If you're looking for great 18650 batteries for controller, goggles, and other lower-current uses, NewBeeDrone just got a batch of VERIFIED 2600 mAh cells that they are selling at a great price. bit.ly/3muzO2e
@ydok400 show me one place on the web page where it says two... We can't assume because it shows two in the pictures... You'll get burned every time that way! Lol 😳🤷
@@KOrnhOliO1 The product page description states "NewBeeDrone Nitro Nectar 18650 Li-Ion Cells", multiple pictures with two cells. Just noticed that NBD updated the product page to state, "2x Li-Ion 18650 2600mAh 12C Cells". 😉
Just a heads up for anyone who will need to desolder those switches: Use big chisel type Soldering Iron tip with ~350-400C setting. Angle the tip more parallel with the board and place enough extra solder on those 3 pins so that you enclose all 3 in melted solder once all 3 are liquid pull out the switch. Afterward, clean the holes of solder(solder wick or suction). Place new switch into the hole, place PCB and tighten PCB screws then solder the new switch into place(switches are angled slightly so this is the way to solder them back correctly). Hope this will help out.
The best thing I like about my Tango 2 is the compactness of it. The less space it takes up the better. It’s my daily driver and I don’t think I could go for the Mombo. I’m not knocking the Mombo but do like the idea of more switches available, it’s tempting. TBS products are tops in my book and hope to see even better products continue to be created.
Yup, someone at TBS was thinking right! At least have a Crossfire version and a Tracer version. You know the Crossfire version would have sold out in a few hours.
Just converted my fleet to express LRS and i love it, also bought a jumper t-lite second hand. Would love to upgrade to a TBS radio if i could keep using my express LRS.
What beautiful words and wonderful editing in such clear and understandable language☺️ I purchased this remote and since then my flights have just become perfect, it flies exactly how I want it to🤟🚀
I for one, freaking love that the Mambo is Tracer. CRSF has been back ordered for months. I had ZERO issues ordering Tracer components because the masses are gaga over CRSF. Now I can fly without waiting on back order units to become available.
I'm the Tango 2 user trying to move to Tracer... or at least the tracer option. My shoulder buttons were stiff and stand was a bit wobbly, but mine was one of the first batches. they sent replacement parts which arrived in days. I still want the Mango... The Crossfire / Tracer combo, Tango2 switches, Mambo screen, size is about perfect. think the Tango2 is built a little bit better.. but again... first batch against my V3 Tango2. I'd buy both again. But what I really want is the The Mango... or is it Tambo? Tango2 + Mambo /2 + ELRS the Rumba or Cha Cha Cha...
The shoulder Buttons are 87% pushed by accident xD 13:00 makes a point. looking forward for that video 16:25 ^^ ouman the impact goes from the switch direct to the pcb...i hope that only the switch brake and not the pcb I will stick to my QX7 with TBSCF Great video, thanks.
Same here! I replaced all of the stupid long switches with factory short switches because those long ones broke off and we're annoyingly long! They were easy to replace and solder in. Available direct from Frsky for about $1.60 each! Can't beat that mod. And hard to beat the QX7 with hall gimbals! 😎🤘
In the tbs lounge someone decased a crossfire micro TX, routed the sma up to the external Mambo's antenna spot and that way you are able to use both and still fit the Jr bay cover on
Regarding switch replacement - I heard the same argument from Stingy in his review, but it seems like the simple solution is just destroy the broken switch if you need to replace it. By that I mean cut it to pieces with wire cutters or whatever so that all that remains are the solder tabs, and then de-solder them one-by-one.
I love that they direct soldered to the board. To me. It’s more of a reliability issue of the switch actually working. and to swap them. Not hard at all. Get a solder sucker. Or solder wick.
Yeah, what's wrong with making that radio in two versions and LETTING US CHOOSE WHICH ONE WE WANT? Crossfire or Tracer. Force feeding us Tracer when we don't want it, is certainly, without question, costing them sales and a lot of money! You, I, and your brother who knows nothing about the RC hobby knows a Crossfire version of this radio will out sell Tracer many times over! Kinda a dumb decision if you ask me! 🤔😳🙄🤷
@@KOrnhOliO1 I have crossfire on my taranis and everyone I fly with use XFire too. Can’t wait to order the mambo. I’m also excited to try tracer since I’m on Dji too.
@@KOrnhOliO1 Probably minimum order quantities. Watch bardwell's old video at the fat shark factory. Fatshark talks about not having the demand to meet minimum order quantities for multiple size goggles on high end hardware. The high end of the hobby is much smaller than the low end. TBS is serving the high end (although these radios are cheap), and there probably isn't enough demand to offer a model with both. Re: "But me and my friends" yeah, you are the 99%.
Betchya TBS releases a Crossfire variant like 6 months to a year later. After the market has been saturated with as many Tracer models as possible. I assume it’s greedy business practices. Those three position switches are also mounted to that PCB at a slight angle, so it’s nearly impossible to pull off. You rock JB. I fing love you bro! Lol.
Stingerswarm mentioned in his review that the switches are soldered in at an angle, so even if you are able to desolder, when it is time to solder the new ones in you'll have a hell of a time getting the angle right.
Just put the switch in the front case, screw the nut on the switch and solder the darn thing... No problem at all! I'm almost at the point of making a video, replacing a switch on my Mambo, just to show how easy it is...
