Cockpit SX vs Royal Pro

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Hi there
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[feefo]

I may waffle on a bit, but this is to give you as much info as I can to help you help me 

I need (Mrs would argue otherwise) a better tx for a full house glider I've bought but not yet fitted out. I've been flying for nearly 3 years and feel I'm now at the level of incompetancy to move up a bit  . My DX6i has been fine, apart from 1 receiver which was replaced by Horizon, and originally I wanted to stick with Spektrum/JR so I could just rebind the receivers to the new tx. But TBH, I can't afford the JR9, and the DX7 seems to have too many limitations IMO to justify the cost. A switch to Futaba seemed the other choice, but after recalling a fella at the slope using the Multiplex tx (don't know which 1) it seems this is the best candidate. TBH, I've spent most of the day reading posts and researching the Cockpit SX as it falls into the affordable/ won't p*** the Mrs off quite as much category, but I could do with a bit more info.

My goal when I started to learn to fly was to fly the faster stuff, but only electric. I enjoy flying gliders, and sloping too, and have Funjets and the like. I had a FVK Bandit for Xmas, which is my second hotliner, but I'm looking to move up to an Alex F5B type plane eventually. Not competing tho, just 'hooning' it about at the club. Slope mouldies are on the list too.

So how much more can the Royal Pro range offer to me for the planes I've got/ intend to fly, esp the 9 and 12 ch versions, but also the 7 too, considering the extra cost? Thanks in advance.

[BrianB]

Hi Feefo

Even the 7ch EvoPro should offer you all you need for gliding. It has virtually the same mixing capability as the 9 and 16ch versions, with the main difference being model memory capacity.

The software is imho vastly superior to that offered by Futaba and the others, and will allow much more flexibility than does Asian software.

The Cockpit SX is a brilliant entry level set, and has no competition at it's price. It can handle 4 servo wings, and has very powerful mixing for an entry level set. However, for complex long term glider use it may well be best to dive straight in and go with the Evopro. The EvoPro offers such additional refinements as full/free Tx/Rx channel assignment, battery mangement software etc.

P.S. There's about £100 or so difference between the Cockpit and an EvoPro 7ch. That £100 will seem like money well spent a few years down the line......

Lots more info here....   You are not allowed to view links.
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Multiplex Modellsport

[satinet]

first off, the programming for the royral pro 7, 9 and 12 is exactly the same. so if you are talking about full house glider in the sense of sport/compeition models, i.e flaps, ailerons, 2 x tail servos, there is no advantage to getting the 12 or the 9 really other than the model memories.   Even if you were going to compete at the top level you would still be using 6 servos and not more.  Obviously scale and other large models something need more channels.

I've had an evo 9 and a cockpit SX.  both are good transmitters, but quite different in the programming. Personally I prefer the evo, but it is a lot more expensive  (or was?).  The cockpit really is a great radio for gliders and they have pretty much thought of everything (offsets, differential suppression, different diff for the flaps etc etc.).  The evo is nicer because you get to choose which switch does what, whereas the cockpit is set out like it is, and you like it or lump it.  I don't like asian style mixer lists, but most people seem to prefer this (which the cockpit SX has).  The evo might be a lot harder to understand if you are used to JR gear.

The evo lets you switch things on/off more. e.g you could switch off your crow brakes if you didn't want to move the stick by accident.  Or you could have the brakes and the throttle on the same stick (e.g flight phase dependant).  the evo is just a lot more flexible, but not everyone wants that.  Obviously the learning curve with more complex equipment tends to be steeper.

Personally I think it's worth putting the money in to the evo if you can afford it, but the cockpit sx really is an excellent transmitter for the money. You can't really go wrong with either IMHO.  I guess the multiplex 2.4 system looses out to spektrum in terms of cost, but the telemetry does look interesting (voltage, height, revs etc.).


The other option to consider might be the hitec aurora 9.  Looks good value for what it is.  I would certainly look at it if I was in that market, but it does seem like they are updating the software on it at the moment, so it might be more prudent to wait.  

