Tons of great info, thanks a LOT!!! I had quite a few differences on my new radio and new CNC kit (May 2023). * I didn't need to uncouple the main board from the LCD. So that's 2 ribbons that you don't need to undo-redo *The front speaker was a nightmare! (Located right above the power button) Once I finally got it in there right (by pure magic) it rattles around. The stock power button has a plastic "spring" that helps hold the speaker in place. I spent a solid hour on this! *There's a plastic bridge piece for the front of the internal 4in1 multi module. I couldn't find 2 screws that actually fit the holes that attached the bridge part to the daughter board. It's in there, and it seems fine... but it's not secured. All of the suggestions like using bowls, staying organized, taking lots of pictures... all VERY helpful!
I just finished doing mine. Never done it before. But I did not want to buy another transmitter. So glad I found this video. There is no way in hell I could have done it without watching it step by step. Kudos and thank you sir! Subscribed! 🤠
I had a great time following along to this video while adding the cnc components to my radio. I'm an electronics tech by trade so it wasn't all that difficult but you did a GREAT job stepping through this process and it's always nice to learn from others before embarking on an adventure such as this. Note to readers of this comment who are considering attempting this install- watch the video all the way through BEFORE you begin then rewind and follow along. Pay attention to the suggestions to take lots of pictures and definitely use bowls to contain loose hardware and components. Also note the repeated warning not to overtighten hardware or force fit anything into place. I "monkey-fisted" the retention screws that attach the foldable handle to the back shell and the result was not good (broken back shell)....lol. Luckily, that's only a minor cosmetic issue. Spares are available and a new one is in route. Also, If you buy the kit that doesn't included a new faceplate, I don't think the provided screws that attach the beauty plates / gimbals to the old faceplate are actually long enough... be VERY careful there. Thanks again for a great instructional video!!
Great Video and a bIG thanks for doing this. - I've just successfully done my own upgrade and I probably wouldn't have attempted this without your video ! Now I CAN confirm that the screen & motherboard CAN be removed / replaced as one unit, saving the removal of the ribbon cables that link them. The only problem I had was that the "MDL" button, that has an aluminum stud, to operate its micro switch, well the stud was not long enough to operate its switch, but luckily it is threaded into the back of the button, so it could be adjusted out a bit, and secured with a drop of thread-locker. I also found that one had to `fiddle` with the Nav roller mounting board a bit, by adjusting the mounting screws, to stop the roller binding on the front case cut out. I Hope this little bit of additional info, helps others attempting this upgrade. Regards & thanks again for your excellent video. Dave L
Please - put a comment at the beginning of the video regarding the better time to install the buttons! I had to undo several steps to get the buttons in. Also had to put a shim in the two upper buttons to get them to work. A lot of fiddling....An finally, if you install the added rings to the gimbals, the sticks will touch the cover at the diagonal corners preventing a 100% throw. Enough to mess up several of my logical switches. If you use them (the rings) and care about complete percentage throw at all corners, suggest using a thin paper shim (thickness of a business card) to limit throws left/right, up/down a few degrees during calibration. Presentation of the video - one of the BEST I have seen!!
Thanks for the video, nicely done! I used this to successfully complete my upgrade this weekend. One thing to keep in mind is that the rotary knobs on top do have a correct orientation. If you get them swapped, the dots will point downward instead of straight up when at center position.
I'm so glad you clearly showed the toggle switches at the top of the radio, since I didn't notice they were marked until after I removed them. The dam things are marked L and R but it's left and right when you are looking at the back of the radio, not the left and right control stick, hours worth of cussing and repeatedly putting it together and taking it apart, over and over and over.
Very good tutorial most especially for someone who never had any experience on disassembling a Radio. I bought the Carbon Edition one for $175, and I already like how it looks with everything mostly black in it. All I need to do on mine is replace the stick ends with the black ones and a foldable handle and it’ll be all good after that. I enjoyed watching this video as I like tearing them down once in a while if needed. Thank you so much and regards from Cali.
@@RCVideoReviews Was watching your other video on inputs and mixes. I finally understood what those sign meant, for ex when the switch !SBÎ. Here’s my question with regards to that and this will pertain to flying Helicopter. On my inputs I have assigned my dual rates and expo on switch SE, when the switch is SEî it’s my normal mode let’s say at 80% weight and 30 expo, now if I assign the same switch but now like this !SEÎ and change the weight and expo to 100% and 25 expo, will the radio recognize the position on idle up 1 and idle up 2 and use the new given value?
Just followed you video and have the cnc parts on and tx16s buttoned up. My elementary school teachers would be impressed, I followed instructions fairly well. Thanks for the clear description. Doubt I could have done it, and probably wouldn't have attempted. Thank you, sure looks pretty!
@@RCVideoReviews I thought it was what you went with but ordered the gold, and it looks like the same faceplate as yours but with gold CNC pieces. I'm happy. I was surprised by how much the sliders and pots were got out of calibration. Thankfully your final section reminded me of the calibration screen in OpenTX. Your OpenTX series is fantastic!
Wouldn't have been able to do this without you. I hesitated on buying it until I had watched this video. You definitely helped my confidence with this project, and now I feel like I could fix anything on my radio. Thank you so much for this!
I went purple, with the carbon fiber faceplate. 😁 everything is purple and green for me.Your video made me wish I got the silver faceplate, a little, though! Looks great!
Right, it's done, thanks again your video helped **massively.** As others I had the issue with the MDL button, fortunately somebody into the comments mentioned that the button's thing that pushes the electric button on the electric board is actually threaded so you can add a washer or use another screw to sort it out.
@@RCVideoReviews I just wanted the handle at first, so I bought that and by a mistake I've bought the gold one. Then I wanted the faceplate thinking it was easy to change and I've bought the carbon-fibre one. When I've find out I had to take the whole radio apart I've bought the silver CNCs, but I decided to keep the gold handle to make it just a bit different. Thanks for asking! :)
Thank you. I made it through. The only issue I had was the model button has an adjustable screw and mine was not making connection. Adjusted it up with lock time and came out perfect. Thank you again for helping me through this tear down and rebuild. You are the man.
I just did mine; in funky purple. Wow, it took all day. Slightly concerned that the two front knobs don't fit very well, I am considering putting the plastic ones back on. Thanks for all your help, I could not have done it without your video.
@@RCVideoReviews I stayed with the original black plastic I just changed out the metal CNC parts. I thought there would be less disassembly required but in fact I still had to take it all apart.
This is a great tutorial on this conversion! But as you have mentioned in another reply, this isn't for everybody. I hope that some of the items in the kit will be available separately someday.
There are separate parts. Check my description. You can get the handle, leather grips, and faceplate all separate. You can also get the Max edition in Silver/Silver, Gold/Gold, and Carbon/Red. Definitely not for everybody.
Radiomaster is lucky to have you 🤣😂🥴. Really though, a great video. A helpful references for everyone. I was wondering how complex it might be (your other videos aside). The ribbon cables are the only real difficulty and or worry. 👍👍 AirHammer out!!
yea when i flipped mine over and it didn't turn on my heart dropped for a second...but then i went and checked the ribbon cable and the easier one just wasn't quite in enough ....relieved of the easy fix...just b mindful of the radio before you start, andi found following along was quite easy...especially seeing as i have never open this radio before or even seen ribbon cables like this let alone adding and removing them and or any other r/c radio part aside building quads @RC Video Reviews has made an amazing and simple tutorial on how to do it! im thankful he did too as it didn't even cross my mind when ordering the cnc parts that i would actually have to take something apart to install them, SMH, Eakk!! this would have been a lot scarier had this video not been available!
Thanks for this extremely useful video! I've bought the faceplate thinking oh yes, let's revamp the radio, I didn't think I had to disassemble the whole radio.. I taken for granted it was attached to the front side, with maybe 4 or 6 clips taking it in place but no..
