Hi Marcus and N8LBV,
I have a DX9 G2 Black Edition, and that followed my original DX8. I do know those radios quite well. I got theTX16s with the simulated carbon fiber faceplate, added the aluminum folding handle, which is highly recommended for fitting into this
case with room to spare for a
tool kit. For the price, I was expecting a lower-quality feel. My gadget freak son just did a comparison, without knowing the provenance of either. He says the TX16s plastic 'feels' higher quality. The switches have a more tactile feedback, but that may be due in part to my having used the DX9 for a while. The TX16s feels more solid - it's about 900g vs 800g for the DX9, plus another 50g for my Crossfire module. And he was insightful enough to notice that the rounded grips on the back of the DX9 may be more ergonomic, which I agree with.
I'll admit that there is a learning curve with OpenTX, but I love the ability to upload my own model images to be viewed on the color screen. When I go back to the DX9 it seems positively antiquated. Marcus, if you can find somebody with a TX16s, ask if you can hold it and check out the quality. OpenTX is a bit frustrating at first, because simple things like making elevons in Spektrum involve making your own mix in OpenTX. But if you think the wing is, say, very pitchy compared to its roll rate, you can change that mix to your heart's desire. With Spektrum, it's take it or leave it.
The multimodule does include the ability for DSM2 and DSMX, but I don't believe it is possible to adjust the power level. My external Crossfire module does have that ability. In fact, it can also adjust its own power level depending on the RSSI, which is a neat trick. Unfortunately when you turn on the Crossfire module, and you haven't yet powered the receiver, the Crossfire module is at max power, searching for a model that isn't providing any telemetry. And you can tell it is doing that because it makes a little noise - really!
I don't think latency is much of an issue. HID devices have around 10ms of
latency anyway. You can bind to the WS2000 in DSMX 11ms. The WS2000 is also an HID device, so it adds another 10ms. But I haven't ever noticed an issue with it, even when running FPV quad sims flying through gates.
I have had issues trying to bind to Spektrum receivers when the radio is too close - and they tell you that. But I've never had a problem with the WS2000, which is about a meter away with my current setup, and maybe a little less with my previous setup.
Speaking of setups, my tower gaming system (bought from a guy who needed it out of his life so he could graduate from college) drives a 43" 4k monitor, with the graphics quality set to max. And it sits on the desk, and I'm in my desk chair. Maybe not the comfort of a La-Z-Boy, but it's pretty immersive.
In any case, I'll come back here if I find the solution to the USB problem. Thank you all for your help!