jstrach

I'm trying to invest some time in researching radios before my next purchase.

Currently own: 2.4 Futaba 7C & Spektrum DX5e

The Spektrum DX8 is appealing to me because of two specific features: 1)backlit LCD 2) telemetry and 3)price

The big question I have revolves around the brand of radio and if people have two cents to provide as to whether this ISor ISNOTa good radio to pursue. If I didn't care about the telemetry, then I'm interested in the Futaba 10CAG or the Airtronics SD-10G. The Airtronics packs a big wallop in feature-set but with only a 7-chRx, so pretty good value. Futaba has the "brand", comes with a 14-ch Rxbut is pricey. (Currently with Futaba's "Trade-Up" program I could trade my DX5e in for a $200 merchandise coupon on future Futaba products though.)

Any feedback on these radio systems would be greatly appreciated.

NOTE:The Futaba 8FGas noted below is probably a good consideration as well. It's priced at $429 at Tower Hobbies, however is missing the telemetry functionality, but the S-bus expandability as mentioned below is intriguing as well. Investigating.
NOTE:The Aurora 9 would be priced at $379 at Tower Hobbies. It has the biggest LCDscreen of all the Tx's.
NOTE:The Airtronics is $472 (was just $364! What just happened?) with a 7-ch Rx, and as mentioned below is rated with lowest latency in the industry.
NOTE:The DX8 at Amazon.com is $429; and this whole thread started because I wanted the telemetry capability really... hmmmmm....

ADDENDUM:Here is a neat video on the Airtronics SD-10G: http://blogs-modelairplanenews.com/m..._SD-10G_video/

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

I would be looking at the Futaba 8FG radio before the 10CAG. The 8FG, with S-Bus, will give you up to 14 channels.
The Spektrum DX8 has vastly improved programming that is very easy to use, plus, there is the Telemetry.
The Hitec Aurora 9 also has Telemetry, with an Audio module that will Speak the values of the various Telemetry parameters. This is priced very reasonable. It is modular, so you can switch between 72Mhz and 2.4Ghz receivers.
The SD-10G is a good radio, as well.

DennisD

The Airtronics SD-10G also comes with a 10 channel FHSS-3 which has the fastest latency in the industry. Very nice radio.

Regards,

Dennis

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I suggest holding them all, picking what feels good to you. Are all the switches / controls / sticks / trims in places that are comfortable for you and where you'd like them to be?

I think they're all pretty good radios, I'm sure they all have more features than I personally would ever use, it pretty much comes down to personal preference.

and no, I don't own any of those particular units - yet. I've had a Futaba 6ex, Spektrum DX5e, Spektrum DX7 - still flying the DX7, but looking for a new one "just because".

For some folks the capability to do the "bind n fly" thing with the wide variety of DSM2 planes & helis out there is a selling point. For some, it's no big deal.

I fly mostly Q500 race planes - and I've had flawless performance from my DX7 and AR7000 RX combos. Same with my park flier flat foamie and the AR6100 RX.

But, I can see the attraction to the Futaba R617 receiver in race planes - easier to install. I've heard of some folks using the AR6255 receiver in race planes for that reason with their Spektrum stuff.

Hitec's receivers are attractively priced. A buddy of mine is using the Aurora 9 in his race planes, with good results.

I've had little to no exposure to anyone using the Airtronics stuff, but what little I've heard has been positive.

Like I said - to me it boils down to personal preference - what do YOU need or want?

I'm leaning to the DX8, mostly because I like the way it feels in my hands. They'll all fly airplanes.

rmh

If you already have preconceived ideas of the type models you will fly- -Your task is half done
If you are a newbie who just wants a setup which will do about anything - -big tiny, whatever with lots of FREDS ( friggin redikulas electronic devices) the DX8 really skunks em all
-I have never seen so many NEW features in radios as the DX8 presently offers-
add up Telemetry and Bind n Fly -(it's here to stay) and Model Match-
Pretty tough to outfeature that line up.
The number of channels and other specialty radio setups may be your cup of tea but overall new trick stuff ?
Lots of really GOOD choices.

jstrach

@rmh:

Ireally am leaning towards the DX8 (although the Airtronics is a close 2nd). However, some research brought up a couple concerns:

1)Some users are complaining about a glitch on the LCD during vibration alarms... has this been resolved Iwonder? (Iwrote [email protected])
2)A pilot reports that during mid-flight, their elevator reversed on them. Not good.
3)A heli pilot states that the carbon fiber affected radio signal reception, and he crashed.

