Best controller to buy.?

Phantom_Alex · Feb 11, 2014

HI everyone,

New here, so I've been looking through the topics and i cannot find one RE aftermarket controllers, what controllers do you use and what would you recommend for P1? I hate the white look and feel of the stock controller so wanted somthing a little more palateable.

What specific requirements, if any should i look out for?

Kind Regards, Alex

havasuphoto · Feb 11, 2014

Futaba T8J RX/TX, more here;http://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7688
Over 150 flights, never a fly-a-way. lost signal a few times due to interference from a video TX antenna I was testing, but the aircraft immediately entered F/S mode and flew back within range.
Plenty of channels, switches, and the ability to flip a switch and cut the rate and sensitivity of all your axis' at once, or just the Yaw axis-for filming.

Phantom_Alex · Feb 12, 2014

havasuphoto said:
Futaba T8J RX/TX, more here;http://www.phantompilots.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7688
Over 150 flights, never a fly-a-way. lost signal a few times due to interference from a video TX antenna I was testing, but the aircraft immediately entered F/S mode and flew back within range.
Plenty of channels, switches, and the ability to flip a switch and cut the rate and sensitivity of all your axis' at once, or just the Yaw axis-for filming.

Thank you very much havasupoto

Phantom_Alex · Feb 23, 2014

What about a Turnigy 9XR http://www.radioc.co.uk/Turnigy-9XR-9Ch ... p/1712.htm ?

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

saltire · Feb 23, 2014

You might want to concider reading this before you splash the cash
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=8711

LeoS · Feb 23, 2014

Look into FrSky Taranis too.

It has the ultimate programmability as it has open source firmware, also has a speaker and text-to-speech capability.

rilot · Feb 23, 2014

Another vote for the Taranis. It's a superb radio.

OI Photography · Feb 23, 2014

The Turnigy 9X and 9XR are excellent values in the budget friendly-range of controllers and are a great step up from the stock ones. However if you want to put down just a little more cash than that for a LOT more capability and features, the Taranis is impossible to beat in that price range.

My Taranis and 9X

Note: any of those (the Turnigy units or the Taranis) will let you tap in to the FrSky line of telemetry receivers and sensors, which are a nice way to have that data independent of the NAZA or an FPV/OSD setup. Certain other models of controllers are also compatible with that, if they have the right type of transmitter module accommodations.

Griggs · Feb 23, 2014

rilot said:
Another vote for the Taranis. It's a superb radio.

Which Taranis do you guys have?

OI Photography · Feb 23, 2014

Griggs said:
rilot said:

Another vote for the Taranis. It's a superb radio.

Click to expand...

Which Taranis do you guys have?

There's only one Taranis, you can get it bundled with an X8R receiver and/or carrying case (or neither), but it's all the same controller. I have the X8R which is great, and the case, which is neat but nothing special.

Griggs · Feb 23, 2014

Ok thanks. This is pretty interesting. I've heard the advantages of a Futaba would be a more secure signal (less chance of flay away) and longer range, but they are so expensive. Is this true of the Taranis too? What kind of range are you getting?

OI Photography · Feb 23, 2014

Griggs said:
Ok thanks. This is pretty interesting. I've heard the advantages of a Futaba would be a more secure signal (less chance of flay away) and longer range, but they are so expensive. Is this true of the Taranis too? What kind of range are you getting?

The Taranis uses spectrum-hopping radio technology just like the Futabas, I'm not sure if one is any better than the other, but I haven't seen any reports of unexpected interference issues with the Taranis.

I'll let one of the other owners speak to the range, I haven't put mine through long distance tests yet...but I have gone over 1000m with an FrSky transmitter module in my Turnigy 9x and an X8R on the aircraft, so I think the Taranis should do that with no problem.

The X8R receiver does provide some basic telemetry back to the Taranis even without extra modules, including radio signal strength (RSSI) so you can keep an eye on that, and even set (voice!) alarms when that gets below levels you define.

Paul K · Feb 23, 2014

I have Spectrum DX8 radio for my another multi rotor and I was thinking to buy AR 8000 ($150) and add a Phantom to DX8.Or buy Taranis with X8R ($260) and have dedicated radio only for Phantom. Which way would you go?

OI Photography · Feb 23, 2014

Paul K said:
I have Spectrum DX8 radio for my another multi rotor and I was thinking to buy AR 8000 ($150) and add a Phantom to DX8.Or buy Taranis with X8R ($260) and have dedicated radio only for Phantom. Which way would you go?

I haven't used the Spectrum radios, but I understand they're very nice, and in your position I might be tempted to just get the 2nd receiver and keep the one controller you know and like, if only for simplicity's sake.

If you can wait for the Taranis (which you may have to do anyway), you can get it for $200 with the X8R and case: http://www.alofthobbies.com/frsky-taran ... combo.html

Even at that price though, it may not be a better option for you, unless the Taranis has some specific benefit you aren't getting with the DX8 currently (i.e. telemetry? I don't know if Spectrums have that or not).

rilot · Feb 24, 2014

I ditched my DX8 when I bought the Taranis.
I'd been a Spektrum user for years but found the Taranis just so much more flexible, and the fact that receivers were only £30 made it easy to outfit lots of models.

Paul K · Feb 24, 2014

thanks for respond , I like DX8 ,but on another hand for extra $ 50-60 I would have dedicated radio for phantom only.

ianwood · Feb 24, 2014

OI Photography said:
The Taranis uses spectrum-hopping radio technology just like the Futabas, I'm not sure if one is any better than the other, but I haven't seen any reports of unexpected interference issues with the Taranis.

Doesn't the Taranis have its own protocol called ACSST or something like that? I think it also supports Futaba FHSS but not FASST. I could be wrong. I don't think this will have any real world impact on range except if you're in a pretty built-up area where this a lot of interference. This is where FASST comes into its own and the extra price of the Futabas pays off. Or at least that is what I've read in a bunch of different forums.

OI Photography · Feb 24, 2014

ianwood said:
OI Photography said:

The Taranis uses spectrum-hopping radio technology just like the Futabas, I'm not sure if one is any better than the other, but I haven't seen any reports of unexpected interference issues with the Taranis.

Click to expand...

Doesn't the Taranis have its own protocol called ACSST or something like that? I think it also supports Futaba FHSS but not FASST. I could be wrong. I don't think this will have any real world impact on range except if you're in a pretty built-up area where this a lot of interference. This is where FASST comes into its own and the extra price of the Futabas pays off. Or at least that is what I've read in a bunch of different forums.

I just meant they (FrSky and Futaba) both used SS, didn't mean to say they implemented it exactly the same. Wasn't aware Futaba had 2 flavors or that one was significantly better.