If you look at most famous FPV pilots almost all of them use the FrSky Taranis X9D plus. For a very long period it was the only and best choice for FPV racing. However the price was high, so it was not an option for beginners with limited budget. Some were using an upgraded Turnigy 9x or the Turnigy Evolution.
Since the beginning of 2017 there is a new and affordable FrSky transmitter – the Taranis Q X7. I am using it for almost half an year and would like to share my experience. If you want to join the FPV Racing movement and are looking for your first transmitter, check the comparison below.
| Taranis X9D Plus | Taranis Q X7 | |
| Number of channels | Up to 16 channels | Up to 16 channels |
| Operating voltage range | 6~15V (2S, 3S LiPos are acceptable) | 6~15V (2S, 3S LiPos are acceptable) |
| Operating temperature | -10 to 60 °C | – 10 to 45 °C |
| Backlight LCD display | 212*64, 2 color combinations | 128*64 |
| Model Memories | 60 (extendable by SD card) | 60 (extendable by SD card) |
| Compatibility | FrSky X series, D series and V8-II series receivers | FrSky X series, D series and V8-II series receivers |
| Operating current | 260mA maximum | 210mA maximum |
| Switches number | 8 | 6 |
| Sliders | 2 | |
| Features: | ||
| Quad Ball Bearing Gimbals | Quad Ball Bearing Gimbals | |
| Audio Speech Outputs | Audio Speech Outputs | |
| Real-time Flight Data Logging | Real-time Flight Data Logging | |
| Receiver Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) Alerts | Receiver Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) Alerts | |
| Super Low Latency | Super Low Latency | |
| Smart Port Supported | Smart Port Supported | |
| Vibration Alerts | Vibration Alerts | |
| Open source firmware OpenTx | Open source firmware OpenTx | |
| 2000mAh battery included | ||
| SD-Card included | ||
| Better menu navigation | ||
| Ergonomic design | ||
| Price: | 182$ | 110$ |
The Taranis Q X7 comes with a self-centred throttle stick, which is good for flying autonomous drones, but totally not acceptable for FPV racing.
Its easy do modify and will cost you about 10 minutes. Open the transmitter by removing the screws. Then you just need to remove the tiny spring as shown on the picture below.
Personally I think that, the main disadvantage of the Taranis Q X7 is, that a battery is not included. You may use 6 x AA batteries or buy a 2S LiPo battery.
The display of the Taranis X9D plus is bigger and you can also change the background colour. However I am perfectly fine with the display of the Q X7. If you are flying with FPV, you have all the relevant telemetry data on your OSD, so you don´t really need a big display on your transmitter.
The design and ergonomic are different and due to the rubber grip on the back, it feels better in your hands.
The navigation in the menu is much easier, because of the new buttons.
Recently FrSky announced high sensitivity hall sensors for the Q X7, so it could be easily upgraded just like its bigger brother.
Conclusion:
If you are a beginner and looking for your first transmitter, I could without any doubt recommend the Taranis Q X7. You can find it at Banggood or GearBest.
Update 03.2019: We also have tested the Taranis X-Lite and think it is definitely worth considering it as your first transmitter.
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