STICK VS. WHEEL TRANSMITTER

[John Finch]

I never had tried the stick but watching a well known racer the stick makes sense as having the throttle and steering on one stick leaving the other stick to run the third channel.The third channel had a needle vavle with full flow to no flow and could use the stick to dial it in then used the trim for fine tuning.With the setup you get the motor to run throw it to the water and go from there.You have the full effect without having to guess where your needle vavle is.Wonder why he wins so many US1.If i had some extra cash would like to try it.Just a tought? :blink:

The wheel radio gives you both a fine and course turn ability depending on how you move your fingertips or shoulder. Like flying U-control when you lock your wrist and move the aircraft by moving your whole arm for straight flight and bend your wrist for stunts. With the boats you can react fast with the fingertips or move your arm at the shoulder and get small movements at the wheel. The method of holding the wheel and wrist still while moving at the shoulder makes for some fine driving at oval record trials where the slightest movement can put you off course or in a buoy. I started in u-control airplanes, went to sticks on boats and then the wheel. The wheel is the best for steering. As for the throttle.....Terry is right about being able to have that comfort level with the stick keeping the boat at a consistant speed, but how many people let go of the trigger after the race starts? That's an old farts view of it who has tried it all. One of Steve Speas tricks used to be to use a wheel radio and steer with his thumb on the wheel so he could drive with one hand and scratch his xxx with the other. Pretty impressive!

 

[Terry Keeley]

Being another old airplane flier, I too, started racing boats with the stick radios. Not many others around this area at the time used them, either. When I was finally convinced to switch to a wheel radio, I felt like my driving improved ( there was a LOT of room for that! ). Maybe I was trying to keep up with my son's skills at the time ( tough thing to do ). Sent three nice Futaba 3EGX radios to Mr Keeley that won a lot of races ( and two US-1's ) for me. I believe I still have one on the shelf in the garage.............Terry?

Dick Tyndall

Swapped the sticks around and found FM modules for 'em (thanks Steve!) and, as Chuck says, "you'll have to pry them from my cold, dead, hands". :lol:

I never had tried the stick but watching a well known racer the stick makes sense as having the throttle and steering on one stick leaving the other stick to run the third channel.The third channel had a needle vavle with full flow to no flow and could use the stick to dial it in then used the trim for fine tuning.With the setup you get the motor to run throw it to the water and go from there.You have the full effect without having to guess where your needle vavle is.Wonder why he wins so many US1.If i had some extra cash would like to try it.Just a tought? :blink:

and my latest stick transmitter operated boat is a 5 channel B tunnel . ERNIE

OK, Ill bite, throttle, steering, mixture, O/B trim and???

 

[Charles Perdue]

Being another old airplane flier, I too, started racing boats with the stick radios. Not many others around this area at the time used them, either. When I was finally convinced to switch to a wheel radio, I felt like my driving improved ( there was a LOT of room for that! ). Maybe I was trying to keep up with my son's skills at the time ( tough thing to do ). Sent three nice Futaba 3EGX radios to Mr Keeley that won a lot of races ( and two US-1's ) for me. I believe I still have one on the shelf in the garage.............Terry?

Dick Tyndall

Swapped the sticks around and found FM modules for 'em (thanks Steve!) and, as Chuck says, "you'll have to pry them from my cold, dead, hands". :lol:

I never had tried the stick but watching a well known racer the stick makes sense as having the throttle and steering on one stick leaving the other stick to run the third channel.The third channel had a needle vavle with full flow to no flow and could use the stick to dial it in then used the trim for fine tuning.With the setup you get the motor to run throw it to the water and go from there.You have the full effect without having to guess where your needle vavle is.Wonder why he wins so many US1.If i had some extra cash would like to try it.Just a tought? :blink:

and my latest stick transmitter operated boat is a 5 channel B tunnel . ERNIE

OK, Ill bite, throttle, steering, mixture, O/B trim and???

He's sneaky. A slippy pipe.

