Taranis Review

[@Bruno-cb5gk]

"Siri, I want to fly this multirotor is angle mode at mach 9 into somebody's face, and go to jail for this for my life. And that should be able to happen." - Steele 2016

[@brandonripp9570]

I would like to see Steele fly mode 1 and Chad fly mode 2.

[@DavidFPV]

+Brandon Ripp Yeah! I totally agree with you! It's gonna very funny!

[@diegoschmidt324]

yesss!

[@DeanF]

+Brandon Ripp Yeah -agreed! Instanewbieism.

[@babakzekibi315]

Impossible :p

[@ulaB]

You forgot two pluses: Open Source system and programmable with a computer. Also the menu might not be self-explanatory, but if you take an afternoon and read through a tutorial or two, it's actually easy to understand the basic structure behind it. Then again, perhaps I could fly a lot better if I hadn't learned to program expo, Chad?

[@tma450]

i want to see a pro tuning guide, symptoms of high and low PID settings and how to tune them out

[@ericmaggard6182]

I second this!!!

[@bamboozledguy]

Personally I think it's a great radio like was said before for the price it cant be beat. I like that with only a usb cable you can hook the Tx to simulator. I dumped my DX7 to get a Taranis and haven't looked back lol.

[@Redpointfpv]

+bamboozledguy did the same thing, I had a DX7s/9, but had the same experience as Chad with spectrum receivers so I switched and have never had a dropout since.. I do miss the feel of the DX radios though

[@KassioLM]

want to see yours setups, PID tunning expo,s mixings tips like that.

[@eric9964]

Do more reviews of anything you can find. They are fun!

[@JulianGoesPro]

+Eric Engman Chad has a new Retina MacBook Pro! :D

[@Kimballgoss]

Anybody really like the intro ending with them yelling into the camera toward the end? That was my favorite. Thumbs up you agree

[@sputniksam]

The Taranis interface is like Guiness, you either love it or hate it. I personally find it quite intuitive. It was my first radio, and still my only radio, so I didn't have any frame of reference when compared to other options. I have close to thirty models including small race quads, EDF, 3D planes, scale warbirds, sailplanes, and largish camera hex's, bound to this radio and I have yet to have a failure that cannot be attributed to pilot error. The robustness of the protocols and frequency shifting algorithms are only equalled by the considerably more costly alternatives from Futaba and make those employed by Spektrum, DSM2 and DSMX, look more like cat's whisker technologies. Regards Nidge

[@thenatedog]

Coming from a hobbyking 9x i really loved my taranis. I had a hard time doing any programming on the 9x and with the taranis i can do everything in the field now. Having said that i have broken several switches and the antenna with normal use.

[@michaelinmotion]

I guess if my Hitec Aurora 9 ever fails me I'll look into this, but I've had it for 4-5 years now, and it's still going strong!

[@MsKoffeinjunky]

Im flying the Aurora for the same time i think. I had one of these taranis in my hands last week and have to totally agree with Chad. it just feels like a shitty cheap toy reciever and the Sticks are a nightmare.

[@mattbfpv7172]

I have a Flysky TX and use it for all my quads. I would love to see Rotor Riot do a review on the i6 or the i10 and compare it to the Taranis or Spektrum TX's. The Flysky TX's have good hand feel and is not so big and fits nicely in my hands.

[@Matt-vl1xk]

I still want to get one. I'm flying with a RadioLink AT9, which is not bad and I have no complaints as a beginner other than lack of any instructions of how to use it. ALL directions, videos, etc are Chinese. I've figured out a lot on my own and kudos to RadioLink for making the menu intuitive enough that you can figure it out without directions. And for a $100 with a receiver its good for a beginner like me. But the Taranis is what I want! Can't wait to get one!!

