On the bench: FrSky R9 long-range RC system

[@prinztom8652]

This is the kind of review I like to see! Facts and details which I miss from others who say they know all about fpv but do just advertise thier own products. Just a little rant... 👊😉

[@dronedoutrc5970]

I know exactly what you mean. I have lost trust in a certain youtuber since they went full on youtube for a living. They seem to have become less objective and more subjective. Bruce is as objective as ever and speaks truth and facts while others have resorted to suppositions.

[@smackfpv]

Well said!

[@prinztom8652]

Maybe a little tip for more gooooood informations: check out Paweł Spychalski

[@gautamkrishna7421]

Droned Out! R/C I hear this a decent amount but still haven’t figured out who this is. Who is it?

[@J_Renwick]

This is the best coverage I have seen to-date on the R9 system. I also learned quite a bit about the transmitter/ receiver functions. Thank you very much!

[@j_kramer]

Very happy to see you revisit this system! Thank you! There will always be fanboys on both sides, but I think you stated the reality of the situation very well. Toyota and Lexus. Nailed it. Anyone just getting an R9 system or just wanting to ask more questions, please come by the R9 user group on FB! :)

[@bulltactv4809]

This is hands down the most in depth, comprehensive, easy-to-understand and entertaining RC channel out there

[@michaelhagerman1074]

Sir Bruce, your contributions to this hobby are so appreciated. From the least to the most technical among us we all benefit from the in depth breakdowns you give of the technology that runs at the center of our hobby. Thank you!

[@smackfpv]

Bruce... you're doing it right! Exactly what I want to see in a product review. I have had my R9 system for about six months and what I like is simplicity of use and small size for long range at a great price point. My 433 MHz equipment is now collecting dust.

[@navigator902]

Absolutely loved it...... Taking us through the bits and pieces we avoid or ignore... thanks Bruce.

[@rotorismo]

For the telemetry enthusiasts (like me): The R9M Flex firmware supports telemetry at higher power levels. It can be found on FrSky website under downloads and then the Flex firmware pulldown menu (below the certificates) Haven't any experience with it but can't wait to receive mine. Got it cheap during the promotional campaign so must be patient for a while.

[@EddieFPV]

Rotorismo FPV Rotor Sport open tx 2.2.3 is required for the flex firmware to run and that version hasn’t been released yet.

[@rotorismo]

Thanks for the comment Eddie FPV! (totally wasn't aware of it) My R9M will take a while for arriving, maybe not long after that OpenTX will release 2.2.3.

[@CaveyMoth]

DroneRacer101 has been pumping out videos about these systems, but I never watched them because they were too overwhelming in quantity. I'm glad you're here to show them off!

[@c4pnk1rk]

Then you're missing out, and totally missing the point of a long range system. Sure, bench breakdowns are awesome, that's why we're all watching this video, but even FrSky without modules can easily fly further than LoS. Hell, FlySky can go further than LoS. And the other people are willing to make the videos that show just how far they CAN go... Having a long range system and putzing around your local park, and calling it "a success" in a video is useless....

[@SuperBradley79]

Bruce you stand (well known shampoo) above any other reviewer. I love your honesty. I regard most other channels as salesmen for the Chinese companies. Great informative review as always.

[@duffs1080]

Great video Bruce, nice break down of the components, a good look and both part the rc equation. Only a brief touch on the recent posturing of the 2 companies. I look forward to more content.

[@VincentFischer]

Brilliant review. To bad one only can give one thumbs up. Thats why Bruce has in my eyes the best RC channel by far. Not only silly product reviews but real indepth info. Gives a good feeling to understand your gear and not sayjng its all black magic

[@blackforestfpv3046]

Thank you for this review! This is the content why i follow you for more than 2 years now! Thinking about getting one of these

[@agentbertram4769]

Fascinating review Bruce. My Beloved has just bought me Taranis QX7s for Christmas so I must dig out your Taranis reviews. You are my go-to guy for information! (You and Joshua Bardwell and AndyRC).

