Budget TX

[AcidDrink]

Looking for a decent TX that would last me for my first few helis. Ideally around £150 and should be able to fly my prospective fleet: mcpx bl -> oxy 2 (not out yet) -> Gaui X3.

Any suggestions? Here is what I could gather so far:
* Walkera Devo 10 with Deviation (£90). Great value for money, feature-rich and flies Walkera and DSMX. But no support from Walkera at all.
* Taranis (£180 + £20 orangeRX module for DSMX). Powerful 16ch with excellent programming capabilities. A bit over-budget and not sure about manufacturer support.
* Spektrum DX6 G2 (£130). This is a "sensible" TX to purchase with support from manufacturer and club members. But I can't help to compare with the two above and feel that the dx6 is so bare-bones. Perhaps it is just the geek on me...
* Spektrum DX7 G2 (£200+). Do I really need 7ch for now? How common is it to have a set up that requires 2 extra channels, perhaps gyro gain + governor?

Thanks

I'd get used DX8, just make sure gimbals are in good condition. Futaba makes great radios too, but Eflite helis and planes won't bind to it.

[Blackout19]

I can be as simple as seeing what out of those choices feels best in your hands also. If you can get to a local club and ask some questions and have a look at other peoples gear it can really help inform your choice.

[Peteski]

Also, Blade micros all bind to Spektrum (some even include spektrum radio settings in the manual), so you've a huge choice of small models to learn on that you can just pick up and fly.
-

That made it a no-brainer for me.

[Peteski]

The reason I went from the Dx8 to the new Dx7 was because I was missing out.
The new models look and feel nicer
The software is much simpler and easer to make adjustments.
It speaks to me so I don't have to look

I have can buddy up with a Dx6/7/9 wirelessly.
I can swap models with the above models via sd card.without needing to convert them on my pc, this was a pain with a couple of second hand models I bought bnf.
The biggest fault with the Dx7s and the Dx8 for me was incompatibility with other tx's

None of that lot would add any value for me, but I guess we all have different needs. I did hold the new DX6 in my hands when I was comparing with the DX8 and I didn't think there was much in it at all. The black finish on the newer models looks a bit better, but not a big deal at all. If I was buying new today I would probably go for the DX7 at £200, but not as an upgrade from my DX8. Oh hang on, the new DX7 wouldn't bind to my mCPX so that would have ****ed me off from the start!

[feathering]

I think you misunderstood me, I have separate set ups which include a full devo rx with a full sized vbar, along with 2 other models, one of which has an ar7200 with dsmx sats and another with a robird g31 fbl controller and single dsmx sat. You can only work with one protocol at a time, and the devo line doesn't require satellites, but you'll need to run separate leads for each servo. Hope this helps.

yes, I misunderstood. Thank you for the clarification

[feathering]

None of that lot would add any value for me, but I guess we all have different needs. I did hold the new DX6 in my hands when I was comparing with the DX8 and I didn't think there was much in it at all. The black finish on the newer models looks a bit better, but not a big deal at all. If I was buying new today I would probably go for the DX7 at £200, but not as an upgrade from my DX8. Oh hang on, the new DX7 wouldn't bind to my mCPX so that would have ****ed me off from the start!

The dx7 g2 doesn't bind to the mcpx because the latter is dsm2? Is that the case for the mcpx bl as well?

[feathering]

A lot of it depends on how comfortable you are fiddling, working things out on your own, or reading forums online. If you're happy to tinker the Devo 10 w deviation or Taranis would be great choices. I'd recommend the Taranis out of those two, while I love my Devo 10, the Taranis looks to be much higher quality, and the OpenTX firmware has a much more active community working on it.

However for a beginner it's hard to fault Spektrum, and there are plenty of good second hand Spektrum radios out there. While not as capable, there are a lot of advantages for a beginner with a big one being a lower learning curve on the radio, everybody knows Spektrum, so it's easy to get help and advice. There's a ton to learn with RC Helicopters and getting a radio everybody else knows definitely helps.

Also, Blade micros all bind to Spektrum (some even include spektrum radio settings in the manual), so you've a huge choice of small models to learn on that you can just pick up and fly.
-

This is a good point. Although I very much enjoy programming (including c++ which I think is used for opentx ?) there is much to learn about helicopters but only so much available time. Starting with the easiest options may help.

[Peteski]

The dx7 g2 doesn't bind to the mcpx because the latter is dsm2? Is that the case for the mcpx bl as well?

that's right, but don't know about the BL. As it's a newer model I suspect it is dsmx which should be okay. You should double check if you are going down that route.