CrowLink
Wireless trainer bridge

Make any radio work with CrowMotion.

CrowLink is a tiny dongle that plugs into your radio's 3.5mm trainer jack and receives your head tracking wirelessly. If your radio has no built-in Bluetooth trainer, this is how CrowMotion works with it.

coming soon ESP32-C6 about $8 (₹800)
See how it works Get CrowMotion
PHOTO: CrowLink dongle plugged into a radio trainer jack
Why you might need it

CrowMotion streams your head movement to your radio as trainer channels. Radios with the FrSky Bluetooth (PARA) trainer receive it directly. Every other radio - RadioMaster, Jumper, Flysky, Futaba, and most EdgeTX radios - has no Bluetooth trainer. CrowLink bridges that gap: it plugs into the 3.5mm trainer jack almost every radio has, and feeds your head tracking in as a standard wired trainer.

CrowMotion on your goggles
wireless (ESP-NOW)
CrowLink on your radio
PPM
Your radio 3.5mm trainer jack
How it works
1

Your head, wireless

CrowMotion measures your head pan and tilt and streams it over a direct 2.4GHz link. No phone, no pairing dance.

2

CrowLink catches it

The dongle sits in your radio's trainer jack and receives those channels wirelessly.

3

Your radio flies it

CrowLink outputs standard 8-channel PPM, so your radio treats it exactly like a wired trainer. Map the channels to your camera gimbal and fly.

Safety

You stay in control.

Trainer-switch override

Flip your radio's trainer switch and your own sticks take over instantly - the same instructor-override every trainer setup uses.

Failsafe

If the link drops, CrowLink centers all channels within a quarter of a second.

Compatible radios

If your radio has a 3.5mm trainer or DSC jack, CrowLink works - RadioMaster (TX16S, Boxer, Zorro, Pocket), Jumper, Flysky, FrSky, and essentially any EdgeTX or OpenTX radio. Futaba and Spektrum radios work when they have a 3.5mm trainer or DSC jack; some models need an adapter.

Already have an FrSky radio with the Bluetooth trainer? You may not need CrowLink - CrowMotion connects to it directly. See CrowMotion

Build it
ESP32-C6 Super Mini (battery pads + USB-C charging)brain + wireless
$3-4 (₹300-400)
1S LiPo batterywireless power
$2-3 (₹200-300)
3.5mm TRS pluginto the trainer jack
$1 (₹100)
3D printed caseenclosure (coming later)
filament
Total ~$8 (₹800)

Charges over USB-C. Open source, same as CrowMotion. The wiring diagram and full build guide will be published with the bench-tested v1.

PHOTO: CrowLink parts flat-lay
PHOTO: CrowLink assembled next to a radio
Flash it

Flash from this browser

Built your CrowLink? Plug the ESP32-C6 into your computer over USB-C and click Connect - the flasher detects the C6 and installs CrowLink firmware. Works in Chrome and Edge on desktop.

This browser cannot flash over USB. Use Chrome or Edge on a desktop computer.

The firmware is ready today. The bench-tested build guide, wiring, and printed case are coming.

Set it up
1

Flip one toggle

In the CrowMotion config UI, turn on the "CrowLink bridge" toggle. The tracker then broadcasts its channels for CrowLink. No pairing needed.

PHOTO: config UI showing the CrowLink bridge toggle
2

Plug it in

CrowLink goes into your radio's 3.5mm trainer jack. Its LED blinks while it waits for the tracker and turns solid once it is receiving.

PHOTO: CrowLink in the trainer jack, LED solid
3

Tell your radio

Set the radio's trainer mode to the wired jack input and map the trainer channels to your camera gimbal, exactly as you would with a trainer cable.

PHOTO: radio trainer menu
Questions
Do I need CrowLink?

Only if your radio has no FrSky Bluetooth trainer. With CrowLink, any radio with a trainer jack works with CrowMotion.

Is it wireless?

Your head link is fully wireless. The only wire is the short plug from the dongle into your radio's trainer jack.

Is it safe to fly?

Yes. Your radio's trainer switch is the override, and CrowLink centers all channels within a quarter of a second if the link drops.

What powers it?

An onboard 1S LiPo, charged over USB-C.

Which radios?

Anything with a 3.5mm trainer or DSC jack - see Compatible radios, above.

What is the range?

The link only needs to cross the distance from your goggles to the radio in your hands. ESP-NOW covers many times that with ease.

Does it add lag?

Channels stream at 50 Hz, and the PPM output is the same signal a wired trainer cable carries, so your radio sees exactly what a wired trainer would send.

Where do I get one?

CrowLink is in development. It is open source, so you can build it now, or watch the repo for a build guide.