Radio Receiver: Radiomaster RP3 or RP4TD (any alternatives appreciated)
GPS: Holybro M10 (any alternatives appreciated)
Frame: X500 (where can I find these in Canada?)
Battery (4S): Wanted to go for an 8000mAh but might get a 4000mAh just for the initial phase. Should I get a Li-ion or LiPo? The drone isnāt gonna be doing any tricks, just normal flight and hover but Iām not sure if the current draw for those exceed that of a Li-ion. Also, any recommendations for the transmitter battery? Should I just get some 18650 cells or a proper battery pack?
Would I be able to get telemetry data on my GCS through the ELRS connection between the transmitter and receiver, via MAVLink or something, or would I need additional hardware (ie a dedicated telem radio)? Iāve also seen transmitters like the Jumper T14/T15. Are they more worth it for a first-timer like myself?
Appreciate any input. Am I missing anything and does all this look fine?
Ditch the Speedybee FC and go with a TBS Lucid H7 (from Rotor Villiage). Way more capable, no feature limitationās and future proof. Find some couch money if thatās the issue.
Be careful with the battery capacity in term of weight. We see too many underpowered/overweight craft due to some unrealistic flight time goal. Get a subscription to eCalc. Thrust:weight > 2:1
A 4S 5200mah LiPo will give you good performance. Youāll have to do some careful maths on a LiOn because youāll be hovering around 15 amps and thatās going to be hard on some batteries. If this is your first build or youāre new to the set up, then Iād stick to LiPo now for that size.
If you want to do mavlink over ELRS then look for gear with the new 1121 chipset. Iāve been using the XR4 receivers with a nomad module in my TX16s. But if I was buying a radio today Iād look either at the RM- TX15 or the GX12. (GX12 will give better data performance because it has the gemini dual radio system, but the TX15 has the better screen. Your call.)
Rotorgeeks carries the X500 frames. Might be worth a call to see what they have in stock. His website isnāt always up to date with stock levels.
Iāll second @dkemxr ās comment. Skip the SpeedyBee and get the TBS controller. Matek controllers are also good if you can find them.
edit: Oh yeah, Ecalc is totally worth it if you want to play with the numbers and check things out.
I appreciate the advice. Iāll look more into the Gemini system you mentioned and see how much of an importance that is for me, but I appreciate both the mentioned transmitters. Iāll also look into the receiver. Is it more suitable for longer ranges than the ones I briefly mentioned?
I think the X500 are out of stock atm everywhere Iāve looked. I mostly just find those Holybro dev kits so might just have to find a chinese alternative for it atp haha
Also, any specific suggestions for the 5200mAh LiPo? Iām not too well aware with the reliable brands. Iād assume going the AliExpress route for the battery wouldnāt be wise.
For what itās worth, I think the GX12 is currently the best transmitter for quadcopters and airplanes. Iām pretty sure the GX12 is the only transmitter which uses the ELRS X-band/Gemini internally.
I was initially reluctant to give up the TX16Sās nice color touchscreen for the smaller black and white screen on the GX12 but after using the GX12 a while, I realized this reluctance was not based on anything rational. Color touchscreens are nice when entering in data about a new model but once a model as been created, the screen isnāt really needed for more than identifying which model is in use. When flying FPV, the screen is hardly used at all.
In case you are not aware, the GX12 is now available in a variety of colors. If you purchase gear directly from RadioMaster, make an account, put the items you want to purchase in your cart and then leave these items in your cart overnight. The next day you will be offered 5% off.
While I think the GeminiX feature is cool and likely useful, I think the main advantage is being able to use the radio for both 2.4GHz and 900MHz receivers. The 2.4GHz receivers are nice when used with small quadcopters. Many bind and fly quadcopter come with 2.4GHz receivers. 900MHz is nice to have if you plan to fly long range. The GX12 lets you easily switch between the two bands.
You will likely want to use the Model Match feature in ELRS if you get a GX12. Iām pretty sure you need to use Model Match in order for the radio to remember which band to use with each of your models.
I have multiple XR4 receivers myself. I like the idea of having both bands being used but Iām not positive the range is any better then just using 900MHz receivers.