@@13FPV Exactly, they are at the correct angle when installed so you already have the "jig" right there. Also, flux, solder and wicking braid will make quick work of desoldering these...its not rocket science. Snip the damn legs of the switch after the board is out and do them one by one if its that much of an issue.
so elrs and the mambo work well together? I was considering either getting elrs 2.4ghz and getting rid of the few tracers rxs or getting this mambo and use my elrs 900mhz for freestyle while using builds with Tracer for racing.I use a Carbon look qx7s shell with m7 gimbals and it is a blacked out so I do have som money in my radio. It does not feel cheap like the black qx7 shell.
As one of multiple ExpressLRS developers with this radio I also would like to see ELRS on it and it is something we are working towards but it is a lot of work. Props to TBS software team for being able to keep OpenTX and Crossfire separate but run on the same MCU!
broken switches: the best chance to replace those soldered ones is to dissamble the switch if possible or to use a saw blade and cut the pin from the upperside. Ones the dead one is cut off desoldering those pins is easy.
@@norgtube Yes. Or a $4 solder sucker. This doesn't seem like a big issue to me. People remove 8 pin tube sockets from amplifiers all the time this way. I counted. This is less than 8. :-)
Thanks for the review!!! I'm flying with TBS Tango 2 and anjoy this radio! Form factor is pretty cool! All of my qwads carry TBS Crossfire modules and I think it's good idea to build qwads on this platform. Radio is perfect for me as a beginner in previous season.
The switch desoldering issue is really a making a mountain of a molehill. Just stick desoldering braid (copper wick) one there, apply soldering iron, voila.
As a former Spektrum user, the bane of my existence is every radio has momentary on the right and toggle on the left. I have to do this mod to every radio. The trick to desoldering 3 pin switches is to lay a piece of low gauge wire across all three pins and set the iron to high and desolder.
I hate the shoulder buttons for arming or disarming. My finger tips rest past the shoulder buttons. I have a hellofa time trying to push the button in without disrupting the throttle or yaw. Plus it takes time to actually contract my hand with the intent to disarm in a emergency situation. I tried to get used to it but I ended up using the inside longer switch on the right side of the radio. Coming from a X9D plus, I still miss using the traditional 2 way switch on the left hand shoulder. I think it would have been better off if they used the shoulder switch similar to the gamer pad style crossfire controller.
Might get the v2 if it's not exclusively tracer built in. I really like the radio design, but I'm just not interested in tracer. A multiprotocol or crossfire version would be great.
Those direct soldered switches arnt to difficult to desolder if you've a bit of experience , But saying that , I can envisage a fair few lifted pads and damaged traces happening if you arnt careful.... You could possibly trim the solder pins on the new switch to be really short , And then wire them in place , This would save stressing the pads for a third time if you had to change the switch .
Tango2 in special features has auto trim you set to a switch so fixed wings are crazy easy to trim, which is on any open tx or freedom TX, totally love mine for wings now
Desolder the switch looks like you'll need to use solder wick and even a sucker, bolt new switch into the case, put the pcb into the case, the switch is now at the correct angle and then apply solder. At least that's how I imagine I would tackle it.
I fly a Nirvana with a Tracer module. What I'd really like TBS to do is to make a kind of "Dynamic modulation": basically you set a power, let's say 100mw, and when you exceed the range of that 100mw FLRC it automatically switches to LoRa. Now THAT would really step up Tracer with the competition.
I want a Tango 2 with internal ExpressLRS. I love the ceramic antenna for whoops and toothpicks. Or maybe just give me a cheap crossfire receiver with a ceramic antenna.
I need one of those Drib shirts 🔥 Also I like that it comes with tracer since I already have a crossfire module and could potentially have both with this radio.
Looks like TBS's version of Radiometer TX12 and Jumper T12. Same materials, same (number of) buttons and switches, the display... Got TX12 and everything looks so familiar. By the way, I had the crossfire and other Lua scripts in TX12.
BTW you can't put an STM32-based ELRS module in this radio, because UART RX is inverted (compared to TX16S, QX7 etc.). I had to mod my ELRS module. Broke a trace and mod-wired an inverter.
I personally have just purchased one of these! for my first build, i have been flying spektrum on Helis for years, i really feel like they rushed this one out the door and skipped a few quality of life "easy fixes" the first being the rocker 3 position switches being directly soldered down what Joshua also forgot to mention as he didnt take the whole PCB out the case/faceplate, is not only are they directly soldered they are soldered at a slight angle so you would need a jigg or mastering soldering skills to get it back/close enough to the original position to slide back through the front cover/faceplate. The other issue is the external antenna being an engineer as trade myself, having people drill out a case for an antenna is a disaster waiting to happen! and almost an afterthought! why not just add a M8/M6 knock out ? it would make the installation of the external antenna far more easy, quick and more importantly a cleaner install. i like the radio of course as i have purchased one to replace my DX8 gen 2 but on the other hand i think they really did rush this one out of the door for sale, rather than send out a few units to reviewers, hobbyists for some feedback! its a cheap good radio but i would of rather spent 20-30 more for the option to make this radio a great radio !
