[tonym]

Hornets nest coming,

In the market for a new transmitter, i have been using a jr3810 since starting gliding a couple of years ago. The jr was a left over from when I did helis 10-12 years ago and and then I came back to RC, the jr has been a great transmitter, well built and reliable.

I fancy telemetry mainly for the rx battery and would also like to try a vario module.
Thinking of Aurora 9, Graupner Hott MX-16 and JR XG8. Want a transmitter that is versatile in case I go back to helis in years to come.

They all have pluses and minuses, I like the Graupner because you can have voice telemetry and not have to look at the display.
I like the XG8 because the 3810 has been so good.

I have read plenty about the Aurora but the receivers don't look that user friendly for gliders with the base loaded antenna in a narrow fus.
I can very, very little information about the MX-16 or XG8. Either way I will have to buy half a dozen receivers whatever system I go with.

Any advice most welcome.

[compact]

Hitec A9 for the money, It also has voice telemetry.......

[tonym]

Hitec A9 for the money, It also has voice telemetry.......

Missed that, didn't know it did voice

[One Life Fly It]

Missed that, didn't know it did voice

Well you have to buy the voice bit 50 quid I think.
but Aurora 9 all the way 2 sets no probs so far
 

[tonym]

With the Aurora 9 how are you finding installing receivers into narrow fuselages?
Also do the sensors plug into another unit that then plugs into the receiver?
From what I an see the vario module for the Graupner plugs directly into the receiver.

[satinet]

The receivers fit fine. I am using the twin boda optima 9 in 3m moulded stuff. But the 6 had been fine in my typhoon. The non telemetry minimas are tiny.

yes you do need another unit for telemetry other than the built in battery voltage (you can also run the rx direct off lipos for battery telemetry in electric models and still run the servos room the bec via the  receiver).  Bit of a downside to be honest. I don't think there is a vario yet.

For some reason best known to hitec there are different telemetry stations for different sensors. To be honest it is basically useless for a typical glider fuselage. And you need 2 wires between the station and the rx! Maybe it is no worse than satellite rx, but it is stupid that you need something the size of a small rx to run one sensor.

It does have very good capabilities for glider flying though. It can handle a complex f3b set up quite easily.

[tonym]

thats what appealed with the Graupner system, the vario which is relatively small plugs directly into the receiver, so your not installing as many boxes as some systems. Just can't find out much about Graupner, not sure how it works on the XG8 but you have got a seperate telemetry transmitter to install.

[FrankS]

Have you looked at the Multiplex Cockpit or Royal Pro series, telemetry works really well and the vario sensor is quite small and plus straight into the Rx. The biggest plus point is the position of the screen, above the neck strap with very clear numbers, really easy to check with a quick glance.

Separate voice module later in the year.

[tonym]

Have you looked at the Multiplex Cockpit or Royal Pro series, telemetry works really well and the vario sensor is quite small and plus straight into the Rx. The biggest plus point is the position of the screen, above the neck strap with very clear numbers, really easy to check with a quick glance.

Separate voice module later in the year.

Did wonder about the Royal Pro, but is the programming a bit difficult?

[w8racer]

Did wonder about the Royal Pro, but is the programming a bit difficult?

No the Royal Pro/Evo is straightforward. It is the Profi 400 that takes a little more effort initially to program.

[Rocket ronnie]

I have an Aurora 9 and i am looking to sell it if your interested used twice or three times only.

Ronnie

[Simonslim]

Well impressed with my Aurora 9, apart from being very versatile it has to be one of the easiest tx's to program out there.
Mine has been used in everything from a Trex 450 to 25lb warbirds now in sailplanes which will include a turbine powered Fox aerobatic jobby. 

[bennyh]

there's a MPX royal evo (35Mhz) on BMFA classifieds right now. You could fit FrSky for a £few more and have cheap reliable receivers with telemetry. With FrSky you get Rx voltage and signal strength 'built in' but need to add a hub (£10) and sensors to the model for vairo etc, and a screen (£20) to your Tx.
Or the Turnigy 9x (£50) can be modified to use its internal screen with FrSky.
I'm very happy flying 2.5m moulded on Cockpit SX hacked with FrSky

[tonym]

there's a MPX royal evo (35Mhz) on BMFA classifieds right now. You could fit FrSky for a £few more and have cheap reliable receivers with telemetry. With FrSky you get Rx voltage and signal strength 'built in' but need to add a hub (£10) and sensors to the model for vairo etc, and a screen (£20) to your Tx.
Or the Turnigy 9x (£50) can be modified to use its internal screen with FrSky.
I'm very happy flying 2.5m moulded on Cockpit SX hacked with FrSky

Want to stay on 2.4, already using frsky in my 3810 which has been very good, can't get my head around using frsky in expensive models and I want telemetry that is very easy, plug and play, I get the impression that the frsky telemetry is a bit of messing around.

