Spektrum's HUGE Update and NX8+/ NX7E+ Comparison 

Have fun with it! Can't wait to see your content about it :)

IIRC, only the AR636 was able to redesignate its 6 outputs to channels above the 1-6 normal designations. You could have a standard 6 channel Rx and also the AR636, and control more than 6 channels. I may be wrong but even though the AR636 could listen up to 9 normal channels, I think with a remote Rx (AR636A only), it could receive up to 20 or 24 channels.

So get a non computer radio!!

@@LiveSteamNick Just what we need! More comments from the peanut shell gallery! In spite of what you think, arrogance is not a virtue!

@@Graybear78 ooops!!!!! sense of humour failure detected!!!

@@LiveSteamNick Typical of online anonymity, arrogance and rudeness detected! An old axiom often projected: "If you can't say something nice, then keep your comments to yourself". GROW UP!

@@Graybear78 bye!!

Thanks for watching! It’s a great deal for sure :)

Yep that works both ways. No updates to as3000 as the hardware won’t allow it.

Thank you. Into the updates I go. Your quick answer was appreciated.

Glad you’re back in the cool part of the hobby :)

Just finished doing the update to my NX8. Now I just have to wait for the release of the new Timber 20... you know, the new Timber that requires 20 channels to fly with all its features. 😊

That’s a slick idea!

@@vlastikvojtisek9952 well it has to be set back up using the forward programming screens. I can promise you can set it up in 5 minutes. There isn’t “hours” of work ahead of you. We are working on other files, and right now we only have models files for the Eratix, the viper 90 and the decathlon.

There’s a video called “spektrum as3x+ recover firmware update guide” on RU-vid and you can skip to the first time setup part of the video to walk you through it.

I hear you man... I can't even get my flaps programmed

Yep they will work fine.

@@secularsunshine9036 if it’s the 8+ then yes

It will! More on that soon!

@@StevesRC wow awesome! Do you mean if I update my NX7e now, it has custom sounds enabled, or that feature is still to come later?

I updated 3 rxs to as3x+ and it works just fine with my Dx 8. For now.

@@JeWCyDuDe Thanks for the reply. Have you tried to use any of the new features of the Plus software like the nose-wheel steering stabilization?

@@hifinsword I don't have any planes that have a separate nose wheel system. They are all tied to rudder

@hifinsword I haven't seen anyone make a video on hand launch. I wish that was a video. I do throw a few umx planes but I see no option for the hand launch assist with them in the newer firmware. I think a lot of these features are pointless... we flew just fine without them in the past. The as3x+ MIGHT seem a bit more stable but that's a BIG if there.

@@StevesRC ah ok. I’m Part of a FB group for Spektrum transmitters and quite a few are asking how to do it on the NX7e. People who have updated can’t see anywhere for the custom sounds on there. Please let us know, were it itching to try it!

My best guess is the development team is not putting much effort in evolving or adding features to discontinued models.

Ix12 sucks thats why!!! They ran it outa town years back!!!

I'm looking into this today with the team. I'll provide an answer soon. I can promise you the Smart Technology systems are a MAIN focus of the HH company so you do INDEED have a fully supported system.

Looked into it. Found out it was mistakenly not reordered. The team is looking into it and getting them back in stock asap. That said, if you need one go ahead and email me at the contact email in my about section and I will see about getting you one from the team here. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

@@BillKisel sure, you can find a micro usb magnet adapter on Amazon. We sell one too. It’s basically a plug you put into the port and it then connects via magnetic connector each time you are charging. This makes life easier and prevents damage to the plug in the long run since you aren’t plugging in and out of that micro port each time.

@@StevesRC Thanks Steve! Bought one from you guys and have used it twice. No more anxiety coming from pushing in and pulling out the micro usb plug and feeling I'm going to mess up the mounting/soldering within the TX.

Fantastic. If you have a specific video need you want, let me know. I'm headed to airventure next week but when I return I can toss some quick things together.

