Have you ever seen or heard a single stick transmitter? Well maybe some of the old timers might have seen this radio before. I have acquired two of these radio through an auction by Ebay recently.

Actually what is a single stick transmitter? A single stick radio means it have a three axis gimbal to control rudder, aileron and elevator function on a single stick while for the throttle control is still on another stick. During the era of 60s and 70s there are several manufacturers that produce this kind of radio which includes Futaba, JR and Airtronics.

Why single stick disappeared from the market? Single stick is expensive to produce compare to the dual stick. More and more people who spend their interest in this hobby are using the dual stick radio while the manufacturer only produce the dual stick radio.

As an alternative to have this kind of transmitter I would rather to find a donor radio rather than to start from scratch. However for those people who still prefer to start from zero there is an option to buy the single stick gimbal from individual that fabricate the stick but the cost is far most expensive. After a month searching from the Ebay finally my wish come through. The first single stick transmitter I won in the auction is the Model Avionics having a five channels while the second radio that I won is the Proline Competition Six and of course the names tell the number of channels.

The number of channels, the present condition, workable or not and the casing condition is not very important to me because what l only want is the single stick gimbal. All radios manufactured during that time is not a computer radio and the crucial task is to do the retrofit project so the vintage radio later will become a computer radio.

Before I tell the detail of the whole process of converting the radio let me explain the basic thing about a transmitter. A transmitter have two basic elements which include the encoder and the radio frequency deck. The function of the encoder is to generate PPM while the radio frequency unit is to transmit the PPM signal to the receiver.

With the current technology most commercial transmitter are fitted with computerized encoder which enable the users to programmed and store in the memory. But for over 40 years PPM is still the choice of transmitting the signal although several other carrier that can do the same function.


The main heart of the encoder is the Master Controlling Unit (MCU). This include of processing and converting all the analog input of each available channel into the digital output. The output signal later will be send to the radio frequency deck that transmit to the receiver.


To operate a MCU is not just only the hardware but must includes the software. There are various design of MCU but the availability of the written software is still limited, not tested or maybe lack of support.

With the current trend of an open source, the MCU can be developed using an open source hardware and an open source software. Development boards such as Arduino is making the MCU affordable, easy to program and ability for future expansion.

The final stage of the transmitter is still the radio frequency deck. At present plenty of manufacturer have produce the rf deck compare to the previous years. This situation provide a relief to the transmitter builder as the concentration goes for the encoder development.

So what is my choice for the encoder and the rf deck? The answer is to get the most reliable system that proven. At the time that l started this hobby l have found a website that explain about the building of the encoder, but the most painstaking part is to develop the rf deck. Building the rf deck is not easy as it is must able to communicate with the receiver without an interference.

What includes in the website? Everything from the encoder, rf deck and the receiver design, assembly, software, instructions and explanation. In fact for those who are unable to DIY there is an option to get somebody to do for you. But remember this is not a commercial transmitter that have an after sales service, since it is customized ONLY you is the best person who knows what are you are into about.

For the purpose of reference l would like to retrofit the Proline Competition Six transmitter. The gimbal of this transmitter is made from metal thus making the conversion more easier than the gimbal made from plastic. All the metal parts which consist of the knob, springs, scissors and the main body is still in good working order.

The first part is to strip all the mechanical and the electronics part from the metal casing. Extra care should be taken to avoid damage to the reusable parts as some parts are hardly available this days. All parts must be kept in a box for future use. As a safety precaution observation to the power source must be done as to avoid any spill or contact from the leakage of the battery. Most vintage transmitter is using the nickel cadmium as their power source and as time goes by this battery might leak or defect.

After stripping all the components from the casing, planning for the future controls involving switches, liquid crystal display, knobs, communication ports, printed circuit boards, potentiometer and the battery should be done. Placement of every mechatronic component is very crucial to avoid disturbance in term of operation of the transmitter in future.

After planning of the listed components being done, place a stencil to exact placement of all the switches, liquid crystal displays, knobs, potentiometer and the communication port. It is the best practice to measure twice before finally do the cutting to the casing. A masking tape will provide the border of the cutting area. Get ready with all the necessary cutting tools and if you have dremel, drilling machine and a garage that would be much better. Safety is always the first priority and if you are a totally new of using those machineries please get an expert consult.


For the casing only two options available is either to reuse the existing casing or to build a new housing for the components. If you opted for the new casing it is the best to use the exact size of the existing casing. Exterior look of the casing is very important as this is the first impression from others who will view the transmitter at the flying sites. For the metal casing, vinyl painting is always recommended but as an alternative other type of paints is also suitable to apply.

The best working sequence is to do all the cutting before proceeding to the painting job. As an alternative to the painting sticking a stickers around the casing is another option. While doing the casing, the assembly of the components for the encoder must be done. The encoder is available in a kit form that includes the printed circuit boards and all the related components, except for the micro chip. If you don't have the soldering skill you can always get somebody to do you.

This encoder is based on the Programmed Integrated Circuit (PIC) as the the MCU. Beside the PIC