I'm searching for a cheaper alternative to a Taranis.
Are there any good radios in the price range below 100€?
It should be compatible with X4R-SB/D4R and PC-simulators such as Freerider.

I would probably say the 9X with a Frsky TX module, when you flash openTX or ER9X firmware on it, you get pretty much a "cheap Taranis"...
but really, it would be much easier just save up for a Taranis it's a long term investment

(06-May-2016, 07:36 PM)Oscar Wrote: I would probably say the 9X with a Frsky TX module, when you flash openTX or ER9X firmware on it, you get pretty much a "cheap Taranis"...
but really, it would be much easier just save up for a Taranis it's a long term investment

Listen to Oscar, I´ve made the fault and bought a Devo 10 first, flashed it with Devention and eventually upgraded to a FrSky compatible module (all in ~115€, soldering required). It worked and it worked well but was a lot of work. Now I've recently bought a Taranis and I'm very happy with it. Setting up the Radio is not as complicated than a lot of people think ( well Devention is not extremly user friendly too, so I've had some experience in programming a radio transmitter ;.
I don't think that I'll ever upgrade from an FrSky any more, telemetry works well (and is very easy to set up!) and range (compared to Devo with 150mw output) is excellent and much better!
The learning curve is very steep at the beginning but you WILL regret buying anything else imho - at least I did. Also there is a very friendly community.

I can tell you from my own experience to not skimp out on your radio.
When I first started my adventure in this wonderful addicting hobby I went as cheap as I could go.
I purchased a flysky fs t6 radio (45$) and a kingkong 260 pnp quad and bought a pair of teleporter v4 goggles that were used.
So after breaking 3 of the kingkong junk fiberglass frames I bought a cheap carbon fiber frame off amazon and switched everything over.
It worked for a while . I didn't tune anything I was using cc3d stock settings etc.
I broke that frame too. Then another and another.
So I've been in this hobby for roughly 5 months . I've bought 7 frames 2 radios and 3 sets of goggles.
I finally was able to fly well enough to say screw it and just bite the bullet and spend the money cause this was something I loved to do and enjoyed and I needed to trust my stuff.
There is a reason the taranis is so popular .
Because it works. Not only does it work it will be one of your best investments ever. You'll never need another radio. The cheap radios tht come with cheap recievers are junk . That flysky fs t6 probably honestly cost me more in damaged parts and broken parts because of signal loss than my taranis x9d plus.

I can fly ridiculous distance.. my radio will warn me if I get a poor signal which has happened like 3 times ever, and I was very very far away in behind alot of stuff.
My current gear is a taranis x9d plus an alien 5" with naze rev6 rcx 2205 2350kv motors dys xs30a blheli_S escs ..
If your going to stay in the hobby save for a real radio .
It's pretty much the life line of your quad.

My 2 cents, flysky 9x was my first tx, with the smartiparts board and frsky module, it's a great option, however you have to be confident with pulling the tx apart and flashing and learning new firmware. This is my backup tx now as I've upgraded to the taranis, save up and don't regret splashing out on a taranis

This thread is going in a right direction - OP was looking for an alternative and found himself just hearing the loving words of Taranis fanboys (myself included). Edit the title to NO Taranis alternative.

The only thing that bothers me on my Taranis is the - more or less - cheap finish. Definitely an upside though is the availability of lots of spare parts and the cost of the receivers. Plusand you can resell your Taranis for a good price if (god forbid) you decide the hobby is not for you.

I've a Taranis myself
I started this thread because friends of mine are interested in this hobby, but 200€ for the radio prevents them to get into it.
Of course I told them there is no alternative

I use the Flysky FS-I6 modded to 10Ch and it works great for me. I tried the Taranis, but I didn't like it at all. The way I hold my receiver, the switches on the top of the taranis where just in the way for my fingers. The feeling of the gimballs where not the same at all (I guess you can adjust the spring stiffness on the taranis) and it was just too big compared to the flysky. For me it felt like I had to learn flying again with the taranis, so until frsky releases something smaller, I'll stick with my FS-i6. I also never experienced any signal loss with my fs-ia6b receivers.

