Got a few brushless cars for the autumn & winter as I can't use my planes & helis here. Got my old FS GT3C out the shed where it seems to have done itself in. The scroll wheel doesn't work, soldered a new one & still doesn't work only to see the backlight isn't working either. Something more wrong with it than it seems. So bought a CT8A of AliExpress for £27 with 2x RX. Can't go wrong. Dumbo have a nice similar model about £30 now. Of course there's the radio link. But everybody says great things about the CT8A so for the price can't go wrong. I have had an old FS 6 ch tx do the same thing my current FS I6 has been kept in the house no problems. The damp sheds/garages/workshops not good storage for them.
I have the Rlaarlo. Have same issue using provide AA batttery pack….i use a 2s lipo in it…. Also it has a gyro…. Also the trigger is adjustable.. great radio. I bought a second one.
My GT3C broke super fast, (steering wheel) and had serious range issues... Totally agree it's not really that relevant. I know it's a bit more expensive than these, but I nervously got a GT5 after the 3, and it has been great, despite my mistreatment! That Rlaarlo looks interesting though! Looking forward to hearing some long term info on that guy! As always great vid!
The dumborc is technically single model memory but you can run as many RXs of a single TX as you want, most you ever need to change when swapping cars is the trims. BY FAR the best out of the 4 you chose in my opinion. That RL one on the end needs to be burnt😠
@RazorRC oh absolutely but I don't really think before I say stuff, could've been a bit nicer about it🤦 I'm glad your getting some support from them at least👌
would love to see a new set of radio videos this year... maybe a sub 300 shootout and a maybe one with your thoughts on the flagship or upper midrange radios, even if you don't have them, just what you think or which you'd buy and why, or why not... but a 200-300 or even 400 midrange shootout would be nice cheers...
Picked up the CT8A around the holidays. Great radio for the money. Had the same issue with the AA batteries. Runs great on the 18650 battery and it’s nice to recharge with the usb input. 18650 batteries and very inexpensive. They should include one with the radio and make it $45. Either way I’m happy with the radio. Nice review!
A few points about the DumboRC X6: I have one and am pretty sure it is NOT single memory, since I have bound three receivers to mine without the need to re-bind. However, there might be a difference between your older one (with the "DunboRC" spelling) and my newer one (with correct spelling). Apart from that, as someone fairly new to the hobby, I like its simplicity. It's cheap as your first dedicated transmitter (around 33€ on AE and Banggod) and the receivers are cheap as well (~12€ for the X6FG with gyro). Edit: Just some Info I found while googling: The Rlaarlo CT8A looks like a rebranded HotRC CT8A; HotRC seems to be a subbrand of Radiomaster according to some online source.
What I mean by "model memory" is that it saves the settings for a particular car/setup. The other radios have profiles that can save the end points, trim, reversing, etc. for each car so that as you switch between the profiles, no other settings need to be changed. The DumboRC receivers can all bind to the same radio, but you have to reset the dials as appropriate for each car when you switch because the radio has no idea what car it's connected to.
Ahh… 5 mos later I come across this one Again because I was looking for budget radio reviews. Thank you!! So would you say your choices here still hold true or would you amend this list?
I have every radio there except CT01. My version isnt Rlaarlo CT8A, it's a HOTRC CT8A. I would give it to the Rlaarlo/HotRc as well. The one thing is, I'm just used to having steering/throttle trim out in the open, that I wasn't used having to adjust those going through the menu, but it is only $40, it's a very good radio for what it is. The features can hold its own compared to my Noble. Just the wonky naming convention is confusion.
