Welcome drone enthusiasts! I’m Daniel Henderson, chief pilot here at RCHobby Lab. In this in-depth tutorial, I’ll walk you step-by-step through setting up your RadioMaster Pocket transmitter, binding it to your FPV drone, and configuring Betaflight for seamless control.
Table Of Contents
Overview
Learning to set up your radio controller properly is crucial before taking to the skies. We’ll cover:
- Unboxing and powering on your RadioMaster Pocket
- Navigating the menu system
- Setting a flight timer
- Assigning voices to switches
- Binding to ELRS FPV drones
- Configuring switches in Betaflight
By the end, you’ll have total control of your drone through this versatile radio transmitter – and confidence before your maiden flight!
Ready to get started? Let’s do this!
Unpacking and Powering On
First up, we need to unpack and setup your RadioMaster Pocket:
- Ensure left joystick is fully down
- Check top left button is out
- Repeat for top right button
- Push top 3-way switches fully forward
With everything centered, hold down the power button to turn on your transmitter.
The start menu will display – nice work getting this far!
Tip: Always initialize any radio controller with controls centered to avoid errors.
Let’s get familiar with that menu before moving on.
Initial RadioMaster Pocket Menu Walkthrough
The menu system you’ll be using to setup and configure your radio is neatly split into logical sections. Here’s what each one does:
MDL
Short for model, this is where you can program specific model settings. It allows you to name models, assign functions to controls, set up flight modes and more.
We’ll make heavy use of MDL as we progress through this guide.
SYSTEM
Houses options that apply to the whole transmitter like sound volume, screen brightness, haptic strength etc. Also where ExpressLRS receiver setup is found.
DISPLAY
Customize what telemetry data is shown on the transmitter’s display while flying. Can select RSSI strength, voltage, timers plus more.
INPUTS
Want sticks, gimbals or switches to do different things? INPUTS lets you re-assign control functionality.
MIXES
Advanced menu to create custom stick input mixes for elevon planes, v-tail mixing or other programmable logic functions.
FAILSAFE
Set predefined stick positions if signal is lost between transmitter and drone. Useful for returning drones safely.
TRIM
Fine tune center points of your sticks, triggers and other controls from this menu. Ensures smooth flight performance.
While mastery over every menu leads to true stick wizard status, MDL and SYSTEM hold the key settings for FPV drone use. Now let’s set up a model!
Naming Models and Assigning Switches
Out of the box, your RadioMaster Pocket comes preloaded with default model profiles for general RC use.
Let’s overwrite one now with your own custom FPV drone settings:
- In main menu, press MDL button
- Scroll and select FPV Drone option
- Rename model to your preference
I’ll use my 5″ freestyle quad – the Flywoo Explorer LR as an example:
- Press scroll wheel over model name to edit
- Type new name using alphabet selection
- Remember uppercase by holding scroll wheel
With your model renamed, let’s start assigning functions!
Configuring a Flight Timer
No pilot has perfect battery awareness mid-flight (!). Setting an audible flight timer is essential so you know when to bring your craft back.
Here’s how:
- Press PAGE button until Timer 1 page displays
- Select countdown % option
- Change time to 5 minutes
- Enable minute countdown
- Set type to Voice
- Hit return twice
Your transmitter will now loudly count down the final 5 minutes of flight time before voltage gets dangerously low. Very handy!
But – we don’t want the timer automatically starting on radio power on. Let’s assign activation to a control switch:
- Return to MDL menu
- Locate Internal RF on Page 2
- Scroll right and select arm switch
- Press return twice
Now your timer will only start when the armed switch is activated – perfect!
Pro Tip: If it accidentally starts during setup, press RESET TIMER option to cancel and return to 5 minutes.
Next, we’ll assign voice alerts to the remaining 2 key switches.
Enabling Status Voice Alerts
Having clear audible confirmation when changing between angle, horizon and acro flight modes is invaluable. Here’s how it’s done:
On PAGE 10:
- Locate first empty Voice slot
- Activate arm switch on transmitter
- Select Play Track > Armed voice
Repeat the process for:
- Flight Mode – Angle
- Flight Mode – Horizon
- Flight Mode – Acro
The audio feedback from your Pocket will now confirm all mode changes mid-flight without needing to glance at the display!
With model setup complete, it’s time to bind your drone.
Binding RadioMaster Pocket to FPV Drones
For drones using ExpressLRS protocols, there’s several binding steps for initial radio linkup. Let’s run through them:
Ready Transmitter
- Press SYSTEM menu
- Select ExpressLRS option
- Choose Bind
Leave the transmitter on this screen. Now let’s prep the drone side.
Enter Drone Binding Mode
- Ensure props are OFF for safety
- Insert battery while powered off
- Quickly remove then reinsert battery
- On 3rd reinsert, leave connected
You’ll hear an escalating beep pattern from the flight controller. The drone is now in binding mode awaiting linkup!
Finalizing Linkup
- Return to transmitter screen
- Initiate bind procedure with scroll wheel press
- Wait for bonding process to complete
Give your motors a quick blip with the arm switch – all is bound and working! Remove props again before proceeding.
Binding initializes communication – now let’s finalize full control setup in Betaflight configurator.
Configuring Betaflight for RadioMaster Pocket
The final stage takes place on your PC or laptop using the Betaflight configurator program. This bridges communication between your drone’s flight controller and your RadioMaster transmitter.
Here’s what’s involved in setup:
Connect Drone and Transmitter
- Install Betaflight Configurator
- Plug battery into drone
- Connect PC via data USB cable
- Power on transmitter
You may need to initiate connection manually in the top right. Once linked, stick inputs will register live on-screen when moved. This means we’re ready for flight mode configuration!
Assign Arm and Flight Mode Switches
Under Modes tab:
- Set Arm to Auto
- Activate arm switch on transmitter – Auxiliary 1 activates
- Drag yellow bar fully right if needed
Repeat process for:
- Angle Mode
- Horizon Mode
- No Acro mode change needed
With modes assigned, hit save in bottom right. Motor control and flight characteristics are now correctly mapped!
Additional Setup Options
Other useful Betaflight settings include:
- OSD: Customize real-time telemetry displayed in FPV feed
- Modes: Set beeper, turtle, angle etc options
- Receiver: View live radio control inputs
- CLI: Unlock tuning via text commands
Spend time tailoring options to your preference in Betaflight!
Once satisfied, disconnect drone and perform a final radio link check. Our binding and configuration is now complete across both systems!
Maiden Flight & Expanding Your Skills
If all the above steps were carefully followed, you now have a fully programmed RadioMaster Pocket transmitter ready to pilot your custom-named drone!
I encourage new pilots jump into the hobby to practice on a quality simulator first. Even as intermediate pilots, it’s wise get some virtual stick time after making major hardware changes.
But when ready, there’s no better feeling that your very first flight with customized controls responding exactly how you expect! Fear not maiden flights – enjoy the monumental achievement of self-setup and have an awesome inaugural cruise!
As your piloting progresses, consider exploring further advanced capabilities of your radio like:
- Telemetry tweaks – make full use of transmitter feedback
- Custom stick curves – finesse rates to your style
- Logical switches – unlock smart functionality
- Servo/channel settings – match perfect resolution
And if ever in doubt on capabilities, the RadioMaster team plus helpful online communities are there to help explain terminology or best practices.
So get out and fly – just be sure to reset that 5 minute timer before taking back off! Clear skies and safe landings to all student pilots undergoing their first flights using the tips above.
Let me know how your drone and RadioMaster Pocket progress in the comments! This is Steve signing off…
