Diatone 2018 GT-R90
Starting around $170
Pros/Cons
- PROS:
- Quality Camera
- Durable Frame
- Power, power, power
- CONS:
- Poor propellers
- No beeper
Specs
- Camera: 600 TVL
- VTX: 25/800 mw switchable
- Size: 90 mm (diagonal)
- Weight: 70 grams
- Motors: 1104 6000 KV
The Diatone 2018 GT-R90 is a brushless micro FPV quad with some serious power. This little quad can not only handle a 3S battery, but also a 4S battery. This beast is definitely in another class than a lot of the popular micro quads we’ve tested. If you want something simple to start then check out this article. If you want serious power then keep reading or watch below.
Brushless quadcopters this small that have power like the Diatone GT-R90 aren’t easy to find. The new 2018 model is a blast to fly.
What is the Diatone 2018 GT-R90?
The Diatone 2018 GT-R90 is the top-of-the-line model for the micro series of racers by Diatone. They did a nice job of engineering a little quad that packs a serious punch. Diatone created a mount that holds the flight controller, ESCs and VTX in a neatand tidy stack separated by soft mounts. It is a well-designed quad and the internals are protected by a carbon fiber side cage plate.
The Diatone 2018 GT-R90 Setup and Spec
The Diatone 2018 GT-R90 uses an F4 flight controller and ships with Betaflight 3.2. The ESCs are BLHeli_S F15HV that can hand 15 Amps and run DShot 600. The 1104 6000KV motors spin 2030 tri-blade propellers. It even boasts smart audio so feel free to adjust your settings on the go. All of this impressive hardware will check in at only 70 grams.
The Diatone 2018 GT-R90 Camera and VTX
The camera on the Diatone 2018 GT-R90 is the G1 Sniper. It is a solid CCD camera with a 1/3″ Sony sensor. It will produce 600 TVL video and has a wide field of view at 130-degrees. The VTX is switchable from 25 mW all the way up to 800 mW.
What does all of this really mean? The Diatone 2018 GT-R90 is a beast of an FPV micro quad. The KingKong 110GT is a lot of fun, but the Diatone 2018 GT-R90 takes it up another notch. This bad boy will rip on 3S and if you have the right 4S battery then you can take it to yet another level.
Diatone 2018 GT-R90 Potential Improvements
The Diatone 2018 GT-R90 is a good machine but definitely could use some improvements. First, as a PNP model it is kind of a PITA to set up. It has wires so you can “plug” a receiver into the FC and go, but in reality that isn’t going to happen. You’ll have to cut the wires and potentially do some solder pad jumping to get your receiver installed. We recommend using the FrSky XM+ receiver. It was pretty easy to install. Mostly painless with a bit of soldering. We then used zip-ties and some heat shrink to pull the antennas apart and keep them away from the spinning props. Pick up an XM+ receiver here.
There is no beeper on this quad. Why would you have 800 mW power but no beeper? You can fly this thing pretty far, but you better know your surroundings if you crash. Sure you could enable the ESCs to beep, or solder on your own beeper but again, you shouldn’t have to.
The stock propellers on this quad are garbage. Especially when you take into account all of the engineering that went into the development of the quad. They should have included better, more efficient propellers. Luckily, there is a cheap and easy fix. We recommend the Gemfan 2040 propellers. They are efficient and look cool too.
Yes, this quad is 4S capable, but you’ll have to readjust the PIDS. No, Diatone didn’t bother to include them in a second profile or even give you a suggestion. You’ll have to figure that out on your own or hope that the internet doesn’t lie to you.
Also flying with a heavy 4S battery will have some diminishing returns when compared to a 3S, so keep that in mind. We really like these Power XF Power 3S 550 mAh batteries.
Should You Get the Diatone GT-R90?
If you are looking for a micro with some serious power you’ll want to take a look at this quad. It is a well-built machine that is a lot of fun.
| Buy a Diatone 2018 GT-R90 |
Other Options
If you are looking for another option we’d recommend taking a look at the BabyHawk-R. It is a similar quadcopter. If you want something a little tamer take a look at our best beginner FPV micros article here. If you are looking for something bigger and faster we like both the Furibee X215 Pro or the lightweight and inexpensive DarkMax.
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Learn More…
If you want to learn more about taking great pictures or flying FPV then check out our comprehensive guides on those topics. Also take a look at our articles on how to choose the right drone for great aerial photos or for getting started flying race drones. Learn more about drones and how to get the most out of them in our Drone Academy. In the Academy we also detail some of the advanced testing we do, including our recent addition, drone thrust testing.
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