Great review. Couple of points on the Flysky GT3C. I've had great luck with them. I had 5 of them at one point, still have 4 of them. Gave away the 5th one to someone new in the hobby, to help him with his budget. That one is also still working. Have mine for wel over 8 years now. Only had to change one last year, but that was my own fault. I fell of a hill (RC crawling) and landed on the radio and broke it. Receivers are very cheap, it is one of the lightest radios, which is great on long uses or for kids. You can get a very cheap 1700mAh battery that will last forever. And biggest advantage that you did not told about. You can do the 8 channel hack (onofficial firmware upgrade). Which makes it a very cheap 8 channel radio. With very cheap 3, 6 and 8 channel receivers. I use mine all for crawler use and they have been very rugged. Seen quite some rough terrain and I think 8+ years of use without any problems is just really good. To be honest, I often look at other newer radios, but the GT3C is hard to beat. I share the RC hobby with my 3 sons and we have around 25 RC cars. Budget wise it is hard to beat the GT3C when you upgraded it to 8 channel firmware, the 1700mAh battery and having to replace all those cheap receivers. That said, I am also realistic enough to know that 8+ years is a long time. And my GT3C radios are not gonna live forever. So I am looking into other options, but it is a hard choice. Budget wise having to change all the receivers is the main problem. Keep up the reviews, love them!
It's where they get stored I just pulled my FS GT3C out the shed & it's broken. Scroll wheel , soldered a new one, still doesn't work & neither does the backlight or charging. An 1st gen FS 6 Ch did the same thing being stored in the same shed. My current FS i6 stored in the warm house no issues in years.
FYI: Rlaarlo affiliate link does not show product page. Transmitter no longer appears to be available for $45, there is one for $59.99 and the link does not work. Search page does not find transmitters, just RTR RCs. Amazon also seems to not sell that brand... Is this transmitter discontinued?
I had same problem with flysky and Traxxas and I found out when hooked up to another esc in a crawler that when u program it it shows u ur neutral , forward and reverse and every time u hit the throttle the trigger never went back to 0 out and that's why they don't like to bind to Traxxas there neutral range is to narrow.
I bought the Rlaarlo CT-8A (actually, I got the HotRC version) for a basher buggy. It's decent but does feel pretty cheap. For example, the buttons slide around a little. I'm curious, you seemed to have a pretty good impression of the Dumbo RC DDF-350 which seems to have similar features. How would you compare the two?
Nice quick review Razor! I never tried the GT3C, have 2 GT3B's I'm still using, I think the throttle pot is going out on one though, steering is starting to loose center (spring) also. The second one is basically new still so, guess it's time to start using it, LOL. The only issues I have with my FS GTB3 is BEC voltage limits, range is low also, but good enough for me. I'm surprised the Dumbo is just one model memory, seems strange to me in this day and age, I'd have to pass for that reason alone on that particular model. I really like the features of the Radiolink RC4 and 6 but, they feel somewhat awkward in the hand to me, the 30 model memory is a huge plus. I don't use gyro receivers, with the exception of rtr's. Once they fail, $8 FS GR3 to the rescue.
Can you do a best servo for 1/8 and 1-10 scale vehicles? I’m looking at the AGF A86bhm, Teefs Raw or Perfect Pass. What do you use in your Kratons, Outcasts and XRT?
My Dumbo X6FG didn’t work out so well. Nitro went full throttle. The supposed failsafe did not work. Lost the front left suspension and motor on impact
Awesome video! I had the flysky and it was great, until it fell apart 😂 The scroll wheel broke, the spring got really loose and I went through 3 batteries. I chuckled when you mentioned all those build issues 👍
Razor - love the videos. Can we get technical specs on which protocols these radios support? Do any of them have "multi-modules" allowing them to support other protocols? With planes there are typically handful of protocols and now transmitters support all of them.
Nice go through. Choosing a radio feels like the hardest part of the rc life 🙂 I cant make up my mind for a radio I want to use as my main. It leaning towards using one for my nitros and another for my electrics. 🤔🤔🤔
I agree. As a basher, all I really need is 2 channels, of course having 3 will give me a place to plug fans into (perfect) but I really don't understand the reason these companies go beyond say 4 channels for a ground rc. Crawlers need more than a basher I suppose but 8 just seems wasteful. Especially considering the receiver costs and size.
Will the Rlarro radio bind to stock Arrma recivers? I have 5 Arrmas and would like to get something that can control all of them so I don't have to bring 5 controllers.
