Konrad
Very Strong User
I finally got the real replacement for my grand old ladies, the Multiplex Profi mc 4000v2. That is the FrSky X9E. The X9E has much the same programing power and layout.
https://alofthobbies.com/frsky-taranis-x9e.html
I need to make it clear that the real power of the Profi was in the object based programing structure, none of this master slave stuff. You define what inputs you want to control what output. It was a bit disconcerting to power up the Profi for the first time and nothing worked as you had't defined what was what. But after that shock one quickly learned how liberating the freedom was with the Profi's programing architecture.
Four years ago when I learned of OpenTX I just had to have it as the Profi was no longer available in the USA. Fr-Sky was the only radio I knew of that ran this powerful program. Coming from a Multiplex background I choose to buy Fr-Sky's high end radio the Taranis-plus. The Taranis-plus with OpenTX was such a game changer that I was actually able to sell 3 other units to my flying partners. They liked the Japanese style transmitter but hated pizza box look of the Profi, so it was a no brainer getting them to move to FrSky.
Now as is typical of my buying history the perfect product comes on the market after I've made my purchase. A few months after I bought the Taranis-plus FrSky introduced the X9E. So for the last four years I've been pining for the X9E tray style OpenTX radio! As luck would have it I was in Aloft Hobbies and saw buried under a pile of UPS boxes a customer return X9E. After a protracted negotiation period that lasted milliseconds I came home with my own X9E.
Being able to look at the X9E side by side with the Profi 4000 I was pleasantly surprised at how good the X9E really is. This is even more amazing as the X9E is a $300 radio and the Profi 4000 was a $1200 in 1992!
Both radios have RF modules with plug in bays. Both have removable palm pads. Both use no solder plug in switches. Both have face sliders (Profi has indexable feedback indicators). Both have retractable harness arms (X9E fully retractable). Both have metal sticks (I like the sharper ones of the X9E)
The X9E has adjustable stick tension by a screw. The Profi has you change the springs to adjust the tension.
The X9E has ball bearing supported gimbals. The Profi does not.
The X9E has side sliders the Profi does not
The X9E comes with a cross backed support harness. The Profi comes with a camera style neck strap.
The X9E has a light high capacity 8 cell 2000mAh Ni-mh battery. This makes the X9E over 50 grams lighter.
The Profi came with a heavy 6 cell Sanyo 1800 mAh SCE NiCad battery (needed to balance the long 72 mHz antenna).
The Profi has a snap on snap off back. The X9E uses 4 screws.
Wow, from an ergonomic perspective the X9E trounces the Profi! The only strong points for the Profi are the snap on, snap off back and indexable feedback indicators on the face sliders.
Now when I was at Aloft Hobbies I was a bit perplexed as to why Fr-Sky had two screens. Well it pains me to show this, but the reason is that some off us have bellies that block the bottom screen. Fr Sky added the upper screen to provide the needed information one might want to know at a glance while flying. (Yes, that is my belly blocking the screen!)
While I think the tray style radio is a superior ergonomic set up. The classic Japanese hand held chrome porcupine can be made almost as good with the use of a neck strap. If you have the opportunity to fly a tray give it a try. I'm sure after an hour you will want a tray radio for yourself. But short of a new radio please try flying with a neck strap. Your control of the sticks will be so much more precise when your hands aren't holding the weight of the radio.
All the best,
Konrad
https://alofthobbies.com/frsky-taranis-x9e.html
I need to make it clear that the real power of the Profi was in the object based programing structure, none of this master slave stuff. You define what inputs you want to control what output. It was a bit disconcerting to power up the Profi for the first time and nothing worked as you had't defined what was what. But after that shock one quickly learned how liberating the freedom was with the Profi's programing architecture.
Four years ago when I learned of OpenTX I just had to have it as the Profi was no longer available in the USA. Fr-Sky was the only radio I knew of that ran this powerful program. Coming from a Multiplex background I choose to buy Fr-Sky's high end radio the Taranis-plus. The Taranis-plus with OpenTX was such a game changer that I was actually able to sell 3 other units to my flying partners. They liked the Japanese style transmitter but hated pizza box look of the Profi, so it was a no brainer getting them to move to FrSky.
Now as is typical of my buying history the perfect product comes on the market after I've made my purchase. A few months after I bought the Taranis-plus FrSky introduced the X9E. So for the last four years I've been pining for the X9E tray style OpenTX radio! As luck would have it I was in Aloft Hobbies and saw buried under a pile of UPS boxes a customer return X9E. After a protracted negotiation period that lasted milliseconds I came home with my own X9E.
Being able to look at the X9E side by side with the Profi 4000 I was pleasantly surprised at how good the X9E really is. This is even more amazing as the X9E is a $300 radio and the Profi 4000 was a $1200 in 1992!
Both radios have RF modules with plug in bays. Both have removable palm pads. Both use no solder plug in switches. Both have face sliders (Profi has indexable feedback indicators). Both have retractable harness arms (X9E fully retractable). Both have metal sticks (I like the sharper ones of the X9E)
The X9E has adjustable stick tension by a screw. The Profi has you change the springs to adjust the tension.
The X9E has ball bearing supported gimbals. The Profi does not.
The X9E has side sliders the Profi does not
The X9E comes with a cross backed support harness. The Profi comes with a camera style neck strap.
The X9E has a light high capacity 8 cell 2000mAh Ni-mh battery. This makes the X9E over 50 grams lighter.
The Profi came with a heavy 6 cell Sanyo 1800 mAh SCE NiCad battery (needed to balance the long 72 mHz antenna).
The Profi has a snap on snap off back. The X9E uses 4 screws.
Wow, from an ergonomic perspective the X9E trounces the Profi! The only strong points for the Profi are the snap on, snap off back and indexable feedback indicators on the face sliders.
Now when I was at Aloft Hobbies I was a bit perplexed as to why Fr-Sky had two screens. Well it pains me to show this, but the reason is that some off us have bellies that block the bottom screen. Fr Sky added the upper screen to provide the needed information one might want to know at a glance while flying. (Yes, that is my belly blocking the screen!)
While I think the tray style radio is a superior ergonomic set up. The classic Japanese hand held chrome porcupine can be made almost as good with the use of a neck strap. If you have the opportunity to fly a tray give it a try. I'm sure after an hour you will want a tray radio for yourself. But short of a new radio please try flying with a neck strap. Your control of the sticks will be so much more precise when your hands aren't holding the weight of the radio.
All the best,
Konrad
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