[feefo]

Menu layouts are no big deal to me, well, I guess if I was into the 12 ch and bigger tx's then I can understand that they'll get more complex, but it's understanding what they do, not how you get to it that's more important (to me). The Evo does sound better with the switch assignment feature, it's always nice to have something where YOU want it, and a pain when when you can't. Without seeing and holding 1 in the flesh, it's a liitle hard to judge whether my fat fingers will be comfortable with the Cockpit's layout, but reviews are very positive towards it, and I don't think it's a major point against it. The Royal Pro 7 actually works out at about £160 dearer, due to the 2x rx deal at £280, and the Pro with 1x rx at £380 (£60 for another rx).

With no intention of getting converted to a glo boy, the 7 ch will be the 1 to go for. Hmmm, assignable switches, do I need them? I could do with bumping into the fella at the slpoe who's using the Multiplex, but that's highly unlikely, and no local shops who stock the gear either. I'm now 99.9% sure I won't be getting an Asian Tx, nothing against them but TBH I haven't been flying long enough, or even used enough of them to give an honest opinion. I just don't think they'll do what I'm after without upping the cost again. I don't see why I should get a 9/10 channel just for the mixes.

Thanks fellas for your input, much appreciated.

[BrianB]

Hi again feefo

Take a look here.....  You are not allowed to view links.
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Multiplex Clinic for Cockpit SX, Royal Evo, 4000, and 3030

It may well help you to understand what the Sx or Evo can actually do for you/your models.

[feefo]

Beautiful...thanks.

[Adrian]

There's a vario in the pipeline if you get a M-LINK Royal Pro

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Nurnberg New Stuff 6 - Sensors III. A Vario too!!  

[feefo]

Not too sure whether I'll need that sort of stuff. I guess the battery telemetry is good if you're  on your 6 or 7th flight of the day on the slopes and it lets you know your battery's low, but I always take 2 or 3 batts anyway. More stuff in plane = more stuff to lose/get broken. I've often wondered how high the gliders I use are, but £80 to tell me?? Dunno, it's another rx. Nice to know tho, cheers.

[satinet]

the low battery sensor does seem like a nice idea.

[feefo]

But £80? Depending on what size battery you need, that could be 10 batts. I'll prob. skip that feature, at least for the foreseeable future anyway. I would just buy more rx packs and a voltage tester.

[satinet]

i didn't see the price!

[BrianB]

Initially it looks pricey, but if you consider you might use it in perhaps dozens of models over a 15-20 year period, then may be it isn't too silly after all?

And remember, Multiplex are the Kings of backward compatibility so any future 2.4ghz Rx they produce is almost certain to be usable with it.

P.S. Feefo, you made a point earlier about transmitter switch assignability on the EvoPro, and wondered if you actually needed it. Well probably not at a push, but allied to switch assignability comes receiver channel assignability. And that, believe me, is well worth having. If you suddenly found you needed an extra elevator channel output on the Rx (or indeed any other type of output), you'd simply assign it given you had enough Rx channels to allow it. Once assigned, all the relevant mixing options take the "extra" control(s) into account automatically.

[feefo]

Yeah, I can see your point. The Royal seems the better option, the Cockpit is just SOOOO much more affordable. I'm definately getting the Multiplex anyway, may have to wait a little longer as I was made redundant at Xmas and I'm struggling to find work, which I didn't expect TBH. Which is a bummer. Bits list growing, bank balance shrinking. Thanks again.

[grahamstanley]

I have seen some EVO sets (pre Royal) going for very low amounts.  An upgrade to EVO Pro software is free, just need to let Mike Ridley know if you plan to use Jeti or Multiplex 2.4 so he would load the most suitable version of the "firmware".

The Jeti option is extremely similar to the Multiplex option, but less expensive, and more telemety add on modules are available now. 

This is just one way to go Multiplex 2.4, and save a lot compared to a new Pro.

[feefo]

Nice option...cheers

[Andy Sayle]

I picked up a secondhand Royal Evo 9  for £125.  It was in almost perfect condition, with the only things wrong being that the paint was wearing off on one edge, and the only sticks supplied, were the short ones (the sticks with the built in switches were missing).  A quick update to the v2.62 software, insert a trusty Spektrum module, and bingo a top notch radio!  I now live in a 2 Evo household.....