[@loc4725]

Good review; you've complimented what others have done by covering the interesting and important areas that they haven't. Oh, and you have a clue! ☺

[@DaRoach5882]

Thanks a lot Bruce, I always like your reviews!

[@gazvlogs7459]

Many thanks Bruce mainly for your honesty!!

[@zacjohnson8404]

nice, this is what I'm signed up for :D will watch when I get home, cheers Bruce

[@nigellark]

Thanks Bruce. It would be really great if you could do the same frequency analysis with the 868kHz firmware. What would be really interesting would be an investigation into the new flex software. I have read that the eu lbt flex f/w may transmit on a very narrow band that is available for higher power in Europe. If this is the case, it may limit the number of models that can be flown in an area before this narrow bandwidth is saturated and they interfere with each other. Given this is a long range system, this area will be miles in radius, and you might find that you get locked out by people flying out of a different town. But maybe that's a bit paranoid. I think the flex f/w is designed to use the minimum power necessary to maintain the link. Presumably the telemetry signal uses less power and so can use other frequencies in the 868kHz band. It would be nice to see how the transmitter power is changed in response to rssi. Maybe putting attenuators on the antennas would be instructive, but at 1w you'd probably burn out the attenuator. Lots of interesting stuff to investigate, and you're just the man to do it. Thanks again.

[@NormanLedoyen]

As stated in previous comments "BRILLIANT"

[@snaprollinpitts]

hey Bruce, thanks for the snotload conversion factor, that's very important!!!

[@kenneths7984]

I use a different antenna on mine because of the angle the stock antenna has when I fly. The tip of the antenna is pointing straight towards the antenna which, as we know, is the worst possible condition. I think the new antenna not yet released (but similar to TBS standard transmitter antenna) from Frsky will be good for vertical antenna orientation.

[@Eduardoramundo]

Still waiting for the crossfire teardown 😉👍

[@johncarold]

Hi Bruce I have been wanting to do long range and I have been thinking about the R9 but instead of a wing I'm installing it into my FMS F4U-4 CORSAIR,, I figured if I'm going to be flying long range I might as well be doing it in style. Thanks again for the information on the FRSKY system.

[@davidlondon3111]

Good timing Bruce - thanks. Great review

[@EddieFPV]

Best Frsky R9 review on KZbin 👊🏽👍🏽

[@rotorismo]

Can you follow up the long range module video's with some how to design your antenna basics? Would like to know, for example, if you turn a Lora ground plane antenna upside down you improve signal strength and quality of you long range system. And is it necessary to get a 868mhz tuned antenna for EU region and 900mhz antenna for USA region? Please educate us a little more.. looking forward to another whiteboard video.

[@rotorismo]

​@@earl_gray Thanks man! A clear description of your thoughts about antenna efficiency regarding the FrSky R9M. Didn't know the lengths (915Mhz 868Mhz) where that different, but its logic though. I agree with you assuming FrSky takes the middle road in designing an antenna suitable for both frequencies. But does antenna efficiency work differently comparing the longrange frequencies to the 5.8Ghz frequency? Increasing output power (200mw-800mw) on a 5.8Ghz doesn't affect range that much but antenna sensitivity does. Can I translate this to longrange in the same way? Does upping output power from 200mw to 800mW/1W in longrange frequencies result in same amount of multiplying distance?

[@joef595]

Thanks for the well explained review. Top notch as usual.

[@kral5932]

The reason a lot of people use different antennas is because the stock antenna is not very good, so they use antennas such as the TBS diamond because it is more well tuned, and because you can hold the radio normally and fly with either horizontal or vertical polarization Great video, thank you

[@sUASNews]

The aircraft won't change polarization though?