With those switches at an angle and direct soldered to the pcb, I think there's a good chance of damaging the pcb when you drop it and break a switch! It's also gonna be very difficult to solder a new switch in at precisely the correct angle. For that reason, and including Tracer, I still think the smart purchase is buying the Radiomaster TX16S. It's as near perfect build quality and design as there has every been for any radio, especially for the price. JB uses it for a good reason.
Thanks Joshua, very well done review. Gimbal throw as you explained is a big deal for me and i guess for many other thumbers out there who are very used to normal size gimbal(standard throw). So i guess an option to upgrade from an X9Dse it to try Radiomaster t16s.
I love your videos and I love my radiomaster tx16s was my best buy yet can do everything I need + more but this thing locks very interesting radio well worth it though
After drowning in frsky bullshit and not yet gotten in to crsfr, this radio felt like a no brainer to me. Buying a tango and 3 crsfr receivers or this and 3 tracers? Big big plus for this was the modulebay and full-size radio. So if I wanna build a long range machine just smack a module in (already have a v2) and buy receiver then. Sure it has a bit shorter range but now I've got options THAT DOESN'T FORCE ME TO SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT RADIO WHEN A NEW PROTOCOL RELEASES. God the rage inside me against frsky.... PS had tango had a module at the getgo and no v1 v2 v3 differences i would probably have bought it when it released, but with all that extra to get a tango with module bay and v3 internals, it got to expensive so I waited. And now this came so I'm quite happy with what we got.
I wouldn’t use a hot air station to replace the switch. A half roll of solder wick sucks the through holes clean! My trusty 60 watt RadioShack iron can fix that dropped toggle, old skool.
@@Bigballvlogs exactly right! And if you’re lucky, the component pin can be wicked from the front side to suck the last of the solder when wiggling it out.
The simplest way to change a switch would probably be to physically destroy the damaged switch, to the point that the three legs could be desoldered separately. That would have to be done with exceptional care, though. Failing that, reflow the joints with leaded solder before trying to remove them, leaded solder is far more forgiving!
Switch replacement is as simple as Solder wick and a 60 watt iron. Those are tools anyone soldering battery leads to an ESC should really get comfortable with. developing soldering skills is very important to this hobby.
Ok but why? When every other radio has switches with wires that are much easier to replace. Oh and BTW don't forget you have to solder the Mambo switch on at an angle so it fits the case right, so how do you approach that? Mount the switch in the case, then re-mount the PCB, then solder it? What a hassle.
@@JoshuaBardwell Oh, I have no doubt that the design choice was anything other than a push to keep the BOM as small as possible. i wouldn't throw the minimum viable product flag here, but the fewer parts, the lower the manufacturing cost. And if all the switches are installed and then the board is soldered in during manufacture, that vastly simplifies assembly. But your point definitely stands. From a serviceability perspective, it's an undesirable design. I'm just lucky enough to have soldering irons everywhere....
TBS's ecxuse to not support crossfire out of the box isn't really valid imo. How am I gonna fly my frsky whoops when the module bay is occupied with crossfire?
@@graydi66y not really a fan of having an extra module that I need to bring everywhere. And if I decide to only bring one module to the field, eventually I’m gonna forget to bring the right one 😅
I bought this radio in order to replace my Taranis X9d+ with a TBS Micro TX module and remplacing at the same time, the 2.4Ghz FrSky Protocol by Trancer witch is definitly better. But I would like to have the option to try Express LRS and Open Companion (of course).... yes may be Trappy will lose some sales in the short term but it will be a good bet to the future. Express LRS is the way.
So TBS now has 2 radios, both of which have shortcomings for fixed wings. One with long range module without trim switches, and one with shorter range built in module with trim switches.
Fantastic review, Joshua! Thanks a lot! 😊 Well... Looks like we're going to have a ELRS radio soon, so... 😬 Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I had a graupner mx20 and got the mambo because the recivers are smaller and I don't like the gamepad style. I like it alot it feels very precise and I don't have problems with range but that's cause I fly on fields
Great video Thanks. I am new and I am not. I have been flying DJI for years and am in the industry and want to start playing with my own custom stuff, but this brings up the issue of radios which until now I have not had to deal with. Do you have a series of videos or a video that explains radios and receivers and from beginner to moderate to expert? I am really interested in the differences, capabilities, and situations in which one would be preferred over the other. A video similar to this would be about cameras and transmitters/receivers in the same vien.
if we talking about the range -Tracer is better than my Spektrum DX8 G2 but because we talking about a range I will not use Tracer(at least for now ), I will keep using my trusty Crossfire module in the back of my new TRACER
TBS could have easily charged $199 for this and still sold a ton, specially with today’s prices. Good on TBS for pricing fairly, and also they realize that this would hook you into their eco system, like a cheap printer and printer ink.
I am a pincher but I fly best on the jumper t-lite. My Qx-7 is now collecting dust up in the shelf 🤣. Though i hope i could try holding the mambo to find out how it feels.
I feel if these major companies don't become more flexible and give people exactly what they want. Slowly but surely people will just move to ERLS... They should just release the firmware people want and make tracer really appealing to more people. 2.4 vs 900 has endless pros cons so I feel the two would still be viable products. It's just tracer could get way more popular for avg freestyle pilots. For me I use $6ea Emax tiny D8 receivers hahaha, they work for racing and good enough for park flying.
