Just got mine today (still not sure why I bough one since I'm pretty happy with the TX16s...) and : it comes with a manual (8 pages printed on a folded A3 about the radio + basic ETHOS, so still a lot of things left for the end user to figure out), it also had a 4GB SD card, a USB C cable and the latest EU firmware. It does feel solid, heavy and well made. I went for the basic version and the sticks feel nicer than on the TX16. The sliders and pots are waaaaayyyy better, with solid feel and good center detent. On the other hand the trim buttons are all wobbly and the switches feel a bit flimsy... I use the side sliders for flaps and while they are much nicer than on the TX16, they are positioned in a way that makes them really hard to reach in flight without repositioning your hands. It's a bit better when using the extra grips. The screen is clear and responsive, the speaker quite loud and ETHOS seems intuitive enough though I haven't spent enough time on it to check whether LUA are really supported or not.... This is set to become my main radio for big fixed wings + helis and the TX16 will stay with my quads and non Frsky park flyers.
Don’t understand why there would be rumours and confusion. FrSky made it extremely clear well before any transmitters were released that there would be three X20 models, they even put out a comparison chart. They stated clearly that there would be an X20, an X20S and an X20HD. The X20S adds metal gimbals and bluetooth audio over the X20 and the X20HD adds real time video over the X20S. The retail release launched with the X20 and the X20S (not just the X20). But you are correct that there has been no launch of the X20HD as yet, nor any proposed release date, nor any technical details. If I were to speculate I’d say they are experiencing difficulty with the HD system given they have made some very wild claims that it will be zero latency. Also no news of the Tandem receivers either.
it’s the new frisk, of course its using the open source system that sharkbyte uses, of course they’ll make it proprietary and screw the open source community that made them. eventually they’ll probably sue sharkbyte for implementing similar features as them in a open source system where they’re supposed to share back what they add to the code the licensed.
Shark Byte isn't open source...AFAIK... It's Divimath HDZero www.divimath.com/ www.hd-zero.com/ with an Analog Devices RF chip www.analog.com/media/en/news-marketing-collateral/solutions-bulletins-brochures/DM5680-Brochure.pdf www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/AD9364.pdf I guess, it's open, as in, it's not FatShark proprietry and so anyone could also use Divimath as a supplier...
No, it is not, but unless Fatshark has an exclusivity contract with Divimath, anybody can propose a solution around Divimath chip. So Frsky could potentially use this solution.
Great review, Andy! 😊 But... FrSky? Not for me. Not after they discontinued the original R9 system when I haven't even received it yet from China. Never more! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
It is a beautiful piece of kit. Minus all the essentials. No Opentx, no Crossfire, no Express LRS... I just can't see the point of that. I'll just keep my trusty Radiomaster TX16S. I'd get a TBS Tango for convenience.
@@TheGalifrey Did you get the fact that everyone been using OpenTX, Crossfire and even the previous ver of Frsky, and Frsky new releases just are not compatible anymore?
@@Mr.Tiger.2013 Oh no, the new version isn't compatible and can't be cloned. Here's a clue, either keep doing what your doing or update, that's your choice. I use Frsky, I am sticking with the old version for now, that's my choice.
I think youre right, in my opinion frsky tries to bring out a similar product to the jeti ds-12, a transmitter for LOS big model flying. it also has a tandem system, which is used to have a solid link if you are flying big $30.000 jets you dont want a failsafe mid flight xD (as most of the expensive high class radios have i guess).
Do the radiomaster and you will thank me later. Jumper has had problems with there ribbon cables and that’s not good!! All the sudden it will stop working right because the cable came undone, that would not be good if it happened while you’re flying.
Yeah closing 3 mins you asked important questions ,being myself fairly new to fpv i was very confused choosing RX system i really wanted Frsky coz it seemed a "standard" but the moment i dig more into subject it got more confusing V1 V2 EU&US versions with compatible firmware was just too much and i know thing or two about RC models, it was real struggle i just cant imagine fresh new customer trying to dig into it o.O i finally opted for jumper Tlite and jumper r1f for my TH2 freestyle and IF i upgrade i will choose crossfire/tracer nano for my radio and future LR drones if i need >1 km of range its just no brainer (need to explore Express LRS a bit more too) I understand that companies want to keep theirs business going but unfortunately outcome is very confusing for customers old ones will just "riot" and new will just buy something else from other brands.
Sir what can you tell me about such a 3 in 1 transmitter? If the control range is more than 60 kilo meters, which supports Pixhawk, I can connect my smartphone to that transmitter and see all the data or camera live on my screen.😶
FrSky continuing to close the doors and shut out other makes and feature. I would not be surprised to see their own HD system based of smartphone hardware. Much of the SOC chipsets for smartphones now have LTE and radio modems built in. It’s not a massive stretch to make them for use with FPV video. Keeping the latency down is the major issue but it’s not impossible. FrSky are moving to a closed property model now and this will for sure put people off, if they do it well then users could benefit but I think we know that’s probably not going to happen and people will be left with buggy issues. Interesting to see what they come up with though. Great video as always Andy.
I honestly cannot see FrSky surviving this much longer. Without OpenTX they have near to no compatibility whatsoever. They don't even have compatibility in their own ecosystem. My only concern is that I believe the OpenTX project got most of their funding from FrSky. I expect that now is, or soon might be a problem :(
I love the integrated display idea which helps us to fly fpv without a spotter. But frsky is dead for me because 1) of their protocol confusions and 2) their market behavior. Looking forward to seeing ExpressLRS as the new standard. Opensource is better for us hobbyists than closed source companies trying to get a monopoly. Imagine instead of betaflight having a „spectrumflight“ a „graupnerflight“ and maybe a „futabaflight“, each beeing incompatible to each other and costing $150 for a flightcontroller. Then you think twice flying over trees.
