RE: Spektrum DX8 vs. Futaba vs. Airtronics
I've been flying r/c for forty five years, so, here's my take on radios. The old radios that I learned to fly on were not nearly as reliable as the ones we use today. Sometime around 1985, I won a six channel Airtronics, I believe it was a Quasar until Motorola made them change the name. It was a great radio and I stuck with the brand through the 8 channel model. When I needed more channels I switched to the Futaba 9C. It worked okay but was a real challenge to program. I sold it and bought a JR 9303. I thought I "died and went to R/C Heaven!" Have been flying JR ever since. Today I fly with a 12x and the capabilities exceed anything I might want to do in the hobby. Recently, however, I has an issue with the battery/charging system with the 12x and since it was my only radio, I started doing my homework for purchasing a "backup". I decided on a DX8. The bang for the buck is unbeatable and it's compatible with all my DSM receivers. The only thing I notice when flying with the DX8 compared to the 12x is the weight. The Spectrum is a little lighter.
Other than that I cannot see or feel any difference than when flying the same airplanes with my 12x. To boot, where can you fing a Tx
with telemetry, 2048 resolution, a LIPO option and much more for $429? The others all work just fine, so the ultimate desicion rests with the user. Hope this helps in your decision process.