Randy,

There are several ways I can go about describing it. I guess a comparison between it and the DX8/any normal handheld transmitter would be the best comparison. I wouldn’t say that the differences are negatives, but this type of radio is substantially different from anything that you probably have ever flown. I can give you some basics on the radio, but we are still in the testing phase, and there are features that are added and things changed around in the code as the testing program progresses. It’s nothing major, and nothing bad, but there is a lot of information to sort through there and everything must be tested. For each version of the code, there is a 25-page checklist that needs to be evaluated and each page is full of features/items to check.

Compared to the DX8, the programming is much more powerful. It’s a Mr. Potatohead transmitter of sorts, so there is quite a bit of assignability. The top two corner switch modules can be changed out with a different arrangement so that you can have quite an array of switch locations. I think that is a very cool feature, and is typical of most tray style radios. These modules actually tilt about 30-degress, so you can adjust them to where you are comfortable. The downside to it is that sometimes they can be a little hard to reach, especially if you are using them to switch rates back and forth. The upside is that the design of the radio minimizes the need to use rates. It has nine mixes, and all six of the programmable mixes can be either linear or point-curve mixes. I use point curve mixes on pretty much everything except a low throttle → down elevator mix. Many transmitters only have some of the available PMIXES as point-curve mixes.

There are multiple throttle curves (I can’t remember off the top of my head how many) that are assignable to either be on all of the time, or to a specific switch setting or flight mode. I can see that being an interesting feature, especially for electrics (I used two curves when setting up some of the Schulze ESCs for the use of the proportional braking). The buttons on the sticks have assignability to them, so you can use them to cycle between rates, or for retracts or flaps (not really pertinent for pattern purposes, but I fly a lot of scale stuff at work as well), and that makes it so that one doesn’t need to remove their hands from the sticks to access some of the features. This circumvents the slight difference in ergonomics of this radio compared to a handheld transmitter.

I feel like I am missing some of the features, because they are numerous, but mostly because there is nothing that is limiting it from being fully functional as a pattern radio. It is more functional than most people will ever need it to be. Some of the other features that may be less obvious for its use in pattern are the ability to switch seamlessly from mode one to mode two, full digital trims and sliders, SD card for ease of updating/transferring model setups, backlit screen, built-in telemetry, solid rotating antenna (it folds back into the transmitter itself for storage, to prevent damage; it’s a different design and not like the typical JR/Spektrum hinged antennas, it’s about a four-inch long blade style- I think it’s cool!), Preflight checklist, auto trim feature (instead of trying to trim with the trim lever, you can hold the stick approximately where it needs to be for level flight and push one of the stick buttons to set the trim for that stick), adjustable assignments for the switches, tons of wing and tail setup types, timer that can be set to a certain throttle position to activate, and built-in charger among other things.

As I said, this radio has quite a different feel to it, and will take you some time to get used to. I would recommend putting in a smaller airplane that you don’t mind being dinged up (ParkZone T-28s are the best!) to get used to the amount of stick travel is required, especially for landings. You will need to move the sticks much farther than you are used to. They are easily twice as long as regular transmitter sticks, so keep that in mind. The upside to this is the fact that you can be much more precise in the air. There is much more resolution, if you will, and you can be very precise in your movements. This negates the need for using very many rates, or different expo because it really just works itself out. You can move the stick quite a bit and not get a huge effect, so it’s comfortable for me to use no rates and fly an entire sequence.

As I said, I have flown this on many different types of airplanes, not just pattern airplanes. The group of people that have these radios now (select internal Horizon employees and Team Horizon members) have to test all of the features and their interactions with other features to make the code as bulletproof as possible. When it comes down to it, pattern airplanes are relatively simple in terms of programming power required to fly. Scale airplanes, on the other hand, require much more features and programming power, because they just don’t fly well. That being said, most of the airplanes I have flown with this have been scale airplanes that are complex (flaps and retracts, multiple servos per surface, etc.) that also require mixing to fly properly. I have flown the radio in one of my ExtremeFlight 48” Vanquishes, and will probably put it in my Prophecy next year. For what little pattern practice I have been doing, I’ve been flying 11Xs, as that to me is the perfect F3A radio. AC Glenn was practicing for the Nats this year with his DX10T, but ended up not using it at the Nats because it was a prototype radio and he wouldn’t have had a backup radio should something happen to his primary. He really liked the radio a lot and probably has more pattern flights than anybody else with the radio. I would say he had upwards of 75-100 flights on it. I haven’t had a pattern airplane airworthy in quite some time, and this year was bumming whichever Visa he wasn’t flying to get a fix, and I flew the Visa on the 10T a couple of times and loved it.

If you can get around it looking like a box, and the layout being different from what you have flown in the past, it’s really a very good radio and honestly is optimized for precision flying.