With open Tx support would be a maybe in case my transmitter died, as it is the answer is NO, they don't support backwards compatibility and most of us don't fly FrSky, we fly D8, Tbs, Immersion Rc, great review BTW.
Don't those things already come with an integrated rc link/control system? If you're talking FPV quadcopter with air unit/vista and want to use a hobby radio/control link in stead of the DJI controller, then you've gotta get an rx that's compatible with your transmitter protocol, i'd suggest a Jumper or Radiomaster TX with Crossfire or ELRS TX module and one of their rxs.
hi Andy good to watch your very good and informative video , i am not drone flyer , i used to fly nitro , gas and electric plane , and at the moment using turnigy 9x V2 ,radio with opentx , will you advise me to by frsky x20 ?? or TARANIS X9D PLUS 16 CHANNEL , OR FLY SKY PALADIN PL18 which one you adive , waiting your kind remarks and guidline
@@AndyRCchannel thanks for your kind reply and guidence , you mean for TARANIS X9D PLUS , is better then frsky x20 radio , ??? and also like to know that , wireless headtracking funcition is not aviable in x20 radio ?
Blimey! I sometimes miss the old analogue days of radio control, the days when if you had the same frequency as your mates tamiya cheetah as your xr4 you could swap over the tx and Rx crystals!? Used to work though! Staying with my jr xg8 and hope it Carrys on working!
@ab vevo Because it's good for the youtube algorithm and therefore good for Andy, and Frsky sucks for what they've purposefully done to screw their loyal customers who made them what they are, which is why they've lost most of their market share to Jumper and Radiomaster in a couple of years. Do you understand that this is a community?
Frsky can bite me! I only use R9m with ExpressLRS and Crossfire on my Radiomaster and Jumper. Still have my Qx7 as well which I'll keep but I'll NEVER buy anything FRSky again
I also don't know, which kind of pilots they are targeting with it. The latest Jetis also have dual mode with 900Mhz and 2.4GHz, I think it's a requirement for models above 25kg to have diversity and this would do nice. But I don't think anyone, who flies a model in that weight (and price) category will use a radio for less than 1000 bucks. It also drives out the OpenTX fans.
It is a D16/Access/R9 Long Range radio and an OS that goes well beyond OpenTX. It takes everything you can do on OpenTX (plus a LOT more) and allows you to do it via a touchscreen (like a smartphone) instead of complicated screens that have a steep learning curve, Does updates to receivers Over The Air (OTA) and allows simple updates to firmware without messing about with OpenTX companion and all it's connection foibles. You can bind multiple receivers per model, it does wireless trainer, or wired to Any TX (much like the Taranis). The HD model does FPV to your screen so you can fly FPV without a spotter or you can plug in screens or cheap HD goggles via HDMI without the need for the expensive FPV versions. It is unbelievably easy to setup complex functions and mixes compared to anything I have used OpenTX.
@@TheGalifrey Well, I changed my mind a bit 😉 After reading a couple of tests and seeing some videos, it moved up on my wishlist for "next radio". I already have the FlySky Nirvana, which is also set up via touch screen, while the Companion does not work.
Looking similar to openTX i suspect they used part of its code. That reminds me to the Kalman-Filter thing back then. I hope someone decompiles the binaries and if they used openTX parts sue frsky.
AT LEAST FrSky has a path to support all of my X-Series receivers with the X-20. Still on the fence...they seem to be having problems with telemetry sensors also.
I think this is targeting your average weekend fixed wing flyer who would struggle with open tx, & is priced accordingly, & tbh i think it looks ok for the money with more than a passing resemblance to my Jeti DS24, although obviously is competing with the ds 12. I’d like to see inside, my Jeti is a work of art and screams quality, whereas some of these cheaper systems scream ‘help’! Perhaps you could film the mode change.
this is jeti like, its definetly much higher quality than my ix12 at 1/4 the cost and has great features. i have the 18s. i really like it. heck with spektrum and its high priced slow os tx.
strange rumors... I did not saw any decent info, that "base" version of X20 would have HD... what was publish/rumored was fact, there will be 3 versions of this radio. normal X20, X20S, and later 3rd mysteroius X20 with HD video 0-latency; some did call it X20D. if it's true - lets wait :) Not only it need to have digi built in, but also a different screen, more outputs... let's just wait and see.
@@AndyRCchannel so stoopid. you can have pre-2.0 accst fport fw for r-xsr, but for xsr you can only have it with 2.0+, and by the way, your radio won't work with that because reasons, sorry you're screwed.' ' you can have accst firmware for the R9Mini and R9MM, but not the R9MX, sorry, we don't give a fuck about our customers' fuck them
Stupid, not necessary, the Archer series has the full set of Access functionality, whereas updated version are only protocol compatible. The Tandem concept sounds like à great idea, you get a redundancy reception with only one receiver, safety and ease of installation should be great. It has been a mess recently, but I feel like this radio is the radio of maturity for FrSky.
frsky who not me andy i have not used a frsky radio for a while ill stick to my tx16s my radiomaster is the best radio ive ever had but the los big plane boys might like it ive watched the other half of your vid and the fact they had taken the bits they want from open tx and then closed it off is a very frsky move and the why i moved away in the first place
OK, as the owner of two Horus X12S (with Multiprotocol Modules) and a Taranis (with FASST module), all this seems to offer is awkward poor ergonomics, especially if you fly thumbs. Side sliders that high mounted and top worked when thumbs on sticks? Nearly as bad as the Spektrum DX9 using the extremely awkwardlly placed recessed button for a safety "get out of gaol" system you cannot quickly reach! It seems a bit like cars now, they don't know what to do to actually improve, but marketing says they HAVE to do something.
