Smallest size heli for a satellite installation

[Mark_T]

I've got two sats even on my 250DFC. Just for the simple reason that I don't fancy having no redundancy. However, that completely flys in the face of my 450 sport which only has a single park flyer (6110E) - or is it microlite?,

If I recall correctly the AR6110E has the two wires at 90 degrees so that would indicate that each wire is a separate antenna. So in fact it is just the same as having two satellites, a good solution.

Personally I can't see the point in using Spektrum equipment then only having a single satellite connected to a FBL unit. With just the one satellite you have just one antenna and thus you have no antenna diversity, so you stop the Spektrum system working as safely as it was designed to work.

[xygax]

Just use a propper raido.... Futaba has a transmission system that really dosent need sats it just owns a proper diversity antenna and a switch....!



Actually the 6110 hs one ariel and a ground wire that form a dipole they dont have proper antennas and switches thats why a pair of sats are used so you get redunancy each sat has a dipole.

Steve

[oldcelt]

Just use a propper raido.... Futaba has a transmission system that really dosent need sats it just owns a proper diversity antenna and a switch....!



Actually the 6110 hs one ariel and a ground wire that form a dipole they dont have proper antennas and switches thats why a pair of sats are used so you get redunancy each sat has a dipole.

Steve

For the benefit of a complete tyro, could you expand on the Futaba system please?
Ken

[JoeBailey]

Futaba uses two separate ariels from one rx. In flight it uses the one with the highest signal. It then switches between the two all the time. Because they are a coax type Arial with extra length it's possible to position the ariels outside the carbon frame, my favourite spot is down the back of the skid supports.

[oldcelt]

Futaba uses two separate ariels from one rx. In flight it uses the one with the highest signal. It then switches between the two all the time. Because they are a coax type Arial with extra length it's possible to position the ariels outside the carbon frame, my favourite spot is down the back of the skid supports.

Thank you. Can the Futaba rx be used with a Spektrum DX6i tx?

[BenScoobert]

Thank you. Can the Futaba rx be used with a Spektrum DX6i tx?

No, as I recall spektrum and JR are compatible? Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[cjcj1949]

No. I'm afraid all the 2.4Ghz systems are different. I use Multiplex which is very popular with glider flyers. My rx has two separate rxs built in.

It comes down to your choice really. Do you take the view that it isn't going to happen or if it can it will? I had lots of trouble with Spectrum stuff. With my DX6i it made my CX2 take off on its own. Their basic rxs are wrong for 2.4Mhz as you need dual diversity and aerials with coax so that the active part on the end can be positioned where you want. The wires also break off due to their design unless you add some support. They could and should warn people about this, but they don't.

I did think that they were going the right way when I bought my DX7. Even that failed soon after I bought it. The DX7 was built by JR, JR then went their own way. There have been many issues with the DX8 and a total lack of transparency from Spektrum. In contrast Multiplex had an issue with incompatibility between two telemetry modules and they told people what the problem was, then fixed it and brought out new firmware. Futaba had an aerial problem and fixed it.

[oldcelt]

No, as I recall spektrum and JR are compatible? Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Sorry, first you say 'No' then you say they are compatible! did you mean INcompatible?

[oldcelt]

Thanks cjcj1949 - do rxs have to be spektrum to work with the DX6i or are there alternatives which meet the spec you mention with coax aerials etc?
Ken

[Sao]

Spektrum and JR work together, they do not work with futaba etc

I'd stick with spektrum RX's for a DX6i for now, there are some cheap clones but personally I would rather have the original product.

[oldcelt]

Spektrum and JR work together, they do not work with futaba etc

I'd stick with spektrum RX's for a DX6i for now, there are some cheap clones but personally I would rather have the original product.

I was worried by the comments made by cjcj1949 which is why I asked about alternatives. I'm not looking for cheaper!
Ken

[BenScoobert]

Sorry, first you say 'No' then you say they are compatible! did you mean INcompatible?

Sorry, yes I wasn't clear, I meant they are not compatible with Futaba but are compatible with each other.

I don't think you want anything less than a dx7 if you are flying nitro, and for the price difference may as well get dx8 and have telemetry option on spare channel

[Mark_T]

Actually the 6110 hs one ariel and a ground wire that form a dipole they dont have proper antennas and switches

Are you sure about that?

You described the AR6100 perfectly, that does have a single dipole, but the AR6110 has pair of 1/4 wave monopoles and does offer switching as far as I know.

The 6100 has the antenna arranged in a straight line as you would need for the dipole, the 6110 arranges the two monopoles at 90 degrees to each other.

[Mark_T]

Spektrum and JR work together, they do not work with futaba etc

Older JR use Spektrum technology, newer JR however are not compatible as they use their own DMSS technology, so we can't just say that JR are compatible.

Watch out for the JR XG range, these all use DMSS.

[cjcj1949]

Spektrum started off with a system called DSM, then they brought out DSM2 and then changed to DSMX. DSM2 was compatible with JR. DSMX isn't. Your tx may be DSM2 or DSMX or both. You can buy very cheap orange transmitters that work with Spektrum. There are also Futaba clones. DSM2 selected two unused frequencies and used those. DSMX uses many frequencies and hops from one to the other. Spektrum did claim for a long time that their system was better then went to frequency hopping. Frequency hopping may well reduce the masking and reflection problem as each frequency will have a different number of wavelengths to any object. DSM2 would have different random results each time you switch on.

Don't get too worried about these problems. Radio problems on helis are quite minor compared with all the other things that go wrong.