DX8 Idle up/Flight Mode Switch Preference

[FireDoug]

So over a month ago I moved up to a DX8 from DX6i. I have been struggling with the stock flight mode switch location. I am a stick pincher and my comfort position is for my second finger is my switch finger. My right hand finger sits perfect on TH and falls in to perfect position to flip TH when things go bad.

My left hand finger just does not feel and function smoothly on the FM switch. I can't get the switch flipped without taking my fingers off the collective, and I don't like having the fingers off stick when switching modes, even though I keep my pitch cures in line the RPM change still can change elevation a bit.

I fly in either FM1 which is 85% flat (sport) or FM2 which is 100% (learning 3D) I only use FM0 normal for landing.

Any suggestion or tricks that you might have to help?

[aerocal]

You could reassign the switch.
Im not sure what you are asking

[FireDoug]

Asking what others are doing, that is working for them.

Thought about reassigning switches, would like to use gear switch even though only 2 position, but not an available option as far as I can see.

[YBNORMAL]

I am in the same boat. I'm a pincher also and the FM switch just doesn't feel right. I have thought about using the D/R (rudder I think, I don't have the Tx in front of me) switch since the location is better but I haven't decided what to do.

I am afraid that if I change something like that, then if or when I change Tx's I will have to relearn that muscle memory and that may make things tougher later on.

YB

[nu66ie]

I was in the same boat when I started flying helis. So after playing around with switch assignments on my DX8, I ended up using the flap/gyro switch for flight modes (Vbar bank switching) and the aux2/gov switch for throttle hold. My fingers rest comfortably on each side are easily switched up and down. My little fingers are short and I never felt comfortable reaching for the throttle hold switch in the usual location.

All other buttons in the radio are inhibited to prevent surprises. I also added yellow fuel tubing to those two switches to make them stand out a little more. I also have my Phoenix flight sim set up to use the same switches so getting use to them in the new location was rather painless.

[FireDoug]

So been researching this issue and came across a DX8 oddity that allows me to map the left forward switch labeled Gear as my flight mode switch.

In setup menu choose FM menu and edit the switch assignment to "Mix". This will assign the FM to the stock gear switch position. Don't ask me why this discrepancy is used as a naming convention, but it is what it is and it works.

Down side is the gear switch is 2 position not 3 so it only allows you to access FM0 (Normal) and FM1. I am not sure this is going to be an issue for me, I never fly with a variable throttle mode. Not sure why one would use a varying throttle mode once they are able to flyi in IU comfortably?

I do like to have a mellower IU mode for take offs and landings and lazy circuit flying but I am planing on changing FM0 to 85% and FM1 to 100% and give this a try.

How do you guys use the 3 different FM positions?

[aerocal]

As for the switch naming.In Acro mode Mix is the right back switch and Gear on the left.
In Heli mode Gear becomes Mix and what was Mix becomes Hold.If you look on the labels you can see one name is white and one orange.It does kind of make sense if you think about it.

Sometimes I pinch but I usually thumb.The little shorty switches on FM and RudD/R(what I use for Hold) are kind of hard to find/use.I stuck a short piece of fuel tube on them and its way better.My hands are fairly small as well and they work fine for me with the tubing on them.It makes them a bit longer and kind of grippy on the finger.Adjust length of tubing to preference.

[FireDoug]

Aerocal, I may try the fuel tubing on the switches to length them that might help.

Thanks for the explanation on the acro vs heli mode. Mine does have the Right switch labeled Mix (white) Hold (orange), but my left switch is only labeled Gear (white).

[aerocal]

I looked again and your right about the Gear label.Anyway thats how they work between Acro and Heli mode.

The fuel tubing trick has worked real well for me.I have to give credit to ch47c for the idea though.