 

[1ernie lafleur]

Being another old airplane flier, I too, started racing boats with the stick radios. Not many others around this area at the time used them, either. When I was finally convinced to switch to a wheel radio, I felt like my driving improved ( there was a LOT of room for that! ). Maybe I was trying to keep up with my son's skills at the time ( tough thing to do ). Sent three nice Futaba 3EGX radios to Mr Keeley that won a lot of races ( and two US-1's ) for me. I believe I still have one on the shelf in the garage.............Terry?

Dick Tyndall

Swapped the sticks around and found FM modules for 'em (thanks Steve!) and, as Chuck says, "you'll have to pry them from my cold, dead, hands". :lol:

I never had tried the stick but watching a well known racer the stick makes sense as having the throttle and steering on one stick leaving the other stick to run the third channel.The third channel had a needle vavle with full flow to no flow and could use the stick to dial it in then used the trim for fine tuning.With the setup you get the motor to run throw it to the water and go from there.You have the full effect without having to guess where your needle vavle is.Wonder why he wins so many US1.If i had some extra cash would like to try it.Just a tought? :blink:

and my latest stick transmitter operated boat is a 5 channel B tunnel . ERNIE

OK, Ill bite, throttle, steering, mixture, O/B trim and???

The 5th channel is for tuned pipe length adjustment .

 

[Terry Keeley]

Ahhhh, that is sneaky, how many hands do you need to work all that? :lol:

 

[Brian Schymik]

Sticks for me, Mode I at that (throttle on the RHS).

Tried a wheel a few times and never felt comfortable with it, also like to be able to put the throttle in any position and leave it.

I'm sure not one of those "drivers who always seem to outdrive everyone" though! :lol:

Now Terry it doesn't surprise me a bit that you like Stick....Considering your day job!!!

Brian

 

[1ernie lafleur]

Ahhhh, that is sneaky, how many hands do you need to work all that? :lol:

The left thumb operates throttle and steering so the right hand has to do the rest .

 

[mark voorhies]

Ahhhh, that is sneaky, how many hands do you need to work all that? :lol:

The left thumb operates throttle and steering so the right hand has to do the rest .

Alot goin on with left thumb,that tune pipe adjuster sounds like quiet an advantage,

I would like to take a look at that, still I don't see myself having that many possible

movements in my radio, WOW!

 

[Eric Bourlet]

I learned to drive RC cars with a wheel so when I got my first R/C boat (a Fisher Sport 40 II) I naturally used my wheel radio; I thought that sticks were for planes. Then one day Mark Anderson talked me into driving one of his boats. He handed me a stick radio and after a couple of laps I was hooked.

This may sound crazy unless you have experienced it yourself. When I was driving cars and everything was set up perfect, as I was driving the car around the course , it was as if I was actually getting feedback from the car through the radio. Those of you out there that have had this happen know exactly what I'm talking about the rest of you probably think I had a few to many beers. While I am competitive while driving a boat with a wheel, I never got that feedback feeling with a boat until I drove with the sticks. I can still drive with either but do use and prefer sticks. One thing that sticks give me is better throttle management and I find that having just my thumb on the stick gives finer control and feel than a thumb and two fingers on a wheel. I am convinced many drivers that square off their corners would be better served by a stick radio. If you run a 3rd channel another thing I see wheel drivers do is take their hand off the wheel to adjust the needle (this of course varies by radio). With a stick radio I never have to take my thumb off the right stick and I don't think you should ever release the control that points the boat. I think it is far better if you use your throttle thumb to make that mixture change. I run a throttle stick that does not have a spring return so it stays where I put it even if I remove my thumb to change mixture. When it comes down to it though choice of radio is a very individual thing. Don't go by what the most guys in your corner of the world do. As has been stated already many of the best drivers in the world Japan, and Europe especially prefer sticks. If there is any way to borrow both kinds give them both a fair test. I don’t mean just a couple of laps but a few heats worth of driving and see which works best for your situation. No “right” answers on this age old question it is one that is different for each driver.