[@TheSolongsidekick]

Now that I've upgraded the gimbals in my Taranis, upgraded the speaker, and customized all of my audio alerts I'm really liking it. I wasn't happy about replacing my beloved AT9, but I'm starting to come around. The gimbal upgrade was by far the biggest tangible factor in making this transmitter feel like a quality piece of gear. The gimbals are hard to find and often out of stock because they're popular with robotics hobbyists, but if you can get your hands on them I highly recommend swapping the crappy stock gimbals out. As dumb as it sounds the speaker also made a big difference. The alerts no longer sound tinny and irritating to the ear, which makes the speaker an actual asset instead of an annoying nuisance. Setting custom audio alerts is a lot of fun when you can actually hear what the audio is.

[@pressalltheknobs3277]

So what are these wonder gimbals you speak of. The new FrSky ones with the metal cross bars that are now stock as of earlier this year? Or some other found gimbal. I have the older Taranis gimbals and they seem fine but its only ~ $26 to get a pair of the new ones.

[@TheSolongsidekick]

Ugh hell no, those are the ones that I yanked out of my Taranis for replacing. They are replacement gimbals for the Aurora 9. Night and freaking day compared to the FrSky gimbals, even the new ones. The part number is GIM-01. The main problem is they're in such high demand from not only this hobby but the robotics hobby as well. The manufacturer has had these backordered since June and the date just got pushed back from the beginning of August to the beginning of September for a new shipment, and it's been pushed back multiple times before so don't count on that. Here's the interesting thing. I've found a Parallax item that looks completely identical to the Hitec one, even down to the wire harness colors. I've never handled one to be completely sure but it sure as hell looks like a match. That part number is 27808, and is probably at least worth a shot.

[@pressalltheknobs3277]

Ah ok...Thanks for the info. Did you have the new FrSky ones before you switched? They only started shipping earlier this year. Still might try them since it's a no brainer switch. The Aurora 9 ones require a bit more commitment and like you say they are harder to get. I'll look around for the Parallax.

[@TheSolongsidekick]

The actual GIM-01s just came back into stock today.

[@grandmaster-grouch]

Swapped the springs out for better feel. Went to Home Depot and found a spring for a vent that fit. Also added rubber dampener on the tabs that land on the spring arm which increased the throw of the spring tension therefore increasing over all spring tension. Also the plastic sound you get after releasing the sticks went away due to the dampeners. That gimble that that can turn to center your pitch sound dope. To bad it's to tight to twist the gimble. Ever considered using the hobbyking gimble upgrade for both sides. This may help with the issues though I've never seen a review for it.

[@zaplocked]

If you build your own spektrum module, you can get rid of the latency from the conversion to/from ppm between the controller and the module

[@spyder000069]

my dx8 was recalled right off the bat with bad pots. I was die hard JR/spectrum but it was nothing but problems with that radio. plus if you wanted telemetry add another $80 on top of your receiver. I had several locations I could recreate fail-safes at close range. my taranis came and I spent ten minutes with it and put it away frustrated and I am a programmer. two weeks later tried again and with the help of the internet got the hang of it. now looking at my dx8 is like looking at a childs learning computer. can't believe how limited it is. big thanks to frysky and opentx for giving us a piece of equipment to replace a toy.

[@thejason51873]

I would love to see a video of each one of you "showing off" your go to quad. Like whats the quad you pick up the most when you go fly and tell us what you have on it and why. That would make for a great and informative video!

[@marhar2]

lol, if you're scratching the screen easily it's probably because you haven't pulled off the plastic protective screen cover. See if yours is still attached!

[@bigpops74]

Great review. I concur almost totally. I came to the Taranis from a DX8 because I go fed up of the the sats and their nasty cables, although I never had a failsafe in 4 years of using Spektrum. While I quite liked the gimbals in my Taranis , but I kept breaking springs, so mine now has JR gimbals (from an old DX7) Switches are junk. All the ones I use most have been switched for Futaba switches. Battery - never even used the Ni-MH pack. I bought a 3S LiFe pack with the radio. It lasts for an age. GUI (OpenTX) - You need to learn it, but once you do, you can do almost anything you can think of.

[@Zillawill]

+bigpops74 How hard was swapping gimbals? I have a old DX7 doing nothing at moment

[@bigpops74]

It took a few hours. I followed the guide on rcgroups in the Taranis hardware hacks thread. www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=27428345&postcount=1088 If you're confident in your ablilities, then go for it. If you're not 100% sure you'll be able to do it, then I wouldn't bother.

