Debate: Is flysky any good?

[Winston1203]

when I first started the hobby I posted a thread on which transmitter I should get as my first, and a lot of people recommended the flysky i6. so, I looked it up on Amazon and it seemed to have good reviews too. And in the thread, most people were talking about how the flysky transmitters were good due to their price. But other people complained that the transmitter was short-lived and didn't last long. flite test also never mentioned flysky as a good "reputable" brand. do you agree?

 

[FastCrash45]

when I first started the hobby I posted a thread on which transmitter I should get as my first, and a lot of people recommended the flysky i6. so, I looked it up on Amazon and it seemed to have good reviews too. And in the thread, most people were talking about how the flysky transmitters were good due to their price. But other people complained that the transmitter was short-lived and didn't last long. flite test also never mentioned flysky as a good "reputable" brand. do you agree?

I have the i6 and a couple receiversand they have worked well since I bought them a year ago. They aren't as ergonomic as higher priced units. I do believe they are not using the highest grade parts, however, I've found that most electronics if they work well from the first time you turn them on, they will last you until you need an upgrade.

 

[w1lp33]

Their receivers are great and the radios are decent. If you eventually want to move up to a nicer radio, get an frsky Taranis radio wirh a multiprotocol nodule, or a jumper t16 radio and then you’ll have a top end radio thst still uses flysky receivers, along with all other types of receivers

 

[Hai-Lee]

when I first started the hobby I posted a thread on which transmitter I should get as my first, and a lot of people recommended the flysky i6. so, I looked it up on Amazon and it seemed to have good reviews too. And in the thread, most people were talking about how the flysky transmitters were good due to their price. But other people complained that the transmitter was short-lived and didn't last long. flite test also never mentioned flysky as a good "reputable" brand. do you agree?

I have used my first one for over three years without an issue and I now have 2 looking at getting a third!
My students also use them because the setup and programming are simple and the radio performance is very good for the price.

There was a case where a dedicated Spektrum user , (and self appointed expert), was offered a flight of one of my students models, by the student. The "expert" flew the model to the very boundaries of the flying area without a single incident or even a momentary loss of control. Later the same expert took his favourite model on the same perimeter run and lost radio signal and crashed into some powerlines.

His complaints about the range of the FlySky radios have never resurfaced!

Have fun!

 

[speedbirdted]

For a first radio I really can't fault them. They're a little light on features, but they'll teach you to fly just fine.

 

[whackflyer]

I'll add my two cents. First off, FlySky and Spektrum are both good TX's, they just have their pluses and minuses. I don't have much hands on experience with FlySky while I have been a Spektrum user for a few years. Here's some pros and cons.

FlySky Pros-

cheap to buy
receivers are cheap
very good for new hobbyists

FlySky Cons-

gimbals feel cheap
setup is not very intuitive
virtually no customer service (@Hai-Lee corrected me on this)
feels light and not as high of quality

Spektrum Pros-

very intuitive to use
gimbals feel good and high quality
awesome customer support
ergonomics are very good, feels very quality

Spektrum Cons-

relatively expensive to purchase
genuine receivers are expensive
not as beginner friendly in price(obviously)

Keep in mind this is my unprofessional opinion, and I am open to correction if you have other facts to correct me

just my two cents

Edit: I'm not trying to start a FlySky/Spektrum debate, I'm just posting opinions and observances from my personal experiences. I don't have any experience with jumper or frsky but have heard many positive things said about them

Me 😎

 

[Namactual]

As someone who owns and uses both a FlySky and a Spektrum, the only thing I use my Spektrum TX is for the E-Flight bind and fly's. All of my scratch builds have FlySky RX's.

Like @Hai-Lee I have bought a second FlySky after my first one started to die rather than switch. It is hard to beat the price vs performance of the FlySky.

That said, if price is not a concern and you want to stick to genuine Spektrum RX's, there is nothing wrong with going that route. I own a single genuine Spektrum AR610 RX and have never had an issue with it. And as @whackflyer said, the Spektrum TX does feel nicer and has nicer gimbals. The more expensive models have a lot more features as well.

I would say if you plan on flying the cheaper foamies with basic functions, go FlySky without hesitation. If you plan on going more bind and fly's or expensive builds with more advanced mixes or other highend features, go Spektrum.

 

[Hai-Lee]

I'll add my two cents. First off, FlySky and Spektrum are both good TX's, they just have their pluses and minuses. I don't have much hands on experience with FlySky while I have been a Spektrum user for a few years. Here's some pros and cons.