[@kral5932]

Drone & Sundry yes but if you use the stock antenna you have to hold your transmitter at a wierd angle to get vertical polarization

[@zacjohnson8404]

Epicness 357 just get out your deck chair and lay back full chill mode

[@aaaaaaaaaassssssssdf]

I just got the r9m on sale and price for that, a micro quad rx and the big receiver was 80 bucks. I think that's a good deal to get started in long range. I have the same x7s tx and while it's tricky to learn programming it I think it's great for the price. Good time to get into the hobby with these good tools that are priced well

[@TrapCityProd]

Thanks for the review! I just got the Horus X10S that comes with the free R9M and R9 MM receiver and had a couple of questions. Does the switch limit the power output, is it rated for a lower wattage than the LoRa chip? Secondly, I live in the Arizona desert and am really interested in whether that heat sinking on the module is going to be adequate for 100F/38C plus temperatures and if there is enough room to put additional heatsinking on the board and still fit the case? Thanks for making these videos, BTW, they are VERY helpful! No one else seems to consistently hit that sweet spot between diving too deep into a product and not diving deep enough!

[@xxxenricop]

Wow Bruce! Terrific review once more!

[@grumpyjohntxredneckrc6346]

Lots Of Great Info! Thanks Brucey

[@lasersbee]

13:10 The heatsink area is not only the Gold plated area but all of the Ground plane including the soldermasked areas. Even though the soldermasked areas are less efficient heat radiators than the unmasked area it still helps cool the power chip... IMO

[@AdrianoCasemiro]

Did you fly it around trees and buildings? For obstacle penetration in not so long ranges, you know. When in doubt, ask RCModelReviews. It usually clarifies everything. Great review! I think this is best implementation of the LoRa chip if cost is an important factor (and always is). Can only say that after watching your video. Preparing my first wing build with my son as a vacation project. Definitely will add it to the system. Also, joined the forums for troubleshooting along the way. Thanks a snotlot, Bruce!

[@EnglishTurbines]

Great review Bruce...useful...I have a combo on order.....Can you do something similar for us in Europe and the 868mhz R9...?...Plus the R9MM micro reciever....Thanks...:) 900mhz over here is cell phone territory.

[@MrCottonmouth]

Thanks Bruce!! I am currently running Dragonlink V2, but the R9 is on order. I'm going to be comparing ranges on my ground vehicle. Let's see if it stands up to dragonlink's ranges :)

[@TheEviling]

One thing is getting longer range, which is certainly nice. Another one is still having a signal when you fly behind trees or buildings. How does the 900MHz compare to the 2.4GHz systems in that regard?

[@lawrenceforte8211]

Excellent review Bruce!

[@ROBOTRIX_eu]

Hi, from Portugal! Have you ever compared, difference of range, between airplane upper body taditional location of the antenas, and below of the airplane? That would be interesting to see.. Thxs and kind regards to ya, and all subscribers!

[@gavlarfpv7841]

Very interesting stuff Bruce, thx for the info🤙🏻

[@nextor11]

If I recall correctly, quite a while ago you made another review of the R9 system and you didn't had such a good impression on it. I think you were mostly complaining about the antennas. What made you change your mind?

[@crashtestdummy_fpvctdfpv9100]

You are doing just fine! Thanks a lot! Question for your next video: how would you mount the single antena on a quad? It's kind of a "y" shape. Should it be straight like the Immortal from TBS or with a 90° as we mount the r-xsr (and others) diversity antennas?

[@marhar2]

In the TX module, Is there an LNA for the received telemetry signal?

[@mrwilliamdmoss]

I would like to setup a long range offshore RC fishing boat, I have no idea what I need to purchase. I mean from radio to ESC to receiver. Where might I find a list of equipment I would need to make a nice little RC fishing vessel for a large lake and off shore. Ideas? 500 + yds is the goal is this reasonable? FPV is not required just boat control.. Thanks!

[@michaelhagerman1074]

Bruce, how about the micro receivers, the micro and MM should we expect the same performance and range from those as the other non diversity?