[@NilssonFPV]

Not sure if i missed it or not, but all the negatives are being worked on. Its called the x12 Horus and the X9E. Pricerier radios, but with better hardware. Horus has dual color screens and hall sensor sticks, whereas the X9E is a regular Taranis in a jeti style tray with a ton more switches for fpv.

[@sallerc]

+Christoffer Nilsson Looks like better quality, but I think they are too big.

[@timchilds60]

Cheers fellas, great viewing as always. :-)

[@recommit]

After researching the Taranis and finding many quality & user issues, I got a Futaba. Love everything about it with the exception of two things. The receivers are big money, "but there are alternatives" and you need to wear an ear plug or plug in a remote speaker to hear it. Otherwise it was well worth the money and feels like quality.

[@peterihoy4908]

When I came to buy a new radio I was tempted by the Taranis, as so many people were raving about them. The only thing that worried was the user interface. I contacted Bruce Simpson for his views as he loved them. In the end though, and as I told Bruce, I felt that I wanted an interface more like "Windows" and the Taranis seemed more akin to going back to "Dos"! I bought a Spektrum DX9.Chad's opinion and frustration (Steel seems to have the same, but is more minded to overlook them) reflects mine and makes me soo glad about my decision ;-) Peter

[@BigLewFPV]

this was actually very informative I was thinking about the radio just for my multi-rotors and wanted some opinions on the quality since the price is so cheap. thank you rotor riot

[@adidas4275]

Love it. I have only used Dx6i, Dx6 gen 2, DX8 But all your negatives have me thinking of switching.

[@staindnirv]

As my first radio. I am very happy with the Taranis plus. I don't find the menu system that bad, just takes some time if you insist on programming it on the radio instead of the computer. I did snap off one of the 3 position switches a though but, that should be an easy swap out when I get around to it.

[@NWJake]

thanks guys. Im more curious about tuning. i know its more flyers preference, but if one of you could just go through how you tune yours? it would be a good reference. Thanks for the videos keep it up!

[@krtf4ucorsair]

I agree I'd love to see how the pros tune.

[@nathanball2744]

When's Carlos going to come back? I love the personalities on this they all work great together. Keep making these videos love them. So what is your guys perfect radio?

[@GadgetMart]

Great review!! Thumbs up.You have had exactly the same experience with this radio as me, however I do find OpenTX OK to use.I loved my Taranis so much, I broke a JR X9303 (PCM 9X) and moved all the switches & gimbals over to it. Job done.

[@gr3ek19]

Can you guys do a video on how you approach PID tuning for FPV racing? Maybe some tips or a good process that works for you?

[@sankofamusician]

Guess I haven't been flying long enough, but I use the DX6 and spektrum satellite and haven't had any failsafe problems. Granted, I don't fly as far and as fast as these guys, but I like that it mostly just works out the box. I've already got my hands full trying to learn how to build and fly these things, don't really want to fight with the transmitter too.

[@averagejoe6031]

A lot of people put the Aurora 9 gimbals in it and that makes it much better I think. Because everything about the Aurora is so insanely awesome:)

[@user-rs8zg8ey2b]

Love my Taranis, it's almost 3 years old, zero failures, zero failsafe, and sounds like someone needs to RTFM, lol, there is tons of good videos to get you started (scott page's). And for $200, the Taranis competes for functionality with the Futaba 18mz at $3000.

[@KidderFPV]

Good review guys. Would really like to see how Steele sets his Taranis up. When he was doing Taranis Vs Jeti range test he had a bunch of cool stuff going on that (as Chad said) seemed pretty much a pain in the ass to program. Show us YOUR setup!!

[@jedijeremy]

Ha! I'm fond of my Taranis for the voice as well. I have all my models set to "count up on throttle" so I get a running count of flight time which allows me to keep eyes on the tri, and get really immersed. I don't look at the display at all. I just wait until the sultry voice says "fourteen minutes" and I know it's time to come in. I also find it useful to keep a count of "throttle power %" so I have an idea how 'efficiently' I've been flying. And I don't know how many times her quietly repeating "Inactivity Alarm!" has saved the battery.

