"What Radio?"

[Cotharyus]

Hello, quick background. I've been in and out of RC for 30 years. Long ago I did cars and some planes, more recently more cars, and some heli action. I'm back in messing with multirotors now, but I have an yearning to pick up an electric plane or two as well, particularly since certain trainer models can be had so cheaply, and may be enticing for my nearly teenage son to fly.

Currently I'm flying a Blade Nano QX as a training unit for a much larger platform that will be used for filming. That rig will likely have a remotely controlled gimbal with a separate radio unit for the cinematographer, so that's not being a huge consideration at this point in my radio search, but keep in mind I will be building/flying a heavy lift octo on this transmitter eventually. For now, I've arrived at a point where I realize how stunningly bad the RTF radio with the Nano is, and I want something I can bind that to in order to keep progressing in my flying of that to the point where I build the other two multis I'm looking towards.

So, I need enough channels to run a good sized multi rotor (6 will do it, 9 might be ideal for the smaller multi that I want a GoPro on, think gimbal control?) and I need it to bind to Spektrum stuff. I've come up with 3 options, and I'm looking for advice regarding those options, or perhaps something fantastic that I've overlooked.

The middle of the road: Spektrum DX6i. For $129 I can get one with a receiver right now. Upside (uncertain?): It's a known quantity, I think. I had a DX7 with my last heli rig (I don't have it anymore) and it was a quality unit. Can I count on the same quality? Downside: minimum number of channels for long term use.
http://www.horizonhobby.com/product...transmitter-with-free-ar610-receiver-spmr6630

The cheap way:Turnigy 9XR, Orange TX module, 3s battery $94 - Upside, enough channels to do everything I can think of long term. Downside: This radio, brand, etc is a complete unknown for me in terms of usability and reliability.

The expensive way: FrSky Taranis 16 channel: $175 Upside: What the heck do you do with that many channels? Downside: Unknown in terms of quality, usability and reliability. And what the heck do you do with that many channels? And will it bind to the Specktrum stuff? I have more questions than answers about this radio, but I constantly see it mentioned on these forums as I'm reading through, so it's on the radar.

First: Have I missed anything I should REALLY be considering in terms of bang for the buck?
Second: If I haven't missed anything, where's the smart money go for my situation?

Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[mjmccarron]

Before I chime in on this one here's where my perspective is coming from. I've been flying RC for more than 35 years and have had quite a few radios over the years. From Kraft to JR, Futaba etc.

My opinion of the Turing 9xr is that it is intended to be a good radio. It's my understanding that it is a knock off of the FrSky Taranis but I have no experience with the FrSky. I do know that FrSky will not bind or work with Spectrum. It's a completely different protocol. With that, the Turing is not, in my opinion worth even the $94 price tag. The radio is of very inconsistent quality and the OrangeRx module is of questionable quality. I had the opportunity to visit the HobbyKing West warehouse recently and a standout of that visit was the huge piles of Tunigy radios and OrangeRx parts in the warranty return area. The tech working on them said he was unable to keep up with the returns of those brands and all he was doing was evaluating them for disposal. My experience with the 9XR is that it is a cheap, hard to use inconsistent radio and I would stay as far away from it as possible. I do have a friend with one and after he flashed the firmware with OpenTx it is at least functional.

I currently have a DX7S and a DX6i. (Spektrum) Both are excellent and trouble free radios. The quality of the DX6i is less than that of the DX7S. It is noticeably cheaper but I have no major complaints. (The gambles aren't as smooth) If it were me, I'd save the $ until I could afford the Spectrum. BTW, I fly OrangeRx receivers with my Spektrum's and have had no problems in the past two years with them. I do know others who have had problems with OrangeRx receivers but they were dead out of the box and didn't cause any crashes. I have had my DSM2 receiver (OrangeRX) momentarily lock out but it was only on one occasion and very brief. I attribute it to DSM2's quirky nature. I'd go for the DX6i or save a while longer and get the DX9.

