If you live in a cold climate and fly FPV you know that the first thing to go is usually the fingers. They just don’t work well in cold weather. As a purest, I just cannot get comfortable wearing gloves, fingerless or not, and the idea of housing my hands in a plastic box just seems ridiculous to me.

So I did a little digging and found that Nichrome wire makes for an excellent heating element. This is the second time I’ve modded my radio for heat. I first did it with a video someone created for the X9D. I loved that mod, and that inspired me to bring that mod over to the TBS Mambo / Ethix Mambo. If you haven’t watched the video at the top of this page, you should definitely check it out.

It’s a super simple mod that anyone can do (carefully). The basics are that you can connect a 6S lipo, or less, and have a stupid simple solution to cold hands during winter flying. In my opinion, this is a must have for four season flying. Make sure to watch the whole video through to the end to get a good understanding of what I’m doing, before attempting this yourself.

This is the second mod, the first of which is a custom paint job using the transparent shell.

The Idea: A Heated Transmitter

After a little digging, I found that nichrome wire (the same stuff used in heating elements) gets warm when you run power through it.

Which means you can basically turn the back of your transmitter into a mini heated blanket.

So I modded my TBS Mambo / Ethix Mambo to heat itself. It costs like ten bucks and makes freezing sessions actually enjoyable.

What This Mod Does

  • Keeps your palms warm while flying
  • Improves stick control in cold weather
  • No gloves required
  • Works with a simple 5S–6S LiPo
  • Completely hidden inside the back shell

It feels kind of like a heated steering wheel… but for your radio. The sides get HOT!

What You’ll Need

How It Works (Super Simple)

Nichrome wire has resistance.

When current flows through it, the resistance generates heat, and the backplate warms up.

You snake the wire across the inside of the back shell, tape it down safely, connect it to a battery, and boom… instant heat.

Step-By-Step Overview

1. Open the radio

Remove the back shell and clean everything out. Mine had dirt, sand, and random field junk everywhere.

2. Lay out the wire

Route the nichrome wire evenly across the backplate and along the side grip areas – especially where your palms naturally rest on the radio. For mine, the edges have little rubber grips so I wanted to be extra careful to get good coverage as high up on the sides as I could, since only the back is heated (so I can open and maintain the radio and not short stuff out).

Important:

  • Don’t cross wires
  • Don’t bunch it up
  • Keep spacing even

3. Tape everything down

Electrical tape is your insulation and protection. Cover every exposed section.

4. Add a connector

I tested with an XT60 first, then switched to a flush barrel jack so it looked cleaner and wouldn’t snag.

5. Test before sealing

Plug it in and let it run for 5–10 minutes.

What I found:

  • 5S = light warmth
  • 6S = perfect cozy heat

Mine sits around ~100–110°F which is warm, not burning.

6. Close it up and fly

Once you confirm everything heats evenly, button it up and you’re good to go.

Safety Tips (Don’t Skip These)

  • Never let bare wires cross
  • Insulate everything with tape
  • Test with lower voltage first
  • Don’t leave powered unattended
  • Keep wire away from rubber or soft plastics

This mod is simple — but still electrical. Take your time.

Is It Worth It?

If you fly:

  • Winter sessions
  • Cold mornings
  • Snow days
  • High altitude

Absolutely yes.

Way better control. Way more comfortable. Way longer sessions.

I honestly consider it a must-have for four-season flying.

Watch The Full Build

Make sure you watch the full video above before attempting this yourself so you can see exactly how everything is routed and wired.

It’ll save you time (and probably a headache). If you’re into FPV builds, DIY mods, and gear hacks like this, you’ll probably like what I’m doing.

Follow me here → @mattyfleischfpv

And if you’re not subscribed yet… what are you doing? 😄