New family to the hobby - need help buying pair of radios

[GRIMESPACE]

Hi all

My sons and I are planning to spend some time this winter building a few "first" planes and learning to fly together. Right now, I'm looking to buy a pair of radios that can do the following

• Connect one to a computer that will run flight simulator software - either Phoenix or RealFlight - so we can learn to fly
• Pair together (buddy-box) so that I can help them learn to fly
• Have at least 4-6 channels (or more, if budget allows)

I'm trying to keep costs down, so I've been looking at some of the radios available at HobbyKing, like the Turnigy 9x, which looks to run about $50 with a receiver, and about what I'd like to pay for the secondary radio. For primary radio, I was also looking at the Turnigy 9xr Pro, which looks like it'd be around $55, but requries a lipo battery and an additional "radio module" that I wouldn't know how to select. It looks like it has a good feature set that'd help keep me from wanting anything better, so I'm willing to spend a bit more on at least one of them - if it topped out around $100 ($150 for the pair), I'd be happy budget-wise.

I'm sure you guys get these kinds of questions all the time, but I hope you don't mind helping me out. I need a recommendation for radios that will cover my wish list, and if there's anything extra I need to add to them, please let me know. Also, any feedback as to whether Phoenix (cheaper) would be fine, or if I really should be spending near double for RealFlight would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[earthsciteach]

Flying with your kids is awesome!

I started with the Turnigy 9x and it served me well. Over time, I got frustrated with the Turnigy receiver antennas breaking inside the casing, which led to a few crashes. However, if you are careful with them it won't be a huge problem. Eventually, I replaced the stock module with a FrSky module and LOVE it! I also added a backlight on the screen and had it upgraded to er9x. IMHO, this radio can't be beat at its price.

 

[GRIMESPACE]

Thanks for the quick response!

Are you able to run the 9x with simulator software? Or is it only the 9x Pro that can?

aargh I hate learning curves :black_eyed:

 

[pressalltheknobs]

You should take a look at the FlySky/Turnigy i6
It ticks all you boxes and you can get two with receivers for much less than you $150 budget.
You can get it here
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...er_and_6CH_Receiver_Mode_2_AR_Warehouse_.html

or here with the better receiver.
http://www.banggood.com/FlySky-FS-i...ansmitter-With-FS-iA6B-Receiver-p-983537.html

If you are in Canada from Amazon with both receivers.
http://www.amazon.ca/Flysky-2-4GHz-Transmitter-Receiver-Helicopter/dp/B017NI4LPG

If you want to buddy box you will need the buddy cable
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...r_Cable_Buddy_Box_Cable_2m_AR_Warehouse_.html
http://www.banggood.com/Flysky-i6-Trainer-Cable-For-FS-i6-FS-T6-Transmitter-p-986742.html
http://www.amazon.ca/Flysky-Connection-Download-Firmware-Transmitter/dp/B014HAOEMI

To run a simulator you will need a simulator cable. I got this one and it works with ClearView $40 and PicaSim $3 donation but only supports 4 channels
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...i6_Flight_Simulation_Cable_AR_Warehouse_.html
For Banggood and Amazon.ca there are other options.

You also should get a data update cable in case you need to update the Firmware
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...ng_2_4Ghz_6Ch_Tx_USB_Cable_AR_Warehouse_.html
http://www.banggood.com/FlySky-Data...-T6-Transmitter-Firmware-Update-p-982289.html
http://www.amazon.ca/Flysky-Connection-Download-Firmware-Upgrade/dp/B014IGMXWY

The main disadvantage is that the new AFHDS2A receivers only work with the i series TXs from FlySky/Turnigy so that is ultimately a bit limiting but it may not be important for your purpose.

I don't have one but the other interesting one to consider is the Spektrum DXe. You program it on your computer and manage the model memory from you smart phone. If you want to buy BNF models to just fly then this might be a good option. You can use it on you own models too. You do have to buy a $20 cable to program it but you would only need one.

 

[pressalltheknobs]

Pretty much anything that can be used as a trainer can be used with simulator software. It generally just needs the PPM out from TX to a USB converter. There are generic packages that have adapters for most transmitters.

 

[GRIMESPACE]

Wow! Thank you! I think you've found my perfect radios. The review is fantastic, and I truly appreciate all the links and information you provided.

If I wanted to upgrade later (to, say the Turnigy 9xr Pro), would it be compatible with these (at least the receivers), or are they two different animals?

 

[GRIMESPACE]

One other thing - is it possible to use rechargeable batteries with this, or do I just use regular off-the-shelf AA's?

 

[pressalltheknobs]

The i6 uses 4 AA. People talk about modding it to use a small LiFe (you probably have to cut the case) but if you want rechargeable then just use enloops or something. The battery life is quite good and only 4 batteries is a big improvement of the previous generation that used 8.

