Originally Posted by sandy11

You don't need to a parachute to skydive. You need a parachute to skydive twice. You don't need voltage telemetry to fly.

Originally Posted by JurassicJet

I had to re-check the thread title to make sure I was still logged into the Hitec vs Spektrum thread.

Sandy.... your logic is so far off with Lipos it's not even funny.

Originally Posted by TomM

I'm glad you said this. I was composing a 5 paragraph post but deleted it because I got mad for wasting my Sunday morning on this.

I think Sandy's just being silly at this point. Or baiting us. He can't possibly be serious.

Originally Posted by seefest

The choice to waste your time including the 5 paragraph post was 100 percent yours.

But at least I kept my dignity. Much like turning off a really bad movie with only 5 minutes to go.

Originally Posted by sandy11

Can someone who is against voltage telemetry make a case why they think timing LiPos is safer?

I'm not against telemetry, I just don't care about it. Timing my flights (regardless if power is provided by an ICE or LiPo-ESC-Motor) works great for me.

Originally Posted by sandy11

You don't need to a parachute to skydive. You need a parachute to skydive twice. You don't need voltage telemetry to fly.

And I do not need telemetry to fly one aircraft more than twice.

Is telemetry needed to fly - absolutely not. However, if you don't have it, you don't know what you're missing.

Harry

Sooooo who is getting a dx8 and who is getting the aurora 9. They are both nice radios that im sure work great for different people for different reasons. I'm interested in getting one or the other and am hoping this thread gets back on track. Has anyone tried both? Which is best for thumb flying or pinching? Which is best for sailplanes? Which for 3d planes or helis? Of course most of the time it's personal preference but i'd like to hear about some other things besides what i can obviously just look up on the website.

Originally Posted by hone1er

Sooooo who is getting a dx8 and who is getting the aurora 9. They are both nice radios that im sure work great for different people for different reasons. I'm interested in getting one or the other and am hoping this thread gets back on track. Has anyone tried both? Which is best for thumb flying or pinching? Which is best for sailplanes? Which for 3d planes or helis? Of course most of the time it's personal preference but i'd like to hear about some other things besides what i can obviously just look up on the website.

I can't pinch the Spektrum radios. They are too fat. I had to learn to fly all over again. It was pretty tough, but now I am a thumb flier, very comfortable with it and do very well. And, my hands are big. Don't know how people pinch-fly a Spektrum!

I've flown both. Flown a lot with my dads DX8, but when it came time to upgrade my radio I went with the A9. Both good radios with good and bad points. For me, the A9 had less cons.
DX8 pros
1 good looking
2 great features
3 easy programming
4 BNF compatibility
5 low latency
6 good value
DX8 cons
1 spotty reliablity
2 no glider programming
3 non-configurable alarms
A9 pros
1 easiest and most intuitive programming and great features.
2 touch screen
3 receiver battery voltage telemetry without module.
4 hitec reliability
5 glider programming
6 configurible EVERYTHING.
7 good value.
A9 cons
1 ugly
2 higher latency
3 no BNF capability
4 too small stock battery.

I don't fly BNF so that's not an issue for me(plus I own a DX6i if I did) My skills are not advanced enough to notice the latency difference.
Both myself and my dad has had too many issues with our Spektrum products to risk buying another transmitter.

I've flown both. Flown a lot with my dads DX8, but when it came time to upgrade my radio I went with the A9. Both good radios with good and bad points. For me, the A9 had less cons.
DX8 pros
1 good looking
2 great features
3 easy programming
4 BNF compatibility
5 low latency
6 good value
DX8 cons
1 spotty reliablity
2 no glider programming
3 non-configurable alarms
A9 pros
1 easiest and most intuitive programming and great features.
2 touch screen
3 receiver battery voltage telemetry without module.
4 hitec reliability
5 glider programming
6 configurible EVERYTHING.
7 good value.
A9 cons
1 ugly
2 higher latency
3 no BNF capability
4 too small stock battery.

I don't fly BNF so that's not an issue for me(plus I own a DX6i if I did) My skills are not advanced enough to notice the latency difference.
Both myself and my dad has had too many issues with our Spektrum products to risk buying another transmitter.

Originally Posted by Harry H

Is telemetry needed to fly - absolutely not. However, if you don't have it, you don't know what you're missing.

Harry

Exactly. Of course no safety feature is ever required on anything, but all valid ones save money they don't cost money. The Aurora 9 already includes it free which lowers its effective cost by several thousand dollars in crash avoidance savings. All radios will have voltage telemetry built in soon, that much seems certain.

