I am new to the hobby and I am trying to decide on a first transmitter that I can grow with. I am interested in RC combat, FPV fixed wing and FPV quadcopter racing. Spektrum has the new DX6e coming out this month that seems to be feature filled. Are there better transmitters under $200 that I should be considering over this one. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Ron
First transmitter for newbie under $200.
- Thread starter fclassron
- Start date
This is coming from someone who drinks the spektrum kool aid. The DX6e should be great. I love my DX6i. I also have a JR 9608, and a DX18.
Spektrum is nice, because you can walk down to that hobby shop, and there will always be a bunch of bind and fly stuff you can buy an enjoy "right now".
If I were to recomend anything else, it would be to not be afraid of the used market. You can pick up a really nice radio cheaply if you go used. Don't fear radios with DSM2, as DSM2 is just a small change away from DSMx. As long as you're not flying in the world record event you'll be just fine. That means finding an older DX7, DX8, or whatever is still a good idea. I'd offer to sell you my JR radio, but it's not the easiest radio to deal with.. and I"m not going to wish that on a noob.
If you're going new... Buying a module based radio, or FRsky based would be the alternative plan. You'll need to wait for someone else to chime in about FrSky, as I've not had any good experiences with them.
The FliteTest crew drinks the Graunper Kool-Aid. As does my flying buddy. The Graunper receivers output PPM, And transmitter modules accept PPM. So making gruanper to "whatever" adapters isn't all that difficult. He has a module in a pelican box that he uses to fly spektrum birds. (So the Nano QX, Nano CPS, etc..)
Good luck! HOpefully someone better informed on the other radios will drop in.
Spektrum is nice, because you can walk down to that hobby shop, and there will always be a bunch of bind and fly stuff you can buy an enjoy "right now".
If I were to recomend anything else, it would be to not be afraid of the used market. You can pick up a really nice radio cheaply if you go used. Don't fear radios with DSM2, as DSM2 is just a small change away from DSMx. As long as you're not flying in the world record event you'll be just fine. That means finding an older DX7, DX8, or whatever is still a good idea. I'd offer to sell you my JR radio, but it's not the easiest radio to deal with.. and I"m not going to wish that on a noob.
If you're going new... Buying a module based radio, or FRsky based would be the alternative plan. You'll need to wait for someone else to chime in about FrSky, as I've not had any good experiences with them.
The FliteTest crew drinks the Graunper Kool-Aid. As does my flying buddy. The Graunper receivers output PPM, And transmitter modules accept PPM. So making gruanper to "whatever" adapters isn't all that difficult. He has a module in a pelican box that he uses to fly spektrum birds. (So the Nano QX, Nano CPS, etc..)
Good luck! HOpefully someone better informed on the other radios will drop in.
m00ndancer
Member
Ok here is my opinions, as a Spectrum non believer (had to many issues in my club with it, but my modded Devo 7e works wonders with DSM2 if you fly close even with the Hobby king micro RX) The downside with Spectrum as I see it is the range, going FPV you're going to need a good TX(transmitter) & good RX(receiver). We have a congested 2.4Ghz area at our field with a black hole to the south of the airfield, so many lesser RX will brown out in that particular area, the only ones that works flawlessly is (in no particular order)
You have two ways to go.
Go cheap and learn to flash your radio.
(You can start out without flashing to learn the radio)
Flysky FS-i6 with a modded 10ch firmware. $50 from Banggood including a FS-iA6b RX. Spares for it? No, but cheap enough to buy another as a spare.
RX is really cheap about $10 for the RX with support for telemetry.
Easy to program for most things, but it has "only" three mixes. If you're going to fly FPV quad or FPV planes you can do the rest of the programming on the flight-controller.
Pony up some more money and get a FrSky Taranis.
About $250 for the radio with one RX.
This radio can do almost anything you like, support modules and runs OpenTX. But it's not easy to learn to program it even if there's plenty of YouTube videos out there.
$26 to $40 for the original RXs and $11 and up for third parties. With the module system on the TX you can use other systems.
Other than that I like the Graupner system, it's not cheap (TX,RX + ESC) but have excellent programming features, even on the six channel versions.
