How good is the ix12

[stanley1]

Just wondering on the thoughts from people that are using the ix12 radio... I have just purchased one but after reading some negative reviews I’m now unsure if I will actually use it or just return it to the shop and think of a different radio..

The negative reviews are from a while back when it was released and I’m wondering if all the issues have been fixed in recent updates

[Indokast]

curious what negative reviews you are concerned about? I just got one in the mail 2 days ago. I have gone through it but haven't flown anything with it. I think it is great. My only complaints is that the android is slower than I am used to (I have a galaxy s10 for a phone) and the bootup sequence is something you have to get used to and work around. I am not sure what firmware its running however. Other than that so far I think it is great. the color touchscreen for model setup is a huge step in a great direction. I would advise only running apps that you are using for flying or setting up the tx. I would think that running random apps, esp without rebooting, will slow the android part down. Honestly tho.. I love it so far.

[stanley1]

Slow to use, have to touch the screen 3/4 times to get it to do anything as it’s not very responsive

Apparently it’s not dsm2 compatible now even though it says it is on horizon hobby site (I am in the uk) so that means I need to change the receiver on one of my helis

Battery is useless and lucky if you can get a day of flying out of it

Those are the common negative things I’ve been reading

Shame I diddnt read all this before I purchased it which is why I am likely to just return it unopened

[BrokeDad]

They don't put DSM2 on the EU radios due to regulations there. It is on the North America version.

I'm waiting for the next generation of it to see if I want a fancy radio. Until then I'll stick with my trusty DX9.

[Keyrigger]

Many of the trouble reports you have read have been posted by people that have not read the basic instructions carefully. Those with iPhone products find the interface foreign to them and have difficulty with that portion of getting used to a full computer radio. This radio is not in the same class as all other radios out there because of the interfacing of a computer (albeit a slower one than it could have been. Stability vs. speed) with a transmitter. I have had mine over a year and a half and yes, I have had some issues related to bugs in the software.


The latest issue of models being erased because of corruption is real and that is related to an earlier bug that would cause lock-ups of the Airware but never an actual transmitter failure. I had Airware lock up while flying and still was able to fly the airplane I had up in the air. I rebooted the Airware while still flying and landed it. I continued to fly for the rest of the day without incident and a few hours later, I found an update to get rid of the bug, which was the last update to Airware.


To state this clearly and emphatically, I have not had a single transmitter related failure which resulted in a crash. None of the minor irritants like a 2 minute boot up or initial slow model change ever bothered me. The boot up of the Android portion of the transmitter is what is slow. The last model you flew is loaded and ready to go 10 seconds after you turn the transmitter on. When the orange bars are lit, you are transmitting and ready to fly. I've done it a number of times to prove that to doubters.


Many of the helicopters that I fly are in the thousands but I have full confidence in the radio. I have an original DX8 and a first generation DX18 that are hangar queens now, neither of which has controlled a helicopter in well over a year and a half. Am I going to look at and buy the newest radio when it comes out? Yes. For scale purposes, the more channels, the better. The best advice is to make sure that you have the latest Airware loaded and do not load any frivolous programs on the transmitter. I have prevented any pre-loaded program from automatically updating unless I know it has to be. The only exceptions are Chrome, Play Store, Play Store Services, and any Android hardware related updates. I don't need to play music, YouTube, or use it to download emails. My phone does it a lot better. Hope this helps.


Don

[roadracer96]

It's a pos. Lowest end possible CPU they could find. Slow to the point that there is a several second delay on sounds for mode switches. Like a 5yr old android version with no hope of ever being updated. It's a disgrace. I bought one. Returned it and then switched to mikado all around.

[swash-addict]

Mine works great !

I was victim to the corrupted model thing as well.
Was a tad annoying.
Last update fixed it though . No issues since.


Even when it happened, it was never a model I was currently using.

Didn’t stop me from liking it at all.

As to mode switch call outs...

Mine have worked instantly, always have.

I love you can program them to voice call out anything you want!