As a guy in the market for a new radio, as i have the ?er8? That came with the novice 3. 3 minutes in i knew that unfortunately, this isnt going to make the cut, tx16s max or masterfire here i come....shame really coz i also now need the ev800Ds unless anyone can reccomend something around the £100 diversity os a must though, or is it?
The Radiomaster tx16s has become the new standard for most rc pilots. The max version comes with the spacers to lower the gimbals for a different feel then the other versions. Most help videos are gonna be based around the tx16s from here on out, that alone makes it your best choice.
This is "plainly" aimed at fixed wing pilots. You were correct in saying it is a cheaper version of a Jetti radio. Even the other version with HD, most FPVers use video in goggles, having it the radio is a gimmick for line of sight pilots.
Awesome Andy, if I was to pick my first transmitter, it wouldn't be this, I've always loved the Radio Master TX16s, if not that 1, maybe the tango 2.. because if I had bought this, I would have been lost lol.. Good Job Tho, 💯👊
just for clarity.. IF Divimath makes them the receiver unit then yeah it will be compatible with SB BUT the price of the radio goes up another $200 FYI.. The ONLY way this get's a HD receiver is if Divimath makes them one as ALL things Divimath are created and manufactured by Divimath not FS or anyone else..
Great video Andy RC. What the hell is wrong with FRSKY??? Someone in product development is deliberately trying to sink the company. In addition to all the other compatibility and hardware issues. The question remains? What market is this radio aiming for? Certainly not the high end jet guys [with their JETI transmitters] - they wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole on there 15-20K turbines.
Been flyin high dollar jets on Tarranis since it came out, no doubt will do such with Tandem if it worth it. Its known FrSky has a solid link, the rest is peripheral Tandem link should be better
I’m using an old Futaba 9cap. To me this Tx is an absolute gem. I don’t care about open software or not. Once the plane is set up that’s it. Looking at the set up videos, it’s a good mix of easy programming and functionality The Rx price is great, and so much more processing power.
If any crossfire user complains, that FrSky does not allow Crossfire on their new radio, they should first complain at TBS, blocking R9 on their radio.
Frsky really know how to piss off their customers don't they lol. Nice enough hardware, but the constant non backward compatible firmware development is just a pain in the bits. I'm glad I got a radioking tx18s cheap recently (under £80 at the time) from banggood & 2.4 & 868 expresslrs happymodel modules with 3 2.4 pp Rx & 3 868 RX's for less. I have no intention of ever buying another frsky product if I can avoid it, because of their company development strategy regarding cross compatibility & open source.
I'm so glad I don't have anything to do with FrSky any longer... What a terrible company. Even if they bring out their own digital FPV system, I won't be going near it, ever. Good review though Andy. Well, as good as it can be with all that nonsense FrSky have produced.
Why do the LOS plane guys spend so much on the radios? I've seen them with massive and expensive transmitters but the radio protocols seem nothing special, so where's the money going?
I guess maybe some assume because something has a huge price tag, it automatically makes it a better product. Not a good way to view things. For instance. FlySky radios are cheap as dirt, and underrated, but they have great link quality, and decent latency.
bragging rights, and it has always been like that.. old farts (like me) could only buy the expensive stuff back in the day since there was no alternative. and the majority stuck to it. most los plane guys are in a club, and the clubs demand certain radio brands.. not because they are better , but because the old farts made the rules and "we be damned if some whippersnapper spends 150 bucks on a radio that is better than ours!!" also casually saying you've got a 1400 buck radio gives you tingles in all the right places.. my most expensive radio was 1600 bucks back in the day. when you entered the field with that thing you were the king of the strip.. now i have a radiomaster TX16S and i feel and am god! because we don't need to pay n(over) half of our paycheck to get a radio, so we can spend more on other stuff!
but on the frsky site they state they welcome third party systems for the lite bay.. in other words.... if TBS makes a lite bay compatible module, FRSKY would implement it.. soooo... looking at the crossfire NANO TX... that one IS made for the lite bay.. and thus should fit in the X20.. if FrSky is true to their word (highly doubt it) crsf should be supported soon.. but well..... it is FrSky... they gladly forget that their biggest succes was the JR bay which could fit CRSF modules and opentx that took care of the rest... many, many, many have bought a frsky transmitter and slapped a crsf module in the back.. the FrSky transmitters are (were?) solid affordable great radios.. often the internal 2.4 was not used, but the radios were a succes..
Bro I have had my eyes on that transmitter since the release. I think it is so sexy. I want to try one out and feel the premium goodness. Keep up the great work.
I could deal with no OpenTx with a system that works. But not being able to use crossfire or ghost the two most common systems is a really bad idea. I don’t think this radio is geared towards the FPV market. Someone that fly’s FPV doesn’t really care about a radio with a big coloured screen on, he’s wearing goggle most of the time. So if you take the coloured screen away its a Taranis Q X7S not running OpenTx. Hard pass for me. On a side note if you think I hate Frsky I have 2 X9D radios and love them.
God FrSky, just log off. That sideways button labeling silk screen orientation/layout for 'sys' and 'tele' is ridiculous. Why would openTX not support this?
