Futaba 3PM 2.4 GHz Review / Overview

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Form

Form

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Montréal (South Shore), Québec, Canada
I bought the Futaba 3PM 2.4 GHz yesterday and put up a review on my website, for those who might be interested:

Futaba 3PM 2.4 GHz Review on Irradiated.net

The review contains a dozen pictures and a nice video I made that shows a few of the transmitter's functionnalities and a more hands-on overview of it.

I hope this helps people choose their radio! I sure do love mine.
 
I've been using one for a couple of years now for all of my rigs and love it. All you'll ever need as a basher.

You should talk some about setting the endpoints and using the anti-lock brake feature and such.

Thanks for the writeup.

*
 
Great work. I love the video it puts things into place a little for the people looking for a great radio.

I will also state I run 2 of these exact same radios and love both. I have several different truck per radio and works very slick. My brother also has 2 and has had great luck with them as well.
 
whipnet said:
I've been using one for a couple of years now for all of my rigs and love it. All you'll ever need as a basher.

You should talk some about setting the endpoints and using the anti-lock brake feature and such.

Thanks for the writeup.

*
Click to expand...

True, I will try to update it with a full list of features and brief explanations ASAP.

UPDATE: There is a new section in the review that explains most of the 3PM's functionnality in detail. Go check it out!
 
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i've been thinking about a new radio/receiver for my savage. one question i have is, how long is the antenna coming out from the truck? i've slowly been shortening my stock radio's antenna (NOT on purpose! lol i do a lot of running on pavement....) i'd love a quality radio where the antenna doesn't pop out of the body yet still gives me plenty of range and minimal interference and i personally like futaba from past experiences.
 
Jim 18 said:
i've been thinking about a new radio/receiver for my savage. one question i have is, how long is the antenna coming out from the truck? i've slowly been shortening my stock radio's antenna (NOT on purpose! lol i do a lot of running on pavement....) i'd love a quality radio where the antenna doesn't pop out of the body yet still gives me plenty of range and minimal interference and i personally like futaba from past experiences.
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I'm interested in this info too, I haven't had the chance of installing the receiver in a truck yet!
 
Form said:
When it's concealed under the lid, is it straight? If not wouldn't this reduce the range of the antenna?
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It only needs to stick up a couple of inches. The range will be further than you can see the truck. But always set the built in fail-safe regardless.

(If you use digital servos you can set the fail safe once forever. If you use analog you have to set it every time you use it, but it's only 1 button)

*
 
I have 2 of these but you say there is a way to set the fail safe once forever? How do you do this? I run pretty much all digital servos as well.
 
Larsenracing said:
I have 2 of these but you say there is a way to set the fail safe once forever? How do you do this? I run pretty much all digital servos as well.
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Hey Larsen. I am owner of two of these myself too.

You'll need to be in HRS mode first. Pg 53 (You should be in this mode anyway if you run all digital servos.)

Then you set the fail-safe for HRS mode. Pg 42. You set the each channel. This mode also has a low receiver battery fail safe as well as a signal loss.

If you don't have your manual anymore, let me know and I'll get you a scan of the pages.

*
 
I am not in the HRS mode at all as I do run a few Analog servos. Will this mode work with analog servos as well or not?

Also, I run many models per radio when setting to the HRS mode does it get set per model or for the whole radio.

Sorry, i'm not real good with all the functions of this radio but I do love them.
 
Larsenracing said:
I am not in the HRS mode at all as I do run a few Analog servos. Will this mode work with analog servos as well or not?

Also, I run many models per radio when setting to the HRS mode does it get set per model or for the whole radio.

Sorry, i'm not real good with all the functions of this radio but I do love them.
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HRS mode is for digital servos, but I have never tried it with analog ones just to see.

You set the mode per model, so some can be in HRS and some can be in standard PPM mode.

Check out the ABS feature for the brakes... it's pretty cool.. you can adjust the pulse rate.

*
 
Sweet I will go ahead and set up the HRS mode for my Full digital R/C's. I have played with the ABS on the brakes but do not have it set on any models currently.

By the way these radios have to many functions, I can't immagin that of the high end radios, LOL. I guess i'm to simple.

I appreciate the help Whip.
 
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Awesome bud, I got it all set up. I guess ya learn something new everyday.

I will try it with one of my buggy which has a analog servo on it and will post back the results.
 
Larsenracing said:
Awesome bud, I got it all set up. I guess ya learn something new everyday.

I will try it with one of my buggy which has a analog servo on it and will post back the results.
Click to expand...

I think I've heard somewhere that using HRS with analog servos might fry them... I'd double check if I were you before trying this!

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I read this somewhere.
 
LOL if it frys them, then I guess I just get to replace them with Digital's, LOL. Don't tell the wife I said that. HEHE

Actually your correct I better take a look at it first and see. lately I have had bad luck with servo's. I will look into it before trying it.
 
Hehe, good then! I wouldn't have the budget to do that myself :lmao:!

I'd like to know the outcome of that!!

Edit: Didn't read your post correctly, thought you would try it without checking first lol. I'd still like to know what you find about this if possible.
 
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are digital's worth it? i'm just a basher, i do this as a hobby and only for fun. i was thinking about swapping the steering servo out for a really high torque one (i have a generic 'hobby-something' metal gear in there now, higher torque than stock, but not much) in the future, probably next season, but i wasn't planning on digital. but i don't mind spending a few bucks more to get something a little better if it's worth it.
 
If you are running stock radios then its probably not really worth it however they will still out perform an analog servo. They will hold better and reach full power right away where analog servos need to rotate some first. With a digital radio they will communicate back and forth much more like 20 times more so they will be much more accurate. In my mine analog servos well eventually be discontinued and replaced 100% by Digital but this will be a while down the road.

For a inexpensive digital servo i run the Hitec 5645mg for steering and the 5625 for Throttle/brake they can be had for between $43 and $50.
 
I just received a note back from Futaba regarding my email. They stated the the HRS mode will burn up an analog servo because they cannot handle the increased signal frame rate.

So that answers that. NO ANALOG SERVOS WITH HRS MODE, they can only be ran with the PPM Mode.
 
Larsenracing said:
I just received a note back from Futaba regarding my email. They stated the the HRS mode will burn up an analog servo because they cannot handle the increased signal frame rate.

So that answers that. NO ANALOG SERVOS WITH HRS MODE, they can only be ran with the PPM Mode.
Click to expand...

I knew I saw that somewhere! So NO HRS mode and analog servos, everyone! (unless you want new digital servos as Larsen said earlier :lmao:)
 
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