Open TX

Hi to all, I have come to the point of having to purchase a new TX. My Spectrum has finally failed. So I am looking for advise on what to buy? I have been looking at Futaba T6K v2 *ch also the Hitec Aurora 9X. of course I am still under training so as both of these have training listed in their spec perhaps they will match up to the clubs sets for training. What do you think chaps.

Ernie, I don't know why your title is Open TX. Open TX is open source software and the transmitters it can be installed on have to be programmed, a bit of a learning curve.

The two obvious choices here within this club are Spektrum or Futaba (leaving out Open TX and Frsky). We don't have any Hitec stuff either. Other members may throw their four cents worth in too due to brand bias but at the end of the day if buddy boxing is one of your primary needs then it has to be Spektrum. Not sure if our old Futabas are any good for slaves.

For once I actually agree with Phil

One of the new 6 channel Spektrum TX will do everything you need it to, I cant remember the model of the club trainer TX's, but one of those would fulfill your requirements

Ernie - The latest Club Trainer transmitters are :

Spectrum - DX 6e

May I suggest you go that route and you will be fully compatible with the club gear.

Colin.

Just curious, has anyone played with 'Instant Trim' in OpenTX?

You hold the sticks for straight and level flight, then flick a switch and the stick inputs are transferred to the trims.

Very interesting.
I think I see what you mean about being curious Chris. I didn't realise that you need to have three hands to work Open TX, or doesn't it have trims on rudder?

You surprise me David, surely the rudder trim is simply sorted on the ground, i.e. the only place it's really useful , you taxi up and down the grass and trim the rudder so that the plane goes in a straight line. So with that one taken care of once you are in the air you can happily take your left hand off the throttle stick and flick the "instant trim' switch, and voilà, a perfectly trimmed plane.

I've used instant successfully on slow moving planes that are easy to control and it does a really good job providing you are flying straight and level, the important thing to remember is that you are trimming all control surfaces at the same time, If the aircraft is a long way out of trim and say you need to pull back on the stick to keep it level, as soon as you use the trim switch the plane will climb until you center the stick. I tried using it on a foam MX which i was just getting used to and got it flying fairly well and trimmed, the weather was calm but the sun was low and bright in front of me, I waited till I was out of the sun flying level and flicked the switch with disastrous results the plane banked violently to the left and I was unable to control it. What I had done is, I had been worried that the plane was going to far away, unintentionally started to bank, flicked the trim switch which went to full aileron trim and I wasn't quick enough to save it.

I guess the answer is that it can be useful but must be used wisely.

It seems there are pitfalls to every shortcut!