Which Set Should I buy

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

I don't think I'll bother with any videos - just trying to help. I thought you thought that the manual "does not, I repeat does not refer to changing the throttle stick from the left hand side to the right hand side" which is what the manual appears to detail on pages 46 and 47 - but I'm not a Spektrum user so perhaps I've missed something that Spektrum does unusually...taking the back off is the norm for a mode change on every radio I've had dealings with!

Edited By Martin Harris on 06/11/2018 22:57:30

[Stearman65]

Hi Martin

The DX6 & 8E has the facility to switch modes without opening the tranny. There is a mechanical switch on the back & screws on front, plus the electronic adjustments in the programming. This video shows how it's done on the DX6E, the other one I handled today, the DX8E is identical apart from 2 extra channels to the DX6E in the video.

Eric.

**LINK**

[Rich too]

I agree Martin, usually it involves removing the cover, but most shops will do this for you.

[Stearman65]

Posted by Denis Watkins on 06/11/2018 18:41:53:

Posted by Eric Shepherd on 06/11/2018 18:32:10:

Posted by Steve J on 06/11/2018 17:48:06:

Posted by Eric Shepherd on 06/11/2018 17:31:47:

We couldn't find the stick change mode on the latest DX8 on YouTube

Perhaps it would have been better to have simply looked in the manual...

Steve

I can see this is getting personal now.I've read the manual, all it contains for mode cange is the ratchet & stick tension adjustment, it does not, I repeat does not refer to changing the throttle stick from the left hand side to the right hand side. I've emailed Logic RC to ask them so lets wait for what they say?

Apologies guys, but we have to straighten this out

The sticks are set manually, to centre stick spring ailerons

And no centre, full travel on the throttle, all done with screws

The next bit, Mode, is set electronically in the settings, to put the motor on the motor channel etc etc

"I hope this now clarifies the situation as I have it from Logic's horses Mouth so to speak"

My Email to Logic RC.

Hi I was in a shop today, looking to buy a Spektrum DX8E radio system.

The dealer showed me a DX8 also. I preferred the DX8 but when the dealer rang the distributor, he said the DX8 is not available in Mode 1, throttle on the R/H stick. I watched a horrendous video on YouTube of someone changing the sticks over on a DX6, which put me off completely. Can you provide a Mode 1 transmitter.

Their first reply

Dear Eric

It is very easy to change the mode on a DX8e it is simply moving across the mode change switch on the rear on the case of the radio, and then you can adjust any tensions you require from the tension screws on the front of the DX8e transmitter.

And with the DX8 a mode change is very straight forward just have to remove the rear rubber grips and adjust the mode change screws so you do not even need to open the radio the information on this is on page 7 of the manual

Regards

John Norris

Logic RC

My reply to them

Hi John

I'm afraid we beg to differ. There are 2 travel spacers on the top & bottom of the non throttle stick, these have to be swapped over when converting to mode 1 & can only be accessed with the back off. I suggest you watch this video which takes you through the whole process. Grit your teeth when you watch it. Please let me know what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt1WH5HaIRc

Logics second reply.

Hi Eric

My apologies I forgot you have to move the wedges done a few of these over the years.

You could order the radio from you retailer and get them to ask us to change it over to mode 1 for you before we send the radio to the shop

Regards

John Norris

Logic RC

I hope that settles it. Eric.

[MattyB]

Posted by Percy Verance on 06/11/2018 13:48:31:

Matty

You may not be convinced of Multiplex's future in the radio market, but they have at least been in it since 1958. I wonder if it'll still be possible to buy Frsky stuff in 60 years time? Not that I'd be wanting any.

As they always say, "Past performance does not guarantee future value"...

I severely doubt either will be manufacturing then. In fact I severely doubt there will be much of an RC hobby by then with the direction of travel of the current regs. Either way I am very happy that after nearly 10 years of flying FrSky with no issues it (like all modern FHSS 2.4GHz implementations from the major manufacturers) is plenty reliable and feature rich enough for me. It's also been <50% the cost of an old school "big brand". At the end of the day though as long as you, me and the OP are happy with our choices that's fine.