Unfortunately the new AFHDS2A protocol receivers only work with the FlySky/Turnigy i6 and i10 Transmitters (and a few other new FlySky's) so the only upgrade path currently is to the i10. However the i6 and i10 work with the old AFHDS receivers that the 9X uses out of the box and you can by a module that works in the 9XPRO if you must. Reportedly, the older design FlySky AFHDS receivers are not as reliable range wise. (Note that for the Turnigy brand the old AFHDS receivers are known as "V2". You cannot just go by the Turnigy brand because it relabels a couple if incompatible systems.

Since the AFHDS2A receivers are quite cheap $10-$15. I wouldn't worry too much about transferring them over to another system later unless you are planning to buy a lot of them. Just see how it goes and sell the transmitters and receivers as a lot to the next set of beginners.

Another thing to bear in mind about the i6 is that it is an inexpensive TX and while the build quality does seem quite good it is possible you could get a bad one. While HK and Banggood might take it back you might find that process annoying so be prepared. The 3 I bought for the Robot club have been good so far but they haven't had a lot of use yet.

I think by the time you upgrade you will want to consider something of a bit higher quality than the 9XPRO. It's a good value feature wise if you can get past its looks (I can't) but the build is a bit dubious as far as I can tell. HK do seem to be reducing the price to keep it in play but I suspect that most people that would be interested in it for its openness would rather have a Taranis and the rest might think the FlySky/Turnigy i10 was the cat's pajamas. Personally I would probably buy a Spektrum DX6 over the i10 though. I actually bought a Taranis so it's moot point.

 

[GRIMESPACE]

Hopefully, this thread isn't too "dead", so I can ask some new quesitons

I just got my new FlySky i6 this weekend - $41 for the tx with a standard iA6 receiver from Banggood.com with free shipping. Have an iA6B receiver on it's way ($10 + $2 for expedited shipping from China). Great deals - I very much appreciate all the advice!

Also bought sim and programming cables from Hobby King. And now, the questions... where do I get the driver for the sim cable? Also, what do I do about upgrading the firmware, or is it best to leave alone for now?

Thanks again to all - but especially to pressalltheknobs!

 

[pressalltheknobs]

On the simulator if you have Windows 7 it may just work. It did for me. I do have a couple of odd USB drivers from other things which may be relevant but they are just as likely not. If you have something older thane Windows 7 you may have more trouble.

First you just have to see if picasim recognizes it as a PC joystick. Assuming it does you have to calibrate it in picasim which is not hard but may not be obvious. There are no working "buttons" so the windows joystick calibration that picasim exposes seems a bit odd but it seemed to work or at least not break anything. The picasim calibration is just a matter of looking for the channels that move when you move the sticks and assigning them correctly. ClearView is similar although bit more compact so its easier to figure out. You only get 4 channels.

Note: I have since heard that other serial to USB sim adapters may allow you to get all 8 PPM channels (well it would be 6 in the case of the i6) but it only gives you retracts and flaps on certain models so it's not that important

You only need to think about upgrading the firmware if you got one with older firmware versions. As far as I know the fixes were to add PPM support and to fix the model name save issue. The latter might only be a problem with the Turnigy version. If you have the PPM feature in the RX setup menu and there is no problem saving the model name then you probably have the latest.

The latest FlySky manual is available from the download section for the flySky site http://www.flysky-cn.com/ which seems to be back working again.
http://www.flysky-cn.com/download_detail/&downloadsId=4.html

The firmware used to be there too but I don't see it at the moment. There are versions of the firmware kicking around for the Turnigy i6. I have not tried to update the firmware yet but others have - you can find what did mostly on RCGroups. I may have a link somewhere. You can check the version you have but probably not something to mess with for now. Get other stuff working first.

 

[GRIMESPACE]

Tried it out, and it does appear to be recognizing as a joystick / usb controller in Windows 10. Also gave picasim a try for a few minutes. I think I'm doing something wrong, because it doesn't seem to be connecting - will try again later tonight or tomorrow.

More important (to me), I was planning to buy Phoenix 5.0, and noticed someone stating that the controller and this cable are not compatible with that sim. Do you happen to know if that's true?

Thanks again for all the info!

 

[pressalltheknobs]

Tried it out, and it does appear to be recognizing as a joystick / usb controller in Windows 10. Also gave picasim a try for a few minutes. I think I'm doing something wrong, because it doesn't seem to be connecting - will try again later tonight or tomorrow.

More important (to me), I was planning to buy Phoenix 5.0, and noticed someone stating that the controller and this cable are not compatible with that sim. Do you happen to know if that's true?

Thanks again for all the info!

Unfortunately I don't have the sim cable here to try again at the moment but I think picasim just found it when I opened the joystick tab in the settings. It is possible you have to put the transmitter into "student" mode to get a ppm signal sent from the trainer port.

I don't have Phoenix so I can't say what works or doesn't but my impression is that if you buy it legally, it comes with its own USB interface converter/dongle and you connect your transmitter "trainer" port to that. "Trainer" signal is generally PPM which is a common standard. What varies mostly is the connector and the pin used. So depending on what transmitter you use you may need an adapter. The FlySky sim cable is in two parts, the USB converter/adapter and the din to 3.5mm jack socket adapter. It seems quite possible that the 3.5mm jack socket adapter part will plug into the Phoenix USB interface. It looks just like the typical adapters that Horizon sell. See the parts an accessories tab on the Horizon page.