Frsky have learned nothing. That been said love my trusty old taranis. I bypassed the whole 2.4ghz failsafe incompatibility crap. Crossfire for life shame that who ever is in charge needs sacking
FrSky is blatantly misjudging their position in the RC market if they think people will deliberately buy into a closed system that does not let them use any of the current top 4 radio protocols (which are ExpressLRS, Ghost, Crossfire and Tracer). Also, knowing FrSky's history I would be surprised if the Ethos firmware wasn't a derivative of OpenTX and in violation of the GNU Public License.
@ 3:02 - It won't support Open TX. Buh bye FrSky! Take care - brush your hair! Hope to see you......never. I only wish that I could get all my shitty receivers refunded from you. I should have wised up, and switched to Crossfire sooner than I did.
Well... I use jeti, and pigs will fly when frsky are the same quality as jeti. And jeti has customer support! Build a 1000 dollar jet, and cut corners in control? I don't think so. But for the money it's probably a good idea! As a second radio for fixed wing flyer maybe. But I don't think the high-end flyers will be interested.
I'm not sure why a mini quad pilot would buy this. Personally it's to big, too many switches, no opentx, and no support for crossfire, tracer, or ghost.
for example radiomaster tx16 is more big than this one, and have a lot switches too. i prefer opentx for fpv but i have tried ethos and looks good is similar opentx but need to be more mature
FrSky, busy digging its own grave...This is aimed at LOS pilots looking for a cheap high end Radio...Virtually useless for serious seasoned FPV pilots....🤔🤔😳😳😳🇬🇧
I think Frsky have lost the plot with not making things backwards compatible. Got rid of all my Frsky gear after buying a X10s that arrived new with loads of issues. Jeti all the way.
Friend, I purchased an X10S one week before they dropped Access, leaving with a $450 outdated door knob. That’s after an X9D and QX7. I contacted Frsky and asked them if they would exchange it for the Access model and they were rude as hell. Never Frsky again, and Ethos will fizzle out just like FrOS
TBH these boxy design frsky radios look very 80s dated and uncomfortable to me, like a Countach. Where are the ergonomics? "let's give them some plastic corner caps" sure seems like an afterthought.
@@maceliusfpv370 a lot of it is the colour scheme on that unit, it's smart looking but it's also quite slim looking, not like holding the brick my TX16s is lol. I came from a i10 which is a very slim radio and the crazy thick tx16s took a lot of getting used too and I'd love a slim radio again!
@@stevefox3763 I get what you're saying, it's a sharp looking box, but it's still a box. At least the TX16S has ergonomic grips, I actually printed some for my T16 that I modeled after them. www.thingiverse.com/thing:4632465
Frsky X20:
bit.ly/2RtIwR1
bit.ly/2Swa60B
I'm done with Frsky, we'll have been for 2 years. Seeing this confirms it for me.
I'll never buy another FRsky TX or any access product either !
Moved on to Jumper and Radiomaster multi protocol TX's, much better value !
Just got mine today (still not sure why I bough one since I'm pretty happy with the TX16s...) and : it comes with a manual (8 pages printed on a folded A3 about the radio + basic ETHOS, so still a lot of things left for the end user to figure out), it also had a 4GB SD card, a USB C cable and the latest EU firmware.
It does feel solid, heavy and well made.
I went for the basic version and the sticks feel nicer than on the TX16. The sliders and pots are waaaaayyyy better, with solid feel and good center detent. On the other hand the trim buttons are all wobbly and the switches feel a bit flimsy...
I use the side sliders for flaps and while they are much nicer than on the TX16, they are positioned in a way that makes them really hard to reach in flight without repositioning your hands. It's a bit better when using the extra grips.
The screen is clear and responsive, the speaker quite loud and ETHOS seems intuitive enough though I haven't spent enough time on it to check whether LUA are really supported or not....
This is set to become my main radio for big fixed wings + helis and the TX16 will stay with my quads and non Frsky park flyers.
Don’t understand why there would be rumours and confusion. FrSky made it extremely clear well before any transmitters were released that there would be three X20 models, they even put out a comparison chart. They stated clearly that there would be an X20, an X20S and an X20HD. The X20S adds metal gimbals and bluetooth audio over the X20 and the X20HD adds real time video over the X20S. The retail release launched with the X20 and the X20S (not just the X20). But you are correct that there has been no launch of the X20HD as yet, nor any proposed release date, nor any technical details. If I were to speculate I’d say they are experiencing difficulty with the HD system given they have made some very wild claims that it will be zero latency. Also no news of the Tandem receivers either.
Click bait RUclipsrs with lies in their videos. You can ignore
Thanks for the info Andy.
it’s the new frisk, of course its using the open source system that sharkbyte uses, of course they’ll make it proprietary and screw the open source community that made them. eventually they’ll probably sue sharkbyte for implementing similar features as them in a open source system where they’re supposed to share back what they add to the code the licensed.
Lol...that's not worked very well for them so far....😯😯😯🤔😳🇬🇧
Sharkbyte uses an off the Shelf chip from DiviMath, but it's not open source as far as I know, did I miss something ?
Shark Byte isn't open source...AFAIK...
It's Divimath HDZero
www.divimath.com/
www.hd-zero.com/
with an Analog Devices RF chip
www.analog.com/media/en/news-marketing-collateral/solutions-bulletins-brochures/DM5680-Brochure.pdf
www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/AD9364.pdf
I guess, it's open, as in, it's not FatShark proprietry and so anyone could also use Divimath as a supplier...
Sharkbyte is opensource?