@@RCVideoReviews I'm doing exactly that, currently paused at 17:00 waiting for my CNC parts to arrive. Because.. yeah.. I though I didn't want to go through all this again if I wanted to change those too.. so I've left it open, bought the parts and left your video half-way in the meantime :D
You're welcome. When you do your upgrade, see if the three screws holding the lcd down will release the lcd and mainboard as a single piece. If they do, that will save you some steps. Good luck with your upgrade. What colors did you get?
Thank you Sir for the entertainment - wish i had the kit right in front of me right now :-) And thumbs up for showing the rear side of the grip's as asked for :-)
Another excellent video, thank you! I can vouch for the power switch issue, mine is basically unusable, will probably revert back to the old power switch.
for anyone whose having a hard time getting their power button to actuate properly, try getting a bit of fine or very fine sand paper and sanding around the opening slot for the power button. Its a very tight fit and so the button has a tendency of getting caught on the edges.
Yeah that’s more work than I’m willing to do just for some bling besides I like the blacked out look wouldn’t mind getting the leather side grips though
I have to agree that this is too much trouble and risk for the different look. I have found other ways to bling my radio that suits me. I do like the leather grips but I have modified a folding stand for my radio so the folding handle is not an option for me.
I need that offset button board as a spare part. Annoyingly, only the standard button board is sold as a spare part ☹️. Does anyone have any idea how to get hold of one? The problem with my stock one is that the system button does not spring back equally well as the other buttons. It’s absolutely no problem at room temp, but around 0 deg C it doesn’t spring back at all. If you press the button it stays pressed down until you bring the transmitter back indoors. So you basically can’t use it in winter conditions.
I'm upgrading right now. For now I am stuck for 1 problem: as well as pierre the model button is too short and even by screwing the piece of the wheel to the maximum, there is maybe 1 millimeter or less missing to make the key works fine. I just don't have a 3d printer how do I do it? Can i glue at the and of the button a piece of paper or something? Even the wheel makes me friction if I always turn it in the same direction ... thank you so much for the great and very useful video, even if i'm going crazy about this problem.
Thanks for your video. I did the upgrade today, it was helpful but I noticed 2 issues during the installation : 1/ model button is 0,5 mm too short, thus stay too low once pressed, had to 3d print a spacer. Might be my button that is defective (i.e. too short) 2/ having gimbal with spacer, gimbal was touching the back panel preventing back panel to close. I had to cut a part of the back panel to be able to close it. Maybe I missed something in gimbal installation but looking at that gimbal from the front looks correct. Looking at your video I did the way you did. I asked Radiomaster for advice on this. Regards
I didn't have to make any alterations to the case when I installed my parts. I wonder if you have everything seated correctly? Looking at the gimbals from the front of the radio, there should be no space/no gaps.
@@RCVideoReviews maybe I did insert the spacer in the wrong direction. Could you describe in which direction you performed the installation ? In your video it's getting too fast...
Something is out of place. I installed 3d printed gimbal spacers on this radio initially, and now I have the cnc spacers. Both fit without any mods to the rear cover. Something isn't right.
I have this issue which I have only just noticed, possibly different hall gimbals in some TX16S? My throttle seems to rub slightly somewhere. I am going to check it our to exactly what is the cause.
If anyone is having problems with the power cnc power button sticking there is a very simple way to fix it the buton is slightly bigger then the original one and it’s catching the led clear plastic thing just smooth it down with a nail file and your problem will be solved
I changed mine today I was trying to sort the power button for about 2 hours then I noticed it had a lip around the centre filed it down problem solved
Great video, thanks for sharing. I need help as I purchased the RM TX16s max, I wanted to add my images to the Microsd card and pulled it. When I tried to reinserted, for some reason whether it was not the correct direction of the card, it slid all the the way down into the Radio and bouncing around. I do not know which screw drivers to use especially on the back plate of the TX. Are these hex screws, if yes, which kind. I would really appreciate your help.
They are hex screws. 4 on the back, 2 on top. I believe the back are 2m and the top are 2.5m but I wouldn't swear to it because I don't use marked drivers to take them out.
I need to replace the side cover only on my TX16S because the one post that the screws screw into broke away. Do I need to tear the whole radio apart like in this video?
Great video as always. But RadioMaster has priced the CNC kit way too expencive for many of us to upgrade just for the looks of the radio. Maybe $60 would be justified if it included all the parts, including the face plate, leather side grips, and folding handle. But as you said this is not for everyone. Of course, if you'd dropped and broke the radio, this would be a viable option for repair.
As subjective as this one is, there's no way to assign a value to it. Some will feel the way you do, some will not be able to open their wallets fast enough. I wonder if they'll offer a no-teardown CNC kit with things like handle, switch nuts, stick ends...that kind of thing.
Are the gimbal spacers just a cosmetic thing or are they to shorten the effective feel of the sticks? My one comment about the feel of this radio is that the sticks feel kind of long.
Lots of people feel they stand proud and there are some mods out there to shorten them. There is a downside to the spacer though. They can cause the stick to contact the case housing short of full throw impeding full deflection. However, unless you fly 3D, that shouldn't be too much of an impediment.
@@RCVideoReviews Hey thank you for the fast reply. I just installed the spacers a little while ago. One thing I ran into is that the 10mm screws seem like they don't grab very much of the plastic. The screws that barely grab are the upper left on pitch/roll stick and the upper right on the throttle. I really couldn't tighten them completely. Seems like a 12mm screw is what is in order. I'm sure everything is seated as it should be. I have no gap between the beauty plate (as you called it) and the spacer and no gap between the spacer and the case front. Something seems out of tolerance though. Did you encounter this? The sticks do feel better now though.
@@chrisyoung8062 The CNC kit comes with two screw sizes. One for gimbals without the spacer, one with. The ones I used bite well enough to have not raised an alarm with me. That does need to be right of course. The last thing you need is for your gimbal to crash into the back of your case during a 'spirited' maneuver.
Great video, it showed me this was way more than I thought it would be but made it a lot easier and faster. No problems at all, until I went to power on. Nothing. Dead. Checked the battery, connections, ribbons, all buttons are smooth and function(click) fine. I can’t figure this out, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi I own a FRsky x-lite_Pro, could I change the mechanic of the gimbals to upgrade my controller for better, safe, faster flights? Beneath the gimbal stick are lined markings, do you know what they are called? Many thnx & take care 🤓😉😘
Sorry, I don't use FrSyk anymore, so I don't know the answer. I would refer to the gimbal marks and index lines. They normally indicate some degree of travel.
What are the two holes in the CNC folding handle for? I just bought one and they look odd without anything to put in them. I'm assuming a grip but where to get?
hi great video.. have a question...when you remove the back cover - looking at the bottom right hand corner... there is a red and blue wire connected to a motor, what does that do. I heard a rattle because I dropped my radio at 2 feet onto the ground....the plastic bracket that holds it down snapped. Curious what this part does...I will probably take the two pieces and glue them together
hey man, thanks for the video! Which screws did you use for the stock faceplate with the 3d printed gimbal shims? Just stock screws or will I need longer ones?
Yes, I have the MKII. The teardown process is still pretty much the same. The MKII has slight internal mods. I believe the faceplates are interchangeable but haven't confirmed--so you should do some extra research to make sure.
I know this video is 2 years old but does it apply pretty much to the MK2 version? Ive got the CNC kit and a face plate for the MK2 arriving shortly so just wanted to know if there is anything different and to watch out for.
Hi Love the channel very informative. Looking at getting into the hobby so have built a Cessna 162 (980 wing) and ordered a RM TX16S Max. Question,, Can I use the Spektrum AR637T 6 channel receiver in the tx16s? will it support the SAFE functionality?
Thanks for the nice comment. I don't own any Spektrum gear so I can't personally confirm what you need to do, but I know you can bind to DSM, and I believe you can activate the additional features with a 3 position switch on Channel 5.
