The dark side of the DX8

[Jonnyheli]

Originally Posted by redbird300

but you need to pull away the two rubber grips at the back to reach the screws, which weakens the glue that holds them, wonder how many time you can do this before the glue doesn’t stick anymore.

I was going to ask, were those side grips actuall rubber this time, or just for show like on the DX6I. But this answered my question.

So am I good to assume that the grip on your dx8 is a proper rubber grip?

Also what's the weight and feel of the dx8 like compared to the DX6I and DX7? I know that the DX5, DX6, and DX8 are all Spektrum's designs whereas the DX7 was a shared design between JR and Spektrum. Now the DX6I felt too light and plasticy IMO, I know this is just being picky, but does the DX8 have that feel to it. Or does it feel weighty, solid and well built? I just find that sort of thing important.

-Jonny

[redbird300]

Originally Posted by Jonnyheli

I was going to ask, were those side grips actuall rubber this time, or just for show like on the DX6I. But this answered my question.

So am I good to assume that the grip on your dx8 is a proper rubber grip?

Also what's the weight and feel of the dx8 like compared to the DX6I and DX7? I know that the DX5, DX6, and DX8 are all Spektrum's designs whereas the DX7 was a shared design between JR and Spektrum. Now the DX6I felt too light and plasticy IMO, I know this is just being picky, but does the DX8 have that feel to it. Or does it feel weighty, solid and well built? I just find that sort of thing important.

-Jonny

Good question Jonny, you made me check that with a kitchen scale right now.
DX7: 780 grams
DX8: 830 grams.
Both with a pack and battery hook included.

Furthermore, I know the DX6 rather well, as Erwin has one and I flown it already.
The DX8 feels solid, don't worry. About the same as a DX7 I would say.

The grips are indeed very thick , flexible rubber, no fake stuff like the DX6.

[Jonnyheli]

Cool, so now I want a DX8 lmao. But similar to Sutty, I know my DX7 is more than enough for me, so I will stick with it untill I really need to upgrade. I'm glad Spektrum went with real grips, I think many people were disapointed when they first opened their DX6I to find the grips were plastic (including myself). They clearly learned from that mistake.

jperkosk that really does look like a J lmao, glad you got that problem solved!

Anyway nice write up Raf, if I were a DX8 I would take those criticisms as a compliment

-Jonny

[redbird300]

One more little problem with the DX8, but with big consequences: after a little while, the screw at the interior that holds the eye at the front for the neckstrap comes a bit loose. Happened to my DX7 also when I started using it with an extension hook screwed to the eye of the TX.

Simple you’ll think, open it up, remove the screw of the eye, add a little thread lock, and put it back in firmly. Here is how it looks when removed (still with my own custom hook attached).




Indeed, but it is more complicated than a DX7 to reach that screw, and a lot more tricky !

I wrote a short manual how to do it, hope it helps, it took a lot of work:

First of all, remove the battery and SD card, and open the TX per the manual: 4 visible screws at the back, and 2 invisible behind the top of the thick rubber grips that you need to pull away first. A problem now: the TX won’t open yet, although the manual tells you it should. You need to peel away a part of the thin rubber protection sheet at the sides, only at the backsides (or bottom if you like) of the TX, they will remain hanging on the frontsides. Use a flat screwdriver to get under these flaps to start, they are hard to remove.

Now, here comes the difficult part:

Disconnect the (only) connector in the back lid, believe me, it will be hard enough without the back lid connected to the rest of the TX. Put the lid away safely.




Disconnect seven more connectors at the inside, look at the pic below, note the blue arrows ! Don’t use a tool, you’ll damage them. Use your fingernails to wiggle them out, they are hard to get out, but it works. Also note the two top screws (yellow arrows in the pic) that hold a little circuit board connected with a single gray wire to the antenna. Unscrew these, and lift the small circuit board gently, it holds into a connector in the larger board below. Push it aside, take care not to damage the antenna wire ! See also the next pics.