No, it is not, but unless Fatshark has an exclusivity contract with Divimath, anybody can propose a solution around Divimath chip.
So Frsky could potentially use this solution.
Thanks Andy!!
Great review, Andy! 😊
But... FrSky? Not for me. Not after they discontinued the original R9 system when I haven't even received it yet from China. Never more!
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Had my x20 for a while now and love it. Ethos really easy to use. Love the keyboard which makes for speedy programming.
Always fun seeing what your up to. Big smiles Andy.
Thanks Andy!
It is a beautiful piece of kit. Minus all the essentials. No Opentx, no Crossfire, no Express LRS... I just can't see the point of that. I'll just keep my trusty Radiomaster TX16S. I'd get a TBS Tango for convenience.
Ethos > OpenTX, has 900mhz long range (100km range) built in (no need for crossfire/ExpressLRS)
@@TheGalifrey Did you get the fact that everyone been using OpenTX, Crossfire and even the previous ver of Frsky, and Frsky new releases just are not compatible anymore?
@@Mr.Tiger.2013 Oh no, the new version isn't compatible and can't be cloned. Here's a clue, either keep doing what your doing or update, that's your choice. I use Frsky, I am sticking with the old version for now, that's my choice.
I think youre right, in my opinion frsky tries to bring out a similar product to the jeti ds-12, a transmitter for LOS big model flying. it also has a tandem system, which is used to have a solid link if you are flying big $30.000 jets you dont want a failsafe mid flight xD (as most of the expensive high class radios have i guess).
Had mine over a week now love it! mine came with a SD card 4gb.
Hi.. You Turned on with no problem?
@@pablotovar4906 Worked right out of the box see my unboxing on my channel.
Looks really good if you need all that kind of stuff.
I used to use frsky. Ahhh those were the days.
CRSF, Multimodule and ELRS supported by the X20 now
I would get this if the jr bay was the standard and the screen was smaller. I love the qx7 feel. Cant get away from it.
Hi Andy
Very nice video
You know When the New receivers are going to be aveilable on the market?
Regards from colombia south América
I'm going Jumper or Radiomaster now! Damn FrSky!!!
Do the radiomaster and you will thank me later.
Jumper has had problems with there ribbon cables and that’s not good!!
All the sudden it will stop working right because the cable came undone, that would not be good if it happened while you’re flying.
no way to go back to frsky, using my xlite with tbs until it falls appart.
Yeah closing 3 mins you asked important questions ,being myself fairly new to fpv i was very confused choosing RX system i really wanted Frsky coz it seemed a "standard" but the moment i dig more into subject it got more confusing V1 V2 EU&US versions with compatible firmware was just too much and i know thing or two about RC models, it was real struggle i just cant imagine fresh new customer trying to dig into it o.O i finally opted for jumper Tlite and jumper r1f for my TH2 freestyle and IF i upgrade i will choose crossfire/tracer nano for my radio and future LR drones if i need >1 km of range its just no brainer (need to explore Express LRS a bit more too)
I understand that companies want to keep theirs business going but unfortunately outcome is very confusing for customers old ones will just "riot" and new will just buy something else from other brands.
I'm new to FRSKY love their products. Not confusing at all.
Sir what can you tell me about such a 3 in 1 transmitter?
If the control range is more than 60 kilo meters, which supports Pixhawk, I can connect my smartphone to that transmitter and see all the data or camera live on my screen.😶
FrSky continuing to close the doors and shut out other makes and feature. I would not be surprised to see their own HD system based of smartphone hardware. Much of the SOC chipsets for smartphones now have LTE and radio modems built in. It’s not a massive stretch to make them for use with FPV video. Keeping the latency down is the major issue but it’s not impossible.
FrSky are moving to a closed property model now and this will for sure put people off, if they do it well then users could benefit but I think we know that’s probably not going to happen and people will be left with buggy issues.
Interesting to see what they come up with though.
Great video as always Andy.
I honestly cannot see FrSky surviving this much longer. Without OpenTX they have near to no compatibility whatsoever. They don't even have compatibility in their own ecosystem.
My only concern is that I believe the OpenTX project got most of their funding from FrSky. I expect that now is, or soon might be a problem :(
I love the integrated display idea which helps us to fly fpv without a spotter. But frsky is dead for me because 1) of their protocol confusions and 2) their market behavior. Looking forward to seeing ExpressLRS as the new standard. Opensource is better for us hobbyists than closed source companies trying to get a monopoly. Imagine instead of betaflight having a „spectrumflight“ a „graupnerflight“ and maybe a „futabaflight“, each beeing incompatible to each other and costing $150 for a flightcontroller. Then you think twice flying over trees.
Comparing this radio to a Jetti is like comparing a Nissan to a Ferrari
😂😂😂😂😂 yep!!! Tru that!
Yeah, Nissan Godzilla's mud stomps Ferraris in the 1/4 with little upgrades ... same here
2 months later, still no mention anywhere about the release of the HD :(
after all of hassle frsky created with their ecosystem, nobody believes now that frsky can deliver any hd video system on their own
I'm only interested in their new video system.
With open Tx support would be a maybe in case my transmitter died, as it is the answer is NO, they don't support backwards compatibility and most of us don't fly FrSky, we fly D8, Tbs, Immersion Rc, great review BTW.
Support now available for multiprotocol and CRSF.
PLEASE let me know what receiver to get for my dji. Fpv. I will use my dji drone for pics. I can spend 490.00 for 2 fpv drones. Bin
Don't those things already come with an integrated rc link/control system? If you're talking FPV quadcopter with air unit/vista and want to use a hobby radio/control link in stead of the DJI controller, then you've gotta get an rx that's compatible with your transmitter protocol, i'd suggest a Jumper or Radiomaster TX with Crossfire or ELRS TX module and one of their rxs.