FlySky Pros-

cheap to buy
receivers are cheap
very good for new hobbyists

FlySky Cons-

gimbals feel cheap
setup is not very intuitive
virtually no customer service
feels light and not as high of quality

Spektrum Pros-

very intuitive to use
gimbals feel good and high quality
awesome customer support
ergonomics are very good, feels very quality

Spektrum Cons-

relatively expensive to purchase
genuine receivers are expensive
not as beginner friendly in price(obviously)

Keep in mind this is my unprofessional opinion, and I am open to correction if you have other facts to correct me

just my two cents

Edit: I'm not trying to start a FlySky/Spektrum debate, I'm just posting opinions and observances from my personal experiences. I don't have any experience with jumper or frsky but have heard many positive things said about them

Me 😎

I disagree with the service issues as I am in contact with them from time to time and they are always very co-operative!
The fact that the FlySky can have any version of Failsafe, or even none at all, set via a menu before binding is worth its weight in gold. Spektrum radios cannot defeat Failsafe at all and therefore either you set failsafe properly or you set it poorly there is no third option!

Flysky uses telemetry to give Rx signal strength throughout the entire flight whereas Spektrum has a basic pushbutton range test that even spektrum infer is not too good or else they would not recommend the advanced range testing procedures for flying models.

As for Gimbal feeling, intuitive menu, and the supposed ergonomic superiority, i find them to be a matter of personal taste, (or opinion), and therefore subjective!

I use a radio for its performance and programming features first and foremost.

Just my personal view and the views of my students!

Have fun!

Aesthetics are a poor reason to buy a transmitter!

 

[Bricks]

Almost all the Spektrum radios have telemetry now, so that is a non factor anymore.

Why would you want to defeat failsafe?

 

[Hai-Lee]

Almost all the Spektrum radios have telemetry now, so that is a non factor anymore.

Why would you want to defeat failsafe?

If your question is for me I do not want to defeat Failsafe normally but when using semi-autonomous flight controllers the removal of the throttle being set to zero allows the controller to be allowed to turn the model around and return it to the field. A command ot shutdown the throttle due to failsafe would cause the return to home feature to be defeated and the plane ot possibly crash out of control.

Just what works for me!

Have fun!

 

[Ketchup]

Everybody here has a good point. I would like to add in a few things though. Some people in the multirotor community prefer fly sky and taranis because apparently they have better range than Spektrum (I’m not sure about that though but it seems true), but I have never had any issues with my dx8. I have had issues with my older dx4e, but that was with a dsm2 receiver on an old plane at flite fest, so it wasn’t exactly optimal. I also have to add in some stuff about Spektrum customer support. A switch broke on my dx8 and Spektrum fixed it for free! The only thing that wasn’t free was the shipping, and all it took was probably a phone call or email.
Also for what you said about flite test not supporting flysky. They are partnered with Spektrum, so naturally they wouldn’t say much about other radio manufacturers.

 

[Winston1203]

oh, that's why...

 

[sprzout]

Here's the thing with range:

99.9% of modern transmitters and receivers, regardless of brand, will allow you to fly farther away than you can see. What I have experienced with what people think is a faulty receiver or transmitter signal loss, many times ends up being pilot error, equipment failure due to using the equipment outside of normal operating standards, or equipment failure due to damage.

Let me give an example:

I have an OrangeRX receiver that I have used in my various combat wings. It's had the casing broken off, and on its last outing, I had the wing crash and signal was lost. When I got to it, I saw a burned spot on the receiver itself. My guess is that the receiver moved around inside the plane, made contact with something metal within the wing after a midair collision, and it shorted out.

I've also had a "failsafe" issue thrown within my little micro quad. Why? Because I lost signal to it. But it wasn't surprising as to why; I had just hit the side of a gate, and one of the antennae on the board had taken damage. The antenna that was damaged was probably about as thick as a human hair, and it had been broken in a crash. The thing lost signal, and dropped out of the air. Equipment issue? Yes. But not where I'd say it was a fault of the brand of the receiver or transmitter.

Ultimately, I liken the brands to being a "Ford vs. Chevy" debate - they all do the same basic functions in that they control channels to move your aircraft through the sky. Each brand has its pros and cons, just like each model has its pros and cons. And, as mentioned earlier, ergonomics are a personal thing that varies even from model to model within a brand. Frsky has a transmitter called the X-Lite, which looks like a video game controller. I picked it up at the AMA Expo West last year, and I absolutely hated the way that it felt - while it was solid, it felt really small in my hands, and I actually had a bit of a cramp while trying to give throttle and rudder. But, one of the kids at our field has one and absolutely loves using it because it fits his hands and it's perfect - for him.

