FrSky/Taranis Owners Thread

[Motopreserve]

Hey folks. I was doing some searching on here for info about the Taranis, and specifically the FrSky sensors available for use with the FrSky S-Port receivers. I was a little surprised to see there is no Taranis/FrSky Owners Thread. So maybe we can start one here, and continue to add to it as experience with these products increases and the software continues to evolve.

FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR:

I just recently purchased the Taranis X9D with X8R ("smart-port" and sbus) Rx. Like many people, I am finding myself blown away by the features, customization and control you get for the money. A ton of telemetry sensor add-ons are available for both the newer Smart-Port capable (also seen written as SPORT or s-port), as well as the older FrSky analog Rxs, which makes the functionality even better. The added bonus of the X8R 16 channel RX with Smart Port and S.Bus being less than $35, means if this becomes a radio you'd like to use on all your MRs, it's now semi-affordable to buy a different RX for each build (OK, not you guys with 15 MRs!), and not have to go through the removal/install each time you want to fly a different craft.

To top it off, there is the Companion 9X software/GUI that allows for customization and basic setup in the computer. This provides the ability to see the features and settings in front of you - in large format and living color, right on your computer monitor. There's even a function that simulates the radio, so you can check the changes you have made within the software, and to see how those changes will act inside the radio - all before having to commit that info to your TX.

One thing to keep in mind: like most things open-source, at times there are so many options it's easy to get lost. But I have found that with a little research, basic setup has been fairly simple, and lets you get to the more advanced features at your own pace.

There are some great how-to videos on the YouTube channel HERE:

Great info regarding Taranis/X8R specifically working with the SuperX HERE:

Great info regarding Taranis/X8R specifically working with Naza V2 HERE:

One thing I have found a little frustrating is that each vendor seems to be missing certain sensors, and so to get all the sensors that I thought would work for this build, I had to source them from a few different retailers. Not a big deal, but I find myself keeping an eye out when I am shopping for other items, just to check if they have one of the sensors I'd like to try.

The main reason I thought to start this thread is: I find lot of the info available for the sensors is targeted at fixed wing planes. Install instructions and videos often reference connecting certain sensors to single battery/ESC configurations (voltage/current sensors), which often doesn't address our MR builds. It would be great if this thread could become a catch-all for info related specifically to FrSky/Taranis for use with MRs.

Hopefully some of the local wizards around here can chip in and help us all get the most out of out Taranis/FrSky setup.

Let the games begin! What's your setup? What sensors have you tried? What would you recommend to those just looking into the Taranis option? Have any other good links within multirotorforums.com? Any cool customizations?

Cheers.

 

[Motopreserve]

Vendors

Here is a list of USA vendors that I have found that carry both the Taranis, and the FrSky accessories (sensors, Rx etc).

Aloft Hobbies: Great customer support, and seem to be the folks who have distributed a majority of the Tx.

Range Video: decent selection of sensors and spare parts for repair of the Tx.

HeliBatics: Good selection of sensors and quick shipping. Beware that if you order from them, you will receive aprox. 283 confirmation emails

HobbyWireless: Smaller selection of the sensors, but plenty of Rx and transmitters.

ReadyMade RC: Great customer service and fast shipping.

GetFPV: They now carry FrSky Tx and sensors as well.

Hobby King has been listing the Taranis and FrSky accessories more recently, but currently it's only in the International Warehouse. Apparently there have been some reports about issues of shipments not making it into the USA from China, so it may be a safer bet to order domestically if you are in a rush. I think most costs balance out when you factor in the shipping costs anyway...

 

[Bartman]

thanks for getting this started Scott! The lost shipping container full of Taranis radios and FrSky receivers has been sorted out and tracking info shows packages back in the US after a round trip to/from Hong Kong and back.

i (and others) should have them this week.

