What's this dinky transmitter on my desk? It's the Pocket - the smallest in a series of compact transmitters from RadioMaster! It fits in a pouch, comes with a choice of modules (ELRS or CC2500 MPM) and is very keenly priced.
I've had a lot of fun with it, checking it out on the bench and flying my Sting F3F racing glider. Spoiler alert: the setup used for flight tests would be a challenge for any radio, let alone a radio costing £65! We're talking of functionality at least on a par with £1000+ radios beginning with 'J'. Crazy stuff :-)
Read on and find out if the Pocket is for you...
What’s in the box
Aha, that tiny box! Can it really contain a transmitter? Well yes... and there's more inside:
- Carry pouch
- Instruction leaflet (very basic)
- USB cable
- Sheet of decorative transfers
- Screen protector
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The transmitter takes two 18650 LiIon batteries. These are not supplied, but are easy to source.
Design and build
Put on your protective goggles, because the Pocket is offered in a range of whacky translucent colours including blue, pink, green, and orange. Mine was supplied in Classic Charcoal, but I also received an additional shell in orange. I think the orange looks rather fun!
Changing the shell. To replace the shell you have to completely disassemble the radio. It's not difficult, but care is needed in a couple of areas. When removing the antenna connector, scrape off the yellow glue first, then lift off the connector cleanly - perpendicular to the board - to avoid distorting the contacts.
The antenna is also worth a mention. The base has a split collar which squeezes through a hole in the case before clicking into place - and strong fingers are needed to release it. Release the motherboard first, to give your fingers more room to work.
Don't be deceived by the low price - the shell is beautifully moulded. A nice touch is the decorative LED's which light up from inside when the backlight is on.
The side cheeks are made of a flexible plastic with a non-slip surface texture. They are removeable for access to the batteries and gimbal adjusters.
The antenna can rotate through 90 degrees in the vertical axis. When not in use, it can be folded flat. In addition, the sticks can be removed and stowed in the side grips.
With the antenna and sticks out of the way, the Pocket fits snugly in its pouch.
The pouch is a great space-saver! It'll fit in the side pocket of a backpack, freeing room for tools, camera, and sandwiches!
Ergonomics
Small transmitters are never comfortable - true or false? Well false, actually - as a thumber, I find the Pocket surprisingly nice to hold.
A useful metric is the distance between the stick centres. On the Pocket, it's 82 mm, compared with the 90 mm for the Zorro and 77 mm for the (rather cramped) TX12.
For prolonged flying at the slope, I like to use a neck strap and it balances perfectly.
The grip is not quite as secure as those on the Zorro - this may be a consideration if you fly DLGs.
All in all, considering its size, the designers have done a splendid job with the ergonomics.
Gimbals and trims
I'm not a gimbal snob, but I do like my gimbals to be robust, adjustable, and to centre consistently.
The gimbals on the Pocket are made of plastic and are very small units - even smaller than those on the TX12 and Zorro. Even so, the shafts are ball-raced and they're fitted with Hall sensors - both nice to see on a budget set.
Sticks
The sticks are removeable (they screw into the gimbals). When not in use, they can be stowed in a recess in the side.
Stick length is not adjustable, however RadioMaster offer stick extenders which screw in between the gimbal and the stick.
The stick tops are very sharp as delivered - I have run a needle file over them just to take the edge off. Also the sticks can work loose, so it's a good idea to check them between flights. And take care not to drop them in the long grass!
External gimbal adjustments
Each gimbal has three adjuster screws, accessible through holes in the case. These are for (a) spring tension on each axis and (b) disengaging the spring on the throttle axis.
To acess the screws, you have to remove the side cheeks first, which is easy enough. Replacing the cheeks is a little fiddly, though. Fortunately you won't have to do this very often.
The adjuster screws have hex heads.
Stick tension was too firm for me, so I reduced it to the minimum.
Trims
Instead of the usual trim levers, there are two miniature 4-way joysticks. These are located either side of the power button. Locating them by feel takes a little getting used to, but they work fine.
Switches and controls
The Pocket has a good selection of buttons and switches.
For your flight mode switch there's a choice of two 3-position rocker switches. These are located either side of the antenna.
Located on the front shoulders are two push-on/push-off switches. A green LED lights up when in the 'on' position, however they're not easy to see - they should be supplemented with voice callouts for any critical function.
On the rear left is a momentary button, again with a large pad. This should be good as a DLG launch switch - as long as you launch with your right arm (the switches are soldered to boards, and are not easily swapped).
Finally on the right rear shoulder is a nicely damped roller which could be used for, say, camber control.
Programming controls
Anyone who has used a RadioMaster transmitter will immediately feel at home with the Pocket. That is to say:
- The MDL and SYS buttons take you to the top level Model and System menus.
- Navigation is performed using RTN, Page up, Page down keys, and the scroll wheel.
- Press the scroll wheel to confirm.
- The TELE key takes you to the telemetry screens.
The buttons have a nice positive action, however the scroll wheel has a slightly loose feel on my unit.
Light, sound and external connections
The LCD panel is located in the ideal position for viewing.
The panel is very small, however I had no difficulty reading the menus thanks to the bright and contrasty display.
Sound from the front-mounted speaker is loud and clear.
Along the top are DSC (trainer) socket, and USB data port.
On the bottom are a headphone jack, USB charge input, and MicroSD card.
RF module
My Pocket was equipped with an ELRS module.