[@mikefairbanks]

Sounds like a good opportunity for a Taranis Rotor Riot Special Edition!

[@sross148]

Taranis become big among FPVers for may reasons not mentioned: -big one being: SPEKTRUM NO WORK WITH UHF. or at least it did not for many years. -second one being, the module bay. Low latency frsky radio inside, plus module bay. for non miniquad fpv, the module bay latency is not an issue, but is the super handy for running various modules -third being the vastly expandability of the OpentTX programming interface. allows some very advanced kind of programming, some of it unachievable with any other radio. In traditional FPV we're always programming weird stuff with pan&tilt, having modes to share the gimbals, and all the OSD/FC stuffs -don't use radio expo with multirotors! you guys know - you do the curves in the FC program -headtracking made easy. Spektrum did as much as they possibly could to stymie our efforts to have headtracking. putzes -programming it on a PC is a pretty big bonus that almost no one else offers. It's a good user friendly app that is a bit easier to use than the radio buttons -they say the range of spektrum sucked. I never had a problem with it. if I wanted to have range I used 9x and a uhf. They also mention DSM2 which is weak, but now they have dsmx which is good. But Spektrum in general is too bloody expensive -BTW I had a $1000 Jeti radio for a while. Is was woefully inadequate in most of the above respects (only puts out 8 channels to ppm, no way to get headtracking in, etc). And I hated the user interface. I used Er9x and OpenTX for years so it is like my mother tongue. That Jeti stuff felt limiting and weak.

[@HCMAClub]

I've always thought all radio manufacturers should offer aftermarket gimbals. I did tear mine down and swap the bearings out for some ceramics and its a lot smoother. also upgraded the springs.

[@Silvertinge291]

it should also be mentioned that the newer spektrum/lemon sats work better than the old.

[@jamosin1011]

I agree with Kassio would love to see some pid expo tuning tips and set ups

[@CallMeJack08]

great video guys. I think it's cool that your touching on the basics of mini quad in this manner. I would also be cool if you talked about HD cameras and their lever of durability. or what to look for in a flight/speed controler

[@hyzenthlay7151]

I know not many people like to do it or would even attempt to do it, but I just remove the heatshrink from a battery and remove and change the leads on it as to my needs directly on the battery cell board, before putting new heatshrink on it which is REALLY cheap from Banggood and actually looks like a normal Turnigy colour heatshrink But then, I've been told by more than one that I am very overkill when it comes to neatness on setups and wiring

[@ndinadis]

as far as feeling cheap and the gimbals being low quality, they were comparing against a DX18 which is top of the line, if I were coming from a DX6i would I have the same complaints or would it feel like an upgrade hardware wise?

[@PinchTune]

Couldn't agree more. I haven't experienced dropout or failsafe issues with my DX6. I love the feel of my DX6, but I've been flying mostly my Taranis for mini quads, even though I hate the gimbals.

[@What_If_We_Tried]

Awesome review!! Thank-you. I was thinking buying a FrSky Taranis X9D Plus to save money, but now I'm probably going start out with either a 7, or 8 channel Hitec Flash, the sliders are a great feature for me, or a Futaba 8J.

[@bmoyes]

I've been running a XJT Frsky module in my JR radios because I can't tear myself away from the decent gimbals/switches/interface. You get the best of both worlds, but no telemetry. The antenna on the XJT hasn't even snapped off yet!

[@LIFEOFSTUFFEDANIMALS]

Love this type of review. Flying for 60 years lol

[@foxsavage9396]

I have been using a JR XG11 MV with an FrSky module and the latency is super low. The price is about triple but the feel of this radio in your hands is fantastic and the programming is super simple.

[@bmoyes]

I'm with you on this. It seems to be an excellent combination, you just don't get the taranis spoken telemetry but an osd does fine.

[@3DMOFO2020]

13:40-13:48&14:37 ROFL! Awesome job on the review I actually enjoy my Taranis radio I've had it since 2013 I will admit it took me a while to find the expo's as well Chad I been using Futaba since I get in to r/c in 1994 but once I switched to 2.4 I went to Spectrum DX7SE which I had a few years until I went to Taranis and never looked back!

