VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

See my post #323 for one example. After I was told by a dedicated Futaba guy to stay away from the 12FG, I simply started 'googling' the 12FG. I was suprised to find out Futaba wasn't as squeaky-clean as some folks here on RCU hold it out to be.

That said, I found nothing about the FASST technology being even remotely as problematic as DSSS/DSM2. That's the main issue to me. So a guy had a problem with his 12FG TX? Does that condemn FASST? Not for me. Neither does a bad x9303 make a case to chuck DSM2. However, when the TX's are all working fine, it seems clear at this point DSM2 has a higher rate of problems and hull losses...and I'm not buying anymore the "Well, it's because there are soooooooo many more JR/Spek units in the field" as the explanation.


If it has the ability to slow more than one servo, it probably does (I slow flaps for scale look, and Smooth Stop per BVM suggestion). But, it looks to me only channel 3 is 'slowable', and then you have to jump through hoops to reroute the throttle programming.

Prop_Washer2

My Feedback: (26)

Take a look at the Hitec Aurora 9 if you can live with only 9 channels. The 5.1 inch backlit touch screen makes programing a breeze. You can probably thow the excellent manual away. It has one of the strongest RF links and interference rejection. The price is cheap, and the receivers are inexpensive as well. I sold all of my DSM2 stuff, and I really love the A9. Our firld is DSM2 friendly, but a buddy lost 3 airplanes in 3 days with his 9503. He is still using it though. Mant DX-7's which seem to be okay.

I'll tell you one thing, when you range check an Aurora 9 on low power, you better be able to run fast as mine range checks at over a quarter of a mile. Crazy...I know. Perhaps Hitec will come out with a 12 , 14 or higher channel rig for you power users out there, time will tell. The Aurora 9 is showing up in turbines and TOC stuff more and more. With their $39.95 module you can upload new firmware into the transmitter and receiver whenever it is released. A very friendly radio, at a very friendly price.

Although JR and Futaba have lowered their prices on competing models to compete, here is a little comparison to a 9303, and a 10C.

http://www.hitecaurora.com/Comparison_Chart.pdf

The Hitec is also less expensive now as well. The new firmware is available on their website. www.hitecrcd.com.

Just my dos pesos...

Prop_Washer2

My Feedback: (26)

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Yes, I think something's screwy with the x9303 and now seems like the x9503. I'm leery of using my x9303 now, which is why I shied away from getting the FASST module...possibly just putting lipstick on a pig. I mean, I LOVE what the x9303 does, I'm just not sure I trust it anymore. Feel like I'm holding a time bomb in my hand. I must admit, my first less-than-enthusiastic feeling about JR was when I had to open the x9303 and reroute a wire...ygbsm!!

I've heard good stuff about the Aurora 9, but do I trust new kid on the block?

Some guys are using Weatronics on their JR tx for their expensive jets, but I know nothing about that option. Again, it's interesting that once again here are some dedicated JR users, but they've abandoned DSM2 on their high-end airplanes.

SoppyJoe

My Feedback: (59)

I'm a former 12x guy and after one too many "issues", I picked up a Aurora 9 a few months ago and haven't had any regrets! I may have lost a few channels, but I do like the features of the 9, the cost of Receivers are reasonable and my range checks are fantastic.

Joey

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Good to know, thanks Joey. I went and looked at Prop Washer's comparison link...wow!!! is all I can say. I'm looking at it now in another window. Since I'm now setup with an x9303/AR9100, I'm ok with 9 channels. But, I sure do like that AR9100 with it's built-in power bus and dual EC3 battery leads. I plug 2 2300mah A123's right into it...works great!

Prop Washer also talked about his field being 'DSM2 friendly', yet there are still problems. That's my huge concern now. My field is, too. We use a Navy training field on weekends...2 4000 ft runways, 18-36 and 9-27, 1 mile square, HUGE open area away from any houses/garage door openers, cell towers, etc. If guys at open fields like this are having trouble, then it goes beyond DSM2. Now the entire JR/Spek TX/RX system is suspect.

But, I can counter myself here. I also fly my electric Pulse XT, PZ T-28, and EDF's off of the golf course by my house (love that smooth Bermuda runway, I mean fairway ), in what would be a 'noisy' environment with all the houses and wireless modern gadgets. No issues at all with a DX6i, a DX7, now an x9303, and AR6100 and 6200 rx's. So I don't know what the hell to think, except I think I need a beer...ughhhh

Delta Mike

My Feedback: (18)

208 flights on the DV8R as of today..X9303 AR9100 A123 Batteries...... never a glitch....solid as a rock....

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Dang, that's my TX/RX/battery setup exactly!!! Is your field in a low rf noise area?

FILE IFR

We all want those reports and I love to hear about them.

As some else on here mentioned, it could very well be the environment a pilot flies in cell towers, highly populated areas.. etc.

I have a handful of good close friends who fly jets and are 72 Megs with JR equipment...and as expected they've never had a glitch! They are about to make the switch into the modern day world of a 2.4 gig system, I hope to God they'll be incident free... on ANY type of 2.4 system.