Barring they're all the same type (they switched for a bit on the radio systems) then you'd want to go spektrum which would be around the $100 mark or more.
I picked up my first radio a long time ago after watching one of your radio reviews and shootouts. It had to be 5 or 6 years ago from memory. I tried quite a few. I have a gt3c, a gt5, and radio link rc6gs. And my favorite is still the gt5 by far. It is probably a bit more expensive but to me, it is worth it.
As they point out DO NOT buy the Rlaarlo CT8a if you intend to run it on standard AA’s frequently it just won’t work Rlaarlo don’t care about this and refuse refund or replacement because it does work with 18650 or Lipo which obviously makes this NOT a $40 controller
I have the Ldarc and I just popped it open and ripped out the beeping thing..so, that said..I think it’s got everything you need plus more. For $40 w/ the rechargeable battery, telemetry, steer and throttle trim..build quality, 8 channels..the only bad thing is the beep..and the display isn’t pretty, but it works! I’ve never had a $400+ radio, but I’d say this is probably almost just as good for soooo much cheaper. Unless you’re winning money for racing, I can’t see how anyone could want anything else..unless you have giant hands lol
@@richardfox3924 pretty effing far..to the point I can’t really see the car anymore..but I know I’m still controlling it. I think it says it’s rated 200 meters..which is what, like 2 football fields in America lol
Also, Ldarc has been well known for a while too. They have mostly been in the drone/helicopter type apparatus space..but their products generally have great reviews across the board. I thought it was gonna be some shady pos Chinese bs..but it’s actually way better than I expected..if you can’t tell by my gushing lmao
I have 2 of them and did the same to silence them. Since then I did the firmware upgrade from their website and you now have control over the sound as part of the menu. Much easier. People complain about the size of the display; I am an old guy and wear bifocals anyway and can read the display just fine.
@@Der_Alte_Fritz right on..good to know about the firmware update. Also, I don’t care about how nice the display is. I’m driving my car, not staring at the display. It’s a little wonky to set up, but once you have it down it’s not like you have to mess with it all the time.
Got a few brushless cars for the autumn & winter as I can't use my planes & helis here. Got my old FS GT3C out the shed where it seems to have done itself in. The scroll wheel doesn't work, soldered a new one & still doesn't work only to see the backlight isn't working either. Something more wrong with it than it seems. So bought a CT8A of AliExpress for £27 with 2x RX. Can't go wrong. Dumbo have a nice similar model about £30 now. Of course there's the radio link. But everybody says great things about the CT8A so for the price can't go wrong.
I have had an old FS 6 ch tx do the same thing my current FS I6 has been kept in the house no problems. The damp sheds/garages/workshops not good storage for them.
Need a shootout between the DumboRC DDF-350 vs the Rlaarlo CT8-A
That’s what i want to see 🔥
@@Murphys_Law9 stay tuned!
I don't think they can change the steering trim on the fly can they?
dumbo wins hands down
@@RazorRC😮
I have the Rlaarlo. Have same issue using provide AA batttery pack….i use a 2s lipo in it…. Also it has a gyro…. Also the trigger is adjustable.. great radio. I bought a second one.
Should have included The Dumborc DDF-350
That'll be in the $70 radio shootout!
My GT3C broke super fast, (steering wheel) and had serious range issues... Totally agree it's not really that relevant. I know it's a bit more expensive than these, but I nervously got a GT5 after the 3, and it has been great, despite my mistreatment! That Rlaarlo looks interesting though! Looking forward to hearing some long term info on that guy! As always great vid!
The dumborc is technically single model memory but you can run as many RXs of a single TX as you want, most you ever need to change when swapping cars is the trims.
BY FAR the best out of the 4 you chose in my opinion.
That RL one on the end needs to be burnt😠
why is that?
@RazorRC sorry mate shouldn't have said that on your channel🙏
Just personally experience with the company.
Sorry again mate!
