How useful is telementry?
 

I debating between Spektrum's Dx2s and Airtronitcs MX3X.

How important is telementry, really? I can get that it can be helpful sometimes, but do people use it very often? Often enough to get the Spektrum over the MX3X?

Let me know how you guys use telementry...

To be honest mate I have the DX3s and got all the telemetry bits and pieces extra that are needed even to record lap times. I have used the lap timing stuff once and it is a pain to get working right. The rest of the telemetry all I use is the temp sensor and that has been really handy. Rpm sensor also was to hard to get working so never used that ether.

telementry is not used or even accurate, kinda a waste IMHO, its something to cause issue... i would get a MX3X for sure! its the same technology as the M11x

Yea that's kinda what I've been understanding about the whole thing

Useless.

do you really think you have time to look at the screen on radio to see the temps.rpm and that other crap as your racing? maybe for bashing. but not for racing get real....to much crap to install do you really need to know your nitro engine RPM? maybe temp yes..

Useful.........if a person is able to set it up properly and interpret what the readings are telling you. The logging or storing of the gathered information is what can make the difference in interpreting the readings. I am currently using the Nomadio React telemetry, primarily using the temp sensor and the RX/TX battery voltage telemetry. I find the the temp sensor to be very consistant and accurate and not subject to emissivity errors of temp guns due to user technique. The React will log a Min/Max/Avg temp for the length of the race you run and this is for the entire circuit you run not just for a quick stop in the pits. This has come in handy a few times when I was contemplating tuning, motor, or gearing changes. I also have my radio set up with handle vibe alerts tied to telemetry readings. Basically, if anything bad is happening to my car during a race (i.e. Low RX/Tx voltage or high engine temp), the handle vibes and I know to pull over and find the problem rather than risk trashing the car. It has on a couple of occasions kept me from going on the track with a dead RX bat due me or my pitman leaving the RX switch on. I'm giving some consideration to the new Airtronics MT-4 since the logging looks pretty good on it.

JUNK! Def. don't get a radio just for the telemetry.

I bought the DX3S w/ telemetry for my Losi buggy and couldn't ever get the RPM to set up, never used the lap counter, I did hook up the temp sensor but you get VERY inaccurate readings. So I eventually just took it off too. I was getting a good reading on my "sensor", which read I was running at 260* F, which then I was like, OK and kept on racing. Come to find out, it started shutting out and I brought it in and a guy checked with his high tech Infrared and was getting 320*, which is wayy to hot and messed the engine up. Got over heated.

So, again, TELEMETRY = USELESS

^^^^and to the above said, was it set up correctly? YES, I set it up and installed in the EXACT location the Manuel says, and got faulty readings. Bad sensor you might ask? NO, I replaced the temp sensor once and got the same readings.

Besides, with nitro comes alot of cleaning/regular maintenance, so do you really want to be pulling all that crap off every time you clean? I know just having the temp. sensor on mine was a pain every time I cleaned, I pulled the Rx tray off and which the temp. sensor had to come off every time! So I could imagine the rest of that crap

100% disagree with useless as described above. Having rx battery voltage for one is quite useful allowing you to know when its getting near the time to swap out rx packs. The temp sensor is also quite useful as well as it allows you to get a good ballpark on optimal motor temps once your familiar with your tuning setup.

The rpm also can be useful for gearing. To be effective though you need to use the mount that measures RPM off the flywheel and not the "sticker" pickups off the driveshafts. WIth this you can gauge in combo with a timer the best pinion/spur combo for a given track to maximise the useful rpms of the motor your running. In the right hands and with a bit of time and patience it can make for a good tuning tool for the track. Its helped me dial in my LST XXL and RC8T quite well.

I agree though, don't just buy a radio for or based on telemetry. That being said though, Spektrum's DX3S/DX2S and new DX3R Pro are 3 excellent radios worth considering with the telemetry option.

Its all in the application and how its used. In the right hands telemetry can be a very good tuning aid(especially for novices), in the wrong hands(or an expert who already knows his setup like the back of his hand)it can be 100% useless.

I myself feel that you can never have too many tuning aides/checks and balances for racing.

Was the high tech infrared reading taken at the EXACT same location of your sensor?? Dont know about the spectrum sensor, but my React sensor is mounted on the lower fin on the back side of the engine a good 1/2-3/4 of an inch away from the typical temp gun measure spot the glow plug. Will my temp reading match a temp gun reading taken at the glow plug?? Not likely. Is my sensor reading less accurate than the temp gun reading? Definitely not, just different because of the sensor location. This gets back to my original post about interpreting what the readings are telling you. You have to tie the numbers your getting to what your car is doing whether you use a temp gun or telemetry. My numbers I use will be different because I'm taking all my readings from one consistent location that is a half inch removed from where the temp gun readings are taken. I get people all the time that pick my car up and hit with a temp gun and want to start twisting screws on it. I plead with them do not touch it, my temp is fine.

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The telemetry units I've used seem to get about half the range of my $50 SR300. Plus I look at my car not my controller when driving.:nod:

All my cars are electric and I find it very useful for the motor temperature. If installed correctly it's very accurate and also it can be set to beep at a certain temperature, this way you don't even have to look at the screen. If it beeps then I know my motor is getting too hot and time to bring it in to cool down.

I definitely agree w/ Vision. It could be nice to know if for some odd reason that your motor temps suddenly jumped, although I don't see much use in the other telemetry functions. From what I have personally seen of the spectrum system the temperature readings were very accurate, always within a degree.

i must say i have very little use for the telemetry. in fact it has caused me more problems than it was worth. 1st issue i had with my dx3s was running in 2nd and temp alarm went off so i pulled over to look at my screen and temp was 400 degrees, pulled into pits only to find out thattemp sensor was bad. 2nd issue caused major glitching with no rhyme or reason. very intermittent at different areas of the track. came to find out the tach sensor was shorted causing all the glitching. i will use my spektrum for bashing but for racing i will stay with my m11x......