[@Ammoniummetavanadate]

I would love to see a match-up with the Turnigy 9XR-Pro using a FrSky module. For a lot of people hitting the entry level this is the biggest competition for that radio.

[@eternalfire1244]

I love my Taranis and this is one of the best reviews I have ever seen. lol

[@dwobstacles]

Chad is in love with the Taranis

[@GadgetMart]

The problem with Spektrum and the DX18 is not the radio. It's the receivers. Need long diversity antennas for multirotors

[@NosadfacesChannel]

How do you guys feel about the 9XR Pro, it defiantly seems to take a lot of this reciever. Its also compatible with d4r-II with an Fr Module. Mine seems to work very well and have a good response rate. They also go for about $120 with the module and battery.

[@StuntDoubleFPV]

Taranis Turbo pre-orders coming soon....

[@JustusSaul]

So when I get it right you are basially using it only because you like the the transmitting protocoll. So have you ever considered to build your own remote? From electronical side it should be no problem for you. You would just need some nice gimbals you like, some switches, the FrSky Module and a arduino mega with a screen (runs OpenTX - same stuff running on the taranis). Just hook up everything to the arduino and put OpenTX on it and you are ready to go ;) Planing to do it like this myself and the just having something gamepad sizes in my hand with all the other stuff carried on my belt.

[@wheelykingdotcom]

When my 9x burned down together with most of my living room i got the taranis. i love the damn thing.

[@alexadabic]

What do you think of new 2A spectrum recivers? And would you switch back to spectrum?

[@cmtetaboaco]

Programming via the software on your PC been able to save it download,... It's priceless! I agree the gimbals cold be better, but most users wold not even notice that! and about the feel of the buttons I agree feels really cheap, but as far as see its just the feel! nice video, waiting for that regarding the "inverted float" you guys do!

[@juz70]

Yes, be nice to have a quality tx. Great stuff guys.

[@Comaturge]

I had problems with Spektrum going to failsafe before. I moved to LemonRX receivers and never had a single glitch since. I don't know why I would go FrSky especially since LemonRX receivers are more compact than D4rII.

[@quadcopterhobbyshansie_fpv5895]

Nice you guys. I agree about the quality of compnents and buttens used. But the screen is not that bad i think. Ehh Steele, have you taken of the protective layer? I though the same bout the screen but found out there is a invisible layer of protection on there. Great movies you guys.

[@blackforestfpv3046]

i love you guys! so fun to watch chad and steel :D keep going!

[@Cheezburgl4r]

Great review! If you're open to suggestions, what do you guys think of the Turnigy 9XR Pro?

[@bendavis555]

I had to upgrade the gimbal springs with Futaba heavy duty springs to make me feel at home. The taranis stock springs are way too sloppy and even noticed stick centering issues.

[@timbell8208]

I agree with all of that but I would also like to see an sbus rx with telemetry the size and price of the lemon rx.

[@MrSteeleFPV]

So basically you want your cake and you want to eat it too

[@timbell8208]

+Mr Steele LOL NO I don't want just a piece I want the whole CAKE!!!!!

[@bigbrotherfpv5237]

+Tim Bell There's a new RX coming out called the XSR. You should check that out. It's available for pre-order at GetFPV.

[@timbell8208]

+BigBrother FPV I already have one. it's still to big :(

[@JarcodeRover]

Still flying with a DX6I mk1, yess i know.... i did removed the kickstarter....:P But hey, it is doing it's job! Looking forward too buying a new tx tho, but which one.....!

[@NauseaMonkeyFPV]

Please do a review on the TBS tango.. Thanks

[@MrMenacingTurtle]

As a relatively new pilot, I've only used the Taranis. What would you recommend if I wanted to try a different radio?

[@aarontrujilloalegria978]

Replace springs with futaba springs, crank up the tension and the gimbals are much better

[@sierra7534]

For FPV drone racing/freestyle - do you use any of the switches and knobs on the remote besides the Arm toggle?

