Ebay bargains & tip-offs

[NeilMac]

Well somebody snapped it up...

[NeilMac]

Trio Plus.

Not a make I remember.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Tx-T ... %7Ciid%3A1

[Shaun]

I believe it was made by Horizon (not the spectrum mob) for Micromold.

Shaun..

[Mike_K]

The original Horizon Trio (3 channel) was branded as Horizon with a MM logo, but by the time the Trio Plus (4 channel) came out they had dropped the Horizon name and were sold just as Micro-Mold (which was being run by Ali M. at the time). I've got both a Trio and Trio Plus in their boxes, but the only photo I could find is of a Trio which I think I gave to Shaun?

Mike

[Shaun]

I knew I had one

[NeilMac]

Yup, clearly the same enclosure, just a different branding .... I still don't remember ever seeing one though.

[Mike_K]

They were fairly well advertised in their day. By pure coincidence the magazine on top of a pile in my office has the Horizon/MM Trio advert on the back cover, the March 1977 Radio Modeller.

The Trio/Trio Plus feel a bit plasticky, but they worked OK. The problem was they brought out the Trio first which was only 3 channel and not upgradable (well not easily), so wasn't much use for your second aileron model and most model shops didn't try selling them too much. Then the Trio Plus came out about a year later, just as Futaba brought out their Medallion 4 sets that were comparable, but the Futaba's were cheaper and more widely available. And better joysticks. And better servo's... If I remember correctly the Trio/Trio Plus had disappeared by the end of the 70's.

The thing I always find amusing about the Trio/Trio Plus is that the power LED only comes on with low battery and not when switched on, there is nothing to indicate it is on (except the switch position). Before my friend gave me the Trio Plus, I'd modified it for him with a dual colour LED, green power on, red for low battery which was my first electronics project with a dual colour LED. So I guess my Trio Plus is non standard, I'd better bid on the one on eBay to get a normal one

It's quite interesting how many radio manufacturers were advertising at the time, in the March 77 Radio Modeller there were (in order of appearance) Digi-Fleet, Futaba M Series, Waltron, MacGregor, Remcon, Micron, Skyleader, World Engines, Microtrol, Flight Link, Sanwa and finally Horizon/MM. And in shop adverts there's OS Cougars, Swan and Digi-Ace mentioned. Quite some choice!

Mike

[NeilMac]

Hmmm, that would explain it, in 1977 I got my full bike and car licences, was at college, had discovered girls... and beer, and was attending (proper) punk gigs almost every night.

When I got into 1/12th scale cars a couple of years later, it was all 2 channel and Futaba or Acoms.

[Mike_K]

In 1977 I was still at school, even though I'd discovered girls and beer by then. But they wouldn't put me off Sunday morning flying though.

Back then the thought of a motorbike or a car was just a dream, To get to the airfield with my Mini Super trainer, I had a push-bike and a trailer made from a converted pram! And my bike only had a three speed Sturmey Archer geared hub, I guess it kept me fit.

[Shaun]

Nice ACE Pulse Commander on sale

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264213749525?ul_noapp=true

Shaun