@@57heeler in the future yes

I hear ya man...I got the new NX8+ a few weeks ago, trying to set up my Spirit 100, electric conversion. I FINALLY got my thro cut programmed, and went to a different mode to assign a switch for my flaps, and now my thro. and thro. cut off switch dissent work !! I'm about ready to return mine.. Good luck with yours !!

You will need to go into the frame rate menu and turn on Xplus channels.

Yes sirrr. I wana know to about the ix12....

Welp, the short story is that the iX12 will not be getting the update. It’s still supported but the system isn’t capable of the 20ch upgrade unfortunately.

@@StevesRC ahhh ok

@@StevesRCIm surprised it won’t be getting an update. Any other sort of upgrades in the ix12’s future?

Glad it was helpful. This would take a video to explain but th short answer is adjustability of each surface individually. It also gives you the ability to run things like crow, differential, and more. You can sub trim one surface without impacting both. Etc…

Not every pair of servos will have exactly the same amount of travel range. So with a Y connected pair of aileron servos you more or less have to accept that both ailerons may not match perfectly where travel is concerned. With each aileron servo plugged into it's own channel you can then tune the pair of ailerons to match perfectly in travel.

@@mikew.4165 frame rate menu. Enable x plus.

​@StevesRC Perfect. Thanks for the quick response. This is so cool!! Nice job Spektrum! Thank you Steve.

To program them yes

Ok. Thanks for your prompt response.

No and it will not be getting a 20ch update unfortunately. It’s hardware limited in that regard.

Yes, it has both.

This wasn't really a "new" radio development. This was firmware. We hear you though. If you utilize Spektrum's Smart ESC system you don't need flight pack telemetry wires and all that bulk. The system just "works" with your ESC line. Heck, you can even use non-smart batteries with a smart ESC and get what you are looking for.

Yeah he wants affordable too tho. Spectrum makes the stuff the guy asking the question wants. It’s just not 40. It’s about twice that. He doesn’t care about extra wires. It’s the additional 40 dollars per receiver he’s concerned about 😂

They gotta make their money and pay their dev team. R&D isn’t cheap

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

⁠He needs a different hobby!!

There seems to be some confusion around this. I checked with the team and the NX7E will not get this portion of the update as it is incapable of voice and therefore it cannot do custom sounds.

There is a video in the description that goes through it. More to come on that if your question isn't answered in that video.

@@tommyjakobsen5504 just grab an NX10 and update it :) eventually yes there will be one but you can have it now!

Yep

Probably difficult to explain in a comment, we will have videos on this soon. If I can get to it faster than our video team, I will do so!

@@Truthstillmatters2 huh?

@@StevesRC How do you update receivers you already have?

I put a link in the description from Horizon on that. David Payne walks you through it.

Man it would be awesome IF you could update the transmitter and then update all your receivers through the transmitter! I've got a lot of receivers to update now. Mainly ar636t's

Thanks Rick! We try :)

Temp, LVC, Balancing and Overcharge protection.

@@StevesRC we have had a number of cases of failed tx batteries due to that electronics. Tx just shuts down and models crasch. Just two 18650 and tx should be able to handle charging.. never seen same electronics in any other tx.

The ix 14 and 20 received updates. Not the 12 however.

@@thomasgallien4371 you should send it in. It’s likely a loose wire but that could get worse or lead to issues over time. If it’s past warranty, you could crack it open and check it yourself but if you’re under warranty, just have HH sort it out.

@@StevesRC what kind of down time would I be looking at you think ?

@@thomasgallien4371 the goal our of service team is 2.5 days or less. Right now they are running around 2 days for service and then back. So probably shipping time both ways plus 2 days.

I actually opened mine as I had the same issue. I can confirm that it is indeed a wire that was poorly routed. It’s a bit too short and it is not secured properly. This is by design. It didn’t just pop out of its holder. There is no holder! It’s flailing around as the gymbal travels through its full range of motion. I highly recommend sending it back asap or open it up and secure it urself. I used double sided time to hold it down. The wire will rip eventually if u just ignore the problem and then it’s gonna be harder to fix.

