Difference in performance between radios?!
 

Hey fellas, I have a Futaba 3PM 2.4Ghz radio.. I would think it is an above average radio system. My question is, how much difference if any would I notice in performance with a high end radio? i.e. the M11, 3Pk, 4Pk etc etc. I know that these radios have more features but I really don't use many features.. I use throttle/brake epa, throttle/steering trim and a few others. Would I notice any difference in performace? I know their are other aspects to a radio like weight, feel and cosmetic appeal but those really don't play a factor into what I'm looking for... which is performance.

Let me know what you think!!

This is just my own opinion but KO seems to be the only company that has a truly low latency 2.4 gig system. Futaba might be as fast but I will never know because I refuse to use their radios, I have had too many issues with them in the past. My preference is an FM M11. I just feel more in control of the car.

Now the average driver isn't going to tell any performance difference with any of the better radios but if you are a near pro level driver running something like 1/12th mod or 1/8th onroad, the differences are significant. Lower latency = more consistent and fewer mistakes.

My Futaba 4PK craps all over every Spektrum radio I have owned in feel and latency. I used to race with a M8 & Spektrum module which was excellent but now I run a 4PK and my racing has improved tenfold. IMO how it feels is key but a slightly quicker radio helps.

That's because an M8 with Spektrum is SLOW. I didn't notice any difference in feel when I went to it a few years back but my race performance dropped off dramatically. I went from coming close to a few A mains at major races to struggling in the E overnight. I thought I was just missing the car set-up but after a year of terrible racing I put the FM stuff back in and was instantly competitive again.

The new airtronics X (fhss 3) radios are suppose to be "faster" than previous versions.

That's what Spektrum said about theirs when it came out. Complete bull, it was slow. Maybe the newer systems are better but I just don't trust them after that.

I'm not so sure I buy into all the hype over radio manufacturers competing for the lowest latency on their systems. All these radio manufacturers are claiming to have a latency of anywhere between 20ms on the older systems down to just a few ms on the newer faster systems. Now look at the average human reaction time which is about 150-300ms. The latency caused by the radio system is very small compared to how much time it actually takes you to react and respond. If you want to be a better driver practice your reflexes and try to train for better reaction time. The speed of the radio is far less significant.

That must have been it. It did feel a bit 'laggy' but I thought I wouldn't notice it. Similar to you, I used to be low C final (lowest final) now I'm mid-low A final.

Now look at the average human reaction time which is about 150-300ms.[/QUOTE] ** I checked up on this and your correct.. If you want to check your reaction time check this link out... kinda cool!

http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/...time/index.php

With the amount of time it takes the brain to react and respond, I have a hard time seeing a difference between my 3PM and the M11 or 4PK. I held both the 4PK and the 3PK, must say that I really like the way the 3PK felt. 4PK is too ugly/eccentric for my bland style.

Who can beat my 198ms reaction time on that link!?!? I'll do it again and post a screen shot if ya don't believe me haha

So what if the radio is faster than our reaction times? Latency still matters. Imagine that our reaction times were slower, like 1 full second. Does that mean we would be fine with a radio with a .75 second latency? I don't think so. Whatever latency a radio has is added to the reaction time. The slower it is, the slower we are.

A lot of it has to do with what kind of racing you do. I have run offroad with a slow ass Spektrum equipped M8 and noticed no difference. 1/12th mod on the other hand, I noticed a difference between the FM M8 and an FM M11. It wasn't much but the M11 definitely felt more controlled and precise. With Spektrum, I clip a board every other lap. No good for me.

Of course, maybe I'm just ultra sensitive to such things. I notice the difference between a wired and a wireless Xbox 360 controller. One game is almost unplayable for me with a wireless controller.

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Who can beat my 198ms reaction time on that link!?!? I'll do it again and post a screen shot if ya don't believe me haha[/QUOTE]



I am up there with 185ms. Its not that hard to get a good score though. I have the my same username up there on the score board!!:sneaky:

Futaba 3pm-x or Airtronics MX-3x
 

Hi guys, I'm deciding between a Futaba 3pm-x or Airtronics MX-3x, the MX-3x indicates "digital High Response system" is this just a hype slogan printed on the unit? or it indeed is high response compare to the 3pm-x ? but 3 pm-x has the ABS feature which the MX-3x doesnt have. The 3pm-x does not indicate any "high response" feature , so any input from you guys out there on which of the 2 is a better radio of the 2 for electric touring and electric 4wd off road.?:D