Receiver Selection Guide

Many people already have a good quality hobby transmitter, but they might not have a PPM, SBus, or iBus receiver. Don't worry, there are plenty of receivers to choose from for essentially all popular radio brands. PPM can be found for any radio but in most cases is limited to 8 channels. SBus is used by FrSky and Futaba radios and iBus is associated with Turnigy and FlySky transmitters. More recently third parties have been making SBus/iBus receivers compatible with brands that might not originally have supported them, and even for cross branding (for example, an SBus receiver for a FlySky radio). The list of receivers is constantly expanding and this guide is not definitive.

The list below is organized by protocol. First determine what transmission protocol your transmitter uses, then come here and view the recommended receivers for that protocol.

FrSky radios include the popular Taranis X9D and Taranis Q X7. Additionally many people use FrSky transmitter modules in other brand radios that possess a standard module bay.

If you have an older D-Series FrSky module the best choice receiver is the FrSky D4R-II which can output 8 channels via PPM.

If you have a Taranis X9D or Taranis Q X7 radio, or if you are using an X-series module such as the FrSky XJT, then you should choose any FrSky X-Series receiver with SBus output. We prefer the X4R-SB for its small size, long range, and low cost. Even better, the X4R has the option to stop output in the event radio signal is lost - many receivers do not but unless the output is cut the TCB has no way of knowing a loss of signal occurred. To enable this option, apply power to the receiver while leaving your transmitter off. Now push the FS button on the X4R, and its green LED will blink twice. That's it. Now if the radio signal is lost the X4R will stop communicating with the TCB, and the TCB will immediately detect this and stop your model to avoid it crashing.

All other FrSky or FrSky-compatible receivers with SBus or PPM will work, others that have been tested include the XSR, X8R and the Quanum FR8.

FlySky has had two protocols over the years, the original AFHDS (discussed further below) and the second generation version called AFHDS 2A (for “second generation”). Popular radios with AFHDS 2A include the FlySky FS-i6X and FS-i10, and their Turnigy-brand counterparts. Another is the Quanum i8 transmitter - it has 8 channels but the controls are designed specifically for quad/drone applications so would not be a very good choice for RC tanks. The i6X and i10 are great radios. The i6X is listed as 6 channels but can actually control 10 channels with an iBus receiver. Note there is still for sale an older version of the i6X called the i6 (no X), the older version is indeed limited to 6 channels. A newer transmitter called the i6S can also control 10 channels.

Some of the newer FlySky transmitters (such as the i6S and i6X) already come bundled with an iBus receiver so you may not need to buy one separately. Otherwise for the smallest size and least amount of fuss, we prefer the FS-A8S. It has an iBus output and doesn't implement failsafe which is good because we want the TCB to take care of that anyway. Note: documentation for putting the receiver into iBus mode is not great, see this post in the forum if you are having issues.

If you want to add telemetry, there is FS-X6B, the only downside is that it comes as a bare board without even shrinkwrap so you have to be careful not to short it against anything. Other options which start to get more bulky are the FS-iA6B or the FS-IA10B receivers (note the B). These have iBus output but also individual servo outputs as well which causes them to be physically larger. Note that iA6B and the iA10B both implement a type of failsafe which prevents the TCB from ever knowing if you turn off your transmitter or lose signal. This is less than ideal, but you can program the receivers to move each channel to a certain position on loss of signal, and this indirectly can be used to tell the TCB to stop moving your model.

The iBus port on these receivers may supply 14 or even more channels, but to date no FlySky transmitter possesses more than 10 physical controls, so that is the effective limit of how many you can use.

The FS-A8S, FS-X6B, FS-iA6B and other receivers can be purchased from several places, Banggood is usually your best bet.

Status: Tested and work great!

The older AFHDS protocol (not AFHDS 2A) is used by a few manufacturers for their most basic models. In this list are the Hobby King HK-T6A V2 transmitter which has been popular among some tankers, the FlySky FS-T6 transmitter (not to be confused with their more recent i6), and the original 9X in stock form sold for many years but now discontinued (the new 9X now sold through Hobby King comes with an AFHDS 2A module).

We have been able to find only a single PPM receiver compatible with this original AFHDS protocol, the iRangeX 6CH PPM Receiver. Although very inexpensive, it has several drawbacks: it requires minor soldering and it has a 6 channel limit.

If you have one of the original 9X radios with the stock module still installed, this receiver will get you going. But in time you may want to upgrade the module and firmware in your 9x to take advantage of more channels.

