculate the extra receivers with it.
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Old 07-02-2019, 07:27 AM
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Initially three RX’s




Where I’m based in limited to being able to go and try hence trying to get it down to a few and then I’ll hunt down where has them to try/feel before buying.




Tech aside is then any durability issue between the brands? Ok it’s not going to get abused but likewise I won’t want it to be fragile!




And a very important piece of the puzzle to me is fit and finish now granted I’ve only had experience with mainly RTR transmitters but man do they feel cheap and nasty!



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Old 07-02-2019, 09:47 AM
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Gone over spec and features and now cut it down to

Sanwa
M17
MT-44

or

Futaba
4PM

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Old 07-02-2019, 12:36 PM
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I used the MT44 of a friend very briefly, and bought a used Futaba 4PV myself. IMO, the build quality / plastics feel a little bit better on the Futaba, and the adjustability of trigger and wheel are just fine.
IMO the setup menu of the 4pv is simple and intuitive, but I didn't browse throught the MT44 menu so I can't comment on that.
The 4pm looks a lot like the 4pv but 1) doesn't have the option for a drop down or angle adapter but 2) it does have T-FHSS SR mode (for use with Futaba SR compatible servos). I bought a Futaba CB700 servo after I bought the 4PV, so I can't make use of the SR mode of the servo but I don't even know if I would be able to notice the difference.
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Old 07-02-2019, 01:12 PM
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shock yourself and everyone else and buy the flysky noble. touch colour screen, gives that "sanwa" driver feel, has a massive power bank as a bottom base that removable so can be used a true pistol radio if you want light weight.
having both the m17/m12s and now the noble(still have the other two) i pick the noble for everything.
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