FrSky Tandem X18SE vs. X20S

 Today's question comes from Matt Baccari, a FrSky Sponsored pilot

"Hey Steve.  What are the akin differences between the x18se and the x20s ? I get this all the time.    Is there a reason you would def want one over the other? Are they both still in production ?    


Gimbals? Buttons?"


Let's get the easy one out of the way, yes, both are still in production. The X18 came out after the  X20/X20S was introduced. The X18S followed, and an enhanced version of the that S model became the X18SE.  The X18SE comes in the colors black, blue and for a $20 upcharge cardinal red. I did check, the X18S is no longer in production.

Let me clear up a couple things right away.  The X18 and X20 both are 24 channels. The 18 and 20 do not have anything to do with the channel count.  The are essentially very similar to each other, using the same batteries, RF modules and a good portion of the electronics.   They have the same switch count in the same locations.


The significant differences with the X18SE over the X20S.




Form Factor (Size)


Going back around a decade ago FrSky bought the mold to a JR radio which had been mega popular. The Taranis X9D (Plus) is based on this mold.   This was the quintessential drone radio from this era and to this day people still love that transmitter.  Yes, FrSky still makes the X9D Plus.  The X18 form factor is based on the Taranis X9D.  Some people seem to prefer this exact size.  People with smaller hands and people who pinch fly seem to prefer the smaller form factor.   Some people prefer the placement of the gimbals on the X18 over the X20.


Screen


The X18SE has a brighter screen with a matte finish  which takes the price of the unit up $30 from the X18S.  The X18S  was $379 and the  X18SE is $409.  The screen is also smaller than the X20.  The smaller screen size is the thing that has moved more people toward the X20S over the X18SE. Now that the price difference between the X18SE and the X20S is only $50,it further pushes people to the direction of the X20S.

Trims





The 18SE offers a third set of trims  (T5 and  T6).  This is helpful for doing fine tunes by changing certain flight parameters in flight.  You could for example set them to independent trims of the flaps. 

Sliders



The X18 has a slider wheel at the top of the radio as opposed to hanging off the sides. This makes the sliders feel like they are out of the way.


Grips


The X20 has extra hand grips to make the radio feel a bit larger and more substantial in the hand. The X18 doesn't offer grips.

Internal memory


The X18 and all versions have  internal memory and do not rely on an SD card to store model memory.   The memory sizes are 1 GB for the X18 and 4GB for the X18SE and X18S.  The X18 don't come with a memory card, though you can put your own in.








What people select



The X18 comes in at $279 for blue and black. This is a good value for under $300. It's missing the upgraded gimbals, gyro and has less memory.  For $100 more people could have the S gimbal upgrades. The extra $30 takes the price of the X18SE to $409 which is now $50 less than the 20S in black or blue. People often just make that leap, and often spend yet $20 more to get the X20S in Cardinal red.   Having put this radio in thousands of people's hands, the X20S tends to be the favorite unless someone has smaller hands or some exact reason why they need the X18. We sell considerably more X20S over the X18SE.  The X18SE tends to have a period where the sales go up for a while before cooling back down.  

I have flown with the Taranis X9D Plus SE for years and tried the X18S.  The X18S is a smaller, lighter radio.  It's somewhat similar to the X9D Plus. The truth is that after a few minutes I got used to it and didn't find it to be all the different than flying the X20S.  








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