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Multiplex Cockpit Sx 9


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MPX is brilliant gear but their instructions are .... Mmmm .... challenging!

My club mate & I, have the 'Co-Pilot' installed in my 'Teacher' Tx, 'Cockpit 9' and although early days as yet, has worked successfully with his 'Cockpit 7' as pupil.

Meanwhile, I'm struggling 'hit 'n miss' with the MPX Gyro 3 instruction manual. Got it to work but how was more luck than judgement following all the 'blinks' of LEDs!

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Err yes I was quite surprised to get the copilot unit from them with nothing, not a word of instructions and when you do get a small book the instructions lag behind the firmware update ! Maybe all the german stuff on the net I can't read is what you need. I agree however nice quality stuff !!

Edited By Paul Bromley on 26/09/2018 09:59:29

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As Andy says, go to the Multiplex Technikforum http://technikforum.multiplex-rc.de

The guys there include Multiplex crew and individual users, most of them happy to answer questions in English.

(I think I have seen Frank Skilbeck hovering around there too...Frank S?)

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Although the Multiplex website can be viewed in English sadly the forum can't, but Chrome does a reasonable job of translating it. Max Z is quite right, many of the people on the forum will answer English questions.

Capt Kremen, a couple of our members are using Gyro 3s so might be able to help if you get stuck

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Thanks Andy, Frank et al., appreciate your MPX inputs as always. Google auto translations are sometimes quite 'interesting' though!

Surely it is not beyond the capabilities of a leading manufacturer to offer their instruction translations to several local native speakers in the intended other countries of use. This prior to printing or putting them up on their web site. They can then adjust regional translations into better formats, making a better and more easily read text. It needs to be in a comprehensive format too where needed. Why not pick half-a-dozen users in the countries e.g. France, UK, Spain etc. They should be from ALL levels, not just IT, manual writer or model flier experts, see how they get on, what information or way of explanation would improve the original manufacturers texts(?)

Yes, I have (eventually), achieved the results I required but why the head scratching needed re-reading literal translations??? I'm sure we've all encountered the quaint 'Chinglish' ones found in many ARTFs!

I appreciate once you've done it a few times, it's usually straightforward and easy but so often manual/instruction writers of all manner of equipment, do not test their output on novice end users before going to print. What's obvious to the expert ain't necessary to a newbie e.g. jargon and prior knowledge. In days past those classic car maintenance manuals often featured simple one liners such as 'Remove clutch assembly' ... Mmmm yes but that needs a little elaboration on 'How to' ... Any manual authors out there care to expand?

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I think it's only the Technical Forum that's not available in English isn't it, and I imagine that would be difficult to do as lots of people (mostly German) contribute. All the manuals and downloads are available in several languages as far as I know but the Cockpit SX manual is certainly very basic. There is more info in the latest online manual than there was when they first came out but I'm sure the lack of detail means there are lots of things possible with the tx that many of us don't know about. My early Royal Evo and the previous Cockpit (the C2) came with very thorough printed manuals but I suppose it's the problem of costs that prevented something similar with the C3.

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Plus the fact that with every update they become outdated and previously you had the manual and that was about it, now you've got the internet and technical forums etc.

And yes I've used the MPX technical forum quite a bit, sometimes takes several goes at typing a question to get it translated right!, but I've always had quick responses and over the weekend I discovered a bug in the new Wingstabi Easy Control set up program (it was in German not English), it was fixed the very same weekend.

Edited By Frank Skilbeck on 26/09/2018 20:28:48

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  • 10 months later...

Hello Cockpit SX fans,

I've just updated my SX9 to software version 1.40. Lots of useful additions there. I particularly like the "swipe up" for Timer 1 voice updates but does anyone know how to turn off the regular Timer 1 voice updates? I'm constantly ribbed in the pilot box when the German lady pipes up with the time remaining every minute through the flight!! I'd much rather just rely on a "swipe up" towards the end of the flight to tell me!

Cheers

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Hi Mike,

Just experimented on my 'Cockpit' Tx:

Depending on how you have your 'buttons/switches' assigned, you can toggle the sound on/off but 'Angela/Frau M' on 'Timer 1' keeps on speaking regardless.

The default(?) sound button is on the top left-hand side labelled 'Teacher/Vario'. Alternatively, you can touch the bottom right square next to the battery status and toggle through that. Maybe our resident MPX expert Frank S. knows.

Still reckon a decent manual would save a lot of head scratching for mere mortal MPX users!

(e.g. What do the 'Blue/Orange' adjustable bars you find by sweeping several steps to left signify with 'enable slider' tick box 'System Information 3' it says????)

A fantastic system nevertheless.

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Thanks Capt.

Yep, that's as far as I got too! Quite reassuring that I hadn't missed something obvious but still mildly irritating that we can't stop the lady from chiming in every minute.

I must admit, I thought the "swipe up" option would automatically do away with the regular updates - I, for one, don't need both and it seems strange to have the "swipe up" option AND the regular updates running concurrently.... do folks need that much updating??

