How long would a radio last?

[dcaccount]

Hello,
I have been using my old DX7 for about 6 years.

Actually I would not like to change it as it has always been reliable.

However I wonder if there is a risk for instance of a gimbal or electronics failure due to the age and consumption that might lead to a crash.

Am I running any risk in your opinion or can I keep using it?

Thanks, daniele

[jgiannakas]

Depends on how many flights you have and how you treat your radio (what temperature it's stored in etc).

For example if you fly say 1000 flights a year (every weekend, 8-10 packs) you would put about 100 hours on it. For 6 years it's about 600 hours of operation or 25 days of continuous use. The electronics can last far longer than that...

What I would be concerned about would be the mechanics parts. I would open up the case and do a detailed look over to check for health of the plastic gimbals, signs of stress on the springs etc

Also check for signs of wearing down pots - do you see any jumping in the swash/ diagnostic screen? Do the sticks always centre correctly? A sign of a worn down pot would be that you need to use high deadband on your FBL to compensate for the pot jittering.

[tony#1]

Originally Posted by dcaccount

Hello,
I have been using my old DX7 for about 6 years.

Actually I would not like to change it as it has always been reliable.

However I wonder if there is a risk for instance of a gimbal or electronics failure due to the age and consumption that might lead to a crash.

Am I running any risk in your opinion or can I keep using it?

Thanks, daniele

Keep a close watch on the BATTERY if it is getting old. A replacement is not that expensive.
If your DX7 is reliable, why not keep it and spend the money on some spare flight packs and go out to fly, fly, fly?

The biggest threat to a transmitter, apart from dropping it onto a concrete floor or leaving it out in the rain ( and don't ask me how I know about these two) is an itchy pocket book/wallet.

[yakky]

I'd be most worried about the controls starting to fail, not the internal electronics. Keep an eye out for weird behavior and if it doubt use your channel monitors to make sure you get smooth response from your gimbals and switches.

[Wasfixedwing]

I have a Futaba 6 channel I bought in 1980--yup I'm getting long in the
tooth and a lot of hours fixed wing--I would say it has had he normal
wear. As said above take care of it and it will out last many aircraft or
helis. I lost count on the number of Tx and Rx batteries I've replaced.
Wore out lots of servos. But, the Tx and Rx are still going strong.

[neosunrise]

I have had my DX6i for about 4 years and it works flawlessly. I have recently bought a DX8 Gen 2 but still want to keep the 6.

[Four Stroker]

Send it in for 1) new stick pots, 2) new battery, 3) new antenna, 4) switches ? and it should be as good as new. I have a Futaba 9VHP in perfect condition. Gold sticker but no writing on it - before 1992.

Twisting 2.4 GHz antennas corrupts the U.FL crimp on the end of the cable.

[Mike680]

Agree on sending it in. Horizon customer service is fantastic. 99% chance they'll do a full bench check and replace whatever is needed for free.

[Ah Clem]

A good quality radio will last for a very long time, if properly taken care of.

I pulled a Circus Hobbies (JR) Century VII out of the garage (it had been stored in a pouch) about 10 years ago, put a new battery in it, and it worked. I taught my son how to fly using it.

I have a first generation Spektrum DX7 (made by JR for Spektrum at the time). It is probably about 10 years old also (cannot quite remember). I have replaced the battery in it several times over the years-it still works like new.

[RaisedByWolves]

I have an old KRAFT from the 70's.

The case anodizing around the bottom corners and some of the switches is worn thin and the wires are cracked in some spots, but it still works like a champ.

I only use it for bench work with the antenna removed for testing ideas and whatnot where I dont want to get my newer gear messy.

That and showing young punks the old linear servos, they usually get a kick out of that.

[Four Stroker]

I miss linear servos. My first servos were Bonner 4RS.

I miss single stick radios.

There is too much conformity today. Monkey see monkey do.

[RaisedByWolves]

I remember the first single stick I ever tried, it had the throttle on the right side and you cradled it like a baby.

I dont miss that one bit.

The next time I saw one it had throttle, elevator and rudder all on the same stick.

My uncle Barney (RIP) used to fly FF gas timered planes with Novac and others waaaay back when, his AMA number was in the 400's.

He had all kinds of old stuff tucked away in the rafters of his basement.

When he died I really wanted to contact my aunt/cousins and see what was still there, but I felt a lil ghoulish about it.

I have no idea what happened to all of it.

[goof2]

I used a jr8103 for 12years.