Spektrum dx9 betrayal!
 

I just lost my fifth aircraft to my dx9 transmitter! You would think I would know better. It just came back from a factory refurbish because of signal failures. has anyone else had this problem?

Sorry for your loss but if it has happened with 5 different airplanes I would be inclined to think there is a common thread with your installs. Basically when it goes in for service, they will measure the output signal. There really is not much that can affect that. IMO you have a reception issue. Perhaps more details and less venting may shed some light.

+++1

Fairly common with the DX9 from what I've seen. A fellow club member lost a couple to his and never figured it out. Horizon wound up replacing nearly every part of the radio. Do some searching and you'll find plenty of threads about Spektrum failures.

If anyone wants a closer look, it's going up on eBay next week! I'm done with it. I'll be honest in my description. If it's something I'm doing, then someone is going to get a BARGIN on a very nice transmitter!

Too bad, we could have at least tried to sort this out. Lots of guys using Spektrum gear with no issues. I got one of the first DX 7 radios when they came out and used it for a good 5 years without issue. That includes using it in a 150cc powered Extra. The 2017 District 7 masters championship was also won with a DX 8.

I have been observing for several years at two clubs that I belong to. There have been numerous unexplainable radio issues and unexplainable crashes and every last one of them has a common thread - Spektrum.

Speaking for myself, I don't want a radio system where I have to be concerned about sorting issues out.

Yes, yes, I know; thousands of modelers use Spektrum every day without issues and good for them so no need to go there.

You guys are scarin' me now.

My DX7 has crashed every plane that it has flown. Mostly indoor, and one fast little 1/2A. To be honest, it hasn't missed a beat, I have to blame the walls and the wind. Not me fer sure, well maybe.

Haha, I get walls and I get wind, but together?!

Well, the 1/2A is outside. Last two flights, two bad cartwheels because of the wind. The indoor ones get tossed around quite a bit with the heating fans too. More than you might think. I hope they still book the gym again this year. I think I will get a Spectrum 3 channel surface radio used next week. Hope that is not a mistake. Well any more than because it won't fly anything.

Yes, HVAC plays hell with indoor models. Especially when I was flying this one. JR 72mhz rig, never any signal issues. Important when flying over a crowd of 40,000.

OK, i'll bite. What is it? A balloon? Must have been a while ago being 72 mhz.

It was the summer of 2000, it is a blimp made in the shape of a fly. It's 28" long and 14' tall including the legs. Power was Astro colbalt 40 motors with gear reduction spinning 11x8 props on 12 nicad cells. This was for the country band Dixie Chicks. I flew a total of 83 shows. This picture was taken in Columbus Ohio.

Kool. The Chicks must be hens now.

LOL actually went and saw them about a year ago. Still solid performers.

I saw them on that tour. The show was in Memphis, great concert. My wife has always been a fan, so we had 4th row seats at the Home tour in Dallas, and saw them again in Dallas last year. I was very impressed by the fly balloon at the Pyramid.

We were at the Pyramid twice that tour. Memphis became one of my favorite cities. To this day I tell people that if they get the chance they have to see the steam boat museum on mud island.

Its great when I let people know about the fly and someone had seen it, makes it more then just a memory for me.

"Each to their own said the widow as she kissed the cow". I lump the Chicks in with Kaepernick. That's a shame since they are talented. I have family and friends who fought, and died so that these idiots can disrespect my flag, my country, and it's leaders.
I live near Nashville and listen to country music, but I turn the radio off if the Chicks come on, and I don't watch the NFL any more either. Come to think of it the Chicks don't get much air time on the stations I listen to.

Just to keep on topic I have a 10 year old first generation DX7 which has worked flawlessly. I have a year old DX8 which had some teething problems (stick issues) but electronically has been perfect. I sport fly, and race both radios. That doesn't mean that it's not possible for there to be bad radios. As an example the third generation DX7 was pulled off the market over a year ago. I understand there were problems with a lot of them?

Greg, with much respect. I grew up on Pylon racing with guys like Jim Kelly, Jeff Carpenter, Paul Benezra etc. so as an avid pylon guy in the '80s I saw your name and accomplishments published often in the magazines.


Everyone has the right to their opinion, that is one of the things that your friends and family had fought for. The Chicks have a right to express their opinion and nobody has a right to use their freedom of speech to suppress anyone else's. The Chicks situation was blown way out of context. Natalie being 27 at the time and prone to get caught up in the moment just spoke without thinking and then the media took off with it. Please beleive that what I am telling you is reality based on the fact that I worked closely with them for almost a year. The Chicks do in fact support our US troops as they are doing their job in protecting our country. They do not support our current war efforts. I hope you can recognize the difference. There are some out there that beleive that war and war preparations are unnessesary, I respect that although I do not beleive our world is at a point where we can put war behind us. Since 2001 I have been employed by the defense industry. First with Lockheed Martin then L3 and currently Aerojet Rocketdyne. I take pride in knowing my workmanship is helping to keep our guys safe. I also respect that all US citizens have the right to freedom of speech and will not judge people who at one time simply put their foot in their mouth. We all have done that at one point in our lives.

Send it to me.. I'll use it in one of my planes and see if i have an issue with it. If not then i'll send it back to you..

I recognize that disease; "Foot in Mouth" which has gotten me in trouble too. I'm sure the Chicks have a good side, but some of the groveling came about after the screw-up. Somehow we have to educate these nit-wits in entertainment to keep their mouths shut on certain sensitive subjects, particularly where you're a lib, and much of your fan base is conservative. The "don't bite the hand that feeds you" expression comes to mind.
Back to the subject of this thread. Give (loan) the radio to someone else, and let them give it a try. I've got a 1/2A that all my new, or crashed radios go in, if I suspect a problem.

Have an early gen DX9 (silver case and no software updates) w/9020 Rx - approx half-dozen flights in one airplane only without problems but worried now; more information would be appreciated here. Were these five airplanes lost on maiden flights or was there any hint of a problem prior to the losses? Were they lost after flying them some period of time? What type of airplanes - e.g. glow, gasoline, turbine, electric, sailplane, indoor, outdoor? Same or different receivers/satellites in each airplane? Airborne power at 4.8 or 6.0 volts?

Worried since viewing this thread...

I wouldn't be too worried. Initially when Spektrum came out I think HH made a couple serious mistakes. The first was to promote the system as impervious to interference, the second thing was to equip the systems with 4.8V RX batteries.

The other thing that I highly recommend doing and especially with Spektrum gear when using satellite receivers is do multiple range checks. For example, with a gasser I do a range check with the engine off. Get out to the edge of range with the TX set to the reduced power setting. Have a helper move the airplane 360 degrees taking note if any drop out occur. Then do the same check with the engine running. When doing this I am looking for at least 250' of range at low power. If I fail to get that or I get more then a 10% reduction with the engine running, I will start to try different antenna locations and orientations. It does not take much to block 2.4 GHZ. Having the antenna blocked by a fuel tank can be enough. It's also important to realize the emitting pattern off the TX antenna. It is better off the sides of the antenna as opposed the tip. You never want to point the TX antenna at the airplane. For Futaba and Hitec gear you want to orientate the antennas where one is horizontal and one vertical. For Spektrum I follow that same orientation but with a satellite RX I will put one at 45 degrees and placed in the fuselage as high as possible, in the canopy or turtle deck. IMO with 2.4 antenna placement is even more critical then it was with 72 MHZ in spite of the fact that on board equipment creates less issues.