Model airplane news: Guide to micro R/C receivers

Model Airplane News, Nov 1999 by Aberle, Bob

Garrett Receiver

This receiver has been available for more than a year now. It is the one I used in my AIKA electric indoor model in the September 1999 Model Airplane News. The Garrett weighs 0.07 ounce (2g), including a cable with four conventional connectors attached. If you remove this cable and solder the servos directly to the receiver, you can save a lot of extra weight. In the future, Garrett receivers will have the servo connectors mounted directly on the circuit board. The center pin is battery positive. Dimensions are 1 1/8x5/8x1/4 inch. The receiver is available on certain 72MHz FM and will operate from most popular FM R/C transmitters. Two capacitors and a diode are supplied with instructions, in case your motor causes noise to get into the receiver. I did not have this problem with my Garrett. The receiver is not very selective and will require that you take at least two frequency clips on either side of your operating frequency. Radio range on my receiver was only about 300 feet, but I have flown it outdoors at considerable range without a problem. My understanding is that the new production run of receivers will have considerably more range.

Sky Hooks & Rigging's SHR

RX72-PRO

Again, a micro receiver similar to the SHR-RX72 model, but this time, without any connector block. The idea here is to let you save more weight by soldering your servo's lead wires directly to the receiver circuit board. They probably called it the "PRO" because they expect only pros to take on this soldering job. Five-channel control capability is possible with this receiver. My digital scale still read 0.07 ounce, or 2 grams, although I felt that it was lighter than the other two sample receivers. I believe I reached the minimum point of sensitivity on my scale. Dimensions of the "PRO" model micro receiver are 15/16x9/16x5/16 inch.

Sky Hooks & Rigging's SCSH-4A

This is the 4A electricmotor speed control that comes built into the SHR-RX72 Hybrid receiver. The ESC can be purchased and operated separately from the receiver. It weighs 0.07 ounce (2g) with wires but without connectors, and it measures 3/4X5/16X3/16 inch. All of the parameters mentioned with the Hybrid receiver apply here as well.

Balsa Products

Model APR-4FM

This receiver's specifications are similar to those of the Critter Bits model. The price of the basic receiver is a little lower, but the crystals must be purchased separately. This particular receiver provides fourchannel control functions. It operates on FM and is available on 10 RSC channels on the 72Mhz frequencies. You must specify the operating transmitters, either Futaba/Hitec or JR/Airtronics. Radio range is claimed to be around 1,500 feet.