I would tell you to do your research on the transmitters and see what you specifically need. I just saw a thread about a particular FlySky radio that has the trim only adjustable through the touch screen. That, to me, is absolutely unusable when you're flying, because when you are adjusting trim, you want to do it while you're flying and don't want to take your eyes off the plane to look at a screen. But someone else may find it works for them. I don't know how they'll make it work, but if you can make it work, good for you.

 

[The Hangar]

I'll add my two cents. First off, FlySky and Spektrum are both good TX's, they just have their pluses and minuses. I don't have much hands on experience with FlySky while I have been a Spektrum user for a few years. Here's some pros and cons.

FlySky Pros-

cheap to buy
receivers are cheap
very good for new hobbyists

FlySky Cons-

gimbals feel cheap
setup is not very intuitive
virtually no customer service (@Hai-Lee corrected me on this)
feels light and not as high of quality

Spektrum Pros-

very intuitive to use
gimbals feel good and high quality
awesome customer support
ergonomics are very good, feels very quality

Spektrum Cons-

relatively expensive to purchase
genuine receivers are expensive
not as beginner friendly in price(obviously)

Keep in mind this is my unprofessional opinion, and I am open to correction if you have other facts to correct me

just my two cents

Edit: I'm not trying to start a FlySky/Spektrum debate, I'm just posting opinions and observances from my personal experiences. I don't have any experience with jumper or frsky but have heard many positive things said about them

Me 😎

What Spektrum tx do you use?

 

["Corpse"]

when I first started the hobby I posted a thread on which transmitter I should get as my first, and a lot of people recommended the flysky i6. so, I looked it up on Amazon and it seemed to have good reviews too. And in the thread, most people were talking about how the flysky transmitters were good due to their price. But other people complained that the transmitter was short-lived and didn't last long. flite test also never mentioned flysky as a good "reputable" brand. do you agree?

I had the Flysky FS-T6 a while ago. They do feel a bit cheap, but they work great. The user interface is awesome and easy to learn. I never had an LOS, and no problem with range. The only real downside to it is they use a lot of AA batteries. I had to put 8 batteries in every time it ran out of power. I'm sure you could solder up a 3s lipo no problem though.

 

[Hai-Lee]

I had the Flysky FS-T6 a while ago. They do feel a bit cheap, but they work great. The user interface is awesome and easy to learn. I never had an LOS, and no problem with range. The only real downside to it is they use a lot of AA batteries. I had to put 8 batteries in every time it ran out of power. I'm sure you could solder up a 3s lipo no problem though.

Here is my tip in relation to the batteries.

I went to the local ALDI supermarket and purchased 4 NiMh batteries 2600 mA batteries for $5 AUD and my charger can charge NiMh batteries as well as LiPo so I just charge the batteries every fortnight or month. I haven't bought any new batteries for 18 months now!

Just what works for me!

Have fun!

 

["Corpse"]

Here is my tip in relation to the batteries.

I went to the local ALDI supermarket and purchased 4 NiMh batteries 2600 mA batteries for $5 AUD and my charger can charge NiMh batteries as well as LiPo so I just charge the batteries every fortnight or month. I haven't bought any new batteries for 18 months now!

Just what works for me!

Have fun!

Awesome! I'll try that with next TX.

 

[The Hangar]

I have a 4000 mah 2s pack for my TX and it lasts so long! I was sick of replacing those pesky AA batteries every couple weeks... Well worth the upgrade, in both the ease of use and less money in batteries.

 

[bracesport]

I have never had an issue with my little FS i6s and even though I have moved to OTX, my 6-year-old son is now using it on the simulator and then I will set it up as a buddy box.

 

[daxian]

flysky ia6 is what i have had for 5 years..for the price it is well worth it ..it has excellent range the recievers are cheap too !
yes it has limits ...only three mixes ,only 20 model spaces ,and one button (cancel )has dual purpose...
other than that it is the perfect first radio and i would not hesitate to buy another ...
i also bought a frsky QX7 and a multi module ...because i had over 40 recievers and models for the flysky and tired of deleting models ..to add a new one ! ....i soon realised that i could have 3 flysky recievers for the price of 1 frsky reciever ,which was a plus in my eyes ...
every one has their own likes as far as equipment goes ...some think you have to pay for the best ..and would never think of buying cheap ...its the reason most brand names can charge so much for something that serves the same purpose...
a rolex watch still tells the same time as a chinese knock off !!!