Great radio!

[stanley1]

You see.. one good and one bad response

Perhaps I would be safe to just not use it and return it

[roadracer96]

If you constantly see 1 good and 1 bad response that means its awful.

What do you think the ratio is for vbar? Think net promoter score here. .

[Indokast]

Im keeping mine lol. Keeping my dx9 too tho for spare.

[jhamel]

Originally Posted by Indokast

My only complaints is that the android is slower than I am used to (I have a galaxy s10 for a phone) and the bootup sequence is something you have to get used to and work around.

Why is it so slow to boot up? Another popular transmitter with color touch screen display boots up within 5 seconds, and phones with the same operating system turn on almost instantly.

[Indokast]

Originally Posted by curmudgeon

Why is it so slow to boot up? Another popular transmitter with color touch screen display boots up within 5 seconds, and phones with the same operating system turn on almost instantly.

Afaik this is the only tx on market that basically has a built in android phone running android OS. Even my new s10 phone isn't that fast on initial boot up but this ix12 is noticeably slower to react and boot up than my personal cell phone. it likely has a slower processor to save money. My cell phone alone costs significantly more than a new ix12 so I can't expect ix12 to be as fast. However after boot up is completed you can enter sleep mode and it turns back on instantly at the field so its not a real problem in my book. You can also fly your last model while android is still booting if you wish. I also don't plan on running any extra apps which I am sure some people do. I'm just using it as a touch screen dx9 basically that can occasionally do other things like a phone if needed.

Overall I like it so far and plan to keep it. If others decide they don't like it that's fine I don't blame them. To each his own.

[Keyrigger]

In general, older Android phones are slower to open. I just timed two old Sony phones (Android 4.3), one took 35 seconds to load, and the other took 45 seconds to load. My two year old Huawei P10 (Android 9)takes 35 seconds to start up and be ready to use. I know that my iX12 takes two minutes and 5 seconds to load the Android operating system (Ver. 5.1.1 at 1 min. 5 sec.) and the Airware program (1 min. which includes a 35 second delay before the Airware even starts to load) but everyone is making such a fuss about it that it becomes the single biggest complaint heard on the internet.


Start the transmitter first thing at the field. By the time you get your models loaded with batteries or fuel it will be ready to go. If you are not changing the model from the last one you flew, it is ready in about 7 seconds from pressing the switch to turn the transmitter on. Come on, my DX18 takes longer to boot to the transmitter being ready to use than my iX12. If seconds are so precious, I can fly my helicopters and planes with my iX12 a full second before my DX18. So should I scrap my extremely slow DX18 as a backup or bellyache to the internet that it takes forever to load? Really.......


Don

[BrokeDad]

Just think if they used Windows on it ?

[jhamel]

Originally Posted by Indokast

However after boot up is completed you can enter sleep mode and it turns back on instantly at the field...

If I understand this correctly, it takes about 2 minutes for the iX12 transmitter to boot up completely when starting from fully off, but once the iX12 has booted up, it can go into "sleep mode" between flying sessions (I assume to conserve battery) but it wakes up from sleep mode within a few seconds?

[swash-addict]

^ yes, less than a few seconds more like 1 or before the “click” is done from pressing power button..

[Keyrigger]

The wakeup time is generally less than one second. The moment you touch the power button, it wakes up.


Don

[fiddle]

So its pretty much just like a normal phone then? My iPhone (yea not android) takes a bit to boot up and would be irritating if I was turning it off all the time ...

[stanley1]

Mine arrived however it’s faulty and not turning on ...

Need to wait for a replacement now

Not the best start

[Indokast]

Originally Posted by curmudgeon

If I understand this correctly, it takes about 2 minutes for the iX12 transmitter to boot up completely when starting from fully off, but once the iX12 has booted up, it can go into "sleep mode" between flying sessions (I assume to conserve battery) but it wakes up from sleep mode within a few seconds?

made a video of bootup and sleep function for you guys.

ix12 bootup and sleep mode timing (2 min 24 sec)