Jeff Hoy, American

So I bought the Futaba 4PK after lusting over since it was first announced.  It’s a costly beast, in the $500 range, but after just a few hours of use I can definitely say it’s worth every penny if you’re really into R/C.  This is the first pro level transmitter that I’ve ever owned and the difference between this radio and all the entry level radios I’ve had is astounding.  Everything from the physical balance of it to the options and adjustments available just screams “I’m an AWESOME radio!”

Hang on… this is gonna be rough…

The transmitter just feels good to hold.  The pistol grip and trigger are shaped just right and I can pull and push the trigger without any effort.  Some of my older radios had strange reaches when it came to push on the brakes, but that’s not so with the 4PK, it feels good through the entire range of the trigger.  Add to that the fact that it’s light, very light.  With some of my older radios just the battery packs alone seem to weigh more than this entire transmitter with batteries installed.  When I’m holding it upright the balance is such that it doesn’t want to pull my hand in any particular direction, it just stays right where it is.  It’s balanced to perfection.

The wheel, while adjustable, is in the right place for me, and it’s a decent size, though a little on the small size for my larger than normal hands.  You can even switch sides if you’re a crazy lefty.  Other dials, doo-dads, buttons, and switches are relatively well placed but a couple dials and a button on the pistol grip aren’t well placed for my long, fat thumb.  They are a little uncomfortable to manipulate and could be a bit difficult to do if I’m concentrating on driving around a track at high speed.  Other switches mounted around the wheel are well placed and easily accessible while still having a hand on the wheel.

What’s this do?  Oops… Uh-oh…

When I turned it on for the first time and started pushing buttons I became a bit intimidated.  There’s just SO MANY options and adjustments you can make on this radio that you’ll likely never use them all with one model. Remember all those buttons, switches, doo-dads, and dials I talked about?  Yeah, well the functions of all those buttons and switches and dials can be customized in the radio, so you can set them to do anything from adjust steering trim, setting throttle end-point, or activate the third or fourth channels.  This radio offers everything.  Steering and throttle expo, engine idle-up, A.B.S. brakes (!), trims and subtrims, multiple (up to 40! holy crap!) model memory with customizable names, lap, fuel, countdown and countup timers, acceleration profiles and all of that is just the tip of the iceberg.  To make things even better, if you’re at a race in the pit area and you’re unable to turn on your radio for adjustments, the 4PK lets you just turn on the computer without turning on transmitting so you can make those adjustments in the pit area without running afoul of the rules.  I can’t believe how many options there are in the 4PK.  Luckily for all of us the radio comes with a big manual that tells you how to use all the features of the radio.  The manual is bigger than some books out there, but that doesn’t mean it’s scary.  Everything is explained clearly in language most people can understand.  And there’s pictures too.  Pictures are neat.  I like pictures.

Modern technology is great!

One of the biggest and best features of the 4PK is that it was designed from the get-go for 2.4 Ghz broadcasting.  The antenna is small, the battery is small and lasts forever, and best of all the receivers are downright tiny, even though they have four channels.  I was hoping to use this transmitter with my project Micro-T but I wasn’t sure if the receiver would fit, well, it will… easily even with the brushless kit for the Micro-T.  I wouldn’t have believed they could be this small without seeing them with my own eyes.  The receiver also has a short antenna which is perfect for my Micro-T. 

With all these short antennas and low power batteries you might think that range would be affected.  Well from my experience it sure hasn’t been.  I’ve had my cars way out there, with me thinking “aww crap, it’s gonna be a runaway any second” but they never did.  But if I ever did get to the end of my range I would have nothing to worry about because this radio has built in failsafe’s for all four channels.  You can set them to do just about anything from apply and hold brakes, to set steering one direction or another to put your car into an endless circle.  You could probably even set up some kind of kill switch using an extra servo and the third or fourth channels.

Final Thoughts

I’m using it in four cars (three electric, one nitro) currently and a boat.  Model memory is a godsend.  I am very impressed with the performance, feel, and features of this radio.  If you have the cash to spare, I believe it is definitely worth the $500 most places are asking for it.  It’s a HUGE upgrade over what I’d been using up to now, a mid 90’s era Futaba Magnum Jr. AM radio.  Overall, I’m happy.