Baron’s Hobbies – Online Hobby Magazine

Winter Flying At Its Finest; The RaydioWarm Mitt

Posted on December 25, 2008 by aaronredbaron

When the weather gets nasty, RC flying comes to a screeching halt for two primary reasons; the radio gets wet or your hands get cold. Although flying in the rain is not recommended for powered models, flying slope gliders in the rain can actually be quite exhilarating if you dress appropriately for it. Flying powered models in the cold does not hurt the model within practical limits, but most people won’t fly below freezing because their hands get cold quickly. Flying with gloves tends to be difficult and feels detached. Flying with a customized radio mitt is the answer! Keep your hands and radio warm and dry without the detached feeling of gloves with the RaydioWarm Mitt.

Features

Featuring a laminated polyester construction with fleece lining, the Raydiowarm Mitt cuts cold, wind and rain and creates an insulated pocket for your transmitter and hands. Using front and back supports, the compartment is held open to prevent the your hands or control sticks from hitting the top, while elastic cuffs at the openings for your arms seals in the warmth. The bottom of the mitt is supported by a solid peice of material making the RaydioWarm Mitt more like a covered radio tray. A padded neck and waist strap keep the Mitt firmly in place, and the entire back side is held shut with heavy duty Velcro to allow easy access. A flexible piece of UV protected clear plastic is sewn in place so the pilot can see the radio, and an antenna hole fitting kit is included, although some 2.4 gHz radios will fit entirely inside. The interior of the Mitt even has pockets next to your hands that can hold disposable hand warmers.

Bring On Old Man Winter!

This review could not have come up at a more appropriate time. The day after I picked up the RaydioWarm from Russ at Coyote Hobby, the biggest snow storm to hit Portland Oregon in the 18 years I have lived here arrived. I was thus presented with a perfect opportunity to do some winter flying with my freshly completed Super Cobra Mini Titan and aerial photography rig, and really give the RaydioWarm a good test. Before heading out I adjusted the straps to fit and located where I wanted my antenna hole. I drilled a hole in the inner support and cut a hole in the mitt itself. Mounting the included plastic fitting to tidy up the hole was as simple as snapping it in place. Armed with a good pair of ski goggles and a warm coat, I set out to do some flying in the snow!

With my Futaba 14MZ transmitter resting comfortably in place in the RaydioWarm I turned it on and plugged in my warm batteries (LiPolys don’t like the cold!). Flying felt a little bit awkward at first, but after a few flights I started to feel accustomed to the RaydioWarm. I normally use a neckstrap anyway, and the pincher grip I use works well for the layout which is basically a covered radio tray. The way the unit is designed the hand holes come in from an angle so your elbows are pointed out slightly when you fly. If you normally fly with no neckstrap and your elbows tucked in, the arrangement might feel strange.

No moisture or snow made it inside the Mitt during my flights. Despite the initial awkwardness, my hands stayed warm and dry, and after the first flights I didn’t even notice it was there. I did notice some fogging of the inside window, which a web search revealed is normal for most of these Mitts when the user has sweaty hands, which I do. Using the hand warmers helped somewhat to keep the Mitt warm, but did not seem to make much impact on the interior of the window fogging over.

I also let Sean Whitney try out the RaydioWarm during a lull in the weather. His Spektrum DX7 fit with no issues and lined up with the hole I had drilled in the Mitt and support. Sean flies with his thumbs, and although he did not hit the top of the enclosure, he did find it rather cumbersome. He mentioned he normally doesn’t use a neck strap, so the entire arrangement was a new experience for him. Although he seemed to have a little more initial trouble than I did, I get the impression he would become accustomed to it in rather short order. There was no discernible difference in his flying with the mitt.

A Job Well Done

The RaydioWarm Mitt is a well developed product which serves its intended purpose well. With a retail price of $69.99 from Horizon Hobby, the RadioWarm is priced higher than simpler solutions, however the tray style construction, integrated straps and all the finishing touches set it apart from other designs. Flyers who normaly fly with a neck strap or radio tray will have an easier time getting used to the arrangement than those who don’t. If you want to get out to fly in inclement weather but you’re held back because you don’t want your radio to get wet or your hands to get cold, this is a great solution!

Here is a video of flying in the Snow with the RaydioWarm from my electric Trex 600.