DX8 owners thread...

[Tim Mackey]

Nope...the DX8 is LiPo ready. Only thing you will need to do is to enter the menu, and change the battery type to LiPo, so the low voltage alarm is reconfigured for lipo, not NiMH

[Terry Walters]

Posted by Tim Mackey on 04/09/2011 13:28:36:
Nope...the DX8 is LiPo ready. Only thing you will need to do is to enter the menu, and change the battery type to LiPo, so the low voltage alarm is reconfigured for lipo, not NiMH

 

Brilliant Tim - thanks - looks like that might be sooner than later then!

 

Terry

 

 

[Tim Mackey]

Another one

I keep getting told on "that other forum" that when you have an "odd" wing mix such as flapperon and V tail, the monitor screen states which channel is which, the channels get renamed, with their relevant Rx socket shown.

Well my monitor screen doesnt

All I see is THIS:

 

 

.....................................................................LIST

THR ------------------------V---------------------- -100%
RAL
REL

LEL

GER

LAL
AX2
AX3

Edited By Tim Mackey on 08/09/2011 22:38:36

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

I think that just means the following Tim.

 

Throttle - Ch1

Right Aileron - Ch2

Right Elevator Ch3

Left Elevator Ch4

Gear Ch5

Left Aileron Ch6

 

Or is your experience proving otherwise?

[Pete B]

I might have misunderstood your point, Timbo, but mine is the same. When you fiddle with the sticks, everything seems to be moving on the monitor screen as it should, as far as I can see??

 

These are the monitor display on three types:

 

Basic Flaperon FLAP/VTAIL

 

1 THR THR THR
2 AIL RAL RAL
3 ELE ELE REL

4 RUD RUD LEL

5 GER GER GER

6 AX1 LAL LAL
7 AX2 AX2 AX2

8 AX3 AX3 AX3

 

I hope they come up as carefully typed and spaced by me...........

 

Pete

 

Grr - they don't Think of them as three distinct columns for basic, flaperon and flap/vtail...........

Edited By Pete B on 08/09/2011 23:03:40

[Tim Mackey]

Yes, I understand now..... TBH the info I was given on the other site was misleading, but I think I get it now.

You just need to "follow" the order of sockets on the Rx and match them to the monitor list.

Pretty poor info display IMO, and yet more evidence that the manual is absolute pants.

My DX7 was so much easier to programme - but then I have had 5 years to get to know it

[Tim Mackey]

Me again

Found what I think is another bug, and am awaiting response over on RCG.

Ill reproduce the post here......

 

TRAVEL ADJUST BUG

Let me try to explain again whats going on here.

It’s a pure glider (Microfloh )
Wing mix is flaperon, and V Tail, ( V Tail has rudder function too ).
AR6200 and satellite. No other mixes active. At this stage flap was inhibit.
(Not sure why it defaults to this when flaperons are set in wing mix?)
Anyway....All orientation is as viewed from behind.
I first had the tail servos plugged in “wrong”
EG:
RIGHT ELEVATOR = RUDDER
LEFT ELEVATOR = ELEVATOR as that’s how they were on my DX7.
I bound up, and checked things over.
All control surfaces were moving in the correct direction, but were off centre, and travel throw was uneven between the two elevator halves.
I went into servo sub trim and adjusted both; sub trims worked fine, albeit on the “wrong halves IYSWIM.
Then I went to travel adjust, and REL worked fine, but LEL did nothing, no movement of the servo at all as I adjusted for "Up" and "Down".

NEXT:
Following advice I swopped the servo plugs over
RIGHT ELEVATOR = ELEVATOR
LEFT ELEVATOR = RUDDER.

Sub trims now affect correct half - but travel adjust is still having zero effect on LEL.
BUT.......
Elevator direction is now incorrect, and using servo reverse on both servos corrects this, but now puts rudder in the wrong direction.
No servo reverse is available for rudder due I guess to it being effectively two elevators.

[Tim Mackey]

And to follow up...... a little later I posted this.

I think I have discovered the problem!

If I leave the stick alone whilst adjusting LEL travel, and only when finished dialling in the amount I require, I move the stick, it has adjusted.

It just wont do it whilst the stick is held in deflected mode! This only happens on LEL, as the REL travel can be seen working as you hold the stick up or down.

This is how it should be on all servos, as it’s the only easy way to visually see that both control surface halves are moving the exact same amount.

Due to physical differential errors via servo horn positioning, the amount of throw from each servo arm is slightly different in different directions, which is exactly why I need to be able to fine tune this in the Tx.

This is surely a bug ?

Is it Ver 2.03 related??

