Just bought the RadioMaster + CrossFire bundle and can't wait to get it. I've wanted to make the jump to CrossFire for a while and feel this radio will last me a long time. Comes in at the same price as the highest T18 so it was an easy dicision for me.
I'm a bit pissed how Joshua ( and to be fair others ) praised the T16 for the last few months and now it's old news. Gotta buy the latest and greatest. I've just started using mine as my flying field just opened up after covid. I love it. Did the upgrades. Fixed the issue with the ribbon cable. I'm keeping mine.
@@asennad It happens with a lot of reviewers really, but Joshua is usually more upfront and straightforward with it. I don't think he ever said the T-16 was a bad radio, just the TX-16S is a better radio at a lower price point. He's definitely right about the Jumper T-16 having terrible 2.4g range. I use my Jumper T-16 pro primarily as my daily flyer, but have recently been thinking about switching back to my FrSky QX-7S because of the constant low, and critical RF signal warnings and failsafes I've been experiencing with my Jumper T-16pro lately. In the end, if you're happy with what you have, don't sweat it, and Happy Flying, but I think what Joshua is really saying, is that if someone's in the market for a radio right now, the RasdioMaster TX-16 would be the better value for what you get. Keep in mind, that the TX-16S wasn't around when he praised the Jumper T-16 or Pro, so of course opinions change when newer a better things become available.
I pre-ordered the Radiomaster TX16S within the first 20 pre-orders, got the first batch of it, and I am still very happy with it, did not noticed any problems... Except for the speaker, which is not as loud as expected....
I placed my pre-order for the TX16S about 2 weeks ago from Banggood and was hoping the T18 reviews would drop in time for me to have a chance to reconsider before it shipped. Yours covered all the ground I was hoping for fantastically and certianly puts a nail in the coffin for the T18. Cheers!
Unless I misunderstood, you seemed to imply that the RDC encoders were pots. Encoders are not pots, they typically put out a quadrature pair of squarewave signals (ie two signals 90 degrees out of phase) from which - ignoring how it is done - you can detect movement and direction. Quadrature encoders are used in lots of equipment. If the resolution is good enough, they should be more consistent than an inherently analogue hall effect system. However quadrature signals do not give absolute position on their own, they just tell you how far you have moved and in which direction. Printers that used to use quadrature carriage position sensors used to drive the carriage to an end stop at startup to get absolute position ("ah, that's where I am") and then use the encoder for relative movement after that. You can also get some types of digital sensor that put out absolute position. The real question is - are they contactless? Some encoders are optical and contactless, some have mechanical contacting wipers. If contacting, they they would have wear out / dirt and poor contact issues like pots. Optical, being contactless, should not have wear out issues, but of course sufficient dirt / dust build up can block the optical sensor transmission.
Just confirmed my thoughts as iv gone for the radiomaster tx16s with the crossfire module and ordered it a few days ago. Nice one Joshua great informative videos 👍🏻
I flew RC in the early 2000s and used JR 10X radios for airplanes and for helies. They cost $995! The price had dropped and the capabilities vastly improved! Good to be alive. lol
Great radios I keep one for my legacy fixed wings and a couple of Futaba T9ch for my Helis ,I'd say the quality of build is better on those older high end TX's much better in the hand than any of my newer kit, Radiomaster included but you did have to have better knowledge to make best use of them. Great times to be alive and enjoying the hobby!
JB is one of (if not the) best youtuber(s) out there. You can tell He works hard to bring us the most educated, well rounded opinions and product facts. Thanks for what you do, Joshua.
Awesome review! It would be interesting to see a range test comparing the TBS Crossfire micro module that can be bundled with the tx16s vs the internal r9m module in the t18 because the price of the tx16s with crossfire micro is the same as the t18 pro
I was waiting for that comparsion, and here it comes :D You definitely dissolved my doubts about tx16s. Maybe t18 is in fact released to soon, and Jumper's way of potential future upgrades.. Well , i'm not buying it at all. The radiomaster is more versatile and more "polished" despite the lack of r9 protocol , in my opinion . And that's what i'm gonna buy. Thanx JB
I'm completely new to the hobby and was looking around for my first radio. I have been researching everything I can about the hobby. I've read/ watched so many reviews on radios that I feel like I should be an expert by now. I ordered the radiomaster 2 days ago and came across this video just today. I was excited to see that the conclusions I had come to were validated. Phew! Great job on the comparisons of these radios. I'm not gonna pretend I understood everything you said (yup noob), but it was incredibly helpful. Buy the way any recommendations on a micro BNF. Sadly I'm still on Sim.
Yes.... R9 will never be as pain free as Crossfire and I'm afraid Frsky has crossed the line with the public in wanting to rule the world and make their system proprietary. One thing I noticed is how similar the RF board in the Jumprer is to the original 4in1 sold by Banggood I put in my DEVO 10 running the Deviation OS back when the JJ1000 was impressive...
@@JohnFHendry the 4 in one modules are almost the same and they have the same firmwares. But it's not a surprise as you got the same chips and it's open source.
@@cityoftrees9953 Generally considered the best lower frequency RC radio link made by TBS and advertised as a "long range system" but in practice is used for lower latency and better penetration and a safer RC link flying multi-rotor craft at closer distance than normal LOS flying that generally means flying above the tree line... not under and through it. FPV has actually resulted in smaller scale models (making the relative size scale of a back yard bigger) flown closer to the FPV pilot vs the LOS pilot turning an 8ft+ wingspan glider into a small speck in the sky you don't dare take your eyes off of. 2.4 gHz radio systems introduced important changes to RC flying but were also a step backwards in distance and penetration. Crossfire is a step forward again taking technology with it for the best of both worlds. Most people find true long distance flying rather boring and a pain when you or a part fails compared to up and close fast flying next to objects where failure happens a lot in achieving the goal to go fast and get better.
PRO TIP: If you are wanting a buttery smooth throttle, slide a piece of silicone fuel tubing over the metal tension bar slider on the throttle gimbal. Once you have done this get some oil (Micro Mist oil is what I use but anything will work really) and apply it to the side of the tubing that's contacting the gimbal itself then move up and down until oil is spread throughout the entire throttle range to which you will need to adjust the screws top/bottom that attach the slider bar to the radio itself. This MOD is so buttery smooth it can make a shitty gimbal feel better than a futaba gimbal. I use a DX9 and it made a huge difference because mine would stick with minimal throttle movement before 👍🏻
4 months later... Absolutely no regrets getting this over the jumper. Radiomaster just released a CNC upgrade kit and I just ordered the red kit. Can't wait to make this amazing radio that much better.
Thank you JB I will be purchasing a radio king after watching this and your tx16s review . You have been a tremendous aid in getting me interested in this amazing hobby and the confidence to go into it after learning. Thank you!
8:40 that explains why my first drone, which I flew next to a field with a cell tower, went haywire the moment I flew a few meters away from me. Back than I though that was some issue with the build.
I have the Jumper T16 Pro and works great. I cant get a new radio every couple of months like you Joshua. I had a Spektrum Dx6 for many years but wanted something that did all protocols and along came Jumper had an 8sg, too small upgraded to T16 pro, changed to carbon face plate, awesome radio does all my planes and quads, added TBS Crossfire even better, Gimballs are very precise as well.