I've been following your video to install the add on kit. I've encountered a problem with the second speaker. It appears it was sitting under the board with the trim buttons . Any ideas how it's installed?
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks for the help. I decided to leave the second speaker out and the transmitter works and sounds fine. If I ever have to open it up again I'll try to get it in there.
I followed along pretty close and upgraded mine. The fuzzy parts were the little speaker under that large distro board at the top. I removed those two small screws and the speaker fell out. It took awhile for me to figure out how to secure it. Also, the mainboard would not set down so the bus ports and SD card at the bottom did not fit. I had to remove the screw in the middle bottom which was keeping it from seating down flat. Evidently, they need a counter-sink screw for that middle one at the bottom. I just removed it. The last thing was the two piece gimbal dressing plates. Are you supposed to put them together one behind the other? This was not clear enough for my foggy brain. Otherwise, great job!
Two gimbal dressing plates? I used every bit of CNC in the kit and the CNC kit had two plates, ones for each gimbal. It also had two spacers. So I don't know understand your reference. 1 plate, 1 spacer per gimbal. I didn't have to remove any screws to seat my mainboard. If you were able to remove it as-is, you should have been able to replace it as-is.
@@RCVideoReviews Yep, I figured out the plates. It was part of your pro tip when putting in the gimbals. I originally installed them w/o the spacer, but decided to put them in. I also had my S1 and S2 knobs upside down. I fixed that while back in the radio. Otherwise, thanks for spending the time to explain this process. I have to say, that I have a Horus and have done quite a bit of work on it as well. It seems more straightforward than the Tx16s. I had to play with so many parts to get them to work properly. It wasn't drop in and screw down and there ya go. There was jiggling, and moving and retightening etc. to get them to work. This could be improved I feel. The TX16s has become my main driver with Crossfire, since I am moving away from FrSky now, so the upgrade was a lot of fun.
Thanks big time for the video, probably be in limbo without it! As it was had major issues with the SYS and MDL replacement buttons binding to such an extent that it was virtually impossible to move them. Ended up having to heavily modify them to get them working. I'm using one of the newish carbon fibre look cases (ex factory), so wondering if they've tweaked the tooling??? Also, pot knobs were crazy lose.
Is it possible to change only the middle plate of mark2 tx16s without disassambel the whole internal parts like gimbals..and motherboard? So its enogh to disassamble just the switches and sliders?
Thanks for the video as I'm just about to tear mine apart to sort out a defective LED in the Chicken feet board, so looks like a complete tear down to replace it. Not sure why they called it a CNC upgrade though - a bit of marketing licence I expect :)
You shouldn’t have to tear the whole thing down. See if you can just remove the top center boards to get to the led strip. I guess upgrade is fair. It does give a folding handle, anodized buttons vs plastic, gimbal spacers, 2 hole neck strap and there are color options beyond stock.
@@RCVideoReviews I had to fix a broken switch (My fault) so I decided to add the carbon face plate and gold CNC parts at the same time. I started out watching another video but felt overwhelmed when I took the back off. When I switched to your video the whole process was very straight forward! Cheers!
@@RCVideoReviews Well, just FYI ... in the kit of parts there were a couple of washers and a nut, but according to Grayson Hobby, those parts are not needed for the TX16s.
Hi, I followed your video at the end I found the front speaker left out where does it go I know it's at the front but I cannot see how it fits in there. can someone please help
I have this radio but in silver I saw there is a blue max version can I convert/transform mine to that blue max v version with leds or is my silver one just gotta stay silver?
Blue Max V version? Do you have a link? You can change your faceplate to any color they sell. As far as I know the options are Silver, Rose Gold, and Carbon Fiber.
SKU management. CNC is one option, Faceplate is another, Leather is a 3rd choice. You can take any mix you want. They would have a hard time getting retailers to carry 5(cnc)x3(faceplate)x3(leather) SKUs.
Another great video to follow,can you please give the shaft dimension of pots. S1 and S2 . I would like to do a partial cosmetic upgrade to my Tx16S changing the knobs and just a few other things. Thanks and keep them coming.
Some people feel the gimbal sticks sit too high on this radio. RM makes them available as an option for those people. They serve no other functional purpose I'm aware of.
This is a bit confusing. When I read CNC kit I figured the faceplate was made out metal, but obviously it is not. Too bad. So what is the difference between this CNC kit and a MAX version? Thanks for posting.
When this video was made there were three options for the Max version; however, you could order any color combo of faceplate and CNC parts desired. So this video is for people that wanted to put their own color combo together. Also, there were tons of standard radios out there that could be retrofitted with these parts. Not everybody had the option of ordering a Max edition.
excellent video. Personally i will be stay with the orignal radio. This proceadure require a lot of work and risk that something get wrong. You can now join the assembly line of radiomaster.
If I just wanted the CNC parts, but retain my standard faceplate, could I remove the gimbals, switches etc one at a time, do the CNC part swap, then put them back in, so as to not have to strip the whole radio down? I like the bling but nervous of so much disassembly. I winced at every cable you unplugged as I watched. Great video, thanks.
It is definitely easier if you don't change the faceplate, but to change the power button, you have to dig deep. You can change the nav buttons, jog dial, gimbal beauty plates, and spacers with a very small amount of teardown. Power button, neck strap hook and faceplate require you to get into it pretty deep.
@@RCVideoReviews I could probably accept not changing the power button and neck strap. Once I am in there I may feel happier to dig a bit deeper. Thanks.
@@davidpiper3652 There was little visible difference between the silver cnc power button and the stock button. You will probably find once inside it's much less intimidating than it seems especially now that there's an instructional video. :)
Great video. Thank you very, very much. This will help me a lot of my CNC set arrives. One question: why did you disconnect the LCD from the main board? It looks like it is possible to remove them together without disconnecting them.
After the upgrade I realized that and made a note in the Description under Special Precautions #4 suggesting the two could probably be removed together. That has since been confirmed here in comments. The board and LCD do not have to be separated.
Nope. But I think the touchscreen and main board can be removed together. So if I were doing it again I would try that. That alone will save some steps.
Thank you for this informative video. While I’m waiting for my CNC kit, I’ve printed the gimbal spaces. Can you please confirm the size of the screws needed for them please? Some forums say 2.5mmx12? But I listened to you say “10mm”. Appreciate the assistance
They include the screws you need and they include spacers in the cnc kits. In any case, I would have to take my radio apart to confirm the size, so if you have to source them anyway, I'd advise buying 10 and 12mm. It shouldn't cost more than an extra dollar or two.
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks. Apparently all models come with the IPS screen (saw it in a different review) and two speakers now so my question was pointless. :-)
The faceplate in your video is all silver. Your affiliate link indicates that the silver is only available for the main plate and does not include the button and knob plates - use your existing black plates for these. What is the source for the entire silver faceplate assembly and the stick ends that you mentioned in the video?
I didn't buy them. Radiomaster sent me the upgrades in this video. I'm also not sure what you mean with "knob nuts" In any case, Radiomaster sells the CNC kit on Banggood: www.banggood.com/custlink/GKDRFZJQh6 If you want just a switch nut kit, this will probably work: amzn.to/2L14Kae
Sometimes they need a little persuasion to fit flush. Make sure they're square and give a little extra convincing, but don't monkey fist it. Just gentle convincing pressure and make sure they're square.
I am getting into the hobby for the first time and have bought a RadioMaster TX16S. Having presented my Radio to the local club I'm joining they have tried to persuade me to get a spektrum, and want me to make sure it meets the MAAA standards, which are I understand the same standards you have to meet in the U.S. I was wandering if you could comment on this. Do you think my clubs concerns may be valid? How might I convince them its ok?
