Quick Review: Radiolink RC6GS V2 6-Channel Pistol Grip Transmitter

Having used the Radiolink RC4G for a few years now I am familiar with the radio’s personality, its interface and its feel in general. I have always liked how that transmitter felt in the hand; the foam wheel is easy to hold on to and the grip is sized well. What I didn’t like was trying to find receivers a few short years after the radio was released. The newest generation of Radiolink receivers are not completely reverse compatible with the previous generation of transmitter such as the RC4G.While I still love my trusty RC4G it was time to move to the next generation radio. Enter the RC6GS V2.

Aesthetically the 6GSV2 is very similar to the 4G; the overall silhouette is the same, the layout of most buttons is the same, the trim adjustments are in the same location, and as long as you don’t look down you would be hard pressed to tell the difference while driving. The 6GSV2 adds two toggle switches for the additional auxiliary channels and also adds two aux buttons to the grip area that are more easily accessible to the thumb than the placement of the aux button on the 4G, a welcome improvement. The feel of the trigger has been slightly changed, giving firmer spring tension and eliminating the side to side play that the previous generation suffered. One major improvement, at least for a visually impaired person such as myself, is the increased screen brightness of the LCD; the new screen is much easier to read than the previous model.

The 6GSV2 does require the use of six “AA” batteries for power as opposed to the 4G which only required four, increasing weight slightly. The radio can operate on voltages ranging from 4.8 to 15v meaning a 4-cell battery holder could be fitted at the expense of some range. A 2s or 3s lithium pack could also be used; low-voltage alarms can be set using option 19 on the menu. This is also where the low-voltage warning can be set for the car’s telemetry as well. The radio includes a pass-through adapter for use with XT60 connectors that will send telemetry data to the transmitter, offering real-time monitoring of the battery’s voltage. This can be especially useful for ESC’s that don’t have a lipo cutoff or built in low voltage alarm.

TESTING

For testing I paired the 6GSV2 with an R6F 6-channel receiver that was installed in my original SCX10. When setting up the auxiliary channel switches to control the truck’s lightbar I found what I consider a major upgrade over the 4g: the ability to change the function of each aux channel switch. Initially the top thumb button was set to momentary mode and this meant driving with the switch depressed at all times. Option 17 in the menu allows the user to not only assign which channel corresponds to which aux switch but also change the function of some switches from 2pos to 3pos or momentary. I simply switched the 3rd channel output to LK-D to have a 2pos on/off operation of the top thumb grip button, turning the lights on and off with each press of the button.

For range testing I drove the truck around the property as far as I could see using the light bar as a beacon. At this point I walked away from the truck until I could no longer hear the whine of the transmission as the truck drove in circles. This was over 1500 feet and well past the line of sight of the truck. For most users this is more than enough range and at no point did I experience any glitching or signal loss.

While running a few packs through the truck over the course of the day I didn’t notice the extra heft of the two additional AA batteries, the radio has a solid feel without being a strain to hold for extended periods. The grip is textured just enough to provide grip without being abrasive and the radio didn’t feel slick even at the end of a two hour endurance run.

To test the response and lag of the radio I installed a new R4FGM micro receiver into the Backslash 4×4 project and set the gyro to off for some high speed backyard bashing. The system feels very quick to respond to inputs and the car follows suit immediately. There is no feeling of steer-then-wait then steer again with the RC6GSV2 rather car feels very connected to the driver. I will be very interested to see how the 6GSV2 fares on track onces our new faility is built this year. Having a definite point of reference for where you are aiming versus how the car responds can highlight any latency in a radio system. I’ve seen some RTR radios take five-to-six feet to respond going into a corner and making small corrections mid-corner or mid-air was just not possible. The 6GSV2 allows for fine control without the need to plan your steering inputs by certified mail, just think about where you want the car to go and it goes.

Bringing the car in for a battery change gave me the chance to set the receiver to gyro mode. Initially I set the gyro to 100% just to see its effect but eventually turned it down to around 30% which gave just enough assistance to counteract the wheelspin that the car is capable of. Blasting across the yard really showed the gyros response; seeing the car twitch back and forth as it navigated the less-than-smooth terrain was truly impressive. Full-throttle, no-hands launches are possible with the gyro enabled; something that would not be possible otherwise. Using the gyro as a driving aid and not a crutch will make you a better driver, or at least save on your monthly lexan bill.

LIKES

-The radio feels great in the hand and the layout is familiar to anyone moving up from a previous generation Radiolink system

-Excellent range

-Additional auxiliary buttons and functions

-Battery voltage telemetry

-Brighter LCD display

-Gyro works astoundingly well

-Simple channel mixing for MOA crawlers

-Included R7FG dual antenna receiver has four running modes and is a technological powerhouse

-Excellent customer service should the need arise.

DISLIKES (and these are being quite nit-picky)

-Uses six “AA” batteries for power

-Dual antennas of stock receiver can be hard to manage in a tight receiver box

-As good as the radio is I still can’t drive like Adam Drake…

FINAL THOUGHTS

I can’t say enough good things about the RC6GSV2. It works well, feels good in the hand, has more features than most will ever need, and can help save your expensive batteries with its on-board telemetry. The price-per-feature ratio is unmatched by others in its segment and if the 6GSV2 is as reliable as the 4G was the radio will provide many years of faithful service.