TBS TANGO FPV REMOTE manual
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TBS TANGO FPV REMOTE is an all-in-one system designed for FPV enthusiasts, featuring a built-in video receiver and a slot for JR-compatible radio modules. It boasts a large 4.2-inch display for live video streaming, along with quality ball-bearing gimbals for precise control and spring-loaded dials for smooth camera operation. With high-capacity built-in Lithium-ion cells, you can enjoy extended flying time and conveniently charge via USB.
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TBS TANGO FPV Remote
All‐in‐one Remote Control System for FPV
Revision 2016-07-16
The TBS TANGO FPV remote control is an all-in-one system made for FPV enthusiasts. It features built-in video receiver and a slot for JR-compatible radio modules. Input controls are provided by quality quad ball-bearing gimbals and camera operation is possible using smooth spring-loaded dials and rocker-switch. A huge display shows the video stream right on the remote, with an option to connect external goggles.
Key features
• All-in-one FPV remote control with R/C radio and video receiver built-in
• JR-compatible slot for any R/C radio module
• Large 4.2-inch display for live video stream
• Quality ball-bearing gimbals for control and spring-loaded dials for smooth camera operation
• High capacity built-in Lithium-ion cells, charges via USB
• External port for goggles
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Table of content
Remote Control Channel Mapping
Changing video receiver frequency
Changing the flight stick mode
Adjusting throttle ratchet strength
2
Specifications
Type:
RC system:
FPV system:
Antenna:
FPV Channels:
Display:
R/C module compatibility:
Battery:
Operating range:
Ports:
All-in-one FPV Remote Control
JR-compatible expansion module, e.g. TBS CROSSFIRE
5G8 VRX receiver, 40CH
R/C: module specific
VTX: 5G8 5dBi patch antenna, optional external SMA port
Boscam A, B, E, Fatshark, Raceband
LCD 4.2-inch, 640x480p
JR-compatible RF module with CRSF or PPM stream (absolute max. ratings:
-0.3V to 15V), e.g. Crossfire, JR, FrSky and similar radio modules
Li-Ion 18650 3.6V 6000mAh internal battery, USB-charging
Variable depending on output power and radio environment
RJ45 connector for connecting video goggles, e.g. FatSharks
DSC for trainer connection
USB for software updates and charging
Controls:
2x Quad ball-bearing gimbals
2x Two-position switches
2x Three-position switches
2x Spring-loaded dials
2x Digital trims
3x Video RX buttons
1x Rocker switch
Working temperature:
0 - 40 C
Size:
Weight:
Kit contents:
150 x 80 x 20 mm
340 grams, without R/C radio module
1x TBS Tango Remote Controller
1x TBS Tango Neckstrap
1x RJ45 Audio/Video cable
3
Attention
These Long Range Systems are capable to use radio frequency transmissions and output power that may be not allowed in your country.
Please always check your local RF legislation to set the frequency and output power according with the regulation.
A general rule for RC aircrafts is that they must be controlled always under sight of view, check your RC regulation to keep up to date with regulations.
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Overview
The following diagram indicates the essential input controls and features of the radio.
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Detailed overview
JR-module slot, DSC, micro-USB, TBS-port (for goggles), power button and speaker
Display and neck-strap connector
Left gimbal for throttle and yaw, and digital pad for trims
Right gimbal for aileron and elevator, and digital pad for trims
Three-position (A/L2), two-position (B/L1) switch, spring-loaded dial (SW E) and video receiver bay
Two-position (C/R1) switch, three-position (D/R2) switch and spring-loaded (SW F) dial
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Powering up
Getting set up and ready to fly is a quick and simple task. In most cases plug&play when using TBS equipment.
Power up
Press and hold the Power-button for half a second to turn on the remote. The TBS TANGO screen will welcome you and the power button starts to flash green.
Factory mode
Press the Power-button and Down-button for 2 seconds to enter the factory mode (not factory reset), a confirmation tone will sound. This is where you can calibrate control inputs, change test settings, read ADC and PPM values, and change LCD display settings.
No-JR Module mode
Press the Power-button and Scan-button for 2 seconds to disable JR module power, a confirmation tone will sound. This is handy when you want to conserve battery while watching your friends fly.
PitMode
Press the Power-button and Rocker-button for 2 seconds to enter the PitMode, a confirmation tone will sound. This will set the video receiver to 5584 Mhz, which is the TBS PitMode frequency. For more information about PitMode, please consult the TBS UNIFY PRO manual.
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Remote Control Channel Mapping
The channel arrangement of the PPM output to the RF module is dependant on the kind of flight controller that is hooked-up on the receiver side.