[@crispy2473]

Greetings from the UK. Another great informative video from the RCModelReviews workbench. Great work!! Just out of curiosity, what is the best orientation for the antennas on the R9 Rx, is it the same 90 degrees rule? Keep up the great work mate 👍🏻

[@forfengeligfaen]

Is 900 MHz only an ISM band region 2 (Americas)? Are you supposed to use that transmitter down there?

[@MrJarrod]

I have been so waiting for your review and testing . As you are not controlled and have options from TBS.

[@hfamilyfun4805]

Vlos is a relative term. My 187 gram 140mm seeker/finder drone with iNav is BVLOS at 500ft because it’s so small. My 2 meter Opterra is still clearly visible at over 1/2 mile.

[@hansleatherby1032]

Great review Bruce as always - love the detail explanations I have the module and R9MM micro receiver on pre-order in the UK Could you review this receiver as well if you have the opportunity ? Best wishes for your health Hans

[@SuperBarracuz]

Hey is there any chance you can make a video on atenna orientation for diversity antennas and the single diapole antenna the micro crossfire and r9 use? Also while here I've been trying to find more info on motor to motor distance and how it affects effiency, thrust and overall flight characteristics. I'd really appreciate it if you could make a video or point me to any good forum posts or articles discussing it

[@ChrisBalmforth]

Great review Bruce.

[@axiomNES]

I noticed that the date on the PCB for the TX is 8/2/2017. I wonder if they have made any changes to the PCB in the last year.

[@AeroTesting]

I have one question RM9 Module EU is possible Bind with Reciver X8R?

[@Simofly]

R9 Slim plus version has 2 antenna but does it have true diversity?I guess not I don’t see the added circuitry

[@vladmirputin7139]

Where can I get that rubberized antenna for the r9m? Mine came with the hard antenna that has a hinge on the bottom, and I'd much rather have that rubberized type.

[@51im]

Nice one Bruce. Can the R9 slim output pwm

[@JasonUberig]

The one thing I've been wondering is can / how does this long range system play with others on the same band? Ie. how many people can fly with these at once from the same field, etc.? Thanks!

[@cahePL]

@Bruce, could you perhaps make a series about how to mount R9MM/R9 Mini antenna on a quadcopter properly? I've been having trouble with range ever since switching to R9 system and have a strong suspition this is due to receiver antenna placement.

[@heggy_fpv]

which frequency do you run for video when the RC link is at 900mhz?

[@gamingforlive2150]

yes but i would go for a ground sation for longer runs so u can grad a chair and do a mod then lay a able from urr port to the antenna to the reciver

[@MrJarrod]

Hi bruce don't know if you realise frsky have new firmware call Flexi firmware for the r9m. This is adaptive power. So you don't have to change power levels in opentx anymore. :) Also enables telemetry on all power levels now.

[@marlin-fpv]

Did you experienced noise coming from the speakers of the qx7 if set >25 mW?

[@Jake-mm1cz]

Always look forward to your technical reviews Bruce .. I have the older r9m without the xt30 external battery connector . Is the external battery really necessary unless flying to extreme ranges ? Is there a simple xt30 connector hack for those of us without it ? Or is there more to it than simply connecting a wire to a ground & hot spot on the board . Is there a switching mechanism on the board that turns off the power to the internal battery or does it just increase the amount of battery capacity to the whole transmitter & Jr module . Something like a larger battery will do the same thing . Very Curious to know your knowledgeable opinion on this matter . Maybe this would make a good video . Thanks for your time & hope Your Health & Spirits are Good ..

[@MUuulerOriginal]

That intro is brilliant 👍

[@manuelfalcon334]

What’s up man.... I really need your help I’m trying to connect 2 r9 mini on to separate drones but only have one model for both. Is that a possibility like when using the x4rsb and you can put as many drones as you want as long as they have the same rx number. Please help and thank you in advance

[@superquadflyer4702]

How did u hook up aleron.and elevon .and throttle ..like a drone ..plz show

[@blackmennewstyle]

Interesting, the openTX options on the QX7S are a bit different than the ones on my X9D+. What version of openTX is that and what firmwares did you install on your R9 TX and RXs? Nice video as always Bruce, so much informations :)

[@misiftchoppers2011]

ok im kinda new to the rc world an have a question bout the long range.....how can you do long range when most batteries only last bout 10 or less???

