Author: Herman, Jr. Cervantes (hmc_jr@yahoo.com)
hi again folks… here’s my review on the kt-18…
with the little time i’ve had it… the kt-18 isn’t that bad… (except probably for the “looks” department)…
the kt-18 is quite simple as simple gets… it features a power on button (compared to a switch in the previous kt-5 and kt-2)… an oddly shaped steering wheel (which isn’t completely round… it has a flat portion on the bottom part)…. a throttle trim switch, and finally steering trim switch…
there is a blue led light that functions as a battery indicator (when it turns yellow, it’s time to change the batteries)… and another button to release the battery tray (it operates on 4aaa batts compared to 8aa batts for the kt-2 and kt-5 – and most probably in most transmitters/radios)… the antenna is pretty cool as it folds down probably to save time and space when you pack it away… and there’s a cool small plastic part that attaches on to the front of the radio, which will enable it to stand on the table when it’s not in use…
in spite of it’s simple looks, the kt-18 is programmable… some of the functions I discovered while going through the manual were…
adjusting steering response independently… something like adjusting and setting left and right endpoints – which can be set independently
adjusting throttle range… something like a throttle curve on higher end transmitters
adjusting brake power… this will enable you to adjust your brakes to have a stronger or lighter braking effect for your car…
you can also reverse the steering servo as well (a function that was available on the kt-2 and unfortunately not available on the kt-5)
the kt-18 has a training mode that will enable you to practice or drive at much slower speeds… a great feature if a novice or small kid were to try out driving your car…
i had some issues with the car not being able to go into reverse… but after reading the manual, the reverse issue was resolved through properly adjusting the throttle trim see page 24 (thank God for manuals)
getting used to using the kt-18 is something that the users will need to get, uhm, used to… well until ko comes out with the 2.4 asf module for higher end radios that is…
so for the time being, here are some things i think users will need to get used to:
the steering wheel offers little tension, i think guys coming from higher end transmitters will be put off by this, since higher ended transmitters usually offer adjustable steering tensions… as for me, it didn't seem to be too much of a bother...
smaller handle/grip… compared to the kt-2 and kt-5 it is much smaller… although i don’t consider myself to have really big hands, i felt that the smaller grip was bunching up in my hand… one good point though was that they added some rubber in the palm area which helps in keeping it in place when you grip it a bit…
lighter overall weight… which isn’t actually a bad thing… the kt-18 uses 4aaa batts compared to 8aa batts (even some higher model transmitters use 8aa batts)… so obviously it will be lighter… as for how long the kt-18 lasts on 4aaa batts? i haven’t used it long enough to really find out…
simple programming controls… not too much of a biggie but knowing how to use it will indeed be more beneficial to the user… if you’re coming from higher ended transmitters, you might miss the programmability of your higher ended radio, but again until ko releases a module for higher ended transmitters, i believe the simple programming functions of the kt-18 is quite sufficient.
what i do miss though, is the dual rate function available on the kt-2 and kt-5 (and on most higher end radios)… on the kt-2 it is positioned right above your thumb which you could instantly adjust during a race… the kt-5 was under a panel that you really couldn’t access and adjust during a race…
faster steering response… i really don’t know what kyosho did, but compared to the previous mr02 / mr015 releases, i feel that the steering response on the mr02 2.4ghz is indeed faster, and this of course is a great leap forward… (i definitely have to get used to that… :D)
faster car… again it’s hats off to kyosho for putting four 3010 fets on the board…. out of the box it is pretty quick even with the 6t pinion… definitely got to get used to that…
and finally glitch free driving… again, got to owe it to the 2.4ghz asf technology… :D
and oh did i mention that the radio is made in japan?
so if i were to rank the radio on a scale of 5, i’d give it a sparkling 3.75, and give kyosho a pat on the back for functionality & programmability, and kick on their butt for their design… well actually the more i look at it, the more i think it’s beginning to grow on me… :D
side note: i’d kick kyosho’s butt again for not releasing the 2.4ghz asf module (for higher model radios) the same time they released the kt-18… but heck i think it’s all about timing…. hmm… probably marketing also had something to do with it too… :D
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