Oh cool tip thanks man!

(22-Apr-2017, 01:27 PM)Carl.Vegas Wrote: From what I am reading, it sounds like this isn't the problem... but part of me has to ask... Those of you having trouble are pulling the (left-right) trims in to the middle before turning it on and plugging it in right?

Yes, when I turn on my Taranis, I turn it on in bootloader mode (three finger salute).  and like dronefly, the opentx companion also does not recognize my Taranis when powered off.  It sees the the bootloader in devices, but i can't do anything with it.

(22-Apr-2017, 01:27 PM)Carl.Vegas Wrote: From what I am reading, it sounds like this isn't the problem... but part of me has to ask... Those of you having trouble are pulling the (left-right) trims in to the middle before turning it on and plugging it in right?

yes... am doing that... nothing

I am considering getting a qx7 anyway, because i prefer the grip on it, so, hoping fully that I don't have that issue with that one, too, because I love my Taranis/openTX other than the issue I'm having with my current device.

i really appreciate your input/ideas and time

Have you updated the bootloader itself?

(24-Apr-2017, 10:18 PM)Drone0fPrey Wrote: Have you updated the bootloader itself?

bootloader 2.1.9 is my current firmware

if you have the firmware for the updated bootloader... i can't find it, and would love a copy of it.

i tried to install the operational firmware from my buddy with a qx7, but that "destroyed" everything, so I put it back the way it was... 

the firmware i got from my buddy's qx7 was simply titled firmware.bin, and I attempted to load it by placing it in my firmware folder, turning on Taranis in bootloader mode, then selecting (load/update) firmware... it did, and i did this twice:  first tried to load firmware with recommended folder names sd card organization and it couldn't even find the firmware folder; next i just put the 2.2.x firmware in my old folder organization setup, and was able to load it, but then when i took it out of bootloader mode it would turn on, but the screen was unlit/blank.

again, there was no file listed "bootloader firmware" that I have been able to get my hands on, and I'm not sure that i even know how to install it if there is one that I didn't get.

I meant does the version number dispayed on your bootloader screen(tx) match that of the version number displayed in the radio setup menu.
If you have updated the firmware of your tx (at least on the X7, Im new to this, first Taranis ) afterwards you must also go to radio setup, sdcard, firmware, long press enter and select "update bootloader"
Thats at least how it is explained in Alex Datos' guide I linked earlier.

Not sure if this could be related to the problems discussed here but I recently updated my X9D to OpenTX 2.2 and it stopped being detected by the simulator. 
Turns out the issue was that I had enabled the option 'massstorage' for the firmware which makes it appear like a mass storage device from the computer perspective rather than a joystick. After reinstalling with 'massstorage' disabled it works again like a charm.