📡 Transmitter (TX)
The handheld radio you actually hold — sends your stick and switch inputs to the vehicle.
What it actually does
The transmitter is the controller in your hands — the wheel-and-trigger pistol grip used for surface models, or the two-stick set used for aircraft and drones. It is the piece of equipment worth spending on, because it is the one you keep when the models change.
In practice
Beyond the basic controls, a transmitter provides model memory so each vehicle keeps its own settings, trims and sub-trims, end-point adjustment, expo and dual rate, mixing, and increasingly telemetry read back from the model. Channel count sets how many separate functions you can control.
Worth knowing
A transmitter is only useful with receivers that speak its protocol. Check compatibility before buying either half — this is the single most common expensive mistake in the hobby.