dmattmul

I have been usng Spektrum gear for years and yes the Dx 18 is a nice transmitter, range tested fine. This looks like an active thread and maybe not the correct place to ask this question (If there is a better thread let me know) Can I use crow without going to the sailplane mode? I did a search and looks like with Gen 1 you can not. (I have Gen 2) Since crow is used more and more (I fly jet turbines and need all the help I can get bringing it down) seems like it should have this. I can't find it. My Futaba transmitter I had before had this capability. The ONLY issue I have with my 18 is the limited telemetry data I can get from my turbine. Xycoy does make an interface and even they state they are not happy with the interface they have with Speke. More and more nice equipment is being developed in Europe and seems Speketrum does not do well communicating with these guys. I spent half a day at Jet Power yesterday and don't remember even seeing their booth? I only get to fly about 30% of the year in the US but in a few more years should be back almost 100%. If anyone is wondering about the reliability of a Dx 18 go to one of the jet shows and you will see 90% of the pilots are using the 18.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

You can and it has to do with either forward or back mixing. I set it up for someone ages ago and would have to drag out my radio, setup a model and figure it out.

gregg f

My Feedback: (20)

Here's a video that shows you how to do crow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTODNOfjNek

bzyguy01

I have 2 DX 18's, One is a Gen 1 and the other is the QQ version...I think it's still a Gen 1 also...Never an issue to date. I've never updated either one and purchased both radios second hand...This does concern me tho and I'm thinking about sending them both in for a check up. Just for the added security. I fly mostly park models on my standard Dx18 and my Giant gasser warbirds on the QQ version. Best of luck!

dmattmul

Thanks, will try it when I gt back to the US.

Bravo77

I use a DX18 no questions. All I can say great radio , Second hand stories are scary judge for yourself

mjunior

I have lost a model yesterday, first use of my brand new DX18 G2. Lost communication immediately after took off, the model was around 150 meters away in the air...
After that, did the range check and it failed...
I assume no installation issues since the model was flying for two years with a 12x.
I will return it to HH for checking.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Does your 18 have the green dot in the battery compartment?

mjunior

NO. But it is the European Version (SPM18100EU). I thought the green dot applies only to US sold radios.

raron455

My Feedback: (38)

Did you range check before first flight?

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Sorry, I just saw that in the other thread that you have EU version.

mjunior

No. I was wrong, I know. I should range check it. I don't complain about my model.
What surprise me is how a huge company like HH/Spektrum allow a high end product come to the market with this issue.

raron455

My Feedback: (38)

Well I will tell you this, you are an honest man because most people would not have admitted to that mistake. The truth is you're absolutely right it's a shame that this has happened, although our 18s are not the most expensive transmitters out there, they are definately not cheap, and we plunk alot of money in our radio gear so we can have confidence in our system. Im thankful that I have not had any range problems with my 18, I did have rudder pot issues with my first 18, 1st generation and after sending it in for repair 3 times horizon hobby did give me a brand new generation one which I have had no problems with since, knock on wood...
send that thing into Horizon,and tell them what happened hopefully they will get it figured out and then get back up in the air but I would start with my cheapest plane, if you don't have a cheap test plane get one

rbxbear44

My Feedback: (86)

Yes, the range check is so critical in order to make sure you have good and solid satellite positions in your airframe, not causing any holds, minimizing frame loss and fades. A guy at our club had range check issues and only needed to move one satellite away from a Carbon Fiber layup section and the range check cleaned up perfectly. One satellite location issue can create a bad range check. Those satellites work in unity, not separate. They are not redundant, they must work in unity.

Len Todd

Not true. All the Rxers are receiving independently. The first frame that decodes correctly is used. If a frame is not correct per its checksum, then a fade is registered and the processor looks at the next Rxer's fame. If none of the frames decode IAW their checksums, then a frame loss is recorded. Fourty + frame losses in a row gets you a hold.

If you have one Rxer with a relatively high # of fades compared to the others, move or reorient it.

Also to do a proper range check on the 18 that will detect the specific problem in the bulletin, you have to do the long-range range check. A different circuit is used for the normal range check. Read the bulletin.