Maybe someone can try it on a set with earlier airware version ???

[Tim Mackey]

HELP! DX8 owner needed for valuable research.

Dunno whether its me or them ( its them ) but the yanks just cant seem to answer a simple question on what I consider another bug in the system. I could just point ya over the thread, but frankly, that may be considered cruel considering some of the stupid bickering and OT rubbish thats in it, so I'll try and summarize the issue here again.

 

What I need is someone with a DX8 to try a simple experiment for me.

 

Here's a summary of my posting.

 

I'll try and elicit a response again...sigh .

Despite what may happen on your Tx with the file I sent, it doesnt work on mine - do I have to video it ??

You said....
"I played with sub trim and it moved REL when I adjusted with R Elevator selected, and LEL when I adjusted with L Elevator selected."

I dont have, and never have had an issue with sub trim on either elevator half.

 

You said...

"The REL travel is adjusted by pulling the elevator stick to select the high or low sides of travel, the the travel change shows up as a factor of the rudder travel. This is because RUDDER is normally the input for that servo."

Again, I don't have an issue with REL travel adjust - it works fine - both on the servo adjust monitor screen, and at the servo itself.

I GET NO MOVEMENT ON LEFT ELEVATOR TRAVEL ADJUST - THE SCREEN INDICATOR DOES NOT MOVE IF THE STICK IS NOT LEFT CENTERED.

You have made no reference ( unless I missed it ) to L EL travel adjust.

 

So fellow Brits...

 

I need you to set up a blank memory slot as a flaperon wing with V tail .

 

Then, see if when altering travel adjust in the servo set up screen you can get a response of the indicator movement - on both sides of centre, for both right elevator, and left elevator. As you probably know, its necessary to slightly move the control stick in the direction of travel that you wish to alter - in this case, its UP or DOWN.

On my set, ( 2.03 firmware ) it all works fine for the RIGHT Elevator, but I get NOTHING on the LEFT Elevator. The only way I can get a response is to leave the stick untouched, and then adjust both directions simultaneously, however its then impossible to see by how much until you finish adjusting, and then move the stick.

Edited By Tim Mackey on 10/09/2011 11:49:52

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Tim I just tried this and I DO See exactly what you are.

 

I'll post something on that thread to back you up..

[Pete B]

I've set it up and it is exactly as you say, Badge - or should I say, Timbo (!).

 

You can see the adjustment of the indicator on the REL as you increase or reduce the throw but there is no movement of the indicator when applying the same adjustment to the LEL, except as you have said, if you leave the stick centred, adjust both valyes together and then move the stick.

 

It's hard work over there, isn't it? Being separated by a common language is one thing but the dorks on the forum just make it all very difficult...........

 

I'm also on v2.03, by the way.

Pete

[Tim Mackey]

Thanks guys - just what I need - and yes....very hard and frustrating work over there

I do try hard to explain things thoroughly, but sometimes I just feel they don't even read the darn thing before diving in with sarcasm and holier than though retort. Grrr

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Posted my comment to them now.

 

I haven't said so on that forum but looking at LEL, if I hold the ele stick right down and reduce the travel to zero, then when I push the stick up the left ele does not go up at all.

 

So I think the independent (up different to down) trims can be made to work by setting the opposite ends. i.e. change the number on the screen for left elevator down travel and that will in fact change the travel of left elevator up. The only problem here is you can't see what's happening while you do it. It will have to be a bit of trial and error.

 

 

[Christian Thomas]

Is it essential to have a dedicated glider specific programming mode for the more advanced gliders or will the Sailplane setup by Spektrum suffice?

 

Would it be possible for Spektrum to add this feature at a later date through the SD firmware upgrade slot?

Edited By David Ashby - RCME Admin on 31/10/2011 07:59:59

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Just moved your post to this, the existing DX8 thread

[Glenn Philbrick]

I am looking for some constructive assistance. I have just lost my second model to what I think is a brown out. In both cases I cannot check to see if any lights are flashing as in the crash power has become disconnected. The first model was IC with a separate battery for the Rx and only has four servos the Rx was an AR6200, the second was electric with BEC and an AR500 and only three small servos. Both models had been flown many times before and where at least a year old. Initially they flew using a DX6i but recently I bought a DX8 and this is the transmitter I was using when both crashed. Neither model was at extreme range and both RXs powered up and range checked when powered up on the ground following the crash. Neither model showed any tendancy to glitch.

I am about to send the tranny and RXs back to horizon to check but my confidence has been badly dented. The tranny is not among those listed as having any problems. I assume a brown out is caused by low voltage not poor reception if so would running 6 volts give me more of a safety margin?

