Hi Chugalone lots of great advice from the chaps. I have only two transmitters now a FR SKY and a Radiomaster 16 these are all l need both do an excellent job. but do take a little time using the operating protocol.
Most of the Chaps on our club waters like the Flysky 6 channel.
they are simple to operate and cover all their needs.
Good luck stay safe, Jim.

Hi chugalone
I am sure 4 channels will be fine for your model. I would recommend a set with a screen as this will give you lots of useful information. We all have our personal preferences but most of my Club members use FlySky sets as others on this site have already mentioned. They are reasonably priced as are spare receivers. The Tx batteries are dry cells and mine last for at least 2 months with 2 weekly sails. They are simple to set up and you can bind several receivers for your different models. There are some basic advanced features including mixing facilities should you need.
I have never had a problem with loss of signal provided the batteries are charged and the aerial is above the waterline.
I appreciate you are over the pond in the USA so hope the FlySky or equivalent sets are available.
Good hunting
dave976

I use a Radiomaster 16S for my scale and sail boats, being that it’s multi-protocol and can use recievers from many different manufacturers..so far I’ve bound and used FrSky, Radiomaster, FlySky and Spektrum recievers with no issues. My transmitter for cars and go fast boats is a Spektrum DX4C. I also have my first computer radio, a Multiplex Cockpit MM, with a 2.4 conversion and a FrSky Taranis QX7 with a multi-protocol module in the module bay. I kept it as a backup when I purchased the Radiomaster, but I might sell it as the Radiomaster has been stellar. I also have another 2.4 “hack” module waiting for a victim.😀
Cash

Thank You dave976:
The way you explains it it is very understandable.
Thank You for the advise.
So, do you think that I will be fine with 4 channels?

Hi chugalone100
You are sailing an Imara tug. It has two motors, so two ESC's required and a rudder servo. It's a diesel tug so no smoke unit required. Sound unit can be wired to come on when the motors are engaged. Navigation lights etc can be switched on when dark on launching.
I make that three channels required for your radio.
The Spectrum is designed for advanced flying models for which it has many and varied settings. The specs show few or any that may be of benefit to a land or water based vessel.
For most hobbyists the standard batteries suggested are more than adequate and Lipo's should be avoided unless you are entering an endurance event.
You only need one antenna, many 2.4Ghz rx have two mainly to help flying models which can rotate 360deg. Model boats remain in the same horizontal plane. Just keep the aerial above the waterline.
If you can I suggest you visit a local model Boat club and talk to the members about their radio sets before you make your purchase. There are several manufacturers and whilst all work well some are not the easiest to use for novice users.
Dave976

I’m amazed with all the responds and informations you guys have provided.
On my Imara I would like to have control over combined motors, rudder, smoke unit, sound unit, navigation lights and lights throughout the model. That been said I think that a good choice will be a Spektrum DX8e 8-Channel DSMX Transmitter with an Spektrum 4000mAh LiPo Transmitter DX8 Battery.
My question is: ?Does the battery comes with a charger, or what will be the best charger I should get? And also: ?Should I have two antennas for safety, and how do I do this?
Thanks a million for all of your inputs.
Proverbs 11:14 “ When there is no skillful direction, the people fall, But there is success through many advisers.”
You guys are the many advisers.

Interesting video showing how to use the FrSky receivers S-bus system to provide redundancy rx control. Looks like he used a Radiomaster TX16 Transmitter using Open Source which is identical to the FrSky system and works with their receivers.
I have used this system to expand the number of channels up to 16 but in all honesty I struggle to remember what more than five or six control.
Certainly bound two receivers to the Tx but I would have liked to see the system actually work should the signal be lost from the main Rx.
As an ex flyer I am well aware of issues with loss of control but in my opinion the main causes are power related, either through operator error (not switch on or uncharged battery), or poor maintenance and failure to properly ground check the model before launching.
My main concern with this system is the fact that all controls are via the main receiver so any problem with that may prevent the slave receiver from communication via the bus.
Might be good for model flight where distances are much greater than model boats but not for the novice modeller.
dave976

Gents.
I attach some pictures of a few of my sets in regular use.
The older 27mhz sets languish in the shed gathering dust apart from the Futaba TX I use for the submarine.
The Digiace set is very old but still functioning as new on the original internal rechargeable batteries,although I will replace them when time allows.
The Microzone and Planet were relatively cheap but really do a sterling job for my needs are light to handle and have very good range.
The Trasped-16C was as interesting purchase.
I took a punt on it and it paid off.
Saw it on Amazon for £12.00 NEW including RX.Took 4weeks to arrive from China but it’s brilliant and works a treat.
I am a great believer in keeping it simple,but effective in practical terms.