This is only my personal opinions and other will have different ones. Read all of them and decide for yourself.
- Futaba original RX
- Frsky with original RX
- Flysky with the "bigger" iA6B RX and the new protocol, older Flysky suffers the same
- Graupner
You have two ways to go.
Go cheap and learn to flash your radio.
(You can start out without flashing to learn the radio)
Flysky FS-i6 with a modded 10ch firmware. $50 from Banggood including a FS-iA6b RX. Spares for it? No, but cheap enough to buy another as a spare.
RX is really cheap about $10 for the RX with support for telemetry.
Easy to program for most things, but it has "only" three mixes. If you're going to fly FPV quad or FPV planes you can do the rest of the programming on the flight-controller.
Pony up some more money and get a FrSky Taranis.
About $250 for the radio with one RX.
This radio can do almost anything you like, support modules and runs OpenTX. But it's not easy to learn to program it even if there's plenty of YouTube videos out there.
$26 to $40 for the original RXs and $11 and up for third parties. With the module system on the TX you can use other systems.
Other than that I like the Graupner system, it's not cheap (TX,RX + ESC) but have excellent programming features, even on the six channel versions.
This is only my personal opinions and other will have different ones. Read all of them and decide for yourself.
Only tried Spektrum once. Once! But that was a module in a Taranis, so that might have been the issue.
To stay under $200.00, I am a Turnigy 9X kool aid drinker. A lot of people talk about flashing firmware and customization. My Turnigy 9X is still stock and has no mods, updates or upgrades and it is as powerful a radio as I need for flying fixed wing along with multirotors.
If you can go a pinch over $200.00, the Taranis is an excellent radio. Again, mine is stock and works fine that way. I really enjoy my Taranis and the Turnigy 9X has been seeing less and less use because of it. Even my Futaba radios are collecting dust since using the Taranis.
If you are interested in the Spektrum line, I really can't bad mouth them. I don't use a Spektrum radio but plenty of my friends do and they don't have issues. A DX series radio would be specially nice if you are interested in the Bind and Fly, like Nerobro pointed out.
To stay under $200.00, I am a Turnigy 9X kool aid drinker. A lot of people talk about flashing firmware and customization. My Turnigy 9X is still stock and has no mods, updates or upgrades and it is as powerful a radio as I need for flying fixed wing along with multirotors.
If you can go a pinch over $200.00, the Taranis is an excellent radio. Again, mine is stock and works fine that way. I really enjoy my Taranis and the Turnigy 9X has been seeing less and less use because of it. Even my Futaba radios are collecting dust since using the Taranis.
If you are interested in the Spektrum line, I really can't bad mouth them. I don't use a Spektrum radio but plenty of my friends do and they don't have issues. A DX series radio would be specially nice if you are interested in the Bind and Fly, like Nerobro pointed out.
Daemon1954
New member
I have a Taranis I used with full house glider setups and experimental stuff (like the Naze32 cub) and a DX6 for the BNF stuff. thought about a spektrum module but the cost is only about 70$ less than a DX6 unless I build it and thats what I do all day at work.
If you're planning to build things yourself, I'm totally with m00ndancer on this one. If you'd rather stop by your local shop and pick up a bind-and-fly model, then you may want to stick with Spektrum.
My plan for progression is FlySky FS-i6 --> FlySky FS-i6 with 10 channel mod --> Taranis.
I'm still on my stock i6 right now. I haven't had a need to flash it with the 10-channel mod yet. I figure that once I get a Taranis, I can get a FlySky module for it(or just keep the i6 around) so I don't even need to swap out any receivers in existing planes.
The FlySky FS-i6 is currently $43.18 at Banggood!
Receivers are about $10. The voltage telemetry module is $4.
My plan for progression is FlySky FS-i6 --> FlySky FS-i6 with 10 channel mod --> Taranis.
I'm still on my stock i6 right now. I haven't had a need to flash it with the 10-channel mod yet. I figure that once I get a Taranis, I can get a FlySky module for it(or just keep the i6 around) so I don't even need to swap out any receivers in existing planes.
