Just received my new FrSky module/HV 8 channel receiver and DIY module from Smart-Fly today. Spoke to Bob at Smart-Fly and he included the HV receiver for a couple bucks more. Quick shipment, good guy to deal with....will do business with him again.
Couldn't wait to get home to try out the new Module/Receiver. Plugged in the Transmitter module, binded to receiver, stuck it in my 2 meter electric pattern plane & hooked up an elevator servo. Took it out to do a range check. put the plane "on the ground" (instructions call for the receiver to be at least 2 feet off the ground) and hit the reduced power on the transmitter module (Green LED). The documentation claims range should reduce to to a little over 60 meters. I paced out 60 yards and still had solid control. Went out to 85, 100, 125, and at 175 yards I still had solid control, but was having trouble seeing the elevator half moving. This was in a complete wide open area, free of any obstructions that may produce "image" reflections. WOW!!!....needless to say, with this kind of reduced power "GROUND" range, full power "AIR" should be literally out of sight and more!!
At this point I'm pretty much sold. I will be ordering another dozen receivers. Try doing that with JR and Futaba. An 8 channel Futaba receiver is approx $140.00 x 12 = $1680.00. 8 channel FrSky receiver is approx. $28.00 x 12 = $336.00.....no brainer. I'll be doing some more gound testing and will wring it out in a "beater" plane before installing it in a good airframe.
Project #2 - I'll be installing the DIY module in an old Proline single stick radio...yea...the ones with the nice stick assemblies. Hoping to pick up +9.6vdc, Common, and modulation right at the RF module. Will poke around on the input of the RF module with the scope. Don't have any schematics....hopefully worst case is perhaps adding a driver stage on the modulation to feed the DIY module. They don't include any specs. on what they need to see on the PPM input.
All in all so far this is too good to be true. Time will tell as to how well it holds up in actual everyday use. Will keep you posted on the Proline thing.