I have my Ethix Version now for about a month, and I love it. Great ergonomics and the gimbals are so precise, they are definatly better than the M9 from FrSky. And the Tracer built in was for me a reason to get it since I already own a xfire modul
Imagine TBS making it dual mode so you can use it with crossfire too without any extension module Also imagine lipo batterys with little pads in the end so you can just buy a big charger case preinstalled with pogo pins, so you just slide in your batterys, like airpods and with a single switch, you can chose to charge, or discharge all of them,
I moved from the tango 2 and lovin it so far. The RX antennas are way smaller and lighter and I have yet to see anything lower than 98% link quality. I think for me it fits my hands well and overall they did a great job. I do notice its a bit faster on the controls and feels smoother in the air. I think the switches are for durability and I rather have them soldered than have a jumper like failure that was really annoying. Overall I think It's a great radio for new or old pilots.
To my opinion the mamba with it's trim switches is more suitable for wings and the tango 2 without trim is more suitable for quads. Tracer to my opinion is more suitable for quads and crossfire more for wings. Why not have an option to choose which procol you want your radio to have tracer/crossfire when you buy it. It's not so nice to have two antennas so why not both is clear to me.
Man it doesn’t have crossfire!!🙄🙄 And i agree the switch being hard mounted to the pcb is NOT Cool!!! I’m glad I’m not in the market for a new tx. I’m loving my radiomaster after I had spektrum and taranis. Edgetx tx16s all the way!!!!!!!!
Hey Joshua, I've been out of the hobby since about 2017. You said that TBS Tracer is loads better than FrSky, and I was wondering why? I've got a Qx7, and don't necessarily want to upgrade (I mostly fly on a sim anyway) but I was wondering what I'm missing out on. Thanks!
I've been out of the hobby for YEARS at this point and just poking my head in trying to figure out what equipment I might need to refresh... while my old taranis will certainly handle everything just fine - I'm kinda wanting this JUST because it takes 18650's and charges on usb-c instead of dealing with the aftermarket lipo shoehorned into the taranis. Then again, this is the first radio I've seen with that power solution and I'm probably missing a bigger picture that lots of newer transmitters are going this direction as well...
If you're looking for great 18650 batteries for controller, goggles, and other lower-current uses, NewBeeDrone just got a batch of VERIFIED 2600 mAh cells that they are selling at a great price. bit.ly/3muzO2e
One 18650 @ $14.99 each is NOT A GREAT DEAL ! HOLY CRAP! 😳💩😒
Sony & Samsung 18650's are both 6 - 10 bucks each! Simple Google them... Easy to find.
@@KOrnhOliO1 The price is for 2 Nitro Nectar 18650 cells. Which is a great price for 2 cells with the Nitro Nectar branding
@ydok400 show me one place on the web page where it says two... We can't assume because it shows two in the pictures... You'll get burned every time that way! Lol 😳🤷
@@MichaelDFPV for two? Where does it say that?
@@KOrnhOliO1 The product page description states "NewBeeDrone Nitro Nectar 18650 Li-Ion Cells", multiple pictures with two cells.
Just noticed that NBD updated the product page to state, "2x Li-Ion 18650 2600mAh 12C Cells". 😉
Just a heads up for anyone who will need to desolder those switches: Use big chisel type Soldering Iron tip with ~350-400C setting. Angle the tip more parallel with the board and place enough extra solder on those 3 pins so that you enclose all 3 in melted solder once all 3 are liquid pull out the switch. Afterward, clean the holes of solder(solder wick or suction). Place new switch into the hole, place PCB and tighten PCB screws then solder the new switch into place(switches are angled slightly so this is the way to solder them back correctly). Hope this will help out.
thank you
You just bring two of your best buddies with soldering irons to help you with the switches. Teamwork makes the dream work
just use desoldering braid. its literally what it's for.
The best thing I like about my Tango 2 is the compactness of it. The less space it takes up the better. It’s my daily driver and I don’t think I could go for the Mombo.
I’m not knocking the Mombo but do like the idea of more switches available, it’s tempting. TBS products are tops in my book and hope to see even better products continue to be created.
When we can flash ELRS on the internal tracer module this is gonna be really interesting!
Exactly!!
😁
Just a matter of time...
Waiting for that as well. :)
I doubt that will ever happen beacuse of the partitioned MCU they're using inside. Like FreedomTX and CRSF running on the same chip.
It would have been an epic move if the Mamba was milti-protocol with Crossfire and Tracer inside, I would have paid more for it.
ELRS, Tracer + Crossfire and I'd pay $300
Yup, someone at TBS was thinking right!
At least have a Crossfire version and a Tracer version. You know the Crossfire version would have sold out in a few hours.
@@RCRitterFPV omg imagine tbs put elrs 915 and 2.4 in there too lol
Bardwell is also a quick change artist! I noticed a few times when he changed his shirt 🤣
Thanks for the review! 😁
I just added a tbs crossfire module… and it my new daily driver… love it!
To the mambo?
i have felling that a couple months down the road we will get new board revisions for this just as they did with the Tango 2
Just converted my fleet to express LRS and i love it, also bought a jumper t-lite second hand. Would love to upgrade to a TBS radio if i could keep using my express LRS.