Edited By MattyB on 07/11/2018 15:14:42

[Stearman65]

I looked Multiplex UK's site this morning & the Cockpit SX 9 was on at £440 inc receiver. So I checked with Wireless Madness the people I visited yesterday, who also have one in stock with a receiver at £410. So I emailed MPlex UK to see if they would match the price, they came back saying yes but I would have to pay by bank transfer as they were away for a week. Didn't like the sound of that, so I declined.

Since my last Email WM said they would order a DX8 from Logic converted to Mode 1, so I'm calling in early next week to have a look at the Cockpit SX9 & then make a decision.

[Erfolg]

I am in agreement with you Matty, past performance, may provide a degree of reassurance. Yet on that basis there is only Futaba, I think. Multiplex is now a badge, that belongs to the Hitec.

It is also my opinion that predicting if any of the present manufacturers or the badges like Graupner will be trading as RC manufacturers is anyones guess. Reiterating, the high street has recently seen many surprises. In some instances buy outs from the receivers, some pre packaged. All result in businesses that carry on in name only at best.

On that basis why not Frsky, particularly if there RC sets floats your boat. Competively priced, a level of functionality matching or surpassing much more expensive brands. Above all the reputation for a solid and reliable product is probably envied some manufacturers. What is there not to like.

I am sure that Spektrum will also suit others down to the ground.

As a Futaba user, I like my radio, I dislike the complication of differing ranges where comparability is an issue. Plus the price for Futaba Rxs, does not encourage multiple purchases. Again the Frsky Futaba compatible Rxs, cut the mustard.

At the end of the day you pay your money and trust to luck, as nothing is certain long term (or even short term), particularly with the regulator, manufacturers or come to it, the distributors, all uncertainties.

[Peter Christy]

Posted by Erfolg on 07/11/2018 16:03:11:

... past performance, may provide a degree of reassurance. Yet on that basis there is only Futaba, I think. Multiplex is now a badge, that belongs to the Hitec.

Many years ago, my first mutli-channel set was a Grundig-Graupner. It was incredibly reliable, and the club I belonged to at the time, used it exclusively. I came to regard the German radios as the "Gold Standard" for reliabilty, although usually a bit quirky! American sets *could* be reliable, but seemed to need a lot of TLC to get the best out of them.

Fast forward a few years, and I'm looking to buy a new propo set. The early Simprop sets had gained a very good reputation, so I plumped for one of their new "Digi 5" sets. It was a disaster! It crashed a brand new model on its second flight, due to poor construction (un-supported wires in the battery pack), and proved to need even more TLC than the US sets! The pots in the servos had to be cleaned weekly, range was erratic (to put it mildly).

Nowadays I tend to see 1) what I can afford and 2) what *currently* has a good reputation. I've been a longtime JR user, and was sorry to see them go under, but I'm very happy with my FrSky Taranis, plus a couple of older transmitters that I've modified using their "hack" modules. So far, they've proven to be at least as good as the JR, and at a fraction of the price.

Who knows what the future holds, or who will still be around in 10 years time? But for me, my next (and probably last!) transmitter will almost certainly be FrSky.

--

Pete

--

Pete

[Frank Skilbeck]

Posted by Erfolg on 07/11/2018 16:03:11:

I think. Multiplex is now a badge, that belongs to the Hitec.

 

Not quite the owner of Hitec bought Multiplex, so he owns both companies. Multiplex develops and build their radio gear in Germany, and the Hitec and Multiplex 2.4 protocols are completely separate, otherwise Hitec could have had an off the shelf 16 channel set.

The only branding that seems to take place is that some Multiplex models imported into the US were rebranded as Hitec (but that seems to have changed on the last couple of model releases).