In the configuration menu, you can change the mapping by changing the model type to match your particular setup.
8
9
10
4
5
2
3
6
7
PPM
Channel
1
DJI 3DR
Flight Control Model
BLADE CROSSFIRE
AIL
ELE
THR
RUD
Tuner L (E)
AIL
ELE
THR
THR
AIL
ELE
RUD RUD
3-Pos Right (D) 3-Pos Right (D)
Tuner R (F) Tuner R (F) 2-Pos Right (C)
3-Pos Right (D) 2-Pos Right (C) 2-Pos Left (A)
2-Pos Right (C)
3-Pos Left (B)
2-Pos Left (A)
2-Pos Left (A)
Tuner L (E)
3-Pos Left (B)
3-Pos Left (B)
Tuner L (E)
Tuner R (F)
AIL
ELE
THR
RUD
3-Pos Right (D)
2-Pos Right (C)
2-Pos Left (A)
3-Pos Left (B)
Tuner L (E)
Tuner R (F)
TAULABS
AIL
ELE
THR
RUD
3-Pos Right (D)
2-Pos Right (C)
2-Pos Left (A)
3-Pos Left (B)
Tuner L (E)
Tuner R (F)
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Configuration menu
Changing settings on the TBS TANGO is done using the LCD display and controlled using the rocker-switch and VRX buttons.
To enter and navigating the configuration menu system:
• Enter configuration menu - long press on the rocker-switch, 3 seconds
• Menu navigation - scroll back and forth using the rocker-switch
• Select/enter change - short press the rocker-switch
• Back/confirm change - long press the rocker-switch
Main menu
Main configuration menu when entering the system
•
Exit
•
Drone
flight system (name, flight control, switch map)
•
Remote
(stick mode, RF module, idle alarm, default channel)
•
Display
•
Battery
shown to indicate how much power is left, 0 to
4 bars - see battery protection section
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Drone menu
Remote menu
Specific profile for the model you are controlling
•
Back
•
Name
•
Type
[CleanFlight, DJI NAZA, PixHawk,
OP-Taulabs]
model, allows further switch/dial mapping on supported FCs (DJI/PX)
•
SW E
[ANG, SPD]
mapped to the SW E dial on the remote, angle
(ANG) or speed (SPD)
•
SW F
[ANG, SPD]
mapped to the SW F dial on the remote, angle
(ANG) or speed (SPD)
Specifics about the remote itself
•
Back
•
Stick Mode
[1 to 4]
maps throttle, yaw, pitch and roll to the gimbals
- Mode 2 is most common
•
RF Module
[Standard PPM (10Ch), TBS Crossfire
(10Ch), FrSky XJT (8Ch)]
into the radio, dictates the communication protocol and PPM channel size
•
Idle Warn
[ON, 5 to 30min, OFF]
remote is left powered on without any input after a specific amount of time, sound an alarm
•
Home CH
[Band, Channel (1 to 8)]
video channel to tune into after long pressing the UP-button (VRX controls)
•
SW Speed
[1 to 15]
SW F dial, if SW is set to angle (ANG)
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Display menu
Adjust the video display parameters on the remote
•
Back
•
Contrast
[055, 0 to 99]
•
Contrast
[050, 0 to 99]
•
Hue
[060, 0..99]
•
Turn Off Display
using goggles or just the remote control, not the video receiver portion. Can be switched back on by long pressing the UP-button (VRX controls).
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Setup
Installing R/C radio module
A JR-compatible radio module needs to be installed in the slot of the back of the remote. The CROSSFIRE transmitter module is recommended, as it utilizes the latest CRSF-protocol, but any transmitter module with
PPM stream will work as well.
Check the TBS CROSSFIRE transmitter module manual for further details on setting up and configuring it.
Next, to make the radio recognizes the module (it does not auto-detect), you need to enter the configuration menu and update the model to the right RF module type to either regular PPM, TBS Crossfire or FrSky XJT.
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Transmitter stick mode
When talking about transmitter stick modes we are referring to how the transmitter is configured to control the airplane i.e. which sticks operate which controls on the aircraft.
By default the remote is set up with mode 2, which is the most common type.
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Connecting goggles
If you like to use FPV goggles, these can be connected to the remote using a special custom flat CAT5 goggle-cable (provided). The cable carries both video and power to compatible Fatshark-video goggles.
If you like to turn off the LCD display while using the goggles, enter the configuration menu and go to the LCD
Display → Turn Off Display option. You can turn on the display again for spectators by long pressing the
UP-button (VRX controls).