Regards Bill.

I have 4 sets of Flysky FS-i6x using the extended number of channels (10) and they have been without fault and they are reasonably priced

Hi Chugalone100 I use the FrSky radio systems. with this system you can attach two RX8R receivers to each other in such a way as to share there channels giving a maximum of 16 and if one receiver has an issue the second will take over. FrSky calls it redundancy and I think a lot of there receivers have this capability
https://www.frsky-rc.com/product/rx8r-pro/

West wind
How do you go about using multiple antennas? Since I’m a rookie at R/c boats I’m looking for all the advice I could get. I just started building the Calder Craft “Imara” and soon I will also need a good radio set.

Flysky FS-i6 and Flysky FS-ST8.

Spektrum DX6, Reely i6 (Conrad, Germany 're-badged' Turnigy / Flysky i6) 2.4GHz, ancient Graupner MC-10 40MHz for my subs, even more ancient Sanwa 6ch 35MHz, and JFF various 'toy' 2 and 3 channel 27MHz.
😎

I use Spektrum DX 6 and DX 6i, I also have a Spektrum DS3E ,DSM receivers which are waterproof.
Great systems and never had a fail or a problem.

Cheers, Pete

I now use Flysky FS i6B transmitter with FS-iA6B receivers. (the cheaper 3 channel receivers also work with this transmitter). I currently have eleven boats programmed to the one transmitter, each with its own receiver. The maximum is 20.
Range has never been a problem. 400 yards on a regular basis. I have never experienced any drop-outs.

Spektrum DX6 and also have DX8. (2nd Gen)

I still love and havé thé Futaba F14 (2x) and thé Futaba F16 almost as old fashioned and old as the owner and still going strong

Started out using a Heath Kit (build it yourself) - I'm glad they did not have SMDs back almost 50 years ago. Then Futaba's wee popular and as the field expanded wet to several other radio makers. What I have the most of are FlySkys. Have one Spektrum that was given to me. Nice, but too expensive for my purposes.
Lew
Florida, USA

Hi all,
Using a Turnigy 9XR Pro with an Orange module and a variety of DSM2 RX's --- so far, touching lots of wood, I have not had any problems!
The 9XR Pro is running ER Sky 9X software, the developer of which is UK based.

Hi Westwind
I have no knowledge of the FrSky Horus so cannot share any experience. I was unaware that you could bind two receivers to one TX but this may be available on the Horus. I have used s-bus to expand my sets which gives me all the extra channels I need. Still have my Futaba, Taranis and FlySky but switched to a Radiomaster as I can use with all the other makes of receivers.
Switched all my kit to Edge Tx from Open Tx which seems to have stalled with new developments.
My initial thoughts are a battery or connection problem assuming your aerial signals were all above water level.
Hope you trace the fault
Dave976

I am using FrSky Taranis X9E's, Horus x12s's, and I have a new XE24 that I have not played with yet.
Have you done a range test out of water? I am not suggesting that the H2O is the issue, it certainly should not be with the antenna extensions you are using.
So far, all my radios, BTY I am using X8R receivers, operate to beyond range of sight, ie, I can not control them because I can not tell which way they are going😂.
Are both receivers using antenna extensions, or just the primary? If the back-up receiver failed, the primary should still have maintained signal and control.
I have found FrSky to be some what sensitive to voltage and current supply. I use BEC's that are definitely over kill. My only failures, to date, have been when bench testing and using a battry pack that proved not up to the task. Running telemetry certainly increases the load on the receiver's power supply.

Forgot the pics

Hi Dave, yes I'm using the Horus system. I have a pair of X8R RXs connected with the one in the hull and the other in the superstructure. One is a slave/back up if the other failed. However I did not get the fail notice, ie the primary fails and the second takes control but I lose telemetry. What I got was loss of control and telemetry and the boat went into fail safe. Throttle and rudder neutral. Now that I think of it the second could have failed first and the primary failed due to loss of signal.

Spektrum Dx

Hi Westwind
Please post a picture of your Tx and receiver as it's possible the FlySky set you are using is their latest Horus offering.
dave976