Spektrum DX10t - Beauty or beast?

This weekend  I should have been flying at the F3F Nationals in Wales, but a last minute commitment on Sunday forced me to withdraw. Every cloud has a silver lining though, and I was at least able to visit the annual 'Wings 'n Wheels' model show on the Saturday, where I cast my eyes on the new Spektrum DX10t.

The DX10t is quite a departure for Spektrum. It was developed primarily for the German market, hence the 'Euro' style which is optimised for thumb and forefinger flying. No separate tray is necessary since, by positioning the sticks close together, the designers have left lots of room either side for the hands.

An interesting feature is that you can plug in different modules for different applications. Each module contains 'optimised switch layouts', and the potential to use 8 extra switched channels. I didn't get to see this demonstrated, but it could be useful  if you intend to use the same transmitter for widely differing applications (modules are available for fixed wing, helicopters, boats and ground vehicles).

(Incidentally modules are nothing new - they were available on a few high end sets during the 80's. The concept quietly died as most of their custom features were emulated in firmware. See the Multiplex Profi 2000.)

Spektrum DX10t. Note neck strap brackets retracted at bottom of case.

The transmitter battery consists of a single Lipo cell.

The Specktrum DX10t supports both DSM2 and their new frequency hopping DSMX. While I didn't have a chance to play with the programming, what I saw from a brief run through looked promising, and certainly different in style to the DX-7. 

As to the styling, well... opinion on the forums seems to be sharply divided, with some approving of the 'retro' look, while others claiming that it's... well... pig ugly. I have to admit to being in the latter camp. Not to put too fine a point on it, I think it looks ghastly - rather worse in the flesh than in the adverts. The finish isn't particularly nice either, with acres of cheap, un-textured plastic. And finally, the absence of any kind of contouring on the back makes the Tx uncomfortable to carry around, except when it's round your neck.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for a lightweight Euro style transmitter, and are prepared to put up with the 70's styling and standard of finish, the set may be worth investigating. More info from the Spektrum site