 

[Motopreserve]

thanks for getting this started Scott! The lost shipping container full of Taranis radios and FrSky receivers has been sorted out and tracking info shows packages back in the US
after a round trip to/from Hong Kong and back.

i (and others) should have them this week.

Thats great to hear. It seems more than a few got bitten by the round trip bug. Seemed to effect several vendors.

Hopefully this thread can gain some traction and get people talking about the product, and the things they've found that work and don't work. Much of the info out there is not MR specific, so a thread here on MRF should hopefully help those flying MR.

 

[SoCal Blur]

Here is a list of USA vendors that I have found that carry both the Taranis, and the FrSky accessories (sensors, Rx etc).

Aloft Hobbies: Great customer support, and seem to be the folks who have distributed a majority of the Tx.

Range Video: decent selection of sensors and spare parts for repair of the Tx.

HeliBatics: Good selection of sensors and quick shipping. Beware that if you order from them, you will receive aprox. 283 confirmation emails

HobbyWireless: Smaller selection of the sensors, but plenty of Rx and transmitters.

ReadyMade RC: Great customer service and fast shipping.

Hobby King has been listing the Taranis and FrSky accessories more recently, but currently it's only in the International Warehouse. Apparently there have been some reports about issues of shipments not making it into the USA from China, so it may be a safer bet to order domestically if you are in a rush. I think most costs balance out when you factor in the shipping costs anyway...

Don't forget www.getfpv.com. This is where I purchased my Taranis ($209 for Tx/Rx combo) and they now carry FrSky sensors as well.

 

[chipwich]

I just installed the new sliders in my two Taranis transmitters last night and woohoo, they are nice. To describe the feel, very similar to the knobs, but with a center position detent. Mine came from ALoft.

 

[Motopreserve]

I just installed the new sliders in my two Taranis transmitters last night and woohoo, they are nice. To describe the feel, very similar to the knobs, but with a center position detent. Mine came from ALoft.

Chipwich,

Are these replacements because your original sliders broke? Or these are an improvement on the stock offering?

Thanks for posting!

 

[chipwich]

Chipwich,

Are these replacements because your original sliders broke? Or these are an improvement on the stock offering?

Thanks for posting!

The originals functioned fine, but were a bit flimsy. These are the new and improved version from FrSky.

 

[Motopreserve]

Here's a little tidbit you may already know, but I had been wondering about. I was interested in the FrSky SP-40A which is the newer version of the Ampere/Current sensor, that is smart port compatible. It has male and female XT-60 connectors for inserting it into the power chain. But the instruction sheet mentions connecting it between the ESC and battery - and the photo illustration is clearly for a single battery/ESC combo. I wanted to make sure I would get a readout from my entire system, which will include 2 batteries at times.

I had searched quite a bit trying to find info about MRs in general - and specifically multiple battery setups. No luck.

I emailed Aloft Hobbies, and Wayne was super quick getting back to me letting me know the sensor could be connected in-line between a battery Y-cable and the input to the PDB. Perfect! Now I could have amp draw and mah-drawn right on the telemetry screen...

I'm going to be doing the math before choosing this for the larger hex - they have higher amperage versions available (or coming soon).
View attachment 17864

 

[SoCal Blur]

Here's a little tidbit you may already know, but I had been wondering about. I was interested in the FrSky SP-40A which is the newer version of the Ampere/Current sensor, that is smart port compatible. It has male and female XT-60 connectors for inserting it into the power chain. But the instruction sheet mentions connecting it between the ESC and battery - and the photo illustration is clearly for a single battery/ESC combo. I wanted to make sure I would get a readout from my entire system, which will include 2 batteries at times.

I had searched quite a bit trying to find info about MRs in general - and specifically multiple battery setups. No luck.

I emailed Aloft Hobbies, and Wayne was super quick getting back to me letting me know the sensor could be connected in-line between a battery Y-cable and the input to the PDB. Perfect! Now I could have amp draw and mah-drawn right on the telemetry screen...