 

[Jerry Wyss]

"When I was driving cars and everything was set up perfect, as I was driving the car around the course , it was as if I was actually getting feedback from the car through the radio. Those of you out there that have had this happen know exactly what I'm talking about the rest of you probably think I had a few to many beers".

Wow, I use to feel that very thing while flying many planes,, it was like you felt resistance when

the wings were "loaded" and then nothing when they were stalled. I never thought about it until

you said that,, and I don't think I've ever had that connection with the wheel radio running boats,

No, I'm Sure Of It! :lol: :lol:

 

[Terry Keeley]

Sticks for me, Mode I at that (throttle on the RHS).

Tried a wheel a few times and never felt comfortable with it, also like to be able to put the throttle in any position and leave it.

I'm sure not one of those "drivers who always seem to outdrive everyone" though! :lol:

Now Terry it doesn't surprise me a bit that you like Stick....Considering your day job!!!

Brian

 

[Marty Davis]

Sticks for me, Mode I at that (throttle on the RHS).

Tried a wheel a few times and never felt comfortable with it, also like to be able to put the throttle in any position and leave it.

I'm sure not one of those "drivers who always seem to outdrive everyone" though! :lol:

Now Terry it doesn't surprise me a bit that you like Stick....Considering your day job!!!

Brian

I see a lot of people talking about their THUMB on the sticks. I feel that the stick radio is much better to be able to feel the input. Only difference in the way that I use the stick radio is that I DO NOT USE MY THUMB on the top of the stick. I hold the stick with my thumb and index finger exactly as I would pick up a small pin from a table. Just the ends of those two fingers holding the stick lightly. The lower on the stick the better. Many of the stick radios that are being made have very short sticks. That is an advantage because it limits the amount of leverage on the top os the stick.

I can drive a boat fine with a wheel radio, but MUCH better with a stick radio. Granted, the stick is what I started out with, but I do believe that it is much more sensitive.

I even took an old wheel radio (with the throttle on a trigger) and installed a stick in place of the wheel. I ran RC cars that way (combination of a stick for turning and throttle as it came with a wheel radio). Was a VERY good system that allowed me to drive cars well.

Bottom line, it is what works for you, but don't discount the sensitivity of driving a stick radio.

Marty Davis

 

[robertpickard]

I flew planes used the stick took me a while to get use to the wheel but i would never go back i love it better response on boats

 

[EatMyShortsRacing]

I have had stick radios from the beginning. I originally stayed with stick radios because when I first needed to upgrade radios I needed 4 channels so wheel radios were not considered. The next upgrade was to have 8 model memories and at the time that also excluded wheel radios. Finally I got an R1... and went back to my stick radios.

Old dog.... no new tricks

 

[Roger Hooks Jr.]

I have had stick radios from the beginning. I originally stayed with stick radios because when I first needed to upgrade radios I needed 4 channels so wheel radios were not considered. The next upgrade was to have 8 model memories and at the time that also excluded wheel radios. Finally I got an R1... and went back to my stick radios.
Old dog.... no new tricks

Born and raised on sticks but change up from heat to heat sometimes when asked to drive for others with no problem.

 

[Tony Jacuzzi]

It seems that there is currently only the Airtronics EXZES in 75 mhz FM 2 stick, what other radios from the past might be out there to purchase? Any Hitec or Futaba.. TJ

 

[Marty Davis]

It seems that there is currently only the Airtronics EXZES in 75 mhz FM 2 stick, what other radios from the past might be out there to purchase? Any Hitec or Futaba.. TJ

Tony:

My favorite is the Ace which is a 3 channel and they had a conversion to put a slide on the top for the mixture. It is super. I also used the Exzes and liked it very well. It is a modern radio with the ability to program individual boats and has many more bells and whistles.

The Ace used the Pro Line sticks which were the best available for airplanes and on the high end radios. Not sure if Ace still makes radios, but if they do, I would suggest them.

As other have stated, I frequently drive other peoples boats using a wheel and have no problem, but when I pick up my radio it is like "an old friend". Much more touch with it.

I do wish that I could get the "rust off" and be able to drive like I used to.

Marty Davis