That's just my two cents but for my money I'll stick with Spectrum. Futaba also makes some good stuff...
Mike

 

[Cotharyus]

This is exactly the sort of feedback I'm looking for. Thank you. I've had several Futaba radios for ground stuff, but given what I'm looking at right now, they don't seem to be in line with value for the dollar unless I'm missing something.

 

[joshuabardwell]

The expensive way: FrSky Taranis 16 channel: $175 Upside: What the heck do you do with that many channels? Downside: Unknown in terms of quality, usability and reliability. And what the heck do you do with that many channels? And will it bind to the Specktrum stuff? I have more questions than answers about this radio, but I constantly see it mentioned on these forums as I'm reading through, so it's on the radar.

Don't worry about the extra channels. If you don't need them, don't use them. That being said, I do have a plane that uses 9 channels. Just for perspective, they are: rudder, elevator, throttle, aileron1, aileron2, flap1, flap2, camera pan, camera tilt. The ailerons and flaps are on separate channels to allow things like air brakes, whole-wing ailerons (using both aileron and flaps), camber, crow, etc...

Quality and reliability are hardly unknown, if you do some reading. Build quality of the radio is top-notch. Here's a teardown video that you might like:

Usability depends on you. The radio can do anything you ask it to do. Some folks find it to be less user-friendly than other radios that are less capable.

As for whether it will bind with Spektrum, the radio's internal module is FrSky, but you can use the external JR module to put in whatever you like, so yes, it will bind with Spektrum, for the additional cost of perhaps $35 for a module.

The real power of the Taranis is the OpenTX firmware. Take a look at the OpenTX For Taranis user manual to see if the capabilities of the firmware are something that would appeal to you.

 

[RickC]

I have a DX6, moved up to a DX7s and now use a DX9. I have enjoyed each transmitter and the improvements with each have made me not want to go back.

RickC

 

[earthsciteach]

Asking this question will get you so many different answers! It looks like you already have a handle on what you are dealing with by the way you broke down the TX options.

I use a Turnigy 9x with Frsky module and am quite happy with it since upgrading to the ER9x firmware and Frsky module. Hated the stock system for one reason only - rx antennas break at the case (often inside) and I suffered too many crashes due to this.

The Taranis is a REALLY nice feeling radio. Its just not in the budget for me, at this time. However, when the time comes, it will be my next radio (unless something better comes along). And, the price isn't that bad!

Spektrum is solid, no doubt. And, you can buy plenty of bind and fly planes that are compatible.

Personally, I'd buy the Taranis. I like the Frsky protocol, as I have never had an issue with it. And, the rxs are quite affordable. Just my personal opinion.

 

[Cotharyus]

Quality and reliability are hardly unknown, if you do some reading. Build quality of the radio is top-notch. Here's a teardown video that you might like:

I meant unknown to me. Which doesn't mean me reading something, it means putting something in my hands. But I keep hearing good things about the Taranis. Thanks for the video link, I will certainly be putting a bit more detailed research into the Taranis and it's system. I like the idea of opensource. I also like the idea of transmitter modules, so this certainly puts the Taranis back on the list for me. Price wise, nothing I've seen touches what it seems to offer feature wise, and if the build quality is really that good, it almost makes it a no-brainer for me.

 

[AeroMaestro]

Here's a teardown video that you might like...

That video is what sold me on the FrSky Taranis a month ago. I've been flying a DX6i for the past two years, and finally outgrew it, as my quadcopter needed more channels for precisely the kinds of things you're talking about. (Gimbal sliders, especially.)

I bought a FrSky Taranis and a cheap OrangeRX DSMX module for it, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. The nice difference between the Taranis and the Turnigy 9x is that the Taranis does have its own FrSky transmitter built-in. The 9x has no built-in transmitter, so you'll need a module for whatever you want to fly. What that boils down to is that I can switch back and forth between all my models with Spektrum receivers and my models with the FrSky receivers without having to swap modules. If I were doing that on the Turnigy 9x, I'd be swapping out the module in my transmitter all day.