This is a manufacturers defect and should be honored past warranty. Anyone who looks inside the radio at that left gymbal would easily agree. Horizon hobby is pretty good in terms of customer service though so I hope the keep it up and fix it for customers free of charge even past warranty. They market these transmitters as lasting many years. Time to see if they stand behind their words.

The iX12 is unable to be updated with this firmware update as the hardware cannot support it. This radio is still supported, but it will not be receiving the 20ch update.

That’s unfortunate. I guess people with the IX12 cannot use AS3X+ either. Bummer!!

If they release a P38 in UMX, I'll be waiting at the hobby store for it to open. Glad I'm not the only one wanting a P38.

@@437johnl that’s a tough one without seeing it. Worth a call to our support team and have them walk you through it.

Just nx and ix models

Basically yes, radios will be a choice of hardware and less about software.

The update isn’t available for the DX series. The hardware isn’t capable.

Sure will. You will have 14 channels.

Yes you certainly can.

Yes you certainly can.

Also where do I find the amount of channels the remote has in the settings thanks in advance

Frame rate menu. Turn on x plus channels

@@StevesRC I can’t find it i went to frame rate but there was no x plus channels

Turn on xplus channels in frame rate menu?

Thanks

Change log says 4.0

The DX platform last update happened earlier this year. That series of radios is no longer getting updated as they are older platforms. Similar to how Microsoft no longer supports XP or Windows 7.

@@StevesRC time to upgrade then 🤷

I would use Spektrum again if only the radio's where not so bulky. I have a DX18 and IX12. DX18 was the perfect size. I mean the thickness. IX12 is way thicker in the hand and just feels bulky. So I just don't use the IX12. DX18 fits like a glove, but sadly, it's no longer supported. So I've swapped brands only on that basis. I don't care about screen size don't look at it while I'm flying. The feel of a radio in your hand is the most important thing to me fancy features are just a bonus. Anyway just my thoughts. Pinch of salt

@@Denny_H what now?

@@StevesRC I know. I have a new student who purchased one without checking with me first. We can't wireless buddy box with it. I cheched with tech support at HH to see if a receiver was available for it and their response was "not at this time". I have no idea why they do that!! Brand new RC pilots are the ones who need buddy box capability and voice commands. 😠

@@Denny_H Ah yes, the NX7E does not have its own internal RX for buddy boxing as the master radio. However, it can absolutely be bound to another radio for buddy boxing. This was an effort to reduce costs knowing that entry level users are typically not doing the training, they are the trainee. Hope this helps clarify.

@@StevesRC I need my student to be able to buddy box wirelessly with his new NX7e. If you have the part # for the external receiver that can be purchased and connected to the NX7e, let me know. According to HH tech support, the NX7e does not have the capability to add a wireless receiver in order to wirelessly buddy box with. Thanks

@@Denny_H Yea, you can't use it as the master but it can be the slave radio. What other radio are you buddy boxing with? That will help me solve your question better...

Appreciate that. Thanks for watching!

Hey man, I can assure you thats not the company we are. I've been here over 12 years now. We all recognize that things have gotten worse with our system upgrade, but the teams are getting faster/better/stronger every day. If you truly still have an issue with your DX6, let me know and I will look into it personally. We have a full team here that wants to win your business back.

@@StevesRC I appreciate the offer, the person I was dealing with via email got a bit rude with me and ended up just ignoring my emails I guess. The issues were that the batteries got old and died in the controller and I did that weird thing right after I put fresh batteries in it it would go to the factory setup screen where you got to flip all the switches and I figured out how to get past that by plugging an aux cord or trainer cord into the back of it and I know I can get past that if I can find somebody with an 8 channel radio but I live in the middle of nowhere and have nobody else that flies around me. I've been a loyal customer before that spent probably tens of thousands of dollars with you guys when was super disappointed to be treated the way I was by the person that was supposed to be helping me. This was awhile ago now a couple years back I can't remember the person's name and I want to throw them under the bus I'm not that type of person.

