Book79

I was looking to get either the Dx 8i or something just like it, What other transmitter is good to use?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

What is the best car on the road?? See the problem? What works for one person may not work as well for me. I don't require a 14 CH TX but I do require a 9CH TX, someone else may like or use a 4ch TX and be just what is required. I like the Futaba and Hitec TXs but others like the JRs. If you go onto there web sites and read what type of mixing and features each radio has you can make your own choices as to what you require. A radio is with you for a very long time so you have to think ahead about what you will need in the future. Take a look at the new Hitec 9ch, so far it's one of the better deals on the market and really has some nice features. The price is right for what you are getting. Also look at the RX selection and prices. Flight packs for different planes adds up fast.

Oberst

I agree.

I'm in love with JR, but I've owned Futaba and Hitec and they all seem to be just as good. It's all in the personal preference I believe. I own a 7 year old JR Sport SX600 72 mhz and I'm in love with its simplicity and reliability.


Pete

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I use the old Futaba 9-C, it was the number one radio on the market some years back and there are a lot of us still using it today. I have the Hitec 2.4 module for it but it's still 72. I think I could train a monkey to program it. The old radio does everything I require of it.

summerwind

not so fast.........don't listen to these guys........listen only to me.........you need to get the same exact Tx i use which is 12Z made by Futaba..............don't ask me why, just take my word for it

scooterinvegas

My Feedback: (1)

ceecrb1

I´ll give the example from my club.

There for some unknown reason, was a fashion in my club, that at some point EVERYBODY bought Futaba 10CG´s
most of these pilots only fly foamies, or basic circuits with trex 500´s.
Another is only capable of stationary hovering any of his heli´s and crashes all planes he buys.
Another owns the 14mz, and has all the voice feedback programmed etc etc.. he is only capable of hovering a trex 500 and is JUST starting to fly some circuits.. after 3 years at it.


I fly a trex 450. a 3d funfly style plane, a greatplanes extra 300sp and have flown F3F gliders in the UK before I moved to spain. I am going to be buying my first large scale gas acrobat within a month..
I use a futaba T7C.
I use its basic mixes and in one or two places I set up some Pmixes (eg for "auto knife edg") but on the whole it is purely used to give me dual rates and general aircraft setup.
Before this I had a 6AX. The ONLY reason I upgraded from a 6AX is that the throttle potentiometer wore out.. and I have since discovered that they used a cheaper component in the 6ax, but from the t7c they use the better quality component that is used all the way up the range to the 14mz... so for THIS reason I upgraded. and I bought TX only brand new, for pennies.

I MIGHT soon upgrade to the 10CG or the 8FG as next season (or in 2 seasons time) hope to start competing in IMAC, and for fine-tuning some extra mixes will help.. if I wasnt going to IMAC.. the 7c has EVERYTHING I could ever want, and more, for normal flying.
The gasser I am going to build will have 2 aileron servos, rudder, throttle, ignition cut and 2 elevator servos.. all individually mixed in the TX with their own endpoints etc etc...

So best TX in the world? or the one you really NEED?

jetmech05

A very hard question to answer...I just switched to 2.4 this year and stuck with Fataba....because the programming on the 10 was the same as my 9 Cap.....I like the FASST system over JR's but that is just me...
If you own a radio system now it may be wise to stick with the brand you already have....go 2.4 now instead of later.....if you already are 2.4 then your receivers may work with your new system....but if you change brands they won't......
So I'll tell you this...even though you may never ever seeing yourself using 9 or 10 channels on a single airplane if you ever get into gassers you can easily...so get the biggest badest 2.4 radio you can afford....you'll be glad you did sooner or later....9 channels minimum...
Good luck to you

summerwind

seriously this is like asking which DSLR is the best and which lenses do i need.

if you look back 25-30 years, a highend 7ch was over 500 bucks..................spend that much now and you'll end up with a radio that will knock the socks off anything made back then that was top of the line.

first you need to pick a brand that you think looks good to you as some of todays Tx boxes look absolutely absurd.
once you do that, then decide how many channels you think will suffice for your intended projects.
beyond that and making sure it's a 2.4Ghz system, then everything you want in servos, batteries and misc are all there for the taking so long as you have the money.

the cheapest Futaba 6 ch 2.4 system is more than most guys will ever need, and it's a rock solid system as is JR, and others.

Daddyo57

My Feedback: (15)

Before you buy any radio, look at the JR, Futaba and then look at the Aurora 9 by Hitec. I have an A-9 and I love it! bearings on the gimbals and like the very high end JR and Futaba, it also has telelmetry. I like knowing my RX voltage and having a low voltage alarm. If you are a sport pilot this is a great radio, however if you are flying high end jets and TOC airplanes maybe the high end Futaba and JR is the way to go. It is all about your particular needs.

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

I like the Spektrum radios and their selection of receivers. Plus, there is a large selection of BNF (Bind and Fly) aircraft available that are made to be flown with the Spektrum radios (the BNF planes come with Spektrum receivers already installed, they are really RTF minus the transmitter).

