Hello All,
I'm sure this question has been done to death, but hopefully my question will have a bit of a twist to it!
I work within a university environmental research dept and my speciic project has been working on a UAV system to aid in peatland restoration. However, the uni dept have jumped into the UAVs for research with gusto and are intending on setting up a section dedicated to their use and deployment, along with teaching some of the undergrads about their use and potential.
Although I've learnt a great deal, clocked up a few hours flying time etc, most of my experience comes from big planes (think C-130's), but I've been trying to help out here and there and I've been asked about transmitters (and the associated receivers). I've already come to realise that it's quite a tribal area of debate, Futaba, Spektrum, Turnigy, Hitek etc (I'm currently using a Spektrum with my UAV), and whilst I've tried to delve through some of the semantics, I'm none the wiser, so my question is this;
If you needed a relatively low cost option, that could be used on multiple fixed wing airframes (hopefully will only need to buy one or two controllers but switch easily between different airframes), easily accesible (well stocked) and reliable modules/spares etc and with a good online community (the more open the better), what would opt for?
I have to consider that all the kit is likely to get broken/smashed/damaged in one way or another on a regular basis!
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Cheers,
Leon
PS I'm a member of the local flying club and I will be speaking with those guys too, but it's just a lot easier to get a wider opinion quickly on forums (and I'd like to be fore-armed with some knowledge on the matter, if possible).