How to update your Jumper T16 Firmware
Despite the controversy the Jumper T16 has caused many of us think it is one of the best R/C radios you can get for the price. It runs a fork [...]
Despite the controversy the Jumper T16 has caused many of us think it is one of the best R/C radios you can get for the price. It runs a fork of the OpenTX firmware, renamed to JumperTX, but this has caused some issues when it comes to firmware updates that I wanted to address in this article.
OpenTX is largely sponsored by Frsky (they pay some of the developers), when jumper came along to use this open source firmware, Frksy got upset and have come out to say that they will not support Jumper. Opinions aside, since its an open source project Jumper have forked it and started JumperTX so that their radios will be supported. Although the firmware are largely identical there are a few minor differences to make sure JumperTX works on jumper radios.
Some guides and video on the internet show that you can update the T16 using openTX companion app. This sometimes works, but Jumper have officially come out to say that you must not do this right now as it is not supported. Also do not try to flash OpenTX onto your radio as this will cause it to get stuck on the splash screen when turning on. Fortunately its an easy fix as explained here, That aside, lets go on to show the correct way to update the firmware on your radio via the bootloader method
Go to the jumper downloads portal, here you can download the firmware files, manual and SC card contents. Here you must download the following:
If your native language is not English, there are some other languages available too such as FR, DE, CZ, so download the corresponding file.
Once downloaded, put the .Bin file onto the SD card in the FIRMWARE folder. Also it is a good idea to rename the file to something shorter as for some reason if the filename is too long, the radio cant detect it. I renamed mine to T16223.bin which worked fine. If you do not have an SD card reader, you can also load it into the radio via a USB cable once it is in bootloader mode, as shown in the next section.
To enter bootloader mode you need to perform the 3 finger salute. This is done by first pressing the two trim buttons inwards (shown below as 1.), then while still holding them in, turn the radio on via the power button (shown below as 2.)
One the radio enters bootloader mode you will see the following screen:
Now the radio will start in bootloader mode, when you connect your USB cable your PC will detect it as a USB device so you can move the firmware.bin file to the FIRMWARE folder. As mentioned before you might need to rename the file to something shorter for the radio to detect it in the next step. Its best to keep the name below 8 characters just to be safe.
If you already have a bunch of models setup on your radio, it is a good idea to backup your models now incase something goes wrong. You can do this via the OpenTX Companion app.
To do this turn the radio on in bootloader mode, open the OpenTX companion app, read the radio settings, and save them to file.
Make sure your radio is at least 80% charged before flashing new firmware onto it
With the firmware files located in the FIRMWARE folder, turn the radio on into bootloader mode, and select write firmware option on teh screen. Then select the firmware.bin file you put on it and start flashing. After about 30-60 seconds it should be complete, be patient.
Once done, restart your radio and go to the version tab which will show the firmware version on your radio. To get there, hold the SYS button to open the menu, then press the page button to navigate to the version tab.
The last step is to load the SD card contents onto the SD card. This is important as the radio uses these files to work properly. And without them the radio may not turn on properly. You do not need to always update teh SD card contents, especialy when upgrading minor firmware versions. But if you have a warning, or the radio will not turn on, then its a good idea to load the new SD card contents onto it.
If you are using custom files like a voice pack, you should back this up to put back onto the SD card after loading the new contents. With the files backed up:
And that it, now you have the latest firmware on your radio. Hopefully this article has helped, and if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know on our friendly forums as this hobby is all about helping eachother out. Happy Flying!
So very recently I had to rebuild by main build as the 5v BEC on my FC gave up the ghost and died 👻
This isn’t normally a problem cause we all backup are configs from the CLI, right ?
Well I couldn’t find a backup so had to guess my PID’s, Rates, Modes, etc… But that isn’t always a bad thing. Some times it good to wipe the slate clean and start again and discover something new maybe, some new rates?
So before I work out how to restore my OSD voltage reading. Lets go through backing up your betaflight config. So maybe you won’t have to in the future.
Backing up your config is only 3 clicks and 1 command ( yes I counted ). Just follow the GIF be low for step by step directions… simples.
OK so the above image is what I’m getting in my OSD…
No Avg Cell Voltage, No Mah Drawn and No Current Draw.
But this could just because I haven’t setup the Power & Battery Tab correctly.
Well that’s not good….. 🙁
Betaflight is setup correctly and we have already seen that the correct elements are on the OSD.