One issue with trainer ports is that sometimes stereo jacks don't work and you must use a mono jack to get a reliable ground connection. However it seems the Phoenix USB converter/dongle also uses a stereo 3.5mm jack plug so I think there is a good chance the jack socket part of the i6 adapter will work.

 

[GRIMESPACE]

Whew - finally figured it out. Pretty complicated config, at least compared to FPV Freerider, which also works great!

Will be trying Phoenix next, and yes, I will absolutely be purchasing a legal copy.

Thanks!

 

[pressalltheknobs]

cool. Looks like you are set

 

[Sneeky7]

You should take a look at the FlySky/Turnigy i6
It ticks all you boxes and you can get two with receivers for much less than you $150 budget.
You can get it here
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...er_and_6CH_Receiver_Mode_2_AR_Warehouse_.html

or here with the better receiver.
http://www.banggood.com/FlySky-FS-i...ansmitter-With-FS-iA6B-Receiver-p-983537.html

If you are in Canada from Amazon with both receivers.
http://www.amazon.ca/Flysky-2-4GHz-Transmitter-Receiver-Helicopter/dp/B017NI4LPG

If you want to buddy box you will need the buddy cable
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...r_Cable_Buddy_Box_Cable_2m_AR_Warehouse_.html
http://www.banggood.com/Flysky-i6-Trainer-Cable-For-FS-i6-FS-T6-Transmitter-p-986742.html
http://www.amazon.ca/Flysky-Connection-Download-Firmware-Transmitter/dp/B014HAOEMI

To run a simulator you will need a simulator cable. I got this one and it works with ClearView $40 and PicaSim $3 donation but only supports 4 channels
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...i6_Flight_Simulation_Cable_AR_Warehouse_.html
For Banggood and Amazon.ca there are other options.

You also should get a data update cable in case you need to update the Firmware
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...ng_2_4Ghz_6Ch_Tx_USB_Cable_AR_Warehouse_.html
http://www.banggood.com/FlySky-Data...-T6-Transmitter-Firmware-Update-p-982289.html
http://www.amazon.ca/Flysky-Connection-Download-Firmware-Upgrade/dp/B014IGMXWY

The main disadvantage is that the new AFHDS2A receivers only work with the i series TXs from FlySky/Turnigy so that is ultimately a bit limiting but it may not be important for your purpose.

I don't have one but the other interesting one to consider is the Spektrum DXe. You program it on your computer and manage the model memory from you smart phone. If you want to buy BNF models to just fly then this might be a good option. You can use it on you own models too. You do have to buy a $20 cable to program it but you would only need one.

I have to chime in and say thanks here. I was leaning on the edge of buying the FrSky Taranis or a used DX6, but I have to say this made me re evaluate my needs and I think I can save a lot of money by going with the i6.

 

[GRIMESPACE]

Absolutely happy with the i6!

After buying and trying, I can wholeheartedly recommend this advice. The equipment (so far) is working awesome at home with the various simulator software I've been using (Picasim, FPV Freerider, and Phoenix 5) to learn to fly. Will report back later this week after we've built our first plane(s) and tried them out for real, but I expect that they'll perform perfectly.

I wound up getting two of the FlySky FS-i6 from Banggood.com. I bought the standard setup (with the non-telemetry receiver), as I could get them much quicker from a US shipper. Also bought the better receiver that was only available from Chinese supplier, but it's sloooooow getting here.

The flight sim cable comes in two parts. A short one that connects to the transmitter and has a connector (like a 1/8" headphone plug) on the other end, and a longer one that's USB on one end and a matching 1/8" headphone connector on the other. If you buy from Banggood, I think you only get the transmitter side (that's what the pic shows).

I got the flight sim cable from HobbyKing, because it had both cables and would allow me to use the free / cheap sim software that you download from the internet (ie: Pica and FPV Freerider). Only need the transmitter side for Phoenix, as that software package comes with it's own USB cable that has a small box inline, which I'm pretty sure is a proprietary security key.

I also purchased the data cable (for updating the radios, which I haven't tried yet), a buddy cable for helping my sons learn out at the field, and a battery voltage sensor, which will allow me to monitor the battery on the transmitter display.

Really excited about starting out first build today and my youngest has been working hard with the sim software so we can get out there very soon!

 

[GRIMESPACE]

...forgot to add - I'm only in around $120 or so for all this gear. Basically two full 6-channel setups for around the same $$$ as a cheaper Spektrum (maybe except the dxe, which I'm not so sure I like, as it's fully dependent on having a phone or laptop device available to do any programming).

 

[Sneeky7]

I'm definitely going to go with the i6. The only thing I can forsee me wanting in the future is some kind of gyro assisted receiver (like Spektrum's AS3X)... but I can assume that there's a solution out there that I haven't researched, like a flight controller