I'm going to be doing the math before choosing this for the larger hex - they have higher amperage versions available (or coming soon).
View attachment 22022

I do have a concern about this sensor. By adding this in-line with your power, you introduce a possible failure point that could take your MR out of the sky if it were to fail. The more I thought about it, the more I think I would be happy just monitoring voltage (in parallel with my PDB) or even the indivudual cells on one of my batteries. It's not ideal, but I think it is safer. I admit I don't know anything about this sensor so maybe there's a built in failsafe circuit or something...

 

[Motopreserve]

Although this is one of the more expensive sensors ($18), honestly, at this price it's worth opening up and taking a look-see what it's all about inside.

I'm right there with you though - I don't need any added complexity jeopardizing the craft...

 

[PCMAerial]

major thread drift going on here folks.

still awaiting the arrival of a new Taranis here.

was setting up a Futaba 14Sg with a DJI A2 last night. and they say the Taranis set up is confusing???? Someone needs to send the Futaba and DJI technical writers back to school!

Sorry, you can blame that one on me!

Hope I can wrap my mind around this Taranis, seems like a great piece of equipment though

 

[Motopreserve]

Sorry Bartman. My bad. I'm subbed to his F550 build thread and inadvertently thought that I was replying in kind. Speaking of the 14SG, I've migrated all but one of my Futaba setups to the Taranis so that I can haul only one radio to the flying field/location. With the EZUHF JR module in the Taranis, I can fly both 2.4 and 433 as needed, using the same radio, same basic programming, and same voice call-outs. So, you might not want to spend a lot of time with the Futaba, which I know is blasphemous to some

I'm in the process of doing the same. The more I get to know the Taranis - the more I feel this is what the Futaba 14sg should have been (for the money!). If I can wrangle the Taranis to do what I need (which is seeming more and more likely), I'll sell the futaba in a heartbeat.

I like the futaba well enough. But the functionality of the Taranis and add-on telemetry at reasonable prices is winning me over... Couple that with PC GUI editing and I'm done!

 

[Bartman]

what is everyone's overall impression with the Taranis as far as quality of the case and switches, feel of the gimbals, fit and finish, etc.

 

[Motopreserve]

what is everyone's overall impression with the Taranis as far as quality of the case and switches, feel of the gimbals, fit and finish, etc.

I'm no pro, but the feel is very good to me. It feels solid - and for the price, I was honestly expecting a less solid feel. I like the way it sits in my hands better than the 14sg, but of course this varies with everyone, and is strictly personal preference.

The only issue I've noticed so far is that the 2 sliders on the side move a little easily if touched accidentally. It seems that Chipwich's mod might be a fix for this??? I was planning on using one of these for the gimbal pitch control, but for now I may opt for one of the rotary pots instead.

EDIT: another thing that bothers me is that the Tx doesn't sit level on a table. It rocks back and forth - might need to put some rubber feet on it so I don't end up knocking t over!

 

[Motopreserve]

I'm hoping some people with experience using the sensors will chime in here. I've been tackling the telemetry, particularly the reading on A1. It seems the X8R is a bit of a step backwards with regards to not having analog inputs like the older RX. For the X8R, A1 seems to only read the RX voltage - which for many of our MR specific rigs is somewhat useless. Maybe I'm missing something (highly probable)?

With my superx powering the RX I am more in need of voltage/current readings. I have plugged in the SP-FLVS smart port voltage sensor. This thing is pretty killer - looks like a field cell voltage checker, can read up to 6 cells, and provides readings of individual cells and total voltage. It plugs into the balance port of your battery, and I have those readings coming up on the 1st telemetry page.

Next up: the 40A current/ampere sensor. I honestly can't tell if this thing provides redundant data or is something that must be used in addition to the voltage sensor. Literature is a little confusing.