The iRangeX 6CH PPM Receiver is available from Banggood.

Spektrum has developed two protocols, the original DSM2 and the newer DSMX. Thankfully there are many DSMX receivers that are also backwards compatible with DSM2, so they will work regardless which version transmitter you have.

Spektrum has finally released a receiver with modern outputs, the AR7700. It can be used with the TCB in PPM mode for up to 8 channels.

As with all Spektrum products you are going to pay out the nose for it.

Status: Should work, but not tested.

Slightly less expensive than the Spektrum, the Lemon Rx DSMX Compatible PPM 8-Channel Diversity Antenna Receiver (backwards compatible with DSM2) will work in PPM mode up to 8 channels. The receiver looks a little odd, and there is no place to connect any standard servos - it is PPM only. But for our purposes that is all we need. This receiver also defaults to “No Pulse” failsafe which is exactly what we want for the TCB, so no setup needs to be done other than binding to your transmitter.

Extensive documentation for all the Lemon products can be found on RC Groups (instructions for all Lemon receivers is in Post #2):
The official Lemon Instructions thread

The Lemon Rx DSMX 8-Channel PPM receiver is available directly from Lemon-Rx. RotorGeeks is another distributor that sells it worldwide.

Status: Should work, but not tested.

Orange PPM: Least expensive of all are various Orange brand receivers such as the OrangeRx R615X (DSMX and DSM2) or the R610V2 and R610V2 Lite (DSM2 only), and perhaps others if they claim CPPM. Oddly these only support up to 6-Channels so you are not getting much, but they only cost a few dollars. If your transmitter is only six channels to begin with, such as the Spektrum DX6i, then you aren't missing anything. Some people have complained about the quality of the Orange receivers, and their range is often listed as less than expected. However most reviewers are using these in RC airplanes where range and reliability are much more important than for model tanks.

Orange SBus: OrangeRx has released a V2 series of receivers including the R920X, R720X, R620x and R1220x (all support both DSMX and DSM2) that to our knowledge are the first attempt to bring SBus to a Spektrum-compatible receiver. Strangely they only pass the first 12 channels of the SBus protocol, not the full 16, but most Spektrum transmitters don't have many channels anyway. They have gotten mixed reviews, the R720X appears to be the newest and may be an improvement over the others.

The OrangeRx receivers can be purchased from Hobby King.

Status: Should work, but not tested.

Futaba uses two different 2.4 GHz protocols, FASST and FHSS (sometimes called S-FHSS). FASST and FHSS are not compatible with each other, so be clear about which one your transmitter uses! The FHSS protocol was originally Futaba's low cost option intended for short range use in park-flyers, although over time the distinction between the two has blurred with the advent of full range FHSS receivers.

Common Futaba FASST transmitters include:
3PK, 4PK, 6EX, 7C, TM-7, TM-8, T8FG, T10C, TM-10, T10CG, T12Z, T12FG, TM-14, T14MZ

Common Futaba FHSS transmitters include:
T2PL, T3PRKA, T3PL, T4YF, T4PL, T4PLS, T4GRS, 4PX, T6J, T8J, TM-FH, T14SG, T18MZ, T10J

For a full 16 channels over SBus use the FrSky TFR4-SB. For best compatibility with the TCB you should turn off the failsafe on the receiver - use Option 2 in the manual that comes with the receiver. Typically this involves powering on the receiver while leaving your transmitter off, and pressing briefly the failsafe button on the receiver. Ironically only by turning failsafe off can the TCB actually know when the receiver has lost signal, which allows it to take the appropriate action.

A somewhat less expensive option is the Corona R4FA-SB or R6FA-SB, but they will only give you 12 channels plus 2 “digital” channels (on/off switches). Both have the exact same output over the SBus port and the R4FA-SB is smaller so is probably preferable.

Status: Corona has been tested, the FrSky has not been tested but will work fine.

Multiple options are available for FHSS receivers, but none will provide more than 8 channels. The Futaba R3008SB will provide 8 channels SBus out the “8/SB” port. It is quite expensive, so for half the price or less seek out the CoolTech RSF08SB (8 channels SBus), the Corona R4SF, R6SF, or R8SF (all will provide 8 channels SBus), or the FrSky Delta 8 (8 channels over PPM).

Status: Futaba R3008SB and CoolTech RSF08SB tested by forum users, the others have not been tested but should work.