Edited By Frank Skilbeck on 07/11/2018 17:15:30

Edited By Frank Skilbeck on 07/11/2018 17:15:56

[Robert Welford]

Eric, I'm glad you are looking at the Multiplex Cockpit SX9. Multiplex is a minority radio in the UK, but is big in Europe and is well supported in Germany. I'm the only one who uses Multiplex radio in one club I'm a member of and there's probably 4 or 5 in the other.

I discovered what I believed was an unintentional feature in the earlier Cockpit radio relating to the use of 2.4 trainer dongle. After talking to them a week later they issued a firmware upgrade that solved the problem.

I operated Multiplex since 1986 on 35 MHZ and M-link soon after it's introduction. M-link is robust and is without any issues.

On first use Multiplex may seem alien, but within a 30 minutes you will discover how flexible it is and how straightforward it is to program. I also like the ergonomics of the smaller footprint transmitters.

The only other make of radio I would consider if I were to change would be Jeti, but the transmitters cost over £1500 for the similar functionality!

[Bruce Collinson]

+1 for Yeti. Abominable prices, literally hewn from aluminium billets and an incomparable “feel” in the hand and on the sticks. I don’t have one, I started with Spektrum as 90% of the club and all my tutors were using it, but I’m saving up for one as the three or four at my club have the least issues with range and reliability.

Or, if I counted the hours spent pondering, assembling, fretting, mending etc. and costed them at all realistically, the cost of a decent tx and say 8 rxs would no longer be a significant deterrent. Are you convinced yet?

To be fair I have not yet in 3 years been exposed to Frisky etc as there are few if any ar my club.

One of my club mates has been involved in beta testing and seems very clued up on the state of play, and opines that Futaba are no,longer developing hobby radios, Multiplex are a spent force (shame) and most if not all of the others are built down to a price in China. He happens to use Spektrum.

BTC

[Nigel R]

Shame but as has been said the software to do all the functions is well developed. There's less value now in being a futaba with your in house paid developers than there is in being frsky with your free to use software and all you're worrying about is making the physical set.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Erfolg]

Personally I do not get to uptight with respect to many of the brand names. In reality many of the brand names outsource production. Does it matter, almost certainly not. With consumer electronics most now originate from the Far east, Malaysia, Singapore, from factories which are extremely modern, using the latest equipment and production techniques. On that basis outsourcing can be a very good thing, from the perspective of quality and quality control.

Going back in time, many UK RC companies, comprised of a few guys in a workshop, with a soldering iron, manually inserting components, together with some work outsourced to individuals who sat at their kitchen table doing the same thing for pennies.

For some Foreign companies at the time, RC equipment was a side line, where the bulk of the products were domestic radios. Ir was done because the percentage profit was good, and helped in the struggle after WW2 to re-establish themselves having been stripped of all their assets and IT property. I understood that Graupner particularly at the start of HoTT outsourced everything to the Far East relating to HoTT.

In the case of JR, I wonder if the similar products that some are saying are very good and appear to perform as per JR are a consequence of their Bankruptcy? As BMW and VW found out when they bought what they thought was RR. One ended up with a clapped out factory and a brand name apparently that was not their target. The other had the brand name, with no facilities. Could be similar, a tier 2 supplier may have acquired the IT, yet another holds the brand name?

Unlike others, a case hewn from aluminum or glass, or Carbon Fibre does not impress me much, compared to the issue does it do what it says on the tin, and can I easily afford it, particularly when compared to other brands. A plastic case will do me, even a folded aluminum case with end plugs, as long as the case works ergonomically, and doe not require a work out, to be able to lift it. One of the major influences on me was the 70s, where a friend had a Hi-Fi, it was made from glass, with surface mounted sliders for controls. It had everything possible, from rumble control, squelch and all the standards. A few years back I asked what happened to it, It had to go he said, some of the components were no longer available and it broke. It had cost the equivalent of thousands today. My Sinclair that cost about £40, had gone, because i could get something much better.

