17.07.2023

Taranis Q X7 control equipment - for the greedy or for the smart? Budget equipment for controlling FrSky TARANIS Q X7 models.

Hello friends! In this review I want to talk about the budget control equipment FrSky Taranis Q X7 - a simplified version of the widely popular radio equipment Taranis X9D. I added a short video to the review about which inexpensive device to choose, about the pros and cons of budget radio equipment, as well as how to replace potentiometers in sticks, stock antennas and painting the equipment.
So, is the QX7 a ram for the greedy or for the sensible? Let's figure it out. I will judge the equipment from the perspective of a drone racer, so if you are a helicopter pilot, airplane pilot or other pilot, my arguments may seem strange to you.

Characteristics from the manufacturer's website:

  • Working voltage: 6~15V (2S, 3S fit Lipo);
  • Operating current: 210mA maximum (with transmitter module and screen backlight turned on);
  • Support more than 16 channels;
  • Sticks on bearings (but without Hall sensors);
  • Support for external radio modules;
  • Number of models in memory: 60 (expansion via SD card);
  • Communication protocols: ACCST; FASST;
  • Removable storage: SD;
  • Battery compartment: 92 x 59 x 17 mm;
  • Operating temperature range: -10~45℃;
  • LCD screen resolution: 128x64 Monochrome;
  • Dimensions: 200 x 170 x 50mm;
  • Weight: 631g.

Unboxing


Includes: Taranis Q X7 radio equipment, user manual, neck strap with balancer, stickers.

Appearance and design

Finally, FrSky hired a designer and the appa no longer looks like a 1976 product.




On the back of the case there are rubber pads for more comfortable holding of the equipment in your hands.


Those who think the QX7 is too cheap to be good are wrong; it's not cheap at all. For the price of 100~120$ you only get an appa and a neck strap. The kit doesn't even include a receiver, which will cost you another $30.
Specifically, in my version there is a compartment for 6 AA batteries and this is extremely inconvenient, because... a good charger with batteries will cost you about 60 bucks. Therefore, you either need to have all this, or throw away the unit and install a regular LiPo battery. Supported supply voltage is from 6 V to 15 V. The battery cannot be charged inside the equipment.






From the factory, all sticks are fully spring-loaded, so after selecting the required mode, you must disassemble the device and remove the excess spring. It is very easy to disassemble, just 4 screws.




To turn off the equipment you need to hold the power button for several seconds, which is very annoying and I did not find where to configure this.


Otherwise, it's still the same Taranis, with the same sticks, but fewer switches and a smaller display, the resolution of which has suffered significantly. All telemetry and voice prompts features have been retained.


The Appa feels nice in the hands and is easier to transport than the regular Taranis. The carrying handle can be moved to the other side to reduce the overall thickness. But the long antenna protrudes beyond the body when folded, and this is a jamb, because... The antenna's hinge is flimsy and you shouldn't just throw it in your backpack.




At the top, the equipment is equipped with two additional ports: a 3.5 mm jack for headphones and a port for a JR type trainer.


The company seems to have overcome the problem of interference from the radio path to the speaker and headphones. The speaker does not produce noise, it has become a little louder and cleaner in sound. In headphones, the volume is turned up to prohibitive levels, there is no interference from the antenna.
At the bottom end of the equipment there are: a slot for SD memory cards, mini-USB and Smart Port. The Q X7 doesn't come with a memory card, but it's required to use the firmware and its resources, so again you'll have to shell out some cash.

Firmware:

X7 comes with OpenTX 2.2 firmware, built-in XJT module and supports connection of an external JR type module. Therefore, the basic set of functions is essentially identical. This means that things like the smart telemetry port work on the QX7 and you can use the same receivers. You can even use the smart port to update the receiver's firmware, like on the Taranis X9D. Also, initial tests showed that there was no noticeable difference in the frequency range between the X9D and QX7 and from this point of view, both devices are the same.

Range test

Testing was carried out under the same conditions, in the forest. Everything is very simple - one quad and two equipment. We turned on the equipment, armed the quad and went into the forest, measuring the range using a GPS meter.
Taranis QX7 - communication lost at a distance of 433 m from the equipment.
Taranis X9D Plus - connection lost at a distance of 421 m.
There are practically no differences in the operating range of the QX7 and X9D equipment.
If you like modern design from a new era, then of course we take the QX7, and if you are a supporter of the Victorian era, then of course we choose the good old Taranis.

Pivot table




Thank you for your attention!