All off the comments are full of quality. Enjoying greatly. Best non BS opinion = Andy
Fr Sky is finished! !!!!!
hi Andy good to watch your very good and informative video , i am not drone flyer , i used to fly nitro , gas and electric plane ,
and at the moment using turnigy 9x V2 ,radio with opentx ,
will you advise me to by frsky x20 ?? or TARANIS X9D PLUS 16 CHANNEL ,
OR
FLY SKY PALADIN PL18
which one you adive , waiting your kind remarks and guidline
Go for the radiomaster tx16s or the taranis x9d 2019 if u wanna do wireless headtracking stuff
@@AndyRCchannel thanks for your kind reply and guidence , you mean for TARANIS X9D PLUS , is better then frsky x20 radio , ??? and also like to know that , wireless headtracking funcition is not aviable in x20 radio ?
Next!!!
Hi Andy I see this is already available for sale at unmanned tech.
Great video as always I think I will give this one a miss
Blimey! I sometimes miss the old analogue days of radio control, the days when if you had the same frequency as your mates tamiya cheetah as your xr4 you could swap over the tx and Rx crystals!? Used to work though! Staying with my jr xg8 and hope it Carrys on working!
Looks like a really nice radio, gutted it wont take crsf.
TBH these boxy design frsky radios look very 80s dated to me, like a Countach.
@ab vevo Because it's good for the youtube algorithm and therefore good for Andy, and Frsky sucks for what they've purposefully done to screw their loyal customers who made them what they are, which is why they've lost most of their market share to Jumper and Radiomaster in a couple of years. Do you understand that this is a community?
Frsky can bite me! I only use R9m with ExpressLRS and Crossfire on my Radiomaster and Jumper. Still have my Qx7 as well which I'll keep but I'll NEVER buy anything FRSky again
This could be the final "QX7" iteration,...
Still looks like a great built radio.
I also don't know, which kind of pilots they are targeting with it. The latest Jetis also have dual mode with 900Mhz and 2.4GHz, I think it's a requirement for models above 25kg to have diversity and this would do nice. But I don't think anyone, who flies a model in that weight (and price) category will use a radio for less than 1000 bucks.
It also drives out the OpenTX fans.
It is a D16/Access/R9 Long Range radio and an OS that goes well beyond OpenTX. It takes everything you can do on OpenTX (plus a LOT more) and allows you to do it via a touchscreen (like a smartphone) instead of complicated screens that have a steep learning curve, Does updates to receivers Over The Air (OTA) and allows simple updates to firmware without messing about with OpenTX companion and all it's connection foibles. You can bind multiple receivers per model, it does wireless trainer, or wired to Any TX (much like the Taranis). The HD model does FPV to your screen so you can fly FPV without a spotter or you can plug in screens or cheap HD goggles via HDMI without the need for the expensive FPV versions. It is unbelievably easy to setup complex functions and mixes compared to anything I have used OpenTX.
@@TheGalifrey Well, I changed my mind a bit 😉 After reading a couple of tests and seeing some videos, it moved up on my wishlist for "next radio".
I already have the FlySky Nirvana, which is also set up via touch screen, while the Companion does not work.
Looking similar to openTX i suspect they used part of its code. That reminds me to the Kalman-Filter thing back then. I hope someone decompiles the binaries and if they used openTX parts sue frsky.
Is this the one with the FPV display?
AT LEAST FrSky has a path to support all of my X-Series receivers with the X-20. Still on the fence...they seem to be having problems with telemetry sensors also.
I think this is targeting your average weekend fixed wing flyer who would struggle with open tx, & is priced accordingly, & tbh i think it looks ok for the money with more than a passing resemblance to my Jeti DS24, although obviously is competing with the ds 12. I’d like to see inside, my Jeti is a work of art and screams quality, whereas some of these cheaper systems scream ‘help’! Perhaps you could film the mode change.
this is jeti like, its definetly much higher quality than my ix12 at 1/4 the cost and has great features. i have the 18s. i really like it. heck with spektrum and its high priced slow os tx.
strange rumors... I did not saw any decent info, that "base" version of X20 would have HD... what was publish/rumored was fact, there will be 3 versions of this radio. normal X20, X20S, and later 3rd mysteroius X20 with HD video 0-latency; some did call it X20D. if it's true - lets wait :) Not only it need to have digi built in, but also a different screen, more outputs... let's just wait and see.
still waiting.....
Archer is the line of native Access 2,4ghz as opposed to the other accst updated lineups
its stoooopid
@@AndyRCchannel so stoopid.
you can have pre-2.0 accst fport fw for r-xsr, but for xsr you can only have it with 2.0+, and by the way, your radio won't work with that because reasons, sorry you're screwed.'
' you can have accst firmware for the R9Mini and R9MM, but not the R9MX, sorry, we don't give a fuck about our customers'
fuck them
Stupid, not necessary, the Archer series has the full set of Access functionality, whereas updated version are only protocol compatible.
The Tandem concept sounds like à great idea, you get a redundancy reception with only one receiver, safety and ease of installation should be great.
It has been a mess recently, but I feel like this radio is the radio of maturity for FrSky.