What beautiful words and wonderful editing in such clear and understandable language☺️
I purchased this remote and since then my flights have just become perfect, it flies exactly how I want it to🤟🚀
I for one, freaking love that the Mambo is Tracer. CRSF has been back ordered for months. I had ZERO issues ordering Tracer components because the masses are gaga over CRSF. Now I can fly without waiting on back order units to become available.
I'm the Tango 2 user trying to move to Tracer... or at least the tracer option.
My shoulder buttons were stiff and stand was a bit wobbly, but mine was one of the first batches.
they sent replacement parts which arrived in days.
I still want the Mango... The Crossfire / Tracer combo, Tango2 switches, Mambo screen, size is about perfect.
think the Tango2 is built a little bit better.. but again... first batch against my V3 Tango2.
I'd buy both again.
But what I really want is the The Mango... or is it Tambo?
Tango2 + Mambo /2 + ELRS
the Rumba or Cha Cha Cha...
The shoulder Buttons are 87% pushed by accident xD
13:00 makes a point.
looking forward for that video 16:25 ^^
ouman the impact goes from the switch direct to the pcb...i hope that only the switch brake and not the pcb
I will stick to my QX7 with TBSCF
Great video, thanks.
Same here! I replaced all of the stupid long switches with factory short switches because those long ones broke off and we're annoyingly long! They were easy to replace and solder in. Available direct from Frsky for about $1.60 each! Can't beat that mod. And hard to beat the QX7 with hall gimbals! 😎🤘
Agree but love my ExpressLRS
I haven"t pushed any button or switch accidently untill yet and I don't think I will in the future
In the tbs lounge someone decased a crossfire micro TX, routed the sma up to the external Mambo's antenna spot and that way you are able to use both and still fit the Jr bay cover on
Regarding switch replacement - I heard the same argument from Stingy in his review, but it seems like the simple solution is just destroy the broken switch if you need to replace it. By that I mean cut it to pieces with wire cutters or whatever so that all that remains are the solder tabs, and then de-solder them one-by-one.
I love that they direct soldered to the board. To me. It’s more of a reliability issue of the switch actually working. and to swap them. Not hard at all. Get a solder sucker. Or solder wick.
Exactly! And put the new switch in the front case, screw the nut on the switch, place the PCB and solder it... Super easy!
Good point at the end on whether it’s the better choice as your first radio.
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and…😂😂.
Classic JB
Spinal Tap !!! these go to eleven 🤘.
Gotta say, if they had an option to ship with a built in multi-protocol module, I would already have one of these on the way.
Yeah, what's wrong with making that radio in two versions and LETTING US CHOOSE WHICH ONE WE WANT?
Crossfire or Tracer.
Force feeding us Tracer when we don't want it, is certainly, without question, costing them sales and a lot of money! You, I, and your brother who knows nothing about the RC hobby knows a Crossfire version of this radio will out sell Tracer many times over!
Kinda a dumb decision if you ask me!
🤔😳🙄🤷
@@KOrnhOliO1 I have crossfire on my taranis and everyone I fly with use XFire too. Can’t wait to order the mambo. I’m also excited to try tracer since I’m on Dji too.
@@KOrnhOliO1 Probably minimum order quantities. Watch bardwell's old video at the fat shark factory. Fatshark talks about not having the demand to meet minimum order quantities for multiple size goggles on high end hardware. The high end of the hobby is much smaller than the low end. TBS is serving the high end (although these radios are cheap), and there probably isn't enough demand to offer a model with both. Re: "But me and my friends" yeah, you are the 99%.
Got mine for one week now (ethix version).
I use it with crossfire and Ghost (yes it works, but with SBUS).
Good radio, form factor is awsome
I literally had the ethix version in the cart and last second went with the radiomaster max. Both really good radios.
Betchya TBS releases a Crossfire variant like 6 months to a year later. After the market has been saturated with as many Tracer models as possible.
I assume it’s greedy business practices.
Those three position switches are also mounted to that PCB at a slight angle, so it’s nearly impossible to pull off.
You rock JB. I fing love you bro! Lol.
Oh my god. I have the Ethics version, and I never noticed the 11 on the knobs...
Regarding the soldered switches, just use a solder wick
Excellent video JB, like that you give evey angle for your viewers to make their own decision
Oh, that last bit is such a tease... Thanks JB!
Because the Mambo is the radio FPV deserves, but not the one it needs right now
I'm happy with the Tracer inside because like you said I already have a CRSF JR Module and I LOVE the Mambo!
Stingerswarm mentioned in his review that the switches are soldered in at an angle, so even if you are able to desolder, when it is time to solder the new ones in you'll have a hell of a time getting the angle right.
Could just make a 3D print to hold the switch or board at the correct angle
Just put the switch in the front case, screw the nut on the switch and solder the darn thing... No problem at all! I'm almost at the point of making a video, replacing a switch on my Mambo, just to show how easy it is...
@@13FPV Exactly, they are at the correct angle when installed so you already have the "jig" right there. Also, flux, solder and wicking braid will make quick work of desoldering these...its not rocket science. Snip the damn legs of the switch after the board is out and do them one by one if its that much of an issue.
@@13FPV please make a video.
@@dannybaars8663 I will!