Why ELRS? Thanks to receivers like the RadioMaster ER6G, ELRS is now a viable alternative to traditional protocols like ACCST for fixed wing/line of sight applications, and early testing with an F3F model confirms that it works well in this role.
The unit is also available with the CC2500 MPM (multi-protocol module). This supports the FrSky ACCST D8 and D16 protocols and a few others. However it does not support Spektrum or Flysky protocols - for that you will need an external 4-in-1 nano module.
Firmware
My Pocket came with a beta version of EdgeTX V2.10.0. The RF module was loaded with ELRS v3.0.1 LBT.
After configuring the ELRS passphrase, I successfully bound the Pocket with an ER8G receiver running ELRS v3.2.1.
RQly telemetry
With a receiver connected, I noticed that the link quality (RQly) was bouncing between around 88% and 98% - even at close range. Turns out this is expected behaviour with the LBT firmware. With the FCC firmware, RQly should return a steady 100%.
For both the LBT and FCC versions, the low and critical RQly levels are 50% and 20% respectively.
Programming EdgeTX
The usual caveats apply with EdgeTX. If you're a first time user, then will find it a little strange. You can't just work it out of the box - some research and digging is required. It's worth persevering though, especially if you have decent technical skills, because it has unrivalled flexibility. See links at end.
Lo-res interface
This version of EdgeTX is optimised for low res screens. It's a little less easy to navigate than with, say, the version on the FrSky X9D. In any case, the tiny screen means that programming is better done using Companion.
Loading a test setup
I like to push the boundaries a bit - and the cheaper the radio the more I push! So for flight tests, I loaded my F3F setup with 50+ mixers and adaptive trim script. The idea was to fly it with my Sting which I used to use for competition (it's now my 'hack' testing model).
The setup for the Sting already resided on my TX16S, so the first task was to convert it to EdgeTX/Pocket format. There were just two problems: first, EdgeTX Companion does not currently support the Pocket. Secondly, the TX16S was running OpenTX, not EdgeTX. So the conversion had to be done in steps.
First, I converted my TX16S setups into EdgeTX format. I did this by importing the TX16S models into EdgeTX Companion, using a Zorro profile. Next, I extracted the YAML file from the ETX file (see note below). Lastly, I copied the YAML file to the /MODELS folder on the SD card. To my relief it was successfully recognised, and I was able to make some final adjustments ready for flight.
If this sounds tricky, don't worry - the Pocket will no doubt be supported by EdgeTX Companion soon, allowing existing setups - whether EdgeTX or OpenTX - to be migrated in a single step.
Tip: .ETX files are actually zip archives. To extract YAML model files from a .ETX container, change the file extension from .ETX to .ZIP, then expand. The YAML model files are contained in the /MODELS sub-folder.
Flight testing
For flight testing I used my Sting F3F slope racer equipped with six servos, 4-cell NiMH pack, and ER8G receiver. This is my 'hack' F3F model which I use for testing new radios. The session took place at Ivinghoe Beacon, my local slope 60 km north of London.
The session was uneventful. In fact, I much enjoyed using the transmitter. Partly because it was so comfortable that I almost forgot that I was using a small transmitter. And partly because it became something of a talking point with my clubmates!
Pocket v. Zorro
There is some overlap between the Pocket and Zorro, not least because they are both small transmitters.
I have already reviewed the Zorro. Comparing the two radios, the Zorro wins on screen size, ergonomics and number of switches. It's also available with a 4-in-1 module which supports Spektrum and Flysky protocols. Plus, it will accept the AG01 Mini CNC gimbals.
The Pocket wins on portability, larger capacity batteries - and price.
Verdict
It’s easy to be captivated by the Pocket. It's cleverly designed and surprisingly well featured for such a small and inexpensive unit. The ability to carry it in a pouch is its great selling point.
There are inevitably some compromises due to its small size, for example the shallow grip, and reduced number of switches. And the small screen will be a negative factor if you do lots of programming directly on the transmitter. (If, like me, you program using Companion then screen size will not be an issue.)
If you're new to EdgeTX, make sure to do your research before committing.
The Pocket should appeal to these groups:
- Slope soarers who like to combine flying with hiking.
- Sport flyers who just want an ultra compact radio.
- Right handed DLG flyers.
To sum up, the Pocket is an intriguing and capable ultra-compact radio. I think RadioMaster have another winner on their hands!
Specifications
- Dimensions: 156.6*65.1*125.3mm (Folded size) /156.6*73.1*154.8mm (Unfold size）
- Weight: 288 grams
- Operating frequency: 2.400GHz-2.480GHz
- Internal RF Options: CC2500 multi-protocol / ELRS 2.4GHz
- Supported protocols: Module dependent
- RF power: CC2500 20dBm max / ELRS FCC: 24dBm max / ELRS EU-LBT: 20dBm max
- Operational voltage: 6.6-8.4v DC
- Control distance: > 2km @ 20dBm
- Operating system: EdgeTX
- Control channels: Maximum 16 (Receiver dependent)
- Display: 128*64 Monochrome LCD
- Battery: 2pcs 18650 batteries (Not included)
- Charging: Built in USB-C QC3 Charging
- Upgradable Firmware: Via USB or the included SD card
- Gimbal: Hall-effect
- Module bay: Nano size (Compatible with RadioMaster Nano-size modules, TBS Nano Crossfire / Nano Tracer )
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