09 November, 2012

Magazine Journalist?

No I don't really think so but a review I have made of the Hitec Eclipse7 Pro transmitter has been published in the November 2012 RCM&E (Radio Control Models & Electronics) magazine; that's RC Model Aeroplane in North America.
The old QPCM at the back, the new Pro at the front

My first Hitec transmitter was an Eclipse 7 QPCM purchased back in 2006. Now we have the Eclipse 7 Pro and as I was one of the first in the UK to buy one of these I offered to write a review.

It wasn't easy because these devices  have a lot of features these days and I had a lot to say about it. One of the latest features in the RC world is telemetry which has so many uses ranging from GPS information to more vital details such as engine temperature and fuel/battery levels. To complicate matters even more the telemetry can be displayed in various ways: a digital readout on the transmitter, a display on a computer and even overlaid on Google Earth.


Laptop Display
Squeezing the review into just 6000 words was quite a challenge. I enjoyed the experience and may write something again but I don't think I will be making a habit of it.

Incidently if you have one of these transmitters the upgrade to V1.13(0) software for HPP-22 programmer allows model memory saving and loading, Eclipse7 Pro firmware upgrading (V1.03(0) available at the time of writing) and also updating of the built in 2.4Ghz spectra module.


Overlaid on Google Earth
If you want to know more about RCM&E then click here