[bennyh]

Yep,  a bit of messing around as you say...but fun messing!
There's also Adam's Graupner kit on the classifieds here - looks very nice.

[tonym]

 I think Adams kit has sold, and I can't find much info on the Hott, hence my post.

[feefo]

I rate the MPX kit, I'm using an Evo 9 converted from 35mhz to MPX 2.4g. I'm not using telemetry, mainly because I would rather spend the £££ elsewhere, but I don't feel I need it anyway. Programming isn't hard, but it's different because of how you create the mixes you want. Took me a few days to grasp it but I was use to Spektrum which is very basic.

MPX does feel more 'locked in' than Spektrum, it's something I never really understood until I had 2 different systems, but it just 'feels' more solid. Maybe it's psychological becuse MPX costs more, but it still feels more solid.

[FrankS]

Did wonder about the Royal Pro, but is the programming a bit difficult?

I tested the Royal Pro 9 for QEFI. I was already a Cockpit user (35 mhz) so they gave it to me to test as I was a "Multiplex" user (and I don't have beard or sandals), I had been considering buying one but was worried about programming it, I needn't have worried, it's actually quite easy and the ability to configure all the switches, servo assignments etc is really good.

The telemetry is really easy to set up, but to get the best out of it you need to get the computer cable so you can set the sensor up to display what you want. Note the additional screen is needed to get the rising rate vario tone, otherwise all you get is an alarm when a threshold is exceeded..

[Neil Jones]

tonym - Enter our team f3j prize draw and you could win £250 of Multiplex Cockpit SX with 7-ch receiver. Full telemetry capability and a very capable set. Have a look here www.teamf3j.co.uk

I echo FrankS statements about the Royal Pro. A small minority give it a bad press but in reality it is an excellent and very capable system that is clear and easy to program once you're used to it.

Whatever you decide on, a good quality, solid and reliable 2.4ghz link should be paramount. Most mid to top level tx software can handle gliders okay. The best hardware is still the thumbs and the best mixers and software is still the brain 

[tonym]

Having looked into the Royal Pro it does look very, very good and I like the fact that Multiplex have looked after customers with the Evo in that they can be upgraded to the Pro.
Anyone know if the Pro is any good for heli use in case I were to go back to the whirly things.
I would still like to know more about the Grapner Hott.

[FrankS]

I'm not an expert on egg beaters (but have flown a couple of 400 size electrics with my Sx and Dx6i) but the Royal Pro does have helicopter specific programming. So it can handle egg beaters but whether the programming is as up to date for the the 3D style of flying compared to JR/Spektrum/Futaba I can't say. Download the manual there's a whole section on Helicopter programming

[Jon F]

I have the 9 Channel Mpx Royal Pro  2.4 ghz - I changed over from a JR PCM 9x - Took me a little while to get the hang of the programming concept - but once you do it suddenly all clicks in to place and you realise how 'logical' it is. I switched from JR as I found my 9X had limitations when it came to programming a full house glider.

I flew heli's with my JR Tx and it was great for that - I have also set up the Royal Pro to fly my Trex 450 and Knight 50 3D - it works absolutely fine if you follow the handbook. Personally I now prefer the flight mode switch on the side rather than the front - and whilst I always feel the switch on the side looks a bit more vulnerable - 'touch wood' it's been fine.

Can't prove it but I have more confidence in the Mpx link - particualarly with the telemetry  receivers - always reassuring to look down and see the Rx voltage and signal connection at 100%.

I'm sure what ever you choose it will be reliable - rest is just personal preference.

Jon

[MattyB]

I bought one of the very first Evos into the UK and have been fairly happy with it for the 8 years I've owned it (though the internal aerial connection is very poorly designed and the global mixers can be a pain when pushing the set to the max). In an ideal world  I’d replace it with the latest top-line Mpx set, but unfortunately I think they've lost their way with the 2.4 stuff...

Yes, there are no doubts about the quality of the RF implementation, but how long did it take for them to get it out and how much do the RXs cost? The cost of refitting a fleet like mine with Mpx 2.4 would be astronomical. From what I understand it's due to their strategy to use dual receivers in all but the parkfly RXs; I can see the rationale in aerial diversity, but dual RXs seems a huge overkill (I don't believe any other manufacturers have gone this route) that drives cost up without improving reliability measurably. And then there's the bungled “Return of the Legend” Profi announcement and lack of any firm specs or release date; oh dear!

