Great radio. I just got it today and couldn't be happier. All this short range nonsense is in fact a bunch of crap. The range is excellent and I have not had any problems yet! I read all the reviews previous to buying it and was a little shocked and skeptical to buy it but I like to see for myself. It is a great upgrade from my old futaba fm radio so now I wont get laughed at for having a giant antenna. In this hobby it is mostly you get what you pay for, but with this remote I believe you get more for your money. Dont let the other reviews persuade you to another remote, this is an excellent decision for the basher and/ or race entrepreneur.
Good radio for the price high end features for less money
I purchased this radio back in June because it seemed to be a good value. It has good range, lot of features for an entry level radio. 3 other friends purchased this radio based on my recommendation. One by one every single one has broken the spring in the steering. Mine stayed strong until last weekend December 20th. It was during my second heat race. I was hoping to fix it but my local track/store did not have the spring at this time. I purchased a new radio to continue my night. After going to a couple other stores and making some calls I found this is a common problem on this radio. I contacted horizon hobby they said they will fix it no charge except for the shipping or I can buy the spring for a few dollars and fix it myself. They also admitted it was a known issue and common with the dx3c. But the new part is identical to the failed part so it will happen again. I really like the feel of this radio and the features but I cannot suggest buying it knowing it will fail. All 4 in my group have failed in the exact same way. Buyer beware spend a little more and get the next step up in radios and save in the long run. Thanks!
I really like this tx. I accidentally ran it over with a 3 ton truck and it took it like a champ. The only thing that happened was some road rash on the case and a little crack which was easily covered with tape. Nothing is lose and everything still works just fine. So for me the durability has been great.
Pros:
1: Good range when paired with dsm2 or better RX.
2: 3 position aux channel.
3: User friendly menu and programmable features.
4: Great price.
5: Durable when not abused.
Cons:
1: Non-rechargeable batteries. This is just cheap, all transmitters these days should come with rechargeable battery packs, not AAs. You could get around it by buying rechargeable AA batteries and an external charger but they have to be removed from the tx every time you charge.
2: The travel adjustments for the 3rd channel aren't independent (adjusting one side changes the other) even though the menu and adjustment would make you believe they are. I got around that with a programmable hitec servo.
3: The included DSM RX's do not have very good range. Being a surface vehicle the radio is subject to more RFI compared to an aircraft so I found that I was getting glitches around 100 ft away regardless of antenna orientation or RX placement. I now use a SR3100 and the range is great.
Overall a great transmitter for the price, but with the DX4C being released recently for only $40 more you should take a look at both of them before making a purchase.
This radio is a great value at $100. If you are looking to upgrade a stock radio set-up in a 1/10th scale RTR, this is a very good and affordable choice. If you plan on installing this in a 1/8th scale racing machine, you might want to look at spending a little more so the response time will be up to par. This is an excellent choice for any basher. The response time of the radio isn't what I expected. If you plan on racing, you will probably need at least 4 channels to hook up the servos, transponder and BEC.
I have this radio system and didn't have any issue till a race this past weekend. Both in 1/8 e buggy and open short course. I was racing at Phil Hurd Raceway I had managed to run 4th overall going into the A-main in open short course. Then during the start my truck started having real bad interference I ended up finishing close to last. After the race once nearly everyone had left I ran the truck and it had no issues. So I'm getting a different radio now.
Good - Lots of features for the money. Good battery life.
Bad - Went through 2 radios. Both the first and second one would consistently drop signal. At my house it was almost impossible to speed runs because it would lose reception and cut the throttle and steering for a few tenths of a second, or halfway through a turn it would lose signal and I'd have to walk towards my car until it found signal again. No long distance either, talking less than 50 feet. At the track was even worse. In mid air it would drop signal and nose dive hard into the ground. Happened in the same area of the track, almost like the radio had dead spots. Got rid of it after the second one did the same thing.
This radio MAY be alright for just bashing (don't get upset when you drive your car straight into a wall), but I would steer clear if you're a racer or will be using it in high speed applications.
Whole process took several months, using 5 different batteries, 2 transmitters, 3 receivers, 2 different speed controls, and signal savers. Not just "hey this doesn't work I think I'll get rid of it". Save your time and money and go Airtronics or Futaba. Have heard enough bad experiences about Spektrum to make me not get another or their radios for a while.