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

I'm planning to buy +6 Add to favorites I liked the review +15 +22

In this article I will tell you how update control equipment FrSky Taranis x9D and Q X7 up to OpenTX 2.2.0. We will update in Windows 10 and perhaps in Windows 7 or another version the instructions will be different. The problem is that Taranis itself and the software are in English, and not everyone knows it, so I decided to write an article on how to update Taranis in Russian.

This file is in the archive, unzip it and double-click, a warning window will open that you are making changes to the registry - click Yes, after which the changes will be made to the registry and OpenTX Companion will launch without error.

Let's launch OpenTX Companion. You will see this window:


Click "Yes" to download the firmware. At this point, an “Invalid Language” error may occur; to fix it, you need to reselect the hardware type:

Click OK, close and restart the program, and try downloading the firmware again.

SD Card Files

Before starting the firmware process, download the files from the SD directory of the site, depending on your version using the link SDCard content for 2.2.0:

Before these manipulations, make a backup of the Taranis file system on your computer, then format the flash drive, then connect Taranis to the computer (if, of course, you have the drivers installed) via USB, load the desired version of the files that you downloaded from the link above onto the remote control flash drive. If the drivers are not installed or you cannot install them, remove the USB flash drive, insert it into your phone, download what you need and insert it back into Taranis.

We connect Taranis to the computer via USB, if you have not connected it yet.

Firmware OpenTX 2.2.0 for Taranis

After installing and downloading the software to your computer, open the program itself. On the left side, select the button circled in a red square, it is called « Flash Firmware» and click on it.

You will see this firmware dialog box:

If you missed the point of connecting the remote control to the computer, then connect (micro-USB on the back panel of the remote control) and press the button “ Write to TX”, the red indicator will start blinking - the firmware process has begun.
You may get an error that the drivers for the remote control are not installed, then you will need a programZadig, or Yandex with Google to search for the necessary drivers, I just didn’t have such a problem, but I heard that this error sometimes appears.

Bootloader update (bootloader update)

The last step is updating the bootloader. For this you need:


Taranis software update is complete, congratulations, you've done it

Hello. Today we will talk about new budget equipment from the company FrSKY - TARANIS Q X7, which recently added to the list of products they produce. At its low cost, TARANIS Q X7 is quite adequate modern requirements to model control equipment and is able to satisfy all the needs of even sophisticated users.

The equipment is supplied in cardboard packaging. To ensure safety during transportation, there is a dense foam tray inside the box.



The package includes: instructions for English language; set of stickers; removable basket designed to install six 1.5 V AA batteries; Branded neck cord with balancer. battery, charger and there is no receiver included.







The technical parameters of the FrSky TARANIS Q X7 equipment declared by the manufacturer are given in the table below.

This time, FrSky moved away from the classic forms that we saw in the TARANIS X9D equipment, as a result we got a futuristic and at the same time minimalist design of the case, with more sharp corners than the X9D. The case itself is made of durable matte plastic on the front of the equipment and glossy on the back; if handled carefully, I think it will not get scratched.





At the back of the equipment there are two rubber pads, with them the equipment fits much more comfortably in your hands.

The build quality is excellent. There are no creaks of plastic parts, the body parts fit perfectly together. Rubberized pads good quality. The only complaints about back cover replacement radio module (JR), it dangles and lives its own life, but a piece of foam rubber inserted into the niche for the module solves all the problems.





The battery slot measures 92 x 59 x 17 mm. If desired, you can install any suitable 2S battery or use the included basket for AA batteries.









Place for the radio module (JR).

External antenna with integrated dipole at 2.4 GHz. Can rotate on a hinge in all planes.



To the left and right of the antenna there are trainer-student connectors and a headphone output jack.





There are a total of 6 toggle switches and two potentiometers. The older version of the TARANIS X9D has 2 switches and two more potentiometers (side sliders). Strangely enough, I only used the side sliders once in my life, so there are enough controls for almost any model. Toggle switches are not signed. Their names can be found in the instructions, and their position is visible on the equipment displays.







The design of the sticks is completely borrowed from the TARANIS X9D, the wells of the sticks are shallow, which makes the equipment extremely attractive for those who hold the sticks with a pinch.

There are four digital trimmers for proportional channels.

The clicking buttons (like the X9D) have been replaced by new system equipment control, more thoughtful and allows you to quickly navigate through the menu using three large buttons on the left side and an encoder on the right. The encoder allows you to navigate through menu lists and various options, change settings and enters editing mode. For those who have held equipment from Futaba in their hands, such control will be intuitive. With an encoder, operations can be performed faster than with buttons. The screen of the Q X7 has a lower resolution than that of the Taranis X9D, this is immediately noticeable. The width is smaller, the picture is more pixelated, the backlight cannot be changed, it is bluish-green.