[@mountainmeister7996]

Cool episode, I am digging you guys more and more.

[@FPVPortugalTV]

You can use the PC GUI, its a lot easier... the user interface its pretty easy to use if you get used to it... I dont think that is a bas feature in this radio, but i do agree that FrSky should release some "Pro" version with better gimbal and better quality/feel to it, or at least release some better gimbals so we can change them... Strange that no one came with better gimbals for this radio yet.

[@dr07828]

I am fairly new to FPV quads. It is actually the first RC flight I have actually done. Before that I was into Buggies and Truggies. I was always a big AE fan. So I don't have a lot of experience with 4 channel transmitters, but i have used just about everything for off road RC, and i can say quality wise to me the Taranis feels great. I picked up the qx7, haven't used an x9, but I am astounded at how good it is for the $130 I paid for it. I also LOVE open TX. I think the interface is very intuitive. Now the x9 is diff than the x7 a bit due to screen size and I don't know if it makes it better or worse. I have seen reviews of the x7 where the reviewer seems to like the x7's interface better. But Open TX is just about the most bad ass software. I also like that i can program it on the laptop. Also the x7 is down right awesome feeling in my hands.. Fits so well. I have alway thumbed control sticks, but with the x7 I naturally feel the need to pinch. I must say as well, for hating the Taranis so much.. video's out now he seems pretty attached to it.

[@bullitfx9268]

@Steele: Little Correction, it does create some lag if you use a standard module inside the Taranis - thats right. But Crossfire Users like you and me have the Special "Protocol" called CRSF which reduces the latency down to 2-8ms. If Trappy tell us the truth (think you know him better then me) the latency of 2-8ms is WITH sending out Signal. Not just 2-8ms to Crossfire and then another latency from crossfire itself. Trappy said 2-8ms from giving a command to Taranis WITH transmitting from Crossfire. Thats not a big lag in my eyes. I just bought my FrSky Taranis Plus that week because i was annoyed of my Futaba T14SG and the incomptence of those, to implement new features to actucally fit 3rd Party Equipment like Crossfire and some kind of that. If my Futaba would have a same protocol AND cheaper Receivers, i would stay on my Futaba because the quality is , like you already said, much higher then on Taranis. But i think it just needing personal time to get comfortable with a "cheaper feelin" Taranis if you before where using higher quality like me. But, the whole package, the capability, price bla bla is it really worth to switch to Taranis. I will sell my Futaba now because i see no sense of having 2 TX`s since i literally 95% fly Racers, Wings...

[@MrSteeleFPV]

Correction . When this video was made the CRSF protocol didn't exist yet. But was in the works due to my persistence with TBS to have a serial module bay protocol. :P 

[@bullitfx9268]

Davis, you`ve right ;-) That was an Info that i didn`t had ;-) Actually i like my Taranis so far. But i really need to get comfortable with it. It`s quite a huge different in haptic feel when i got it into my hands. My T14SG was some kind of smoother in my hands ;-) But Crossfire with a big latency is a no go. Thats one of the greatest points for me to switch to FrSky from Futaba. But like i already said, i`m 100% with you - Quality isn`t the best but the Package Itself is it really worth.

[@WildCaptures]

So what's the best radio for the money? Coming from a Turnigy 9x this radio seems pretty good to me, but I'm not a pro: ) I might just slap a FrSky module in for now until this radio steps it's game up.

[@brianbailey5714]

I'd like to know how your taranises (tarani?) are setup. What switches do you use? Do you ever fly angle mode? etc.,

[@BensleyH]

Would love to see a review of the futaba t8. It's around the same price point and includes the receiver.

[@HarryBunnGRVOTV]

hi, if i put an frsky module in my "MODE 1" futaba will i get the lower latancy?