Anyway, I've had absolutely no troubles binding the orangeRx transmitter module in my FrSky radio to all my spektrum planes. And, in fact, my unscientific feeling is that I'm actually getting better range out of the FrSky/OrangeRX combo than I was getting from my DX6i.

Also, since switching to the FrSky receiver on my quadcopter, I've never had a brownout and control feels absolutely rock-solid. I'm very glad I saved up the money and bought the FrSky.

My only downside from switching from the DX6i to the FrSky is that I spend much more time programming the radio to get it to do the same things the DX6i did. But that would be true with either the Turnigy 9x or the FrSky, since they're running the same type of software. Of course, it also means I can make the radio do soooooooo many things that weren't possible on my DX6i!

 

[joshuabardwell]

My only downside from switching from the DX6i to the FrSky is that I spend much more time programming the radio to get it to do the same things the DX6i did. But that would be true with either the Turnigy 9x or the FrSky, since they're running the same type of software. Of course, it also means I can make the radio do soooooooo many things that weren't possible on my DX6i!

I personally think this is is the main thing that should lead someone to choose the Taranis or to choose another radio like the DX series. IMO, there is no question that the build quality and performance of the Taranis is up to par. The only question is whether you are going to enjoy or suffer through programming the Taranis. I have been programming in one form or another my whole life, so it absolutely drives me crazy when I want to make something do something and it won't let me. I love tweaking the programming on the Taranis. I love immersing myself in its architecture. But there are a lot of people out there who just want to fly, and for them, the complexity of the Taranis may be a turn-off.

 

[AeroMaestro]

The expensive way: FrSky Taranis 16 channel:
...And what the heck do you do with that many channels?

For what it's worth my quad, which I wouldn't consider "fancy," is currently using 10 channels.

I fly on an APM flight controller. I use the FrSky X8R receiver. Channels 1-8 are done through CPPM to the APM, and 9-16 are done through the normal servo outputs on the receiver.

1-4: the usual stuff. Ail, Ele, Thr, Rud
5: Flight Modes
6: PID Tuning Knob
7: Return to landing switch
8: Turn my OSD on/off/switch modes
9: Gimbal Tilt
10: Gimbal Roll

If I were going to add retractable gear and/or lights, I can see how I'd use at least 12 channels.

 

[Cotharyus]

You guys are on top of it. I don't really mind the programming side of things - I spent 15 years in IT and the only thing that bugged me about programming was the people. Besides, I've found that complexity being available doesn't always mean it has to be part of using something, there are likely simple ways to do simple things, it's when you want to get complicated that you can (and should) - unless the option simply isn't available to you, but it sounds like the Taranis lets you do just about whatever you want.

 

[makattack]

You guys are on top of it. I don't really mind the programming side of things - I spent 15 years in IT and the only thing that bugged me about programming was the people. Besides, I've found that complexity being available doesn't always mean it has to be part of using something, there are likely simple ways to do simple things, it's when you want to get complicated that you can (and should) - unless the option simply isn't available to you, but it sounds like the Taranis lets you do just about whatever you want.

Pretty much, and in fact supports Lua scripting...

http://open-txu.org/home/grad-school/lua/foundations-of-lua/

I've seen a lot of interesting scripts that process the telemetry data to perform certain actions or process that data into interesting reports. Heck some people have written "Game scripts" that help with trying to achieve such things as hitting maximum altitude (e.g. with soaring/dlgs, etc)

 

[Cotharyus]

Ok. So all this said, there's the Taranis and the Taranis Plus, which seems to be newer, and have an updated LCD display, as well as haptic feedback. Haptic feedback I know I don't need. I'm not certain how important the display is without actually getting to see them. The difference in price is a whopping $25, but that *IS* all but $5 of an OrangeRX module. It makes sense to me to go that route for the BNF stuff, then go with Taranis receivers for anything I build. Thoughts on the Taranis vs. Taranis Plus?