RadioLink is sold on Banggood and popular transmitters include the 10 channel AT9 and 12 channel AT10. Both transmitters are reported to come with the parts necessary to self-center the second stick, making these radios an attractive option for their price point. Note: It is unclear whether RadioLink's implementation of DSSS is compatible with Devo's (see below), so we list it separately.

RadioLink has several receivers compatible with the TCB - the R12DS with SBus for up to 12 channels, R9D with SBus for up to 10 channels, and the much smaller R6D with 8 channels in PPM mode. You can buy the RadioLink receivers and transmitters from Banggood and eBay.

Status: R12DS and R9D tested and work great, R6D untested but should be fine.

Walkera has several popular transmitters that are sold with their RC helicopters, but can also be purchased by themselves. Many people have brief flings with the RC helicopter hobby, and after their helicopter crashes or starts gathering dust in the corner they still have this nice transmitter and wonder what they could do with it. Popular models include the Devo 6S, 7E, 8S, 10 and 12S. In stock form they transmit a protocol known as DSSS. An entire online community has developed to modify these transmitters with new open source software and hardware modifications that allow these controllers to become compatible with many other protocols. If you want to read more about modifying a Devo transmitter, the place to start is DeviationTx.com. However if you just want to use a stock Devo transmitter with the TCB, keep reading.

Note: It is unclear whether Devo's implementation of DSSS is compatible with RadioLink's (see above), so we list it separately.

The Devo RX703A receiver supplies 8 channels of PPM on the Data Bus output. Although the port is called “Data Bus” it is actually PPM and not a true serial protocol like SBus, but either way, it works with the TCB. If your Devo transmitter has more than 8 channels, this receiver will also let you control the additional channels as servos directly from the receiver.

So far as we know there are only two other stock DSSS receivers capable of PPM, the Devo RX705 and the RX709. They would work equally as well, but are more expensive and harder to locate than the RX703A.

You can buy the Devo RX703A from Banggood, eBay, and some RC helicopter websites such as Helipal.com.

Status: Should work, but not tested.

Hitec transmitters such as the Optic, Flash and Aurora use Hitec's own protocol called AFHSS, sometimes written a A-FHSS.

Once again the best choice is literally the only choice, since Hitec themselves don't seem interested in providing a PPM capable receiver. Instead use the FrSky Delta-8 receiver. This receiver is highly unusual because it is multi-band, compatible with three different protocols: Futaba FHSS/S-FHSS, Hitec A-FHSS, and FrSky's own D8 protocol. It automatically detects the correct one at binding (or you can use jumpers to set the protocol manually). By default failsafe is disabled so there should be no special setup required in that regard (we want receiver failsafe disabled in order to let the TCB handle the failsafe condition).

The Delta-8 can be purchased from any FrSky distributor - see the list above in the Taranis section.

Status: Should work, but not tested.

Many mid-level and higher radios come with removable modules on the back of the transmitter case. Inside these modules is the actual RF (radio frequency) circuit, and by changing the module you can change your radio to an entirely different radio protocol. There are two basic types of modules called JR form-factor and Futaba form-factor. A JR form-factor module doesn't necessarily mean it is made by JR or runs a JR frequency - it just means the shape of the physical module will plug into any transmitter that has a JR form-factor module bay.

Today there are many aftermarket modules available for nearly every protocol under the sun. If you have a module radio but wish you could use a different manufacturer's receiver, you may be able to just by changing the module. This is also a great way to update some of the older but still perfectly functional FM radios.

If you have read this far you know we are somewhat partial to FrSky radio gear. We don't work for FrSky or have any affiliation with them, but they know what modelers want and seem willing to give it to them at a decent price and with high quality. FrSky sells both JR and Futaba form-factor modules that we highly recommend for anyone with a module radio looking to upgrade (as we already mentioned at the top under the 9X section).

The FrSky XJT module can transmit 16 channels and includes telemetry capability. Pair this with any FrSky X-series SBus receiver and you have a great combination (we particularly like the X4R-SB receiver). This module is the same one already installed internally in the Taranis radio.

Status: Tested, and it works great!

Unfortunately FrSky has not yet released an X-series module in Futaba form factor, or that would be our recommendation. They claim they will someday, but in the meantime, you can still get the FrSky DFT D-series module. This module can transmit up to 8 channels and FrSky has several PPM receivers for it - we especially like the FrSky D4R-II receiver.

Status: Tested, and it works great!