I usually fly with a TX16S, which is great, but there are times when I’d like a smaller controller - like if I’m out for a walk and just want to sling a controller into a small bag. Also possibly for taking for holidays and trips away where the TX16S would take up half my suitcase.
I fly about half my models on TBS Tracer and the rest on a mix of FrSky/FlySky - I have three quads on Tracer and then a whole bunch of planes (some LOS, some FPV/INAV) on a variety of receivers.
Any recommendations on one of the smaller game-pad style controllers? The Jumper T-Lite looks good. The Radiomaster one with the flippy screen looks ok but the screen looks a bit tacky and fragile? My main concern is about how I’d control the Tracer models. It looks like I’d have to buy another Tracer module, as the current JR bay one I haven’t wouldn’t fit. Then I see issues around power levels - current one in the JR bay of the TX16S goes up to ‘ludicrous power’, but appears the nano crossfire/tracer module connected to something like a T-Lite will only do 25mw? Is that right? That’s a bit disappointing if so.
Josh Bardwell just posted a vid showing a neat little Express-LRS board that you can put inside the Jumper T-Lite. I like the idea of that and of ELRS in general, but I have 5 or 6 Tracer models at the moment and the idea of migrating them all over doesn’t fill me with joy. Especially as I’m also thinking of migrating them from analogue vid over to SharkByte digital next spring too.
I’ve been going around the same circles in my head for the past few months. If someone did a small controller with a proper full-power JR-bay in it, that would solve lots of problems. I could just plug my existing Tracer module in and away I go, presumably without even having to rebind anything.
I’m going for Jumper T-Lite for much the same reason as you. It’s nice and small! Though I only have a Flysky i6X at the moment, so no issues with modules, so it’s a much easier decision for me.
I’ve seen the JB ELRS video and I see something like that in my future.
In my various investigations I have seen power mods for the Jumper T-Lite. Maybe a search around for one would help you?
I suspect that one of the issues with going down to a small footprint will be that the battery and hence power available will immediately become less than with a larger radio. So perhaps small radios with big power will always be a rarity?
Maybe the power issue is a red herring, I don’t know. I guess I should try fixing my current Tracer module to 25mw and see what the range is like. Anything more than about 750m starts to give me the jitters anyway.
Interesting, I’ll investigate. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, if a little scruffy, to have a small 2S 1000mah Lipo velcroed on the back of the controller or similar.
This looks interesting, although it looks like it’s limited to the Orqa comms protocol, whatever that may be. I may be being a noob, but details are thin on the website and I’m not seeing too many words I recognise. I’m guessing it’s an Apple-like closed system.
Just a heads up Jason, I have had 2 Jumper T-Lite units. The first one was dead on arrival and got replaced. The second one lasted a few months before having the same issue again and wouldn’t power up. I drove up to the Big Meet after testing it at home to make sure it was charged. When I got there I took it out my bag and it was dead. Luckily @DeanoG60 had brought along his TX16S and kindly lent it too me for the weekend otherwise I would have been grounded. Its not too bad as a cheap controller but I wouldn’t buy one if you need something reliable (imagine taking it on holiday only to find its dead when you get there).
With regard to the power for the module, I think from memory you can go upto around 200mW if you use a decent quality 18650 battery but the issue is the voltage regulator they use inside the controller not being able to supply enough amps to the modules. There are modifications you can do as have already been mentioned but again is it worth the time and effort for something that may well fail when you need it most? I hope you manage to find a controller to suit your needs, or if you go for the T-Lite you have more luck with it than I did lol
Nice one Howard glad yours worked ok mate. Out of curiosity how long did you have the second one before you upgraded? I should of said also that I got both of mine from HobbyRC. HobbyRC were great when it came to replacement and refund, really good service
It’s a collaboration between Orqa and Immersionrc.
It will use Ghost, and will also wirelessly link control of Tramp VTx’s with Orqa goggles. It’s also rumoured that IRC and Orqa are, or will be, developing a HDzero system.
I guess IRC don’t want to lose their rapidfire dominance at the races and will put their efforts into dominating the digital race video transceivers? Hopefully
Oh, that looks rather good. Shame it doesn’t have a full size JR bay and issues over CRSF transmit power probably still apply, but if I had to pick from the available compacts then this seems well specced
UMT have the new Jumper T-Pro in stock now. According to JB’s vid, the fact that it uses 2 18650 cells means it doesn’t suffer from the issues other similar controllers have WRT to putting out full power on CRSF etc. Could be the solution I’m after.
The buttons/switches look a little awkward but that might not be a deal breaker. £79. Plus £65 for a nano Tracer module. That’s (counts fingers…) £145. Hmmm, not exactly the cheap controller for trips out I had in mind but I’m probably not going to be able to save much on that by going for something else.
I considered that but I run Tracer, not Crossfire, plus have a bunch of line-of-sight planes and a couple of boats that use FrSky/Flysky. The Jumper (and most others) have an internal 4-in-1 that would handle the FrSky/Flysky models and I’d then just have to add a Tracer module on the back.
I’d have to also buy a 4-in-1 module for the Tango 2 as well as a Tracer module, so that’s another £100 in modules on top of the controller, plus the faffing about swapping them back and forth all the time.
The Tango 2 looks great, shame they don’t do a Tracer version. There’s the Mambo, but that’s not so compact and also I’d prefer to stay OpenTX/EdgeTX for ease of sharing model setups etc.
It does look like a good controller though for the price to be fair