Vintage Radio Control Transmitters

Transmitters and radio control cars go hand in hand. Well the transmitter is I guess always in the hand. But there is no pun intended there ugh.

The fact that one spends so much time engaging in the transmitter to get the car going around means that the transmitter is truly the extension of the driver and the one piece of tactile equipment that will remind one of a particular car more than any external piece of equipment needed to move a radio control car.

During my RC journey, there have been a number of transmitters that mean a huge amount to me because they represent milestone periods within my progression of the RC hobby. These transmitters remain long in my memory because of a specific era they represent. First up are units that hold significant personal interests to me due to the fact I owned these when I was younger back in the day.in another instalment I will highlight units that I have collected simply because of their perceived significance to the general RC car timeline.

Futaba FP 2GS:

This was the transmitter that started it all. It was the very first hobby grade transmitter that I ever owned. The set was purchased together within a package deal with my Tamiya Super Champ from Perth Hobby Centre. Due to that very fact alone, this is a huge piece of my RC memory and brings back a very special time in my life. This particular example is a U.S. version NIB. I really would have liked an Australian example but unfortunately could not for the life of me find one.

Sanwa Excellence EX2-32S:

After the 2GS came a Sanwa Excellence EX2-32S. One of the harder radio sets to track down nowadays, that was a unit I remember well due to its gorgeous anodised case. But boy was it heavy. I think I used that in my RC12i if memory serves me right.

Prior to that I was running a JR radio system but am still trying to research and remember what that unit was. Am still trying to hint this radio down as I really liked it, and it was to me the first expensive unit I ever used.

Futaba FPT 3PG:

Replacing the Sanwa was the 3PG. When this unit came out its pistol grip set up blew my mind. Little did I realise that many years earlier the true pioneers of RC were popping Parma slot car controllers onto wheel controllers a few years before.

I remember first spotting the radio in a few car magazines. This was followed up by furious saving on my part and negotiating with my mum for a bit of extra cash. Once this is was sorted it was left to a phone call to my grandfather in Singapore to secure a unit for me from Singapore Hobby Supplies that he would bring back to Australia for me on his visit back (at the time I was still living in Australia).

I am pretty sure that I still have this radio back in Australia as it was linked back to my RC10 but I need to dig up actually where it is and will do so at some time. In the meantime I was extremely happy to find this example on eBay which appears to be in near mint condition but comprises only the transmitter and battery. The receiver and servos are missing but not critical to me.