Setting up RC Systems

[Tim Page]

Hi Stephen, I was considering one of those Turnigy systems but then decided to get Spektrum because i thought it would be simpler.
Ive never really been comfortable with any of the 6+ channel systems tbh.
The 4-6 channel systems tend to be a lot more straightforward but the manufacturers seem convinced that anyone wanting to use an 8 or 9 channel system is a rocket scientist so go out of their way to make the blasted things overly complicated.

I think I would really like to get a full sized SDkfz.302 and operate on a wired controller like the Germans did all those years ago.
It is probably about the same size as an Armortek King Tiger.

Cheers
Tim

[Stephen White]

Tim

Although OpenTx is a very capable bit of software, with a lot of advanced features, it can be daunting at first sight. There is a very good, simple to understand guide available commercially and the website has a lot of online teaching material and guides. Better still, the model aircraft and drone worlds have really embraced it and generated some quite excellent guides to setup and features on YouTube. (Of course there are also the pyscho-toxic, downright weird YouToobers too, to be avoided at all costs). One good one I'd recommend is "Painless360", a UK based chap who does excellent tutorials. There are others. Like all these things, they repay a bit of effort.

[Gerhard Michel]

Well, my tanks are no rockets, but I need at least 10 channels to control such a model:

1. Driving
2. Steering
3. Turret rotation
4. Gun elevation
5. EMK brake adjustment for downhill driving (not needed when using worm gear motors like Armortek)
6. Engine sound start / stop (cold and warm)
7. Gun firing, muzzle flash, recoil
8. MG firing, muzzle flash
9. Light, blackout light
10. Horn

Optional there are:

11. Commander's head / arm moving functionality
12. Radio messages
13. Music player for pauses in the fighting on / off (a nice feature of Beier's sound module)
14. Music play next / last
........

There are models needing up to 30 channels (cartridge case ejection, hatch cover moving, crew arising / descending, muffler glowing, backfire and so on)

[Christoffer Ahlfors]

Animation sure adds to the fun!

[keithbraun]

As a newbie to the world of R/C, I'm slowly finding my way. Recently received my motion pack for my Stug. I obviously need to buy transmitter/receiver. Spektrum DX6 seems to be the best way forward. However, I've been searching for one online and there doesn't appear to be that many about but there's plenty of DX6i and DX6e's. My question is; does it make any difference?

[Stephen White]

Keith, short answer is no significant difference.

The DX 6G3 (Generation 3) is an eight channel Spectrum radio which a lot of us used.

The DX6e is a budget version, This version does not come with rechargeable transmitter battery pack.

There is no DX6i.

The DX6 G3/e were superseded by the NX and IX ranges. If you want to see the differences, there is a comparison chart here:

https://www.spektrumrc.com/Content/Medi ... -chart.pdf

The NX6 is effectively the DX8 G2 repackaged.

The nearest equivalent in the iX range is the iX 12. In addition to the extra channels this does appear to offer a number of new features, which seem superficially attractive: colour, touch screen display, wi-fi enabled firmware updating, etc. Spectrum were forced to bring out this model to complete with newer systems such as the FrSky Horus X10. They are however stuck with their own operating system, which is called AirWare. It's a very rigid, menu based system, optimised for model aircraft. It takes some adapting for model tanks.

I'm cynical enough to think that radio systems suppliers keep repackaging things to get people to buy the latest and greatest whilst not actually offering much actual product improvement.

That is one strong argument for moving to a software defined radio system such as those using the open source OpenTx operating system. Because it's open source, the development of the software is free and you don't need to keep updating the hardware to keep up with the latest features.

My personal view is that whereas Spectrum were state of the art three or four years ago, they've been left behind by those suppliers who have moved on. I see that Kian is now suggesting the FrSky Taranis X9D Plus will be the recommended radio for Armortek models.

[keithbraun]

Thank you for your response. I'm aiming for a Spektrum purely because its recommended by Armortek. Perhaps in the future I'll understand the pros and cons as I gain experience. This is something that I've never done before. Even the instructions are a little baffling for me ie power leads to the motors are yellow and blue? I've always always worked on black and red! Now its time for me to search for a transmitter and the recommended receiver. Once again, Thank you.

[Stephen White]

Keith, this lot are the UK Distributor for Spektrum:

https://www.logicrc.com/default.aspx?s= ... 50,c:50-80

[Adrian Harris]

I would avoid the 'budget' Spektrum systems, and anything with the AR610 or AR620 receivers, as they seem to be problematic.

Red and black are universally used for positive and negative supplies, but the motors are bidirectional, so it makes sense to identify them with different colours.

Adrian.

[Armortek]

We have started to move away from Spektrum as we have had quality issues with a few (3to be exact) of our recent purchases - screens not working properly or switches being erratic.
The newer NX6 that we purchased was a pain to set up - perhaps we were just unlucky.
Having said that - our 4 or 5 year old DX6 and AR610s work flawlessly.

Our recommendation for new purchases is either a Taranis or a Flysky (as the budget model). Other transmitters and receivers will probably work just fine, and radio systems are a personal choice. But for now, these are the two we will recommend if buying a new system.

We have a brand new Taranis in the factory. We will set it up from scratch and post instructions for those wanting to take this route. Will take a couple of weeks though.

[keithbraun]

Now I'm confused. If I purchase a transmitter from a reputable, and recommended company, do I not need a receiver? Because of my basic knowledge I'm guessing that the transmitter needs to communicate with the model? My questions may sound daft, but I'm starting from scratch here. Thoroughly enjoying the build and will be much happier when my confidence is improved.

[Mark Heaps]

Not a daft question.
Every Transmitter ( the part you hold in your hands with levers, switches etc ) requires a compatble Receiver in the model which will then transmit the signals to the motion modules, servo´s etc.
For me, the 2 main things to consider when choosing your Tx/Rx combo is first, is it compatible with the Armortek electronics, and then does it have enough channels for what you want your model to do.

[keithbraun]

I bought a FlySky transmitter, it says 6 channel on the box, but I have 10 channels on the receiver. I'm informed that the receiver is already synchronized with the transmitter so I do not have t 'bind' the two myself. I'm trying to follow the Armortek wiring diagram (5a) but its for a Spektrum transmitter. How do can I tell what channels on my receiver correspond to the Armortek system? Armortek also advise that my batteries are fully charged and I now realize that my 'Halfords' battery charger is not up to the job, not capable of 24v and does not advise me charging the type of batteries that I have. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Adrian Harris]

What model of Flysky transmitter and receiver do you have ?

The easiest way to determine what does what is to plug a servo into each slot on the receiver and see when it moves when you change things on the transmitter. You'll need to power the receiver from the Armortek Module A but if you use channel 10 then it shouldn't do anything.

What sort and size of batteries do you have ? For 22Ah AGM batteries I have a couple of pairs of the Ctek MXS 5.0 charger, and use one for each battery. They have an AGM mode and seem to work well.

Adrian.

[keithbraun]

I bought two Yuasa 12v 22ah batteries. Just had a quick look at the Ctek chargers and noticed that the 24v version can take upto 24hrs to charge! The FlySky that I bought comes across as cheap and nasty, but it was recommended. Looking at the box it says FS-i6X. I figured on trying each port on the receiver step by step starting with the motors and then adding the other stuff as I go along. How does the transmitter know which control I want to use for each function? I'm being a little impatient, but I don't want to go any further until I have full power in my batteries and have a full, uninterupted day ahead of me. With ref to charging, when the models completed, I was hoping to have a couple of charging points, as seen on other owners 'builds'.