No OpenTX? Closed system and locked to FrSky receivers? No thanks. I enjoy options.
frsky who not me andy i have not used a frsky radio for a while ill stick to my tx16s my radiomaster is the best radio ive ever had but the los big plane boys might like it ive watched the other half of your vid and the fact they had taken the bits they want from open tx and then closed it off is a very frsky move and the why i moved away in the first place
Tandem is also a line of receiver with both 900mhz and 2.4ghz
why is that good?
Safety, you have redundancy with only one receiver, and different frequencies which is even better.
If you fly expensive jets some clubs require you to have redundancy just in case.
too fancy for Quad
Looks nice.. Will see how useful it really is.... No open TX????
Say what!
Wow, Frsky really has a control lust, hmm... and it's getting worse and worse...
Yep, that's why my Taranis has been collecting dust. I'll stick with my Tango 2 pro with the multi-proto module. I have nothing for FrSky.
OK, as the owner of two Horus X12S (with Multiprotocol Modules) and a Taranis (with FASST module), all this seems to offer is awkward poor ergonomics, especially if you fly thumbs. Side sliders that high mounted and top worked when thumbs on sticks? Nearly as bad as the Spektrum DX9 using the extremely awkwardlly placed recessed button for a safety "get out of gaol" system you cannot quickly reach! It seems a bit like cars now, they don't know what to do to actually improve, but marketing says they HAVE to do something.
Thanks Andy. Agreed. Useless of you fly hd receivers like DJI sir unit etc..
Mikey
Will it pick up dji signal though?
@@rawfpv3197 don't think so. Bud..
As a guy in the market for a new radio, as i have the ?er8? That came with the novice 3. 3 minutes in i knew that unfortunately, this isnt going to make the cut, tx16s max or masterfire here i come....shame really coz i also now need the ev800Ds unless anyone can reccomend something around the £100 diversity os a must though, or is it?
The Radiomaster tx16s has become the new standard for most rc pilots. The max version comes with the spacers to lower the gimbals for a different feel then the other versions. Most help videos are gonna be based around the tx16s from here on out, that alone makes it your best choice.
This is "plainly" aimed at fixed wing pilots. You were correct in saying it is a cheaper version of a Jetti radio. Even the other version with HD, most FPVers use video in goggles, having it the radio is a gimmick for line of sight pilots.
It's got an HDMI out, so you could go straight into your goggles from the TX...
Cyberdyne systems here already taking over. Scary! !
Awesome Andy, if I was to pick my first transmitter, it wouldn't be this, I've always loved the Radio Master TX16s, if not that 1, maybe the tango 2.. because if I had bought this, I would have been lost lol.. Good Job Tho, 💯👊
True, unless your'e just in love with the aesthetics and sure all you'll ever want to fly with it is ACCESS and R9, I wouldn't consider it.
just for clarity.. IF Divimath makes them the receiver unit then yeah it will be compatible with SB BUT the price of the radio goes up another $200 FYI.. The ONLY way this get's a HD receiver is if Divimath makes them one as ALL things Divimath are created and manufactured by Divimath not FS or anyone else..
NO OPEN TX Nooooooooooo THANKS 👎 What a shame as it looks so bloody good
Not getting my money.
Great video Andy RC. What the hell is wrong with FRSKY??? Someone in product development is deliberately trying to sink the company. In addition to all the other compatibility and hardware issues. The question remains? What market is this radio aiming for? Certainly not the high end jet guys [with their JETI transmitters] - they wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole on there 15-20K turbines.
Been flyin high dollar jets on Tarranis since it came out, no doubt will do such with Tandem if it worth it. Its known FrSky has a solid link, the rest is peripheral Tandem link should be better
I’m using an old Futaba 9cap. To me this Tx is an absolute gem. I don’t care about open software or not. Once the plane is set up that’s it. Looking at the set up videos, it’s a good mix of easy programming and functionality
The Rx price is great, and so much more processing power.
If any crossfire user complains, that FrSky does not allow Crossfire on their new radio, they should first complain at TBS, blocking R9 on their radio.
that is actually a valid point!
does this work with DJI?
No more FrSky for me. Radiomaster TS16S with Crossfire from now on.
frsky is successfully digging it's grave
Just got 1, what a dog
It really is an excellent radio but ... Very expensive, excellent review👍👌🔝
Frsky really know how to piss off their customers don't they lol. Nice enough hardware, but the constant non backward compatible firmware development is just a pain in the bits. I'm glad I got a radioking tx18s cheap recently (under £80 at the time) from banggood & 2.4 & 868 expresslrs happymodel modules with 3 2.4 pp Rx & 3 868 RX's for less. I have no intention of ever buying another frsky product if I can avoid it, because of their company development strategy regarding cross compatibility & open source.
I'm so glad I don't have anything to do with FrSky any longer... What a terrible company. Even if they bring out their own digital FPV system, I won't be going near it, ever.
Good review though Andy. Well, as good as it can be with all that nonsense FrSky have produced.
No Crossfire, no thanks!
I'll 2nd that
Why do the LOS plane guys spend so much on the radios? I've seen them with massive and expensive transmitters but the radio protocols seem nothing special, so where's the money going?
I guess maybe some assume because something has a huge price tag, it automatically makes it a better product. Not a good way to view things. For instance. FlySky radios are cheap as dirt, and underrated, but they have great link quality, and decent latency.
bragging rights, and it has always been like that..
old farts (like me) could only buy the expensive stuff back in the day since there was no alternative. and the majority stuck to it.
most los plane guys are in a club, and the clubs demand certain radio brands.. not because they are better , but because the old farts made the rules and "we be damned if some whippersnapper spends 150 bucks on a radio that is better than ours!!"
also casually saying you've got a 1400 buck radio gives you tingles in all the right places..
my most expensive radio was 1600 bucks back in the day. when you entered the field with that thing you were the king of the strip..
now i have a radiomaster TX16S and i feel and am god! because we don't need to pay n(over) half of our paycheck to get a radio, so we can spend more on other stuff!
