DUMBORC RC CAr Radio REview - Which one do I get and why? ?‍

DumboRC have a range of very similar 2.4GHz digital surface radios (for RC car and boats) with subtle differences which makes them confusing to buy. All of them around around the $30 mark which makes them extremely good value if you know how to pick the right set of features for you. In this guide/review I'll break down the differences and review the two variants that I recommend - namely the DumboRC X6 2.4G 6CH Transmitter and DumboRC X6A 2.4G 6CH Transmitter with X6FG Receiver and will of course review them and give you my recommendations.

If you are looking to upgrade you RTR rc car that comes with an integrated receiver and ESC like the WL Toys 144001, 124019, 124018 and likely the newly announced 104001 as well as many other makes and models, one of the first items you'll need is radio gear - i.e. a transmitter and receiver with 2 or more channels. Pistol grip radios are by far the most common here due to the precise control and ability to make rapid movements over stick radios (which are the standard for aircraft).

I've already reviewed the excellent Flysky FS-GT5 that has the ability to run multiple models but the $60-$70 price tag can be a little high for most. The DumboRC range offers pretty much all of this functionally (including gyro steering assist) albeit without the digital setting at a much lower price point of around $30. Before I go any further though there are 6 different models that are very similar in price and features so I've summarised below for the key differences:

​DumboRC X4 2.4G 4CH Transmitter with X6F Receiver

​Price: $21-$26

​Channels: 4

​Gyro: No

DumboRC X5 2.4G 5CH Transmitter with X6F Receiver

​Price: $23-$28

​Channels: 5

​Gyro: No

DumboRC X6 2.4G 6CH Transmitter with X6F Receiver without Gryo

​Price: ​$28-$32

​Channels: 6

​Gyro: No

DumboRC X6 2.4G 6CH Transmitter with X6FG Receiver

​Price: $26-$31

​Channels: 6

​Gyro: Yes

DumboRC X6A 2.4G 6CH Transmitter with X6FG Receiver

​Price: $35-$42

​Channels: 6

​Gyro: Yes

DumboRC X6P 2.4G 6CH Transmitter + X6F LED Receiver + LED Light

​Price: ?-$42

​Channels: 6

​Gyro​: No

If you still need some help understanding what is useful above:

• Unless you are running a crawler having more that 2 channels makes no difference so channel number can be ignored
• Gyro assists your steering when an unexpected car angle is detected such as during over-steer. Essentially this is counter steering that is done for you at a speed much faster than you can react and can be turned up for maximum effect, down for minimum impact or anywhere in between. See below in the review for a video that explains this more clearly. Unlike the Flysky FS-GT5 this affects only steering and not throttle.

So, my strong recommendations are for the 2 products highlighted in green - maximum features at the lowest price. Check both out to see what is cheaper on the day. If you definitely don't want gyro, consider the X4 or X5 but really for around $10 I'd definitely like to have the gyro, even if just for novelty.

Review
X6 vs X6a. It just so happens that I have both of the products as recommended above that I ordered for different projects. I got the two variants purely to see what was different. The big reveal? Colour. That is the only difference! As you can see below the X6 is black with metallic blue accents and the X6a is black with silver accents at a red stripe. The black on the X6a has that nice matte/soft touch look which looks classy but not sure how it well wear long term. From here on in the review will focus on the X6 since both are functionally identical. As always click any image to embiggen

Dumbo X6 gyro version on the left, X6a (also gyro) on the right

Top view

Feel. I'll be the first to admit that, based on images, the transmitter looks cheap but after having had it in my hands for a while it is bigger than it looks - just compare it to the WL toys transmitter or even the Flysky GT2e below.

Dumbo X6 gyro version feels solid in hand with a nice weight

WL toys stock controller that comes with the 12428, 144001, 124019, 124018 and 104001 feels light and flimsy by comparison

Flysky FS-GT2e controller is not bad but lacks a gyro at the same price point.

Build quality is pretty good, nothing feels loose or rattly and after having used it for the last 6 months it has help up well even though I haven't been especially kind to it.

Range performance. Range is very good on this transmitter. I got to the point were I couldn't see the direction my 600mm long DHK Hunter was pointing in, based on map coordinates from my local school this was about 150-200 metres. I think to really test the range you would need to run an FPV system on the vehicle, something I have no interest in doing. Fit for purpose I think is a good description and certainly better than most if not all stock radios. No latency was noticeable throughout testing.

Gyro performace. The gyro is easy to setup with the included instructions. Once activated, the strength of the gyro intervention is controlled by the Channel 6 rotary dial on top of the transmitter. This is a nice simple control for the gyro, similar to what traxxas and arrma use and much easier to set than the flysky FS-GT5 but lacks the intervention on throttle - not necessarily a bad thing.

Gyro is easy to enable and setup

Control gyro assist strength with this knob

This is what gyro assist looks like in action - no steering wheel input on the remote here. Example from my review of the FS-GT5

Other features. For steering and throttle you have channel reversing, trim and dual rate available. There is no endpoint adjustment beyond the dual rate control. Basic but useful so long as you don't plan on using more than one model with the same transmitter (for this I strongly recommend the Flysky FS-GT5). Although you are unlikely to use them, channel 3 is a momentary switch, channel 4 a 3-position switch and channels 5 and 6 are rotary potentiometers on top of the transmitter. You can do basic channel mixing here which is usually reserved for crawlers that have individual controls over front and rear servos for crabbing etc. - not something most of us will use.

The receiver. The included receiver is the X6FG and as mentioned includes a gyro on board. It can be mounted in any orientation. Replacements are only around $10 and you can bind more than one to each transmitter although you will need to set up trims and dual rates each time you swap models if using more than one. I recommend the FS-GT5 if you plan on doing this or buy separate DumboRC transmitters for each car. You can also but the non-gyro X6F but price is usually much the same... why wouldn't you get the gyro? Both receivers are nice an small - 35mm x 20mm x 13mm and so will fit easily into your build.

Recommendation
The DumboRC X6 and X6a are functionally identical transmitters and receiver radio sets that include gyro function to assist with counter steer and are my strong recommendation as a starting point for aftermarket radio gear. You can save about $10 depending on flash sales and coupon availability by going to the DumboRC X4 but to be honest, the gyro is well and truly worth the difference.

If you want to control more than one car from the same transmitter and/or want more control over what the gyro does, consider the Flysky FS-GT5 - my review is here. This adds digital model control meaning you don't need to reset trim and dual rate each time you change models.

The DumboRC X6 and X6a are the biggest selling RC Car transmitters for good reason - they perform well, have a great featureset and are excellent value for money. Now that I've tried 2 of them for myself I am very happy to recommend them for any RC car build.

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