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Usage
Changing video receiver frequency
Use the “SCAN”, “UP”, or “DOWN” buttons on the left-hand side to change the video receiver frequency.
UP-button
• Long press - Reset the video RX channel to the Home-channel (changed in the configuration menu)
• Short press - Jump to the next video RX channel, sequence Band A → Band B → Band E → Airwave
→ Race
SCAN-button
• Long press - Automatically scan the current video RX band for active channels
• Short press - Automatically scan all video RX bands for active channels
DOWN-button
• Long press - Bring up a menu to specifically set a MHz frequency to be on.
• Short press - Jump back to the previous video RX channel, sequence Race → Airwave → Band E →
Band B → Band A
The receiver frequency bands are listed in the following table.
Channel (MHz)
Band
Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8
Band A (Bosecam A)
Band B (Bosecam B)
5865
5733
Band E (Lumenier/DJI)
5705
Airwave (FatShark/IMRC)
5740
Race (Raceband)
5658
5845
5752
5685
5760
5695
5825
5771
5665
5780
5732
5805
5790
5752
5800
5769
5785
5809
5885
5820
5806
5765
5828
5905
5840
5843
5745
5847
5925
5860
5880
5725
5866
5866
5880
5917
15
Remote LED status indicator
When the remote is powered on, the LED behind the button will flash green. The built-in LiPo battery is charged every time a 5V power source is connected to the micro-USB connector.
Button LED indicator
▀ ▀
▀ ▀
Status
Remote powered on
Backup battery is charging
Battery protection
The battery protection in the remote is based on the nominal voltage, as follows:
Battery voltage
3.81V and over
3.71V
3.61V
3.41V
3.38V
3.34V
Condition
Battery level 4, fully charged
Battery level 3
Battery level 2
Battery level 1, beep tone and battery icon flashing
Power on allowed, critical level, beep tone and battery icon flashing
Shutdown voltage, 20 seconds countdown prompt, recharge as soon as possible
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Alert prompts
The remote will raise an alert when one of the following events happen:
• Battery low alert - described in the previous section
• Telemetry data about the low RSSI, for RF module is set to XJT
• Telemetry data about the low battery voltage, for RF module is set to XJT
• Idle warn is activated and the timer is expired
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Opening up the remote
To change the stick mode or changing the throttles tick ratchet, you will need to open up the remote control.
First remove the seven (7) screws on the backside and locate the area shown in the photo below. If you can’t open up the remote control, you probably forgot the 7th screw, located inside the JR module.
Changing the flight stick mode
Depending on your stick preferences/flight mode, your throttle stick will be non-sprung. Modifying it is a matter of screwing in a screw on one end, and removing the screw on the other end. The hardness of the sticks and the ratchet is controlled by the silver metal piece and the two control screws, see the next section.
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Adjusting throttle ratchet strength
Use a screwdriver to adjust the right-most screw; counter-clockwise to decrease the tension and clockwise to increase the tension. If you rather prefer a smooth sliding stick, increase the tension of the other metal bracket.
Replacing battery
The battery in the radio uses a regular XT30 connector to make it easy to replace or upgrade the stock battery. It uses Lithium-Polymer 3.7V 1S batteries, two in parallel, one on each side of the remote.
Swapping antenna
The remote comes with a 5G8 5dBi patch antenna, hidden underneath the cover on the top. You can change the antenna or connect an external SMA connector by un-hooking the IPEX/IPX32/Hirose U.FL antenna connector and swap to another cable.
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Factory mode
The factory mode is only needed when fine-tuning or troubleshooting the remote.
Main menu
Main menu for the factory mode
•
Back
•
Calibration
sticks, dials and switches
•
Test Setting
discard accelerated rocker-switch behaviour
•
ADC Reading
and PPM output
•
LCD Display
check the display characters
Calibration
Re-calibrate the end-points for all the physical inputs on the remote.
Center all the sticks. You usually only need to center the throttle stick.
•
Next
Move both sticks to their extreme ends until the max. and min. value turns green for each input. The “TunL” and “TunR” presents the spring-dials E and F.
•
Next
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Flip all the switches to their up-position.
•
Next
Now, now all the switches through their range until each one turns to green. If a few does not register, try flipping it back to up-position and then move it down again.
•
Next
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FrSky XJT
Despite being one of the most popular R/C systems, FrSky’s RF modules and even receivers are notorious for interfering with 5.8GHz receivers, video transmitters or other 2.4GHz R/C systems. When designing the Tango we have taken every precaution possible to ensure a interference-free operation also with FrSky’s devices, but it is all at the limits. This is a problem in the engineering and design of FrSky, and NOT a TBS problem. We can assure the Tango can work problem-free with the FrSky XJT module, but a few things will need to be in place:
1) The internal 5.8GHz patch antenna needs to be as far away from the RF module as possible. From the factory, the patch antenna will have been installed and secured in the proper location. If you do experience video issues such as vertical “flashing” lines, please open up the front antenna cover and ensure that the antenna is installed properly.