But if you look at the top of that image Betaflight isn’t showing any voltage with a lipo plugged in.
Which means my FC is damaged and the Voltage/Current sensor isn’t working 😱
How did this happen Dead on arrival (DOA) or did I kill it soldering on the XT60?
Now that the FC is fully fitted I can’t send it back 🙁
I always test a new FC with a USB and betaflight to make sure its all working and holds a config.
But that doesn’t test the XT60 main input and when you solder the board you invalidate any warranty.
What I should have done is used crocodile clips to test the board more.
TOP TIP: Clip to the FC FIRST then plug in a lipo, I would also use a smoker stopper.
Nope that at all. We still have timers on the OSD or on our Transmitters.
I like to use a Throttle percentage based timer on my X9D+
Higher the throttle faster it ticks down…
0% Throttle = 0 seconds on the timer > 0 seconds real time.
50% Throttle = 1 second on the timer > 1 second real time.
100% Throttle = 2 seconds on the timer > 2 seconds real time.
So the higher your throttle the faster the timer ticks down. So if your cruising around at 40/50% your timer lasts longer cause your not draining your lipo as fast.
The hardest part is working out how long the timer should be set for.
So I’m going to link a timed stingerswam video and let him explain the how to set it up as I copied his method, if done correctly you land at the same voltage every time. Well at least I do.
Just cause something isn’t working as expected doesn’t always mean your done.
Sometimes you can just work around it.
I won’t be in a rush to replace my FC but if this was on my Long Range build.
I would be swapping it straight out.
Test your hardware as much as you can before hitting it with the soldering iron.
Ever since the V2, the Caddx Turtle has quickly become the favourite split HD FPV camera in one units to use. And in general this camera works great but the most common fault with them is that they get stuck on the yellow/black screen during power-up. This guide will show you some of the common solutions to solve this.
(more…)So, the Wizard X220(S) builds are getting harder to come by outside of China, and yet they’re still the generally recommended go to for those looking to get involved with FPV on the cheap (the dream!).
We think, though, that you, and we, can do better. The wizard is a fine piece of kit, but the flight controller is a knockoff, the frame is just okay, the motors are meh at best… We think we’ve come up with an ideal “Source” for getting that FPV fix, still on the cheap, but no longer at the cost of quality components. And this guide will show you just how we put it together, and how you can, too. If you are not familiar with theFPV Source, you can find out more information here
Let’s get stuck in.
(more…)The OwlRC receiver was, while overshadowed by ImmersionRC’s RapidFire, one of the more anticipated releases of 2018. After a video by Joshua Bardwell showing it’s impressive multi-pathing handling, in part due to the 16KHz switching speed, people couldn’t wait to get their hands on one, me included. Apparently, however, some people after having received their module have been having issues with white lines in the video, and low brigntness… Well, OwlRC came out today with a hardware modification that will fix that, so read on to find out how to improve your video in under a minute!
(more…)Back when the smart power case was first released, it was very well received – and for good reason! The case offered an unheard of feature for Fatshark goggles: a power button. I know, crazy, right?! Jokes aside – the case allows users to power their goggles with 2 x 18650 cells with no hacking away at stuff or potentially risky soldering – and it has a variety of simple software features (short/high current/low voltage detection, etc.) that make it very appealing.
(more…)This month, as those of you who have come here from the letter included in your C.R.A.P. box will know, we sent out an entire PNP whoop to everyone that purchased one of our Novem-boxes!
(more…)The Omnibus series of flight controllers from Airbot is one of the most popular options available for BetaFlight pilots. However, apart from a pinout diagram you get with the board, there is little other information available for the latest boards. In this guide, we hope to rectify that and help you to get the most from your flight controller.
(more…)Smart port telemetry requires an inverted serial signal, but many flight controllers only include hardware inversion on the SBUS connector. So if you want to use SmartPort telemetry on your Frsky receiver it can sometimes be a pain. The easiest way to overcome this is to simply use soft serial which emulates the inverter via software. This guide will show you how to do this on just about any flight controller.
(more…)So you’re interested in FPV freestyle or racing but want a quad that’ll fit in your back pocket? We’ve got you covered! Read on for our complete build guide/log for our tiny kit! This build contains some small solder pads and some moderate amount of fiddling (as is the nature of micro builds), so is best suited for intermediate quad pilots to build. A beginner confident of their skills will probably be able to put this together just fine, though!
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