DX8 user wanting to convert to Futaba, what's good?
- Thread starter mmurfitt
- Start date
Efliernz
Pete
I traded my JR DSX9 in for a Futaba 10C and never looked back.
It has sliders for tilt-control on the side of the tx. Something to think about.
I had to program a friends new 14SG a week ago. It had sliders and is a nice radio but it was a b#$ch to program! Non-tactile rub your finger around a pad instead of a joystick. I hated it.
Get some hands-on at your local shop before you decide this one.
My 10C is 2 years old now and I love it.
Pete
It has sliders for tilt-control on the side of the tx. Something to think about.
I had to program a friends new 14SG a week ago. It had sliders and is a nice radio but it was a b#$ch to program! Non-tactile rub your finger around a pad instead of a joystick. I hated it.
Get some hands-on at your local shop before you decide this one.
My 10C is 2 years old now and I love it.
Pete
plingboot
Member
Are you sure your DX8 is 5.8gHz - i don't think i've ever seen an RC radio on 5.8 - Vtx yes, but not radio control.
I have a DX8 too and went down the "i must switch to futaba" road.
My next comments are purely subjective, but i bought a 10C and then a 12FG and to be honest, for the money i found the build quality and plastics used to be very cheap indeed - to the point of feeling extremely disappointed with the 12FG given the money it cost.
I also found the Futaba menu structure to be rather unintuative and the dial and button navigation was slow.
I ended up selling the futaba gear and going down the Jeti route. The new jeti radios are a magnitude step up in quality compared to almost anything else and i'm glad i've gone down this route for the S800 - especially given the ability to use two receivers together in a master and clone mode.
Despite it's detractors the DX8 is actually a great radio and i still have mine, definitely go and get your hands on radios rather before buying.
I have a DX8 too and went down the "i must switch to futaba" road.
My next comments are purely subjective, but i bought a 10C and then a 12FG and to be honest, for the money i found the build quality and plastics used to be very cheap indeed - to the point of feeling extremely disappointed with the 12FG given the money it cost.
I also found the Futaba menu structure to be rather unintuative and the dial and button navigation was slow.
I ended up selling the futaba gear and going down the Jeti route. The new jeti radios are a magnitude step up in quality compared to almost anything else and i'm glad i've gone down this route for the S800 - especially given the ability to use two receivers together in a master and clone mode.
Despite it's detractors the DX8 is actually a great radio and i still have mine, definitely go and get your hands on radios rather before buying.
mmurfitt
Member
Thanks Pete, I've heard of the 10C, so I think I'll try and find one to have a play with.
mmurfitt
Member
Hey, thanks for replying.
You know what, you're right, the DX8 is 2.4Ghz. I'm after a 2.4ghz as you get a greater range than 5.8ghz and I'm looking to get around 2km and I really don't want to go down the UHF route unless I absolutely have to.
I'm going to have to do a proper range test and fly the thing till I lose the signal and see how far I get (using OSD and the failsafe of course
. A bit brutal perhaps, but at least I'll know..I've never heard of Jeti, one thing I liked about Spektrum was it's American and they speak English. When trying to read a map in chinglish it's so confusing, particularly when you have little to now experience to begin with..
plingboot
Member
IMHO i think trying to get a reliable 2km from any 2.4g radio might be a big ask.
I've seen a futaba radio glitch into failsafe at 500m before now and i wouldn't trust my DX8 at more than 400m.
Definitely DON'T fly until you loose a signal - disaster and trouble live down that road.
If you want to range test, either use the radio's range test function or have someone hold your MR while you walk off into the distance with the radio, communicate with them via your phone.
I've added an EzUHF on UK legal frequency to my DX8 and had no problems with it - it's also cheaper than buying a whole new radio.
Jeti are czech btw :tennis:
I've seen a futaba radio glitch into failsafe at 500m before now and i wouldn't trust my DX8 at more than 400m.
Definitely DON'T fly until you loose a signal - disaster and trouble live down that road.
If you want to range test, either use the radio's range test function or have someone hold your MR while you walk off into the distance with the radio, communicate with them via your phone.
I've added an EzUHF on UK legal frequency to my DX8 and had no problems with it - it's also cheaper than buying a whole new radio.
Jeti are czech btw :tennis:
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mmurfitt
Member
What sort of distance can you get with the EzUHF?
Don't get me wrong I really like my DX8, particarly as I now understand it and am used to how to set it up, but I do need the 2Km thing, so perhaps a UHF solution is the answer.
I didn't want to do the UHF thing as I wasn't confident on cracking open the DX8 and soldering in bits and pieces, is it hard to do?
That Jeti DC16 looks like a bit of a monster..
SMP
Member
I'm super new to the RC game but... Just switched from Spektrum DX8 to Futaba 8fg on the 550.