Personally I would tell them to mind their own business. There is no legal/regulatory requirement for a specific radio that I'm aware of. I've never heard of MAAA so I've no leg to stand on regarding specifics there. I'll personally not be told what radio to use.
@@leomickleborough9686 I feel like someone is blowing smoke up your skirt. If you have someone referencing a standard, I'd ask them what the standard is. The AMA doesn't tell us what radios to use. The only regulations about radios is that we're supposed to use the frequencies allowed by the FCC.
@@RCVideoReviews Thankyou, I have sent a message to our MAAA for clarification. I really don't know what to think at this point. I intend to get to the bottom of it though.
The MDL button seemed indented too much and was barely making contact so I added a small 1mm washer under the button shaft, which unscrews. Contact feels much more solid now.
It would be awesome if someone made a website or app where you can select any combination of parts and see a visualisation of what it might look like. I like the idea of green gimbals but they don't make any other green parts so maybe not I would just love to see what it would look like on a plain black radio or mixed with blue anodised parts
@@RCVideoReviews Hello john ......is it possible to remove the middle section of the Radiomaster TX16S markii with out to remove all this electronic componets...i was making a damage to the midle section part and i am wondering how i can make it to change it with less disassembling i am completely novice on electronics thank you by the way for all this beautiful video rewiews!!
I cannot get the power button back to normal. It doesn’t feel near what it should. I will keep trying to adjust the tension of the surrounding board screws. My kit is a plastic faceplate, and I’m reusing the same button, but my issue is the same. I’ll try some Internet forums.. maybe radiomaster can help?
One of the guys on the channel mentioned an adjustment that can be made on the power button itself. I guess there's a screw in it? He mentioned making a minor adjustment to the button itself and said it worked perfectly after that.
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. The power button does have an arm with a screw hole on the end, but I don't think it was bolted down to anything. When I reassembled everything, all screws were accounted for. There is also that plastic LED diffuser seated just below the button. It's held in place by a tiny screw, so I'm curious if I may need to re-assemble those parts in a specific order. So far I've learned two things. 1. Pay close attention to the feel of all buttons and switches before teardown. 2. Take photos not only during the initial teardown step (to view wiring connections), but during each stage as well.
@@RCVideoReviews I FIGURED IT OUT! Holy cow. I put the button back into my old faceplate and attached the board tightly. The button worked just fine. So I then inspected the opening very closely. Turns out there are tiny edges or lips around the button hole on these new faceplates. They were less than 1mm wide. Those lips don't exist on the original faceplate. I filed down those lips and now the button seems to work exactly as designed. I took some photos, so I'll get some info to intofpv and getfpv in a bit. Thanks a ton for your reply as well. It helped get me down this path.
![Radiomaster TX16s Setup • Complete Start to Finish Tutorial • [Beginners]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2Jh7_ZTRSpI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Radiomaster TX16s Setup • Complete Start to Finish Tutorial • [Beginners]](/img/tr.png)
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Tons of great info, thanks a LOT!!!
I had quite a few differences on my new radio and new CNC kit (May 2023).
* I didn't need to uncouple the main board from the LCD. So that's 2 ribbons that you don't need to undo-redo
*The front speaker was a nightmare! (Located right above the power button) Once I finally got it in there right (by pure magic) it rattles around. The stock power button has a plastic "spring" that helps hold the speaker in place. I spent a solid hour on this!
*There's a plastic bridge piece for the front of the internal 4in1 multi module. I couldn't find 2 screws that actually fit the holes that attached the bridge part to the daughter board. It's in there, and it seems fine... but it's not secured.
All of the suggestions like using bowls, staying organized, taking lots of pictures... all VERY helpful!
You're welcome. Thanks for the updates.
I just finished doing mine. Never done it before. But I did not want to buy another transmitter. So glad I found this video. There is no way in hell I could have done it without watching it step by step. Kudos and thank you sir! Subscribed! 🤠
Glad to help. Welcome to the channel.
Where did you find a way to buy the cnc faceplate???
@@tylerhawkins2727 radiomaster sells them.
I had a great time following along to this video while adding the cnc components to my radio. I'm an electronics tech by trade so it wasn't all that difficult but you did a GREAT job stepping through this process and it's always nice to learn from others before embarking on an adventure such as this. Note to readers of this comment who are considering attempting this install- watch the video all the way through BEFORE you begin then rewind and follow along. Pay attention to the suggestions to take lots of pictures and definitely use bowls to contain loose hardware and components. Also note the repeated warning not to overtighten hardware or force fit anything into place. I "monkey-fisted" the retention screws that attach the foldable handle to the back shell and the result was not good (broken back shell)....lol. Luckily, that's only a minor cosmetic issue. Spares are available and a new one is in route. Also, If you buy the kit that doesn't included a new faceplate, I don't think the provided screws that attach the beauty plates / gimbals to the old faceplate are actually long enough... be VERY careful there. Thanks again for a great instructional video!!
Thanks for the endorsement. I'm glad to know it helped you out.
Great Video and a bIG thanks for doing this. - I've just successfully done my own upgrade and I probably wouldn't have attempted this without your video !
Now I CAN confirm that the screen & motherboard CAN be removed / replaced as one unit, saving the removal of the ribbon cables that link them.
The only problem I had was that the "MDL" button, that has an aluminum stud, to operate its micro switch, well the stud was not long enough to operate its switch, but luckily it is threaded into the back of the button, so it could be adjusted out a bit, and secured with a drop of thread-locker.
I also found that one had to `fiddle` with the Nav roller mounting board a bit, by adjusting the mounting screws, to stop the roller binding on the front case cut out.
I Hope this little bit of additional info, helps others attempting this upgrade.
Regards & thanks again for your excellent video.
Dave L
Good job! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Please - put a comment at the beginning of the video regarding the better time to install the buttons! I had to undo several steps to get the buttons in. Also had to put a shim in the two upper buttons to get them to work. A lot of fiddling....An finally, if you install the added rings to the gimbals, the sticks will touch the cover at the diagonal corners preventing a 100% throw. Enough to mess up several of my logical switches. If you use them (the rings) and care about complete percentage throw at all corners, suggest using a thin paper shim (thickness of a business card) to limit throws left/right, up/down a few degrees during calibration.
Presentation of the video - one of the BEST I have seen!!
Thanks for the video, nicely done! I used this to successfully complete my upgrade this weekend. One thing to keep in mind is that the rotary knobs on top do have a correct orientation. If you get them swapped, the dots will point downward instead of straight up when at center position.
Just finished this project. There is NO WAY I could have done this without your help. I appreciate you, man!
Nice work!
I'm so glad you clearly showed the toggle switches at the top of the radio, since I didn't notice they were marked until after I removed them. The dam things are marked L and R but it's left and right when you are looking at the back of the radio, not the left and right control stick, hours worth of cussing and repeatedly putting it together and taking it apart, over and over and over.
I have just received my CNC kit and faceplate. So I'm very glad I have found your video.
Thank you, Sir!
Glad it was helpful!
You are making the RC hobby much easy and less stressful. Bless you.
Thank you. I'm happy to help.
Very good tutorial most especially for someone who never had any experience on disassembling a Radio. I bought the Carbon Edition one for $175, and I already like how it looks with everything mostly black in it. All I need to do on mine is replace the stick ends with the black ones and a foldable handle and it’ll be all good after that. I enjoyed watching this video as I like tearing them down once in a while if needed. Thank you so much and regards from Cali.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. Glad you found the info useful.
@@RCVideoReviews Was watching your other video on inputs and mixes. I finally understood what those sign meant, for ex when the switch !SBÎ. Here’s my question with regards to that and this will pertain to flying Helicopter. On my inputs I have assigned my dual rates and expo on switch SE, when the switch is SEî it’s my normal mode let’s say at 80% weight and 30 expo, now if I assign the same switch but now like this !SEÎ and change the weight and expo to 100% and 25 expo, will the radio recognize the position on idle up 1 and idle up 2 and use the new given value?
