ORIGINAL: carrellh
ORIGINAL: gaRCfield
I have the Atx RDS-8000. I say don't get it. It has some very limiting features that not even their reps had realized. If I knew about these I would never have bought it.
When making a statement like this, you should list the limitations. They may or may not be important to the original poster but he is probably wondering what the problem is since others have recommended it.
My bad...
The RDS-8000 doesn't have dual rates on the rudder - OP stated he's into aerobatics and 3D, so this is important. You can use up one of your C-mixes to slave the rudder. The problem with that is that your other C-mix is only on when you want your dual rudder on, so in my opinion that reduces you to one programmable C-mix, and really what that does is eliminate the option of having any C-mixes as that should have been built in the radio leaving you two mixes to play with.
It doesn't have expo on the rudder, which to many doesn't matter but to some of us it really does.
Switches are not assignable, and to have dual rates on that means you have to flip 3 pre-set switches (if you're using DR on rudder) to get them on, and then 3 switches again to turn them off.
There is no true end point adjustment on the ailerons when using a dual aileron setup. Sure you can attempt perfect symmetry in the linkage but no two servos are exactly the same out of the box, so without programmable servos you can't get equal aileron travel.
The radio has a lot of good features, and lots of mixes already programmed in and a language that is easy to work with. However I find these limitations to be over-limiting and cumbersome and thus warranting the need for a new radio.
I was talking to two Airtronics reps over the weekend (and a third over email) and they weren't aware that the radio was this limiting - they were shocked.
If you look at the competition (Futaba and Spektrum 7 channel) (and the Airtronics 10 channel) you will find that these limitations do not exist.