Spektrum DSM2

[T.S.Davis]

Hoping someone with more knowledge than myself will see this.

My understanding is that the MR3000 and the MR200 are being discontinued.

The SR310, SR410, and SR4210 have Reliacoat and should be relatively resistant. However, both are DSMR and not DSM2.

So they are not compatible with the DSM2 radios many of us own that were running the MR series receivers. The new DSMR radios will bind to the older MR rx's but the old radio wont bind to the new DSMR rx's.

So the question is, what are we supposed to be using with our DSM2 radios? Only thing I found (that they still make) on the website was an SR3300T which I believe has the little tiny short antenna.

[jfrancisco892]

Would like to see the answer to this.

[tlandauer]

Would like to see the answer to this.

Same here.
I am not sure about using the SR3300T but I have heard good things about the SR 410 rx. So in anticipation ( I found out the discontinuation of the MR200 awhile ago) I bought this tx, I like it, reasonably priced for my needs. And is backward compatible with the MR200 and3000 rx.
http://www.horizonhobby.com/product/...410-p-spm4200w
IMO at this point for me it is better to get a tx that is forward/backward compatible than worrying about having to select a certain rx which is on clearance sale----another sign that it might be discontinued soon.
just saying........

[T.S.Davis]

We have a number of guys running the 4c. It's a great controller.

I'm kinda feeling slighted to be honest. Designed obsolescence doesn't set well with me. By all means....... develop new technology. Move forward. Advancement drives the planet IMO. I love getting new stuff when I can do it (and I did BTW). I'm a "latest techno" slappy as much as anyone. More probably. But don't abandon your existing client base and leave us hang'n.

DSM2 worked really well. Perfectly in my experience. Making RX's nearly impossible to locate will put people in a position to have to make a decision.

"Do I buy a new TX from the company that left me high and dry? I mean they don't make marine specific stuff anymore. Maybe I go Airtronik? At least they have marine RX's." That's not what I did. I won't run AT because of who is on their "team".

This just smells bad to me. I want desperately to be wrong as I am truly a Spekky fan boy.

[Heath M]

Interesting, I have both the DSM2 radio and DSMR radio, I know the new radio binds to the DSM2 receivers ok. Will have to check the other way around.

[T.S.Davis]

Yeah, we tried it. Doesn't work the other way around. So when the DSM Rx's dry up it goes in the dumpster I guess.

[ron1950]

So with my dx3r pro am i still pitching or am i out of the game? Will it wirk with dx3rpro or what?

[T.S.Davis]

I don't know what the plan is.

I have a DX3r and it is not compatible with the 310,410, or 4210.

Are my days numbered with it? IDK either.

[NativePaul]

I am pretty sure Spektrum want you to buy a new radio instead of using your existing one.

DSM2 is infinitely better than DSM, it is fine for the vast majority of the people, places and times, and has great quality control unlike the Chinese brands, so bad sets are very few and far between, but the DSM2 link is still not as good as Futaba, Hitec/Multiplex or FrSky as it doesn't hop. I have seen a few posts about range problems or blackspots with Spektrum on here but none for Futaba or Hitec/Multiplex, (some also with FrSky, but I believe that to be down to poor Chinese QC on cheap products rather than the link protocol). It sounds Like with DSMR Spectrum have finally come up with a truly competitive RC link protocol, they have made the TX backwards compatible with DSM2, as it is a big and expensive bit of kit, but the change from a static link to a frequency hopping link is not a small one that can be done with a reflash, I suspect having a RX capable of doing both use much more pcb space which would make it uncompetitive on size, weight, and cost fronts.

I hope for the sake of existing users like you that they will keep a low end 2 and 6 channel DSM2 RX in their line up for a few years before they get discontinued. There are always the Orange etc Chinese knockoff RXs if Spektrum are short sighted enough to discontinue them sooner than they should, but then you are running the risk of cheap Chinese QC again.

[tlandauer]

It is a bit off topic here, but is there a difference between FrSky and FlySky? They are all from China, I am so confused, is it the same maker? At first I thought it was typos and being from China myself I though they can't pronounce the difference between "R" and "L", but much to my surprise it is not a typo. I ask because I got into multi drones and I learned that the FrSky is really a good radio , has much better regard than FlySky. So is there a surface radio that is made by FrSky??
Sorry, guys......

[Heath M]

Have you tried asking spektrum about this issue?

[T.S.Davis]

I guess I'll have to. I had hoped someone in the know would have some input.

I'd never experienced a black spot with my DSM or my DSM2. Maybe I was just lucky. I've heard the same hit or miss stories in the FlySky. The bulk of our club runs DSM2 with almost no problems. IDK why it works so well here.