The FlySky FS-i6 is currently $43.18 at Banggood!
Receivers are about $10. The voltage telemetry module is $4.
mikeporterinmd
Still Learning
alofthobbies.com usually has the Taranis pretty cheap. While not free shipping, they are actual cost, more or less, and so not too expensive. They are also the US distributor. I think it was $205 last time I checked, but the site is not working at the moment.
mike
mike
mjmccarron
Member
First, I'd like to complement those who have responded for their honest and somewhat non biased responses. If you bring up the radio issue at our field it quickly turns into a heated argument. We call it "The Great Radio Controversy". That being said, I fly primarily fixed wing and use Spectrum and Futaba. Specifically a DX9 and Futaba 6J and have had no issues whatsoever with range or performance with either brand. We also have a black hole at the east end of our field. No one is immune to it. Every major brand experiences a drop out in that area. I don't like the term brownout for signal loss. It implies that the signal is just low or partially impaired. When you loose the link to your plane it is in fact "blacked out". Anyway, for many years I have flown Futaba. their 6 channel lineup is all priced under $200. The downside of Futaba is the fact that there are no aftermarket or third party receivers available and you are locked into "brand F". Regardless of what you choose, it needs to fit you. If you are in to programming and total control of the firmware, the FrSky is the way to go. Plug and play guys that enjoy bind n fly prefer Spectrum. Guys like me who scratch build most everything will go with Futaba or JR/Spektrum.
Here's where my personal opinion gets to show. Stay away from the Hobby King and Tunegy, OrangeRx stuff. I realize that there are quite a few who fly it and love it. I have, however, visited the Hobby King service department. The failure rate of their gear is staggering. Somewhere around 40%. When it works it works well but I have know quite a few who have had nothing but trouble with the 9X/ 9XR and similar. You get what you pay for and my opinion is that these bargain priced radios are "toy grade".
As a beginner, you will face a lot of challenges as you learn to fly. If you get a good radio to begin with, your chance of success will be somewhat higher. There is much to learn and I've seen too many get discouraged and move on to another hobby because of radio and equipment issues. I wish you the best of luck!
Mike
Here's where my personal opinion gets to show. Stay away from the Hobby King and Tunegy, OrangeRx stuff. I realize that there are quite a few who fly it and love it. I have, however, visited the Hobby King service department. The failure rate of their gear is staggering. Somewhere around 40%. When it works it works well but I have know quite a few who have had nothing but trouble with the 9X/ 9XR and similar. You get what you pay for and my opinion is that these bargain priced radios are "toy grade".
As a beginner, you will face a lot of challenges as you learn to fly. If you get a good radio to begin with, your chance of success will be somewhat higher. There is much to learn and I've seen too many get discouraged and move on to another hobby because of radio and equipment issues. I wish you the best of luck!
Mike
hack-o-holic
Member
I'm with dayve on this one. If you have $200 and are willing to spend it, save $50.00 more and buy the Taranis .
For my money I could not be happier with the Flysky FS-i6. I bought it about three weeks ago for $55 and love it. I did the 10 channel firmware mod (took about 2min) and plan on doing the battery voltage feedback mod soon so I'll get battery alarms in my Tx vs having to use a voltage alarm on the balance plug or having to buy the FlySky voltage telemetry thing.
If or when I feel I'm being limited by the FS-i6, I plan on going to the taranis but in the mean time I saved the cost of 4 FS-i6's and have access to 10channels, 4 extra switches and pots, model memory, expo, mixing etc. Plus it allows me to mess with my Naze32 and quads etc.
For my money I could not be happier with the Flysky FS-i6. I bought it about three weeks ago for $55 and love it. I did the 10 channel firmware mod (took about 2min) and plan on doing the battery voltage feedback mod soon so I'll get battery alarms in my Tx vs having to use a voltage alarm on the balance plug or having to buy the FlySky voltage telemetry thing.