No worries, I like hearing everyone's opinion good or bad. 👍
@RazorRC oh absolutely but I don't really think before I say stuff, could've been a bit nicer about it🤦
I'm glad your getting some support from them at least👌
@@rccrazyso many have the Rlaarlo products and this TX and no issues. I love when people have a single issue and then hate on the brand continuously.
would love to see a new set of radio videos this year... maybe a sub 300 shootout and a maybe one with your thoughts on the flagship or upper midrange radios, even if you don't have them, just what you think or which you'd buy and why, or why not... but a 200-300 or even 400 midrange shootout would be nice
cheers...
I have the DumboRC DDF-350 which would be a direct competitor to the Riaalo CT8A. The DDF-350 has more channels and model memory to boot (10)
I'll be reviewing that radio. 👍
Awesome. Can't wait!
Picked up the CT8A around the holidays. Great radio for the money. Had the same issue with the AA batteries. Runs great on the 18650 battery and it’s nice to recharge with the usb input. 18650 batteries and very inexpensive. They should include one with the radio and make it $45. Either way I’m happy with the radio. Nice review!
Yeah, $10 battery and it's pretty good, especially with the included charge cable.
They don’t include the lipo for shipping purposes.
A few points about the DumboRC X6: I have one and am pretty sure it is NOT single memory, since I have bound three receivers to mine without the need to re-bind. However, there might be a difference between your older one (with the "DunboRC" spelling) and my newer one (with correct spelling). Apart from that, as someone fairly new to the hobby, I like its simplicity. It's cheap as your first dedicated transmitter (around 33€ on AE and Banggod) and the receivers are cheap as well (~12€ for the X6FG with gyro).
Edit: Just some Info I found while googling: The Rlaarlo CT8A looks like a rebranded HotRC CT8A; HotRC seems to be a subbrand of Radiomaster according to some online source.
What I mean by "model memory" is that it saves the settings for a particular car/setup. The other radios have profiles that can save the end points, trim, reversing, etc. for each car so that as you switch between the profiles, no other settings need to be changed. The DumboRC receivers can all bind to the same radio, but you have to reset the dials as appropriate for each car when you switch because the radio has no idea what car it's connected to.
@@RazorRC Ah, this is true, since all the dials are good ol' analogue, you'll have to set them up for each car each time.
Ahh… 5 mos later I come across this one Again because I was looking for budget radio reviews. Thank you!! So would you say your choices here still hold true or would you amend this list?
I have every radio there except CT01. My version isnt Rlaarlo CT8A, it's a HOTRC CT8A. I would give it to the Rlaarlo/HotRc as well. The one thing is, I'm just used to having steering/throttle trim out in the open, that I wasn't used having to adjust those going through the menu, but it is only $40, it's a very good radio for what it is. The features can hold its own compared to my Noble. Just the wonky naming convention is confusion.
a little annoying not to have external adjustments, might be able to map it to the top buttons, I didn't try it.
Great review. Couple of points on the Flysky GT3C. I've had great luck with them. I had 5 of them at one point, still have 4 of them. Gave away the 5th one to someone new in the hobby, to help him with his budget. That one is also still working.
Have mine for wel over 8 years now. Only had to change one last year, but that was my own fault. I fell of a hill (RC crawling) and landed on the radio and broke it.
Receivers are very cheap, it is one of the lightest radios, which is great on long uses or for kids. You can get a very cheap 1700mAh battery that will last forever.
And biggest advantage that you did not told about. You can do the 8 channel hack (onofficial firmware upgrade). Which makes it a very cheap 8 channel radio. With very cheap 3, 6 and 8 channel receivers. I use mine all for crawler use and they have been very rugged. Seen quite some rough terrain and I think 8+ years of use without any problems is just really good.
To be honest, I often look at other newer radios, but the GT3C is hard to beat. I share the RC hobby with my 3 sons and we have around 25 RC cars.
Budget wise it is hard to beat the GT3C when you upgraded it to 8 channel firmware, the 1700mAh battery and having to replace all those cheap receivers.