I use a DX6i for my park flyers, and a DX7 for my larger nitros. The new DX8 looks nice, I say go for it!

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

These people obviously don't know what they're talking about - Airtronics makes the best transmitter out there. Sheesh!

[X(][>:]

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

We just call them BRAND X

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Because they are X-tremely good!
All I have used for 10+ years.

TimBle

I would not buy a 2.4 Ghz transmitter that does not employ Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum.

So basically, everything except JR/Spektrum are where you should be looking.

Nothing wrong with the JR/Spektrum stuff except youhave to beware of Rx voltage needs to be above 3.8V at all times or you risk brown out and the reboot on the recievers is longer than everything else out there. reallypoor technology with great marketing.
Even some of the cheap chinese 2.4 radios are way better.
If you really want a JR then get an older PCM type and fit a Corona module. This selects three channels and tries to select then as far apart as possible.
There is also rumour that JR is dropping their 2.4 system is favour of a FHSS system although all indications are that it only hops between two channels where as others hop between up to 36 continuously.

JR needs to get with the program, they and Spektrum are some way behind.

K-Bob

My Feedback: (1)

What he said. +1

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Just tugging on Joes chain a little bit, I know he bought one last year. They are pretty good radios from the few I have seen, I just haven't ever set up a plane with one so have no idea how easy they are to program or what features they have. I never saw anyone using one when I was in Calif but there are a couple of guys i fly with using them here, they seem to be happy with them. Number one radio here is the JR or DX line. I'm a Futaba or Hitec person, that's why I mentioned, it's a pilots choice and no one has any idea what is the best.

Book79

What are some links to these transmitters?

timcat26

Gosh, how have my planes stayed in the air all this time using a DX6i and a DX7?

Any of the brands recommended will work well for you. I'd suggest, if you're new to 2.4 radios, that you ask around at your field about what others use and are familiar with. This will help you determine what kind of help you can get from a personal experience standpoint from the people you fly with. I went with Spektrum because most of those I fly with use them and could show me the tricks and shortcuts. It's worked out well so far.

huck1199

The DX7 has plenty of features and is priced well. The DX8 has lots of bells and whistles you probably won't use or need.

TimBle

argh shame, another overly sensitive Spektru user. Oh well.

Why would anyone advise someoneto buy a new radio that use technology the compnay is highly likely moveing away from? Thats sortof like advising someone to buy a car with known safety problems...

The bloke is in the market for a new radio, he should buy something that uses the best current technology for the best price. Sorry but Spektrum is not that, unless the bells and whistles telemetry is a must have.

My advise is safety first so get a FHSS radio with a strng link and sufficient channels to allow some growth in model features, and allows enough mixes.
DSSS is on its way out, FHSS is growing in strength with every new system being introduced using FHSS even if it is only over two channels (some use up to 36 channels to hop between).

Like I said, theres little wrong with Spektrum/JR except to look out for the brown out problem when Rx voltage drops (go back and read, its all there).

I dunno what it si about Spektrum users that leads them to try and drag more people into their pot of misery. Its old, obsolete technolgy that not even the Chinese manufactures want to use. The RC Universe is going FHSS, get with it or get left out. If i.


If I were pushed to recommend a radio, I'd list the Futaba T8FG, Airtronics RDS8000 and Aurora A9 as the top 3 to look for.
Turnigy, FrSky, iMax also makes some excellent budget radios that use FHSS.
Corona makes a great budget DSSS that uses 3 channels instead of Spektrum's 2 and it selects them as far apart as possible (unlike Spektrum which cna select two channels close to each other). Corona will also introduce a new FHSSmodule soon.
Then there is Xtremelink, a company that hopped (pun intended) on the 2.4Ghz DSSS at the very beginning and now also uses FHSS.

Is BNF a compelling reason to go Spektrum? Only if you buy into marketing hype.
I can get a PnP and fit my own Rx for less than a BNF costs. So no, BNF is not a good enough reason.

Fortunately we all still have the freedom of choice, eve if that means chosing an inferior system.

lazyace

My Feedback: (126)

aurora 9 by hitec , nothing but good from the guy's in my club I just got one myself many good features for sport and 3d flying just my 2cts

Rodney

I tend to agree with TimBle (post 21 above) although all current major brands are quite good. Being an avid experimenter, I have one each of Spectrum, Airtronics and Futaba and have found all to be quite reliable. Now tests on drop out voltage gives Airtronics and Futaba a definite advantage by about a 0.1 to 0.2 volts on brownout levels but I have never had a problem with any of them as I pay particular attention to power supply capability such as wire gage, battery internal impedance and switch quality. Now theoretically, FASST or frequency hopping is quite a bit more reliable than the current Spectrum/JR method, especially in areas of high probability of interference or spectrum saturation. I think that is why JR is rumored to be changing to frequency hopping techniques in the future. Fortunately, you will probably fare well with whatever choice you make and; if you buy lots of B&F, you are stuck with Spectrum at the moment but I now see quite a few coming out with other type systems.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

With the SD-10G, let's just say you can do way more than most people need and probably can do it without the manual

telejojo

The best one is the one you like and works for you.