OK, now you need to find 7 more screws (thus 9 in total at the inside). Don’t unscrew any others, or you’ll risk to unscrew the trim switches for example. There is almost no way of knowing which ones, I had to do the impossible to find which screws I needed to unscrew. Look at the yellow arrows in the next pic. DO NOT UNSCREW THE SCREWS MARKED WITH A RED STAR !!!




Cut away the white tie wrap at the leftmost bottom corner of the right gimball cage, it will be impossible to lift the board out when it is not removed. Look here, I made a red mark where I cut it away:





Now lift out the board gently, but do mind the black and red wire in the leftmost bottom corner, for the charging adapter plug ! Don’t pull on it, it is (barely) long enough.




Almost there now. Put the TX right up, like in the next pic, and you can reach the screw we need easily, while holding the eye for the neckstrap at the other side of the lid. Unscrew it.





One more disassembled pic, for your reference:







Now put some thread lock on the screw, and put everything back together in reverse order. Done and tested with my DX8, works great now again. Enjoy...

[jperkosk]

Great manual, Raf!
Still, scary stuff: I'll keep my fingers crossed that my screw doesn't come loose...

[jperkosk]

Please perform this test on your DX8s, the LHS has just called me on the phone to advise about a service note from HH:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...0#quickSupport

[redbird300]

I have a "HS009X" label, and did the test several times last week, no problem what so ever with mine, Jerry.

[jperkosk]

Mine is "HS008X", also no problems at least not on my toy Blades

[sutty]

That's disappointing, a bit like the DX6i recall debacle. I haven't got one but if I had, and it passed the test, I would still be concerned that it might be a condition that might develop. I mean if the builds are the same, why would some have it and some not? What are the details behind the fault, anyone know? Just for the benefit of the thread and others. I mean if I knew what the fault was, and mine wasn't doing it, perhaps I might have more confidence that it would never start doing it.

Cheers

Sut

[jperkosk]

Allegedly some users (vely limited number according to HH) have reported uncommanded servo movements when the countdown time is set to vibrate and it reaches the end.

Might be the fingers vibrating on the sticks, if you ask me, although the vibrator isn't really strong enough for that

[redbird300]

Originally Posted by sutty

That's disappointing, a bit like the DX6i recall debacle. I haven't got one but if I had, and it passed the test, I would still be concerned that it might be a condition that might develop. I mean if the builds are the same, why would some have it and some not? What are the details behind the fault, anyone know? Just for the benefit of the thread and others. I mean if I knew what the fault was, and mine wasn't doing it, perhaps I might have more confidence that it would never start doing it.

Cheers

Sut

Well, I guess the builds or not the same, or they would have it all, also the series outside the 008 and 009 labels. I don't use the vibrating alarm for now, only the tone as I'm used to only that one anyway, and wait to see what will happen with others.

[jperkosk]

Do those long handle 3 pos selectors on DX8 look flimsy to you? Guess what, they ARE. While unloading helicopters from my van today I lost balance and leaned on the soft Tx case with DX8 inside. The flat ELEV D/R handle got pushed in, but I was able to pop it back out. No such luck with long handled FLAP/GYRO switch, the handle just snapped off .

Raf, your how-to-open DX8 guide was god sent, haven't wasted any time at all !

I thought about the incident, and while it was nobody's fault but mine, the two round long handle switches are definitely at risk, so I replaced them both with a standard length selectors, $0.90 each from the local electronic parts store .





Even the original countersunk nuts fit the run-of-the-mill replacement selector, so Tx looks original and has more sturdy selector handles. The original two selectors are extra-long so you can "feel" them and flip them without looking, but they stick straight up and because of the length are very prone to damage...

[Tomstoy2]

Brilliant, Jerry. What you really need to do now is get some nice anodized nuts, bling her out. I mean, what the hell, it's the ultimate transmitter, so why not?