The internal charging capability is reserved for Jumper T18S Pro SE V2. Jumper is releasing unfinished products way too frequently. Currently putting my bet on Radiomaster.
Some people go to the gym for some exercise; Joshua Bardwell does radio testing. Thank you by the way! Just received my TH2 yesterday, and I am already hooked to FPV flying, thanks to all your super interesting videos (and yes, Ive watched like what feels like all your videos- even before ordering my whoop!)!
loved your range test!! I've seen so many range tests were people fly and then crash drones as they run out of juice trying to get home. keep the receiver fixed.... then walk/drive away. = smart.
Thanks for this comparison! You literally touched on every one of my concerns. You also went in depth on the R9M vs 5in1 power differences. Again, that was the one issue I haven't seen others mention. So, in a nutshell, you nailed it!
That is what I was waiting for also ... at 300mhz there is no point getting this ... I assumed wrong and thought it would also support 1ghz and not having telemetry is a big problem for me.
Thanks for the review I’d also mention about: - foldable handle on t18 (quite nice) - nice box/case that tx16s comes in (if it had a handle and a little lock it would be super cool) - an additional “back” button on tx16s for me it’s a pretty big thing. Lack of going “back” on t16,t18 was a big pain for me when navigating through the menu. Here on radiomaster it’s been resolved but for some reason no one talks about it- so is it only me? If there is a page up button there should be a page down and they’ve done it finally. That row of buttons should be labeled more clearly (letters painted) as they are pretty invisible and you have to go by a memory.
decided to pause after the intro and thank you so much for this video. I want one of these radios but haven't purchased a T16 or the like yet. So this video is for me! Thank you
I have two Jumper T16's and have issues with both of them. I'm going to wait before I purchase another Jumper. I bet after this video Jumper will make some changes. Thanks Josh
Going to get a little technical here, bear with me... That is a flex cable not a ribbon cable. ALL screens like that will have one. Flex cables have more closely to a pcb trace in them than a ribbon cable which usually comes with stranded wires. Problems with ribbon cables, I've found in my computer building experience, are bad assembly practices. Really need to push that connector down on that ribbon cable to ensure you cut all the way through the cable sleeve. Flex cables generally have a zif connector vs a ribbon cables headers. Zif connectors come with their own connection problems too though.
I was leaning towards the Radiomaster T16S already but wasn't 100% sure. You covered the Pro's and Con's very well, settled it completely and I have no doubts now.. Not sure if it will outlast my faultless Taranis but the T16S +Crossfire is intended to take over main duties from my X9D+.. which I will keep as a great backup Tx. Thanks Joshua
I reserved the Radiomaster TX16S with hall sensors and when I saw the Jumper T18 I was not sure if I made a good choice but after seeing this video I am clear, I will stay with the Radiomaster. Thank you. 👍👍👍👍
Bought the Radiomaster TX16S. Got too frustrated with my Taranis qx7 . And I’m going with crossfire. I know where You live now too. Lol Always wondered where You were. Thanks again for all the knowledge You share. Rudy in Moncton NB, Cnd.👋🚀
I loved frsky when I first got into the hobby. I've since learned of their business practices and despise them. I've converted everything to crossfire. I still run my taranis until I get my hands on a tango2. I personally wouldn't run R9 if it was $20 cheaper and they gave me a handful of receivers.
There is ACCST Firmware for the Access R9M module. You can get a bundle with module, super 8 antenna ($10) and an R9 MM ($24) for $52. So the module isn't much more then the $10 and you are getting 1W. You forgot to mention the SD card slot of the T18.
Yep. Been keeping my eye on that RadioMaster for some time before the general populous became mostly aware of this option. The name has a bit of old timey nostalgia for me on my favorite weekend brick and mortar place that is hard to find anymore for my electronic parts, supplies, and learning. They deliver on that front besides all the features I'm keen too. Keeping my ear to the ground about the other entities thwarting a belligerent swagger pretty much seals the deal for me and a reputable company I like has embraced this radio as well with their long rage options. It's only natural after the homework I've done for the future upgrades I've planned.
It is VERY common for a Chinese Co. To release a product nice and cheap at a very low profit margin and then "cheapen" it up later to make the money once it grabs hold in the market.
This flaw will cost you your quad and puts people and property on the ground at risk. This is why I put my Jumper T 16 on the shelf and got a 2019 FRSky and am using the R9 set up. Frsky has a full size R9 receiver PWM for plains now too. So from now on that is my daily driver because its solid and has a decent safe range that take worries off of me. My T16 with the Jmpr all in 1 module cost me 2 quads and one of those was in corn field that I found out later the farmers tractor crushed into peices.
I was trying to decide between the 2 and was waiting for this review... but then the DJI sale happened, sooooo... basically now I'm waiting 2 months for that to arrive from China! 😆 good review though Joshua! I may end up getting tx16s at some point anyway, if i really hate the DJI radio or just fancy running Crossfire!
The Dipole Receiver Antenna left on the porch is has a specific Radiation Pattern, it must be situated VERTICALLY for best performance, NOT Horizontally, this also applies to the Transmitter Antenna. The Horizontal Position will create 2 distinct dead spots in it's coverage Pattern. Switching to a Circularly Polarized "Cloverleaf" Antenna, on both Transmitter and Receiver, will solve this problem.
IDK whether vertical or horizontal will give the best coverage. I think it depends on where the quad is and what its orientation is, so the nulls are placed pointing at the pilot or not. But the majority of FPV pilots mount the antenna horizontally.
@@JoshuaBardwell They position their Antennas "by-guess-and-by-golly", because "it's good enough" and "everybody else does it", it's amazing that there aren't more crashes from loss of signal. A "Dipole" Antenna Sends and Receives absolutely zero RF Energy in the "End-to-End" direction, and maximum RF Energy perpendicular to the elements, this can be imagined as a "Doughnut Shaped" radiation pattern, with the Dipole elements running vertically through the "Hole" of the Doughnut. It has 2 distinct "Dead-Spots", ALL Dipoles work this way. However, the signal quite often reflects off of near by objects well enough to maintain a "kinda-sorta", "good-enough", connection even when the 2 antennas are grossly mis-aligned with one another. A very easy to construct "Quarter-Wave-Ground-Plane Antenna" on each device, can easily double the distance, or strength of, the connection. And they are very small at the High Frequencies involved. Information .... An explanation of the differences between Dipole and Quarter Wave Ground Plane Antennas ........ www.allaboutcircuits.com/projects/all-about-omnidirectional-wi-fi-antennas/ Pictures ........ www.emrcorp.com/img/uploads/22833f10fc0ff50c5ea3a578d4b7b30f.jpg?name=Antenna_758_-_861_MHz_Model_B1S3/Q5BF-7 m0ukd.com/static/calculators/Quarter_Wave_Ground_Plane/23cm_quarter_wave_antenna_1296MHz.jpg Dipole Radiation Pattern ..... base.imgix.net/files/base/ebm/electronicdesign/image/2013/07/electronicdesign_com_sites_electronicdesign.com_files_uploads_2013_07_0612WTDantennas_FIG3.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=1440 "Quarter Wave Ground Plane" Antenna Radiation Pattern ..... base.imgix.net/files/base/ebm/electronicdesign/image/2013/07/electronicdesign_com_sites_electronicdesign.com_files_uploads_2013_07_0613WTDantennas_06.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=1440 . .
