Radio Wars, Part 2

[Steve_B]

so there is no REAL big difference is the dx8 and the 8fg as far as performance in flying 3d. 5ms on one test and 2ms on the other. going to drive to my closest hobby shop tomorrow to put some in my hands.

Yep, that's a fair assessment I'd say. A lot will depend on how they feel in your hand and price. Also if you put any value on telemetry and Model-Match (offered by DX8) or the capability to expand to 14 channels (offered by 8FG). You might also want to look at the cost of receivers because if you are going to fill up those memory slots you will have to purchase several receivers over the coming years.

 

[Space Bat]

Steve, not an expert on model match...but my take and seeing how it works on a DX6i it won't allow you to hot swap RX's into other planes...which means you need to rebind the rx to a differnt model memory...now that is a good thing and a bad thing...

I can hot swap out my RX's into different planes which does cut costs...and all I have to do is not be stupid and fly it on the wrong model...which isn't too difficult as have an anal setup and startup flying regime...

So question is as you are more familiar - is there no way of getting round this model match issue....seems a good marketing ploy to force you to get more rx's unless you want to rebind the rx each time you move it...WAPITA

 

[Steve_B]

Space,

Yep, you are right if you wanted to swap Rx's between planes programmed on different memories in the Tx you would have to re-bind, which of course is a process which takes about 10 seconds, i.e. a tiny fraction of the time it takes to physically remove and re connect an Rx If it's a secret Spektrum plot to sell Rx's then they should have made the binding process a lot more time consuming

Honestly though I don't think many people routinely swap Rx's these days? I know I don't. With compatible Rx's selling for about £15 it's not worth the hassle.

Each to his own of course but I think model match is a great feature which I know has saved me at least two times when I've attempted to fly planes on the wrong memory. Maybe I would have picked it up in my pre-flight but I wouldn't like to bet my models on it.

 

[Manta]

ROFLMAO<I flew one of my planes at Hodges one day then took the main motor packs out but forgot and left the switch to the control surfaces on. Then took off my 89 aj slick !!! My buddy came out and said he didnt know i was good enough to fly 2 planes at once!! I was like,"What?"
Yep,they said every move I made on my TX for the 89 was mimicked on the 65 vyper i think it was.. WHEW! no glitches tho XPS held both planes in control lol.

 

[Space Bat]

Space,



Honestly though I don't think many people routinely swap Rx's these days? I know I don't. With compatible Rx's selling for about £15 it's not worth the hassle.

Harsh...lol

If only my RX's were that cheap - but as have recently got a 'New' TX I only got the 8chan RX that came with it and bought a 6ch to go as a backup and to swap into other planes so can use the new TX - over time I will accumulate more RX's but don't see the point in splashing too much cash to swap out a complete fleet to operate on the new TX...I may be being a little tight - but ---- Yeah I am tight....lol

 

[wedoitall]

ROFLMAO<I flew one of my planes at Hodges one day then took the main motor packs out but forgot and left the switch to the control surfaces on. Then took off my 89 aj slick !!! My buddy came out and said he didnt know i was good enough to fly 2 planes at once!! I was like,"What?"
Yep,they said every move I made on my TX for the 89 was mimicked on the 65 vyper i think it was.. WHEW! no glitches tho XPS held both planes in control lol.

i did that about a month or so ago. re-binded and forgot to take battery out of plane id had just flew. lucky i had my ol lady with me, cause i wouldnt had noticed till a ran the battery out of the plane i had rebinded. the plane went over a hill and in top of a tree about 40 ft. into the woods over a steep hill. she was trying to get my attention, but i wasnt paying attention, i was in the middle of a take off. if she wasnt there i may have never found my plane. was pretty funny.

 

[Steve_B]

Harsh...lol

If only my RX's were that cheap

If you flew Spektrum they could be
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...SM2_9Ch_2_4Ghz_TwinPort_Rx_UK_Warehouse_.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/..._Compatible_7Ch_w_Failsafe_UK_Warehouse_.html

And if you flew Spektrum you could use your old receivers because they designed in forward and backward compatibility when they went to DSMX... that's a nice touch.

 

[Steve_B]

ROFLMAO<I flew one of my planes at Hodges one day then took the main motor packs out but forgot and left the switch to the control surfaces on. Then took off my 89 aj slick !!! My buddy came out and said he didnt know i was good enough to fly 2 planes at once!! I was like,"What?"
Yep,they said every move I made on my TX for the 89 was mimicked on the 65 vyper i think it was.. WHEW! no glitches tho XPS held both planes in control lol.

You were VERY lucky that you were running separate power and radio batteries. It could have been real nasty if you plane had powered up in the pit area, potentially causing a lot of damage to other models and worse still people. It couldn't have happened with Model-Match

 

[wedoitall]

went to my not so local hobby shop yesterday. they didnt have the 8fg and just sold their last dx8 right before i got there. does the dx8 have the same case as the dx7? cause they did have a dx7

 

[gyro]

If you flew Spektrum they could be
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...SM2_9Ch_2_4Ghz_TwinPort_Rx_UK_Warehouse_.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/..._Compatible_7Ch_w_Failsafe_UK_Warehouse_.html

And if you flew Spektrum you could use your old receivers because they designed in forward and backward compatibility when they went to DSMX... that's a nice touch.

For the record, Horizon Hobby neither endorses, nor recommends the use of these copied receives as they haven't been tested by Horizon, and there is no way to verify the quality control.
I'd much rather hit the classifieds and pick up a used Spektrum receiver for 50-60% of the new price.