understood, now I am off to do research on basically everything else, I am starting fresh in the hobby so I guess the big question is, do I start with buying my own radio or should I start by getting a nice kit like say a hobbyzone carbon cub or sport cub.
will the radios that come with any starter kit work with any of the electronics kits that flight test sells???? (maybe I can knock out two birds with one stone)
I have looked at some of the threads here and people are recommending $300 radios for starters (dx8) , ( I understand there is a good reason to spend that sort of coin on a radio especially because you can use that one radio for the whole hangar)
I have no clue where to start on a charger, I used to run a 4x4 buggy on a 3s lipo but I don't have that charger anymore (might have been venom???)
do recievers generally come with radios or do you normally bind the receiver that comes with the planes?
I completely understand if you don't respond to this, these are just the things on my mind at the moment, I am sure I can find it all on threads here, still getting used to what threads hold what and what keywords to search for.
If you go with an
RTF your aircraft will come with everything if its from hobbyzone. this should include a 5 channel transmitter that will be good for a while. However, if you decide to expand out to more complex stuff, like retracts, flaps, etc. that will be a burden. My personal recommendation is a
Turnigy 9x. They're cheap on Hobbyking ($75!) and they actually have a bundle
with the new Bixler 1.1 for $150 for a 9ch radio and a very respectable Multiplex knockoff trainer.
The reason i say don't run for a dx8 is because its a lock-in. Theres no way to change your radio system after the fact, the module is built in. you use DSMX/DSM2 receivers, end of story, and the genuine stuff isnt exactly the cheapest thing on the market, which isnt a bad thing, its great quality. That being said, i run an FRSKY module on my r9x and its been quite reliable.
On chargers, i'd say go with
this guy on amazon. Full disclosure, they sent me a sample for...some reason, i guess a review on Amazon, and i've been impressed. Its cheap and has more smart functionality than some of the smart chargers i've had in the past, like using battery voltage to detect cell count on some charge cycles. You still need to know how to use one of these, and i'm sure anyone here would be happy to help you learn, theyre easy.
So yeah, for 2/3 of what you pay for a Dx8 you can get a good plane that can get you into FPV, a pretty decent radio, and a good charger. If you want to finish up the rest of that $100 you are saving over that DX8 you can get an FRSKY
DJT module and
8 channel receiver. And yes, i know, its not a build it yourself experience, everything comes out of the box ready to run. But if you are at the point that you are flying around a 2 channel Horrible Freight glider, maybe you should look at something to start out with with control surfaces. I think you'll find the envelope of things you can build and fly a lot less restrictive once you have experience on something with control surfaces.