I think the better comparison is the Jumper T18 Lite. The 5n1 is an interesting idea but crossfire has years of reliability and added features that I don't feel the R9 system is going to live up to. The lite version with the 4n1 means you keep the range on 2.4 and then the only thing Radiomaster has over the Jumper is the touch screen, larger battery bay, usb charging, and better scroll wheel. I don't see the touch screen as a big deal but without seeing what opentx has in store its tough to argue. I can live the battery bay and scroll wheel. Main selling point for RadioMaster for me is the usb charging. Removing batteries and setting up a charger is just a pain when you are already dealing with flight batteries and goggle batteries. I am holding off a bit to see if Jumper releases a usb charging upgrade for the T18. My two t16's have now made it a full week without having to reseat cables so hopefully I can hang in there a little longer. If I didn't have the T16's it would be Radiomaster right now.
Joshua, thank you very much for a true and fair report. I ordered a TX16S. I was afraid I would regret not waiting for the T18, but I am happy. 1. I use 2.4GHz. I choose a better range. 2. 900MHz WITHOUT TELEMETERY? It's a misunderstanding.
Joshua you should try putting a standard crossfire antenna on the t-18 pro and check the range in comparison to the crappy little 915mhz antenna that comes with the t18. You can't coil up the antenna in a short little coil and expect to get as good performance as a straight antenna. Also just wanted to say I have been using the r9m system since it came out with absolutely no problem s
Reasonable value either way. Jumper support has been great, firmware updates work, and my set of new T16 ribbon cables came in yesterday from defianceRC. Only paid to ship. I would like to see a flight test that concentrated on the gimbals to compare curves and feel. The latest Jumper T12 is also worthy.
Yeah, I definitely agree, Joshua! My X9D Plus SE is still rocking... But the T16S is really tempting! Even more if you can buy it WITH Crossfire from Banggood! Anyway, stay safe there with your beautiful family! 🖖😊
@@MCsCreations Access is totally fine. It a pain in the A&% the update your fleet to it, but you only have to do it once. People are just hating on Frsky. I'm not sure why. Most people complaining about it are just sheep following JB. Based JB reaction, It looked like this is actually is first time really testing the ACCESS R9 system. Last time I check, frsky is a private company and not open source. They are just trying to protect their IP. Any company will do the same. Keep your X9. Last year everybody went crazy about the Jumper T16, now it turn up it just a piece of you know what. JB giving it a pass, talking about the problem started in December 2019. Painless360 had one of the first one. His also had issues. I don't have a T18, but from what I'm seeing, I can tell it not a finish product. They will keep coming with update like the did with the T16, and JB going to make Video about. Of course, all the sheep will go along and buy the upgrade that should have been in the tx from the start.
Me, I went for the Jumper with the special gimbals and after a short period of using them I replaced them with standard hall-effect gimbals. As for the TX module being problematic.. well I use ELRS all round and the support for ELRS on 900MHz is coming to the 5in1 module so... RiP R9 :D
Alps potentiometers are used on very high-end audiophile equipment and do cost more/better resolution, less noise, etc. On my headphone amp, the Alps makes a significant difference (and cost almost $1000 more with other upgrades). Whether or not that translates to anything relevant for these radios remains to be seen. If I look at my old JR radios (one of the best radios as far as quality and "feel")....that radio has gimbals to die for. But at 1/4 the price, these two reviewed radios are understated value. The feel of the gimbals is what is important ...and what you, or I like, might be different from what others like ...kind'a like your computer mouse ...everyone has their own personal preference.
That coaxial cable should unplug by just lifting the connector straight up. Go to the side opposite from where the coaxial enters the connector and lift it with your fingernail placed under the edge. This is the same type of connection you find on WiFi modules in laptops and the RF modules in the 2.4Ghz transmitters.
Note to self...never buy the first release of anything...thats the model with the most problems. Always wait for the second release, no matter how tempting it is..😎
I only use xm+ as it is adequate for what I need it for. Your findings confirm my initial hunch about the internal 2.8 antenna. Although I think the t18 is a better looking radio, this is a big put-off for me. I love Jumper radios, I've owned the t8sg plus for 2 years now with no problems, but if and when I upgrade, it looks like the Radiomaster for me! 😁
For 2.4ghz on the t18 pro v2 i have has a range of over a mile or more way more range than i need flying planes and mine has a working touch screen yes it work's just have to use EdgeTX instead of OpenTX and EdgeTX fixes a bunch of the shit OpenTX has wrong with it too..
3 years later: Just bought the TX16s mk2. I got the machined AG01 gimballs, 4 in 1 model, and added on the 1w ELRS module. This thing thrashes the T18 5 in 1 that i should never have bought.
I don't think it was the choice of using ribbon cables per se causing us T16 owners grief, but that the placements of the sockets of the cables for the button boards either side of the screen were 'wrong', because they're not pointing directly at each other so the short ribbon cable gets skewed sideways when installed, and over time, or in hot weather (like direct sunlight, which happened with mine) the cable twists a fraction and the connection fails.
Hi Josh Great video and review of the Jumper T18 and Radiomaster TX16 features and if I was starting out these radios are the best way to get into the Hobby. Thanks again for the video and review.
I really like how your are including drop testing in your gamut of stress conditions for radios. Maybe a shootout for highest drop survivability and functionality ;-). ?
Still have a V1 Jumper T16 going strong. Never a ribbon cable issue. Added the folding handle, got the upgraded carbon fiber faceplate and some other goodies. Crossfire on it... Bob's battery... I don't see anything compelling in either of these radios to make me upgrade other than if my current radio wears out...
Lol best opening ever! Thank you for this comparison video it really helped me decide which radio to buy to replace my Taranis in the future (radiomaster!). Although I like the T18 and it's Night Rider lights.
Ha! I've just come across this video.. I have just bought a TX16S. First impressions:- It's bigger than my FRSKY X9D , It's heavier than my X9D. Apart from that it feels more solid than the X9D. I quite like it already :-)
Hey Josh, cool little guy, he's gonna teach you something... lol.. Just ordered Ribbon cables for my Jumper T16 Pro V2 from Heli-Nation. Cheers to you and your family!
Things I don’t like about the T18 - plastic scroll wheel - small battery bay - no touch screen (you have to buy a new panel when OpenTx 2.4 is released) - no internal battery charging - no rear grips behind the radio like the TX16S (as a pincher I prefer rear grips coming from a QX7) - heavier than the TX16S - light leakage through case - 2.4ghz antenna is now internal. Less range? - 915 ghz (R9) is only 300mw. Not great if you’re into long range. Fine for freestyle. - gimbals are the crap version of the RDC90’s. These are not Futaba gimbals. In my personal opinion, hall gimbals are better as there is no physical contact. - micro sd card almost impossible to get out Things I do like about the T18 - foldable handle - carbon fiber look - loud speaker
that's like the nicest "don't buy Jumper" review I have seen haha, objective: Yes, neutral: Yes ... but the bottom line is pretty clear. literally, after 1:52 that was a done deal, hearing the battery flapping around inside the case, the cable problems, and anything following after is just a really big Red-flag for the whole brand. it's more like an origin story on why Radiomaster exists ;) great job.
