ORIGINAL: Mark Vandervelden

Hi, The DX18 is very versatile and very easy to use, feels good to hold, runs for hours on one charge and is cheap. Down side is despite using DMS2 and DMSX since the day it came over thousands of flights and not a single problem that could not be accounted for. Now with the DX18 in just three months and with some of the same airframes I had three lockouts or should I say erratic prolonged ''glitches'' on three different airframes all out of my control with no fail safe and three complete loses of airframes all with the same symptoms ending up costing thousands. I am nothis w back with JR equipment since January and have flown virtually every weekend, again not a single problem. Horizon have brilliant after sale backup and replaced the TX FOC and gave me a FOC Rx but with no explanation, I could not bring myself to use it. Draw your own conclusions. Perhaps some DX18 work and some don't but I am not the first to suffer lock outs with the DX18. I sincerely hope yours is a good one. Sorry Spektrum, I've been a fan since day one but this one let me down big time

ORIGINAL: Mark Vandervelden

Hi Jack. You are completely correct in what you say and indeed on its first outing I did fly with it in a cheap inexpensive airframe and it worked fine over several flights. Later that first day I committed it to a 30cc Extra that had been flown successfully before on both my DX7, DX8 and JR DSM12. During its second flight with the DX18 I had a almighty ''glitch'' of full down and could not shut the throttle. After raking through the wreckage and finding that every thing RC wise worked despite being damaged went back to using the Tx on the cheap foam airframe for a few outings to see if I could repeat the problem but it worked with out a hitch. Conclusion was it must have been time for the Rx in the Extra to fail but as that Rx was badly damaged it wasn't likely to be air tested. Over the next few weeks and many flights the Tx was slowly promoted from foam park flyers to bigger airframes and finally when my confidence was restored into my Jets for which it was bought. Around 30-35 flights later in this jet it suddenly exhibited the same symptoms as the Extra from months before. A wild ''Glitch'' but this time full up and no control of anything else including the throttle which remained at full power right to the ground. I could be seen clearly holding my tx high with the stick back and was completely locked out wile wild aeros at full power were being displayed out of my control . Again after every thing worked on the ground. This airframe had flown many times before faultlessly with other TXs. A full range check was made on the ground with that Rx and one other and found to be in well in excess of the recommended. I then got out my trusty Foamy ACRO WOT and had a test flight over the same area at the fated Jet had just flown to and crashed just 20 minuets earlier. This was a big ask of the small airframe as the jet had been a lot larger and it was 200-250 meters away when the jet had struck the ground so this small airframe was at its limit. No problem so after 3-4 minuets of circuits at that distance I brought the foamy back towards me at about 30 degreas on a steady course at 3/4 throttle at about 150-200ft when ''WOW'' a full down prolonged glitch and now at full throttle, Tx held high and throttle stick once more held back ( a throw back from years of F3F, F3B, F3J and 27-35meg days) gave no response and the airframe struck the runway. Again every thing worked fine once it was scraped up. Concussion was the Tx was the common factor and had a consistent and intermittent fault that had been repeated on three different RXs and could take weeks, days or just minuets to repeat its self. This was not a Tx I could any longer have confidence in. My R/C installs are often commented by many as being very neat and in fact do many builds for others, so far I have had with this exception 100% success with no other losses to date. I am very careful to learn how to use any components to there full advantage and try never skimp on cost. I try to be pragmatic when I have a problem and will readily accept blame if I cock up. Any mishaps in the past have fortunately had a clear explanation but I feel this was beyond my control and feel very let-down by what promised to be a very good Tx. You asked but I don't feel that there is any other conclusion other than this particular DX18 TX failed and let me down other DX18 seem to be fine. I have used DMS'' and DMSX with confidence for years and do not blame in any way this 2.4 setup just this particular TX. I've not had issues before this Tx or since. I will not comment on particular issues that others have had with this TX but have been contacted by others with similar problems with there DX18 TXs, Perhaps they should comment as there not sponsored or sell this product so like me can be candid.