PRODUCTPROBE
TESTING
I installed the Airtronics MX- 3 FHSS radio
system in my HPI E-Savage for testing. The
tiny 92324 receiver fit easily into the sealed
gearbox of the E-Savage but unlike other
2.4GHz systems, the antenna wire is fairly
long at 9. 5 inches. If you plan to use this system in a vehicle without a sealed radio box,
Airtronics includes two rubber plugs to prevent dirt from getting into the unused receiver
channels. Before you can use the MX- 3
FHSS, the transmitter and receiver must be
bound to each other, which basically locks
them together. During this process, the fail-safe is also set, and you select the amount of
brake that is applied to suit your needs. The
fail-safe will be activated whenever the voltage drops to or below 3. 6 volts, and it will
keep your ride from turning into a high-speed
runaway missile. The binding step is very
simple. Per the instructions, I first turned the
receiver on; then I depressed the binding button on the receiver and switched the transmitter on while applying full brake. (Airtronics
includes a small plastic tool to depress the
tiny button on the receiver.) After about 10
seconds, the LED on the receiver stopped
blinking and stayed lit; this indicates that the
binding was successful. Before driving the
E-Savage I wanted to check whether the fail-
safe functioned. I plugged a spare servo
into the throttle port on the receiver and
installed a servo horn, so I would easily s ee
when the servo moved. I turned the radio
system on, applied the throttle, which caused
the servo horn to move, and then I shut off
the transmitter. The fail-safe instantly kicked
in, and the servo horn turned in the opposite
direction, which would be equivalent to
applying full brake. To continue the testing of
the MX- 3 FHSS, I headed outside with freshly
charged battery packs in the truck. The
steering servo needed to be trimmed slightly,
and afterwards the radio operated just as
expected. I ran the truck all around my yard
and up and down the street to test its range.
I had no problem driving the monster truck
as far as I could safely see and bring it back
without experiencing any type of glitching.
One thing I would like is to have a dial for the
steering dual rate instead of the lever that is
slow to make adjustments, but that is just
me. The ergonomic design of the MX- 3
FHSS makes it comfortable to hold for
extended periods of time, and the foam-cov-ered steering wheel is easy on the fingers.
Navigating through any of the system features is straightforward and intuitive enough
that you don’t need to keep referring to the
instructions.
The included
3-channel
2.4 GHz
receiver is
compact
and meas-
ures only
1.03x1.18x
. 75 inch (26x
30x19mm), so it
easily fits in almost every
RC vehicle.
VERDICT
Airtronics was smart to keep the same great
system features along with stylish, comfortable case design as on the original MX- 3 that
people have grown to love. The increase of
model memory from 5 to 18, the essential
and easy-to-use system features, the very
reasonable $180 price tag and, of course, the
2.4GHz spread-spectrum technology make
the MX- 3 FHSS a fantastic radio system not
only for bashing around in your backyard but
also more capable for racing at the local
track. —Paul Onorato
ratinG 5
Airtronics MX- 3 FHSS transmitter and
92324 receiver—item no. 751595; $180
SourceS
Airtronics distributed by Global Hobby
Distributors, globalhobby.com; airtronics.net
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