From what I’ve heard on other channels, Radiomaster was always the manufacturer of the Jumper radios until they had a falling out over designs and parted ways. Now each designs and sells their own brand.
I bought the Jumper T16 V2 Pro upon your recommendation. I've had some ribbon cable problems, but a set of new and supposedly better cables will be provided soon. Rather than swap the T16 Pro for EITHER of these radios, I'm going to spend a similar amount of money and just get a Crossfire module. A pox on both Radiomaster and Jumper. Neither will see more of my money.
It's really disappointing that quality of the T16 went downhill so rapidly. It's unspoken but that's another reason why some might stay away from the T18 and take a chance on the RadioMaster instead.
@@JoshuaBardwell Well, to be fair, the quality didn't go down so much as it was never there in certain parts - most notably the ribbon cables. I wouldn't buy the Radiomaster on principle. Be it corporate theft or corporate fraud, both are a legit crime, no matter what part of the world you are from.
To be fair, I recently had to open up my Taranis X9D because the wires to the gimbals had frayed and some even had broken loose inside. Solder and hot glue and we're back at it, but if this happened midair, rather than on a simulator, my quad would have gone full yaw at various ranges in my throttle. Really dangerous problem.
RF power is measured logarithmically in dB. 300 mW is more than 2x 100. 500 mW is less than 2x 300. Therefore the range you get on 500 mW is closer to 300 mW than 300 is to 100.
I have the Radio Master TX 16S and I am delighted with it, it is a beautiful radio, easy to configure, color screen and multi-protocol. What else can you say on a radio? The rest would only be to investigate defects to try to dirty what the radio is. It is a fantastic radio, I am fascinated with it, I have not had a problem with it.
I have the T16 with crossfire module and now also have a TBS Tango 2. I’m fed up with all the fighting between radiomaster, jumper and FrSky. So now I’m getting a sled to make my tinyhawk freestyle run on crossfire so I can sell my Jumper T16 just like I sold my FrSky. TBS Crossfire just works and the Tango2 is amazing. Why should I bother trying to keep up with all these new radios. They need to all take a step back and take more time to make a radio I want to buy and keep for more than 6 months.
HSS 00100101 I had to order mine from the US as I couldn’t find anyone in the EU who stocks them, not event TBS surprisingly. Anyway, I ordered mine from pyrodrone.com/products/emax-tinyhawk-freestyle-vtx-rx-sled and got here pretty quick. You can also get them direct from tinysleds.com/products/emax-tinyhawk-freestyle-vtx-rx-sled I only ordered from Pyrodrones because shipping was cheaper to the UK.
@JB simple fix if you don't feel like using R9 is just so the antenna connectors and put your own 2.4 external antenna on what comes as that crappy R9 antenna
Same. I got the Jumper T16 for repairing and the Taranis for flying. I would really like another radio, but Jumper and RadioMaster try to compete by lowering the prices, which obviously results in worse quality. I would prefer something maybe 50% more pricey and higher build quality.
I just got mine in the mail and really like. I almost didn't go for it due to other two videos. I was cringing at the fact of lower build quality for more feature, however, the end of this video helped me make my decision. I'm new to this stuff, however, It seems that FrySky and Crossfire are pretty much the two best ways to go anyways. So I might as well not worry about FrSky killing off the radio by the firmware on new products. I'm still on unsure if they'll kill off support on using the Crossfire module later so I'm just going to wait on buying that until I really need the range or decrease in latency for specific builds.
Well Shnikies!! I just ordered the T 18 Pro. I’ve had Spektrum radios for years and even bought the ix12. As I’ve been getting into the drone world I’ve realized Spektrum is almost non existent. No one seems to support them, have videos for info on them or anything. After watching the JB videos on the jumper T16 I thought I should grab one of those to bridge the gap. Then with the hints of the new T18 I held off. I recently ordered the T 18pro that is delivering tomorrow thinking I would get the top end so I would have the most future proof radio with the features I wanted. Now, I’m back in the same boat thinking I just bought another paper weight! I’m so confused! I need a mentor! SMH
I’m so glad I preordered the radiomaster tx16s, overall just a bit better in many ways, so overall it’s a no brainer. In so many ways it’s better quality overall.
Picked the T18 Pro simply for looks and gimbals. I'd use external modules for lower frequency transmitters anyways and 2.4ghz works fine for racing purposes. My biggest disappointment is that there is no USB C charging
joshua bardwell ..the linus tech tips of fpv..that drop at the start even made me hold my breath lmao
Linus Drop Tips
FTFY
The resemblance is striking.
In the spirit of Linustechtips. I wanna see 1 radio and 7 binded kwads in motion.
Runforestrun FPV rotor riot did that with two I think
Not sure I would insult Joshua like that.
Yes! Finally backlit switch labels. It'll really help out when I'm grinding Global Variables in the dark.
Just bought the RadioMaster + CrossFire bundle and can't wait to get it. I've wanted to make the jump to CrossFire for a while and feel this radio will last me a long time. Comes in at the same price as the highest T18 so it was an easy dicision for me.
I have the TX16S and it's great. Highly recommend it.
Did you test 2.3.9, on telemetry i have only a few sensors. Curr and amp is gone, voltage and angle are corrupt. GPS FM RSSI works.
I have it to it works amazing and is easy to use
I'm a bit pissed how Joshua ( and to be fair others ) praised the T16 for the last few months and now it's old news. Gotta buy the latest and greatest.
I've just started using mine as my flying field just opened up after covid. I love it. Did the upgrades. Fixed the issue with the ribbon cable. I'm keeping mine.
@@asennad It happens with a lot of reviewers really, but Joshua is usually more upfront and straightforward with it. I don't think he ever said the T-16 was a bad radio, just the TX-16S is a better radio at a lower price point. He's definitely right about the Jumper T-16 having terrible 2.4g range. I use my Jumper T-16 pro primarily as my daily flyer, but have recently been thinking about switching back to my FrSky QX-7S because of the constant low, and critical RF signal warnings and failsafes I've been experiencing with my Jumper T-16pro lately. In the end, if you're happy with what you have, don't sweat it, and Happy Flying, but I think what Joshua is really saying, is that if someone's in the market for a radio right now, the RasdioMaster TX-16 would be the better value for what you get. Keep in mind, that the TX-16S wasn't around when he praised the Jumper T-16 or Pro, so of course opinions change when newer a better things become available.
I pre-ordered the Radiomaster TX16S within the first 20 pre-orders, got the first batch of it, and I am still very happy with it, did not noticed any problems... Except for the speaker, which is not as loud as expected....
I placed my pre-order for the TX16S about 2 weeks ago from Banggood and was hoping the T18 reviews would drop in time for me to have a chance to reconsider before it shipped. Yours covered all the ground I was hoping for fantastically and certianly puts a nail in the coffin for the T18. Cheers!
Unless I misunderstood, you seemed to imply that the RDC encoders were pots. Encoders are not pots, they typically put out a quadrature pair of squarewave signals (ie two signals 90 degrees out of phase) from which - ignoring how it is done - you can detect movement and direction. Quadrature encoders are used in lots of equipment. If the resolution is good enough, they should be more consistent than an inherently analogue hall effect system. However quadrature signals do not give absolute position on their own, they just tell you how far you have moved and in which direction. Printers that used to use quadrature carriage position sensors used to drive the carriage to an end stop at startup to get absolute position ("ah, that's where I am") and then use the encoder for relative movement after that. You can also get some types of digital sensor that put out absolute position.