Yeah they’re not that bad. You’ll likely have a tougher time getting radiomaster or jumper to fix your radio than spectrum. Try opening up a new case. If it’s still under warranty I’m almost certain they will take care of you. Helps if ur polite. They have for me many times. Even a few stuff that was out of warranty but I couldn’t find parts for myself. They once shipped me some lock rings for switches at no charge so I could fix a radio over 8 years out of warranty. I didn’t pay a penny.

Wrong they are that bad. The new stuff is junk. My NX sucks. Bring back the Dx line.

Never had issue with my nx 10 even survived me dropping it on concrete.

Did it completely finish the update? Trying removing the battery if so. let me know!

@@StevesRC yeah removed battery let it sit for couple mins, hold power button down while I plugged in the battery no change I have to send it in to get fixed

@@hectorcadavid9648 Have you tried holding roller down while you power up? Sorry to hear its been rough for you.

Same thing happened to me, support told me to send it in, pay for shipping, pay for repairs, no thanks. Glad I bought it on Amazon. Easy return

So a tray style radio?

If you want the as3x+, yes.

yes, if you want access to the As3X+ forward programming, you will need to.

One other thing. I updated both my NX6 and NX10 radios over wifi and both updated successfully. NX6 now has 14 channels as your video said it would, but no luck with the NX10! I've updated twice now but it still just has the original 10 channels not 20 as you said it would. Contacted Spektrum support and they were no help, telling me to change the number of channels on my servo setup monitor screen. That's fine for monitoring the servos but not assigning a function to a channel. What am I missing? Thx!

@@larrykidd4760 frame rate menu, enable x plus channels

Perfect, now we're in business. Thx!!

On that particular aircraft I did not have to. Its that good! On my MB339, I turned gains to 2X and run about 16% gain on all surfaces and its VERY dialed in.

@@StevesRC I updated one of my RX's, and there were some new features added that I don't what to do with. Will there be more detailed instructions on each feature?

Just NX and IX. The DX line isn’t going to be receiving new updates any further. The hardware cannot support the new stuff.

@@StevesRC OK thank u...probably time to update reciever

@@StevesRC can new firmware on reciever be used with dx8 if I update to new firmware already ?

I’m a Horizon employee yes

Here's a few reasons why, but ultimately it comes down to wants vs. needs. Analogous to owning a luxury car vs. an economy car. The NX20 compared to a NX8... Hall Effect gimbals, larger screen, more physical switches, Alum sliders, nicer grips, etc. Sure, they both can do roughly the same thing, but you do have more options with NX20 than you do with NX8.

20 channels. All of them independent. I suppose the only "catch" is that not ALL 20 are full resolution. But this is how the system operates on our current IX and NX 20 platforms anyway.

@@StevesRC what does that mean “not full resolution”?

Don’t worry too much about it. The explenation is a bit complicated and would take many paragraphs to explain and you likely won’t notice the loss of resolution in the higher channels. Just try to make sure ur elevator, rudder, and aileron servos are on the lowest possible channels and you’ll be fine. Use the higher channels for stuff like flaps, spoilers as3x safe….

Welcome!!

For the record, Horizon doesn’t pay for everything as you might think. We will continue to push to make the hobby more accessible for all. Thanks for watching.

It has

@@StevesRC awesome

You can do that with the ix platform

Spekjunk

@@Mikeylikesit1968 Cheers man. To each their own.

Don’t buy it then. You want a cookie for your announcement.

@@Kbeezzy23 Yep Spekjunk

@@Mikeylikesit1968 your mom loves my spekjunk

Glad you enjoyed!

@@StevesRC 🤪 thnk you!!!

@@jamescattanach1129 sorry the DX line hardware isn’t capable of the update.

@@stevehelton3457 I mean, this is a personal channel… nobody is paying me to make these videos…sorry I’m too fast!

If it’s truly a hold. You need to rethink your antenna placement. A hold is a loss of signal holding set failsafe positions.

@StevesRC Okay thank you brother 🙏