Spektrum DX18
One view of the back Tx case (above left) shows one removable grip to give access to stick tension adjustments. The battery compartment (above right) for the 2600 mAh 7.4V Li-Po also has the port for SD Transfer Card. Left top corner
of the Tx case (below left) shows Switches A-D, the L Trim, and the left lever. B-D are 3-position and A one. The round button is the bind button. The right side (below right) is almost a repeat, except for the round analog switch on top.
downloaded to any PC or Mac computer. There is a single file, the
SPMTX.SAX, which functions like the executable file for the transmitter. The
SPMTX.SAX file is then loaded onto the SD card. The file is then loaded into the computer by first in- serting the SD card in the transmitter— with power off—and then powering up the transmitter. This installs the .SAX file. This is available to owners of the DX18 from a special, secure Spektrum website
https://community.spektrumrc.com.
So it
pays to register the transmitter with its unique serial number.
In addition, model presets, which have been set up for specific planes by Horizon Hobby, are available from the Horizon web- site. Once the specific plane is found, the model presets file can be found under the Manuals and Support tab. Right now there are no preset files configured for the DX18, only for the DX8 or JR 12X but Horizon is working on creating some for a variety of more complex aircraft like the Habu 32, or the 100cc Beast. The presets are loaded onto
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the SD card and added to the DX18 memory using the SD Transfer in the System Setup menu.
One feature very unique to the DX18 Sys- tem Mode is the Preflight Setting menu. It offers a checklist function much the same as a real aircraft. With the increased complexi- ty of some models it’s a feature that could re- ally save an expensive and valued model. Twenty preprogrammed options are set up but there’s the alternative of editing and programming a unique item. Six items can be displayed for the checklist.
Besides the display, there’s also two addi- tional choices. When the preflight is selected the RF modulation can be turned off. Or, the preflight checklist can be displayed every time the transmitter is turned on and the model selected. Or, the preflight checklist will display only once when a different mod- el is selected.
All the features introduced with the DX series, like Telemetry, SD Card Transfer, Frame Rate, Warnings, F-Mode, Trainer, and others have also been included in the
System Setup menu, but in some instances amplified.
There are several new items in the Func- tion Mode, and again, all the features found in the earlier DX series are in the Function Mode menu along with these new items. Some are amplified with extras not found in the earlier series.
Perhaps the real standouts are the Se- quencer menu and the Absolute Travel. The Sequencer can be many things. It’s probably best to describe it as a mix function that in- cludes timing values for operation of the mixes involved. The primary example of a use for this function is the operation of the retract gear and the gear doors. The doors can be programmed to open, while the gear delays coming down. The select doors then come back up.
The timing for both operations can be set up respective to each up to a maximum of 30 seconds. It also allows programming the reverse sequence where the select doors open, gear comes up, and the doors close. What is even neater is that a scale “speed”
DECEMBER 2012
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