 

[Bartman]

that's what I liked about the Hitec Aurora 9, you could put up to 8S voltage directly into the receiver and it would display on the transmitter in flight.......but....... it didn't have SBUS, or PPM, or any of the other single wire output options so it wasn't optimal for certain DJI or Mikrokopter flight controllers.

i'm still debating if i'm going to fly the Taranis or sell it when it finally gets here. the plan was to put it on a new A2 Hexa but with the shipping delays I went ahead and bought a Futaba 14SG. it'll get a good look over once it gets here and we'll go from there.

 

[SoCal Blur]

what is everyone's overall impression with the Taranis as far as quality of the case and switches, feel of the gimbals, fit and finish, etc.

I agree that the Taranis feels solid and I like the ergonomics. I haven't had a chance to use the two slider switches yet, but if they are a problem, the slider switch mod mentioned earlier is a simple and inexpensive upgrade.

...For the X8R, A1 seems to only read the RX voltage - which for many of our MR specific rigs is somewhat useless. Maybe I'm missing something (highly probable)?

Nope, I think you've got it. The s.port for the sensors is how you get the telemetry other than the voltage to the RX and RSSI. I just haven't found a sensor that exactly meets my needs.

The SP-FLVS is nice for one battery systems. But what about two or more batteires? I saw the sensor hub so I thought maybe I could connect two SP-FLVS to the hub, but the hub only accepts one voltage sensor. It's designed for connecting a number of different sensors to the RX. However, you can have two temperature sensors.

The Anolog voltage sensor (XR82Anolog) would be perfect except that it only works up to 18.2 volts so it won't work with my 6S system.

The current sensors are connected in-line with your battery - that concerns me because it introduces a potential failure point between your battery and your MR. What happens if the device fails? Could it cause an open circuit and take your MR down?

I imagine as more and more people use the Taranis system that more sensors will be developed. For now, I just have to rely on timers until the right sensor is available.

The Taranis is still a great radio. But like anything else, there is always room for improvement.

 

[Motopreserve]

Bart: if you have a little time (yeah right!) to spend with the Taranis - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how capable it is. But if there is a build that requires a mad rush, it might not be the right radio. the basic stuff is pretty simple to set up, but the full capabilities take a little more time (in my limited experience).

SoCal: no question that another link in the chain is potential for issues. But so far I have not read one bad report. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to end up being the first! :black_eyed: I plan on using the current checker on the CineTank which is a one battery setup.

Im still ok monitoring the one battery with the voltage sensor, I figure it's better than none, and with the timers counting off as well, it's just additional info, especially because my batteries have always been paired - I'm hoping that they stay close in performance.

The XR82Anolog is what I think will work more for the hex (2 batteries), but there are other things you need to use to hook it up to the smart port.

It seems to me the change from analog inputs to the digital/SPORT inputs is where it gets confusing. Plenty of info out there for using the hub and analog etc. but very little on the smart port sensors so far.

 

[fltundra]

I'm hoping some people with experience using the sensors will chime in here. I've been tackling the telemetry, particularly the reading on A1. It seems the X8R is a bit of a step backwards with regards to not having analog inputs like the older RX. For the X8R, A1 seems to only read the RX voltage - which for many of our MR specific rigs is somewhat useless. Maybe I'm missing something (highly probable)?

With my superx powering the RX I am more in need of voltage/current readings. I have plugged in the SP-FLVS smart port voltage sensor. This thing is pretty killer - looks like a field cell voltage checker, can read up to 6 cells, and provides readings of individual cells and total voltage. It plugs into the balance port of your battery, and I have those readings coming up on the 1st telemetry page.

Next up: the 40A current/ampere sensor. I honestly can't tell if this thing provides redundant data or is something that must be used in addition to the voltage sensor. Literature is a little confusing.

Get the Unisens-E, little pricey, but very accurate
http://www.sm-modellbau.de/shop/product_info.php?products_id=138&cPath=18&XTCsid=c346a1653b59e9d7832f36b40b4db146