So what to do? For a newbie starting from scratch I’d recommend the Hitec – it’s unbeatable for the price – but as Satinet says there are a few inconveniences, mostly  around the telemetry hub and good installs in mouldies with the BODA antennas. In my situation though I will wait til there’s a 2.4 set that ticks all my boxes, so in the meantime I’ve bought a FrSky DHT-U telemetry unit and a few RXs to play wit. So far I couldn’t be happier – sure, it’s not as elegant as a new TX, but the functionality for the money is unbeatable. Telemetry is a great feature and the RF link so far has proved exemplary. Yes the instructions are sketchy but with some careful searching of the forums you can get everything you need. Oh, and the RXs are a fraction of a Mpx… what’s not to like? I would wholeheartedly recommend you consider this route before buying a new Tx.

[tonym]

I've looked at the Hitec and I don't think the it's very well designed from the point of telemetry for narrow glider installs.

One reason for changing is that my 3810 getting on a bit, and even though the frsky has been good and reliable it's the transmitter I'm looking to replace.

I've narrowed it down to the Multiplex Royal Pro 9 and the Graupner Hott. The Royal Pro looks very good but for the price of the receivers and even though I've not seen the Hott it appears to be well thought out in that the telemety is verbal as well as visual without any additional speakers etc. Also with the Hott it's not bleeps it actually speaks out altitudes etc.
 
The Hott doesn't appear to be widely used and therefore I'm struggling to find reviews or anybody that uses the system to tell me how they find it.

[satinet]

To be honest i think the a9 is a better radio for most glider flying than the evo. The evo is certainly the more flexible radio in some ways, but the A9 is a lot better for setting the model up with because the settings are more tunable and are all phase dependant. The evo some bad points like the limit of 3 mixer switches, the legendary global mixers and the trims.

Also mlink isn't fundamentally better than the hitec system, but is a lot more expensive.

Really the only downside of the a9 is the need for sensor stations. The rxs are bigger than mpx, but they are not too big.

You won't go wrong with either. I would choose the hitec of the two though.

[Adam Richardson]

I

I've narrowed it down to the Multiplex Royal Pro 9 and the Graupner Hott. The Royal Pro looks very good but for the price of the receivers and even though I've not seen the Hott it appears to be well thought out in that the telemety is verbal as well as visual without any additional speakers etc. Also with the Hott it's not bleeps it actually speaks out altitudes etc.
 
The Hott doesn't appear to be widely used and therefore I'm struggling to find reviews or anybody that uses the system to tell me how they find it.

  I have been using HoTT for a few months now. The MX range all have voice built in but you will need earphones or  an external speaker, i found a nice setup, and posted pictures etc over on Barcs forum. you can also Mod the Tx to use the internal speaker but obviously voids warranty. I now have the MC32 which uses  the built in speaker for voice as standard, but at a cost!!

  You will not be dissapointed with the Hott systems,

[MattyB]

One reason for changing is that my 3810 getting on a bit, and even though the frsky has been good and reliable it's the transmitter I'm looking to replace.

I've narrowed it down to the Multiplex Royal Pro 9 and the Graupner Hott. The Royal Pro looks very good but for the price of the receivers and even though I've not seen the Hott it appears to be well thought out in that the telemety is verbal as well as visual without any additional speakers etc. Also with the Hott it's not bleeps it actually speaks out altitudes etc.

Maybe you could get 35MHz Evo and convert it to FrSky with a DHT-U? Might be cheaper and provide you with what you want. No voice telemetry though I admit. Just an off the wall thought...

[Roy Garden]

I've looked at the Hitec and I don't think the it's very well designed from the point of telemetry for narrow glider installs.

One reason for changing is that my 3810 getting on a bit, and even though the frsky has been good and reliable it's the transmitter I'm looking to replace.

I've narrowed it down to the Multiplex Royal Pro 9 and the Graupner Hott. The Royal Pro looks very good but for the price of the receivers and even though I've not seen the Hott it appears to be well thought out in that the telemety is verbal as well as visual without any additional speakers etc. Also with the Hott it's not bleeps it actually speaks out altitudes etc.

The Hott doesn't appear to be widely used and therefore I'm struggling to find reviews or anybody that uses the system to tell me how they find it.

Full A9 / HiTec telemetry set up in a Blaster 2 . . . .
includes a GPS and a separate pressure altimeter.


Have since improved the Rudder Pull string to straight pull.
the telemetry reads actual battery voltage before the bec supplying the servos.
nice set up (ditched the cases on the units)