I’m glad you did this video! I have this ordered and was hoping there would be a video on how to do it!
I thought there might be people interested in this. Hope it helps.
Just followed you video and have the cnc parts on and tx16s buttoned up. My elementary school teachers would be impressed, I followed instructions fairly well. Thanks for the clear description. Doubt I could have done it, and probably wouldn't have attempted. Thank you, sure looks pretty!
Nice work! What colors did you go with? Glad to know the video helped.
@@RCVideoReviews I thought it was what you went with but ordered the gold, and it looks like the same faceplate as yours but with gold CNC pieces. I'm happy.
I was surprised by how much the sliders and pots were got out of calibration. Thankfully your final section reminded me of the calibration screen in OpenTX. Your OpenTX series is fantastic!
Wouldn't have been able to do this without you. I hesitated on buying it until I had watched this video. You definitely helped my confidence with this project, and now I feel like I could fix anything on my radio. Thank you so much for this!
Awesome! You can fix anything on that radio. You made it yours now. What colors did you use?
I went purple, with the carbon fiber faceplate. 😁 everything is purple and green for me.Your video made me wish I got the silver faceplate, a little, though! Looks great!
Right, it's done, thanks again your video helped **massively.** As others I had the issue with the MDL button, fortunately somebody into the comments mentioned that the button's thing that pushes the electric button on the electric board is actually threaded so you can add a washer or use another screw to sort it out.
Nice! What color options did you use?
@@RCVideoReviews I just wanted the handle at first, so I bought that and by a mistake I've bought the gold one. Then I wanted the faceplate thinking it was easy to change and I've bought the carbon-fibre one. When I've find out I had to take the whole radio apart I've bought the silver CNCs, but I decided to keep the gold handle to make it just a bit different. Thanks for asking! :)
Many thanks. My CF faceplate and purple CNC bling has arrived. I've skimmed through the video and will follow it properly when I do the transplant.
Good luck.
Thank you. I made it through. The only issue I had was the model button has an adjustable screw and mine was not making connection. Adjusted it up with lock time and came out perfect. Thank you again for helping me through this tear down and rebuild. You are the man.
Glad it helped. What color combo did you get??
@@RCVideoReviews I just bought the purple cnc. I like the black. But I had green switch nuts on it before that I used, so purple and green.
@@mareksettle Incredible Hulk colors! :)
Great video. Glad to see you mentioned the back tabs first for the sides. I also found that worked best.
Rock on!
I just did mine; in funky purple. Wow, it took all day. Slightly concerned that the two front knobs don't fit very well, I am considering putting the plastic ones back on. Thanks for all your help, I could not have done it without your video.
Glad you got through it ok. What faceplate color did you use?
@@RCVideoReviews I stayed with the original black plastic I just changed out the metal CNC parts. I thought there would be less disassembly required but in fact I still had to take it all apart.
@@davidpiper3652 Yeah, all those buttons up front....How does it look? Did you get leather side grips?
@@RCVideoReviews Leather side grips are out of stock, expecting them eventually, to really finish off the look.
@@davidpiper3652 They're a nice touch to be sure.
This is a great tutorial on this conversion! But as you have mentioned in another reply, this isn't for everybody. I hope that some of the items in the kit will be available separately someday.
There are separate parts. Check my description. You can get the handle, leather grips, and faceplate all separate. You can also get the Max edition in Silver/Silver, Gold/Gold, and Carbon/Red. Definitely not for everybody.
Radiomaster is lucky to have you 🤣😂🥴. Really though, a great video. A helpful references for everyone. I was wondering how complex it might be (your other videos aside). The ribbon cables are the only real difficulty and or worry. 👍👍 AirHammer out!!
Yeah, this really is very easy to do. Just go slow...Thanks for the comment :)
yea when i flipped mine over and it didn't turn on my heart dropped for a second...but then i went and checked the ribbon cable and the easier one just wasn't quite in enough ....relieved of the easy fix...just b mindful of the radio before you start, andi found following along was quite easy...especially seeing as i have never open this radio before or even seen ribbon cables like this let alone adding and removing them and or any other r/c radio part aside building quads @RC Video Reviews has made an amazing and simple tutorial on how to do it! im thankful he did too as it didn't even cross my mind when ordering the cnc parts that i would actually have to take something apart to install them, SMH, Eakk!! this would have been a lot scarier had this video not been available!
That's a lot of screws to keep track off, i would end up with extra left over. Thank you for your service.
Appreciate the comment. Use bowls--it works. I don't think I had any extras but I had two kit bags open so not sure. Glad to be of service. Thank you.
Great install video John my hats off to you you did an amazing job
take care
Thanks Robert--appreciate the comment :)
Thanks for this extremely useful video! I've bought the faceplate thinking oh yes, let's revamp the radio, I didn't think I had to disassemble the whole radio.. I taken for granted it was attached to the front side, with maybe 4 or 6 clips taking it in place but no..
You're welcome. It's not too hard. Just take your time and keep parts bowls handy like I show in the video.
@@RCVideoReviews I'm doing exactly that, currently paused at 17:00 waiting for my CNC parts to arrive. Because.. yeah.. I though I didn't want to go through all this again if I wanted to change those too.. so I've left it open, bought the parts and left your video half-way in the meantime :D
So a little more involved than changing out the coin battery... Looks like a pretty awesome looking upgrade.
Lol, there are a few more steps. It does look good though.
Thank you thank you. Still waiting for my kit. BUT U MADE IT A BREEZE WHEN IT COMES.
You're welcome. When you do your upgrade, see if the three screws holding the lcd down will release the lcd and mainboard as a single piece. If they do, that will save you some steps.
Good luck with your upgrade. What colors did you get?
Red thank 🙏 you for your prompt response. I 🙏 your channel grows to become another class room for simplicity at best.
Is the faceplate metal, because the carbon fiber one is plastic with a sticker
Merci, merci et encore merci. Grâce à votre vidéo j'ai pu monter et assembler tous les éléments sur ma radio. Cordialement Philippe
Philippe, je suis content que ma vidéo ait aidé. Merci d'avoir regardé et bon travail pour cette mise à niveau. Ce n'est pas pour les faibles de cœur.
Thank you for helpful video.
I'm thinking if I chane face plate or not, after watching this video, I think I can change.
Thanks a lot for good video.
You can do it. Just use the bowls like I show in the video. They help a LOT!
Good job. Thank you for information. I always saw your video with with delight
It's my pleasure. You're welcome.
Thank you Sir for the entertainment - wish i had the kit right in front of me right now :-) And thumbs up for showing the rear side of the grip's as asked for :-)
Any time! Thanks for watching.
Another excellent video, thank you! I can vouch for the power switch issue, mine is basically unusable, will probably revert back to the old power switch.
Others have reported issue and one of our discord people posted a fix. His name is woofie if you're on discord.
@@RCVideoReviewscouldn’t find the conversation on Discord. What was the solution?
Don’t remember
for anyone whose having a hard time getting their power button to actuate properly, try getting a bit of fine or very fine sand paper and sanding around the opening slot for the power button. Its a very tight fit and so the button has a tendency of getting caught on the edges.
Simple and thorough video. Thanks for the help!
You bet!
Awesome modification/upgrade RCVR... Thanks for sharing! 🧰🔧
You bet. Thanks for watching.
Yeah that’s more work than I’m willing to do just for some bling besides I like the blacked out look wouldn’t mind getting the leather side grips though
I agree. And maybe the folding handle.
Definitely a big risk over reward for me, but yeah I’m definitely considering getting the handle and the grips
This definitely isn't for everybody.
I have to agree that this is too much trouble and risk for the different look. I have found other ways to bling my radio that suits me. I do like the leather grips but I have modified a folding stand for my radio so the folding handle is not an option for me.