[@sqwert654]

I would have though a very light spring tension would be better for acro flying, why fight the spring? I like it just light enough to return to centre. Mode 3 FTW :)

[@MrJoyholland]

Thanks again for the vid riots. But for the time being, i saw mr Steele playing with TBS crossfire UHF in other vids and Chad with antenna mods for example, wich are both not reviewed in this video. I would love to see an updated vid about this topic so we can all benefit of future technology instead of wandering behind of it. For now it raises some questions on my side, pleasy reply: Questions: Does a (genuine Frsky DJT accst) module also add 27ms latency or maybe Steele`s TBS crossfire system has only been tried out wich created this effect ? (What about the bended pins steele talks about, if they aren`t bend you introduce no lag and with straight pins it does???? 4:24/4:26 please be more specific here it`s confusing) I have a Frsky DJT accst module laying around, from previous turnigy 9x overhaul and would love to see this perform just as good or better as the stock Taranis build in Frsky tx (X9D), anyone tried this before or any other Frsky 2.4 accst telemetry modules wich will work without latency problems!? Note: Being able to use a module besides better range/penetration and reliability, would give an easy option alone to swap for a better antenna. For example a 5db without the need of soldering internals of the Taranis. The original Taranis antenna should kept stock, not only incase soldering antenna mod can go wrong, but most important this modding will definitly break the manufacturers warranty. I appreciate the build in option inside the Taranis too switch the internal tx off for a reason like this alone obviously... (Not worth it tho if we really have to trade latency for it, but there has to be a way that this module option is worth it for racing quad latency?) A module install could also help balancing out the transmitter CG... So the heavy battery bay Chad and Steele talked about does not have to be that disturbing as mentioned... No module inserted feels so empty and cheap, like we paying extra for a useless stash compartiment. Frsky Taranis transmitter should work flawless with other Frsky modules, they are throwing there own windows like this, wich also means less chance of them overhauling this system or the modules and making it work fine. I cannot find any good options on the www about my specific questions, while there should be in my opinion!? Can anyone give a decent reply on this, whether i am wrong or right i am looking for the possibilities!?

[@mooosestang]

Dx6 and lemonrx sats, never have a drop out when flying close proximity, regardless of trees, buildings. I only get 3 minutes out of a battery, so i'm not flying more than a few hundred feet away, but i've flown through some fairly thick forest. The throttle gimbal on the taranis sucks, it has notches. The price for a lemon sat is a huge plus for me, $8-$10 depending on where you buy.

[@TAKTEZ]

I totally agree with Chad. Hes absolutely right! ive got a dx9 and absolutely love it. ive used a few taranis' and they feel horrible! feels cheap. i was hoping to take apart my 9303 that i have and swap gimbals out if i ever ended up buying one. but frsky rx range is brilliant. i had heaps of failsafe issues with my dx9. i bought the new ppm spektrum rx and have been having good success with it now. would love you to try test one out seeing as you had same problems! id buy taranis just for miniquads. im still tempted!

[@Ace12GA]

Lol, I don't find OpenTx that hard to use. Hell, I'm flying a modded to the nines, Turnigy 9x. Have been for years. Put a FrSky module in it a couple of years ago, and it works great. Agree about the Antenna, which is why I replaced mine. Agree about the Rx as well; you can not beat the price and reliability on the Rx's for the FrSky tech.

[@JulianGoesPro]

+Ace12GA when you grow up with windows, windows ain't that hard... when you get used to a Mac and then go back to windows you realise how hard it actually is... same with OpenTx... growing up with Spektrum and trying out OpenTX everything feels so complicated...

[@Ace12GA]

+JulianGoesPro the funny part, is that I'm lost on spektrum. I hate their menus.

[@JulianGoesPro]

+Ace12GA haha how do you feel about the wheel? I love an digital input for setting up "numbers" and "letters" instead of pressing buttons... I could learn the menu but I just can't get used to hitting buttons 30 times to get to the right letter or pushing it 15 times to hit 35% expo :-P (can you even "long press" on the taranis? xD)

[@Ace12GA]

+JulianGoesPro The wheel drives me nuts. You can hold buttons in OpenTx, so that's not an issue really. Honestly, Specktrum drives me nuts. Some of my flying buddies have DX6i's, which have really nice gimbals, but performance issues, coupled with drop outs was enough for me. That, and I can buy 2 to 4 Rx's for the price of one Spektrum Rx.