I do have problems w/ one of my buggies, and signal loss. I had originally purchased a lesser radio from Spektrum, and signal loss was rampid. I was upgraded to the DX3C, I thought it was going to be a good radio till they just slid it into the RTR spot. It seems like 2years ago they slid the 3S into the bottom spot. I don't know how to feel about Spektrum, but the prior fellows love of the 3s is not well deserved in my mind, the theory that cell phones, or high tension power lines could be the problem w/ people that do experience problems w/ signal loss/interruption is HOGWASH. On one hand their more expensive radios seem to be revered by drivers, on the other it's like Horizion just mass produces radios to fill the RTR spot, and what can be good about that. It's no secret Spektrum has had issues in the past w their radios, and control problems. I think I'm drawn more to radio companies w a more reputable past. It seems like Spektrum floods the market especially since they end up in like every RTR package, and newer owners think that they are the radio to have, it's not like a good reciever from them is at a good price point. I just feel more comfortable w/ a radio Co. That has a proven track record. I was born in the early 70's, and got into the RC sport, when the To--r catalog was all you really had to determine what you wanted to buy. I got back into RC when I was paralyzed a few years ago. I jumped right into Spektrum, had major problems, Spektrum gave me a 3s to remedy. I felt taken care of till the next year I realized that the radio had slid into the goto spot for them, and that the 3s was going to be tha new mass radio in their RTR line. If you are going to drop at least 600$ on a rig, don't cheap out on the radio
Got this Radio for my 1/8 Racing Buggy.... All the Con's on signal Loss is BOGUS.... Last Saturday 5-10-14 @ my RACE there was well over 170 racers... & I had NO ISSUES at ALL with Radio or... with 12-13 drivers racing in my buggy nitro class NO Problems GREAT Radio... & From reading some of the reviews people complaining about SIGNAL LOSS I think they live in a HIGH RX SIGNAL Area..... IE electrical transmission lines... Cordless phone interference... overhead aircraft flying over a lot... with over 170 racers & 12-13 Car fields my Radio ran smooth all day....
best controller I have ever had and I now use it for all my rc cars
This is an excellent radio for both sport and club racing and a wonderful bargain. Very reliable and easy to program!
I have this radio system, I switched out my Traxxas TQi to have just one radio so i bought a bunch of receivers. I love erythe radio, the options are easy to see and set, very user friendly for the price. Onlly problem the range sucks reallly bad, sometimes it cuts in and out just drives me nuts. I've ordered the pro reciever that has a longer antenna and hope that will work better.
The transmitter on this is awesome works great love the feel and many features, can't say anything on the receiver because when I bought this I bought the Spektrum SR3100 receiver because of the bad reviews on the receiver (thank you for pointing that out) that came with this and saved a 120$ instead of getting the Spektrum DX3R PRO.
The best "value for money" choice. Attractive price, high end functionnality, DSM and DSM2 compatible, can work with original and orangerx receivers. A very good for hobbyman with a lot number of rc models :)
I have one and i love it! it is great for anybody. I just had a few proplems programing it.
I haven't had any bad issues with mine... I love it for crawlers as well as racers... I have 11 units on mine and it's wonderful... for the money, ya can't beet it... yet, I am sold on Spektrum the only brand I use. This is the best I have used yet... lots of options
great radio with a lot of features for the money. I started out with an airtronics mx sport which worked flawlessly with my castle setup and savox 1258 servo, but I didn't like the screen or the way you navigate through it. I wanted the mt-4 radio but I'm not that serious to spend the 270+60 for each extra receiver, so I went with the dx3c and I love it, only drawback is that it was a total brown-out with the same set-up. I had to pick up a glitch-buster which solved the problem (I think the savox 1258 draws too much current). I heard the more expensive spektrum receivers are glitch free but for $35 and a $7 glitch-buster I'm happy with the sr300.
Great radio for the price, I use this for everything from e-buggy to crawlers. Durability seems great, has held up to a few drops. I have noticed that you cannot let the battery level drop under 50% or you will have range issues on larger tracks, not really a problem if you are aware of it.
Bought this radio upon recommendation from my local hobby store. The radio has a very nice feel, and tune-ability in the menu is unbelievable. It makes the most of every ounce of electricity and has great battery life.
But, that is it.
After that, this radio takes a turn for the worst. A radio, unless my understanding is wrong, should be made with maximum range capability in mind... this one wasn't. I measured my range at a rather pathetic 381 feet - at best - and if the car goes behind an obstacle, the radio stops working. I also found my radio to be extremely glitchy at close range. Steering cuts out, as does the throttle and the trim settings reset themselves on multiple occasions.
Do yourself a favor and go to Futaba, or Tactic if you want range and smoothness... even a Traxxas TQi will work better for most driving conditions, but if you want something that feels good in the hands and has barely enough range to reach the other end of a large off-road track, look no further.
Bought this and put it in my very nice jammin x2 truggy, it lost signal and ran down a hill and into a log. Gonna get a new radio.