 

Thanks,

 

Glenn

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Glenn yes brown out does mean a low voltage condition. It affects all brands of radio and even any 35Mhz kit that has any sort of processor in it.

I believe that with a brown out you loose control for the length of time that the processor takes to reset.

Quite some time ago Spektrum brought their receivers in line with other makes by reducing the reset time to a very short duration. That is, if your receivers had the "quick connect" software. They would have to be quite old these days not to.

 

What exactly were your symptoms? The affected DX8's seemed to have an issue with older DSM2 receivers (like 6200 and 500) but only after the DX8 had been given the ability to transmit in DSMX.

The symptoms were sudden and complete loss of control at a random moment during a flight.

The affected DX8's were recalled to Horizon and had an update which supposedly cured this issue. I'm just wondering if yours was suffering from this even though it was outside the serial number range?

 

If you did have a low voltage problem, then that could have been caused in the one model by the cold affecting the Rx battery, or the battery, wiring, plugs or switch having some sort of fault. In the electric model, this is less likely. There it would more likely be an overheating issue. But with the two together, it's an odd coincidence.

 

A 5 cell battery does give you more headroom, however it is not without issues. Some servos will not take the 6V. If yours do, then they will draw extra current and this could flatten the battery that bit faster. The answer really is a good quality battery.

[Pete B]

After I loaded the DSMX update on my DX8, I had a couple of incidents which may have been attributable to the 'random loss of control' problem. One was my mate Terry's PZ Me109 () and the other was my E-Flite Sea Fury, both of which went in after a complete loss of contact. MY SF has been back flying since then (BTW, where's the 109, Terry? )

 

My Tx was on the recall list, so back it went. Since then, after many further flights, I haven't had any issues whatsoever. It's certainly worth sending it back, however, you could first email Horizon Hobby with the details on the batch labels found within the battery compartment.

 

They'll be able to give you a quick indication of whether your Tx has been modified or not.

 

Pete

[Simon Clouting]

Hi, Got a strange one for you. Not sure if its my tx or just my inept programming....I have recently refurbed my 25 year old Phase 6, added a 2nd servo in the wing for flapperrons/snap flap. My issue is that when I switch in snapflap both ailerons move by about 1 mm. So 0-0 trim changes between snapflap on and snapflap off. I have looked at subtrim, and yes the "monitor" fields do move when I apply the switch. I have trimmed out as much as possible at subtrim level to get RAL & LAL to be in the middle (subtrim wise). but the ailerons still twitch when I hit the switch.I have two questions....Is this normal behaviour, Should I have to centre the controls in subtrim to get around it?Do I need to send it back to SMC? - Alright three questions!

[Speedster]

Check the trim when using the switch, if the trim setup are on flt mode there can be a difference.Then you just put the trim in the middle in all the fltmodes.

[Simon Clouting]

Speedster, I believe you may be a genius. That is the only thing I hadn't looked at. And after a bit of messing about in all three modes and switching the mix in and out......Nothing now moves in the "assignment screen" on the lhs.Thank you, I really thought I had a buggy tx - The instructions are worse than useless on things like this - I think they were outsourced to the lowest bidder.. Should be OK for a 2nd maiden at Mill Hill. Using it as a test bed for French Le Fish build I have going at the moment - VTPR with a P6 - I used to do it with a Mijet and with only 2 channels...what could possibly go wrong! - Thanks Again.

[Baz Lewis]

Can someone give me the technique for throttle mixed to throttle on the Dx8, for safe leccy throttle safety linked to one of the switches. I have had this explained for many tranny' s ,but never got it to any level of success.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

In the function list FW, you'll find "Throttle Cut"

In there, select the switch you wish to use, and the servo position you want it to switch to.

For electrics, I set this so the position indicator doesn't move between low throttle, and throttle cut. That's somewhere around 30% in the throttle cut settings.

No mixes required, it's already catered for.

[Baz Lewis]

Thanks Chris
I will try this out later!

[Steve Colman]

Thinking of upgrading my Dx6i in the new year.

I've never had a problem with it during about 4 years of ownership. But, now the model collection has grown, the internal memory is full, and I'm swapping Rx's between models which isn't really to my liking. Additionally, I'm at a point where some extra channels and features will be a real bonus over the 6i.

Therefore, unless anyone can come up with an argument against, I'm thinking that the DX8 may be the way forward.

Sure, the DX9 may be the all talking all dancing new kid on the block but my budget really can't stretch that far.

So, considering that I've been very happy with the Dx6i, is the Dx8 still a logical and worthwhile upgrade?

Many thanks,

Steve.