@@DutchCommando That's the best explanation I've heard yet. No animosity or attitude, just straight facts.
Clearing up the hd-nonsense it will be hd-zero. As said by frsky.
Neat screen, but that's about it. Being closed ecosystem should be all that you need to know and pick something else
No OpenTX = not for me. But do we actually know that it won't take a Crossfire module? That's not obvious to me.
it does not fit and it is not supported other than ppm
@@AndyRCchannel Fair enough!
but on the frsky site they state they welcome third party systems for the lite bay..
in other words....
if TBS makes a lite bay compatible module, FRSKY would implement it..
soooo... looking at the crossfire NANO TX... that one IS made for the lite bay.. and thus should fit in the X20..
if FrSky is true to their word (highly doubt it) crsf should be supported soon..
but well..... it is FrSky... they gladly forget that their biggest succes was the JR bay which could fit CRSF modules and opentx that took care of the rest... many, many, many have bought a frsky transmitter and slapped a crsf module in the back..
the FrSky transmitters are (were?) solid affordable great radios.. often the internal 2.4 was not used, but the radios were a succes..
FRsky .... confusing N00bs on a budget with HOPE
Bro I have had my eyes on that transmitter since the release. I think it is so sexy. I want to try one out and feel the premium goodness. Keep up the great work.
I could deal with no OpenTx with a system that works. But not being able to use crossfire or ghost the two most common systems is a really bad idea. I don’t think this radio is geared towards the FPV market. Someone that fly’s FPV doesn’t really care about a radio with a big coloured screen on, he’s wearing goggle most of the time. So if you take the coloured screen away its a Taranis Q X7S not running OpenTx. Hard pass for me. On a side note if you think I hate Frsky I have 2 X9D radios and love them.
God FrSky, just log off.
That sideways button labeling silk screen orientation/layout for 'sys' and 'tele' is ridiculous.
Why would openTX not support this?
👍👀🇭🇷
Frsky have learned nothing. That been said love my trusty old taranis. I bypassed the whole 2.4ghz failsafe incompatibility crap. Crossfire for life shame that who ever is in charge needs sacking
FrSky is blatantly misjudging their position in the RC market if they think people will deliberately buy into a closed system that does not let them use any of the current top 4 radio protocols (which are ExpressLRS, Ghost, Crossfire and Tracer). Also, knowing FrSky's history I would be surprised if the Ethos firmware wasn't a derivative of OpenTX and in violation of the GNU Public License.
I'm pretty confident it's an openTx fork.
No Open TX? No interest.
Waheyy im early for once :D
Truth hurts lol! Pretty nice radio tho
Ill use my Xd9 Plus until it dies or I switch to a nice radiomaster. Frsky is useless now.
@ 3:02 - It won't support Open TX. Buh bye FrSky! Take care - brush your hair! Hope to see you......never. I only wish that I could get all my shitty receivers refunded from you. I should have wised up, and switched to Crossfire sooner than I did.
Only thing their hw is good for is ELRS.
Well... I use jeti, and pigs will fly when frsky are the same quality as jeti. And jeti has customer support! Build a 1000 dollar jet, and cut corners in control?
I don't think so. But for the money it's probably a good idea! As a second radio for fixed wing flyer maybe. But I don't think the high-end flyers will be interested.
I'm not sure why a mini quad pilot would buy this. Personally it's to big, too many switches, no opentx, and no support for crossfire, tracer, or ghost.
for example radiomaster tx16 is more big than this one, and have a lot switches too. i prefer opentx for fpv but i have tried ethos and looks good is similar opentx but need to be more mature
FrSky, busy digging its own grave...This is aimed at LOS pilots looking for a cheap high end Radio...Virtually useless for serious seasoned FPV pilots....🤔🤔😳😳😳🇬🇧
This guy confused the 3 X20 models of FrSky, if you want the HD, pay more and buy the X20HD, not the standard X20
I think Frsky have lost the plot with not making things backwards compatible.
Got rid of all my Frsky gear after buying a X10s that arrived new with loads of issues.
Jeti all the way.
Friend, I purchased an X10S one week before they dropped Access, leaving with a $450 outdated door knob. That’s after an X9D and QX7. I contacted Frsky and asked them if they would exchange it for the Access model and they were rude as hell. Never Frsky again, and Ethos will fizzle out just like FrOS
NEVER MORE frsky 😠
frsky is dead
open source FatShark? Ehmmm, wut?
Endless reasons not to buy one, shame when cosmetically its a nice looking tx
TBH these boxy design frsky radios look very 80s dated and uncomfortable to me, like a Countach. Where are the ergonomics? "let's give them some plastic corner caps" sure seems like an afterthought.
@@maceliusfpv370 a lot of it is the colour scheme on that unit, it's smart looking but it's also quite slim looking, not like holding the brick my TX16s is lol.
I came from a i10 which is a very slim radio and the crazy thick tx16s took a lot of getting used too and I'd love a slim radio again!
@@stevefox3763 I get what you're saying, it's a sharp looking box, but it's still a box. At least the TX16S has ergonomic grips, I actually printed some for my T16 that I modeled after them.
www.thingiverse.com/thing:4632465
@@maceliusfpv370 lol, and I'm thinking of taking a dremel to mine to cut dam back moldings off ha ha!