Spektrum DX5 Radio

[percy1510]

HI everyone

I need some radio gear to run my Tamiya Tiger 1 and have been looking at the Spektrum DX5E Radio that you can get for about £75 for transmitter and reciever set. Has anybody on here used one of these radio's with a Tamiya tank. Would'nt mind somebodys opinion before I splash out.

Cheers

[971wright]

Hi I Have one and also the DX6I both work very well the only draw back with the DX5 is it only has memory for one model so it means binding each time you use a differant model the DX6I has a 10 model memory so you dont have to do this .In theory you can run all 10 models together each time you swop over the one you were running goes into standbye mode could lead to alot of confusion but posible .Move one forward stop it then move another forward .The cost is the thing if you could afford the DX6I I would buy this one then all you need for each new model is a new reciever.


regards pete 

[grompix]

I agree with Pete on this one. The DX6i is well worth the extra money if you are thinking of eventually owning more than one model...

Cheers
Chris

[BREL]

how does this work because I take it no RX/TX crystals are involved
because I am running both my Sherman and Jagdpanther on the same radio channel all I did was buy a second receiver for the Sherman and the same crystal set as well and put the spare TX crystal into the tool box

the radio set is an Acoms techniplus 4omhz FM

[Ex_Pat_Tanker]

One of the DAK guys on "the other forum" has used a DX5e with a Sherman:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8429756/tm.htm

I have one driving a DBC2RC unit in one of my panzer IIIL's - can't complain at the price tho it would be nice to get rid of the ratchet and add self centering without having to ship all the way back to Horizon for a factory mod.

[971wright]

Hi Brel there are no crystals in 2,4ghz radios you have to bind them it means exactly what it says they bind to each other and no one else can use this frequncy basicley computer talks to chip and says your mine and no one else can use you .

  regards pete

[BREL]

Pete , how easy are they to set up also which is the best one to get

[Ex_Pat_Tanker]

In the US, the spektrum DX6(i) is typically $50 cheaper than the Futaba 6EX. And there's no futaba equivalent to the DX5e.

The Futaba has a microswitch on the rx for binding. The spektrum has a bind plug, which is basically a normal 3 pin rx connector with a wire loop between 2 pins - I cut the wire loop and hook it up to a slide switch so that if I need to rebind the rx for whatever reason, I don't have to tear the tank apart (it plugs into what would be channel 8 on the Rx).

The Futaba can be user modified with aftermarket parts to add self centering on the throttle stick. The Spektrum needs to be sent back to the manufacturer's service center to have this done (or you have to make your own mechanism).

The Spektrum picks a single frequency and sticks to it. Altho the signal is coded specifically to the bound Rx, you can have 2 Tx's on the same frequency with the potential for one to 'drown out' the other.
The Futaba changes frequency constantly, to avoid being drowned out.

Or at least how I understand the blurb anyway... I have one each of the Dx6, Dx6i and 6EX + 2 Dx5e's. Personally I would suggest the DX5e and get yourself a decent set of AA sized NiMH cells and a rapid charger - the standard packs and weedy chargers that come with the others take forever to charge, where as you can go the whole day on a pocketfull of NiMH cells (I'm assuming sets of NiMH cells are as easy to come by in the UK as there are here?).

Out of all my radio's, I still prefer my Hitec Laser 6's - because the rotary potentiometer on channel 6, and the ready-fitted self centering option for the throttle (literally open the Tx up, unscrew a locking pin and you're done!) is sadly lacking from all of the above units 
Mart