[@JulianGoesPro]

really? The wheel is the best thing :D For really small builds I go with the orange diversity sat and for bigger build is go with the orange R620X V2 (telemetry with build in voltage sensor for 5v and lipo... no A2 resistor pull down thing needed ;) )

[@candidfukup]

Rotar Riot Rules!

[@EgoIsFlawed]

Its not bashing its more begging for improvements. which are modest request and huge glaring short coming of this other wise solid radio. Now if the designers listen, progress will be made.

[@JosephDawson]

You maybe right the gimbals and switches compared to the DX18 maybe crap. I had a DX8 and the gimbals and switches in that didn't feel better then the Taranis. The DX18 is over $1,100 Canadian and comparing it to a Taranis is like comparing a Ferrari to a Honda. I also think the power of OpenTX that runs on the radio and the ability to configure and program it via a PC are tremendous abilities that blow away what you can do on other radios. Bottom line is you can do many things with OpenTX that wouldn't be possible on a DX18 or any other radio that was not running OpenTX.

[@simonjohnade]

You guys are great fun to watch. Thanks and keep it up. Also good luck in Dubai!!

[@crremedies7783]

Are you guys going to cary quads and parts on the site or do you have a site you recommend? thanks

[@MIKEYDREADFPV]

love my taranis upgrade the cheese with the better equipement and you wouldnt need anything else, the user interface is like any tx thats new to someone, once you put some time in to learn it its pretty simple, great episode crew, show vid with individual quad setups pids rates expos ect so we can all copy you guys and try and fly like you woooop woooop.

[@Ybw200owns]

put the FrSky diy module in a controller you like. Could even run it on a switch and still use the controller's original radio

[@JustReadable]

In your store there is a picture from the battery section of a taranis with some weird green something. What happened to the solid NiMH cylinder with the fancy black-copper finish?

[@pressalltheknobs3277]

The Taranis Plus comes with a green shrink wrapped 7.4v 2000mAH soldered NiMh battery which you can charge in the radio. It is a excellent choice for a stock battery for many reasons and for most people there is really no good reason to change it out. However the radio was designed so you can easily change out the battery and use up to a 3S lipo if you so wish. The stated voltage range is 6v to 15v. You may have change the battery connector on the battery and you MUST charge such batteries outside the Transmitter with an appropriate charger. Best to make an adapter to save the plug on your Taranis board. The main reason you would want to change to a 3S LiPo is so you can power an external module at higher voltages. The battery voltage is routed unregulated to the module bay so you can use it as you need. A 3S LiFe is a better choice than a LiPo for general use but apart from weight and faster charging I'm not clear there is any real advantage over stock. A 2000MAh NiMH should last longer than 1500MAh LiFe in theory and it's hard to tell when LiFes are exhausted. The fact that the radio is setup to give you the choice is a major plus and complaints are just a bunch of ignorant whinging. Most similar priced radios use AA batteries in a 4 cell spring cage... which is basically an unreliable toy grade joke. See open-txu.org/taranis-battery-notes/ for details

[@KneeDownFPV]

Have you guys had a chance to check out the Horus yet?

[@nwimpney]

I am curious what you guys all use for expo. Is there a general consensus, or do some use lots, and others use none?

[@AdamDemas]

excellent review. More like this!

[@DaRoach5882]

Chad check out the new SPM4648! no longer getting failsafe and the range is incredible!

[@TempleClauseFPV]

If you only choose this radio for the receivers: Why don't you use a Futaba radio + a FrSky Receiver with S.BUS. For example the TFR4?

[@WoooSaaaW]

Cool review but its missing a conclusion... Do you guys recommend it or is there something better? It seems the D4r-ii paired with it make it the hands down best option even if you have $1000 to blow. I get the sense you want something better but its the best radio/rx combo for mini racers at the moment.

[@jacquesmaries2324]

Funny that you don't seem to like it a lot, but you more or less all use it, right ? : ) I have both a Frsky and a JR 9303 with JR module in it, but the Taranis has become my go to radio thanks to the flexibility of the software, though it's true that the UI is not that user friendly... But hey, it talks! I Love it. Thanks for all your videos!