Prop_Washer2

My Feedback: (26)

With an A9, just plug in an external battery into the receiver, and it will power the servos seperatley from the receiver. Telemetry is built in for the receiver voltage with an alarm on the transmitter for a user defined low voltage. You can add airspeed, rpm, temperature, gps, fuel level, and others than can be read on the transmitter. You tube has some pretty good setups in a TOC style plane.

BTW...I do not work for Hitec nor am I compensated by Hitec, just a hobby enthusiast. I am a NASA certfied inspector for Software/Hardware Weapons and Space Grade electronics and am currently practiceing, and the A9 electronically speaking looks pretty solid to me... a solid unit. If you can get your hands on one, (I waited 3 months for mine from Tower), you might like it. I don't know if they are in stock or not...

aquaskiman

My Feedback: (46)

I have over 5years of jet flying with JR10X w spectrum and never even a glitch. I fly 3 to 4 times a day two days a week if weather permits. Do the math = a lot of flights.

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

How does the Hitec AFHSS (I think that's the acronym) compare to FASST? Are they just two different names for the same thing?

Thanks

RAPPTOR

My Feedback: (41)

you live in the wilderness[X(]

john josey

If my 10x wasn`t a heli set i would probably of went down that road aswell,and to buy a TX of the value of the 12x on 35mhz 'today' would be madness.

julian46

Add another one to the unexplained JRcrash list.

Just lost my 3 flight ShockJet with K80E flying from a JR X9303-2.4-H DSM2 transmitter - JR922 receiver - 2 new lipos - three satellite receivers

Plane rolled full right aileron - saved it - then it did it again 5 secs later right into the ground.
- after at the crash scene - all servos seemed to work as normal and all satellite receivers still seemed happy with solid yellow lights.

I had three flights on this plane - it was fantastic - until the crash.

Will not be trusting this radio - and likely JRin the future again - its too bad because Ilove their programming.

I'm just fortunate that the RCfield was mostly empty and the crash happenend in the middle of a farmers field and not at a fun-fly into the pitts or spectators.

Has JRever responded officially to this? Has anyone sent in their radio and receiver to be checked?

Seems like some never have problems and others do - my transmitter was about 1 yr old and receiver brand new.

Looks like Iwill be going Futaba - I guy at my field successfully flys his Boomerang with one.

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Sorry to hear this man! I feel your pain. Its strange how almost all the crahses the plane seems to roll right. Thats what mine did also. Some of these guys got me thinking about a dang hitech<never thought I would say that.

So is anyone with a jet flying with the A9? Futaba is going to kill me to retrofit everything nad I hate to just get 9303 when they have the same problems.

Nitro777

Julian46 yes I sent mine to horizon and they told me everything was fine.  I even sent pics  of my setup exactly how it was before the crash and they said it was a picture perfect set up as per the manual.  Needless to say I lost several aircraft to their perfect as per manual setup and they still said that everything was fine with the tx and rcvr.  What's up with that???????? I believe I posted my complete story early on in this thread.

matt43

ok guys just curious has anyone even used the data log to see just how many missed packets and fades and holds they are having in a flight?? you can use that to exactly tell you how good your system is! it is normal to have up too 100 missed packets in a 10 minute flight but you shouldn't have any holds or fades you should really test this stuff i check after every flight and have maybe 15 missed packets and it sends over 100 packets a second so you will never ever in your life notice that!!  so not trying to start something just want to know how many people actually use this device to see how effective there own system really is? well thank you for letting me know i am very interested since i am an avid user of JR!

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Yes matt I always had the flight log in mine. All was well for around 20 flights. Then I lost it for a few seconds it came back then a little after a slow roll to the right and BOOM. The flight log is a useless piece of crap when it does not have a memory if power is gone. My plane was buried so deep I never even found one of the 2 receiver batts. The only reason they even have a defense now is because the stupid flight log is useless in a bad crash. It was already to the point I didn't feel safe unless I had an AR9100 with dual batts in even small aircraft. Now I am just taking a break building until I figure out what radio to get.

Tip22v

I've also been following this post closely. I've been flying JR/Spektrum for 4 years (DX7, 9303, 9503), I have 24 receivers, including everything from short range AR6100 on up to the R921 and everything in between. I fly pretty much everything except for Turbine, I have small foamies, nitro models in all sizes (including a giant twin Cessna 310), four stroke Saito FG-36 gas, as well as 55cc 2stroke gas. I even have several nitro and electric helicopters and I have never had a single glitch. The only thing I do that might be considered unusual is I use lipo/lion receiver packs with a regulator set to 6v on all my gas and nitro stuff, I also use arming plugs rather than switches (except for my 30% gasser I use a Fromeco Wolverine with dual battiers and regulators). I don't know if this may be why I have never had a glitch but I'm supersticious so I'll keep doing what I'm doing as long as it keeps working. One last thing, I often fly my electric TREX 500 in the Cul de Sac outside my house where all of my neighbors have wireless wi-fi routers, again never had a problem. Now, I'm going to go knock on every piece of wood I can find!

