Sanwa MX3 3 Channel

Sanwa has been in the R/C business for a number of years and have producing premium radios as their main line. Aside from multiple channel aircraft radios Sanwa has also been producing quality on/off road radios as well. Most known of which is the M8. This radio may be one of the most sought after radios.

I’ve been in R/C since the early 80’s and only one brand of radio was “in” then and it was the Futaba. So I must admit I was apprehensive at first, but the Sanwa MX3 offered something I really needed. A mid – ranged radio which offers adjustability at an affordable price. The radio came with a 27mhz receiver (with xtals), and two standard servos.

Looks

The MX3 features your typical LCD display behind the wheel. But what makes it different is that it has a menu that is so easy to use...

You would see from the image above, access to the menus are operated by easy to reach buttons. Just four buttons left, right, plus and minus. The third channel may be operated via a lever type control almost above the wheel. Crystal placement is also within easy reach, while other trims are also within easy reach. Overall the design is well planned but the aesthetics may not appeal to everybody.

At the track

There is no new feature here (except maybe the sub trim adjustment). The MX-3 has a five model memory storage capacity which is a big plus for me since I plan to make a comeback in racing (albeit in a very slow manner) and keeping one controller is more than enough for me. I did like the receiver size, they're similar to my micro Rx I have for my park flyers.

Adjusting the trims are fairly easy, but the sub trims are cool. It offers you minute changes that can mean a pylon or the finish line. Quite annoying (at first) is "beep" sound. This beep, beeps every time your press any of the four buttons, but this ca easily be disabled (whew).

I did like the ARC function. It allows you to dial the steering servo in such a way that the initial motion of the servo would be of a certain percentage of the total throw while 100 percent of the throw would be at a setting you would set. Neat! this allows me to dial in my steering even without at a digital servo... (last outing, I set it to low that I ended up over steering.

Sanwa MX3 Summary

If you're planning to make a comeback in R/C or just happen to need a radio that features high-end features at a mid-level price, then I believe this is your radio.