There comes a time where you have to dump the old, and embrace the new. The 'old' in this case is my 'Mike's OpenTX Clinic' web site. The purpose of the site was to spread knowledge about OpenTX, and it was also a repository for my sailplane templates. It has served me well for nine years or so, however lately it's started to creak, as has the software used to create it. Ancient writings I developed the website using Dreamweaver MX 2004, a software package which is now 19 years old. It was originally developed by Macromedia, who were taken over by Adobe in 2005 after which support more or less ..read more

ELRS is a hot protocol at the moment! It offers much greater range than traditional protocols like ACCST, ACCESS and DSM. However until recently, ELRS was almost exclusively targeted at drone flyers.  That's all changing now, thanks to the introduction of receivers with integrated PWM pins. In this post, I'll take a closer look at ELRS, point out some of the pitfalls (including the CH5 requirements), and provide signposts for further info. What is ELRS? ELRS stands for 'Express Long Range System'. It's a mix of hardware, software and RF protocols based on LoRa technology.&n ..read more

The RadioMaster Pocket is a compact, well featured transmitter with a low price tag. It comes with a choice of ELRS or CC2500 modules and has a number of clever features.  In this review I'll be looking at it in detail, from the point of view of a saiplane and e-glider flyer. Read on and find out if it's for you!  What’s in the box The first surprise is the small box - it's hard to believe it contains a transmitter! Also included are: Carry pouch Instruction leaflet (very basic) USB cable for data and charging Sheet of decorative transfers Screen protector The tra ..read more

RadioMaster have just  released a bunch of ELRS receivers specially for gliders and electric models! They all have servo connectors built in, and offer much greater range compared with traditional protocols. Four glider receivers! The receiver for review are the ER6G and ER6GV (6-channel), and the ERG8 and ER8GV (8-channel). They share the following features: Fully integrated PWM outputs ‘Whisker‘ style antennae Telemetry including RxBt, RSSI, RQly Vario sensor ('V' receivers only). Remote binding Operating voltage of 3.5 - 8.4V Telemetry of external voltage All units came with ..read more

RadioMaster have a new baby transmitter. Yes, it's the Zorro! You'll probably already know that it's packed with features, supports OpenTX and EdgeTX, and comes with a choice of Multiprotocol or ELRS modules. However while most of the Zorro reviews focus on its use with drones, this review takes a different approach - it's geared towards pilots of sailplanes, DLG and electric gliders. If that sounds like you, then read on!   In the box What you get! My Zorro arrived direct from China in a cute little package. Inside were the following:  Zorro transmitter with intern ..read more

In this article, I describe an improved user interface for trimming out crow brakes. It uses the standard features of OpenTX - no Lua script is required. The two components of pitch trim Crow brakes are great tools for losing height. However, they generate a nose up pitching moment. This increases with the amount of crow. To counteract this, we employ a crow-to-elevator mix, commonly know as compensation. So, on a model with crow brakes, there will be two components to pitch trim: A constant offset, adjusted with the brakes off, using the elevator trim.  A crow-dependent compensation, a ..read more

If there's one aspect of the UK drone laws which is particularly grating, it's the requirement to display your operator id on every model. To add insult to injury, it's now a whopping 19 characters! There is something we can do though: make the actual label as small as possible... It’s all about the font! The CAA rules state that the operator id must be "clear and in block capitals taller than 3mm"... but - aha! - no mention of length. Obviously the narrower the font, the shorter the label. So the next question was: what is the narrowest font available? Following a session playing with fonts o ..read more

The AG01 is a new, high-quality CNC gimbal for the TX16S transmitter. My TX16S came with version 1 gimbals, so I was very interested to try the AG01. Would it be easier to adjust? Would it deal with the drift issue? Would it improve my flying? In this review I check out the AG01 in detail, so you can decide it it's worth the premium price! Full disclosure - RadioMaster provided me with these units free of charge to evaluate and keep. RM did not seek or receive access to this review prior to publication, and all opinions are my own.  Headline specs compared The AG01 gimbal features Hall ..read more

With summer just around the corner, I've just added a brand new setup to my family of OpenTX templates. It’s called, simply, 'DLG', and it’s intended for 4-servo discus launch gliders like the Blaster, Snipe, Vortex etc.  Read on and find out if DLG is the right solution for you...! Designed for compatibility DLG was designed for compatibility. It doesn't depend on any Lua scripts, and it runs on virtually any OpenTX transmitter including the X-Lite Pro,  X9D, Q X7, X10 and Radiomaster TX12 and TX16S. The only requirement is a momentary switch for launching (more on thi ..read more

Looking for a compact and inexpensive radio which runs OpenTX? Well here's something to put on your shortlist - it's the new TX12 from Radiomaster, and it's possibly the smallest and cheapest OpenTX transmitter on the market. I've been playing - and flying - with a pre-production unit for the last couple of weeks. Read on and find out if this little baby is for you... Full disclosure - Radiomaster kindly sent me a pre-production unit to evaluate. RM did not seek or receive access to this review prior to publication.  Baby steps Remove the TX12 from the simple packaging, and the first ..read more