Originally Posted by seefest

I've flown both. Flown a lot with my dads DX8, but when it came time to upgrade my radio I went with the A9. Both good radios with good and bad points. For me, the A9 had less cons.
DX8 pros
1 good looking
2 great features
3 easy programming

I disagree with that. I think it is pretty hard to find and use mixes and I am afraid to tune a mi x in the air because of the DX8 auto reboot problem.

4 BNF compatibility
5 low latency

Both feel the same to me.

6 good value

When compared to other radios but not when compared to Hitec.

DX8 cons
1 spotty reliablity
2 no glider programming
3 non-configurable alarms
A9 pros
1 easiest and most intuitive programming and great features.
2 touch screen
3 receiver battery voltage telemetry without module.
4 hitec reliability
5 glider programming
6 configurible EVERYTHING.
7 good value.
A9 cons
1 ugly
2 higher latency
3 no BNF capability
4 too small stock battery.

I don't fly BNF so that's not an issue for me(plus I own a DX6i if I did) My skills are not advanced enough to notice the latency difference.
Both myself and my dad has had too many issues with our Spektrum products to risk buying another transmitter.

The Aurora 9 is bind and fly with these
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=txr&search=Go

But aren't all ARF, PnP, BNF, RxR, TxR, PnF models bind and fly with any receiver that you bind, then fly?

As far as the Aurora six battery cell I agree it isn't strong enough but it does last longer that the DX8's four cell. The Aurora also has flight conditions and assignable servo channels. Plus one more channel, obviously. The LS and RS are great for infinite flap and spoiler settings. Fail safe programming is important safety feature so a lost model doesn't slam into the ground can deploy airbrakes, position the flight controls or pop a BRS which is great for FPV. Spektrum doesn't offer it except for power cutoff. I think Hitec BODA is definitely stronger but I can't quantify it with numbers only anecdotal experience.

Originally Posted by hone1er

Sooooo who is getting a dx8 and who is getting the aurora 9. They are both nice radios that im sure work great for different people for different reasons. I'm interested in getting one or the other and am hoping this thread gets back on track. Has anyone tried both? Which is best for thumb flying or pinching? Which is best for sailplanes? Which for 3d planes or helis? Of course most of the time it's personal preference but i'd like to hear about some other things besides what i can obviously just look up on the website.

I have both among several others. The DX8's biggest advantage is OrangeRx but the Aurora 9 is the easier and more advanced radio hands down. Built-in voltage telemetry and no brown outs is enough to make the decision easy. I don't fly anything big without telemetry anymore. It is too risky. The TM1000 costs too much and doesn't work with most of my Spektrum radios and receivers, so I had to buy a third party telemetry system to stay safe at the field and go easy my batteries, planes, and wallet. I think third party telemetry is a better solution even for the DX8 because you don't lose the main screen for other controls.

The TM1000 works with all Spektrum DSM2 and DSMX transmitters, all JR DSM transmitters, all E-Flite DSM2 transmitters, and all the mating receivers. When used with receivers that do not have a DATA port then you only lose the Flight Log data, but you didn't have it anyway with those so you aren't really losing anything.

If your transmitter does not provide a telemetry display, the STi (TR1000) module works with an iPhone to provide you with all the telemetry and with advanced features such as audio reporting that no transmitter provides.

It's the ultimate in backward compatibility.

OTOH, to get telemetry with a Hitec radio you have to buy the A9. Period. No option for previous generation radios...

What that really means is telemetry from other vendors requires a new transmitter and receiver, vs. the TM1000 and TR1000 to use with your existing Apple product.

Andy

Originally Posted by sandy11

The Aurora 9 is bind and fly with these
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=txr&search=Go

So you can Bind to all those without anylink? Cause if not that's no advantage over the dx8 which would be able to bnf to those as well.

Originally Posted by AndyKunz

The TM1000 works with all Spektrum DSM2 and DSMX transmitters, all JR DSM transmitters, all E-Flite DSM2 transmitters, and all the mating receivers. When used with receivers that do not have a DATA port then you only lose the Flight Log data, but you didn't have it anyway with those so you aren't really losing anything.

If your transmitter does not provide a telemetry display, the STi (TR1000) module works with an iPhone to provide you with all the telemetry and with advanced features such as audio reporting that no transmitter provides.

It's the ultimate in backward compatibility.

OTOH, to get telemetry with a Hitec radio you have to buy the A9. Period. No option for previous generation radios...

What that really means is telemetry from other vendors requires a new transmitter and receiver, vs. the TM1000 and TR1000 to use with your existing Apple product.

Andy

Not so. You can buy a FrSky module and monitor for less than 100 bucks and have full telemetry on any module based Hitec.

Originally Posted by hone1er

So you can Bind to all those without anylink? Cause if not that's no advantage over the dx8 which would be able to bnf to those as well.

He didn't say it was an advantage over the DX8. He was responding to my post saying it was a "con" of the A9 not being able to BNF.