The early Cockpit manuals were great - lots of info and examples to help programming - the new manuals not so helpful!! As you say though, the gear is as good as ever!

Cheers,

Mike

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Confession time, I'm no a MPX expert but do have a Royal Sx and Profi, but the only exposure I get to the Cockpit Sx is when I'm helping to setup a club mates models on his. On the Profi you have the option of having the countdown timer voice active or not, but I'm not sure on the Cockpit. On the Profi, it announces at 10min, 5min, 4 min, 3 min, 2 min, 1 min and then 30s, 20s, 10,9,8.................. This is basically for competition glider pilots who get bonus points for spot landing on a set time.

The Cockpit Sx manual says "the output of the current timer value can either be started by using your choice of switch or by swiping within the timer status display", have you set a switch for timer announcements maybe ?

If that's not the case then the only other suggestion I can make is to cancel the alarm and then have the timer count up, you can then get it to announce the time with a swipe.

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Thanks Frank,

Assigning the timer to a switch does the same as a swipe - giving the timers time. The young lady still pipes up every minute during the countdown though and I can't find an option to switch her off!!

I tried your excellent suggestion of cancelling the alarm and having the timer count up. This stops her but I loose the countdown feature - she just tells me the time on the timer whenever I swipe or flick a switch. I could use that and stop flying when the desired motor run time is reached but I do like the countdown timer!!

I'm starting to think it isn't possible to silence her - maybe the next update will have this feature.

Cheers,

Mike

Edited By Mike Freeman on 14/08/2019 16:28:20

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I do cherish the countdown voice.

As the Cockpit SX screen is below the neck strap connection point, the screen is obscured by the strap if I lift the Tx up to check the time.

I was flying Mike Freeman’s fast moving Taboo (see Mike’s avatar), high up, in a blue sky with a previous voiceless Tx and looked down for the time, looked up and the Taboo had gone, can you believe, so the voice is a godsend to me.

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Hi Mastercrashman,

I do find the countdown feature very useful but I thought that having access to the time remaining by a swipe or a switch, when I wanted it, would have meant we would be able to turn off the minute by minute countdown - we don't really need both!! Sadly, it looks like this can't be done. The young lady has quite a domineering voice compared to the soothing voices emanating from other Tx's in the pilots box and I frequently get witty comments from my clubmates every 60 seconds when she pipes up with the time remaining!!

Sorry to hear you lost your Taboo. Did you get it back? I always put my contact details on my models just in case! The original Taboo is still going strong and regularly gets an airing, still one of my favourites!

Cheers,

Mike

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Whilst on MPX 'Cockpit' timers ...

Can you, (easily), stop the TOTAL flight time counter (Timer 2)?

[I appreciate you can on the screen by touching T2 'Stop' - I'd prefer my (total) flight time (not motor run time) on a on/off switch].

i.e. Flick 'On' as soon as wheels leave the ground and 'Off' when model touches down, not having to wait until after you taxied back, made LiPo safe etc. etc. Explored the timer screen and options couldn't make Timer 2 stop trying to assign to a switch.

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Yes, Mike, I did get it back - 9 months later.

I lost the model in the summer when the trees and bushes were in full leaf. The following spring while the trees were bare I went searching with two young fliers and one of them spotted it in the fork of a bush about 5ft off the floor. The receiver, esc and servos were ok. The motor, I took apart and washed it and sprayed it wth GT85. All are still working.

The Taboo’s a lovely plane for “Skysurfing”😁. I built another two (one for my grandson). The mate I fly with has also built one. They are very rarely left at home.

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Mastercrashman - Phew! I'm pleased to hear you got your Taboo back and thanks for your kind comments about it.

Capt - The only way I can find to do what you want is to use one of the 3-way switches - let's say Aux3. Here's how...

1. Assign the timer 2 start (the "Switch" box on the screen) to Aux3 UP.

2. Assign the timer 2 voice activation (the "Start using" box on the screen) to Aux3 DOWN.

3. Set Aux3 to mid position while taxiing out and as the wheels leave the ground switch Aux3 UP to start the timer 2 - switch Aux3 back to mid position.

4. At the end of the flight when the wheels touch the ground switch Aux3 DOWN and Flossie will tell you the total flight time which you'll have to remember as the timer will keep running until you hit the T2 stop button back in the pits.

Cheers,

Mike

Edited By Mike Freeman on 15/08/2019 21:18:11

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  • 5 months later...

Tony, I just did a quick internet check, From what I read if the battery is contained within the equipment it can be shipped, the regulations do not permit the shipping of loose batteries without additional precautions etc.

BTW I sent my Profi to Mike Ridley for repair (after I'd damaged the USB port) and shipped it with the battery with no issues.

Edited By Frank Skilbeck on 22/01/2020 12:27:48

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Thanks to everyone who replied .

I have used Mike Ridleys services recently ,well priced and efficient.

Its complicated by the fact I live in New Zealand......no MULTIPLEX help here!!

Interestingly enough I have returned to using my Cockpit 7 channels (x3) which are more than 10 years old and work faultlessly!!!!

Older is better some times!

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