@@graywoulf what other ways have you blinged it? I put some cool grip tape on mine recently
Great video, glad to have seen this useful video
Glad it was helpful!
I need that offset button board as a spare part. Annoyingly, only the standard button board is sold as a spare part ☹️. Does anyone have any idea how to get hold of one?
The problem with my stock one is that the system button does not spring back equally well as the other buttons. It’s absolutely no problem at room temp, but around 0 deg C it doesn’t spring back at all. If you press the button it stays pressed down until you bring the transmitter back indoors. So you basically can’t use it in winter conditions.
I'm upgrading right now. For now I am stuck for 1 problem: as well as pierre the model button is too short and even by screwing the piece of the wheel to the maximum, there is maybe 1 millimeter or less missing to make the key works fine. I just don't have a 3d printer how do I do it? Can i glue at the and of the button a piece of paper or something? Even the wheel makes me friction if I always turn it in the same direction ...
thank you so much for the great and very useful video, even if i'm going crazy about this problem.
I caught the HD shirt, love my '07 Street Glide!
My first was a 2006 RK Custom. I have a 2015 Ultra Limited now. We love it.
Thanks for your video.
I did the upgrade today, it was helpful but I noticed 2 issues during the installation :
1/ model button is 0,5 mm too short, thus stay too low once pressed, had to 3d print a spacer. Might be my button that is defective (i.e. too short)
2/ having gimbal with spacer, gimbal was touching the back panel preventing back panel to close. I had to cut a part of the back panel to be able to close it. Maybe I missed something in gimbal installation but looking at that gimbal from the front looks correct. Looking at your video I did the way you did.
I asked Radiomaster for advice on this.
Regards
I didn't have to make any alterations to the case when I installed my parts. I wonder if you have everything seated correctly? Looking at the gimbals from the front of the radio, there should be no space/no gaps.
@@RCVideoReviews indeed, no gap looking at gimbal from front...
@@RCVideoReviews maybe I did insert the spacer in the wrong direction. Could you describe in which direction you performed the installation ? In your video it's getting too fast...
Something is out of place. I installed 3d printed gimbal spacers on this radio initially, and now I have the cnc spacers. Both fit without any mods to the rear cover. Something isn't right.
I have this issue which I have only just noticed, possibly different hall gimbals in some TX16S? My throttle seems to rub slightly somewhere. I am going to check it our to exactly what is the cause.
If anyone is having problems with the power cnc power button sticking there is a very simple way to fix it the buton is slightly bigger then the original one and it’s catching the led clear plastic thing just smooth it down with a nail file and your problem will be solved
Good tip.
I changed mine today I was trying to sort the power button for about 2 hours then I noticed it had a lip around the centre filed it down problem solved
Great video, thanks for sharing. I need help as I purchased the RM TX16s max, I wanted to add my images to the Microsd card and pulled it. When I tried to reinserted, for some reason whether it was not the correct direction of the card, it slid all the the way down into the Radio and bouncing around. I do not know which screw drivers to use especially on the back plate of the TX. Are these hex screws, if yes, which kind. I would really appreciate your help.
They are hex screws. 4 on the back, 2 on top. I believe the back are 2m and the top are 2.5m but I wouldn't swear to it because I don't use marked drivers to take them out.
I need to replace the side cover only on my TX16S because the one post that the screws screw into broke away. Do I need to tear the whole radio apart like in this video?
To replace the side housing you do. You might want to check into JB Weld though...
Great Video , thanks very much , without this I couldn`t have done the mod !! ...10/10
Glad I could help. Thanks for the comment. What combo did you install? Leather grips?
@@RCVideoReviews The gold front case and all the other bits you get , not changed the side grips , but that`s next !!
@@rayhunter2582 The side grips will take 5 seconds. You're done with the hard part.
Great video as always.
But RadioMaster has priced the CNC kit way too expencive for many of us to upgrade just for the looks of the radio. Maybe $60 would be justified if it included all the parts, including the face plate, leather side grips, and folding handle. But as you said this is not for everyone.
Of course, if you'd dropped and broke the radio, this would be a viable option for repair.
As subjective as this one is, there's no way to assign a value to it. Some will feel the way you do, some will not be able to open their wallets fast enough.
I wonder if they'll offer a no-teardown CNC kit with things like handle, switch nuts, stick ends...that kind of thing.
Are the gimbal spacers just a cosmetic thing or are they to shorten the effective feel of the sticks? My one comment about the feel of this radio is that the sticks feel kind of long.
Lots of people feel they stand proud and there are some mods out there to shorten them. There is a downside to the spacer though. They can cause the stick to contact the case housing short of full throw impeding full deflection. However, unless you fly 3D, that shouldn't be too much of an impediment.
@@RCVideoReviews Hey thank you for the fast reply. I just installed the spacers a little while ago. One thing I ran into is that the 10mm screws seem like they don't grab very much of the plastic. The screws that barely grab are the upper left on pitch/roll stick and the upper right on the throttle. I really couldn't tighten them completely. Seems like a 12mm screw is what is in order. I'm sure everything is seated as it should be. I have no gap between the beauty plate (as you called it) and the spacer and no gap between the spacer and the case front. Something seems out of tolerance though. Did you encounter this? The sticks do feel better now though.
@@chrisyoung8062 The CNC kit comes with two screw sizes. One for gimbals without the spacer, one with. The ones I used bite well enough to have not raised an alarm with me. That does need to be right of course. The last thing you need is for your gimbal to crash into the back of your case during a 'spirited' maneuver.
Great video, it showed me this was way more than I thought it would be but made it a lot easier and faster. No problems at all, until I went to power on. Nothing. Dead. Checked the battery, connections, ribbons, all buttons are smooth and function(click) fine. I can’t figure this out, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Your ribbon cable probably isn’t seated right. You have to make sure you have a very positive lock. It should be square in the receptacle.
@@RCVideoReviews Thank you for replying, so far no luck. I hate to have to take the whole thing apart again but I see no other option.
Great stuff👍👍 I just ordered these parts. So, perfect tutorial for me. Thanks. Subscribed to your channel.
Awesome, thank you! Have fun with your upgrade.
Hi I own a FRsky x-lite_Pro, could I change the mechanic of the gimbals to upgrade my controller for better, safe, faster flights?
Beneath the gimbal stick are lined markings, do you know what they are called?
Many thnx & take care 🤓😉😘
Sorry, I don't use FrSyk anymore, so I don't know the answer. I would refer to the gimbal marks and index lines. They normally indicate some degree of travel.
Such a good video! Thankyou so much!
You're very welcome!
What are the two holes in the CNC folding handle for? I just bought one and they look odd without anything to put in them. I'm assuming a grip but where to get?
Really not sure. Probably a grip. Maybe the grip from the original handle can be used. Never really paid any attention to them TBH.
hi great video.. have a question...when you remove the back cover - looking at the bottom right hand corner... there is a red and blue wire connected to a motor, what does that do. I heard a rattle because I dropped my radio at 2 feet onto the ground....the plastic bracket that holds it down snapped. Curious what this part does...I will probably take the two pieces and glue them together
It's the haptic motor.
@@RCVideoReviews ok what does it do?
hey man, thanks for the video! Which screws did you use for the stock faceplate with the 3d printed gimbal shims? Just stock screws or will I need longer ones?
They need to be longer for the 3d gimbals. If you got the cnc kit, they include the right screws. I believe they're 10mm.
@@RCVideoReviews no I will print them myself, do you know how screws in the right size/thread are called or where I can get some from?
Great video, just what I needed to upgrade my radio.
Enjoy!
thank you so much!!! i riped of the bag with the speaker. i thougt i damaged my new radio but it was only the second cable from the speaker.
That should be easy to fix.
@@RCVideoReviews yes but i was so disapointed from me.