The real question is - are they contactless? Some encoders are optical and contactless, some have mechanical contacting wipers. If contacting, they they would have wear out / dirt and poor contact issues like pots. Optical, being contactless, should not have wear out issues, but of course sufficient dirt / dust build up can block the optical sensor transmission.
Just confirmed my thoughts as iv gone for the radiomaster tx16s with the crossfire module and ordered it a few days ago. Nice one Joshua great informative videos 👍🏻
I flew RC in the early 2000s and used JR 10X radios for airplanes and for helies. They cost $995! The price had dropped and the capabilities vastly improved! Good to be alive. lol
Great radios I keep one for my legacy fixed wings and a couple of Futaba T9ch for my Helis ,I'd say the quality of build is better on those older high end TX's much better in the hand than any of my newer kit, Radiomaster included but you did have to have better knowledge to make best use of them.
Great times to be alive and enjoying the hobby!
I appreciate all your hard work on these long videos
JB is one of (if not the) best youtuber(s) out there. You can tell He works hard to bring us the most educated, well rounded opinions and product facts. Thanks for what you do, Joshua.
"500 is closer to 300 than 100"
Bro...
ROTFLMAO!
Yeah, I think he meant like in terms of higher output power but I was scratching my head at that for a couple seconds.
I think he misspoke here....
I think that thing goes from 300mw with internal power to 1w
In his defense, 500 is only 160% away from 300, while 300 is 300% away from 100!
Awesome review! It would be interesting to see a range test comparing the TBS Crossfire micro module that can be bundled with the tx16s vs the internal r9m module in the t18 because the price of the tx16s with crossfire micro is the same as the t18 pro
I was waiting for that comparsion, and here it comes :D You definitely dissolved my doubts about tx16s. Maybe t18 is in fact released to soon, and Jumper's way of potential future upgrades.. Well , i'm not buying it at all. The radiomaster is more versatile and more "polished" despite the lack of r9 protocol , in my opinion . And that's what i'm gonna buy. Thanx JB
...and R9 is not even a feature, it's a liability, crossfire is better in every way
I'm completely new to the hobby and was looking around for my first radio. I have been researching everything I can about the hobby. I've read/ watched so many reviews on radios that I feel like I should be an expert by now. I ordered the radiomaster 2 days ago and came across this video just today. I was excited to see that the conclusions I had come to were
validated. Phew! Great job on the comparisons of these radios. I'm not gonna pretend I understood everything you said (yup noob), but it was incredibly helpful. Buy the way any recommendations on a micro BNF. Sadly I'm still on Sim.
with the price difference just buy the radiomaster with a crossfire
Yes.... R9 will never be as pain free as Crossfire and I'm afraid Frsky has crossed the line with the public in wanting to rule the world and make their system proprietary. One thing I noticed is how similar the RF board in the Jumprer is to the original 4in1 sold by Banggood I put in my DEVO 10 running the Deviation OS back when the JJ1000 was impressive...
What is crossfire
@@JohnFHendry the 4 in one modules are almost the same and they have the same firmwares. But it's not a surprise as you got the same chips and it's open source.
@@cityoftrees9953 keep looking Joshua's video. If you want to Google search tbs or team black sheep crossfire
@@cityoftrees9953 Generally considered the best lower frequency RC radio link made by TBS and advertised as a "long range system" but in practice is used for lower latency and better penetration and a safer RC link flying multi-rotor craft at closer distance than normal LOS flying that generally means flying above the tree line... not under and through it. FPV has actually resulted in smaller scale models (making the relative size scale of a back yard bigger) flown closer to the FPV pilot vs the LOS pilot turning an 8ft+ wingspan glider into a small speck in the sky you don't dare take your eyes off of. 2.4 gHz radio systems introduced important changes to RC flying but were also a step backwards in distance and penetration. Crossfire is a step forward again taking technology with it for the best of both worlds. Most people find true long distance flying rather boring and a pain when you or a part fails compared to up and close fast flying next to objects where failure happens a lot in achieving the goal to go fast and get better.
PRO TIP: If you are wanting a buttery smooth throttle, slide a piece of silicone fuel tubing over the metal tension bar slider on the throttle gimbal. Once you have done this get some oil (Micro Mist oil is what I use but anything will work really) and apply it to the side of the tubing that's contacting the gimbal itself then move up and down until oil is spread throughout the entire throttle range to which you will need to adjust the screws top/bottom that attach the slider bar to the radio itself. This MOD is so buttery smooth it can make a shitty gimbal feel better than a futaba gimbal. I use a DX9 and it made a huge difference because mine would stick with minimal throttle movement before 👍🏻
Well. Just cancelled my order for T18 pro and put in the order for TX16S with TBS module. Literally a day before they start shipping. Thanks Bardwell!
4 months later... Absolutely no regrets getting this over the jumper. Radiomaster just released a CNC upgrade kit and I just ordered the red kit. Can't wait to make this amazing radio that much better.
How did you not edit in a "Oh we got a jumper!" line?
Thank you JB I will be purchasing a radio king after watching this and your tx16s review . You have been a tremendous aid in getting me interested in this amazing hobby and the confidence to go into it after learning. Thank you!
8:40 that explains why my first drone, which I flew next to a field with a cell tower, went haywire the moment I flew a few meters away from me. Back than I though that was some issue with the build.
I have the Jumper T16 Pro and works great. I cant get a new radio every couple of months like you Joshua. I had a Spektrum Dx6 for many years but wanted something that did all protocols and along came Jumper had an 8sg, too small upgraded to T16 pro, changed to carbon face plate, awesome radio does all my planes and quads, added TBS Crossfire even better, Gimballs are very precise as well.
The internal charging capability is reserved for Jumper T18S Pro SE V2.
Jumper is releasing unfinished products way too frequently. Currently putting my bet on Radiomaster.
Great review / test. I've pre-ordered the Radiomaster, excited to get it.
Some people go to the gym for some exercise; Joshua Bardwell does radio testing.
Thank you by the way! Just received my TH2 yesterday, and I am already hooked to FPV flying, thanks to all your super interesting videos (and yes, Ive watched like what feels like all your videos- even before ordering my whoop!)!
I had no idea who you were yesterday but holly shit are you an incredible teacher/speaker. I strive to be as good as you at making videos one day
loved your range test!! I've seen so many range tests were people fly and then crash drones as they run out of juice trying to get home. keep the receiver fixed.... then walk/drive away. = smart.
Thanks for this comparison! You literally touched on every one of my concerns. You also went in depth on the R9M vs 5in1 power differences. Again, that was the one issue I haven't seen others mention. So, in a nutshell, you nailed it!
That is what I was waiting for also ... at 300mhz there is no point getting this ... I assumed wrong and thought it would also support 1ghz and not having telemetry is a big problem for me.
Great info Joshua. Always nice to see what you think about the systems and radios.
Thanks for the review I’d also mention about:
- foldable handle on t18 (quite nice)
- nice box/case that tx16s comes in (if it had a handle and a little lock it would be super cool)
- an additional “back” button on tx16s for me it’s a pretty big thing. Lack of going “back” on t16,t18 was a big pain for me when navigating through the menu. Here on radiomaster it’s been resolved but for some reason no one talks about it- so is it only me?
