FrSky Steve: New X20RS transmitter, Tandem protocol and improving reliablity on your planes

FrSky is a manufacturer of radio control transmitters, receivers and electronics that became very popular years ago among the FPV drone community, and during the past couple of years has been taking over a larger percentage of the airplane market worldwide.
Today I’m talking to Steve Schlesinger, more commonly known as FrSky Steve. He’s the fixed wing segment manager for FrSky and one of the most prominent faces for the company in the US. In our chat, Steve give us some juicy details about the just announced X20RS transmitter. He also explains how the Tandem protocol works, why it could save your plane and how you should position your antennas and perform range checks to maximize the reliability of your transmissions. We also chat about the latest firmware updates the company has been working on and what’s next for the company.
Find Steve in Facebook: www.facebook.c...
Steve KZbin channels: / @steveschlesinger3459
Official FrSky Ethos Group in Facebook: / 324132953138607
Frsky: www.frsky-rc.com/
Timeline:
00:00: Intro
02:29: Brief story of FrSky
07:22: New transmitter: X20RS
20:05: FrSky Tandem protocol. What is it and why is it important?
26:54: FrSky Tandem vs Jeti 900MHz.
34:50: Optimal placement for RX antennas
37:35: Range checks
39:28: Quality and pricing mindset
50:22: Learning curve when switching brands
1:01:59: ETHOS and firmware updates
1:10:41: What's ahead for FrSky?
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[@alwaysflying6540]

I always look forward to listening and watching from my workshop. Great content

[@skyboundrc]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@donaldstott9188]

Great interview. Honestly, the part about possible price point increases bring me incredible anxiety.

[@juanjulian9467]

I'm a frsky user with 6 year experience and very conservative. Got in with x10 radio and frso. Recently updated to ethos by upgrading harware and sofware. Ethos is a game changer. Before you needed to be a nerd to figure open tx or fros. This made most potential buyers go away. Have some rules with frsky 1. Don't buy latest hardware until has 6 to one year. Will get improved, or fixed issues. 2. If it is not broken do not fix it. Don't do all latest firmware updates unless you need it or has 3 month since released. 3. Frsky evolves to fast and to many products coming out, and new software. Need to do your homwork and know what you need. Ethos suite solves part of the work load. Updating boatloader and isrm is not for anyone. Competition is hard but think new products are getting without the required testing time. This also aplies to updates.

[@apogeedesign4348]

I got this FRSKY 20S and I wanted to program this thing so I could fly my RC model here in my ranch. not to fly a SpaceX or NASA rocket into orbit. Cause im not a rocket scientist… I’m gonna return this transmitter tomorrow. This is just a bad nightmare. Couldn’t even find those menus. Very frustrating to try to switch to this radio brand. What’s the best brand ? The old one JR that works wonders. Not going thru this.

[@christiancml]

Excellent interview! You hit all the key points. FrSky Steve gave some important insights. First the shift of FrSky vision from a budget radio concept to aim for quality hardware, and that they are realizing it pays off. This is actually happening, the X20 Pro looks quality inside and out. Second, he ackowledged to some extent the issues with their firmware, Ethos being relaeased somewhat unfinished originally and just now reaching a mature stage. I truly hope Ethos constant updating stabilizes and slows down and that they throughly test any new updates. All in all the new X20 R/RS looks amazing and would be very hard to beat!

[@luisspearhead]

Excellent interview...👍👍👍

[@jackvandermeer2392]

He said that 900MHz is a shorter wave length. That’s incorrect, it’s a longer wave length, and that’s also why it has better penetration through trees, etc. (as he correctly mentioned).

[@carterpasch6085]

KD6GPW

[@HiCapacityMags]

Very informative interview. Really appreciate Steve’s honesty and insight regarding FRSKY product. I also appreciate the concern for putting quality first, and understanding if you make a good product, the money and customer loyalty will follow. I have owned a couple of FRSKY transmitters “pre Ethos” and never had a signal loss issue. I am now considering another FRSKY with the Ethos operating system.

[@user-vo8sc5ct2g]

all in all thanx Juan again ! super interview and super interesting Stuff !!! I think I am in the right team !! Frsky rocks !!!

[@skyboundrc]

thank you!

[@ronaldgaynor]

Steve - outstanding video and great explanation. I really appreciate your openness and telling it like it is!!! I will upgrade my Horus X10S to the 20RS when I see Bruce at Fall Nall. Take care.

[@TheBigChinoDon]

Love my X20Pro and TW receivers.

[@user-rx8qq8sk9ydv1ce5ib]

Thanks for this great interview. What about the HD version. Also what about aerowing version. what about the 915Mhz compared to 900! Also why they have the external antenna , what is their use?!

[@stark1758]

Fr-sky will be my next transmitter

[@stephenhughcrisp]

Excellent video. Thank you very much.

[@short5stick]

Is the red a cardinal red like the X20s? Looks like a lighter red. Or even orange looking

[@garys3418]

A&E RC Products is a great resource!

[@short5stick]

I like the trims better so far.

[@martinmaurer5060]

Great information, Tank you!

