David perry 1 Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 A year on I still want a vario. It still seems frsky is the only way to go so which taranis unit should I buy? Currently using futaba ff9 which is well over ten years old. Other kit in use is spekky orange. For the price of a vario I can buy a whole new taranis and vario module pretty much!TIADavid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 I have one of these........................ **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Well if by "Taranis unit" you mean which Tx - there is only two really available the X9D Taranis Plus at £150, or the X9E ar £250. In terms of spec and capability there is not a lot to choose between them TBH in my view. The X9E has bluetooth and vibration alerts/alarms and a better display. The X9D Plus does not have bluetooth and I think the vibration feature, whilst available, is an upgrade. The big physical difference of course is that the X9E is a tray transmitter whereas the X9D is a your more traditional "hand-held" jobbie (like your ff9) Personally I do not think the X9E is worth an extra £100 - but that is just my view as I don't feel I would value the exra features it has. I suspect the real point of it is to allow FrSky to break into the mainland European market better - where tray Tx's are more popular I understand. Note that although both these Tx's have a "9" in their title they are in fact 16 channel straight "off the shelf" and very easily extendable to 32 channel with Sbus connectivity. Similarly the X8R recievers are not 8 channel recievers. They have 8 servo connectors but they are 16 channel recievers - other channels again accessable via Sbus. Full 32 channel operation is basically obtained by diasy-chaining two of these Rx's together. Of course - if you are prepared to wait the new Horus will be out I suspect sometime this year. It was due early 2016 but that date has slipped. I do know that it is currently in Beta test and a few people who regularly contribute here are indeed in receipt of beta test versions now! Unfortunately I also know that they have sworn on a stack of bibles (or at least the Chinese equivalent!) not to disclose anything - so they are not saying! But the mere fact that they have them indicates it does exist, in numbers, and should indeed be available later this year. The Horus, unlike the X9E really does constitute a major step up in spec with many extra features that will prove useful. It will also come shipped with its own FrSky operating system as an alternative to OpenTx. Again I suspect this is an attempt to appeal to a wider market, but from what I understand (I'm not tied by any non-disclosure agreement!) its a pretty standard programming system with all of the limitations that come with that. I suspect most current Taranis users who ungrade to Horus will install OpenTx on it more or less straight away - in my experience once you have tasted the freedom of OpenTx you have no desire at all to go back to the "old" restrictive systems. Indeed assuming you are reasonably comfortable with computer systems and bit of technology (ie can read basic instructions!) I would strongly urge you to consider going OpenTx - it really is liberating and make programming the Tx much easier than many of the older systems. The Horus is likely to be quite a bit more than a Taranis - I would guess somewhere around the £350 mark. So, I think it comes down to a Taranis Plus now, or a Horus for a lot more money at some point later this year. Yer pays yer money etc. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 I too have a FrSky Variometer - same as Dave linked to above. I'm no "glider guider" and I tend to use it simply as a altimeter - but it "does what it says on the tin". We have done some basic accuracy chacks on it at work and it does same tp be very accurate - indeed inside the specification they give. So for my £11.99 it really can't be beaten! BEB Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 18/06/2016 09:09:08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Blandford Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 The Taranis Plus does have the haptic as standard, it was the 'ordinary' Taranis that only had it as an upgrade. The main displays are the same on the 'Plus and the X9E, the X9E has an extra (fixed) display. The X9E has two extra sliders and spaces to add more pots/switches with the internal connections for them. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 18, 2016 Author Share Posted June 18, 2016 Wow lots of info. ThAnks. By "unit" I really meant combo but I guess these days that means tx, so thank you. At the prices you mention I won't get the Horus but the x9d I probably shall. Like I said, my ff9 is very old now and whilst it is still very very good for the cost of a vario I can buy a brand new, more capable tx and vario as well. Taranis opentx sounds a bit like the old mpx tRanny I used to have...make anything do anything. So I think I'm sold...frsky kit will be ordered. Many thanks. BTW what's just kicked this off again is my purchase of a Blaster 3 from hyper flight. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 If you have programmed Multiplex you'll take to OpenTx like its an old friend - very similar programming concepts. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 18, 2016 Author Share Posted June 18, 2016 Thanks BEB. T9hobby next stop I guess, as UK suppliers. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Yeap - Gliders often have them as well - but can be a bit pricer. But if they have one of what I want and T9 don't I'll usually pay the small mark up. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Ive just spent far too much of this wet afternoon watching youchoob videos of taranis and I am sold! It looks superb. As BEB says it reminds me of my old MPX kit, assign anything to anywhere...its very sensible. I am also rather inpressed that, from what I gather but correct me if im wrong, I can add an orange module to allow me to use the tranny with my existing orange spekky receivers - of which we have dozens. The only bad thing I can see is that I can suddenly see all sorts of uses for all sorts of telemetry I never knew I needed!! This could be the start of another fun aspect for me. So tomorrow I need to make a phone call and order a tranny and rx and the vario unit...ouch. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle 899 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Posted by David perry 1 on 19/06/2016 20:15:39: So tomorrow I need to make a phone call and order a tranny and rx and the vario unit...ouch. D But a very small ouch and, comparatively, a very big WOW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Tayler Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 David, If you are getting a Taranis plus,This is a very useful reference source.I have printed it all out and find it very useful. http://openrcforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=8724 Sorry I have not managed to post a clickable link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Great, thanks for that D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Ive read the threads on LBT and EU firmware, but the T9 store website says this: Please note that new stock have the new LBT firmware. but can be flashed with EU or Universal protocol dowload link click here As a new user of Taranis with no old receivers, is this something I need to be wary of or am I safe just running with LBT? D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flight1 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Since you are buying now after all the legistive changes for the 2.4Ghz band you can safely not consern your self with all the other firmwares and stick with the LBT as all european bought comes with,. I have updated all mine so i have no confusion . The Taranis with open tx is the way to go, the others are playing catchup, had mine 3 years and very happy. also I have a orange plug in DMS/x module for all the plug and fly ... great I hope you will enjoy it too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Thanks Im sure I shal...just looking at videos of people adding six way pots and sliders etc reminds me so much of the MPX radio...really configured it for ME. Credit card time D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Yes, you will be buying a TX with LBT RF firmware which is now well proven since it's release late last year. Because of the recent changes to the EU ETSI regs you will not be able to change the RF firmware either (you will still be able to upgrade the OpenTX firmware of course; that is entirely separate from the RF), but as you have no older RXs that is not an issue; it just means you will only be able to use X series RXs, not the older D8 telemetry or V8 mk2 non- telemetry units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 PS - There are some issues with the latest versions of the OrangeRX module, apparently they do not bind successfully to all of HH's BNF models. There is much more on RCGroups about this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Yeap - I am 100% LBT now, having updated all my Rx's and the Tx. Hopefully this will be the lst time as I had previously had to do the change to Euro from the "rest of the world" protocol. Its a bit of a pain really but you'll miss all that and be straight in at LBT! But like flight1 I would never go back now! Brilliant system. The only change I'm contemplating now is possibly treating myself to a Horus with OpenTx on board in due course. Enjoy your purchase! BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Tiz done. I had the crafty idea of adding the Taranis module to my FF9 and doing it that way...alas, that is no longer a useable method so Ive just bought an X9D+, X4R and vario module. Amazingly its all for the same prices as a vario from other suppliers. How on earth do they do it? Thanks all for your input to this choice...a rather long winded process. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Posted by David perry 1 on 20/06/2016 10:46:10: Tiz done. I had the crafty idea of adding the Taranis module to my FF9 and doing it that way...alas, that is no longer a useable method so Ive just bought an X9D+, X4R and vario module. Amazingly its all for the same prices as a vario from other suppliers. How on earth do they do it? Simple - no expensive distributors, no conventional advertising, and in the case of the Taranis no costly in house developed software; OpenTX costs them nothing. One might also be tempted to drop in no rip off margins either, but that might make the big brand users grumpy so I won't... ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanN Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 I'm in the bracket of having been initially tempted by Taranis, but just got more and more lost over past months in all the talk of legislation, firmware, updates, LBT etc etc etc and didn't have a scooby what to make of it all This thread clarifies the current situation and puts an X9D on the shopping list. The fact that it only accepts X series receivers disqualifies some of the cheaper D8 or V8 items, which is a shame, but that said the X series RXs aren't exactly budget busting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Yes the whole software change issue has been solved for new adopters now. TBH, it wasn't a big problem really, just messy and a bit time consuming, but I can see how it might look daunting from outside. Still, all done now and provided you buy from a well known source you will have no problem getting all compatible LBT stuff.BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David perry 1 Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Well I phoned t9 and it was easy as buying any other brand. He sells lbt and that's that unless it's clear you are after something special. I'd recommend him. He says he's sold four THOUSAND units in 2 years. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Yeap - Richard at T9 is excellent. We have bought approx 20 X9D's from him (private and work sales) and always had first class service. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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