That said, I am also realistic enough to know that 8+ years is a long time.
And my GT3C radios are not gonna live forever. So I am looking into other options, but it is a hard choice. Budget wise having to change all the receivers is the main problem.
Keep up the reviews, love them!
It's where they get stored I just pulled my FS GT3C out the shed & it's broken. Scroll wheel , soldered a new one, still doesn't work & neither does the backlight or charging. An 1st gen FS 6 Ch did the same thing being stored in the same shed. My current FS i6 stored in the warm house no issues in years.
@@ashleymcgovern5120 I store my GT3C radios (and all my other radios) in my unheated garage. Never been a problem. Hope you can fix yours.
I believe DumboRC transmitters can actually bounded to multiple receivers (not sure how many max.)
it's the other way -- multiple receivers to the same radio. but there's no model memory so you have to manually set dual rate and trim every time.
FYI: Rlaarlo affiliate link does not show product page. Transmitter no longer appears to be available for $45, there is one for $59.99 and the link does not work. Search page does not find transmitters, just RTR RCs.
Amazon also seems to not sell that brand...
Is this transmitter discontinued?
Why are you talking to yourself?
Shut up, that's why.
I had same problem with flysky and Traxxas and I found out when hooked up to another esc in a crawler that when u program it it shows u ur neutral , forward and reverse and every time u hit the throttle the trigger never went back to 0 out and that's why they don't like to bind to Traxxas there neutral range is to narrow.
yeah, the neutral on the flysky isn't really 0, if I remember correctly you have to add a little throttle trim before calibrating it to a Traxxas ESC.
What size is the 18650 battery you got for the rallarlo
I bought the Rlaarlo CT-8A (actually, I got the HotRC version) for a basher buggy. It's decent but does feel pretty cheap. For example, the buttons slide around a little. I'm curious, you seemed to have a pretty good impression of the Dumbo RC DDF-350 which seems to have similar features. How would you compare the two?
what's a good one for crawlers
Nice quick review Razor! I never tried the GT3C, have 2 GT3B's I'm still using, I think the throttle pot is going out on one though, steering is starting to loose center (spring) also. The second one is basically new still so, guess it's time to start using it, LOL. The only issues I have with my FS GTB3 is BEC voltage limits, range is low also, but good enough for me. I'm surprised the Dumbo is just one model memory, seems strange to me in this day and age, I'd have to pass for that reason alone on that particular model.
I really like the features of the Radiolink RC4 and 6 but, they feel somewhat awkward in the hand to me, the 30 model memory is a huge plus. I don't use gyro receivers, with the exception of rtr's. Once they fail, $8 FS GR3 to the rescue.
does thect8a have timer?
Can you do a best servo for 1/8 and 1-10 scale vehicles? I’m looking at the AGF A86bhm, Teefs Raw or Perfect Pass. What do you use in your Kratons, Outcasts and XRT?
Look up Promodeler servos better than anything you listed
I like the radio link I used dumbo for years because the receivers are so cheap. The range on the radio link is incredible.
the dumbo DDF350 should be here inrstead of the X6. its sub 50$ and has the screen etc
The best I've owned is the TX4 at $15 USD.
I didnt warch the video. But im gonna guess he picked the ralarrlo transmitter. Am i right?
My Dumbo X6FG didn’t work out so well. Nitro went full throttle. The supposed failsafe did not work. Lost the front left suspension and motor on impact
Sounds like you had a servo failure. Failsafe has to move servo to work. Was it a Kyosho Nitro by any chance? They have known bad servos.
Awesome video! I had the flysky and it was great, until it fell apart 😂 The scroll wheel broke, the spring got really loose and I went through 3 batteries. I chuckled when you mentioned all those build issues 👍
Riiiight!??
I was recommended the flysky, but I see a lot of reviews complain about the build quality. That's a shame.
Razor - love the videos. Can we get technical specs on which protocols these radios support? Do any of them have "multi-modules" allowing them to support other protocols?
