The X14S is a lightweight mid-range radio from FrSky. With its support for Ethos and Twin, the X14S seems - on paper at least - to be a promising choice for soaring and electric flight.
So, when FrSky offered me a unit to review I needed no persuading.
 |
| FrSky X14S |
After a few weeks with the unit, has the X14S lived up to expectations? Read on and find out!
X14: one radio, two variants
The X14 is offered in two flavours: the basic version with 128MB of flash memory and regular gimbals; and the X14S with 512MB and CNC gimbals. The review unit is the ‘S’ version.
Within the range of Twin-capable radios currently in production, the X14 and X14S sits below the X18RS, and above the Twin X-Lite S.
FrSky also offer an external module - the Twin Lite Pro - for Ethos radios without native support for Twin.
In the box
The X14S comes in a surprisingly small box with the transmitter cradled in a moulded plastic tray. Included in the package are:
- X14S transmitter
- Set of stickers
- A card with QR code for the manual
- A neck strap
The neck strap is in two parts. The lower part hooks on to the transmitter, while the upper part stays around your neck. A quick release buckle joins the two. Unfortunately, although the strap appears to be designed to be adjustable, it's actually fixed length. Balance with the neckstrap - any neckstrap - is perfect, though!
 |
| X14S package contents |
No carry case is provided, however an ‘Eva’ case is available as an extra. Neither is there an SD card since the model data is stored in flash memory (an SD card is only needed for extended storage).
Styling and build quality
The styling is clean and functional. All the materials are high quality, and the fit and finish are good.
The shell is unusually slim which makes it comfortable to hold. However, the sticks feel rather long - more on this later.
The side grips are made of flexible plastic with a grippy, textured finish.
 |
| X14S and RM TX16S profiles compared |
The T-shaped antenna is well anchored to the chassis, and doubles as a carrying handle.
 |
| Antenna doubles as carrying handle |
Gimbals
The gimbals are high quality CNC units with 10 ball bearings and a 4mm stick thread. Gimbal action is smooth with no perceptable friction.
The spring tension was overly strong as delivered, so the first thing I did was reduce the tension to the minimum possible. Even after the adjustment, the spring still pulls strongly. An additional set of softer springs would be welcome.
To adjust the tension, you have to open the case (four screws), then unplug a ribbon cable (marked below with an arrow). Unplugging the ribbon cable requires some care - it's not something you would do on the field. This is an area where FrSky lags behind, as other manufacturers like Radiomaster provide external access to the gimbal adjustments.
 |
| Spring tension adjusters. Arrow shows socket for ribbon cable spanning front and rear shells. |
I mentioned earlier that the sticks feel overly long even when screwed down to the minimum, resulting in the need for larger thumb movements. To put a figure on it, I measured the thumb movement required to go from centre to end stop, on the aileron axis. On the X14S it was 21mm compared with 18mm (X20) and 16mm (FrSky X9D - my favourite for ergonomics).
Controls and switches
The X14 is well endowed with controls:
- 1 x 2-position switch (right shoulder)
- 1 x momentary switch (left shoulder)
- 2 x pots (front top)
- 2 x sliders
- 4 x 3-pos switches (front top)
- 2 x momentary buttons (rear case)
- 4 x function switches (only one active at a time)
That's 16 in all - pretty good for a compact tx.
 |
| Auxiliary switches and controls |
The switches are smooth acting with minimal lateral play - a step up in quality from those found in most open source radios.
The momentary switch is located on the left shoulder, making it a good choice as a DLG launch button for right-handers. Swapping switches from one side to the other should be a simple soldering job.
The sliders have a smooth action and centre detents. However, the two knobs (S1/S2) are overly stiff with barely perceptible detents.
The horizontal trims are easy to reach. The vertical trims are located quite high, and are a bit of a stretch.
The dials either side of the screen are the Ethos programming controls and work just like on the X18 and X20.
Function switches
Located above the screen are four configurable 'function switches' designated FS1-4. These extend the functionality of the X14 without taking up much space. Each switch incorporates a blue LED to indicate that it's on.
 |
| Function switches FS1-4 |
Each function switch can be configured as:
- a momentary switch
- an on/off switch, either independent or part of a group. Within a group, activating one switch deactivates the others.
Switch and group states can be persistent between sessions. Unfortunately it's not possible to configure the state at startup, other than to set it to 'persistent'.
 |
| Function switch configuration menu |
Some potential uses for function switches:
- Arming: press two switches for n seconds.