Thank you so much , have you had the chance to upgrade the TX16S Mark II, and can you share what has changed in the process?
Yes, I have the MKII. The teardown process is still pretty much the same. The MKII has slight internal mods. I believe the faceplates are interchangeable but haven't confirmed--so you should do some extra research to make sure.
@@RCVideoReviews Thank you
What is the advantage on replacement? Is the replacement face plate cnc as well? Metal?
Purely visual.
I know this video is 2 years old but does it apply pretty much to the MK2 version? Ive got the CNC kit and a face plate for the MK2 arriving shortly so just wanted to know if there is anything different and to watch out for.
Almost identical. There will be some extra wiring for the headphone jack on the back and that's about it. No substantive changes.
So cool 😎 thanks for sharing. Loved the new bling 🤘🏻
Thanks for watching!
Hi Love the channel very informative. Looking at getting into the hobby so have built a Cessna 162 (980 wing) and ordered a RM TX16S Max. Question,, Can I use the Spektrum AR637T 6 channel receiver in the tx16s? will it support the SAFE functionality?
Thanks for the nice comment. I don't own any Spektrum gear so I can't personally confirm what you need to do, but I know you can bind to DSM, and I believe you can activate the additional features with a 3 position switch on Channel 5.
@@RCVideoReviews cheers will try that thanks
@@kingblade6563 I found this article. It would probably be a good read for you: www.multi-module.org/using-the-module/protocol-details/dsm
I've been following your video to install the add on kit. I've encountered a problem with the second speaker. It appears it was sitting under the board with the trim buttons . Any ideas how it's installed?
The faceplate has a speaker grill. The speaker lines up directly over top of it.
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks for the help. I decided to leave the second speaker out and the transmitter works and sounds fine. If I ever have to open it up again I'll try to get it in there.
I followed along pretty close and upgraded mine. The fuzzy parts were the little speaker under that large distro board at the top. I removed those two small screws and the speaker fell out. It took awhile for me to figure out how to secure it. Also, the mainboard would not set down so the bus ports and SD card at the bottom did not fit. I had to remove the screw in the middle bottom which was keeping it from seating down flat. Evidently, they need a counter-sink screw for that middle one at the bottom. I just removed it. The last thing was the two piece gimbal dressing plates. Are you supposed to put them together one behind the other? This was not clear enough for my foggy brain. Otherwise, great job!
Two gimbal dressing plates? I used every bit of CNC in the kit and the CNC kit had two plates, ones for each gimbal. It also had two spacers. So I don't know understand your reference. 1 plate, 1 spacer per gimbal.
I didn't have to remove any screws to seat my mainboard. If you were able to remove it as-is, you should have been able to replace it as-is.
@@RCVideoReviews Yep, I figured out the plates. It was part of your pro tip when putting in the gimbals. I originally installed them w/o the spacer, but decided to put them in. I also had my S1 and S2 knobs upside down. I fixed that while back in the radio. Otherwise, thanks for spending the time to explain this process. I have to say, that I have a Horus and have done quite a bit of work on it as well. It seems more straightforward than the Tx16s. I had to play with so many parts to get them to work properly. It wasn't drop in and screw down and there ya go. There was jiggling, and moving and retightening etc. to get them to work. This could be improved I feel. The TX16s has become my main driver with Crossfire, since I am moving away from FrSky now, so the upgrade was a lot of fun.
Thanks big time for the video, probably be in limbo without it!
As it was had major issues with the SYS and MDL replacement buttons binding to such an extent that it was virtually impossible to move them. Ended up having to heavily modify them to get them working. I'm using one of the newish carbon fibre look cases (ex factory), so wondering if they've tweaked the tooling??? Also, pot knobs were crazy lose.
Is it possible to change only the middle plate of mark2 tx16s without disassambel the whole internal parts like gimbals..and motherboard? So its enogh to disassamble just the switches and sliders?
Not really. The pretty much every connects to the center section.
@@RCVideoReviews ok..thanks..i will go ahead..thanks for your tutoria..which i will follow during the replacement ;)
Thanks for the video as I'm just about to tear mine apart to sort out a defective LED in the Chicken feet board, so looks like a complete tear down to replace it. Not sure why they called it a CNC upgrade though - a bit of marketing licence I expect :)
You shouldn’t have to tear the whole thing down. See if you can just remove the top center boards to get to the led strip.
I guess upgrade is fair. It does give a folding handle, anodized buttons vs plastic, gimbal spacers, 2 hole neck strap and there are color options beyond stock.
@Alan Artt: I want to change my LED color. Can you give me the type (size) of the LED in the radio?
Great video, my install went perfectly! thanks mate.
Awesome! Glad to hear it went well. What did you add? Colors?
@@RCVideoReviews I had to fix a broken switch (My fault) so I decided to add the carbon face plate and gold CNC parts at the same time. I started out watching another video but felt overwhelmed when I took the back off. When I switched to your video the whole process was very straight forward! Cheers!
@@rsracing92 Nice color combo. Glad you got it installed. Good job!
Do you have a video or information on the installation of the removeable antenna for the tx16s?
Sorry, no.
@@RCVideoReviews Well, just FYI ... in the kit of parts there were a couple of washers and a nut, but according to Grayson Hobby, those parts are not needed for the TX16s.
Great video as usual, very helpful for those who want to do the mod but personally I prefer my original black stock TX16S
Definitely not for everybody. This is a straight "looks" mod. Black looks good too.
Hi, I followed your video at the end I found the front speaker left out where does it go I know it's at the front but I cannot see how it fits in there.
can someone please help
I have this radio but in silver I saw there is a blue max version can I convert/transform mine to that blue max v version with leds or is my silver one just gotta stay silver?
Blue Max V version? Do you have a link? You can change your faceplate to any color they sell. As far as I know the options are Silver, Rose Gold, and Carbon Fiber.
All very exciting, just curious why three separate kits are needed, instead of a complete kit of related options is not available
SKU management. CNC is one option, Faceplate is another, Leather is a 3rd choice. You can take any mix you want. They would have a hard time getting retailers to carry 5(cnc)x3(faceplate)x3(leather) SKUs.
Very very well done and explained. Thank you very much.
You are welcome! Thanks for watching.
I have found the CNC parts but cantfind the face plates anywhere. Any suggestions?
Banggood is showing ship dates before Jan 1 on all three: www.banggood.com/custlink/KmGR585bvO
Hi! Very good Information on the radio. This is Robert Wioch. I will give you always a Thumps up. you are the best out there. AAAAAAAAAA++++++++++ :))
Thanks again!
So, is the new faceplate actually metal guys? Cant find that info anywhere...
Another great video to follow,can you please give the shaft dimension of pots. S1 and S2 . I would like to do a partial cosmetic upgrade to my Tx16S changing the knobs and just a few other things. Thanks and keep them coming.
Sorry, I can't get the shaft dimensions of the pots without taking it apart.
Great Video. Easy to follow. Can you describe what the gimbal spacing ring purpose is?
Some people feel the gimbal sticks sit too high on this radio. RM makes them available as an option for those people. They serve no other functional purpose I'm aware of.
This is a bit confusing. When I read CNC kit I figured the faceplate was made out metal, but obviously it is not. Too bad. So what is the difference between this CNC kit and a MAX version? Thanks for posting.
When this video was made there were three options for the Max version; however, you could order any color combo of faceplate and CNC parts desired. So this video is for people that wanted to put their own color combo together. Also, there were tons of standard radios out there that could be retrofitted with these parts. Not everybody had the option of ordering a Max edition.
@@RCVideoReviews So, in other words, you can use a CNC kit to make your own MAX version!? Correct? Thanks.
excellent video. Personally i will be stay with the orignal radio. This proceadure require a lot of work and risk that something get wrong. You can now join the assembly line of radiomaster.
It's not that much work--it would take me about 40m now that I've done it.
