Personnally I think the DX8 looks nice. There are always buyers that want the most functions or equipment or luxury, whatever the product.

but for an average r/c enthusiast such as myself who cant afford a turbine jet or a 1/4 plane an 8 is about perfect. Gotta figure most people who fly only need 6 channels for park flyers. Some of the planes that have dual aileron servo, dual spoiler servos plus the rudder, elevator and throttle will eat up a 7 channel radio with no extra slots for any thing else.

exactly, for the average enthusiast... im not average, and in my short time in this world (21 years) and shorter time in the hobby (4 years) ive came a long way and have come to realize that if you are gonna keep with it to get the best functionality/price/looks that you can afford...

i am quite happy with my dx7, dont see myself switching for a long long time, it does everything i need, (cept for having crazy range for fpv, or head tracking support)..

my only beef with the new systems the 8 specifically is its design, ive held the 6i and 5 and they just feel awkward and cheap... even flying my buddies 10cap 2.4 isnt that awkward of a change and its a beefier platform

The relationship between price and cost only becomes causal in a fully commoditised market where margins have been driven down to razor thin levels by competition. That is clearly not yet the case for RC radios. For the moment, brand status and superior quality continues to support the high margins enjoyed by the traditional manufacturers. As the challenge from Chinese brands builds steam, prices will continue to fall. Whether this is good or bad depends on your view of the merits of having global diversity in brands and the value of all the advertising and sponsorship provided by the major brands as we know them today.

Certainly it is already possible to buy a high-function 9ch Tx for $80, a high performance 8ch 2.4Ghz tx-module/rx combo (with telemetry) for $55 and additional 8ch rx for $28. There are already two separate open-source projects under way creating powerful and novel feature sets that in time will rival or exceed, at least for some, the value of those from J/F/A/H/S.

It is a fascinating time to be in the hobby

"umm, ive seen a 9cap filled on a turbine, and things left out when a dx7 was used."
Quote

I've seen them used as well but NOT by the ordinary modeler.
We have some $20,000-$30,000 Jets as well as a pot full of IMAC 40% planes at the low five figure level.
BUT those are not ordinary (read high volume) fliers. Those are in some cases sponsored pilots, while in other cases they simply have a lot of cash to burn.
I've seen some "advanced class by the skin of their teeth" pilots show up with some real high dollar and high channel stuff.
They still couldn't fly for s*** but the dollars had been spent!

I have also seen some VERY high end Pattern ships, well tricked out but at 6 channels.

Money does not equal flying ability even if it can/does use more than 8 channels.
Bob Violet did very well with the DX7, as first announced, in his personal jets. Yes, today he uses a 12X.

I'm not suggesting that we eliminate the 12/14/?? channel sets simply that we put all of the quality on GOD's little green earth into a lower channel set (ex. 8) so that the rest of us do not have to explain why we don't use all those little knobs and switches simply to have superb quality.
Presently I've got three channels I do NOT use (won't carry smoke for the weight penalty) why do I need to buy two or three more channels (11X or 12X) simply because I want the best sticks etc.

I've spent the last year with my X9303 backing up the DX7se I purchased as ITS back up.
Once I got a taste of the speed (11ms) added to my already fine 2048 resolution I was hooked.
As I use but 6 channels in my present plane I've still got one left over.
_____a-n-d I've got all the controls needed to compete in Precision !

My 'THEME' = more channels do NOT mean more quality .
I'd simply like the choice-------and the lower latency possible with fewer channels.

Sure I'm going to spend some more $$$ for my set but I WILL be using what I paid for.
Not explaining why I don't use or really know what "that little knob and switch" are for.

I had a full Zoot 10X when they came out. Spent more time embarrased by all the bloody functions (front and back) than I did flying it.
Beautiful radio! Way, way over kill for what I wanted to use (and I can fly believe it or not)
I bought it for the quality not the 10 channels.

Unfortunately, less and less people want to buy quality over looks and gizmos. So it would surprise me a lot if manufacturers would bring a 6 or 7 channel radio with 12x sticks and case. I do have a DX7 and find it quite nice on the quality side. Is a 12x feel so different as for me wanting to pay 200 $ more for the same 12x feel ? Personnaly I'd rather pay another 200 $ to get the extra channels if I ever need them.

Then you buy the X9503.
For someone else it would be my suggestion; while party number three wants the looks of the 11X.

This would be FOR the 'QUALITY/PRECISION HAWKS'.
Some are in to high precision while others want scale gun turrets, and smoke..
I'm on the precision side of things so I would go for the suggestion.

If you just fly for Sunday afternoons it is something else again.

I would never suggest one type for everyone. though that IS where we started out with this hobby.

When do people actually use over 8 channels?

Originally Posted by Soaring Calvin

When do people actually use over 8 channels?

1. Throttle
2. Rudder
3. Ailerons
4. Elevator
5. Flaps
6. (Secondary aileron/elevator channel)
7. Retracts
8. Lights
9. Smoke

...

Many people put each aileron on separate channels and whatnot... It adds up.

I would likely never use more than seven channels, but the scale/turbine/giant-scale people apparently do.

Originally Posted by Spackles94

1. Throttle
2. Rudder
3. Ailerons
4. Elevator
5. Flaps
6. (Secondary aileron/elevator channel)
7. Retracts
8. Lights
9. Smoke

...

Many people put each aileron on separate channels and whatnot... It adds up.

I would likely never use more than seven channels, but the scale/turbine/giant-scale people apparently do.

When you look at that it seems as though when you get above 8 channels it is things like smoke that you don't need that are used up so you basically only need 8 channels max for edfs and parkflyers.

Originally Posted by Soaring Calvin

When you look at that it seems as though when you get above 8 channels it is things like smoke that you don't need that are used up so you basically only need 8 channels max for edfs and parkflyers.

Oh yeah, I definitely concur. That's why I said I'd likely never use them all. But the folks with bigger stuff might end up with them.

That's why the allure of a SD card on the DX8 is the thing that has me wanting one -- more than the eight channel.

I use at least 5 in every parkflyer I have, 6 if I have lights, 7 spoilers or drop box

QQ Pitts Python ideal setup

aileron 1
aileron 2
aileron 3
aileron 4
elevator
rudder
smoke
choke
kill switch

= 9 Channels but thats getting really picky on control capability

Interesting !!

I fly Precision at a larger size, have done so for 50 years and use 7 only when I have retracts. other than that it is 6 max. (wouldn't have smoke on a bet-----watch the wing loading first and formost)
Dual Ail and Dual Elevator = 4, rudder and throttle makes it six. ???????

I have had 10 channels sets; 9 channel sets; and seven channel sets over the years.
I have ALWAYS found that anything beyond 7 merely gets in my way and slows things down. (Latency; processing time etc.)

You guys are talking Park Fliers with the channel count of Scale or Jet A/C.

Apparently you use more channels than do the 35/40% stuff I've flown.

When the DX7 was announced Bob Violet was flying his personal Jets with it

Interesting.

Dual aileron, dual elevator are not so unusual. Flaps for scale models, even smaller ones, are not unusual. Gliders use lots of servos/channels and add spoilers to the set. Some of the new thrust-vectoring designs use extra channels. Of course the vast majority use 7 or less, but there are lots of applications that use more. It's a hobby and folk buy/use/do cool stuff because it makes them smile, even if it doesn't make sense to others. If it makes you smile it's worth the $$$