[@kral5932]

Are you going to review the new receivers as well? Such as the mini and the slim+ Also, could you maybe do some ground range tests?

[@agentbertram4769]

Bruce, can you make / or have you made a video about the capabilities of the different TX/RX controllers? I am a newcomer to the world of quadcopters, as you may remember, and frankly I'm confused. Which one should I get? How much of my hard earned pension should I fork out? I'll be flying quadcopters and maybe some small winged craft powered by LiPo all with FPV video recording cameras. What do you say? Excellent video as usual. Well done that man!

[@TheVexCortex]

He's reviewed several systems over the years. In his qx7s review he called the qx7 (not the qx7s) the best value radio on the market. Here's a list he's reviewed in the past ~2 years: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foCyfIqLaqqIhpY kzbin.info/www/bejne/eInReqKbmt11rKs kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZzJomB4lNaLp9U kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJCroYaPr8-tb5o kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3aWnWV3frKWndk kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJfRaGOQjLuhfLc

[@kdanagger6894]

Cross polarization loss in this setup is not trivial. It's on the order of 26 dB. If you want to leave the Tomahawk antennas in that position you should switch to the R9M Super 8 antenna turned horizontally - that will give you 400x more power and 20 times the range! If you include the increased gain of the Super 8 antenna, you are looking at 1600x more power and 40 times the range!

[@michaelchambers9838]

Hello I've learnt a lot from your teaching ,could you please tell me how to get 2wt out of the r9m module please thank you

[@EnggMohdRafe]

Hi. Thank you for great video. Can you please let us know whether we can use R9 on fs i6 flysky radio by any chance. Please it will be a great help. Thanks.

[@flighttherapybullisticfpv133]

The super 8 antenna apparently doubles the range of the transmitter at 10mw in several filmed tests. I am super new to the technical side of RC can you explain how the design of the antenna would have such a dramatic effect? And is the super 8 antenna directional in any way? Love your channel! Thanks for any info

[@kdanagger6894]

The Super 8 is a Moxon antenna, which is similar to a 2 element yagi. It is directional, but has a very broad (cardioid) radiation pattern in the forward direction. However, it radiates very little power rearward and has an excellent front to back ratio. Because it is directional, it has significant gain. That's why it gets double the range. If you use one of the Super 8 antennas, make sure you turn it to match the polarization of your receiver antennas. I see people with them attached horizontally on the transmitter, but only have a vertically mounted receiver antenna. That doesn't work very well :-)

[@flighttherapybullisticfpv133]

@@kdanagger6894 Oh wow thanks man that already answered some questions for me. Never thought something as benign as antennas would be so interesting honestly lol I got the stuff together to try making my own helical just for fun too lol

[@GRDwashere]

I still want to know if it goes with the curtains.

[@mrgreenswelding2853]

What analyser do you have?

[@alexandrpetrov1110]

Thank you very march!

[@rwehuman]

Will you be coming across the pond to join us at Flite Fest Ohio in 2019?

[@AlaskaRuzz]

R9 Slim is discontinued. Now its the R9 Slim Plus, which has 2 antennas / diversity.

[@dj_dazzy]

Doesn't NZ use the 900Mhz GSM band?

[@920fpv]

I've had 2 fail-safes running on 1w with the r9m with mini receiver. Both fail-safes we're about 50 feet from me both times about 30 feet up. Will running high output increase the odds of failsafe up close??

[@Deploracle]

The receiver can get swamped and desensitize. I'm surprised that the receiver doesn't alert the TX module to power down when the extra punch isn't needed.

