Looking at pictures from the on-road worlds, why are so many top drivers using the 75mhz fm radios?

Analog FM is still faster than digital spread spectrum technology, thats why they keep making faster systems. Theyre trying to catch up to analog which i think they eventually will. There also tends to be less interference or "glitches" with FM.

With almost everyone using some type of dsm system, most if not all of the fm channels are available at the track now so you dont have to wait for your channel to become free to practice anymore!

Wow, I did not realize FM was faster. All the ads make it look like 2.4 is faster.

Spec radios be they Futaba, JR or Spec are more than fast enough, the whole speed thing is just marketing hype. The manufacturers just want you to buy their new radios, which is smart but dont fall for the hype. Myself I am not upgrading to the new Futaba until my 3PK is broke or acting up.

Also, in certain countries 2.4ghz is illegal for r/c use.

Thats cause it is. Now this all makes sense, othewise it made no sense to see FM on the drivers stand at that level of competition.

The picture of the drivers on the stand that I have seen (at the worlds) show a few drivers using 2.4 but most are on fm. I was suprised.

i like the lazyness of 2.4 at the club track. its horrid seeing folks still gettin burned by other foolish folks who think every1 is on spektrum. next thing u see is a very expensive missle goin somewhere it shouldnt. that or a kid's 1st ride smack into a pipe and broke b/c the 'neo-pro' in the back doesnt think any1 could possibly be on ch2. hmmm can any1 say maybe a RTR moron?

R

So, besides the conveinence of 2.4, which way is the best to go as far as performance goes?

Forget about anything but 2.4, its not that it is better or faster its just the way of the future. FM may be a tad faster but your lap times will not be.

This is no-longer the case with the release of the DX3R.

Its not so much that as the power output needs to be regulated differently depending on the country.

The majority of this has to do with current driver's contracts and perceptions. The original systems did have an increase in latency that come drivers felt left them at a competitive disadvantage. Many are coming back to the technology especially with the DX3R out there. I know Ray Durroch used a DX3R at the ROAR Carpet Nats this year and was on fire and won 1/12-scale Super Stock... and if memory serves him right his time would have been fast enough to make the A in Mod.

Some guys have contracts that state they cannot use another manufacturer's brand of modules or receivers with their radio system. I can't blame them. If I'm X-Brand and my driver wins, I want to advertise that "My driver won with the X-Brand Transmitter". I don't want another company being able to jump onto that, regardless of what kind of relationship they would have with an aftermarket module and receiver manufacturer. Why do you think Airtronics came out with a synthesized module for the M8/11? They saw how many users they had that were going to races and using the Novak Synth modules. They saw their radios with this orange module in the back of it. And this is not anything to bash Airtronics; it's good business and marketing. Same thing goes for 2.4GHz technology. I will honestly be shocked if a 2.4GHz radio system isn't used in the car that wins the 1/8-scale worlds coming this fall.

1st time ur car goes on a flyer or wigs out on the bench in front of you b/c some n00b fired up his t-maxx, savage, or RTR touring car. you'll cease to care if ur sys had less latency.

R

I would have to agree with that. I am already using 2.4 (3pk w/spektrum module). I was just curious