Tom

julian46

Ive had two other weird occurrences with this transmitter (different receiver) - one was a lockout (heli was in hover and stayed there) - for about 3 secs (and it never did this again in about 75 flights)

the second one Iwas doing flips to the right - same heli and it flipped all the way to the ground (Iattributed this to a bad servo arm but now Im wondering)

the strange this is - the last time this happened - the same other two flyers were at the field - using old style futaba FM radios

has anyone noticed something similar when the "weirdness" happens? - other old style plain FM transmitters in use (I know they are miles apart in freq and should not interfere) - but it seems like quite the coincidence - the last time Isaw this guy was about 2 months ago - and thats when the last event happened

yesterday - I flew this aircraft (same transmitter and rec)- all the rest were on DSMor FASST- no issues

I just opened up the back of the 9303 and none of the pot wireds are frayed or exposed etc - all looks clean inside
(there was an issue early on with the 9303 pot / gimble wires rubbing on an IC

3dsky

My Feedback: (84)

I use one every flight, but it is no help when you have 50 perfect flights and one bad one. One crash I had, had no fades or holds and the voltage was 5.8 with 999 on the antennas and no light flashing. The Flight Logger is good for checking if you have a good set up but after that you cannot see it as you plane goes buy out of control. The only thing that is important is how the DSM2 works at your field. I fly at 2 fields one I am no longer flying DSM2 have switched back to 72 until I figure what system I am going to buy. If you travel to unknown fields (heavy populated industrial areas) to fly I can see that may be a problem using DSM2. I tested my DX7 AR7000, AR9000 for over a year logging data on a gasser and had no issues for over 200 flights, problem in my testing was I only tested at the field that is out in the middle of nowhere and I had problems when I started converting my hanger to DSM2 and flying my planes at the other site that is near an industrial park. I have convinced myself that a problem exists, and it would be foolish to keep ignoring it and flying DSM2. If I am traveling to fun flys I will be using my trusty 72 and Futaba FASST. I told Santa to hold of on the JR 11 till the new FESSTER 2.4 comes out. I am a big fan of the JR programming and love the way Futaba FASST works. Cannot have everything, wait a minuet I just described the Aurora 9. I am glad I did not sell my module type 9303 and my X347s. I am just going to get the Futaba FASST plug in for JR and wait for JR to make a move that make scene.

Prop_Washer2

My Feedback: (26)

Here is a range test...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FKS6qKVFqw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdIhb...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp41iAWf9A0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6aNe...eature=related

AFHSS is quite different from Futaba, see if these links help...

kram

My Feedback: (7)

I have switched most of my twin-engine prop fleet from 72 to 2.4.....12X

Complex airplanes with as many as 15 servos each.

Haven't had a problem yet EXCEPT:

Major glitching of quiet surfaces (for example, rudder going nuts when the elevator stick is moved) when the following set-up is used:

JR921 Rx

12x Tx

5-cell or more NiCad battery

amplified JR Y-harnesses


The last item seems to be the rotten apple. When I pulled all the amped Y-harnesses out, all was well.

I discovered this on the ground, never had a problem in the air. Given the violence of the "glitch," I don't think it would look like a "lock-out" in the air. It would look like a huge "hit." So I may be speaking out of context in this thread. Sorry!

In retrospection, somebody from the JR radio forum showed me this bulletin from Spektrum warning against the use of amped Y's

http://www.spektrumrc.com/Community/...Practices.aspx



mt

HellcatAce

My Feedback: (6)

Well, I've waded through 15 pages...man are my legs tired!

The gist of it seems to be that JR/Spektrum's DSM2 system is at the very least a finicky animal. I for one have always been leary of flying anything more than my micro heli and a couple of foam park fliers on DSM2. Anything that needs multiple satellite receivers to keep a lock on just 2 dedicated channels for the enitre flight has always raised red flags for me. Further if it's so sensitive to how it's installed and how close it can be to electronics and other RF emitters, then just how much of an advantage is it over FM other than not having to grab a frequency pin when it comes to your aircraft and safety?

For every user who swears they NEVER had a problem, there seem to be 2 that have a different opinion. Throwing money (in some cases lots of it! ) at the problem with redundancy, for the redundancy, to make sure the problem doesn't happen to you does not seem like the best solution IMHO.

I think it has come to the point where the brand faithful, who usually have beaucoup bucks wrapped up in DSM2 by the way, are trying their hardest to champion the cause and defend it to the point of almost starting fights! The facts are simple, DSM2, while it was the first and best system for a while, has frankly been surpassed by the other brands who have seen the benefits of the variations of the FHSS systems. Anybody who wants me to pony up $30 to buy a data logger to see just how crappy it works can keep all of it! It's time for JR/Spektrum to adapt or die a slow death. Kraft lasted for a long time after their stuff was starting to get long in the tooth technology-wise, but they were kept aloft by loyal customers...for a time.

For my money, the best bang for the buck is Hitec's 2.4. I'm sure they are paying attention and aren't going to let an opoortunity to come up with a 10+ channel system to compete head to head with Futaba, Airtronics, and even the outdated JR stuff pass them by. BTW, my Hitec 2.4 module tells me when my Rx batteries are getting low, and thats on an old Futaba 9C!!!! Hardy har har HAR!!!!