I bought the ExpressLRS module for the Mambo. Now i have the best of both worlds, as i see it.
so elrs and the mambo work well together? I was considering either getting elrs 2.4ghz and getting rid of the few tracers rxs or getting this mambo and use my elrs 900mhz for freestyle while using builds with Tracer for racing.I use a Carbon look qx7s shell with m7 gimbals and it is a blacked out so I do have som money in my radio. It does not feel cheap like the black qx7 shell.
Try low temp solder for that switch, pilgrim. Melt a little low temp onto each of those solder joints and it will drop right out of the board.
As one of multiple ExpressLRS developers with this radio I also would like to see ELRS on it and it is something we are working towards but it is a lot of work. Props to TBS software team for being able to keep OpenTX and Crossfire separate but run on the same MCU!
In my collection of radios theTango 1 is my favorite. Newest isn’t always best.
My deal breaker for me is no way to buy one with Crossfire embedded. I don't want to use another module. That's the one great thing about the tango.
Waiting to be able to flash ELRS on the Mambo. I would have bought a Crossfire Mambo, but Tracer, no.
Elrs devs are working to bring it to tbs hardware, when they do having tracer inside convertible to elrs 2.4 would be perfect!
Thus would be great
@@silverfish27 yea I would get a ELRS 2.4 radio. Then use my crsf and elrs 900 modules
broken switches: the best chance to replace those soldered ones is to dissamble the switch if possible or to use a saw blade and cut the pin from the upperside.
Ones the dead one is cut off desoldering those pins is easy.
just use braid.
@@norgtube Yes. Or a $4 solder sucker. This doesn't seem like a big issue to me. People remove 8 pin tube sockets from amplifiers all the time this way. I counted. This is less than 8. :-)
Great overview as usual...well done..Yes, those multiprotocol RF units lack range...It's why I have CRSF Module in my Radio master TX16S...🤔🤔😳🇬🇧
Thanks for the review!!! I'm flying with TBS Tango 2 and anjoy this radio! Form factor is pretty cool! All of my qwads carry TBS Crossfire modules and I think it's good idea to build qwads on this platform. Radio is perfect for me as a beginner in previous season.
The switch desoldering issue is really a making a mountain of a molehill. Just stick desoldering braid (copper wick) one there, apply soldering iron, voila.
Finally I got my answer 😀😀😀 thanx Joshua
As a former Spektrum user, the bane of my existence is every radio has momentary on the right and toggle on the left. I have to do this mod to every radio. The trick to desoldering 3 pin switches is to lay a piece of low gauge wire across all three pins and set the iron to high and desolder.
I hate the shoulder buttons for arming or disarming. My finger tips rest past the shoulder buttons. I have a hellofa time trying to push the button in without disrupting the throttle or yaw. Plus it takes time to actually contract my hand with the intent to disarm in a emergency situation. I tried to get used to it but I ended up using the inside longer switch on the right side of the radio. Coming from a X9D plus, I still miss using the traditional 2 way switch on the left hand shoulder. I think it would have been better off if they used the shoulder switch similar to the gamer pad style crossfire controller.
Might get the v2 if it's not exclusively tracer built in. I really like the radio design, but I'm just not interested in tracer. A multiprotocol or crossfire version would be great.
Those direct soldered switches arnt to difficult to desolder if you've a bit of experience , But saying that , I can envisage a fair few lifted pads and damaged traces happening if you arnt careful.... You could possibly trim the solder pins on the new switch to be really short , And then wire them in place , This would save stressing the pads for a third time if you had to change the switch .
For the hard solder part just get a solder sucker, couple of buck and you do one leg at a time or desoldering braid.
Looks like a nice radio, may get one when I choose to start flying again.
Tango2 in special features has auto trim you set to a switch so fixed wings are crazy easy to trim, which is on any open tx or freedom TX, totally love mine for wings now
TBS should offer an optional crossfire board for the Mambo with an onboard antenna (if that's even possible). I LOVE the form factor of the Mambo! 🔥
Desolder the switch looks like you'll need to use solder wick and even a sucker, bolt new switch into the case, put the pcb into the case, the switch is now at the correct angle and then apply solder. At least that's how I imagine I would tackle it.
I fly a Nirvana with a Tracer module. What I'd really like TBS to do is to make a kind of "Dynamic modulation": basically you set a power, let's say 100mw, and when you exceed the range of that 100mw FLRC it automatically switches to LoRa. Now THAT would really step up Tracer with the competition.
That's more or less what crossfire does with 150 Hz / 50 Hz.
@@JoshuaBardwell exactly but I'd like to keep the 250hz too! JB sir, thanks for your work! (Tracer max power output should be around 650mw)
18:20 you should be using solder wick to remove this sort of component with a soldering iron
its really cheap from most hobby or electronic stores
If this radio had Express LRS I would 100 percent buy it!!!
I want a Tango 2 with internal ExpressLRS. I love the ceramic antenna for whoops and toothpicks. Or maybe just give me a cheap crossfire receiver with a ceramic antenna.
Crossfire wouldn't work with those ceramic smd antennas, 900mhz needs bigger antennas.
Someone should make a blank radio with no standard protocol, just the case switches, joysticks and module bay, don't know why anyone has done that yet
The original jumper t16 was basically that, except it came with a multi protocol module in the bay. No internal module though
Good review Bardwell. I have no reason to switch from the Tango 2 but good review none the less
I need one of those Drib shirts 🔥
Also I like that it comes with tracer since I already have a crossfire module and could potentially have both with this radio.