I take it you're enjoying your time home>

[redbird300]

Originally Posted by jperkosk

Do those long handle 3 pos selectors on DX8 look flimsy to you? Guess what, they ARE. While unloading helicopters from my van today I lost balance and leaned on the soft Tx case with DX8 inside. The flat ELEV D/R handle got pushed in, but I was able to pop it back out. No such luck with long handled FLAP/GYRO switch, the handle just snapped off .

Raf, your how-to-open DX8 guide was god sent, haven't wasted any time at all !

I thought about the incident, and while it was nobody's fault but mine, the two round long handle switches are definitely at risk, so I replaced them both with a standard length selectors, $0.90 each from the local electronic parts store .





Even the original countersunk nuts fit the run-of-the-mill replacement selector, so Tx looks original and has more sturdy selector handles. The original two selectors are extra-long so you can "feel" them and flip them without looking, but they stick straight up and because of the length are very prone to damage...

Jerry, nice job !!! Glad you could make good use of my little manual.

I don't feel like opening mine again right now, but I really consider doing the same thing later on, the long switches bother me a bit.

Tell me, these look like the on-off-on type switches if I read well, like the MS3 type in this screenshot of the (dutch) catalogue from my LHS, right ? And what's the diameter of the threaded part of your switches ? Must be somewhere around 5 mm ?



BTW, you can also get colored plastic protection caps (MS18) for these switches, even watertight ones (MS19), like here:



Just a tip, I use the AUX2/GOV switch on mine for throttle hold, and did put some red shrink wrap around it to indicate the "danger". These caps would sure look much nicer.

[jperkosk]

The original switch measures 5.9 mm across the threaded part, the replacement 5.7 mm, I guess someone in China is treating the 6 mm standard loosely .

The original countersunk face-nut fit with no problem, so the outside it looks original .

And yes, they're on-off-on switches, with center pin not connected to anything in center position and connected to opposing end while activated (meaning if switch lever is up the center pin is connected to bottom pin).

Good idea about switch caps, will hit electronic store on Monday!

[jperkosk]

Originally Posted by Tomstoy2

Brilliant, Jerry. What you really need to do now is get some nice anodized nuts, bling her out. I mean, what the hell, it's the ultimate transmitter, so why not?

Hmm, another helicopter project - not sure if I have time for that

Originally Posted by Tomstoy2

I take it you're enjoying your time home>

Yes I do . Spectra of a pissed-off wife changing the door locks successfully chased away after a couple of weeks, I have reached a healthy balance:
20% work (doing mostly long overdue administrative tasks in my office before in January I have to return to NZ for another big project)
30% wife (she's workaholic so she has no mo time for me when I'm goofing around)
50% helicopters

[redbird300]

Originally Posted by jperkosk

The original switch measures 5.9 mm across the threaded part, the replacement 5.7 mm, I guess someone in China is treating the 6 mm standard loosely .

The original countersunk face-nut fit with no problem, so the outside it looks original .

And yes, they're on-off-on switches, with center pin not connected to anything in center position and connected to opposing end while activated (meaning if switch lever is up the center pin is connected to bottom pin).

Good idea about switch caps, will hit electronic store on Monday!

Thanks Jerry ! I will visit the electronics store also on Monday. It never feels right if I haven't some stuff laying around for a few future projects, lol.

[kenn_palmer]

That export looks like a partial XML file. Try opening it with something like XMLSpy. It looks like you should be able to parse it and and store in in a DB somewhere to provide staring points to a large audience.

[redbird300]

Originally Posted by jperkosk

The original switch measures 5.9 mm across the threaded part, the replacement 5.7 mm, I guess someone in China is treating the 6 mm standard loosely .

The original countersunk face-nut fit with no problem, so the outside it looks original .

And yes, they're on-off-on switches, with center pin not connected to anything in center position and connected to opposing end while activated (meaning if switch lever is up the center pin is connected to bottom pin).

Good idea about switch caps, will hit electronic store on Monday!

Jerry, look what I bought at the local shop: two 5.9 mm good quality switches, made by an accurate japanese guy. And some red caps.

[jperkosk]

Excellent! Now you're ready for when the original lever breaks on one of the two long switches...