MULTIPLEX ROYAL EVO 9 RADIO

Model Airplane News, Jun 2004 by Reid, John

Digital programming your way

Ever since Hitec RCD acquired the Multiplex Co. last year, modelers in the U.S. have greatly anticipated the release of the Royal Evo line of radios. Many of us have seen this line displayed at various trade shows and have waited patiently to get our hands on one. Well, the wait is over; the new (old) line of Royal Evos is at last available here, and I can tell you that it was worth the wait.

The first thing that you notice when you pick the radio up is how good it feels. The transmitter's weight, balance and ergonomic design are well suited to human hands. The Evo has deep finger grooves on the back that provide an excellent gripping area and ensure that the transmitter fits securely in your hands. All of the switches and control buttons are within easy reach, so you won't have to fumble with the transmitter while flying your plane. The data screen is adjustable, so you're able to see the screen at various angles, and the antenna is adjustable; you can angle it up even when the transmitter is lying flat. This radio is a great combination of form and function.

CUSTOMIZING THE ROYAL EVO

The Evo comes with a nicely done instruction manual, but some of the German-to-English translations may have you scratching your head. Although this presents a few stumbling blocks, the manual is concise and has many detailed instructions that will help guide you through your first programming efforts.

One of the most unusual things about this radio's manual is that its first seven pages describe how to make adjustments inside the radio. This is something we are not used to seeing in the States-manufacturers giving us the go-ahead to open the back of the transmitter case. In fact, Multiplex makes it quite easy to get inside the transmitter; two sliding latches on the back permit easy access without your needing to find a screwdriver. The only tool that you'll need to make all of the adjustments inside the case is a TORX screwdriver (size T6), and you'll find one in a clip below the antenna well.

The first thing that you'll want to do inside the transmitter is set up the throttle stick from spring centering to a ratchet or friction operation. Depending on the mode in which you fly, either stick can become the ratchet throttle stick. You can also swivel the stick units so that the sticks' movements conform to the natural movement of your thumbs. To match your hand size, adjust and/or replace the stick tops with one of the three extra tops of various lengths that are included. One top comes with buttons that can be hooked up inside the transmitter to add two more switches that can be assigned auxiliary functions. This gives the pilot a quick, safe way to operate specific functions without having to let go of the stick. You can also install a Radio Frequency module, if you want to upgrade to an HFM-4 module. When you've finished customizing the radio to suit your flying style, you'll be ready to step into Multiplex's world of computer programming.

PROGRAMMING AND OPERATING THE TRANSMITTER

There's an old saying: be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. For years, fliers have longed for a radio that can "do it all," and the Evo comes closer to satisfying this wish than any other radio I've seen. The drawback to its flexibility, however, is its steep a learning curve. Some will pick it up very fast; others will take longer, but the main thing to remember is that you will get it, and once you do-wow! This radio does so much that it could be the last one you'll ever need.

On entering the world of Multiplex programming, you must first learn a few new terms-such as widgets, controls, channels and mixers-that are specific to Royal Evo radios. Some of these words are used on other radio setups, but in the Multiplex community, they have different meanings. Widgets are sticks, switches, buttons and sliders on the radio. The controls are the function of the widgets. Mixers are a list of control inputs (up to five) that each provides a signal to a specific servo.

The Evo follows an unusual programming sequence; you first assign a servo to a mixer, and this mixer is then assigned to a control, which is then assigned to a widget. As you can see by this assignment sequence, the widgets are the last things to be assigned in the radio programming. What this means is that when I first pulled the radio out of the box, none of the widgets did anything; I had to assign all of the controls to the widgets. This was a major hurdle for me to overcome, but following the Royal Evo tutorial by James Drulia was time well spent on my journey to Royal Evo enlightenment. Take the time to download the tutorial from the Multiplex website, and read it before you set up a plane on the Royal Evo; you'll be glad you did.

WHAT CAN THE ROYAL EVO 9 DO?

Once you understand the Royal Evo's unique programming requirements, you'll be rewarded with a nearly infinite variety of ways to set up your plane or helicopter. Much of the manual is devoted to setting up helicopters, and chopper jockeys will definitely want to check into this radio. I made a number of plane setups using the Royal Evo; the following is just a sample of what you can do with it.