If there is a page up button there should be a page down and they’ve done it finally.
That row of buttons should be labeled more clearly (letters painted) as they are pretty invisible and you have to go by a memory.
Maybe nobody has mentioned that because holding the page button on all the other opentx radios does page back.
Joshua as usual you never fail to educate me in a entertaining way! love the Baby plug at the end! lol
Today i learned somthing.
decided to pause after the intro and thank you so much for this video. I want one of these radios but haven't purchased a T16 or the like yet. So this video is for me! Thank you
I have two Jumper T16's and have issues with both of them. I'm going to wait before I purchase
another Jumper. I bet after this video Jumper will make some changes. Thanks Josh
:(...
Get a refund and go tx16s
@@iamptm thanks, I will definitely consider it.
Going to get a little technical here, bear with me...
That is a flex cable not a ribbon cable. ALL screens like that will have one. Flex cables have more closely to a pcb trace in them than a ribbon cable which usually comes with stranded wires. Problems with ribbon cables, I've found in my computer building experience, are bad assembly practices. Really need to push that connector down on that ribbon cable to ensure you cut all the way through the cable sleeve. Flex cables generally have a zif connector vs a ribbon cables headers. Zif connectors come with their own connection problems too though.
Interesting, I'll try that since I've received cables to replace the original ribbons but the keystuck still persists
I was leaning towards the Radiomaster T16S already but wasn't 100% sure. You covered the Pro's and Con's very well, settled it completely and I have no doubts now.. Not sure if it will outlast my faultless Taranis but the T16S +Crossfire is intended to take over main duties from my X9D+.. which I will keep as a great backup Tx. Thanks Joshua
I reserved the Radiomaster TX16S with hall sensors and when I saw the Jumper T18 I was not sure if I made a good choice but after seeing this video I am clear, I will stay with the Radiomaster. Thank you. 👍👍👍👍
Bought the Radiomaster TX16S. Got too frustrated with my Taranis qx7 . And I’m going with crossfire. I know where You live now too. Lol Always wondered where You were. Thanks again for all the knowledge You share. Rudy in Moncton NB, Cnd.👋🚀
I loved frsky when I first got into the hobby. I've since learned of their business practices and despise them. I've converted everything to crossfire. I still run my taranis until I get my hands on a tango2. I personally wouldn't run R9 if it was $20 cheaper and they gave me a handful of receivers.
LOL. At 23:30 you called the Radiomaster the "Jumper TX16S".
There is ACCST Firmware for the Access R9M module. You can get a bundle with module, super 8 antenna ($10) and an R9 MM ($24) for $52. So the module isn't much more then the $10 and you are getting 1W.
You forgot to mention the SD card slot of the T18.
Dude I have to say I love your reviews with all the infos and even a little joke in the intro! ;-)
Keep it up and thanks for all the advise!
A great and timely review I’m waiting for! Just ordered a tx16s😁
thanks JB I have now ordered the t16s with crossfire, sounds like its better than t18 for sure, keep making informative videos, thanks
Yep. Been keeping my eye on that RadioMaster for some time before the general populous became mostly aware of this option. The name has a bit of old timey nostalgia for me on my favorite weekend brick and mortar place that is hard to find anymore for my electronic parts, supplies, and learning. They deliver on that front besides all the features I'm keen too. Keeping my ear to the ground about the other entities thwarting a belligerent swagger pretty much seals the deal for me and a reputable company I like has embraced this radio as well with their long rage options. It's only natural after the homework I've done for the future upgrades I've planned.
I applaud you speaking out and warning people about FrSky making firmware harder to get.
Not sure what I talking about, i went to frsky website and all the Accs firmware were still available.
It is VERY common for a Chinese Co. To release a product nice and cheap at a very low profit margin and then "cheapen" it up later to make the money once it grabs hold in the market.
This flaw will cost you your quad and puts people and property on the ground at risk. This is why I put my Jumper T 16 on the shelf and got a 2019 FRSky and am using the R9 set up.
Frsky has a full size R9 receiver PWM for plains now too. So from now on that is my daily driver because its solid and has a decent safe range that take worries off of me.
My T16 with the Jmpr all in 1 module cost me 2 quads and one of those was in corn field that I found out later the farmers tractor crushed into peices.
So far I really like the tx16s. It’s only been a couple of weeks but, it’s th I best I’ve ever had. So my opinion doesn’t really matter
Same, best I've ever used, but I've never owned a $1000+ Futaba either. I think it's the best in its class though.
I was trying to decide between the 2 and was waiting for this review... but then the DJI sale happened, sooooo... basically now I'm waiting 2 months for that to arrive from China! 😆 good review though Joshua! I may end up getting tx16s at some point anyway, if i really hate the DJI radio or just fancy running Crossfire!
The Dipole Receiver Antenna left on the porch is has a specific Radiation Pattern,
it must be situated VERTICALLY for best performance, NOT Horizontally, this also applies to the Transmitter Antenna.
The Horizontal Position will create 2 distinct dead spots in it's coverage Pattern.
Switching to a Circularly Polarized "Cloverleaf" Antenna, on both Transmitter and Receiver, will solve this problem.
IDK whether vertical or horizontal will give the best coverage. I think it depends on where the quad is and what its orientation is, so the nulls are placed pointing at the pilot or not. But the majority of FPV pilots mount the antenna horizontally.
@@JoshuaBardwell
They position their Antennas "by-guess-and-by-golly", because "it's good enough" and "everybody else does it",
it's amazing that there aren't more crashes from loss of signal.
A "Dipole" Antenna Sends and Receives absolutely zero RF Energy in the "End-to-End" direction,
and maximum RF Energy perpendicular to the elements, this can be imagined as a "Doughnut Shaped" radiation pattern, with the
Dipole elements running vertically through the "Hole" of the Doughnut.
It has 2 distinct "Dead-Spots", ALL Dipoles work this way.
However, the signal quite often reflects off of near by objects well enough to maintain a "kinda-sorta", "good-enough", connection
even when the 2 antennas are grossly mis-aligned with one another.
A very easy to construct "Quarter-Wave-Ground-Plane Antenna" on each device, can easily double the distance, or strength of, the connection.
And they are very small at the High Frequencies involved.
Information ....
An explanation of the differences between Dipole and Quarter Wave Ground Plane Antennas ........
www.allaboutcircuits.com/projects/all-about-omnidirectional-wi-fi-antennas/
Pictures ........
www.emrcorp.com/img/uploads/22833f10fc0ff50c5ea3a578d4b7b30f.jpg?name=Antenna_758_-_861_MHz_Model_B1S3/Q5BF-7
m0ukd.com/static/calculators/Quarter_Wave_Ground_Plane/23cm_quarter_wave_antenna_1296MHz.jpg
Dipole Radiation Pattern .....
base.imgix.net/files/base/ebm/electronicdesign/image/2013/07/electronicdesign_com_sites_electronicdesign.com_files_uploads_2013_07_0612WTDantennas_FIG3.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=1440
"Quarter Wave Ground Plane" Antenna Radiation Pattern .....
base.imgix.net/files/base/ebm/electronicdesign/image/2013/07/electronicdesign_com_sites_electronicdesign.com_files_uploads_2013_07_0613WTDantennas_06.png?auto=format&fit=max&w=1440
.