[@skyboundrc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ltdorn]

been flying Frsky since 2013.... once i figured out Open TX... i have been a hardcore FrSky believer ever since! Sold all my other radios (futaba 14 FG, Spektrum QQ18 and later my Jeti stuff) and never looked back! concur with the comment on the jeti 900 switch over process... its weird and the servos get all jerky..

[@stark1758]

New to the sport listened to my local members and bought IX20SE and love the radio however price was substantial higher compared to fr-sky, now having more experience I wish I would of went to FR-Sky but the lower price in my mind thought I was getting less, not knowing the technical end of the radio it is obvious I made a mistake.

[@rccosplay3249]

Hey Juan, when is this gonna b available!!! I can't wait for that text to speech function. I have a few choice words for some others at the field I want to express thru the radio, and of course the famous.... LANDING callout with a menacing voice🤣

[@skyboundrc]

last I heard they should be available for purchase around Summer :-)

[@martinmaurer5060]

Hi, as a recent user of a X20Pro I have to add on some more information. This TD-system seems to be fantastic. But in Europe, thanks to the worthless European Commission, I suspect some significant limitations for the transmission system, which result in noticeable degradation of the primal effort. This does not mean, that the FrSky Systems are not good, but without these doubtful restrictions it could be a lot more better. Kind regards from Austria.

[@rcnfo1197]

Has FrSky learned anything from their 2020 USM and FW update fiasco? I lost my most expensive IMAC plane due to an uncommanded servo movement, AFTER applying the correct firmware update, because FrSky and vendor Aloft Hobbies failed to document a critical step in the update.

[@devinetime8938]

Which is why I always wait before updating. Let others work the bugs out.

@SteveLoves2Fly A few questions for Steve. How many channels does FrSky use for hopping purposes? Also, do any Frsky transmitters transmit on 2.4 redundancy and 900mhz at the same time like Jeti? So it’s essentially a 3 redundant system

[@pixiecat6109]

Frsky transmitters transmit on 2.4 redundancy and 900mhz at the same time...yes the tx20s can do this...with the appropriate frsky receiver

[@Chris-cg8bf]

Ok Just like to add a few things. There product website is very slow this could be improved on especially for downloads. I ordered one of these x20RS. Don’t get me wrong I’m excited about the radio coming from a JR 11x. I see you have what I assume is drone FC are there any plans on a heli FBL FC With ethos integration in the future would be nice. Since I’m mainly a heli guy.

[@short5stick]

give us a x18 pro.

[@user-gw2ms7kx1n]

Why you don’t make aluminum case for X 20 S you got beautiful Radyo but on a cheap cloth case people pay for it we buy it

[@short5stick]

Get rid of the side sliders and bring the top rear switches closer to the edges.

[@2.4g-rc]

Slope pilots use the sliders

[@short5stick]

@@2.4g-rc build the slider in like the X18 is. Where it dont stick out.

[@2.4g-rc]

@@short5stick oh, I have an X18 so maybe that's why I'm ok with the placement :)

[@ryansnyder7444]

What about remote id, what is and isn’t remote id compliant, is a remote id module coming?

[@JDDupuy]

Do your research on remote ID modules. They are in no way part of the transmitter or receiver. They are a standalone unit and they can be moved to any aircraft regardless of radio or receiver brand.

[@ryansnyder7444]

@@JDDupuy 1.Wouldn’t asking a frsky rep about their remote id compliance be doing research? 2.Did you do yours? New receivers are required to be able to transmit their location for remote id, so remote id is a part of the receiver. 3.So what receivers are compliant, and do they have a module like skyid coming to make existing ones compliant?

[@quebecmultirotor5013]

totally wrong about the drone community, i think it's a great way to go around the fact that frsky tried to block tbs from being used on their remotes they seem to have corrected the situation, but it's a bit funny

[@alwaysflying6540]

Im still waiting for someone to tell me why frsky doesnt use edgetx. Why all the work creating something thats exactly the same. It doesn't make sense

[@richardpowellTV]

Edge is NOT the same as Ethos. I used Edge and find Ethos easier. Have you used both?

[@alwaysflying6540]

@richardpowellTV Yes. What do you find different, and how is it easier??

[@richardpowellTV]

@@alwaysflying6540 For me it's more intuitive. We're all different!

[@pilotimodele4598]

...😜👌

[@ror-ys3qp]

Frsky is dead

Why?

[@mlentsch]

...ever heard of ELRS?

[@ror-ys3qp]

​@mlentsch yep got one in basement but crossfire is better.

[@mlentsch]

@@ror-ys3qp how so? Crossfire is dead.

[@user-rx8qq8sk9ydv1ce5ib]

I think ror is working for Radiomaster. You need to watch the guy driving his car testing the range. Spektrum lost signal at 0.8km, frsky at 5.7 km!! Jeti at 5.4km. Radio master was 6.6km. But Radiomaster hardware is rubbish and software is overcomplicated

[@apogeedesign4348]

I got this FRSKY 20S and I wanted to program this thing so I could fly my RC model here in my ranch. not to fly a SpaceX or NASA rocket into orbit. Cause im not a rocket scientist… I’m gonna return this transmitter tomorrow. This is just a bad nightmare. Couldn’t even find those menus. Very frustrating to try to switch to this radio brand. What’s the best brand ? The old one JR that works wonders. Not going thru this.