There are some other options if start thinking about other protocols/RXs. For example Turnigy/Flysky/Eachine i6 - $50 radio that can be modded to 10ch, can be used with simulators (with USB dongle) and RXs are cheap. Also it's good in general, I still use it after 1,5 years in hobby.

If radio cost stops them from entering hobby... why insist on Taranis? Get them cheap radio and box goggles, it's like $100 for both. They can use gutted goggles as a spare monitor and, to be honest, they will sell pretty much any radio if they decide to upgrade.

(01-Sep-2016, 10:52 AM)Konrad Stepanajtys Wrote: There are some other options if start thinking about other protocols/RXs. For example Turnigy/Flysky/Eachine i6 - $50 radio that can be modded to 10ch, can be used with simulators (with USB dongle) and RXs are cheap. Also it's good in general, I still use it after 1,5 years in hobby.

If radio cost stops them from entering hobby... why insist on Taranis? Get them cheap radio and box goggles, it's like $100 for both. They can use gutted goggles as a spare monitor and, to be honest, they will sell pretty much any radio if they decide to upgrade.

Which TX are you using Konrad?

I still use my Spektrum DX6i which I have had for years, receivers are cheap as well if you buy third party.

(01-Sep-2016, 11:11 AM)oyvinla Wrote: Which TX are you using Konrad?

Flysky i6, but unmodded just because I'm lazy - I would have to desolder 3 depinned RXs to short binding pads ;p

Now I see you are using that too - I loose connection from time to time, but that's either an issue with my desoldered receivers or chopped/repaired antennas - some of them numerous times.

(01-Sep-2016, 11:50 AM)Konrad Stepanajtys Wrote: Flysky i6, but unmodded just because I'm lazy - I would have to desolder 3 depinned RXs to short binding pads ;p

Now I see you are using that too - I loose connection from time to time, but that's either an issue with my desoldered receivers or chopped/repaired antennas - some of them numerous times.

Had the same issue as you with the RX's so now I have started to add a small wire that hangs out of the heatshrink for binding purposes on my depinned RX's. 
Have you had any "low quality" problems with the transmitter yet? loose gimbals, bad switches, pots etc? I have been using my receiver a lot for 7 months, but it is still going strong. The only thing with mine so far is that I have to tighten the switch nuts once in a while, and the battery lid could be a bit more securely fastened. 

I also have an issue with an RX that was bound to the TX before i bound a different RX on the same space as that one. Now I cant bind the old RX anymore. I guess that it is a bug in the TX software and it might be fixed by doing a factory reset. But like you Konrad, I'm lazy and the RX's are so cheap that I just bought a new one instead.

(01-Sep-2016, 12:12 PM)oyvinla Wrote: Had the same issue as you with the RX's so now I have started to add a small wire that hangs out of the heatshrink for binding purposes on my depinned RX's. 
Have you had any "low quality" problems with the transmitter yet? loose gimbals, bad switches, pots etc? I have been using my receiver a lot for 7 months, but it is still going strong. The only thing with mine so far is that I have to tighten the switch nuts once in a while, and the battery lid could be a bit more securely fastened. 

I also have an issue with an RX that was bound to the TX before i bound a different RX on the same space as that one. Now I cant bind the old RX anymore. I guess that it is a bug in the TX software and it might be fixed by doing a factory reset. But like you Konrad, I'm lazy and the RX's are so cheap that I just bought a new one instead.

No quality problems on my side. Only thing I did was loosening throttle to the point it barely holds position when let go (because I like it that way) and put some dense machine grease on gimbals to eliminate the "knocking" sound in stick mid-positions.

As to switches - I had no problem with them. There's a tool on BG somewhere that you can use to tighten them.

No problem with battery lid on mine. You could add some CA glue with baking powder or any other substance on the surface where lid touches the TX, let it set and sand it off until the lid closes firmly.

Maybe just reset that model?

What do you think about the Flysky FS-I6S transmitter? I think it is compatible with simulators like Freerider because it has USB port.

Should I order one?