.
I think the better comparison is the Jumper T18 Lite. The 5n1 is an interesting idea but crossfire has years of reliability and added features that I don't feel the R9 system is going to live up to. The lite version with the 4n1 means you keep the range on 2.4 and then the only thing Radiomaster has over the Jumper is the touch screen, larger battery bay, usb charging, and better scroll wheel. I don't see the touch screen as a big deal but without seeing what opentx has in store its tough to argue. I can live the battery bay and scroll wheel. Main selling point for RadioMaster for me is the usb charging. Removing batteries and setting up a charger is just a pain when you are already dealing with flight batteries and goggle batteries. I am holding off a bit to see if Jumper releases a usb charging upgrade for the T18. My two t16's have now made it a full week without having to reseat cables so hopefully I can hang in there a little longer. If I didn't have the T16's it would be Radiomaster right now.
Joshua, thank you very much for a true and fair report.
I ordered a TX16S. I was afraid I would regret not waiting for the T18, but I am happy.
1. I use 2.4GHz. I choose a better range.
2. 900MHz WITHOUT TELEMETERY? It's a misunderstanding.
Joshua you should try putting a standard crossfire antenna on the t-18 pro and check the range in comparison to the crappy little 915mhz antenna that comes with the t18. You can't coil up the antenna in a short little coil and expect to get as good performance as a straight antenna. Also just wanted to say I have been using the r9m system since it came out with absolutely no problem s
Reasonable value either way. Jumper support has been great, firmware updates work, and my set of new T16 ribbon cables came in yesterday from defianceRC. Only paid to ship. I would like to see a flight test that concentrated on the gimbals to compare curves and feel. The latest Jumper T12 is also worthy.
Yeah, I definitely agree, Joshua!
My X9D Plus SE is still rocking... But the T16S is really tempting! Even more if you can buy it WITH Crossfire from Banggood!
Anyway, stay safe there with your beautiful family! 🖖😊
Stay with your Taranis. The others looks like really cheap cardboard radio's.
@@cafub2650 Yeah, but... ACCST 2.0? ACCESS? I'd rather stay away from those. You know?
@@MCsCreations just and you crossfire. Like you would with the TS16.
@@MCsCreations Access is totally fine. It a pain in the A&% the update your fleet to it, but you only have to do it once. People are just hating on Frsky. I'm not sure why. Most people complaining about it are just sheep following JB. Based JB reaction, It looked like this is actually is first time really testing the ACCESS R9 system. Last time I check, frsky is a private company and not open source. They are just trying to protect their IP. Any company will do the same. Keep your X9. Last year everybody went crazy about the Jumper T16, now it turn up it just a piece of you know what. JB giving it a pass, talking about the problem started in December 2019. Painless360 had one of the first one. His also had issues. I don't have a T18, but from what I'm seeing, I can tell it not a finish product. They will keep coming with update like the did with the T16, and JB going to make Video about. Of course, all the sheep will go along and buy the upgrade that should have been in the tx from the start.
@@GBoniFPV Maybe. But I don't want to have anything to do with it. Sorry.
Me, I went for the Jumper with the special gimbals and after a short period of using them I replaced them with standard hall-effect gimbals. As for the TX module being problematic.. well I use ELRS all round and the support for ELRS on 900MHz is coming to the 5in1 module so... RiP R9 :D
Alps potentiometers are used on very high-end audiophile equipment and do cost more/better resolution, less noise, etc. On my headphone amp, the Alps makes a significant difference (and cost almost $1000 more with other upgrades). Whether or not that translates to anything relevant for these radios remains to be seen. If I look at my old JR radios (one of the best radios as far as quality and "feel")....that radio has gimbals to die for. But at 1/4 the price, these two reviewed radios are understated value. The feel of the gimbals is what is important ...and what you, or I like, might be different from what others like ...kind'a like your computer mouse ...everyone has their own personal preference.
That coaxial cable should unplug by just lifting the connector straight up. Go to the side opposite from where the coaxial enters the connector and lift it with your fingernail placed under the edge. This is the same type of connection you find on WiFi modules in laptops and the RF modules in the 2.4Ghz transmitters.
I have a very early T16. June 2019. Mine has ribbon cable issues. TX16S is ordered, awaiting shipment.
Note to self...never buy the first release of anything...thats the model with the most problems. Always wait for the second release, no matter how tempting it is..😎
Have you reset them it's super easy
I only use xm+ as it is adequate for what I need it for. Your findings confirm my initial hunch about the internal 2.8 antenna. Although I think the t18 is a better looking radio, this is a big put-off for me. I love Jumper radios, I've owned the t8sg plus for 2 years now with no problems, but if and when I upgrade, it looks like the Radiomaster for me! 😁
You need crossfire 👍🏻
For 2.4ghz on the t18 pro v2 i have has a range of over a mile or more way more range than i need flying planes and mine has a working touch screen yes it work's just have to use EdgeTX instead of OpenTX and EdgeTX fixes a bunch of the shit OpenTX has wrong with it too..
Youi need to look up a real range test this test is shit that is not how you range test a radio....
3 years later:
Just bought the TX16s mk2.
I got the machined AG01 gimballs, 4 in 1 model, and added on the 1w ELRS module.
This thing thrashes the T18 5 in 1 that i should never have bought.
I don't think it was the choice of using ribbon cables per se causing us T16 owners grief, but that the placements of the sockets of the cables for the button boards either side of the screen were 'wrong', because they're not pointing directly at each other so the short ribbon cable gets skewed sideways when installed, and over time, or in hot weather (like direct sunlight, which happened with mine) the cable twists a fraction and the connection fails.
I ordered a RadioMaster as soon as I saw the price. Holy crap, what a deal. So much radio for a relatively low price.
Hi Josh Great video and review of the Jumper T18 and Radiomaster TX16 features and if I was starting out these radios are the best way to get into the Hobby. Thanks again for the video and review.
I really like how your are including drop testing in your gamut of stress conditions for radios. Maybe a shootout for highest drop survivability and functionality ;-). ?
Still have a V1 Jumper T16 going strong. Never a ribbon cable issue. Added the folding handle, got the upgraded carbon fiber faceplate and some other goodies. Crossfire on it... Bob's battery... I don't see anything compelling in either of these radios to make me upgrade other than if my current radio wears out...
Lol best opening ever! Thank you for this comparison video it really helped me decide which radio to buy to replace my Taranis in the future (radiomaster!). Although I like the T18 and it's Night Rider lights.
What were we doing without you JB? I learned so much about betaflight and stuff from your videos...
Ha! I've just come across this video.. I have just bought a TX16S. First impressions:- It's bigger than my FRSKY X9D , It's heavier than my X9D. Apart from that it feels more solid than the X9D. I quite like it already :-)
Hey Josh, cool little guy, he's gonna teach you something... lol.. Just ordered Ribbon cables for my Jumper T16 Pro V2 from Heli-Nation. Cheers to you and your family!
Loving the last scenes in the videos!
Already ordered the T16S hope I made the right choice
You did.
Tx16s?
