DX8 latest software bug

[Tim Mackey]

Having got my new DX8 Tuesday last week, I duly registered it on the Spektrum website, and also downloaded the latest airware ( Ver 2.03 ).

Re-bound half a dozen gliders on Thursday night including 3 Elevon equipped wings and flew on Friday. First to hit the air was my old trusty Wildthing, which need a load of up trim. Applying the up trim button rapidly in the 50MPH wind, saw the model dive even steeper. A bit more thinking and head scratching saw the exact same result...as witnessed by two other modellers.

Thinking it "must be me" I tried again on the ground, and sure enough

THE ELEVATOR TRIMS ARE WORKING IN REVERSE TO THE STICK !!

 

Researching the issue further, I find on a lengthy thread in the US that this is a known software bug, and was discovered several weeks ago.

 

The short term fix as discussed in that thread is to set flap to inhibit in the system menu, on any elevon wing model - then all is fine. Normal wing models are unaffected.

 

Spektrum are working on the problem right now, and a new release will be made available soon.... I guess.

Edited By Tim Mackey - Administrator on 21/08/2011 11:39:49

[James M]

Hi Tim

 

Thanks for the heads up, will inhibit the flaps before flying my elevons now.

 

James

[Tim Mackey]

Its rather bad that this sort of issue has to be discovered via forums....I cant believe that HH havent posted something on the DX8 community site.

[Phil 9]

Tim appart from the bug how do you rate the DX8. I am thinking about upgrading to one of these

[Peter Beeney]

As with everything else, it’s just a key touch to reverse the trims on a MPX tx, the default condition is always correct but it can catch you out; something I tend to check if I’ve been playing, it’s easy though, just watch the sign on the screen as you move the trim; and maybe there is a situation, in some sort of mixing combination where you might want to actually reverse the trim.

When we had problems with the Spektrum buddy lead, at one stage we had a DX6 with a DX7, the 7 used as the slave, and we found the hard way (only total confusion for a brand new pilot!) that the trims were reversed, certainly on the ailerons, on the 7, using an unused model memory. I assumed there was a trim reversing facility on this tx, but was this in fact also some sort of aberration? We didn’t delve into that at the time, and later we got the DX5 working ok anyway.

So is there a trim reverse on any Spektrum tx? If not, I’ll go back and have another little play with this, it sounds quite interesting!

PB

[NigelH]

Posted by Phil B on 21/08/2011 18:04:21:

Tim appart from the bug how do you rate the DX8. I am thinking about upgrading to one of these

 

Phil, what do you have now and what do think is missing from it ?

 

[Phil 9]

I have a DX6i need at least one more channel and in future will need more than two mixes (although it is fine for my current models)

[NigelH]

You could pick up a cheap second hand DX7. I sold mine for about £100 posted.

 

I really like the feel of my DX8 but I've not had the chance to do much flying with it.

 

I really like the telemetry option. How cool is it to see you flight pack voltage on the TX and to be able to set up a low voltage alarm ?

 

I've not programmed a DX6i but I understand that the user interface on that TX and the DX8 are very similar.

 

Edited By NigelH on 21/08/2011 20:05:31

[Lee Smalley]

why would you upgrade from a 7 channel unit to an 8, surely you should future proof your radio and take a step further up than a DX8, the issues with the DX8 is bad news for spektrum and users, and i also dont understand why glider users would buy the dx8 given its limited offering in this area, but hey marketing works!!

[Tim Mackey]

Posted by Phil B on 21/08/2011 18:04:21:

Tim appart from the bug how do you rate the DX8. I am thinking about upgrading to one of these

 

Rather good so far - it has many features which I do like.

[Tim Mackey]

Posted by Peter Beeney on 21/08/2011 19:21:08:

As with everything else, it’s just a key touch to reverse the trims on a MPX tx, the default condition is always correct but it can catch you out; something I tend to check if I’ve been playing, it’s easy though, just watch the sign on the screen as you move the trim; and maybe there is a situation, in some sort of mixing combination where you might want to actually reverse the trim.

When we had problems with the Spektrum buddy lead, at one stage we had a DX6 with a DX7, the 7 used as the slave, and we found the hard way (only total confusion for a brand new pilot!) that the trims were reversed, certainly on the ailerons, on the 7, using an unused model memory. I assumed there was a trim reversing facility on this tx, but was this in fact also some sort of aberration? We didn’t delve into that at the time, and later we got the DX5 working ok anyway.

So is there a trim reverse on any Spektrum tx? If not, I’ll go back and have another little play with this, it sounds quite interesting!

PB

 

No Peter...there is no trim reverse facility on the set.

[Tim Mackey]

Posted by Lee Smalley on 21/08/2011 21:56:15:

why would you upgrade from a 7 channel unit to an 8, surely you should future proof your radio and take a step further up than a DX8, the issues with the DX8 is bad news for spektrum and users, and i also dont understand why glider users would buy the dx8 given its limited offering in this area, but hey marketing works!!

