Horus and Taranis X9D Express differences?

[Allan Bennett]

I'm considering a new FrSky transmitter and am wondering what are the important differences between the current two Horus models (X10S Express and X10 Express) and the Taranis X9D Express.

As far as I can see they all have Hall effect gimbals; they all are, or can be, loaded with ACCESS, they all support spectrum analyser function, wired traning function, and PARA wireless training system, and they're all compatible with ACCST D16 receivers.

The Horus both use ISRM-S-X10 internal RF module, whilst the Taranis uses ISRM-S-X9, and the Horus both have colour screens of higher resolution than the Taranis. Since I'm happy enough with my current Taranis screen, I suppose my real question is, is the X10 internal RF module worth paying the extra money for compared with the Taranis' X9?

Or is there something else I've missed?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Andy48]

Personally I like the X10 far better than the Taranis. Its heavier which is the only downside, but feel really solid. The real plus is the colour screen, it is so much easier to program down at the field - I always use Companion when at home except for the final few tweaks.

At the end of the day I don't spend a great deal on models (so I keep telling myself), and the kids don't need the inheritance. Probably more about feel good factor than anything else.

[Andy48]

Posted by Doc Marten on 16/05/2020 21:02:16:

The Horus is made from alloy not plastic, looks 10x better, feels 10x better and looks like it should be 10x the price (see what I did there).

Er, no. The Horus has a plastic case.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Andy48]

Posted by Doc Marten on 16/05/2020 21:11:36:

10x better plastic then.

Oh yes certainly.

[Allan Bennett]

So it boils down to a 'better' case, and a colour screen?

What about the performance? Is the X10 RF module better than the X9? And are the Horus's hall-effect gimbals any better than the Taranis's hall-effect gimbals? If it's just down to case and screen I think I'll be going for another Taranis.

[Mike Blandford]

The X10S also has a 6-position switch and two extra trim switches as standard.

Mike

[Andy48]

Posted by Allan Bennett on 16/05/2020 21:48:25:

So it boils down to a 'better' case, and a colour screen?

What about the performance? Is the X10 RF module better than the X9? And are the Horus's hall-effect gimbals any better than the Taranis's hall-effect gimbals? If it's just down to case and screen I think I'll be going for another Taranis.

The Horus has twin internal antenae, plus the option of using an external one (included). Don't know about the latest Taranis.

[Allan Bennett]

I don't think a 6-position switch and extra trim switches interest me. I guess two antennae might improve the link with the receiver. Has anybody confirmed that in practice?

[Peter Christy]

I've got both an X9D (Taranis) and anX10S. I bought the Taranis shortly after they first became available, and it has proven to be a solid and very capable transmitter. I bought the X10S about a year ago as a present to myself, and the possible requirement for something more sophistacated.

Having previously been a JR man, the Taranis felt instantly comfortable and familiar. The X10S is bigger and heavier, but not excessively so. I feel more comfortable with the Taranis, but that's primarily because I've had it a lot longer, and its similarity to my JR transmitters. On the other hand, the X10S offers a much bigger display and can carry much more information on it. This can be very useful.

For example, I'm currently converting a (very) old and large helicopter to electric. It is almost impossible to read a wattmeter connected to one of these things whilst its thrashing around on or near the ground. With the X10S, and a suitable ESC, I can display volts, amps, temperature and RPM on the screen. OK, I may not be able to watch them while flying, but an observer next to me can. This will quickly tell me if I've made the right choice of motor - something I could have done with a couple of years ago, when I carried out the first such conversion!

In terms of the two antennae, reports indicate that the two internals are better than the single external. However, my own experience with several single external antenna transmitters indicates there is no problem here, provided you can angle it suitably. On my Taranis (an early one) this movement is restricted, and I can't get it into the position I would prefer. I still haven't had a problem with it, though.

At the end of the day, it will come down to your personal preference. If you need to display a lot of info, go for the X10S. If you prefer a smaller, lighter transmitter, go for the Taranis. In either case you will be well satisfied.

--

Pete

[Allan Bennett]

Thanks Peter. I don't need to display a lot of info -- I don't try any programming at the field, I just wait until I get home and use Companion, and when I'm actually flying I can't really read the screen anyway because I'm wearing my long-distance prescription sunglasses!

So I'm going to go for the new Taranis, unless anybody can convince me that the different internal RF module of the Horus is really a game-changer.

[Ron Gray]

@Allan - I don't think you will be disappointed with the Taranis. I've got a Horus (12) and an old Taranis but last year I decided that I needed a new TX so looked at the 10 but settled for another Taranis. Whilst I do love the big colour screen on the Horus, when I'm flying I tend to look at the 'plane rather than the TX and I use switches linked to voice alerts to tell me the state of batteries and flying time etc, which you can obviously do on the Taranis. My new Taranis is primarily used for F3K and F5J gliders where I do need a lot of announcements (to tell me what the hell I'm doing!!).

[Allan Bennett]

Thanks Ron. I too find voice alerts a boon, since there's no way I can take my eye off a heli or multirotor in order to look at the screen. With fixed-wing I sometimes can look at the scrren to check the time, if I forget what the last thing was that the lady told me!