Ultimately, the telemetry is the most interesting item for me - but I wonder about reception reliability of real-time data reception. Anyone out there have any feedback / personal experience with this?

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I believe the vibration alarm issue has been dealt with. There was a recall for some units if I remember correctly.

An awful lot of radio "issues" are user generated. Sure, Carbon Fiber can cause issues - that's why you have to make sure your antennas are in proper places, etc when you install radios. They make special receivers with antennas that can be mounted such that they're outside any carbon fiber fuselage, etc.

While some radio issues are real, an awful lot of things get blamed on them that really have nothing to do with radios - at least that's been my experience over the years.

TimBle

what are you realistically going to do with the telemetry?
Sure its a nice gimmick but please explain what actual value it brings to your flying.

Will it help you land?
Will it help you preflight your rc plane?
Will it tell you that you have a servo problem?
Is telling you that the plane is having a battery problem going to stop a crash when it will be abundantly clear that the plane is about to crash.

LOw battery warning is nice to have but it does not replace battery checking and understanding equipment behaviour under flight conditions.

FLPilot

My Feedback: (23)

Easy. Real Time Value = None! Your going to send it back for repair.

The telemetry components should be independent and only carried to ascertain specfic aspects of concern. These are available today. Eagle Tree !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DR

jstrach

@timble

So what you're saying is you're pro-telemetry! Me too! Excellent.

(NASAcan't be wrong can they?)

rmh

I fully expected the NAY NAY sayers to comment
Thanks for not proving me wrong
When Spektrum came up with the 2.4 for rc users - the same stuff popped up -
Th nice part about the hobby- If you don't want latest stuff
don't buy it.
PS- we still have some nice buggy whips for sale -

mongo

My Feedback: (15)

if what ya want is a good radio at a good price, try this one:

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread....69#post2825869

mongo

rmh

This ain't a sales column!

scooterinvegas

My Feedback: (1)

Speaking telemetry to your IPhone with the DX8? You can put it your shirt pocket, and have the alarm set to tell you it something is out of your pre set parameter. Thats cool. Not out yet, but coming.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

I have a flying buddy, Bob, who was one of my instructors when I first starting flying in 2005. We were at a club meeting a couple of weeks ago and Bob was telling me about all of the problems he's had with his new Spektrum DX8.

Bob was telling me about how he just sent his radio in for the third time to get checked out again. It had been losing about 10 times the frames of the other pilots' DX8 transmitters while flying indoors, and he'd been getting more lockouts and lost binds even after the second service check. Bob got his radio back after its third trip in to customer service, and it came back with a note that said, "No problem found." It wouldn't turn on, however, because the technician who looked at Bob's radio had let his new 2500Mah LiPo transmitter battery discharge to zero.

Bob got the customer service manager on the phone and was quickly promised a new replacement DX8 along with a free replacement LiPo transmitter battery. Horizon Hobby really does have a (deservedly) great reputation for taking care of customers. Bob had just been through the ringer with his new Spektrum DX8, and a communication problem at the service depot had led to Bob's bad transmitter being returned and his battery being run dead.

Bob told me that he was happy that Spektrum had stepped up and taken care of everything quickly and apologetically. I told him I was glad to hear it.

A few days later, Bob and I were both out for one of the last indoor flying opportunities of the winter before the local indoor volleyball complex started up spring leagues were we fly. I walked up to the table where Bob was sitting, cracked open my helicopter case, and pulled out my Airtronics SD-10g.

Bob was sitting facing the flight line and hadn't noticed me walking up behind him as he watched some of our buddies fly. I stuck the SD-10g out in front of Bob and he looked down at it.

"Hey Bob," I inquired, "have I told you about what happened with my Airtronics SD-10g yet?"

"No, man, what happened?" Bob replied.

"Not a thing," I said grinning, "I pulled it new out of the box last July, and it's been just perfect ever since then!"