 

The glider function is actually quite "do-able" even though it uses a lot of mixes - the basic setup for a 4 servo wing model is available as an easy downloadable template- as are loads of other models. Channels is not an issue to me - I cant see me needing more than 8, and I liked some of its other features, especially things like the three timer setting options, SD card stotage and updates and vibrating alerts ( very handy when flying in a gale up the Orme and covered in hats and ear muffs

As I paid less than £180 for mine brand new including 2000 ma battery and charger, I think its VGFM

[Lee Smalley]

and reversing trims

[Tim Mackey]

Sure. Im not pretending that it isnt a pretty bad thing - and I was annoyed that I had to discover the situation from US forums - but then again, several groundbreaking radios recently have had their share of issues - and at least the DX8 fixes can be done without the need to return the set.

I would have likely gone for the new JR sets if they hadnt decided to change the DSS system, but with around 30 DSM2 receivers, Im pretty much tied into Spekky of course, unless I buy an older JR set, or go modular and lose model match etc.

Overall, I still think its VGVFM.

[Peter Beeney]

Thanks for that, Tim, I’d already had a little Gaggle of Googlies and I’d very much come to that conclusion, too. So it would appear that there is a least one DX7 with a reversed trim problem; but I will have to go back and put it back together again to make sure it’s still there. It’s also possible it was because we were using a spare memory for the trainer. If we use this memory for a model will it correct itself?
If it is a fault, it must be quite a rarity, otherwise I’m sure it would have shown up a few times before now, and as there is no way to correct it I’m sure it would have been reasonably high profile.

The MPX trim facility is quite versatile. I don’t know what other transmitters do these days but you can increase the trim travel from zero to 100% movement, (of servo travel), place the centre point where you like within the servo travel, make the trim operate as standard, the whole servo throw then alters by the trim movement, or as centre, the trim just alters at the centre point of the servo travel and not the whole throw. There is also Autotrim, which I’ve never used, I think it resets the trim back to zero every time you use it but it can be accumulative, and it can use up servo travel. All the specialist controls, such as retracts, will have their own added trim functions. And, of course, you can reverse it. These are mechanical trim levers and if one gets moved whilst the tx is switched off when you switch back on it prompts you to to correct with the beeps and screen which shows you which lever(s) to move and how far in which direction.

Sounds complicated I guess, but you start with the default setting, which is standard, and then change it to suit. And when you consider this was about 15 years ago, or more, I think they weren’t half bad for the time.

PB

[Tim Mackey]

No Peter...the DX7 is fine, its just the DX8 version 2.03.

Im sure that was a typo, but just for clarity

[Lee Smalley]

Yeah tim same situation with Jr have loads of rxs so will not be changing over unless they do a conversion for the 11x and reduce prices on the rxs a tad, maybe it's just me but I personally don't understand buying another radio that is a dx7 with telemetry, yeah I know it vibrates etc but personally if I was buying a new radio I would take a bigger upgrade, if the budget allows obviously this dx8 certainly has it's problems don't it, rushed it did they?

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Maybe Spektrum felt they had to get it out quick becuase of the Futaba 8FG?

 

BEB

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

I don't want to defend it any more as I feel Spektrum have let us down with all these bugs. However the DX8 is far more than a DX7 with telemetry.

The software has many many features and is soooo easy to program it is leaps ahead of previous generation radios like the DX7.

 

Now if only they would stop adding these new teasers every time they fix an earlier bug it would be a superb radio. I'm sure they will get there, but it really shouldn't be at our cost.

[NigelH]

True Chris.

 

Let me add that the servo speed settings are also good. Great for the flaps that I have been setting up. The flap system also comes with built-in elevator mixing so there's no need to create a mix for it.

 

[Lee Smalley]

ok so it has a few more mixes as well but really the aurora wipes the floor with it in this respect for no more pennies, as long as you dont have a million rxs, its the way to go in my eyes, been a JR man all my life, but even i was tempted !

[Tim Mackey]

Couldnt put it better myself Chris - and I should point out that the thread was never intended as "mines better than yours" squabble - its merely a heads up for DX8 owners.

[Simon B]

Anyone else think that Horizon might up their game if people starting suing them for loss of equipment etc? Small claims court would deal with anything up to (I think) a grand. These radio failures are clearly their fault.

[Tim Mackey]

About as much chance of winning a case against them as parting the sea.

No radio manufacturer ever offers liability beyond the repair /replacement cost of the faulty equipment itself. Any subsequent damage / loss / pain / distress etc caused beyond that, is someone else's liability, and is why we have insurance for so many things in life.

its also worth noting that, unsurprisingly, warnings almost always accompany any such software updating, that the user must thoroughly check all functions work as required after updating. Bit like they all state that a range check should be done before every flight.

Yeh right - I bet that after the maiden pre- flight check of such things, most people never bother.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

No amount of checks would have helped with the DSMX upgrade bug.

That seemed to send the model into "hold" at some random point during the flight at which point all control was lost.

This must have cost Horizon a large fortune having to have hundreds of transmitters back along with what must be a large number of lost sales on top.

They will be smarting for a very long time I'm sure.

 

I expect the software and testing teams are under HUGE pressure to get everything right, and soon.

I'm also pretty sure that they don't tell us some things for negative publicity reasons, but that's risky and could easily backfire.

I have heard rumours of some people early on getting compensation for lost models. But Horizon themselves will never tell us that.

It's interesting that now there are disclaimers on their website absolving them from any responsibility if a user doesn't have the appropriate upgrades. And also that new software versions are now called BETA versions..