Which Controller
 

Hello guys
I have been in RC planes for 35+ years and just now getting back into cars. I have a new (older version) RC12 on road car that I am trying to get going. However, I am not up on the latest car controllers. What is a good controller that would be in the $175 range of less?
Thanks

I like Sanwa or Futaba the best. For that price, the only Sanwa would be the MX-6 and people have had issues with those. So probably your best bet is Futaba 3PV. Good luck.

P.S. The RC12 is a fun car. Which one is it, I raced a RC12i for a long time back in the 80's. Also, you could control the car with an Airplane transmitter just to see how you like it.

Coming from RC planes I want to ask if you want to have a stick transmitter because you are used to is or a pistol grip most transmitters are.

With sticks there is not much choise unless going for a used one. The Futaba T4GRS is a good transmitter with a midrange price.

Yes, I used a stick Tx for planes but prior to planes i used a pistol grip Tx for my cars., I want to go back to a pistol drip. Thanks

Get a high end Sanwa or Futaba.

A radio is an investment that'll last decades.

Take a look at the Noble NB Pro - I looked at the M17 (sanwa) and it was heavy and quite outdated in terms of a UI. The Nobles UI is easy like a phone without feeling like an app.
The controller itself, in terms of feel and quality, is above the rest in my opinion. I have owned high-end Futaba and KO radios in the past. This one is great.

Picked up one of these yesterday after doing my first race meet with a Flysky GT-3C. It's a great radio, no regrets.

I'd get the original Noble over the Pro. Roughly half the price and has pretty much all the same core features. The Pro didn't add anything to justify the price hike.

I'd stick with Sanwa or Futaba. A lot of snake oil salesman in Australia are pushing the Noble hard because a couple of 'name' drivers sold their soul for a paycheck and to spruik a Flysky product, more power to them, but at the end of the day you can polish a turd as much as you like, it's still a turd. For me, Flysky is still cheap and nasty I don't care how you dress it, my M17 has been great for 3 or 4 yrs, and came from Futaba 4px and 7px before that and my son has an MT44 and I have little interest in going to wallmart spec flysky junk.

Just my 2c feel free to disagree :)

The Noble is actually pretty good but the rest of their range I wouldn't recommend. I'm using an M17 myself but it's considerably more expensive than the original Noble and the price range the OP was asking about. The only Sanwa in their price range is actually worse than anything Flysky offers.

​​​​You are entitled to your opinion 110%
but I think that you are being a little unfair calling the noble NB4 /NB Pro a walkmart controller.

The Pro is certainly superior than the NB4.

I have raced with 3pk, 4pk, KO Helios, URUs EX-2 and a few times I borrowed a sanwa in the past. The Sanwa was always bulky and behind in innovation both in ergo and UI. You may say "don't fix it if it ain't broken" but that is not how technology advances. I personally like what Flysky is doing with hobbywing and others with the iBUS2 protocol. It's so much faster then sanwas.

​​​​​​Having choices for selecting and programing servos and ESC is a good thing. Yes there are advantages to a close loop system aka sanwa or spektrum, "they just work" but look at sanwas m17. To me, it's a missed opportunity to update the UI and form factor. They are stuck in their 2004 mold. Their touch interface is a joke.

Also, look at what happened to KO propo; They went from being one of the leaders to just a company from the bunch. No one races with their stuff. Man they were great. Fully programmable everything.

I did the research, my opinion is that If sanwa doesn't step up their game and soon, the "Walmart" systems are going to dominate.

Oh, I think I must have missed the budget. We'll save up a little more and get a Noble RS4. Guys not everything that shines is gold, and vise versa.

I like my new noble pro. It's light, fast and easy UI. Super fast 2ch mode, on board data logging. Come on.

I own, paid my own money, no sponsorship or deals, three different radios: a Sanwa M11X, a Futaba 3PV and a Noble NB4. They are all good radios. The M11X is 10(?)+ years old and still what I use to race TC. The 3PV is actually a very nice, simple unit. The NB4 is a clever design with the best UI of any radio I've used. The M11X is the bulkiest, but it works - it does what I need it to do, but I'd be happy to use either the 3PV or the NB4 to race. I have used the NB4 at a major event and no complaints. I'm just a little lazy to move my receivers :-)

I'd say there is only one clear choice at your said budget. Perhaps the cost of multiple receivers is something that needs taken into consideration as well.

I'm still using an M11x for onroad. M12 for off road.

See no reason to upgrade yet.