RadioMaster TX16S Review & Thoughts

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Learn more about the wonderful & fascinating hobby of RC helicopters: www.rchelicopterfun.com/

[@winstonsmith478]

I just found you via your 18650 scam video. I have NEVER purchased a lithium ion cell from ANY source, even supposedly reputable ones, that tested to its rated capacity, often testing to no more than half of claimed capacity and keep in mind that I've never bought one with ridiculous, impossible capacity ratings. I think the only way to get authentic cells is to scavenge them from used laptop battery packs. I was thinking, "Hey, I'll buy 18650s from a MAJOR electronics component supplier like Mouser or Digikey. They'll have authentic merchandise." Take a look. They don't even sell them! No need to wonder why - the market is DESTROYED by FAKES.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Very good points.

[@leeowen9878]

From this week ,all TX16S will ship with dual speakers .We also offer speaker for people who wants to improve the sound at 2 usd from dealers !

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@@leeowen9878 Thanks for commenting with that important speaker upgrade information. Much appreciated! I presume the upgrade speaker fits in the back of the case in that round insert on the bottom right corner and plugs into the board somewhere?

[@wrecklass]

@@Rchelicopterfun it's been awhile but for anyone else watching and considering, yes there is now a larger speaker mounted into the rear cover. It brings up the volume a great deal. However, it also means you need to be careful when removing the cover as the wires do keep the cover from moving too far. You can open the case and unplug the speaker to make working on the radio easier.

[@Maltojo]

It is nice to see a heli guy review this radio. I have had mine for about a week, but have not flown with it, let alone set up a heli with OpenTX (I've been a Walkera guy). John, you got me into this hobby! I've been on your website for three plus years and you are my "go to" for anything Heli (I'm not into wings or quads). Thanks for being here! I never realized how much there is to these things! (A good thing).

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the kind feedback 🙂

[@JasperMulder100]

21:04 "Oh yeah ... that was the right switch" ... LOL .. loved that little snippet

[@robi5722]

Best part of the review LOL

[@erlandfpv]

Im using this, with xm+ and crossfire, works greats. Gimbal its awesome too

[@benwoods9649]

Just got mine. Really Nice radio. Upgraded with OpenTx Companion 2.3.10 works great! Thanks for great review!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Enjoy your TX16S

[@chrisrobinson860]

Brilliant review John as always

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thank you kindly

[@randomodbuild]

Great video and an even better description!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thank you kindly 🙂

[@larrychamel]

Great video John! I do believe Duct Tape will extend the lifespan of the plastic hinge by 6 months. I understand what you mean about the speaker but it seems to have a Beautiful Colour Display. For under $150 USD for an open TX of decent quality, it is very nice!! Too bad I recently bought a Spektrum DX8 for $329 USD. You certainly get a lot of Bang for your Buck with this Open TX for less than half the price of a DX8. Oh well... lol. Cheers John and Thanks again for sharing my friend! Stay Safe and Stay Healthy! ❤🙏❤

[@_grox_9743]

Just make a hole for jack port and solder wires to the speaker, it should work.

[@netfelix7361]

Great video, as always very informative and thorough.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@makskk6spm275]

Best review. Thanks!

[@BillyG869]

Can you do an instructional video on swapping to two switches? That would be very popular I think. Most important you are a trusted and easy to understand tech. Thank you, Bill Gargan

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll consider doing it next time I have to open up the radio (for the speaker mod if it ever arrives).

[@29LiveZ]

I think I'm going to do the same. I just got the v450d03 with the devo7 and I haven't flown it yet. The switches are backwards just like in this video. Makes me nervous from a safety standpoint. Having a k110 nip you is one thing but getting surprised by a 450 because the switches are backwards would be bad! After seeing this I'm going to take the devo apart today and do it.

[@zmanphx]

Great review . I too like to switch my 2 position and momentary to opposite sides . As heli flyer I have muscle memory to have Throttle hold on the right. Were you able to swap sides?

[@fklotaloi]

Very nice , detailed review. Thanks Mr. Salt 😁😁

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@hfroehli]

Great review, thanks John! I just purchased the TX16S MAX edition. Arrived yesterday. I am customizing it now. I am not finding the option for the power off wav/sound. I know the hello.wav is for power on. Your's says "Oh Nasty" Nice touch!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Enjoy it! The power off wav file (if you want one to play) is called "bye". So rename whatever voice or sound wav file you want to use to bye and then drag it into your system sound file on the SD card. It should show up a line or two above the hello.wav file.

[@hfroehli]

@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks - worked a charm!