Just a few reasons to consider buying the max version unless you’re dead set on a different scheme :)
Or unless you like to tinker. I do. If you've ever taken apart a desktop PC, this will be a piece of cake.
If I just wanted the CNC parts, but retain my standard faceplate, could I remove the gimbals, switches etc one at a time, do the CNC part swap, then put them back in, so as to not have to strip the whole radio down? I like the bling but nervous of so much disassembly. I winced at every cable you unplugged as I watched. Great video, thanks.
It is definitely easier if you don't change the faceplate, but to change the power button, you have to dig deep. You can change the nav buttons, jog dial, gimbal beauty plates, and spacers with a very small amount of teardown. Power button, neck strap hook and faceplate require you to get into it pretty deep.
@@RCVideoReviews I could probably accept not changing the power button and neck strap. Once I am in there I may feel happier to dig a bit deeper. Thanks.
@@davidpiper3652 There was little visible difference between the silver cnc power button and the stock button. You will probably find once inside it's much less intimidating than it seems especially now that there's an instructional video. :)
Great video, thanks for time spent on this.
Appreciate the insightful comment. You’re very welcome.
Great video. Thank you very, very much. This will help me a lot of my CNC set arrives.
One question: why did you disconnect the LCD from the main board? It looks like it is possible to remove them together without disconnecting them.
After the upgrade I realized that and made a note in the Description under Special Precautions #4 suggesting the two could probably be removed together. That has since been confirmed here in comments. The board and LCD do not have to be separated.
Can you swap the buttons out without removing the touchscreen?
Nope. But I think the touchscreen and main board can be removed together. So if I were doing it again I would try that. That alone will save some steps.
@@RCVideoReviews I did this way and I confirm it was easy.
@@pierrewaller5866 Oh good. Thanks for reporting back. After I had mine apart I realized that would probably be the way to go.
Thank you for this informative video. While I’m waiting for my CNC kit, I’ve printed the gimbal spaces. Can you please confirm the size of the screws needed for them please? Some forums say 2.5mmx12? But I listened to you say “10mm”. Appreciate the assistance
They include the screws you need and they include spacers in the cnc kits. In any case, I would have to take my radio apart to confirm the size, so if you have to source them anyway, I'd advise buying 10 and 12mm. It shouldn't cost more than an extra dollar or two.
@@RCVideoReviews thank you so much John appreciate the help
Hi, great video, very useful.
Do you know if the upgraded screen available yet?
Which upgraded screen? Mine came with touch and I believe that is available on the market now.
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks. Apparently all models come with the IPS screen (saw it in a different review) and two speakers now so my question was pointless. :-)
Great video John 👍
Thank you Brendan! Are you going to do any of the bling upgrades?
@@RCVideoReviews I may do at a later date this isn't as difficult as I thought it's just a matter of time and care. But I want to get my Heli first 😉
The faceplate in your video is all silver. Your affiliate link indicates that the silver is only available for the main plate and does not include the button and knob plates - use your existing black plates for these. What is the source for the entire silver faceplate assembly and the stick ends that you mentioned in the video?
It’s Rose Gold
Where u bought the knob nuts? Can u link that?
I didn't buy them. Radiomaster sent me the upgrades in this video. I'm also not sure what you mean with "knob nuts" In any case, Radiomaster sells the CNC kit on Banggood: www.banggood.com/custlink/GKDRFZJQh6
If you want just a switch nut kit, this will probably work:
amzn.to/2L14Kae
Does the carbon fiber faceplate work with the mk2 version?
I believe it will, but I haven't tested it, so it might be worth an email to radiomaster to check with them first.
on the gimbal spacers. I had to flip mine around. Spacer will not sit flush if I put it in like yours.
Sometimes they need a little persuasion to fit flush. Make sure they're square and give a little extra convincing, but don't monkey fist it. Just gentle convincing pressure and make sure they're square.
I am getting into the hobby for the first time and have bought a RadioMaster TX16S. Having presented my Radio to the local club I'm joining they have tried to persuade me to get a spektrum, and want me to make sure it meets the MAAA standards, which are I understand the same standards you have to meet in the U.S. I was wandering if you could comment on this. Do you think my clubs concerns may be valid? How might I convince them its ok?
Personally I would tell them to mind their own business. There is no legal/regulatory requirement for a specific radio that I'm aware of. I've never heard of MAAA so I've no leg to stand on regarding specifics there. I'll personally not be told what radio to use.
@@RCVideoReviews The MAAA is othe Australian equivilant of the AMA over in the U.S.
@@leomickleborough9686 I feel like someone is blowing smoke up your skirt. If you have someone referencing a standard, I'd ask them what the standard is. The AMA doesn't tell us what radios to use. The only regulations about radios is that we're supposed to use the frequencies allowed by the FCC.
@@RCVideoReviews Thankyou, I have sent a message to our MAAA for clarification. I really don't know what to think at this point. I intend to get to the bottom of it though.
@@leomickleborough9686 Welcome to the dogma which exists in this hobby.
Cool.....Looks just like a Jumper T16 now ;-)
I call this one The Church Radio. Reminds of of the colors I see in Church.
Great Video, thanks, i hope my set will arrive soon....... ;-))))))
Let me know how it goes. Hopefully the video helps with your install.
@@RCVideoReviews That´s right, the video is very deteiled and so it is easy to change the parts! Thanks a lot for your work.
....would this void the warranty?
I guess that question is fair ball. It never occurred to me to ask. I'll see what my contact @ RM has to say.
The MDL button seemed indented too much and was barely making contact so I added a small 1mm washer under the button shaft, which unscrews. Contact feels much more solid now.
Good tip. Thanks for sharing.
I ordered a silver kit to go with the stock black plastic. Kinda reminds me of my black motorcycle jacket.
That'll look really good together. Good choice.
It would be awesome if someone made a website or app where you can select any combination of parts and see a visualisation of what it might look like. I like the idea of green gimbals but they don't make any other green parts so maybe not I would just love to see what it would look like on a plain black radio or mixed with blue anodised parts
Interesting idea. I sent your comment to Radiomaster. Good suggestion.
@@RCVideoReviews Hello john ......is it possible to remove the middle section of the Radiomaster TX16S markii with out to remove all this electronic componets...i was making a damage to the midle section part and i am wondering how i can make it to change it with less disassembling i am completely novice on electronics thank you by the way for all this beautiful video rewiews!!
I cannot get the power button back to normal. It doesn’t feel near what it should. I will keep trying to adjust the tension of the surrounding board screws. My kit is a plastic faceplate, and I’m reusing the same button, but my issue is the same.
I’ll try some Internet forums.. maybe radiomaster can help?
One of the guys on the channel mentioned an adjustment that can be made on the power button itself. I guess there's a screw in it? He mentioned making a minor adjustment to the button itself and said it worked perfectly after that.
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. The power button does have an arm with a screw hole on the end, but I don't think it was bolted down to anything. When I reassembled everything, all screws were accounted for. There is also that plastic LED diffuser seated just below the button. It's held in place by a tiny screw, so I'm curious if I may need to re-assemble those parts in a specific order.
So far I've learned two things. 1. Pay close attention to the feel of all buttons and switches before teardown. 2. Take photos not only during the initial teardown step (to view wiring connections), but during each stage as well.
@@RCVideoReviews I FIGURED IT OUT! Holy cow.
I put the button back into my old faceplate and attached the board tightly. The button worked just fine. So I then inspected the opening very closely. Turns out there are tiny edges or lips around the button hole on these new faceplates. They were less than 1mm wide. Those lips don't exist on the original faceplate.
I filed down those lips and now the button seems to work exactly as designed. I took some photos, so I'll get some info to intofpv and getfpv in a bit.
Thanks a ton for your reply as well. It helped get me down this path.
@@platty9237 Ok, glad you got it worked out. Was the lip flashing from the plastic molding process?