My Gen 2 worked fine in the field all year. Sent it in, and it was o.k. They now have the green dot in it. Mine was one of the first Gen 2s out there. So, ... not all Gen 2s had the problem. In our club, we did have two Gens 2s that were replaced.

rbxbear44

My Feedback: (86)

True! I just said it wrong...my point was, one bad satellite setup CAN effect the whole Rx. It might not cause a FailSafe but it will cause a range check to flunk. I have this happen a few times over the years. Also, try plugging in all but one satellite...cannot bind!

Sorry, should have been more clear.

Rex

John_M_

Well this is sad, its not entirely your fault mjunior, as the installation was working fine with the 12x, but you should always range check even if you flew the day before, its like a pre-flight check lists in real world aviation, it has to be done before they even taxi out to the runway.... I've never heard so many losses, thousands of dollars buried... no, I'm done!


Well gentlemen, I wish you all the best with your spektrum gear... I've heard enough horror stories, I'm walking away from any considerations of ever purchasing a Dx anything.




John M,

raron455

My Feedback: (38)

Well I got bad news for you,,this forum is full of JR horror stories , and Futaba Horror stories, as well. Only one I have not heard any problems with is Jeti.

John_M_

Yes I can see that Ron... it makes me feel uneasy... I'm looking to get into another radio, I need more that 14 channels for some special animations on a quarter scale j3 cub... maybe its time to look into jeti, or weatroics... I don't know which is worse, all the unknowns and potential problems with 72mhz narrow band FM, or all the strange things going on with the 2.4 gig band... we had a flying buddy stuff his giant extra 300 in not too long ago, nosed straight in from level flight just as if someone push full down elevator... it was flying too fast to be a stall... the elevator servos tested fine, the gears were inspected and no stripped gears, just too strange the way it happened.



John M,

sensei

Spend your money and roll the dice, Jeti is not without their problems either, I don't believe there is anywhere in the vicinity as many Jeti radios out there as there are JR, Futaba or Spektrum radios, so you are going to hear more good and bad about the big three. It's a hobby/sport and we lose airplanes from time to time, so what, we build, fly, and from time to time crash, it is all part of it. Personally I believe that the radio manufactures have more problems with peoples brain troubles then the other way around but that is just my own opinion based solely on my own experiences and not just hearsay on the internet.

Bob

Jeti USA

It's not about the problems but solutions, with Jeti you have DATA File for everything. You can clearly record tons of data, every sensor, speed, high, Voltage, Capacity, Air Reassure, Fuel Consumption........
If anything goes wrong you DO NOT Guess, you know what and why it failed.

With Central Box 100/200/400 you can have cut OFF stalled servo automatically and get you Alarm...

Also with Jeti you can execute functions according data inputs:
- set your gear drop down under 20 feet, under 50 mph in landing mode automatically - DONE
- set auto speed with your Turbine - DONE
- set Air Speed Alarm at Landing - DONE
- set Automatic Flaps - DONE

Zb

sensei

I am sure the Jeti is a very fine radio that has many bells and whistles no doubt. Hell I may buy one just because. That said we all spend our money and roll the dice by taking our pick. As I already stated there is allot of brain trouble out there and your solutions can't fix those kind of problems. Again I draw from my own experiences in these matters because the horror stories I read on many topics in these forums are nothing like my own experiences over the last 50 years of modeling, and on this topic since 2007 when I began flying 2.4.

Bob

varkey007

hi i have dx 18 transmitter . the issue is i have a 12 channel receiver , but my dx 18 CHANNEL ASSIGN page has only upto AUX 5 and my receive has upto AUX 7 , so how do i assign for AUX 6 and AUX 7 , in my dx 18

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Enable X-Plus in the bind menu

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

If you want the 12 channels to run 2048 resolution and a 22ms speed, don't you have to turn off the X-Plus after you set the parameters or they won't work at that speed/resolution? Then they do not show up on the servo monitor or any where else so you have to re-enable the X-Plus to make changes and then turn it off again I believe is how it works. Been too long since I played with that stuff trying to use my 12 channel PowerSafe rx's.