[@920fpv]

@@Deploracle it's the fastest Fail-Safe ever..lol no warning, no cutting in and out, just power cut. I don't have telemetry hooked up tho, so I couldn't see my connection. Been running at 500mw and no issues.

[@jannesbosma9801]

I don't understand this frsky hype. I've been using Devo for more than 5 years without any issues. I spent about 180€ on transmitters and I have two transmitters with a range from 1,5 to 5 km. My frsky palls spent about 800€ on one transmitter, gimbals, modules, antennas firmware, bla, bla and they still rxloss a lot. And the weirdest thing is that they think they have the best rc system. Is this mass hypnosis maybe?

[@rafhit]

Hello there, Do you know if this module or the 2019 model work with the turnigy 9x?

[@OzFPVflyer]

Yes it does, you just set the power level from the module using the dip switches. You cant update the firmware on either the module or receiver using the T9x.

[@jerryaugustine1329]

nice job on video. thanks.

[@davoodghandaly2152]

This r9m eats my battery up what can I do?

[@mihdd]

Please also compare the europe version VS the US version, thank you

[@rohitanvekar4957]

Can I control servos using frsky R9MM receiver?

[@interman7715]

ROHIT ANVEKAR That's what it does.

[@wangyeeee]

19:32 I guess the 4 pins on the pcb edge would be VCC, SWDIO, SWCLK and GND, time to hack...

[@SickocrowAU]

TBS Fanboys need to see this.

[@alexairconditioning1581]

When are you gonna do some more turningy jet video plz tell. Me

[@VincentFischer]

No analog/PWM RSSI on the full size R9, but on the Slim variant? Probably a SBUS channel or via SPort but thats kind of silly and means you have to use a flightcontroller :\

[@cronicashchur6467]

Has analog RSSI on P4 pad on the R9 PCB. You have to solder a line in. Works fins but sadly not an off the shelf feature.

[@VincentFischer]

@@cronicashchur6467 Thanks for the info. I can live with that but its a bit odd that fhe slim versions have it and the full version don't. Wouldn't be a problem to design the pcb with one more pin header. The RF chip spits it out anyways.

[@j_kramer]

Or even a hole in the plastic. Really odd choice by frsky. We have the pad location image in the FAQ over at the FB R9 group. ;)

[@NQISSteve]

Wouldn't a 90 deg sma adapter work to make the standard antenna horizontal polarization ?

[@agentbertram4769]

You are not on your own in missing simple notifications Bruce. It's an age thing. I followed Mary Berry's instructions to make a soufflé last week. Didn't shell the eggs.... That was one gritty soufflé...

[@flagship1701e]

Geez I love your videos. I laugh so friggin hard, I'm chockin over here. Oh my lord . And I learn tons too, so thanks !!

[@skyforce1983]

Can you show us how to hack it to get 2w I know it's not illegal to show us how it's done

[@prrcpor]

Bullshit I've had two tbs crossfire 8 channel deversity recievers crap out on me over the course of less then a year. 140 bucks a piece. Always kept them protected never any hard crash. I would like to see how the r9 Frsky will last vs the crossfire

[@inksliger96]

About time somebody had talked about Freq. changing in the antenna size. The higher the megahertz or gig the smaller of the antenna. if you make the antenna longer than what it is you’re changing freq. and see the receiver fry.or transmitter. To add you have to take away. To keep in freq. if not you are spliting freq. your losing range and height!

[@Deploracle]

Wavelength x frequency = c (speed of light) Changing the length of a transmitting antenna doesn't affect the transmission's frequency. This is why FPV fans really ought to take time out to get an amateur radio license. Antenna theory is part of that. If you are going to be experimenting on 900Mhz with different antennas not specifically made for 900Mhz you could find yourself radiating out of band and possibly interfering with another radio service, not to mention the potential damage to your own equipment. If you think the FAA is bad, wait until the FCC is on our backs.

[@enricobononi8655]

2watts? I thought it was rated for 1W