With planes there are typically handful of protocols and now transmitters support all of them.
That would be mid-range or higher-end radio.
Nice go through. Choosing a radio feels like the hardest part of the rc life 🙂 I cant make up my mind for a radio I want to use as my main. It leaning towards using one for my nitros and another for my electrics. 🤔🤔🤔
NB4+ IMO...
Anyone have the new dumbo RC that has the digital screen? If it has a faster response time I think I’ll pick one up
incoming
Radiomaster MT12 mid-range price, high-end features plus multi-protocol option.
This radio is in the higher end I feel. Simply because of the programming and setup. Not many want to deal with it all.
Id rather have less channels and multi model memory. Why do you need 8 or 10, its completely pointless. 3 is the most.
I agree. As a basher, all I really need is 2 channels, of course having 3 will give me a place to plug fans into (perfect) but I really don't understand the reason these companies go beyond say 4 channels for a ground rc. Crawlers need more than a basher I suppose but 8 just seems wasteful. Especially considering the receiver costs and size.
my trx4 use 7 channels. still not enough 😂. might go to 12ch soon
Will the Rlarro radio bind to stock Arrma recivers? I have 5 Arrmas and would like to get something that can control all of them so I don't have to bring 5 controllers.
Doubt it
Radiomaster MT12 mid-range price, high-end features.
Barring they're all the same type (they switched for a bit on the radio systems) then you'd want to go spektrum which would be around the $100 mark or more.
just what I was looking for.
I picked up my first radio a long time ago after watching one of your radio reviews and shootouts. It had to be 5 or 6 years ago from memory. I tried quite a few. I have a gt3c, a gt5, and radio link rc6gs. And my favorite is still the gt5 by far. It is probably a bit more expensive but to me, it is worth it.
great radio, I'd pick that too out of the 3.
The Rhaalro works fine with Akaline AA Batteries. It doesn’t like rechargeable AA batteries as the voltage is lower.
I'm using Alkaline batteries as you can see in the video.
@@RazorRC you had an 18650 in the handle you were using.
@@roberttruesdell6151 I tried the Alkalines at 7:59, it worked a couple of times then it wouldn't power on anymore.
As they point out DO NOT buy the Rlaarlo CT8a if you intend to run it on standard AA’s frequently it just won’t work Rlaarlo don’t care about this and refuse refund or replacement because it does work with 18650 or Lipo which obviously makes this NOT a $40 controller
for $10, probably worth getting a rechargeable 18650 that you can charge off the USB cable.
I have the Ldarc and I just popped it open and ripped out the beeping thing..so, that said..I think it’s got everything you need plus more. For $40 w/ the rechargeable battery, telemetry, steer and throttle trim..build quality, 8 channels..the only bad thing is the beep..and the display isn’t pretty, but it works! I’ve never had a $400+ radio, but I’d say this is probably almost just as good for soooo much cheaper. Unless you’re winning money for racing, I can’t see how anyone could want anything else..unless you have giant hands lol
How's far can you go with control?
@@richardfox3924 pretty effing far..to the point I can’t really see the car anymore..but I know I’m still controlling it. I think it says it’s rated 200 meters..which is what, like 2 football fields in America lol
Also, Ldarc has been well known for a while too. They have mostly been in the drone/helicopter type apparatus space..but their products generally have great reviews across the board. I thought it was gonna be some shady pos Chinese bs..but it’s actually way better than I expected..if you can’t tell by my gushing lmao
I have 2 of them and did the same to silence them. Since then I did the firmware upgrade from their website and you now have control over the sound as part of the menu. Much easier. People complain about the size of the display; I am an old guy and wear bifocals anyway and can read the display just fine.
@@Der_Alte_Fritz right on..good to know about the firmware update. Also, I don’t care about how nice the display is. I’m driving my car, not staring at the display. It’s a little wonky to set up, but once you have it down it’s not like you have to mess with it all the time.
Ct8a is hotrc rlaarlo cloned/rebranded it
Another pointless rc channel
why