Tag Archives: user manuals

Beginner Guide to Transmitters : Upgrade to our Futaba Manual….. Using P.MIX mode ….!!

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At the weekend race session, two things came up which prompted this update to the Futaba Radio Sailing manual.

The first thing : Some time ago, Vernon suggested taking a look at the Futaba model 10J transmitter. For the cost of about 25 flat whites (£100 or 50% more than normal) you get a big upgrade to aesthetics, robustness (waterproofness maybe?)… and the way it physically handles – it’ll be a personal thing I realise. But I was smitten…. It felt great in my hands.

However, at the time of writing the 10J model is populated with mainly two position switches. It has one three position switch on the right hand side.

We have been trialling both rudder expo and “Pinch and Puff Mode” using three position switches. The models 6, 12, 16 and 18 have all had their switch inventory updated to three position switches. I don’t know if the same will happen for model 10J. You’d think it will follow the rest.

Since setting out to write a radio sailing user manual for each of the main transmitter brands – Spektrum, Futaba, Flysky and Radiomaster – I have become quite interested in the idea of how to use the transmitter to ease and maybe speed up the personal transition for a beginner to radio sailing,… from sailing to radio sailing.

Some of the things that a beginner finds hard to do quickly enough in their hands and head at first, can be done by the transmitter instead – just while you learn. I am thinking of rudder expo, mainsheet curve (aka Throttle curve) and “Pinch and Puff” modes. Usually I tell people that the transmitters are pretty much the same, but in this regard they have varying capability.

My Spektrum will be back from the Doctor soon and I shall get on with producing the full radio sailor manual for that. At the present time, this website has a download pointer to the American MYA manual for the Spektrum DX6e.

The second thing : on Sunday, Nigel’s fabulous blog published an item on how to install “Pinch and Puff” mode using a Spektrum and implementing it not with 3-position switches… but with the left joystick. Clever. I’ve just set it up on the F6 Marblehead to test it.

The Beginner Guide for Radio Sailors on setting up the Futaba to do sailing P.MIX has been updated to include this great idea. Model 10J owners, take notes!!

Click here to see version 9 of the manual

Futaba T6K : Beginners Guide to Setting Up the Transmitter for Radio Sailing

Preferred Transmitter Types ….!!

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We had a super flare-up on our WhatsApp Group this week about radio transmitters! There’s real passion out there !!

Reasonable reactions …. as for all of us, the transmitter is your primary interface to the boat. We all have different size hands, different feeling at the fingertips etc etc. It’s good that people have strong views!! Don’t mention purchase price to a group of radio sailors, or you’ll never get away. (!)

It’s clear from our WhatsApp chatter that every transmitter brand has both war stories and accolades in good numbers. For beginners, I’d say the stories (good and bad) just make choosing your first transmitter much harder to work out. Oddly there’s almost no way to compare how the various models feel in one’s own hands – big/small/balanced etc.

As a result of all the messages I posted the little poll above – half the members replied in about three hours, so we have touched a nerve!! Interesting result above, actually….

I’m thinking we might run a “Transmitters for Beginners” section here on the website, as understanding all of this area is a significant barrier-to-entry for newcomers. Very daunting,… speaking for myself anyway. It need not be, if we can demystify it. If you buy a second hand boat as your entry to radio sailing there’s a high chance that it comes without a radio. So the beginner hits this wall straight away.

There is limited help on YouTube for radio sailing beginners (excepting FlySky to a degree) and they all have dreadful User Manuals… or no manuals at all to speak of.

The radios are all built for the market as a whole. The market for transmitters is dominated by planes, cars, drones, gliders and the like. At MYA we have a little over 2,000 members… you’d think that was a lot. Do you know how many drones are licensed in UK as at 2023?? 513,000…. Mind boggling. Furthermore, the needs of planes, drones etc means that the transmitters are way over configured for what we need. Radio sailing needs only a tiny amount of the functionality that the transmitters deliver.

So, if we are going to get the help and manuals for beginners sorted out, it will have to be radio sailors that do it.

The Commodore and I have an idea……