# 2.4 GHZ for a Song on e-bay



## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

In case you haven't heard, 2.4 GHZ hobby radios are getting ridiculously cheap. Both the RailBoss and Beltrol R/C systems utilize these radios, making them a very low cost alternative for both battery power R/C and live steam use.

One of the radios I recommend (I don't sell them) for use with the RailBoss is the E-Sky: Transmitter 001695 (was EK2-0404G) usually about $40, and the receivers 001367 (was EK2-0426) around $15 each. I'm not an e-bay fan, but I recently discovered these receivers (new in the packaging) can be had on e-bay from several sources; $5.95 to $9.95. I'm not sure why they are so cheap, but at this price they are certainly worth a try. The units I have tested so far, seem to work as well as the Spektrum radios.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Del. 

I have just spent an hour poking around E Bay without finding the items you describe. 

Any chance of a link so this tired old brain can read up on them?


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

I had an offline question about E-Sky, so I would like to share it here. I know others have had the same confusion....

The E-Sky products have a confusing label "(w/o Crystal)". So where do I buy the crystal? You don't. There is NO crystal required for either the transmitter or receiver. I think this is one of those Chinese translation to English problems that meant "No crystal required".

2.4 GHZ radios don't need crystals to assign fixed frequency channels like older systems do. It is all taken care of for you. You simply turn it on and use it, without any worry of interfering with someone else. You "Bind" your receiver to your transmitter, and from then on, the receiver will only respond to your transmitter. If you want to run a consist or double head locos, you simply turn on both locos (which have receivers bound to your transmitter) and run them together, responding to the same commands. You probably own several locos/trains, so you just turn on the one you want to run, while the others are powered-down and run it. Switch trains? Just turn one off, and power-up the other. Running multiple trains requires more than one transmitter. Since that is most often one transmitter per train, per operator, that is not a huge problem.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Just do a search for EK2-0426. Here is the cheapest one today. EK2-0426 Receiver Yesterday, there were several at lower buy it now prices.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, I dont have a transmitter, so not much good to me.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

there were several at lower buy it now prices 
Yes, and the shipping quoted is more than the price of the receiver! 

I looked at them a few days ago when Tony was showing how to fit receivers in the new "Thomas". He had 2 or 3, one of which seemed to only be sold in Europe and Oz. I did find several sold domestically - one tx/rx combo weas going for $45 on sale from an online hobby shop. I wuz tempted!


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## Dave Ottney (Jan 2, 2008)

I just picked up another 6 channel Exceed system from Hobbypartz.com for $50 shipped. It included the transmitter, receiver and USB cable to connect to the computer to program it. This vendor has been consistently very good to deal with and occasionally they have a discount code. 
Dave


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