The new 410 is a PAI because the antenna is so short. I had placed it in my designated spot in my mono and stuffed the wire into the normal tube. It being so short there was more wire in the boat than in the tube. A lap in and it had fallen down inside the carbon fiber boat and lost signal. So relocation was necessary. Then the ESC wire was too far away. Used an extension. Those of course suck. Ugh.

[ron1950]

wrote to Andy K but he hasent been on lately

went to horizon web site and it says dx4r pro no longer available what the hell is going on????

[Heath M]

I guess I'll have to. I had hoped someone in the know would have some input.

I'd never experienced a black spot with my DSM or my DSM2. Maybe I was just lucky. I've heard the same hit or miss stories in the FlySky. The bulk of our club runs DSM2 with almost no problems. IDK why it works so well here.

The new 410 is a PAI because the antenna is so short. I had placed it in my designated spot in my mono and stuffed the wire into the normal tube. It being so short there was more wire in the boat than in the tube. A lap in and it had fallen down inside the carbon fiber boat and lost signal. So relocation was necessary. Then the ESC wire was too far away. Used an extension. Those of course suck. Ugh.

I had the same issue, so stripped back the wire and soldered it to the tab of an external whip antenna. Touch wood it's worked flawlessly.

[T.S.Davis]

I'd never experienced a black spot with my DSM or my DSM2.

More on that......

I've run the DSM2 protocol all over the country. Georgia, AZ, MI, up in the mountains of Colorado. Even into Canada but that was pretty close to home for me. Never had a connectivity issue.

That's not an indication that it was perfect. People have clearly had issues but I've not seen them myself.

[NativePaul]

I've never heard of a range problem with guys using DSM2 here either, just brown out issues, and a longer relink time if a boat goes submarines and loses signal (ironicaly MUCH longer with the waterproof RXs), but I have read of range issues on here. I suspect that the problems are due to local intermittent, fluctuating or oscillating interference generators, that will always challenge DSM2 as it only hops if the frequency it selects on startup is dirty, and won't hop again if it becomes dirty after linking. From what I have read DSMR fixes that issue and it will hop whenever its frequency becomes dirty.

I am surprised that you never had issues with DSM though, I have an original DX3 with DSM and it is quite frankly poop, wherever I go seems to be a blackspot except for within 60 meters and then only if I have line of sight, if I go behind a car even a few feet away it loses signal, my buddies that had DSM DX2 and DX3 say the same thing and there were complaints about its range all over the net. I am the only one I know still using it, and that is only because I bought it only for the few cars I have and I don't use them much.

I think I read that Andy K left Spektrum a while ago.

I have done no research on the Flysky protocol and know virtually nothing about FlySky other than that their product range is different to Frsky.

[T.S.Davis]

I just looked at my old radio. It was a DX3s so I was running DSM2 all along. I thought that was DSM.

So I have DX3s, DX3R Pro, and now a DX4R Pro. Bunch of other junk in the shop that came with RTR's but those have been the goto radios for me since the 2009 nats.

I did send Spektrum an inquiry but I've not heard back yet. When I do I'll update you guys.

[ron1950]

Andy k wrote back that he didnt think the dated dx3r pro would link up with the new dsmr rx

Horizon tech said same thing.

[tlandauer]

I have a couple of DX3E that came with trades or RTR packages, that is a good basic radio and it is on DSM2, never had trouble either. The older DSM was terrible, I had used some on my land RC, the range was at times less than 40 meters. I just could not believe it as I thought it was the unit I had or some underground interference. Anyway I am dismayed at the discontinuation of the MR3000 as it is most convenient for setting up a twin drive cat.
I bought the DX4C because I got tired of writing down my settings on a 3x5 card for my boats----that's how I have been using my DX3E, lol........

[T.S.Davis]

Well, now we know. Just received this from Speky support.

"Any spektrum receiver other than the SR410 is backwards compatible to dsm2. So the SR210, SR310, SR4200, SRS4210, SR2000, & SR3300T will all work. This compatibility will be for as long as the receiver is available."

I haven't tried it but encouraging. I do have a 4210 at the house I can try.

[JimClark]

Hey Terry did you confirm that the SR210 is backwards compatible with DSM2?
I have a DX3C and want to get a couple of more receivers but if you read on the Horizon page for the SR210 reciever it states it is compatable with DSM2 but in the instruction sheet that comes with the SR210 reciever it states that he SR210 receiver is not compatible with DSM2

jim

Well, now we know. Just received this from Speky support.

"Any spektrum receiver other than the SR410 is backwards compatible to dsm2. So the SR210, SR310, SR4200, SRS4210, SR2000, & SR3300T will all work. This compatibility will be for as long as the receiver is available."

I haven't tried it but encouraging. I do have a 4210 at the house I can try.

[T.S.Davis]

According to tech it works.

I don't know if I have any running that way though. I'll have to check. There is an SR210 in something we ran over the weekend. I just can't remember which radio it's bound to.