 

[AeroMaestro]

I just bought the Taranis Plus. I'll agree, the Haptic feedback is pretty useless, at least for me. (But I do use the "talking" features extensively. I initially thought that was a dumb gimmick, but now I almost completely rely on it, especially in FPV.) I turned the haptic feedback off to save battery life. I can't really comment on the screen of the regular Taranis, but my understanding is that the difference is just the ability to "change the color." I also found that to be pretty useless and I just left the screen on the default color.

Something to double-check, though: The regular Taranis has two battery options: 800mAh or 2000 mAh. The Taranis Plus only comes with the 2000 mAh battery. I don't think anybody thinks that 800mAh battery is any good. But I've been satisfied enough with the 2000. I charge up about once every two weeks, and I'm using the transmitter every day.

 

[joshuabardwell]

If you're in the mood, I highly recommend this battery for the Taranis:

http://www.getfpv.com/lumenier-2500mah-3s-radio-transmitter-lipo-battery.html

I get, literally, months between charges. The switching regulator on the Taranis is a godsend. I don't know what it is about me, but I just have a distaste for Nickle batteries and like having LiPo in everything I can.

 

[makattack]

I would second that Lumenier lipo battery upgrade. I personally plan to use my new Taranis X9D Plus with the 1W OpenLRS HobbyKing TX module, and am pretty sure I'll be needing the 12V power for that setup.

 

[Epitaph]

I personally advocate for the Walkera Devo 7E, because for the price tag ($70) it is a fantastic radio!! Now, out of the box is not so great, but if you change the firmware to Deviation (which have VERY extended following on RCGroups) it turns it into a 12ch radio with telemetry and bindable to a good number of protocols out there, including the DSM2 and DSMX ones. If you add a $10 module inside it (this part of the radio is for those who like to tinker, as you have to solder) you can also use many other protocols, including the Flysky (Turnigy) protocol and the V9x9 protocol from WLToys. Another module (that you can mount at the same time) gives you other possibilities, including the V2x2 protocol. Also, out of the box, it only comes as a short range parkflyer radio with 7mW of power, but open it up, and bridge a tiny capacitor and it turns into a full range radio!!

For a 30 memory (on it at one time, as you can store more on the computer and just put them in via USB if you plan to fly something different that day) radio with 12 channels, upgradable firmware with it's built in USB port, full telemetry, multi-protocol, interchangable settings files people share on the internet you just load and fly, and the ability to use any battery you want (4x NiMH's, 2S LiPo, 3S LiPo... nuclear reactor, Arcanum pellets...), all for just $70, it's an intersting radio to consider (and the same upgrades go for any Walkera Devo series except the Devo7)

 

[Epitaph]

One thing I wonder... With Google out there seeing what Amazon have in mind with drone deliveries, and knowing perfectly well what we look for, why haven't they taken advantage of the RC business and built a multiprotocol radio that runs off their very own Android for example? That would give Apple a reason to bring out their own one after and then sue them for copying them as they usually do with everyone else!! Clever people use AndroidTx, people with money use iTx (and the Apple store would probably charge for each downloadable protocol separately)!!

 

[Balu]

If you're in the mood, I highly recommend this battery for the Taranis:

http://www.getfpv.com/lumenier-2500mah-3s-radio-transmitter-lipo-battery.html

Don't use the internal charger then though!

 

[Ludodg]

I am following these Radio-discussions because I am planning to buy an extra transmitter in the future.
At the moment I have an Orange T-six and this device works very nice, especially for the little price that it has cost me.

But as I intend to fly together with my two sons, ... we will need more transmitters.
The Taranis-story got me interested .. but I have a question: why do lots of people use Orange-receivers with the Taranis-radio?
I just swa that FrSky has it's own receivers. Why do many people prefer the Orange-receivers over the proper FrSky-ones?