Only two real observations I can add is that range wise, for me, the Spektrum was able to consistently go a bit further (likely due to having a small satellite rx), max 1.8 km best but avg 1.3/1.5 km. The Futaba w R6208SB gets consistently nervous around 800-1km but had one rare run at 2.3 km. What that tells me is that the Futaba is likely better but much more finicky about antenna placement, vibration etc which I'm still sorting. Regardless, neither of these gave me the range I was looking for and am making the swap to EZUHF on the Disco build and if all goes well will convert the rest to same. Interestingly on the Futaba when flying atti the signal at the edge of range clips fairly significantly resulting in the chopper making quick snaps back to level. Scary but effective! The Spektrum at end of range just flat stopped responding without any so called warnings
Observation two is that the Futaba stick "throw" seems to be longer than the Spektrum and the stick tension greater as well. While the tension can be adjusted the throw is a different matter and that takes some getting used to as well. I'm coming to terms with it, but I frankly liked the "feel" of the Spektrum better.
Only two real observations I can add is that range wise, for me, the Spektrum was able to consistently go a bit further (likely due to having a small satellite rx), max 1.8 km best but avg 1.3/1.5 km. The Futaba w R6208SB gets consistently nervous around 800-1km but had one rare run at 2.3 km. What that tells me is that the Futaba is likely better but much more finicky about antenna placement, vibration etc which I'm still sorting. Regardless, neither of these gave me the range I was looking for and am making the swap to EZUHF on the Disco build and if all goes well will convert the rest to same. Interestingly on the Futaba when flying atti the signal at the edge of range clips fairly significantly resulting in the chopper making quick snaps back to level. Scary but effective! The Spektrum at end of range just flat stopped responding without any so called warnings
Observation two is that the Futaba stick "throw" seems to be longer than the Spektrum and the stick tension greater as well. While the tension can be adjusted the throw is a different matter and that takes some getting used to as well. I'm coming to terms with it, but I frankly liked the "feel" of the Spektrum better.
plingboot
Member
A UHF system will significantly increase your range.
It's a matter of making a cable which connects to the DX8 output and the EzUHF input.
I made one with a good quality s-video cable.
You will also need a 3cell lipo pack to power the EzUHF, which can be held on the back of the DX8 with velcro.
There's no need to open up the DX8
You may or may not know the following.
2Km is a long way, far beyond line of sight - the maximum distance a BNUCs qualified sUAS pilot is allowed to fly is a radius of 500m around themselves.
Before going down this route there's a lot of stuff which should be done to ensure a safe flight… if you're flying in SW London, there's a lot of restricted airspace and if you're flying into or through that airspace you should be informing the local ATC and asking for permission.
be very, very careful.
It's a matter of making a cable which connects to the DX8 output and the EzUHF input.
I made one with a good quality s-video cable.
You will also need a 3cell lipo pack to power the EzUHF, which can be held on the back of the DX8 with velcro.
There's no need to open up the DX8
You may or may not know the following.
2Km is a long way, far beyond line of sight - the maximum distance a BNUCs qualified sUAS pilot is allowed to fly is a radius of 500m around themselves.
Before going down this route there's a lot of stuff which should be done to ensure a safe flight… if you're flying in SW London, there's a lot of restricted airspace and if you're flying into or through that airspace you should be informing the local ATC and asking for permission.
be very, very careful.
kloner
Aerial DP
if a rig is built right with very little noise floor, i've seen futaba and spek go a consistent mile, but they gotta be clean rf.... add anything above and beyond or install stuff wrong and that can decrease to a 1/4 of that in a blink
that new radio i posted last week from futaba would be my recomendation. it's the 8fg marketed as the 14 ch it is and it has f-hss along with fasst protocals. the fhss is what uhf systems use, is what all the new futaba stuff is coming with and the receivers are $50 instead of $150
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&P=SM&I=LXCVPZ
i'm flying the 10 and it's growing on me. also have 8j with ezuhf and that's my goto favorite setup for fpv
that new radio i posted last week from futaba would be my recomendation. it's the 8fg marketed as the 14 ch it is and it has f-hss along with fasst protocals. the fhss is what uhf systems use, is what all the new futaba stuff is coming with and the receivers are $50 instead of $150
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&P=SM&I=LXCVPZ
i'm flying the 10 and it's growing on me. also have 8j with ezuhf and that's my goto favorite setup for fpv
mmurfitt
Member
I didn't realise it was quite that easy to fit the EzUHF, I thought you had to crack open the back of the DX8 and rip boards out, hardwiring components in their place etc..nice
Regarding flying in SW, I completely agree, this is for use overseas, I'd never fly 2km in sunny ole London
MombasaFlash
Heli's & Tele's bloke
I find this sort of post really disturbing. There are a whole lot of responsible flyers around who fly within their own and their equipment's abilities and with large helpings of plain old common sense. And then there is the Johnny-Come-Lately FPV crowd who have little or no real experience of r/c flying, little or no knowledge of the equipment involved or required, and talk about 2km flying range. What for? Where is the responsible safety net with this sort of ambition?
They are in the pretty similar category to the mile-high crowd who take their MR's to the stratosphere for kicks with little regard for the consequences of a high altitude collision with a full size aircraft that they don't even know is there - particularly if they are goggle wearers.
mmurfitt
Member
I hear you, and wouldn't think of doing a flight like this over a populated area, what I'm looking for us a commercial usage, nothing more and in fact I found it today. Was talking to a company in NZ who do an autonomous plane out to a little under 100km, which is just what I need to view and record pipelines out in the Middle East.
Oh, and I don't wear goggles
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