[@bohan9957]

Great video and explanation. 16:29, notice the cable connecting to the gimbal is flexing on the gimbal itself. This is a bad design in R/C transmitters. Do not underestimate this minor cyclic loading, overtime it can cause intermediate connection issues. On the Futaba, there is a side PCB that the cables connect to, and nothing is being flexed on the gimbal. This is what a proper design should be.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Exactly why I mentioned the use of soft "high flex" silicone wiring & "strain relief" on both ends.

[@smalltimer4370]

Awesome! Any chance you could do a heli setup from scratch with this radio?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

It would 100% identical to the one I already did on the Horus a couple months ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWKvYaqur9Skhbc

[@owenjones7620]

Very good video, love the simplicity of your review. I'm pretty new to rc planes around 15 months flying, I recently upgraded to a number of scale birds, how would this tx be for say somone like a newby as my self!? Thanks

[@Rchelicopterfun]

It depends on what radio system you are already using... Considerations when choosing this radio. Is it compatible with the protocol/s you are currently using in your existing models (assuming you want to fly them with this radio of course)? The RadioMaster comes with a built in multi-protocol module of course, but do confirm is supports the protocol/s you are already running. Are you flying with an OpenTX radio already? If not, as I suggest to anyone thinking of getting an OpenTX radio, first spend some time on OpenTX's website and OpenTX University's website so you know what you are getting yourself into. There are a good number of folks out there who have found OpenTX's system too difficult to understand. It's not overly hard, but it does take some time. OpenTX University will explain it all.

[@fc1133]

Nice video! Quick question? My Left stick (Mode 2) is off center to the right. Not by much, but I can see it for sure. This was not an issue at all since calibrating worked great, however, after using the radio with a Flight Sim, the Sim told me that Channel 4 is off center??? Is there a way to center the stick using some "Gimbal Adjustments" in the inside??? Thanks.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

That sounds like a defect. You could open it up I suppose to see if something is bent or jammed in the gimbal, but if it's a new radio and under warranty, likely best to exchange it.

[@fc1133]

@@Rchelicopterfun Hi. It is brand new and I did open it up. : ) Didn't see anything wrong though. I am going to contact the seller tomorrow and see what they say. Thanks for the fast reply.

[@tcgliderguy1]

What is the matte finish material that you applied to the display screen? Great video review... Thanks!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I did a video on the process, and have link in the video to the product: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6i2hXaMht98mNE But that was to replace the damaged polarizing layer on screen. It wouldn't work with an intact LCD screen.

[@jordanfox7070]

Hi John, I was just brought attention to this Tx as I am wanting to get into scratch building and to also have a Tx that will last me forever. I’m pretty fresh to the hobby but am wanting like I said a versatile Tx. I want to get into retracts, and other awesome things eventually but one step at a time! Would you recommend this as a good first advanced radio? Thanks and enjoyed the vid!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

If you are "open" (pun intended) to the challenge of learning OpenTX then the TX16S in my opinion is a good radio to start with if you are looking for lots of bells & whistles at a low cost; which of course also adds to the complications. As the old adage of engineering eloquently states: "complexity hampers execution." As I recommend to everyone thinking of getting into OpenTX, first spend some time on the OpenTX University website to get a solid understanding of how it works (programmable inputs, mixes, outputs). open-txu.org/ Also download the TX16S full manual I link to in the description since it too has some good info to help you better understand OpenTX which is specific to the TX16S. OpenTX is an RC nerds dream operating system, but for many, it's just too much of a learning curve - especially when first starting out. As for a radio that "will last forever." At the rate of change and advancement these days with RC radio technology, that's a very tall ask. Especially with a brand new radio model like the TX16S that has no track record yet. We have no idea how it will hold up and age.

[@enriquech4041]

John, I would like to know what would you use (kind of switch) to choose from the 8 FM available in Open TX (Radiomaster TX16S). Six is easy and quite visible, but eight...

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Sorry, I don't understand the question? Kind of switch? 8FM? Six is easy but eight??? Sorry - I have no idea what you are asking about.

[@enriquech4041]

@@Rchelicopterfun Sorry for the encripted message. Regards

[@Sperious]

What is the external multi module slot used for when the radio has an internal multi mode module?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Any other JR type RF module (900 mHz, TBS Crossfire, ELRS, DM9 etc.)

