Just starting in the hobby and looking to save "some"money

Jaynap

New member
Are the Flysky transmitters any good? I am looking at the Flysky FS-i6X 2.4GHz 10CH AFHDS 2A RC Transmitter With X6B i-BUS Receiver. and will only be using it for three channels for awhile. I understand the "You get what you pay for" but will a newbie notice?
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
I’ve used Flysky for many years, very reliable, highly recommend. You will undoubtedly find many who bash the low price. They have to some reason to justify why theirs cost 2-3x more.

The only down side, fewer pilots have Flysky, so they will not be able to give you much help. If you want a bind & fly plane there are far far fewer options.

For the scratch builder who wants to control cost, Flysky is perfect.
 

kdobson83

Well-known member
I have that same TX. Works great. Cheap gimbals, once of which I had to replace. Was spazing out causing my rudder to go wonkey. Made me total my Cub and damage my explorer. Buy once I figured it out and replaced the gimbal it's been a great TX.
 

bracesport

Legendary member
I have the FSi6s ($60) includes mixing and all the tricks you need to get going- nice design too! I bought it for my son, but he hasn’t got his hands on it yet as it is so good!
 

Grifflyer

WWII fanatic
I used the Flysky Fs-T6 for a long time and never had a problem with it, but I always flew alone. I got a Graupner MZ-12 so that I'd have telemetry and less likely to have signal loss in "noisy" environments.
 

JTarmstr

Elite member
I have that same TX. Works great. Cheap gimbals, once of which I had to replace. Was spazing out causing my rudder to go wonkey. Made me total my Cub and damage my explorer. Buy once I figured it out and replaced the gimbal it's been a great TX.

One thing about the gimbals is the sharp points are uncomfortable to use for long times, i fix this by unscrewing the tops and re-placing them on upside down. Otherwise its a great beginning transmitter. Recommended.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
I have 2 of them and use them every flying day. The reason for having 2 is that I teach using a buddy box setup. In addition I build and fly all sorts of fixed wing models and many maidens occur each month so I needed a very reliable radio and the FlySky has exceeded my expectations repeatedly.

As for the BNF argument I have found that I can often swap the BNF Rx for 2 or more FlySky Rxs and so I actually make a small profit each time I buy a BNF plane.

When it comes to flying in large groups I have had far fewer issues than the spectrum users in my club. Mind you I am rather fastidious about antenna placement.

Just my usage of the Fkysky iA6.

Have fun!
 

kdobson83

Well-known member
Another advantage of the Flysky i6x is that it's super simple to use. Just remember to hold the cancel button to save your changes on any given menu... Lol
 

kdobson83

Well-known member
I used the Flysky Fs-T6 for a long time and never had a problem with it, but I always flew alone. I got a Graupner MZ-12 so that I'd have telemetry and less likely to have signal loss in "noisy" environments.
I switched from the T6 to the i6x. I found that the T6's range was really short. I got about 300 feet out with my mini mustang and lost connection, turning it into a pile of scrap... Lost connection with my TT as well but luckily I was putsing around and not full throttle like on my mini mustang. A quick Google search found that the T6 is known for it's short range.
The i6x on the other hand, there are videos of it going 2+km away and still connected.
 

pressalltheknobs

Posted a thousand or more times
The FlySky i6 and i6X are a great value for people on a tight budget who want a 6CH+ TX. You get all the basics you need to get started including 20 model memory, rates, expo, endpoints, subtrim, reversal, throttle curve, programmable failsafe (for the RXs that support it), built in delta/vtail mixes and 3 free mixes so you can implement differential thrust. Unfortunately the i6 (probably the i6X) does not have a way to enable/disable a mix which is a bit limiting. You also get telemetry which is only kinda useful because of the very limited alerting.

There is hack firmware available that improved the capabilities and makes the telemetry a little more useful among other things like more channels and a timer. You may want to consider ordering the FlySky data cable at the same time. I have heard it doesn't work with the i6X but I don't see why that should be...probably worth it for the parts even if you have to rewire it.

The main negatives are...
1. The gimbals are plastic bushed and will wear out fairly quickly. The springs are very small, occasionally break and can't be sourced easily. However, banggood did and probably still does sell replacement stock gimbals for the i6...probably the same for the i6X for around $8.
2. The case is smaller which you may or may not like but generally it is a bit cheesy feeling (and looking if you are vain)
3. The switches are a bit wobbly and tend to fall apart
4. AA batteries in spring frame are used to power it and that is not easy to change. Generally it is better to use a single soldered pack that plugs in for aircraft use. Spring frames are unreliable due to corrosion and the tendency for batteries to fall out.
5. The programming buttons are horrible as is the way the stock firmware uses them. I haven't tried the hack firmware but I don't think they changed the basic menu navigation.
6. The stock i6 firmware lacks some basic features like a Timer. The i6X improves on this some but is still not that wonderful. However the hack firmware does make some significant feature and function improvements.

If you can live with those things then it's a great little TX that will get you going. You might prefer the ia6B RX rather than the X6B as a first RX just because it is an easier package to use for basic planes. It has iBus available for telemetry and FC use. Banggood sell it i6 and the i6X packaged with it as an option.