I literally do not know of any Spektrum DX8 owners that I fly with who haven't had to send their transmitters back in for service.

TimBle

If the product is good and telemetry is a nice add then its your choice.

But when the product is defective from a design stage and ends up going back to the HH for a service and telemetry is used as aselling point then its just a gimick isn't it. Distracting the customer with bells and whistles is a cheap trick.
I'd rather HHfixed their radio products before it leaves their warehouses rather than the hit and hope they miss the poor QC at our factory routine.

I know a few pilots whohave had telemetry now for nearly a year hardly use the feature. Why?because they find that the prefer their preflight and regular voltage check routine. Reason being that while they're flying with other pilots they are far too focussed on not having a collision and communicating with the pilots around them that they don't hear or take notice of the telemetry data or alarms.

Clearly there are some who have to have it but isn't a good quality base radio the most important thing?

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

I do.

StevL

At two clubs I'm a member at we have about 18 DX8 users at the moment. Everyone upgraded their software (except a few that recently received their new radios and didn't need to like me). We as a group are flying from small electrics to 42% giant scale, from circle flyers to very hard core 3d, we fly during the day and very late at night (sometimes all night long). We have had zero problems... none.

You will see more fades when using dsmx than with dsm2, it's normal, how many fades do other brands have? We don't know, we can't check them. The DX8 (when using the 2048 Rx) has 2048 resolution and is backward to 1024, some brands are not capable of 2048 at all. The DX8 also has 11ms frame rates when used with a high speed rx (same as the DX7se). Love the back lit screen for night flying... super simple to program.

Most of us are using the 4000mah lipo pack and haven't needed to charge a Tx in a month or more of hard flying.

The only issue we have seen was one person having some difficulty setting up his telemetry.... user error I believe.

Nothing wrong with any of the other equipment currently on the market either, but the DX8 is a darn good 8 channel system and has tons of features.

Steve

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

There are two fellow club members who have DX8's and have not had any issues. The majority of our members have JR and Spektrum radios and have not had any issues. There are 110 members in our club.

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

The guy at the LHS said the other day that their Spektrum stuff is outselling their brand "F" stuff by about 9 or 10 to 1.

jstrach

Dennis, I'm only finding the SD-10G package with a 7-ch Rx (both at Tower Hobbies and Amazon)...? Strangely, the price at Tower Hobbies shot up in the last 24 hours by $100 bucks!?!?

BelAirBob

I do not have a DX8, but two other reasons for buying one would be Model Match and the SD card. I still see people crashing planes because they are set to the wrong airplane. Yes, they should check before flying and they should check the controls before taking off, but we have a few crashes per month because of this.

I like the idea of a SD card as it is easy to update the software without sending back Most of the newer cameras can do this or by hooking up a mini USB cord. A great way to update as the manufacturers are always upgrading the software.

While on subject of DX8, anyone know if the DX7 is truly discontinued? It is still on the HH and Spektrum websites, even though they are not in stock. Is a replacement coming? Will it be DSMX'ed? Seems like too big of a price gap between the DX6i and DX8

I do have an Airtronics RDS8000 and has been perfect. The SD10G's at the field have been perfect also and the owners rave about how easy they are to program

Thanks

bob

rmh

It certainly is!
I now have two DX8's - both work perfectly
frankly I have yet to see anyone here, purchace anything else lately-
There will always be a few bad apples or people who just have problems -
Having used Spektrum since it's inception - I have had no problems

flyallday

The DX8 sure brings out the people who cant seem to understand that technology can be your friend. I have a DX8 and for one am very happy with all the "bells and whistles". I fly electric only and am VERY happy I have the addition of telemetry to aid me. I understand that if there were a catastrophic failure, nothing will help but having info in front of you before and while flying is most likely going to be a standard. Yes, it will help me land when the alarm comes on, and it will tell me if I might be having a problem with my RX and I cant wait to get the altitude and speed sensors.. Oh yes, more gimmicks, keep em coming!!

Harry

Launch Pad McQuack

On the SD-10G Hobby People has both the 7ch and 10ch receiver package listed for sale at 399 and 459 respectively.

I own one and love it have never had a issue with it. I have had mine since it was released.