[Allan Bennett]

My Taranis X9D Plus SE 2019 arrived today, and I've got a couple of questions about the battery:

1. It's described as a 2S Li-Ion, and it can be charged in the transmitter from a USB supply. But does it get balanced when it's charged in the transmitter, or do I have to take it out and put it on my regular LiPo balance charger from time to time to keep it balanced? If so, is it charged as a LiPo, i.e. about 1C charge rate and 4.2v per cell cutoff?

2. The battery really rattles around in the housing that's designed for an 8-cell NiMh pack. Will it be harmed (overheating?) if I put some foam padding in to hold it in place?

[Ron Gray]

I got mine last year from T9 along with the Li-Ion 2s battery. I have only used the usb charge facility and it's been absolutely fine. I also have a strip of foam over the battery to stop it rattling around, again no issues.

[Peter Christy]

Li-Ion (Lithium Ion), LiPo (Lithium Polymer) and LiFe (Lithium Iron - confusingly!) are all different battery chemistries, and must be charged using the correct settings on an external charger. Getting this wrong can be dangerous, so be careful!

Just use the supplied internal charger, and don't worry!

--

Pete

[Richard Clark 2]

The Horus is a copy of a Jeti, the Taranis is a copy of an old JR.

They both support lots of anagrams which are meaningless to 'normal' human beings, be they model flyer or not..

The operating system was basically copied from Multiplex radios but has lots of randomly added supposedly 'useful' additions created by any nerd who fancies himself as an 'expert'. What in I'm not sure. Certainly not user interfaces.

It was installed in the Taranis for one reason only. It was free, so the Taranis manufacturer did not have to pay any development costs of his own.

[Ron Gray]

@Peter - the new Taranis is designed to be charged by usb which has a balancing function (seemingly), there is no supplied charger.

@Richard - so you're not a great fan of FrSky stuff then!!!!!!!

[Allan Bennett]

Posted by Peter Christy on 19/05/2020 22:18:17:

Li-Ion (Lithium Ion), LiPo (Lithium Polymer) and LiFe (Lithium Iron - confusingly!) are all different battery chemistries, and must be charged using the correct settings on an external charger. Getting this wrong can be dangerous, so be careful!

Just use the supplied internal charger, and don't worry!

--

Pete

I'm used to LiPo and LiFePO4 (A123), but this is my first "Li-Ion". Since "Li-Ion" is a generic term (the ion part of it could be any chemical), my LiPos and A123s could both be described as "Li-Ion", so it would be nice if manufacturers could be a bit more specific.

Anyway, as you've suggested, and Ron Gray has almost confirmed, the transmitter's internal charging circuit has a balancing function, so I needn't be concerned about external charging. I'll do cell voltage checks from time to time just to keep my mind at ease.

And I'll also put a piece of foam in. Thanks for the responses guys.

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by Richard Clark 2 on 20/05/2020 07:49:24:

The Horus is a copy of a Jeti, the Taranis is a copy of an old JR.

They both support lots of anagrams which are meaningless to 'normal' human beings, be they model flyer or not..

The operating system was basically copied from Multiplex radios but has lots of randomly added supposedly 'useful' additions created by any nerd who fancies himself as an 'expert'. What in I'm not sure. Certainly not user interfaces.

It was installed in the Taranis for one reason only. It was free, so the Taranis manufacturer did not have to pay any development costs of his own.

Someone's not woken up a happy bunny this morning!

ps - do you really mean anagram?

Anagram - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Anagram

An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example ...

[Peter Christy]

Posted by Richard Clark 2 on 20/05/2020 07:49:24:

It was installed in the Taranis for one reason only. It was free, so the Taranis manufacturer did not have to pay any development costs of his own.

And that was reflected in the price, which was substantially lower than any comparable competitors!

--

Pete

[Mike Blandford]

Posted by Richard Clark 2 on 20/05/2020 07:49:24:

The Horus is a copy of a Jeti, the Taranis is a copy of an old JR.

They both support lots of anagrams which are meaningless to 'normal' human beings, be they model flyer or not..

The operating system was basically copied from Multiplex radios but has lots of randomly added supposedly 'useful' additions created by any nerd who fancies himself as an 'expert'. What in I'm not sure. Certainly not user interfaces.

It was installed in the Taranis for one reason only. It was free, so the Taranis manufacturer did not have to pay any development costs of his own.

To keep development costs down, FrSky were able to purchase the case moulds for use by the Taranis from another company (that was not JR). They didn't therefore copy the JR.

The operating system was not copied from Multiplex. It is an open source development, started by someone in Germany and written for the "9X" radios (initially called TH9X firmware). This was further developed for the 9X radios as er9x firmware. er9x was also forked as open9x somewhat later.

An arm processor based board was then developed for the 9X radios (SKY board) and I ported er9x to this (ersky9x firmware), open9x was also ported to this.

Then FrSky started the development of the Taranis, and provided the small number of developers with prototype transmitters and we ported both to the Taranis (I wrote most of the low level drivers for both).

The Taranis doesn't just have a single "operating system", it has TWO. Some of the recent transmitters (XLite for example) are supplied with a choice of operating system, openTx or erskyTx (as it is now called).

You might try erskyTx as many users have reported the user interface is better than openTx.

Mike

[Ron Gray]

@Bob, Peter and Mike - 'back of the net"

[Allan Bennett]

One more question:

As I said earlier, I'm familiar with LiPo and A123 packs and their storage requirements. What about these "Li-Ion" transmitter packs? Can they be stored safely in the transmitter at full charge, like A123s?