The best advice I was given, when it comes to buying equipment for almost any hobby/job/reason, is to buy the best that you can afford.  Not only will it last you longer, 9 times out of 10, it will work better too.  And, on the off chance you need to sell it for whatever reason, it will tend to hold more of its value.

Andy

[satinet]

Andy the evo does not come with sticks with built in switches. They are a separate item.

[Andy Sayle]

The first one I bought, back in 2005, did.  It had 3 sets of sticks, little short dumpy ones, with a flat top.  Some medium ones with a spikey top (my favourite) and soem long ones, one of which has 3 pushbuttons on....

Andy

[grahamstanley]

Once something is purchased, the amount it cost seems unimportant if it does what you want.  But if you opt for the cheap option, every time you use it there is likely to be a little taste of what is missing. 

If in the future you decided to take up scale aerotow, possibly one of the most demanding options on the Tx and Rx front there is, even an EVO 7 would work a Jeti 14 channel (or more) Rx.  It's a bit of a fiddle, as the extra servo outputs would be set up on the JetiBox for the extra channels, but "slave" output channels can be made up from mixes of (for instance) flap and aileron.  It is harder though (more fiddly menu structure) to do this on the JetiBox than via the normal MPX route.  With the assignable switches you decide where the tow release goes, so if things go wrong you can release without delay.    So an EVO 7 would be fine for most things, but the 12 is best as it has more memory space in case your fleet grows and setting up a 12 servo model is easy. 

One example of what an EVO can do easily.... I have 8 servos in the wings of my 6m Ventus.  The flaps are applied to all the control surfaces, most movement inboard.  That's six servos each with end points and travel curves set easily.  And then as I apply the spoilers the outer aileron reflex up, a bit like crow brakes, but to stop and worries about tip stalling.  Four flight modes are available in which the behaviour of the surfaces can be changed, i.e. thermal, landing, cruise, aerobatic.. 

The downside of a Jeti 2.4 conversion is the lack of integration of the display, particularly for telemetry readings.  In practice setting the Tx module to beep when the Rx battery gets to a given voltage gets around that, as does setting an audible warning at a given altitude.

Programming is different on the EVO to my JR sets, and initially a steeper learning curve.  But once you cotton on to the idea of assigning a control to a stick or switch, and then assigning either a straight output or a mix to a channel on the Rx, it  suddenly get easier and vastly more flexible than the fixed options on the JR.  I can't say how it compares with the more recent top end eastern sets, as my experience is limited to setting up JR 3810, various Specky Tx, HiTec and EVOs. 

Re the sticks with buttons, I have them fitted but very rarely use the buttons, as they are not as easy to push without wobbling the model when concentrating really hard as I expected.

[grahamstanley]

I've just glanced at the FF9 setting up post....  Glad I have the EVO for my electric gliders, setting up is so much more logical.

[feefo]

Once something is purchased, the amount it cost seems unimportant if it does what you want.  But if you opt for the cheap option, every time you use it there is likely to be a little taste of what is missing. 

I agree that getting the best piece of kit 1st time IS the best way, just not realistic for everyone.

As an example, what was your first car, doubt it was the 1 you REALLY wanted.

Circumstances change, promotions, bonuses, a nice little bet at the weekend that comes in, inheritance (didn't want to mention this but it is a fact of life),  are all ways that suddenly you have the cash to get what you want.

At the mo, aerotow isn't on the list of what I want to do. Granted, I may change my mind, but I may not.

I've just got a friend into flying. Without asking, he bought a Hobbyzone Aerobird. It's now bin fodder, and he's asked what he should do. I've told him the same as I'm being told here, best TX you can afford + Easystar. He didn't want new stuff but has bit the bullet. He's getting a DX6i. Fair starter IMO. But that's the point, a starter. I've said to him to have a think about where he intends to go with this hobby and the type of plane he intends to fly, and told him of what I now need due to what I want to fly, along with the cost  Didn't even mention the cost of the Futaba 14!!

I think the Royal 7 would be great, the 9 prob better, but the SX7 is probabaly the 1 for now, otherwise, although I now think the Multiplex are better for gliders, I may as well go JR9 to use 1 TX with my current rx's, programming issues aside.

Hmmm, going round in circles again  .

£30 on Cardiff to beat Chelsea at 16-1 would give me the cash tho...LOL