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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=921550117-22122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff>Ron,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=921550117-22122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=921550117-22122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff>There is a Yahoo email list and a good size
group of subscribers, <A
href="mailto:MP8K@yahoogroups.com">MP8K@yahoogroups.com</A>. A fellow named Dan
Thompson has has the MicroPro source code and has developed a few upgrades to
the transmitter.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=921550117-22122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff>You can see my developments at <A
href="http://www.mstar2k.com">www.mstar2k.com</A>. I designed and built an
encoder that is similar to the MicroPro, I call it a MicroStar. Mine has 1024
resolution where the MicroPro is limited to 256. About 100 or so MicroStars have
been built, its a pretty small group of electronics geeks. The Yahoo list caters
to both groups.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=921550117-22122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff>I have also designed a receiver and a few
other items, all on my web site.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=921550117-22122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=921550117-22122007><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff>--Gordon</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Ron Van
Putte<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, December 22, 2007 8:30 AM<BR><B>To:</B> NSRCA
Mailing List<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Futaba and
pattern<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>I was talking with a local R/C electronic techie a couple of days
ago. He built one of the Micropro systems years ago and he still uses it.
Apparently there's a "support group" for these radios. There are repair and
service items and even new "stuff" is available from a few sources via a url
that I could find out, but didn't at the time.
<DIV><BR class=webkit-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Ron</DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Dec 22, 2007, at 8:16 AM, John Ferrell wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>FWIW, I am with you all the way on this issue.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It is unfortunate that the Micropro was killed in
its infancy. The auto trim feature seems like a no brainer to me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The rubber duck antenna was handy as well.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If the legal aspects would permit it I believe it
might be practical to build a MicroPro type radio with Futaba and/or JR RF
modules.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Another neat feature it had was that you only
needed to transmit the channels you were using. I cannot remember if that
permitted a higher update rate for the servos.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>John Ferrell W8CCW<BR>"Life is easier if you learn to plow <BR>around the
stumps"<BR><A href="http://DixieNC.US">http://DixieNC.US</A><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=bob@toprudder.com href="mailto:bob@toprudder.com">Bob Richards</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org
href="mailto:nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org">NSRCA Mailing List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 21, 2007 5:56
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Futaba
and pattern</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Ok, my 2CW.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I really like the idea of the USB connector. Hmmm, not a new idea,
really, I could do that with my Ace Micropro back in 1992. Could save all
the airplane programs onto computer disk via a serial port. Could pull up
the program information on the computer and edit the values (although it was
not a GUI interface, it was still nice).</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Another thing would be program independent buddy box capability. In
other words, the slave transmitter need only to send the stick positions to
the master radio. That information would then be applied to the program in
the master radio. No need to make sure the slave and master radios are
operating with the same program. Hmmm, again, not really a new idea, I could
do that with the Micropro radio back in 1992. :-)</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Autotrim. Lets say you have just taken off with an airplane that is out
of trim. Instead of fumbling around for multiple trim levers (or buttons)
you just press one button and keep flying the plane straight and level. The
autotrim function will apply trim changes automatically to any of the the
three flight channels so that the sticks slowly move back to neutral. Again,
the Micropro had that feature.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I liked a lot of the features of the old Micropro radio, my big
complaint was that it was only 256 resolution. That alone was reason not to
use it in pattern.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>As for the 2.4 ghz using the internal antenna connection, that is not
likely to happen on the old radios. I like the fact that I can swap the
module with a 72 mhz module and not have to fumble with mounting an antenna
with an external cable.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I have flown Futaba for over 20 years, and have had good service.
However, I wish there was better support/marketing in my area of the
country. We had a huge fly-in last year (Fly-for-Tots) with over 200
registered pilots. Horizon/JR sent lots of stuff, including sponsered pilots
to fly demos. Futaba did send a couple of flags and items for the raffle,
but it was a hugh disparity with what Horizon/JR did. I am in a distinct
minority in my club since most of the guys fly JR, so I caught a lot of crap
as a result.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Just my 2CW.</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Bob R.</DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Derek Koopowitz <<A
href="mailto:derekkoopowitz@gmail.com">derekkoopowitz@gmail.com</A>></I></B>
wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">
<DIV>Futaba is looking for some new product ideas for upcoming equipment
and they are interested in seeing what ideas we all have for the pattern
arena that could be new and inventive. This could be anything from
updating current equipment to new product development. </DIV>
<DIV>If you could put some thoughts together in an email to me, I'll make
sure that they're sent to Futaba USA's attention. I'll need to have this
back no later than the end of the year!</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Thanks!</DIV>_______________________________________________<BR>NSRCA-discussion
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href="mailto:NSRCA-discussion@lists.nsrca.org">NSRCA-discussion@lists.nsrca.org</A><BR>http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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