The DX8 is my every day radio. This is our in house “working man’s” radio, and we use it for almost every airplane that we develop within E-flite, ParkZone, HobbyZone, Blade, and Hangar 9. I have a lot of experience with the DX8, and its programming is a stripped down version of the DX10T’s .The biggest negative that I see for it in pattern is that it does not have any point curve mixes and it does not have a digital throttle trim. I have to have an analog throttle trim, or some way to mimic it because no engine will run so consistent that you never have to adjust the throttle trim. It’s a pain for electrics because I like to use a flight idle, and have the motor turn over as slow, or almost as slow its able (depending on the output of your ESC). To get an ESC to initialize, you have to be below the output that causes the prop to spin, so you have to back down off the setting that you landed at and then bump it back up. It takes forever, and you can somewhat augment that by increasing the trim steps, but you relinquish your ability to fine-tune your idle, particularly noticeable with better ESCs like a Jeti or a Castle. Digital trims on the throttle are practically useless for turbines because the throttle trim is moved all over the place to preset locations for the startup and shutdown sequences. I must add the disclaimer that the DX8 was designed to be used for mode one or mode two without the need for a different radio altogether, similar to the DX10T. This is one of the driving factors behind the digital throttle trim.

The DX8 is a fantastic budget, middle high-end radio that offers many features. Some people don’t mind the lack of point-curve mixes, but for me it limits its use. The rest of the radio has the functionality for use as a pattern radio, as well as its feel, but for the price point of the electronics and the intended market, it wasn’t seen as a necessary feature. I didn’t start using radios less than the highest levels that JR offered (I bought my 10X after having been flying for only about a year, followed by extensive use of the 93/9503, 12X, and 11X). I will say without a doubt those are the two things that I do not care for regarding the DX8, other than that, it’s a solid radio. Some people may not be bothered by this, and if you are flying a good enough airplane that is setup properly, you may not need the advanced mixing features unless you are flying some crazy sequences. Even for use in Masters-level sequences, provided you are flying a good design, this shouldn’t be a detriment, because truthfully, Masters sequences really aren’t that demanding. There are no rolling radii, and snaps are much sparser compared to F3A.

The DX8 also features a backlit screen, throttle curve, SD card, and built-in charger, and timer that can be set to throttle position to activate.

The other advantage is that the terminology and essential programming are similar to what you are used to with JR. The menu architecture is different, and all of the servo functions (ATV, reversing, speed, sub-trim) are in one menu, versus each of them being in their own entity in the main menu.

If you are looking for a traditional, handheld transmitter that is very functional, doesn’t break the bank, and will probably be the last transmitter you’ll ever need is the JR 11X. A lot of people poo-poo on it because of its appearance, but it’s a fantastic radio. I flew 10/12Xs almost exclusively for about 9 years and loved the feel of that radio series. This radio has a different feel to it, but I absolutely love it. It’s got about 90% of the features of the 12X, some features that the 12X doesn’t have, and it’s half the price. It and the DX10T are very comparable radios in terms of programming power and features. The 10T has a little more programming power because of the requirements based on its design, but overall they are quite evenly matched.
I feel like I am skipping around, but there is so much to say about these radios. It’s also very late and I have typed three whole pages in a Word document to describe the radio, so I am about ready to turn in. If you, or anybody else thinks of something else to ask about the radio, please tell me and I will do my best to answer it. If anyone would like shots of the radio, or the screens, please let me know and I will get those as well.

Also, there seems to be some confusion regarding the radio being a “tray” radio, and requiring a transmitter tray to use it. If you have large hands, you can hold it conventionally and fly it. Negative snaps for mode two users could prove to be interesting, but it’s designed to be used with the included harness and to be flown with the thumb and forefingers, not thumbs only. At the risk of ridicule for the rest of my life (not that it didn’t have its genesis during my infamous “Goober” years in D2), here is a picture, albeit taken from a iPhone, by one of the Spektrum engineers of me at SEFF this year in an attempt to embarrass me for circulation around the office, demonstrating the proper usage of the radio. As you can see, it lends itself well to a pattern stance, and you do look sophisticated flying it; provided you are barefoot, and are wearing plaid shorts with a glow in the dark blue shirt. The strap is a little kinky, but hardly imposing once you become accustomed to it. I must admit, it felt like what I would imagine wearing lingerie feels like the first time I strapped that bad boy on. My wife looks at me funny because I can put it on so fast, but I also got the same looks when people saw a 6’4”, 250lb brute gracefully and swiftly get into the front seat of a Super Cub back when I was flying full-scale a lot.

I hope this post was helpful. I’m glad this radio has generated some interest. I honestly never thought I would like a tray radio, and have said nicer things about men who own cats in than I have about men that fly with an MC-24, but in addition to boosting your street cred, it’s a match made in F3A heaven. I’m honestly surprised that the use of these types of radios hasn’t matriculated into mainstream use for precision aerobatics. Hopefully, this will help change that.