Micro-Maniac Elite Veteran Location: Pasco,Washington Formerly: Captain Chaos
| FM (Frequency Modulation) is analog signal - PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) converts analog to digital signal and has fail-safe for lost signal. Both are on 72Mhz frequency which is down in the range of metal-to-metal etc RF interference and PCM is a fairly successful attempt to filter RF interference.
The Optic 6 is likely a better radio as far as more and better programming features, but the DX6 communicates on the 2.4Ghz frequency which is well above most RF interference that 72Mhz is vulnerable to, plus it broadcasts/receives on 2 channels at once for signal loss redundancy and has the same fail-safe feature as PCM. The RX antennas are only about 3" long so you don't have to fuss with routing them around your aircraft worrying about the quality of the reception and them getting tangled or caught on anything. The DX6's programming features are not quite on par with the Optic 6, but it's plenty adequate to operate any of your park flyer style aircraft to take advantage of it's glitch-free digital spread spectrum technology.
I believe to take advantage of the Optic 6's PCM signal you will need a PCM receiver which are usually much too large for use in small park flyer aircraft so you are still stuck with plain ole FM and no fail-safe. Futaba does have a new semi-small PCM RX out now that might fit in park flyers, but it won't communicate with the Optic 6.
I doubt you would be dissatisfied with the DX6, I'm certainly not. I love it's receivers w/ antennas tucked away nicely inside the aircraft and not worrying about anyone else being on my channels or crashing from glitches. |