2) If despite proper antenna installation you are still seeing issues in the video, you can additionally cover your FrSky XJT module with copper- or aluminum-tape. Be sure to leave plenty of space around the pin holes. Grounding the tape is NOT necessary, or recommended! Alternatively you can also cover the inside of the JR module bay with copper- or aluminum-tape, instead of placing tape on the
XJT module.
3) Should both the mods above fail, please contact our customer support. If possible, please document the problem with a quick video so that we can assist you faster and better.
22
Firmware upgrade
Updates to the transmitter and receiver is applied using our TBS AGENT software. This takes care of all the downloading of the latest firmware, verification- and upgrade process. Plug in the remote control, start the
TBS Agent, and wait for the latest firmware to download. Then click on “UPDATE” to proceed.
Installing TBS Agent
Download the installer from (Windows7/8, 64-bit required) - no drivers needed to use the application, but an Internet connection is required to download the latest firmware versions.
Turn off the radio or disconnect any model batteries. Plug in a micro-USB cable on the radio, power is provided via USB. The software will automatically detect the device and offer you the option to upgrade the firmware if a newer version is available.
When the status indicator is green and says “Connected”, you can upgrade or downgrade the firmware.
To upgrade the firmware, select the latest version from the drop-down menu and click Update. Rapid blinking indicates that the process is working and being updated. The process will take about 1 minute. Check all settings after the process is finished.
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Good practices
We have compiled a list of all of practices which have been tried and tested in countless environments and situations by the TBS crew and other experienced FPV pilots.
Follow these simple rules, even if rumors on the internet suggest otherwise, and you will have success in FPV.
●
Start with the bare essentials and add equipment one step at a time, after each new equipment was added to proper range- and stress tests.
● Do not fly with a video system that is capable of outperforming your R/C system in terms of range.
● Do not fly with a R/C frequency higher than the video frequency (e.g. 2.4GHz R/C, 900MHz video).
● Monitor the vitals of your plane (R/C link and battery). Flying with a digital R/C link without RSSI is dangerous.
● Do not use 2.4GHz R/C unless you fly well within its range limits, in noise-free environments and always within LOS. Since this is most likely never the case, it is recommended to not use 2.4GHz R/C systems for longer range FPV.
● Do not fly at the limits of video, if you see noise in your picture, turn around and buy a higher-gain receiver antenna before going out further.
●
Shielded wires or twisted cables only, anything else picks up RF noise and can cause problems.
●
When using powerful R/C transmitters, make sure your groundstation equipment is properly shielded.
●
Adding Return-To-Home (RTH) to an unreliable system does not increase the chances of getting your plane back. Work on making your system reliable without RTH first, then add RTH as an additional safety measure if you must.
● Avoid powering the VTx directly from battery, step-up or step-down the voltage and provide a constant level of power to your VTx. Make sure your VTx runs until your battery dies.
● Do not power your camera directly unless it works along the complete voltage range of your battery.
Step-up or step-down the voltage and provide a constant level of power to your camera. Make sure your camera runs until your battery dies.
● A single battery system is safer than using two dedicated batteries for R/C and FPV. Two batteries in parallel even further mitigate sources of failure.
●
For maximum video range and “law compatibility”, use 2.4GHz video with high-gain antennas.
●
When flying with R/C buddies that fly on 2.4GHz, or when flying in cities, it is perfectly possible to use
2.4GHz video provided you stick to the channels that do not lie in their band (CH5 to CH8 for
Lawmate systems, available from TBS).
●
Do not use diversity video receivers as a replacement for pointing your antennas, diversity should be used to mitigate polarization issues.
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● Improving the antenna gain on the receiver end is better than increasing the output power (except in
RF-noisy areas). More tx power causes more issues with RF on your plane. 500mW is plenty of power!
●
Try to achieve as much separation of the VTx and R/C receiver as possible to lower the RF noise floor and EMI interference.
●
Do not buy the cheapest equipment unless it is proven to work reliably (e.g. parts falling off, multitudes of bug fix firmware updates, community hacks and mods are a good indicator of poor quality and something you do NOT want to buy for a safe system). Do due diligence and some research before sending your aircraft skyward.
Manual written and designed by ivc.no in cooperation with TBS.
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