ron Sweeney

I have been using the Spektrum dx 8 for some time now with good results. I recently installed the 8 channel receiver in my BVM Maverick powered by a Wren 44. A great model and turbine combo'.
I had installed an AR8000 rx and remote receiver and also a data logger. I was concerned with some of the findings from the logger during the first few flights. I always recorded 255 frame losses on the main rx and some times as many as 999 losses on the remote rx. There is little opportunity to relocate the equipment in a model such as the Maverick. I previously damaged my F86 Sabre following a fail safe flame out.. I tried re-locating the remote rx and the first flight yielded a reduced frame loss on the remote but the predictable 255 losses on the main rx. Last Friday I had a flame out with the Maverick but managed to land the model without damage. The data logger confirmed that the radio had gone into fail safe and the turbine had flamed out as a consequence.
I followed Spektrums' advice on location and orientation but sadly I have lost a little confidence. The entire rear half of the model is dense metal (turbine and thrust tube) so there is little room for manoeuvre......Any advice/comment will be welcome. Ron

jetster81

Ron you are a brave man using that setup in anything let alone a jet. I had the same and lost two planes with it despite a very pedantic installation,and the gear being being returned to Horizon twice and been replaced twice , needless to say I am not using Spektrum these days.

nt flyer

Hi Ron. Have you had your TX tested? I had a DSX9 in an F15 that went into fail safe. The result was a faulty "reduced range" transmitter, which was replaced free of charge.

At the time I was flying a Baby Boomer, and was getting frame losses around 140 per flight. With the new TX the frame losses went to less than 5!

Worth checking the TX!

Regards,

Greg

jetdriver

My Feedback: (1)

how is the DX18 working for those of you who have tried them? sorry to hijack your thread

madmodelman

I've had about 150 trouble free flights on mine, my only grouse is having to rebind all models after some airwair updates.
I know Ali has been using his consistently, probably 1000 flights, says it all to me.

dubd

From what I have been told, DSM-X will always show high frame loses. I was told by a Horizon rep that this is normal and not an indication that anything is wrong with the receiver. I had this exact thing happen to me when going from a DSX 12X to a DSM-X 12X.

ron Sweeney

Hi Greg, and jester, strange you should mention your radio, One of my pals had the same issue as you and the range was found to be suspect He has flown a lot since the set was returned with no more issues. I have flown the eight in several other models including big petrols. The logger was a bit high on counts in these a well. I have a faulty throttle trim so I will return the tx and see how it goes, Ron. p.s. my logger showed 'Hold' when the turbine quit at half throttle.

jetster81

Hi Ron, good to see you are still out and about. My issue was only with the DX8 as I have a 5i which I use with micro stuff and works fine As a point of interest, when I received the third set I did the customary range check alongside another plane using my trusty German outfit that I had just converted to 2.4 and on compairing the two side by side under the same conditions the difference was quite staggering 60% better range with the German set and no brown outs.

Art ARRO

My Feedback: (5)

Ron,
I'm flying the AR-8000 rcvr with 1 remote in my Nano Boomerang with NO issuees whatsoever ,after 3 seasons of use. This is with a JR X9303 TX on DSM2. The Flight Logger shows a low count of fades and no holds.
On placement of the AR-8000 in a BVMMaverick, I suggest placing the remote horizontal just foward of the nose gear or as far forward as possible- with the antennae as whiskers in a mustache. The main receiver can be located on the inlet-to-fuselage joint with the antennae in a vertical plane. Perform a thorough range test, rotating the model in 4 quadrants and checking the data on the Flight Logger. Good luck on all this.
This was suggested by David Ribbe of Horizon/Spektrum.
Art ARRO

essyou35

My Feedback: (11)

I had a DX8 and actually planned to fly turbines with it. I had it all figured out with mixing, y harnesses, and servo reversers. However, I too started having "issues" with it. LIke sudden rolls, or a roll not stopping. Happend on 4 EDF I have. I kept making excuses, must of been a bad servo, a low voltage etc.. This happened several times at several fields over 2 months. I had hundreds of flights on it but about a dozen or so had this issue. Thats way too many.

Then I finally lost my prized HET mig-15 on takeoff when I got a "hold" and it knife edged into the ground full throttle.

Sold the radio that night. Bought a futaba 8FGs, and all these same jets I have had 0 glitches proving it was the radio. (except my poor mig which still has no wings). I know have about 300 turbine flights on this radio and have had 0 glithces or issues. Ok just one issue, I burned out a RX. That is the one issue with Futaba. They sell 7.2V servos but the RX is only rated for 6V. My lipos come off the charger at 8.4 and RX couldnt take it.

Do not fly a turbine with a spektrum radio. They have a long history of problems and recalls. they are marketed towards park flyers. And remember the original DX6 that started all this was a heli only radio with limited range.

Do you really want to use a radio whose heritage comes from a park flyer radio?

The 8FGs is in the same price range as the DX8. I cant comment on the 18 but I know someone on here who lost a turbine when a DX18 thought it was a DX8 and glitched.



I am not a brand guy, just use what works. The futaba 8FGs is a 14 channel radio, and it can do everything a Dx8 can except servo slow, which is pointless anyways.

PS: I've had lots of issues with servo reversers as well. You can buy reversed servos from servocity though. But I cannot recommend using servo reversers either. I have had several glitch out on me. So between the Dx8 and the reversers you will need the odds are firmly stacked against you.

ron Sweeney

Thanks to all, Ron.