I'll cast another vote for the flysky i6x, for the price it's really hard to beat. There are 2 ways to adjust for throttle centring. The obvious way is to actually install a spring, which takes a few minutes and requires disassembling the radio and not letting the tiny spring fly away (serrated tweezers really help)

The other way is to use the throttle curve function, map it to a switch and set UP to 50-100 and DOWN to 50-0. I think of this like the gas pedal and gearshift in an automatic car. Throttle stick down is zero, up is full and the switch determines direction. This could work if one still wanted to use the transmitter for aircraft as well

Radiomaster is my go-to at the moment, very powerful for the price but the learning curve for edgetx/opentx is a cliff. The newer radios have an externally accessible grubscrew to adjust the ginbal springs. My Tx16s mk1 didn't have that so it got a new gimbal from a mk2 so I can switch between boats/trucks and aircraft with a 1.5mm hex

Tandem is a nice system, I've semi adapted to the open TX system, not actually seen a tandem, they use a property OS ? And is supposed to be better at programming. Open TX can sometimes leave my perplexed 🤔
maybe I should shift to tandem and ethos OS..

Best one I have come across is the FRSky Tandem range

I think Frsky X9d can output to 16 channels or so I've been told (openTX).
I've not done it with mine as 8 is often more than enough for me, although I use a multi switch on one of my 1/6th tracked vehicles. (use 6 position rotary switch, I added plus mapped to other channels too)
https://scalewarship.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1462

I have the Radiolink T12D with 12 channel receiver. I'm about to sell it as needing more channels (Yes i know). Its a brilliant transmitter and really like the servo slowing function which helps keep turns looking more scalelike. Easy to master any programming and for the price can't go wrong

Nobody has mentioned RadioLink on this thread yet, but I have used them for several years since they became available in the UK when they were first imported and distributed by Rossendale Models.

Sadly Rossendale Models is another of our UK model shops that have disappeared but RadioLink is now distributed in the UK by J.Perkins.

RadioLink first became known for their use with drones and were always considered to have really good performance with reliability at a fair price.

I use RadioLink radios for all of my model boats and in all of my race cars.

When Horizon Hobby distributed Spectrum in the UK I always used their radios in my large scale racing cars, helicopters (of all sizes) and almost every thing else except my 1/16 scale Wedico model trucks that mostly run on various types of Futaba F14 radio sets.

Horizon Hobbies closed their UK distribution at about the time that RadioLink became available in the UK, and fortunately RadioLink proved to be a really good replacement for Spectrum of at least similar quality, high levels of innovation - and at a much better price!

Since changing to RadioLink I have never looked back, but some of my 1/16 scale tanks came with the budget priced FlySky radio systems and they work very well too - well enough for all my r/c tanks to run with FlySky to keep some commonality between them.

Bob.

I have this one from Carson, with 14 channels and am very 👍👍

Carson 500501004 Reflex Stick Multi Pro LCD 2.4G 14Kanal Pultsender/Empfänger - Modellbau Berlinski Modellbaufachhandel https://share.google/a5rCC15Tv5hSK6iOu

Wolle , up to around £150 as I will now just use this transmitter for all models.

Lew Z
You have a nice selection of transmitters! I still use my Futaba F14 andF16 on 40hz and built with every model a receiver in my boat.

Photos show some of my radios (a little over half). Both the Flysky i6xradios are set tov control multiple boats and armor. The DX8 has the ability to do so and I believe the Futaba 5 can do a few but never set that up. I updated the Flysky radios to 10 channels.

Best bang for the buck are the FS i6X radios, the least expensive of those in the photo. The downside to this unit is when turning them on it says "Warning - place all switches in their up position and lower the throttle" and depending on how you have the channels set that can be annoying. No way to override this.

Lew

What kind of budget do you have available?

Does anyone know if there is an 8+ channel transmitter with a spring centered throttle stick (right hand stick) ?

Yes the FSi6X is a programmable 6 to 10 channel set that you can fit a centering spring to.

It’s available from various outlets you’d need to google it to find your supplier of choice but I have used Howes several times so have included links below apologies if that’s not allowed!

https://howesmodels.co.uk/product/flysky-fs-i6x-2-4g-6ch-transmitter-and-fs-ia6b-receiver-system-lcd-screen-latest-version-mode-2/

https://howesmodels.co.uk/product/spring-return-kit-self-centering-for-the-flysky-fsi6-6-channel-radio-sets/

MartinS, Is there a flysky that can have spring centered throttle stick? Was looking at the FT ST 8 & 16 but they are not springed so sadly not an option. Radio link may be an option.

I have an not inexpensive Spektrum an old and again not in its time inexpensive Hi-tech and I find neither of them any better for model boat controlling than my “cheap as chips” Fly Sky set which I would highly recommend.

If I were to go fly sky, what would be recommended? Which specific controller?

Thanks

You will find the Flysky 10 channel would take a lot to beat

One by FlySky would be a good one. It's programmable. It has storage for multiple models. The receivers are tiny.

I hav purchased several MICROZONE transmitter/receiver pairs from AMAZON over the last 3 to 4yr and they hav served very well. They require only 4 x AA cells, which last April thru November no problem and i sail every week at one site or another. (I do put in new batteries at the start of the next season.)🤗