Sorry, I was asking for this few minutes earlier as you!
18:02 It's really easy to remove solder with a solder sucker.
Really honest review as usual. Good job.
Looks like TBS's version of Radiometer TX12 and Jumper T12. Same materials, same (number of) buttons and switches, the display... Got TX12 and everything looks so familiar. By the way, I had the crossfire and other Lua scripts in TX12.
BTW you can't put an STM32-based ELRS module in this radio, because UART RX is inverted (compared to TX16S, QX7 etc.). I had to mod my ELRS module. Broke a trace and mod-wired an inverter.
I personally have just purchased one of these! for my first build, i have been flying spektrum on Helis for years, i really feel like they rushed this one out the door and skipped a few quality of life "easy fixes" the first being the rocker 3 position switches being directly soldered down what Joshua also forgot to mention as he didnt take the whole PCB out the case/faceplate, is not only are they directly soldered they are soldered at a slight angle so you would need a jigg or mastering soldering skills to get it back/close enough to the original position to slide back through the front cover/faceplate. The other issue is the external antenna being an engineer as trade myself, having people drill out a case for an antenna is a disaster waiting to happen! and almost an afterthought! why not just add a M8/M6 knock out ? it would make the installation of the external antenna far more easy, quick and more importantly a cleaner install. i like the radio of course as i have purchased one to replace my DX8 gen 2 but on the other hand i think they really did rush this one out of the door for sale, rather than send out a few units to reviewers, hobbyists for some feedback! its a cheap good radio but i would of rather spent 20-30 more for the option to make this radio a great radio !
With those switches at an angle and direct soldered to the pcb, I think there's a good chance of damaging the pcb when you drop it and break a switch! It's also gonna be very difficult to solder a new switch in at precisely the correct angle. For that reason, and including Tracer, I still think the smart purchase is buying the Radiomaster TX16S. It's as near perfect build quality and design as there has every been for any radio, especially for the price. JB uses it for a good reason.
Just purchased this after seeing the range of the tracer in ludacris mode
I guess for Crossfire you need much bigger antenna to get all benefits. And placing it on pcb without snail would be challenging.
Thanks Joshua, very well done review. Gimbal throw as you explained is a big deal for me and i guess for many other thumbers out there who are very used to normal size gimbal(standard throw). So i guess an option to upgrade from an X9Dse it to try Radiomaster t16s.
I love your videos and I love my radiomaster tx16s was my best buy yet can do everything I need + more but this thing locks very interesting radio well worth it though
After drowning in frsky bullshit and not yet gotten in to crsfr, this radio felt like a no brainer to me. Buying a tango and 3 crsfr receivers or this and 3 tracers? Big big plus for this was the modulebay and full-size radio. So if I wanna build a long range machine just smack a module in (already have a v2) and buy receiver then. Sure it has a bit shorter range but now I've got options THAT DOESN'T FORCE ME TO SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT RADIO WHEN A NEW PROTOCOL RELEASES. God the rage inside me against frsky....
PS had tango had a module at the getgo and no v1 v2 v3 differences i would probably have bought it when it released, but with all that extra to get a tango with module bay and v3 internals, it got to expensive so I waited. And now this came so I'm quite happy with what we got.
Great video as always.. excited for the expressLRS if that will be unlocked.
I wouldn’t use a hot air station to replace the switch.
A half roll of solder wick sucks the through holes clean!
My trusty 60 watt RadioShack iron can fix that dropped toggle, old skool.
Yeah solder wick or a solder suction pen. And with patience just press on each pin with the iron until it wiggles out.
@@Bigballvlogs exactly right! And if you’re lucky, the component pin can be wicked from the front side to suck the last of the solder when wiggling it out.
Thanks JB, I learned where my mambo’s sd card was hidden today 🙌🏻
I’m watching this right now to find out!?! It’s not in the manual!?!? Am I crazy!?!?
beginner radio....yes! now if quad oems will offer trcr standard or option on pre-builts
The simplest way to change a switch would probably be to physically destroy the damaged switch, to the point that the three legs could be desoldered separately. That would have to be done with exceptional care, though. Failing that, reflow the joints with leaded solder before trying to remove them, leaded solder is far more forgiving!
Not only are those switches direct soldered, they're soldered at an angle relative to the board it looks like
Switch replacement is as simple as Solder wick and a 60 watt iron. Those are tools anyone soldering battery leads to an
ESC should really get comfortable with. developing soldering skills is very important to this hobby.
Ok but why? When every other radio has switches with wires that are much easier to replace. Oh and BTW don't forget you have to solder the Mambo switch on at an angle so it fits the case right, so how do you approach that? Mount the switch in the case, then re-mount the PCB, then solder it? What a hassle.
@@JoshuaBardwell Oh, I have no doubt that the design choice was anything other than a push to keep the BOM as small as possible. i wouldn't throw the minimum viable product flag here, but the fewer parts, the lower the manufacturing cost. And if all the switches are installed and then the board is soldered in during manufacture, that vastly simplifies assembly. But your point definitely stands. From a serviceability perspective, it's an undesirable design. I'm just lucky enough to have soldering irons everywhere....