- Rates
- Snapflap curve selection
Screen and sound
The non-touch 2.95” TFT display has a resolution of 640 x 360 and is bright and crisp. I had no difficulty programming directly on the transmitter.
Sound quality and volume from the speaker are adequate.
Ethos operating system
Ethos is FrSky’s proprietary operating system. It's well designed and very flexible. If you're a new user, a ‘new model wizard’ will get you going. For expert users there is a powerful free mix which can be used to build complete setups, much in the style of OpenTX.
If you’re interested in learning more about Ethos, there are some links at the end of this article.
External module
The X14 has an external bay to accept 'Lite' modules. These provide ELRS and MPM capability. However, please do your research first as both are open-source projects and FrSky do not provide firmware support. Also, any Lua configuration scripts must be Ethos-specific – Lua scripts for OpenTX or EdgeTX will not work.
FrSky manufacture Lite modules through their Vantec brand. Note that Lite modules should not be confused with Nano modules – while similar they’re not interchangeable.
Battery
The test unit came with a 2600 mAh 2S LiIon pack made of up from two 18650 cells. 21700 cells will not fit.
 |
| 2600 mAh pack (2 x 18650 cells) |
Charging is via the USB port at the bottom of the radio. The same port is used for data transfer.
 |
| Bottom ports L to R: Smart Port, microSD, USB-C |
RF module
The X14 is equipped with a TW-ISRM RF module. This supports TW, ACCST D16 and ACCESS protocols.
TW ('Twin'), is FrSky's newest protocol. It transmits using two transmission modes (FSK and LoRa) simultaneously on 2.4 GHz. Twin has a reputation for excellent link quality and range, and is already proving popular for sailplane applications.
GR6 receiver
FrSky also provided a TW GR6 receiver for review. This is a tiny unit with an integral vario sensor - perfect for DLG. It supports Twin only.
 |
| TW GR6 receiver with built-in vario |
Pins for CH6 lie along the case top. For models with 6 channels, a Y-lead is needed to share a servo output with the battery.
 |
| White connector is for S.Port, S.Bus out and external voltage measurement |
For F5J and other applications which required seven or more channels, FrSky offer an 8-channel version, the TW G8 (without vario) and TW GR8 (with vario).
Flight testing
For flight testing, I used my 6-servo Sting slope racer with the X14S transmitter and GR6 receiver. All controlled using my F3F template. The test session took place at Ivinghoe Beacon. It all went smoothly.
 |
| F3F + X14S + GR6 at Ivinghoe Beacon! A happy combo :-) |
VFR (valid frame rate) was 100% for virtually the whole session, dipping very occasionally to 99%. Although the model was never far, it is a reassuring result.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to like about the X14 – the hardware and the Ethos operating system are top notch; the Twin protocol has excellent range and theres a good choice of glider-friendly receivers.
Downsides? Well, as a thumber with small/medium sized hands, I find the stick throws excessive, not helped by the high spring tension. Shorter sticks and softer springs would - for me - make for a better experience. And some details like the stiff knobs could be improved.
In conclusion: if you're in the market for a solid, lightweight and highly programmable radio then the X14S deserves to be on your short list... though try to play with one before you buy.
Price at the time of writing is around £285 including 2600 mAh battery. If you're willing to forego the CNC gimbals and larger flash memory, the basic X14 is around £100 cheaper.
X14S specifications
- Dimension: 192×193×72mm (L×W×H)
- Weight: 610g (Battery Excl.)
- Operating System: ETHOS
- Internal RF Module: TW-ISRM
- 2.95” Colour TFT Display Screen Resolution: 640×360
- Number of Channels: Up to 24 Channels
- Operating Voltage Range: 6.5V ~ 8.4V (2S Li-Battery)
- Operating Current: 330mA@7.4V (typ.)
- Operating Temperature: -10℃ ~ 60℃ (14℉~140℉)
- Built-in 512MB Flash Storage
- Battery Bay Size: 69.5×38.5×20mm (L×W×H)
- Data Transmission & Charging Interface: USB Type-C
- USB Adaptor Voltage and Current: 5V+0.2V, ≥2.0A
- Compatibility: ACCST D16 / ACCESS / TW modes
Links
- FrSky
- Ethos Hangar - tutorials and glider templates
- Github - Ethos feedback community
No comments:
Post a Comment