It seems we all have our own ideas, for me it is what can I afford, it must do a bit more than I want today. As for tomorrow, it may never come and if it does, it will be different.

[Nigel R]

Don't start with the hi-fi, there's a land where religion rules over science.

[Stearman65]

As the thread starter, & having read everything that has been written I will sum up my thoughts as of today. I've learned a lot since my last set in 2006, 2.4MG is the major break through, no more messing about with pegs & crystals, that is a boon. Which set should I go for, I'm still confused. So many strong opinions which is best, right across the price spectrum, the majority being at the lower price band., Is the Jeti range worth the £1K+ price range, will the Flysky FS-i6X 10CH 2.4GHz AFHDS RC Transmitter w/ FS-iA6B Receiver at £50ish be sufficient?.

The only sets I've actually handled were the Spectrum DX8 & the DX8E, of the 2, I preferred more expensive DX8, (by £2 when totted up), but when I found it was more of agents job to swop from Mode 2 to 1, my interest waned, the DX8E being much simpler, but could I live with the plasticy feel & the cheap & cheerful appearance? My heart is pushing me to a more expensive set such as a Multiplex Cockpit 9, which I'm told comes without any stick set for throttle & the buyer does it his or her self. Whereas my head says only spend as little as you need to. I look at the FRSky, but the youtube video of a stick change from 2 to 1, was the worst of all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdU3vgSVgxQ&t=106s

On another (non related subject) forum they have a smiley for "confused" so I've used the one for indecision, which is the nearest to how I feel. The wing for the Stinson is 99% complete & should be on sale early next week, the Challenger has arrived & this will need a radio as soon as the build starts, what shall I do???

By the way thanks to all who contributed, I think we all learned a lot.

Edited By Eric Shepherd on 08/11/2018 13:22:12

Edited By Eric Shepherd on 08/11/2018 13:22:51

[Bob Cotsford]

If I were looking for a new radio set and wanted the frills of OpenTX in a nicely wrapped user package I think I'd look very closely at the Graupner Hott gear. Lee Smalley reviewed the top of the range set in RCM&E this month and I've heard other favourable reports of the HOTT system too.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Erfolg]

How many radios actually fail, when in current usage?

There is an irony in that my Waltron on 27, still works (after 50 years), I think my Sanwa 2 channal works, although after 20 years neither my Sanwa Clubman or Futaba Gold did nothing when switched on for the first time after sitting about.

I just hope I have not jinked my current set, although i do have another Futaba to fall back on, which I do keep an eye on using it to drive my flight simulator.

Reliability seems extremely high in this era. I will go as far as to suggest if a badge needs an extensive repair centre, I would steer clear.

[Stearman65]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 08/11/2018 13:28:32:

If I were looking for a new radio set and wanted the frills of OpenTX in a nicely wrapped user package I think I'd look very closely at the Graupner Hott gear. Lee Smalley reviewed the top of the range set in RCM&E this month and I've heard other favourable reports of the HOTT system too.

Hi Just did a search on them, Graupner Hott's manual won't open in Adobe, Amazon says £189? Graupner Hott says £389, + £80 for the receiver, extra for the battery? & out of stock of the Amazon version, which model did he review please?

Regs Eric

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Model Shop Leeds Graupner click read full description for info.

Club mate has one, very nice.

Edited By john stones 1 on 08/11/2018 14:42:16

[Nigel R]

Graupner MC-16 manual here **LINK**

Seems to open OK for me?

[Caveman]

Just out of interest, the FrSky Taranis can be changed from Mode 1 to Mode 2, or the reverse, quite quickly, as per this video

**LINK**

OK you have to unscrew a few screws, but let's face it if you can't do that you're probably in the wrong hobby!

GDB

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[SONNY MONKS]

not a spektrum lol,horus x10,much better quality for the price,and cheap receivers,futaba are good,but expensive receivers.