FrSky TARANIS Q X7 has a built-in vibration motor. It works much more pleasantly in comparison with the X9D (in which the vibrations were such that it seemed like the whole body was about to fly apart). In Q X7 they are softer.



At the bottom end of the equipment there are: a slot for SD memory cards; miniUSB and Smart Port. According to the description, Smart Port is needed for flashing receivers and some other functionality that Open TX firmware will provide in the future. The connectors are covered with a soft rubber plug. In my opinion, the location of the miniUSB connector when using equipment to connect to the simulator is not the best.



I'll give you a few photos interior design FrSky TARANIS Q X7 is for those who like to disassemble and repair everything. And it’s difficult to do this, since both sticks are initially spring-loaded. This means there will be some tweaking required to turn one of them into a throttle stick - just tighten the corresponding screw. This solution makes it possible to very easily change the hardware mode setting (Mode 1, 2, 3 or 4).







































The equipment is powered by flexible Open TX firmware customized specifically for the TARANIS Q X7 and its controls. The most important thing is that it is absolutely no different from the one installed on the X9D, it’s just that the screen is a little smaller and it requires text output to a larger amount of the on-screen menu. Those who have already used TARANIS should not have any problems.



In the end, we received excellent budget equipment with support for all existing receivers from FrSky, the price of which is almost 40% lower than that of the TARANIS X9D, which has already conquered the market. Independent comparative tests, given on various sites and forums, showed that there are no differences in the operating range of the Q X7 and X9D equipment; the radio modules installed in these equipment are identical to each other. The new design, improved controls and reasonable price tag for the FrSky TARANIS Q X7 make this equipment simply a must-have in 2017.









P.s. All photos in the review are original.

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

I'm planning to buy +8 Add to favorites I liked the review +10 +19
  • Sticks on bearings (but without Hall sensors)
  • Supports up to 16 channels
  • Telemetry support
  • Audio output (voice alerts)
  • Support for external radio modules
  • Storing up to 60 models in memory (you can have more on an SD card)
  • LCD screen, 128x64, with backlight
  • 6 toggle switches (4 of which are three-position), 2 knobs
  • Supply voltage: 6-15 volts (2-3S Lipo)
  • Model files are compatible with Taranis X9D
  • OpenTX firmware installed

Quality

The appa comes with a neck strap and instructions. Battery and charger are not included.

Taranis Q X7 is available in two variants: black and white. Compared to the X9D, it's about 15mm wider, 10mm lower and 10-15mm thinner. Weight: 619 grams (without battery), i.e. about 70 grams lighter than the X9D.

Futuristic and at the same time minimalistic body design, with sharper corners than the X9D. Either way, the QX7 looks completely new.

Both sticks are spring loaded. This means there will be some tweaking required to turn one of them into a throttle stick: just tighten the corresponding screw. This solution makes it possible to very easily change the hardware mode (Mode1, 2, 3 or 4).

There are rubber handles on the back, making the equipment more comfortable in your hands. In my opinion this is a great improvement over the X9D. An excellent solution for all types of stick grip (pinch, one-finger). The distance between the sticks is 5 mm greater than that of the X9D, but this is not significant.



But here's what I noticed: if you take sticks in a hybrid way, there is a chance of unintentionally clicking the upper right toggle switch if it is in the down position. Of course, it all depends on how you hold your appa, so this problem won't affect everyone.

Below are located: a slot for an SD memory card (TF port), miniUSB and Smart Port. According to the instructions, Smart Port is needed for further development of functionality. The connectors are located under a soft rubber plug, similar material is used by video camera manufacturers.


A USB connector is needed to connect to a computer (simulators), but its location is not the best.

The build quality is excellent. There are no creaks, the body parts fit perfectly together. The rubber parts are also of good quality. The battery door is a little flimsy and was a little difficult to open. It's much better in X9D.

There are a total of 6 toggle switches and 2 knobs. Taranis X9D has 2 switches and two more knobs on the sides. Toggle switches are not signed. Their name can be found in the instructions, and their position is visible on the screen.

What's new? Multi-color indicator right in the middle of the device. Depending on the operating mode, the presence of warnings or the position of the switches, it lights up red, blue or green.

There are no more small buttons (like the X9D). Instead, there are 3 larger buttons/pads and one wheel with a built-in button. The wheel button allows you to move through menu lists and various options, change settings and enters editing mode. For those familiar with digital SLRs, this control will be intuitive. With a rotating wheel, operations can be performed faster than with buttons. This is great functionality!


