Tag Archives: user manuals

A Small Piece of IOM Worlds Legacy : Advanced Radio Sailing Transmitter Manuals……!!

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A lot of you clearly know about our downloadable collection of beginner radio sailors’ transmitter manuals. There have been around 2000 downloads now – we have FlySky, Futaba, Spektrum and Radiomaster in there. By the way, the Radiomaster manual on this list is by far the most popular. Given that we estimate there are only 19,000 radio sailors in the world (says AI !!), we think that 2000 download number is pretty interesting.

During the build up to the IOM Worlds, some mind boggling GBR talent put its mind to work to see if advanced features could be found on transmitters that would give the competitors a little competitive edge. The idea became to make three different radio sailing transmitter websites (Radiomaster, Futaba, Spektrum) and charge readers a nominal amount to subscribe to generate some income for the IOM Worlds.

A good idea… but we just ran out of runway and had a thousand other pieces of prep to complete. So we never got around to the monetised subscription idea. We’ve still got the manuals websites though.

For the basic radio sailors’ transmitter manuals, the easiest way to find them is to find the list of “Categories” on this website and select “Transmitter Manuals”. Alternatively use the website’s “Search” bar.

As to the three ‘advanced radio sailing transmitter’ websites, they are now online and available for free. To find them, just click on “RADIOS” on the menu bar of this website and you should find the three of them available there.

Radiomaster : Advanced Transmitter Guide for Radio Sailors….!!

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As we write, (14 January 2026) our Radio Sailing Beginners Guides to Transmitters have been downloaded globally 1,600 times. 958 of those downloads were for Radiomaster.

Today we have launched our Advanced Radio Sailors’ User Manual for Radiomaster Transmitters. It covers all the very sexy features that many of you have been waiting for.

It has taken time from several Datchet Members to pull all this together.

Instead of publishing a pdf download manual as we have previously, this time we have given the transmitter its own website. Now you can use it from the side of the lake reading from your phone!!

If you look at the website’s menu bar, you can also download our previous Radio Sailing Beginner’s Guides to Flysky, Futaba, and Spektrum (download from USA). We have also included our advanced Futaba User guide which covers the same advanced Radio Sailing features as the new website. All our Transmitter manuals in one, easy-to-find place.

To see it, click on “RADIOS” on the menu bar above.

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