[@brucerumrey8894]

My Radiomaster tx16 radio was saying RSSI LOW a lot, so I did the "fine tuning" and it has reduced the amount of times it telling me that RSSI LOW to once or twice a flight. any ideas of what to try I have not found anything to tell me the placement of the antennas. I have been installing one straight back from the receiver and the other at 90 degrees of the other. Was advised to place antennas in a Y so I tried putting an antenna on each side of the fuselage, but still a getting RSSI LOW on every flight. It happen once on the ground and was able to check the RSSI it was at 30. Any idea what to try, so far I have never lost control of a plane. I have been using Radiomaster R86 and R88 receivers. I really like the radio.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

What is your low RSSI alarm value set at? That value can be dialed up or down to reduce or increase alarm warnings. I think the standard out of box setting is 45 for low, 38 is critical - don't quote me on those exact numbers. I have no experience with either the RM R86 or R88 RX's so I don't know what is "normal" for them in terms of RSSI strength. You never mentioned if your control range checks at the beginning of each flying session pass okay? Provided you are not getting any critical RSSI alarm warnings and your range check is passing fine, it's likely okay to just lower your low RSSI warning alarm activation threshold a little bit. I do have a page on my website about 2.4 GHz RC antenna best practices for spatial & polarization diversity (both on the radio and aircraft) if you wanted to confirm best practices which it sounds like you are already following on the aircraft, but you never mentioned what your TX antenna orientation is, which is just as important: www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-antenna.html

[@fco.javieralvarez4556]

Thanks for the review! One question... If I have receivers with 2 protocols, can I select the protocol I want to use by menu? Or I have to flash the protocol each time I change?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

If I understand your question correctly, you don't have to rebind when changing between models. When you program a model, you select which protocol the RX in it uses, bind it, and that info is stored in the model memory for that model. When you switch models, the new protocol for the new model will be selected. Perhaps the receiver match section on the Multi-Module.org website covers your question in more detail: www.multi-module.org/using-the-module/receiver-match. By the way, that multi-module.org website is a must bookmark and one of the best information resources we have if/when you get into multi-protocol. Its explains how it all works and how to update the firmware with a wonderful firmware update filter tool.

[@fco.javieralvarez4556]

@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks a lot for your answer!

[@ChickenHawk841]

I'm considering a new radio, My helis are either native Spektrum or have Spektrum compatible sats on them. Is there anything else that I need to purchase such as a module to bind the TX16S to my helis?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@ChickenHawk841 - Nothing else required other than the OpenTX learning curve you' ll have to embark on. If you are not sure what that entails - I suggest this video I did on the very subject: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWSWpKyemLymfq8 I also link to my two OpenTX for Helicopters videos in the description of that video.

[@ChickenHawk841]

@@Rchelicopterfun When I order a RadioMaster TX16S MAX from BuddyRC I'll be sure to mention "John sent me" ;) Thanks John.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@ChickenHawk841 - If you use the Buddy RC link in the description when you order, that will ensure they know 🙂

[@raihanmiah7162]

What are hall sensor gimbals? Also is this good for someone who's starting 6ch

[@themusichallacademy2787]

Very impressive John! So we should order this TX from elsewhere instead of banggood

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Order it from where you like & can get the best price. I do however have product links to Banggood in the description since they were the ones kind enough to send me the TX16S so we could all have a look at it. It has been my experience Banggood usually has the best pricing after taking shipping into account.

[@themusichallacademy2787]

Sure I'll. Do order from banggood. Even I have added into my cart as well. But banggood has stopped shipping to India right now. Hope for later. My fw H1 flybarless system has also stuck during shipping.

[@bladex9061]

Hey John, for RC helis what rx will you reccomend with this Tx?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Which ever has the features you want, the number of channels you want, and is compatible with your particular FBL system (assuming of course we are talking about FLB and not a flybared machine).

[@Mroswaldo16]

Everyine just do an unboxung video, nobody shows you how to set up or bind. Both version of the v4.. i got mine & to many updates needed. I got the tx16s 4 in 1 to bind to my soektrum receiver & cant get it to bind.

[@duschiavon]

Do you have a video showing how to swap the toggle and 2 position switches?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

No, but if there are enough comments requesting it, I'll "consider" redoing it. It was a little more of a process however than I first thought. The toggle switch PCB boards are L/R specific for each side so you can't just swap boards, you need to desolder the 2 position toggles from the PCB's and swap them that way. As long as your de-soldering & soldering skills are up to task, pretty straight forward, but likely beyond the scope of many. You also have to pull the entire gimbal out of each side as there is not enough clearance to slide the switch assemblies out with the gimbals in place.

[@duschiavon]

John Salt oh no 🤦🏻‍♂️ my tx16 is about to get here and all my spektrum radios have the toggle on the left side

[@epoweredrc]

@@duschiavon I have been following the thread about this radio on RCG and the guys there say you can make the spring switch work just the same as a toggle. just pull it and hold it for couple secs and it acts the same, After reading here what he had to deal with switching his switches around guess i will be leaving it alone and programming it to work as said.. Mine should be here friday.