If or when I feel I'm being limited by the FS-i6, I plan on going to the taranis but in the mean time I saved the cost of 4 FS-i6's and have access to 10channels, 4 extra switches and pots, model memory, expo, mixing etc. Plus it allows me to mess with my Naze32 and quads etc.
kdobson83
Well-known member
I don't have a lot of experience, but I give you what little I do have. I have a limited budget and wasn't 100% sure I'd love this hobby as much as I do, so I did my research and went with Flysky like a few other in this thread have said. I have the older Flysky T6. Just a 6 channel, no telemetry, and may be a tad limited with multi rotors but the new Flysky transmitters seem to be awesome. Why pay $200+ when u can get almost the same for $55. The RX's are really cheap too, I pay $12 for mine. Have had zero issues with my Flysky so far, been over a year of use. Will upgrade to the newer one soon. I personally see no need of a $200+ TX when flying homemade FT planes. Just my thoughts. What ever your chose, I'm sure you will be happy. This hobby rocks.
#iloveflitetest
#iloveflitetest
Here's my take on this, and it's all my own experience / anecdotal, so take it for what it's worth (about .02 USD):
When I got into the hobby and was looking for a setup, I ended up going the RTF route and at my local hobby store, picked up a HH DeltaRay which came with a DX4e or something along those lines (memory fades). It was great, and I learned to fly on that plane and TX. Heck, I even built my first FT plane and flew with that TX (a FT22) with great success.
That was the point where I realized I needed a better TX. I had to flip switches to change from normal airplane setup to elevon setup and back everytime I switched planes. I figured out I could bind both planes with the TX at the same time, but it's still a PITA.
Anyhow, I mentioned this to a friend who inspired me to get into the hobby in the first place, and he mentioned he had bought a heli that came with a DX6i that's not being used since he prefers his DX9. I wanted to give it to me, but I insisted he take money for it, so he suggested $50 which I gladly paid.
The point is, you can generally find people with extra equipment willing to sell a much better equipment than you might ordinarily get buying new. It might take a little more effort and there's no guarantee, but that's an option to investigate.
Heh, as soon as I posted this, I saw this:
http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?29804-FS-Hitec-Aurora-9-2-receivers-and-HPP-22
When I got into the hobby and was looking for a setup, I ended up going the RTF route and at my local hobby store, picked up a HH DeltaRay which came with a DX4e or something along those lines (memory fades). It was great, and I learned to fly on that plane and TX. Heck, I even built my first FT plane and flew with that TX (a FT22) with great success.
That was the point where I realized I needed a better TX. I had to flip switches to change from normal airplane setup to elevon setup and back everytime I switched planes. I figured out I could bind both planes with the TX at the same time, but it's still a PITA.
Anyhow, I mentioned this to a friend who inspired me to get into the hobby in the first place, and he mentioned he had bought a heli that came with a DX6i that's not being used since he prefers his DX9. I wanted to give it to me, but I insisted he take money for it, so he suggested $50 which I gladly paid.
The point is, you can generally find people with extra equipment willing to sell a much better equipment than you might ordinarily get buying new. It might take a little more effort and there's no guarantee, but that's an option to investigate.
Heh, as soon as I posted this, I saw this:
http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?29804-FS-Hitec-Aurora-9-2-receivers-and-HPP-22
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bitogre
Member
I do agree that the Taranis is a great radio and I highly recommend it for some ones second radio. I do not recommend it if it is your first due to the learning curve and complexity of using it. But once you understand how to use it, it will probably do more than most people will ever need. It is also nice in that it is modular and you can use it to control Bind-N-Fly planes with a DSM2/DSMX JR Modules (several options for that).
If you shop around, you should be able to find it for right around the $200 mark.
If you do decide to go used as Nerobro suggested (which may be a better option for you if this is your first radio), I would suggest sticking with a bigger name brands like JR, Specktrum, and Futaba. These companies have better customer support than the Chinese radios like Turnagy, FlySky, and FrSky, even for second hand radios.
DSM2 is fine for most environments but FliteFest has had problems with DSM2, not just during the World Record attempt but also during combat. So, DSM2 becomes a problem pretty much any time you have more than 50 planes in the air or somewhere with a lot of WiFi. But, if you do not fly in those conditions, the DSM2 only radios are fine.
If you shop around, you should be able to find it for right around the $200 mark.