TBS's ecxuse to not support crossfire out of the box isn't really valid imo. How am I gonna fly my frsky whoops when the module bay is occupied with crossfire?
Switch to a frsky module.
@@graydi66y not really a fan of having an extra module that I need to bring everywhere. And if I decide to only bring one module to the field, eventually I’m gonna forget to bring the right one 😅
You can use desoldering pump in this case with broken switches.
I bought this radio in order to replace my Taranis X9d+ with a TBS Micro TX module and remplacing at the same time, the 2.4Ghz FrSky Protocol by Trancer witch is definitly better. But I would like to have the option to try Express LRS and Open Companion (of course).... yes may be Trappy will lose some sales in the short term but it will be a good bet to the future. Express LRS is the way.
So TBS now has 2 radios, both of which have shortcomings for fixed wings.
One with long range module without trim switches, and one with shorter range built in module with trim switches.
Fantastic review, Joshua! Thanks a lot! 😊
Well... Looks like we're going to have a ELRS radio soon, so... 😬
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I had a graupner mx20 and got the mambo because the recivers are smaller and I don't like the gamepad style. I like it alot it feels very precise and I don't have problems with range but that's cause I fly on fields
Great video Thanks. I am new and I am not. I have been flying DJI for years and am in the industry and want to start playing with my own custom stuff, but this brings up the issue of radios which until now I have not had to deal with. Do you have a series of videos or a video that explains radios and receivers and from beginner to moderate to expert? I am really interested in the differences, capabilities, and situations in which one would be preferred over the other. A video similar to this would be about cameras and transmitters/receivers in the same vien.
if we talking about the range -Tracer is better than my Spektrum DX8 G2
but because we talking about a range I will not use Tracer(at least for now ), I will keep using my trusty Crossfire module in the back of my new TRACER
TBS could have easily charged $199 for this and still sold a ton, specially with today’s prices.
Good on TBS for pricing fairly, and also they realize that this would hook you into their eco system, like a cheap printer and printer ink.
build quality seems shit and all the reviewers had broken switch!
Soon they come out with the crossfire version, I will buy it. They could have combined it and called it TraceFire.
Thanks JB enjoyed the review... Nice...
A soldering gun and solder sucker would make replacing those switches easy. I would prefer crsf inside with an internal antenna.
I am a pincher but I fly best on the jumper t-lite. My Qx-7 is now collecting dust up in the shelf 🤣. Though i hope i could try holding the mambo to find out how it feels.
❤️ ya JB .... pitty bout the mambo.... was hoping to love this !
I feel if these major companies don't become more flexible and give people exactly what they want. Slowly but surely people will just move to ERLS...
They should just release the firmware people want and make tracer really appealing to more people. 2.4 vs 900 has endless pros cons so I feel the two would still be viable products. It's just tracer could get way more popular for avg freestyle pilots.
For me I use $6ea Emax tiny D8 receivers hahaha, they work for racing and good enough for park flying.
Looks like flysky FS-I6S :)
Like it :)
I have my Ethix Version now for about a month, and I love it. Great ergonomics and the gimbals are so precise, they are definatly better than the M9 from FrSky. And the Tracer built in was for me a reason to get it since I already own a xfire modul
Don't think the Ethix is worth the extra money though
Imagine TBS making it dual mode so you can use it with crossfire too without any extension module
Also imagine lipo batterys with little pads in the end so you can just buy a big charger case preinstalled with pogo pins, so you just slide in your batterys, like airpods and with a single switch, you can chose to charge, or discharge all of them,
Elrs would be great it would allow to use really cheap and small receivers.
Looks like it would be awesome at keeping light breezes from blowing papers off of my desk.
I moved from the tango 2 and lovin it so far. The RX antennas are way smaller and lighter and I have yet to see anything lower than 98% link quality. I think for me it fits my hands well and overall they did a great job. I do notice its a bit faster on the controls and feels smoother in the air. I think the switches are for durability and I rather have them soldered than have a jumper like failure that was really annoying. Overall I think It's a great radio for new or old pilots.
To my opinion the mamba with it's trim switches is more suitable for wings and the tango 2 without trim is more suitable for quads.
Tracer to my opinion is more suitable for quads and crossfire more for wings.
Why not have an option to choose which procol you want your radio to have tracer/crossfire when you buy it. It's not so nice to have two antennas so why not both is clear to me.
Man it doesn’t have crossfire!!🙄🙄
And i agree the switch being hard mounted to the pcb is NOT Cool!!!
I’m glad I’m not in the market for a new tx. I’m loving my radiomaster after I had spektrum and taranis.
Edgetx tx16s all the way!!!!!!!!
Hey Joshua, I've been out of the hobby since about 2017. You said that TBS Tracer is loads better than FrSky, and I was wondering why? I've got a Qx7, and don't necessarily want to upgrade (I mostly fly on a sim anyway) but I was wondering what I'm missing out on. Thanks!
I've been out of the hobby for YEARS at this point and just poking my head in trying to figure out what equipment I might need to refresh... while my old taranis will certainly handle everything just fine - I'm kinda wanting this JUST because it takes 18650's and charges on usb-c instead of dealing with the aftermarket lipo shoehorned into the taranis. Then again, this is the first radio I've seen with that power solution and I'm probably missing a bigger picture that lots of newer transmitters are going this direction as well...
NICELY stated!!