To get the best range possible, I think the antennas on the GX12 need to be upgraded. I havenāt done this myself yet. That said, the only times Iāve had range problems is when I forget to fold out the antennas on my GX12.
The main reason Iād go for a GX12 over a TX16S with a Nomad module is weight. The weight difference is huge. IMO the GX12 is much more comfortable to use than the TX16S.
Yeah, I think the GX12 is the one Iām going to have to go with. I also want to get into planes and fixed wings so that kind of helps that itāll support those as well. Iāll have to look into the features of GemX and the GX12 much more after I get it. Seems like it has a lot capability. Regarding the receivers, the RM XR4 I was looking at wasnāt in stock. Are these 2 on par with it, or is the RM one much better?
Also, any other suggestions or advice? Iām kind of stuck between whether the Holybro M10 is worth it over other GPS and also whether ordering motors off AliExpress is reliable or nah.
Yes, you will need a balance charger. Again I see Rotor Village carries many. Considerations are AC or DC powered and total wattage. If you choose a DC model you will need a power supply. Donāt go too low on wattage or charge time can be lengthy. I have used a 300w unit for years. Itās a DC unit powered from re-purposed PC power supply. I have another DC smaller one for field charging.
Iāve installed one of the Geprc receivers. It was a little frustrating because the firmware on the RX didnāt default to having the wifi turn on. So I had to use traditional binding then force the wifi on so I could update and do all the other stuff I wanted. I havenāt flown this RX yet but just on the bench something about it just doesnāt seem as polished as the radiomaster. All subjective, and in the end itās done everything Iāve set out to do.
But next time Iād buy the XR4. EpicFPV has them in stock.
One thing about the G-tech batteries is that the balance plug doesnāt fit in every charger. Itās not that it wonāt work but on my Hota D8 one of the balance plug ports is really close to the XT60 so the extra plug on the G-tech battery wonāt let everything fit. I can only charge G-tech batteries on one side of the charger.
They will work with G-tech and normal balance plugs. Only used it a few times but so far, itās a battery charger and it charger my batteries. So what else to say?
GX12 vs TX16S/Nomad. Ford vs Chevy. I would have totally agreed with @ddegnās comments until I picked up a TX16S mk III. It has the same internal TX as the GX12 so thatās equal as far as I know. It really comes down to personal preference. I do a mix of FPV and LOS so I see value in the colour screen with Yaapu. I like the form factor of the GX12, but when I tried it the switch positions got in the way for me (I fly pinch and I will admit this is also another personal preference). My advice: Pick the one you want that fits you. Buy it. Never watch another radio review video until youāre ready to buy a new radio. If youāre debating between GX12 and TX16mk III, youāll be good either way and it will be a few years before you need to spend that money again.
Internal RF Module: Dual-band Gemini 2.4GHz and Sub-G 900MHz
Edit again: Iām likely biased towards lighter radios. Iām over 60 and I had neck surgery a couple years ago. Any reduction in the weight on a transmitter is greatly appreciated. The large color touchscreens are really nice. The large screen is really useful for displaying telemetry. The GX12 is the best transmitter for me, but it isnāt necessarily the best transmitter for everyone.
I have a strong bias toward the TX16S because there isnāt much that competes with it for my use cases and desired features at its price point. I donāt much care about the touchscreen itself because I do most of my model editing via PC. But the large color display is great for telemetry on more complex craft. If I were solely into FPV, I think my opinion would be different.
Yeah, I think the GX12 would really be the top line for me as well. The TX16S looks like it can do everything I need and much more but I just know Iām not going to use a LOT of the features on it. I probably wonāt even end up using a lot of the features on the GX12. Iām new to this world and really want to just get something that will last me a decent amount of time. These are my first purchases and I think the GX12 is more suitable
I was trying to figure out why I thought the new TX16S didnāt support GeminiX. Iām pretty sure I got the specs of the TX16 MK3 mixed up with the RadioMaster TX15.
As Ian explains at 6:10 in the video linked below, the TX15 only has one RF module so it can only transmit on one band at a time.
Iām glad I was corrected.
Edit to add:
āwhether ordering motors off AliExpress is reliableā
100% of my large motors (at least a dozen of them) have been from AliExpress. I havenāt had problems with any of these.