If you do decide to go used as Nerobro suggested (which may be a better option for you if this is your first radio), I would suggest sticking with a bigger name brands like JR, Specktrum, and Futaba. These companies have better customer support than the Chinese radios like Turnagy, FlySky, and FrSky, even for second hand radios.
DSM2 is fine for most environments but FliteFest has had problems with DSM2, not just during the World Record attempt but also during combat. So, DSM2 becomes a problem pretty much any time you have more than 50 planes in the air or somewhere with a lot of WiFi. But, if you do not fly in those conditions, the DSM2 only radios are fine.
mikeporterinmd
Still Learning
Taranis-Plus is indeed $205 from alofthobbies.com. If you are in the US and the radio fails, it is much cheaper to send back for repairs. I had one I got from banggood, paid more for it, and it came DOA. It was well over $60 to send back to China. I decided to keep it and bought another. Sooner or later I will fix the broken one. It does work well enough to use on a simulator, which is nice.
Mike
Montiey
Master Tinkerer
Check it out!
http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdId=SPM6650
It's like a DXe, but that it has a screen and stuff. I get confused by all of Spektrum's radios.. The better ones are older, and the cheaper ones are newer, so they have some features that the others don't.. Maybe the DX9/18 will get an AirWare update soon and level the field? The DX6e one is something to check out. For the price, it seems unbeatable;
It's the second cheapest spektrum TX with a (backlit / hi res) screen and roller, just behind above the DX6i, which I would hesitate to recommend since it's getting outdated- especial with this new release.
Edit: It also has telemetry. I would't consider it a game changer, but since LemonRX has some cheap telemetry out now, I'd look into it.
http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdId=SPM6650
It's like a DXe, but that it has a screen and stuff. I get confused by all of Spektrum's radios.. The better ones are older, and the cheaper ones are newer, so they have some features that the others don't.. Maybe the DX9/18 will get an AirWare update soon and level the field? The DX6e one is something to check out. For the price, it seems unbeatable;
It's the second cheapest spektrum TX with a (backlit / hi res) screen and roller, just behind above the DX6i, which I would hesitate to recommend since it's getting outdated- especial with this new release.
Edit: It also has telemetry. I would't consider it a game changer, but since LemonRX has some cheap telemetry out now, I'd look into it.
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That's a great plan! Coincidentally, a former member of the RC club I belong to (Charles River RC) reached out for help from the club yesterday, with problems using their new DX6/AR610 hardware with a Dream Flight Weasel setup. Since I live nearby, I offered to help him this weekend with the setup. This is a modeler coming back into the hobby after more than a decade away, and having his most recent experience being with free flight stick and tissue models with no electronics!
Anyhow, it goes to show that getting something that others near you use could prove handy in the future if you need help or if you can offer a hand for someone else.
It's part of what I love about this hobby. Sharing is caring
bitogre
Member
That is a great plan. I think it is good idea as it will help you get an idea of which radios you can get local help with. This is especially important if you are considering getting a Chinese radio like a Taranis (which I love but acknowledge does not have a lot of support from the company).
I to am looking to get my first radio and if you start looking at radio (TX & RX) most are make in Chinese for its between 3 radio
FlySky FS-i6 2.4G 6CH AFHDS RC Transmitter With FS-iA6 Receiver at $43.18 free S&H or
Hobbyking Turnigy TGY-i6 AFHDS Transmitter and 6CH Receiver (Mode 2) $49.00 or
Hobbyking Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module & 8ch Receiver (Mode 2) (v2 Firmware) $59.99
FlySky FS-i6 2.4G 6CH AFHDS RC Transmitter With FS-iA6 Receiver at $43.18 free S&H or
Hobbyking Turnigy TGY-i6 AFHDS Transmitter and 6CH Receiver (Mode 2) $49.00 or
Hobbyking Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module & 8ch Receiver (Mode 2) (v2 Firmware) $59.99
m00ndancer
Member
If you're going for 6ch get the Flysky with the FS-iA6B (The B is important), better range and you can use the sensors w/o hacking the RX.
hack-o-holic
Member
Yes, I second what moondancer said exactly!
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