[@duschiavon]

@@epoweredrc Thanks man. I'll take a look on the RCG forum

[@djEmgie89]

isn't it the usb-c connector the audio output as well?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Nope.

[@jthepickle7]

@ 14:06 there's a finger print on the screen!

[@chrissorlie6497]

How does this compare with your Horus? (if $$ is not a problem)

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I still love my Horus X12S, but they are no longer made so the decision of which OpenTX radio between the two is obvious unless you are looking at used.

[@FoochekhengNov.seventeen]

Hi, what is the hall effect gimbal?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Uses hall (magnetic) effect stick position sensors instead of potentiometers. Hall sensors are usually more reliable and last longer than pots. Google "Hall Effect" if you want to understand how a hall sensor works.

[@FoochekhengNov.seventeen]

@@Rchelicopterfun thanks man👍👍👍

[@erlandfpv]

Just one thing i dont like, using amber sounds pack, the sounds become a little small to hear,

[@zmanphx]

That seems to be the only complaint on this radio.

[@Mr.Thermistor7228]

Are you related to AvE?? You guys sound exactly alike and do virtually get same things it’s trippin me out

[@Rchelicopterfun]

You think we sound the same? If so, no relation and no intention. I think he's located in BC Canada however as am I. Maybe all us BC'ers sound similar 🙂

[@Mr.Thermistor7228]

@@Rchelicopterfun very very similar yes haha indeed the Canadian slang plays a huge part. You guys are both incredibly knowledgeable about electronics and just overall engineering and that just furthers adds to you guys sounding similar

[@cryaesthetic3603]

I'm sorry but, why is your voice pack?

[@Rchelicopterfun]

I'm sorry, I don't understand your question???

[@MrRCUK]

Check the stick centering as mine had a bad gimbal.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Was it just out of calibration and needed to be re-calibrated or was the hall sensor faulty?

[@MrRCUK]

@@Rchelicopterfun no, calibrated every way possible it just would not center. Returning it now and getting a T18!

[@Rchelicopterfun]

So to clarify, we are not sure if this was a hall sensor issue (assuming it was the hall version), wiring issue, or board issue. Hopefully the T18 will serve you better.

[@MrRCUK]

Also flew a couple of packs with it but it would constantly warn of low RF with DSMX telemetry RX.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Too bad you got a dud. I was at the flying field today with mine to give it a proper workout and flying a few of my big machines (700's & 800) and was getting great range/RSSI signal strength running with FrSky D16 protocol. I'm certainly not giving up my Horus X12S since I love that radio and my plan is to use it for my big stuff exclusively from now on and the TX16S for all the smaller park and micro stuff; but I'm definitely even more impressed with the Radiomaster after a day out at the flying field with it. Just wish I could hear it better.

[@zmanphx]

Banggood taking over month or more to ship. Get the receivers cheap also.

[@TOPPeet]

Hey you don't wear your TAG Heuer Professional CK1112 today :)

[@Rchelicopterfun]

That is some impressive eyesight you have there and Tag model # knowledge 🙂

[@TOPPeet]

@@Rchelicopterfun Was a no brainer I have the same watch I bought it new in the year 2000 and still ticking strong.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

@@TOPPeet Cool, same year I got mine as well - still ticking strong too.

[@larrychamel]

@@Rchelicopterfun I hope he's not casing your Home John. 😂🤣😂

[@patrickfrensdorff7485]

range? jack on top open the it and u see a usb.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

As I say at 11:08, that port beside the USB-C input is not an audio output port, it's the DSC trainer cord port. Totally different thing. Range is dependent on many variables from atmospheric conditions to RX type and antenna orientation on both TX & RX. Flying my RC helicopters, if I can see them, I can control them - that's all the range I need and the TX16S has no problem filling that range requirement. My guess is you are good out to at least 1km going by RSSI strength, but again, there are many variables that affect RF range in any radio system.

[@Buy-n-large]

youre like AvE but with RC stuff

[@ItzAnthony]

16:38

[@oliverpolden]

I wish manufacturers would stop using that rubberised plastic that goes sticky. It almost puts me off this radio.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

You may want to consider the TX16S Color and Max versions then. They don't have that same finish.

[@oliverpolden]

@@Rchelicopterfun thanks John. Yes, they definitely look better but seem to be even more difficult to get hold of. Seems to be stock problems of everything at the moment 😭

[@MC-qc9gp]

I flew with a friend recently, he was trying to trim his model and change the throws in bright sunlight. This TX is unusable other than indoors or a dark cloudy day. Watching him fumble about trying to read the screen and make simple adjustments was sad . That should be enough reason for anyone to not buy this.

[@Rchelicopterfun]

Screen is plenty bright in full sun, provided you turn the brightness up.