Do you think radio control aircraft flyers ever get cold hands?? I’m beginning to wonder…

Maybe they don’t!! Radio Sailors on the other hand usually do want some warm, dry, hand protection and it’s extremely usual for us to use “Transmitter snugs” to keep our fingers warm !!

Our transmitters are generally model aircraft transmitters and we use a tiny proportion of their capability in Radio Sailing. Not all of them come with switches for aircraft pilots to play with, but the more you pay the more switches you will see on there. Lets be clear – far fewer radio sailors use ANY of the switches, but if you find yourself tempted quite possibly your transmitter is festooned with the them..

By “switches”, I am referring to those little silver spikey things such as the ones you can see in the photos above. If you are tempted to try one of these switches for sailing, then read-on.

In way of a suggestion, consider whether when inside a “transmitter snug” the switches can get inadvertently flicked/activated by the very material that is keeping your hands warm. Certainly when you take your hands out of the snug and perhaps place the transmitter to one side, you are open to this happening.

It won’t happen on the Radiomaster Pocket (switches safely recessed) but Flysky, Spektrum and the Futabas generally have them running along facing you on what I think of as “the top” …. meaning the console where the joysticks are located. Futaba and Spektrum also have switches on the back panel, slightly hidden away from you. To make it more interesting there are often two different switch arm lengths. What I have been finding is that the longer switch arms (lovely action!!) are the ones that can snag on the inside of the transmitter snug. When it happens, it’s quite difficult to spot until something doesn’t work on the boat as you expect…. usually at a crucial moment!!

The Flysky I tried at the weekend additionally needed those switches all in the off position just to power up successfully. The Flysky only has switches along “the top” if I recall correctly. (see photo above)

So my suggestions if you really, really want to try switches would be :-

1/ Choose the short stubby switches if you can, as they are often “protected” against snagging by a tall switch located next to them.

2/ Consider only using short stubby switches on the back panel if it fits your way of thinking. A reduced chance of snagging back there….

3/ If you get cross, don’t throw away that transmitter snug!!