@@iamptm radiomaster
You made an excellent choice 👍
Things I don’t like about the T18
- plastic scroll wheel
- small battery bay
- no touch screen (you have to buy a new panel when OpenTx 2.4 is released)
- no internal battery charging
- no rear grips behind the radio like the TX16S (as a pincher I prefer rear grips coming from a QX7)
- heavier than the TX16S
- light leakage through case
- 2.4ghz antenna is now internal. Less range?
- 915 ghz (R9) is only 300mw. Not great if you’re into long range. Fine for freestyle.
- gimbals are the crap version of the RDC90’s. These are not Futaba gimbals. In my personal opinion, hall gimbals are better as there is no physical contact.
- micro sd card almost impossible to get out
Things I do like about the T18
- foldable handle
- carbon fiber look
- loud speaker
that's like the nicest "don't buy Jumper" review I have seen haha, objective: Yes, neutral: Yes ...
but the bottom line is pretty clear. literally, after 1:52 that was a done deal, hearing the battery flapping around inside the case,
the cable problems, and anything following after is just a really big Red-flag for the whole brand.
it's more like an origin story on why Radiomaster exists ;)
great job.
Nice flick of the wrist, there Joshua! ;-) I DID learn something..
The trucks going down the road reminded me of Pet Semetery 😂
Lol.so true
From what I’ve heard on other channels, Radiomaster was always the manufacturer of the Jumper radios until they had a falling out over designs and parted ways. Now each designs and sells their own brand.
This is the jumper t18, as you can see very durable stuff (throws radio for durability testing)
If I am correct, the 2.4GHz Module on the T18 Lite is the external antenna.
That is not correct.
I bought the Jumper T16 V2 Pro upon your recommendation. I've had some ribbon cable problems, but a set of new and supposedly better cables will be provided soon. Rather than swap the T16 Pro for EITHER of these radios, I'm going to spend a similar amount of money and just get a Crossfire module. A pox on both Radiomaster and Jumper. Neither will see more of my money.
It's really disappointing that quality of the T16 went downhill so rapidly. It's unspoken but that's another reason why some might stay away from the T18 and take a chance on the RadioMaster instead.
@@JoshuaBardwell Well, to be fair, the quality didn't go down so much as it was never there in certain parts - most notably the ribbon cables. I wouldn't buy the Radiomaster on principle. Be it corporate theft or corporate fraud, both are a legit crime, no matter what part of the world you are from.
Love how you exacerbate the battery rattle in the beginning LOL
To be fair, I recently had to open up my Taranis X9D because the wires to the gimbals had frayed and some even had broken loose inside. Solder and hot glue and we're back at it, but if this happened midair, rather than on a simulator, my quad would have gone full yaw at various ranges in my throttle. Really dangerous problem.
"500 is closer to 300 than 100 is" - I learned something today! My calculus teacher would be proud!
RF power is measured logarithmically in dB. 300 mW is more than 2x 100. 500 mW is less than 2x 300.
Therefore the range you get on 500 mW is closer to 300 mW than 300 is to 100.
Burned!
Great video! For me: pick the Jumper T18 Pro and you are good to go! Don't buy RadioMaster as their radios are always a little "off" (imprecise).
Thank you, I’ve the t18 but sadly live in Ireland so tough getting good weather. loved the goo,goo gar,gar
hey buddy im in tipperary
Reporting from Mayo 👍
@@miklosko3355 cool red alpha .
Co. Down
I have the Radio Master TX 16S and I am delighted with it, it is a beautiful radio, easy to configure, color screen and multi-protocol. What else can you say on a radio? The rest would only be to investigate defects to try to dirty what the radio is. It is a fantastic radio, I am fascinated with it, I have not had a problem with it.
Thanks Joshua. I'll buy the radiomaster.
I have the T16 with crossfire module and now also have a TBS Tango 2. I’m fed up with all the fighting between radiomaster, jumper and FrSky. So now I’m getting a sled to make my tinyhawk freestyle run on crossfire so I can sell my Jumper T16 just like I sold my FrSky. TBS Crossfire just works and the Tango2 is amazing. Why should I bother trying to keep up with all these new radios. They need to all take a step back and take more time to make a radio I want to buy and keep for more than 6 months.
Where are you getting the sled from? Got a link?
HSS 00100101 I had to order mine from the US as I couldn’t find anyone in the EU who stocks them, not event TBS surprisingly. Anyway, I ordered mine from pyrodrone.com/products/emax-tinyhawk-freestyle-vtx-rx-sled and got here pretty quick. You can also get them direct from tinysleds.com/products/emax-tinyhawk-freestyle-vtx-rx-sled I only ordered from Pyrodrones because shipping was cheaper to the UK.
"long press the cis key"
Did you just gender that button 😂
I wish there was a radio with the features of the Jumper T18, with the form-factor of the frsky x-lite.
@JB simple fix if you don't feel like using R9 is just so the antenna connectors and put your own 2.4 external antenna on what comes as that crappy R9 antenna
I stick with my X9d Plus SE 2019 🤟🏻
Same. I got the Jumper T16 for repairing and the Taranis for flying. I would really like another radio, but Jumper and RadioMaster try to compete by lowering the prices, which obviously results in worse quality. I would prefer something maybe 50% more pricey and higher build quality.
Christian Fiebig 100% more pricey* yeah it’s literally more than double the price. Not worth it
I just got mine in the mail and really like. I almost didn't go for it due to other two videos. I was cringing at the fact of lower build quality for more feature, however, the end of this video helped me make my decision. I'm new to this stuff, however, It seems that FrySky and Crossfire are pretty much the two best ways to go anyways. So I might as well not worry about FrSky killing off the radio by the firmware on new products. I'm still on unsure if they'll kill off support on using the Crossfire module later so I'm just going to wait on buying that until I really need the range or decrease in latency for specific builds.
Sure am glad I got my Radiomaster TX16S!
Thank you for the review. Much appreciated.
Hey thanks for your videos man. I think it’s time for me to try this chit.
Good thing you have the replacement 😀
And the winner is ... Tango 2 Pro that turned to be actual real product, and I got mine just today 😆
Great radio, enjoy 😊
I got a tango 2 in the 90's. It was included with a $50 rc car.
Meh, looks and feels like a toy.
Well Shnikies!! I just ordered the T 18 Pro. I’ve had Spektrum radios for years and even bought the ix12. As I’ve been getting into the drone world I’ve realized Spektrum is almost non existent. No one seems to support them, have videos for info on them or anything. After watching the JB videos on the jumper T16 I thought I should grab one of those to bridge the gap. Then with the hints of the new T18 I held off. I recently ordered the T 18pro that is delivering tomorrow thinking I would get the top end so I would have the most future proof radio with the features I wanted. Now, I’m back in the same boat thinking I just bought another paper weight! I’m so confused! I need a mentor! SMH
I’m so glad I preordered the radiomaster tx16s, overall just a bit better in many ways, so overall it’s a no brainer. In so many ways it’s better quality overall.
Forgot to mention that I don’t need flashing lights when I start up my radio, that’s just a nothing burger to me.
0:04 stands up for it's name, jumper.
I just picked up a Tango 2- and love it.
Picked the T18 Pro simply for looks and gimbals. I'd use external modules for lower frequency transmitters anyways and 2.4ghz works fine for racing purposes. My biggest disappointment is that there is no USB C charging