To turn off, simply hold the ON\OFF button for 3 seconds.

The screen of the Q X7 has a lower resolution than that of the Taranis X9D, this is immediately noticeable. The width is smaller, the picture is more pixelated, the backlight cannot be changed, it is bluish-green.

The speaker is excellent. There is no longer the annoying buzzing noise that X9D owners sometimes complained about, but the speaker produces a very quiet noise, which can be seen by placing your ear to the body.

Tactile feedback has also been improved. It works much more pleasantly in comparison with the X9D (in which the vibrations were such that it seemed like the whole body was about to fly apart). In Q X7 they are softer.

The sticks are good, they are on bearings, just like the stock X9D sticks. They are not interchangeable with the X9D (M9) sticks because they have a different size and mounting hole location (about 10mm smaller than the X9D). However, FrSky will soon release an upgrade - sticks with Hall sensors - X7.

We disassemble Taranis Q X7

To open the case, you need to unscrew 4 screws. Unlike the X9D, after unscrewing the screws, the back panel can be completely removed, because there are no electronics on it.

The SF and SH toggle switches are fixed to the front panel, and after it is disconnected, they remain on it. The 2.4 GHz, 2 dBi antenna is connected using a small connector, so it can be easily repaired or replaced with a 5 dBi antenna.




Batteries

The Taranis Q X7 does not come with either a battery or a charger. There is also no charging circuit inside. The kit includes a tray for 6 AA batteries.

The battery slot measures 92 x 59 x 17 mm.

The AA battery tray is removable (but requires tweezers and a little effort).

I understand that AA batteries are the simplest solution. But this means that you need to have a separate charger for 6 or 12 batteries. And their service life is shorter than that of LiPo and LiFe batteries.

The power connector is like a 2S balance connector, so I decided to use my FPV goggle battery, 2S 1300mAh 20C. It is light and small, allowing you to use the app for 2-3 hours. However, in my opinion, this is not the most good decision, because LiPo batteries Do not keep them fully charged for a long time (this shortens their service life). But it will do just fine.

Taranis Q X7 compared to Taranis X9D




Range tests

I tested the control equipment in several places and in different conditions (park, underground parking), none of the pilots noticed a difference in the quality and range of reception compared to the X9D.

Actually, as expected, because the built-in radio module is the same as inside the X9D.

OpenTx firmware for Q X7

Taranis Q X7 is already firmware with OpenTx 2.2. OpenTx works on other hardware, but in this case it was customized to use Q X7 hardware, so some functionality may have been lost. For example, there is no option to change the backlight color, and there are no model icons. I think this is due to the limited screen capabilities.

An SD card is needed so that the app can talk (in a pleasant female voice, now in Russian, approx. trans.), also for flashing. The default contents of the card can be downloaded from the FrSky website.

The menu options have been shortened to make it easier to work on a smaller screen, but everything is very similar to the X9D.

A few screenshots:

pros

  • Cheaper alternative to Taranis X9D (about 30-40% cheaper)
  • Same built-in XJT module as in X9D - same reception range
  • Lighter and slightly smaller in size
  • Good build quality
  • New, interesting, futuristic design
  • Two body colors (reminiscent star Wars- Darth Vader and the stormtroopers)
  • The antenna can be replaced (even independently)
  • Improved speaker (no buzzing)
  • More convenient buttons and wheel for menu navigation
  • Fits well in your hands thanks to the rubber handles on the back
  • Despite low price doesn't look cheap

Minuses

  • There is no battery included and I would like to be able to purchase the recommended battery
  • No SD card included
  • I would like to have sticks on Hall sensors
  • Low resolution and small size LCD screen. Just one backlight color
  • No model icons
  • The battery cover is fragile and difficult to remove
  • For simulator users, the USB connector is not conveniently located

Conclusion

The price of the Taranis X9D is a little high for pilots on a budget, besides purchasing the Turnigy 9X/9XR and the DJT/XJT module, we now have another alternative! Taranis Q X7 is made for those who want a cheap solution from FrSky, but without significant sacrifice in quality.

Of course, if you already have a Taranis X9D, then there is no point in changing it to the Q X7. If you are a beginner or want to start using the Frsky ecosystem, the Taranis Q X7 is a great option.

FAQ

Is it possible to flash receivers via SmartPort?

Yes, OpenTX 2.2. allows it

Will the Turnigy 2S 1800 mah battery from Hobbyking fit?

Judging by fits the size. Its parameters are 64 x 50 x 14 mm

Better print a holder like this for 18650 batteries.

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