A radio transmitter is a device that emits radio frequency to a receiver, often referred to as a TX or XMTR in technical reports. FrSky and FlySky are both innovative technology companies dedicated to manufacturing consumer products in the world of remote-controlled systems such as transmitters, receivers, and flight controllers. But who’s the better option?

FrSky transmitters/receivers are among the most popular RC producers, with a large community base, while FlySky transmitters are generally pocket-friendly. If you want to go with the flow of a larger community, go with a radio from FrSky but if you are tight on the budget, pick a radio from FlySky.

When getting into First-Person View (FPV), a stable and reliable transmitter should be among your priorities, as you can use it to play with drone simulators before getting yourself that first drone.

In this article, I’ll be covering the differences, similarities, and advantages of either picking a FrSky transmitter over the FlySky one and vice versa so that you can be able to make an informed decision when shopping for your next transmitter. Stick around and let me make it easier for you to make a choice.

FrSky transmitters are remarkably reliable and have revolutionized the First-Person View (FPV) hobby since its inception in 2008 with a large community and a broad selection of readily available receivers as of this writing.

First Person View (FPV) is the process of using an onboard camera to relay footage such as video and photos to a smartphone or through goggles. The vehicle in question gets operated remotely with the pilot wearing special goggles, which feed footage from the camera onboard.

In addition to processing the radio signals sent by the transmitter, you’ll need a receiver. The receiver is a piece of equipment bought separately in some instances and soldered directly to the aircraft.

It’s unheard of to talk about receivers and radio transmitters in the drone world without hearing the name FrSky come up often. They are a household name in the RC industry, more so, the drone world.

FrSky Transmitters/Receivers Features

As earlier mentioned, FrSky offers a large selection of RC transmitters/receivers, and everything will quickly boil down to your preferred personal features and planned budget. 

The better and most reliable FrSky transmitters/receivers can prove expensive for beginner pilots hence the need to first understand your expectations before making that purchase.

I’m not entirely against purchasing an expensive transmitter/receiver; however, these products come bundled with features you might never need or might take much more time learning in most cases.

For transmitters, the Taranis Q X7 is one of the most advanced yet powerful RC systems from FrSky that packs the company’s latest features while still maintaining a lightweight form. For the sake of this comparison, I feel like this is the best radio system from FrSky that represents the company’s capabilities and is inexpensive, as of this write-up.

On the other hand, FrSky receivers such as the XSR are all-around full-range receivers with SBUS and PPM. It also supports an extensive range of voltage and the best receiver tailored towards medium-sized quads.

Since FrSky utilizes the new PPM receiver technology, their products are great for multi-rotor uses and require a single wire to send down signals.

One of the best yet distinguishable features from FrSky is the full telemetry capability for both their receivers and transmitters. Meaning, the data from the source aircraft can get transmitted automatically in real-time to either a smartphone or special goggles without having to be near the device. 

Other notable features include;

• Vibration alert capability
• Quad-ball bearing gimbals
• Real-time data logging
• Extremely low latency
• OpenTx installed (Its an open-source software)
• Receiver Signal Strength Indicator(RSSI) alerts
• Audio speech output capabilities
• Receiver match

FrSky radio systems come packed with haptic vibration feedback, a feature that provides an alternative feedback system to voice and sound alerts. I’ve come to appreciate and enjoy this feature a lot during my time with the XSR RC.

There are both great and not-so-great things people will always find when using a company’s products. Let’s look at what stands out and what doesn’t as far as the company FrSky is concerned.

Pros

• Readily available big community
• They are light and small in design
• Great build quality
• Gimbals come pre-installed
• Integrated trainer Bluetooth for sim integration
• Good quality speakers
• Come bundled with powerful batteries
  
  

Cons

• No inbuilt charging dock
• They can get expensive very quickly for the most advanced RCs
• Small LCD screens

FlySky is a Shenzhen-based company that specializes in RC technology. The company has been operational since 2006, offering great technology to RC enthusiasts at an affordable price compared to the competition.

FlySky transmitters/receivers are more popular among beginner pilots in the world of quadcopters due to their affordability. I think you get more than you pay for, especially with such sophisticated technology.

With this in mind, this company’s products are tailored towards getting your first foot into the world of RCs. However, FlySky might not offer everything you’d be looking for in terms of features for the most experienced and heavily enthusiastic individuals.FrSky would be a better option here.

FlySky Transmitters/Receivers Features

FlySky transmitters/receivers come bundled with a lot at such low prices. The products feel a bit cheap; however, they offer great value for your money. I can’t think of any other company that offers that much at such prices.

For those new to the hobby, SBUS/IBUS allows the receiver to communicate with the flight controller by only using three wires: the signal, ground, and power. SBUS, which is a digital signal, offers less amount of delay as compared to analog PPM technology.

In a nutshell, SBUS is much faster, smoother, and excellent at error handling than PPM.  SBUS has got 9ms of delay, whereas PPM has got 27ms.

However, in the real sense, to prevent glitching of frame signals, a 3 point averaging is typically used, and therefore, the movement gets tripled by adding three signs and dividing by 3. 

Meaning that the realistic delay of an SBUS signal would only be 27ms while a PPM would shoot to 81ms, a 54ms difference! Regardless of how slight the difference is, it matters! 

For every 1000 loops, it would take 1ms to complete the circle in an SBUS signal and 50ms later for a PPM one.

Setting up the transmitters to a receiver is such a breeze with an incredible range of latency. I got mine up and running...oh, I mean flying in no time!

My favorite transmitter includes the FlySky FS-i6 and the FlySky FS-i6X, which gained popularity among beginner YouTubers as they are built with low power consuming high-quality components and are Omni-directional.

The Hobbymate FlySky RC GR3E FS-GR3E receiver is both budget-friendly and long-lasting at such a low price for the receivers. It offers long-range signals and is easy to set up with any compatible FlySky transmitter, provided you follow the instructions.

Some other notable features of FlySky products include;

• Open Tx firmware
• Haptic feedback and voice controls
• Hall gimbals
• Foldable antennas
• IBUS/SBUS support
• A ten channel support
• Three-channel support for cars
• USB simulator compatibility
• Optional smartphone mount

The transmitters and receivers are suitable for quadcopters, excavators, robotics, and other vehicle models.

Pros

• They are light and small in design
• Gimbals come pre-installed
• They come with a powerful a battery
• Affordable and value for money
• Good choice for beginners
  
  

Cons

• Not so great of a built quality
• Not for expert pilots looking for extra features
• Small LCD screens
  
  

FrSky Vs FlySky

Many people interchangeably confuse these two companies into one. But are they?

No. These are two different companies, with one located in Shenzhen, China, and the other located in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China. As far as the RC community is concerned, FrSky is much more popular than FlySky and offers medium to high range transmitters/receivers compared to the latter.

Both companies produce excellent products as per the cost; however, people looking for feature-packed RCs are more likely to enjoy FrSky products than FlySky products, tailored towards beginner pilots while maintaining affordability.

FlySky is much more of an entry-level RC company with great products at the price point but not recommended for the long run. Expect radiofrequency fails with their products very often.

On the other side of the spectrum, Frsky products are built much better but steep in the pocket.

To put everything into perspective, below is a small table differentiating the two.

To conclude, my recommendation would be, if you are a beginner pilot and want to test out things but don’t need that much for starters, FlySky is the better option for you. However, if you are a more experienced pilot and want more features with the excellent build quality, get yourself a Frsky radio controller.