How we research
Quick answer: right now, every page on Stickbench is researched. We build each page from manufacturer manuals and product pages, firmware release notes and official documentation. We have not flown or bench-tested the products we write about, and no page will say we have until we have. Each guide states the software and firmware versions it was written for and the date we last checked it.
Evidence labels
Every article carries one of these labels near the top. Here is exactly what each one means.
| Label | What it means | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| Researched | Built from manufacturer manuals and product pages, firmware release notes and official docs. Owner opinions appear only when labelled as owner reports and linked to the source. Nothing on the page claims we used the product. | Every page today |
| Bench-tested (not in use yet) | We did the setup steps ourselves on a named device and firmware version, on a stated date, and the page shows our own screenshots or recordings. Bench work only: binding, flashing, configuration, simulator setup. | No page yet. Once we have our own test equipment, the label will read "Bench-tested on [device], [firmware version], [date]". |
| Flight-tested / reviewed | — | Not used. We don't publish flight impressions, "tested & ranked" lists or reviews. If that ever changes, this page will be updated first. |
Scroll the table sideways for more columns.
Owner-opinion roundups. Some pages summarise what owners say on forums, Reddit or in video comments. Those sections say "summarised from owner reports, not our flights", and every report is linked. We treat owner reports as opinions, never as spec facts.
Sources we use, in order
- Official software and firmware sources: Betaflight documentation and GitHub releases, ExpressLRS documentation and GitHub releases, EdgeTX documentation and releases, and the official sites or store pages of simulators.
- Manufacturer sources: product pages, PDF manuals and firmware release notes from the brand that makes the hardware.
- Regulators, for anything about where and how you may fly: the FAA (US), UK CAA, EASA (EU) and CASA (Australia). Each rule carries the page link and the date we checked it. See Drone rules.
- Owner reports (r/fpv, RCGroups, YouTube comments), for opinions only, always labelled and linked.
What we don't use as evidence: other sites' "best of" lists, retailer spec sheets that don't match the manufacturer's page, AI-generated "tested & ranked" lists and anonymous claims. When a retailer and the manufacturer disagree on a spec, we go with the manufacturer and say so where it matters.
Version policy
FPV software changes quickly, and a guide written for one version can be wrong for the next.
- Every setup guide states the versions it covers (for example Betaflight App and firmware, ExpressLRS, EdgeTX) and has a "Last updated" date.
- We use the name the software uses today. Betaflight Configurator is now the Betaflight App, and our guides follow the App's menus, not old Configurator screens.
- When a major release lands, we review the affected guides and either update them or mark the parts that no longer match.
- Where two release lines are both in use (for example, an older and a newer ExpressLRS line that can't talk to each other), we cover both and tell you how to check which one you have.
Screenshots and images
We only show images that match what the page says:
- our own diagrams (wiring, menus, binding), with the version they reflect in the caption;
- our own screenshots, but only once a page is bench-tested;
- free-licence stock photos (Unsplash or Pexels) of generic scenes, credited;
- manufacturer images only where an affiliate or partner programme's terms allow it, captioned with the source.
We never show product or "test" photos we didn't take, and we never use AI-generated images.
Safety
Firmware flashing can brick a flight controller, receiver or radio. Any guide that involves flashing tells you to back up first (for example, Betaflight diff all or your radio's model files), to match the target and version, and links the official release notes. Battery guidance follows manufacturer manuals and recognised safety sources. Aviation rules come only from regulators, with a check date and a reminder to check again before you fly.
How we use AI tools
We use AI tools to help gather sources and draft pages. Every fact, version number and price on a page is checked against the official source we cite, and the page shows the date we checked it. We don't use AI images of products or testing.
Corrections and updates
If something on a page is wrong or out of date, contact us with the page link, what you saw and your firmware or software versions. When we confirm an error, we fix it, change the page's "Last updated" date and add a short dated change note at the end of the page saying what changed.
Money and independence
Links on this site may later earn us a commission. That never changes the steps, the specs or which option a page recommends, and we include non-affiliate options when they're the right answer. Details: Affiliate disclosure.