Torro 2.4GHz radio to replace HL RX18

[madmonk25]

Welsh Dragon Models will be stocking the new Taigen 2.4GHz digital system -

http://www.welshdragonmodels.co.uk/taig ... 1778-p.asp

This technology is already in general use in other R/C hobbies and allows for use of multiple frequencies without the need for crystals
We will update our website with more information as soon as we have it.

Steve

http://www.welshdragonmodels.co.uk

hi been looking around the net and i can not find one to buy yet Taigen 2.4 GHz digital control package thats what i am after.but as it got the tiger 1 sound ? and when do they come out in the uk.

[RCTanksAustralia]

Hi All

Thought I should make a few comments on this system. First off the title of the post is a bit misleading. This new system does not replace the HL RX18 at all. The RX18 is the controller in this system. The RX18 is a perfectly good controller for tanks. For the price point it is a 5 star controller.

It appears this system consists of the following:

• A RX18 with a 2.4 gHz receiver built in to replace the old 27 mHz board - Brilliant.
  
  A fan added on top (not necessary) (I can hear howls of protest already). El Mods don't have fans, SGS don't use fans, why does the RX18 need a fan? Not saying they may not help simply questioning how much actual benefit they may give especially given the design of the RX18 case. Anyhow that is another topic.
  
  The speaker is replaced with a 4 ohm one (unsure). Replacing a 8 ohm speaker with a 4 ohm one will produce a slightly louder sound. However, it will not produce a BETTER sound unless the quality of the speaker is improved along with the speaker enclosure. The stock HL speaker is not the greatest so it is highly probable that the new speaker will be of better quality. The info available at Welsh Dragon supports this. It is still the RX18 sounds coming through it though.
  
  The IR system I suspect will be the Heng Long system. (Consequently the MAKO board will work without issues as the MAKO is only concerned with the IR system.)
  
  Rebranded generic 2.4 gHz radio set up to control the RX18 and more than likely factory bound to the receiver inside the RX18 case. (Brilliant - but!) Ok now this is something I know a bit about.....

In essence this package is similar to the $99 AUD upgrade package that I offer consisting of a RC2HL adapter coupled with a HK T6A V2 radio and 6 channel receiver. The difference is that you can add this to your existing RX18. There is no new speaker but I include the MAKO board which gives enhanced IR battle functions (read... you can shoot up Tamiya & WSN tanks as well as HLs). The major problem that customers have with my system is moving from the Heng Long system to a proper hobby grade radio control system using a radio and receiver setup and making all the correct connections between components. There are also compatibility issues between certain receivers and the 2.4 gHz adapter. No doubt Torro have recognised this and by combining everything inside the RX18 have made a 'dummy proof' system. True plug and play for which I am quite jealous.

However, there is a down-side for 'dummy proof' and that is lack of flexibility. This system will offer the benefit of 2.4 gHz reliability and remove the limitation imposed by the 27 mHz channels. Plus it will get rid of that horrid chunk of metal (aka Heng Long aerial) hanging off your tank BUT and I think it is a big BUT. It will not open up all that the magical world of 2.4 gHz has to offer.

It appears to me that by combining the receiver inside the RX18 there are no extra channels available and if they are they can not be easily accessed. I really do hope I am wrong here as I see this as the units biggest drawback. On the labelled picture at Welsh Dragon there is an unlabelled 9 pin connector (or is it 10 dont trust my eyes). That is a lot of pins for an unlabelled i/o. It must do something???. 9 pins allows for the possibility of 6 channel control (10 would allow 8 channels). Maybe it does have an external receiver but it is not mentioned or shown. Maybe it is extra channel outputs but there is no mention of this on the labelled radio (pic also at Welsh Dragon). It would be truly great if this I/O was an interface for your own receiver. If this is the case then this unit is certainly a game changer.

Since, with the lack of information to the contrary I can only assume there are no extra receiver channels to control servos or lighting or sound volume..... Here is the true benefit of 2.4 gHz control. Extra available channels opens up the use of the sqillions of devices on the market already produced for the R/C market. The RX18 only needs 4 channels for control. Using a separate 2.4 gHz adapter and 6 or 8 channel receiver will provide 2 to 4 extra channels for controlling whatever you may wish.

Also it appears that each system will need its own radio (the same as my $99 system) so it does not allow 1 radio to control a number of tanks. Which brings me to a question that no one has yet asked.....
What happens if either the radio or RX18 breaks? Unless there is a user binding ability you will need to get an entire system to replace it. I'm sure the Torro have recognised this but they do not offer either the upgrade RX18 or the radio as separate items. (Again what is the mysterious unlabelled I/O for )
Use of the standard radio receiver setup means that if one unit fails only that part needs repair/replacing.

Use of a separate 2.4 gHz adapter and 6 or 8 channel receiver also allow the choice of a more powerful radio for control. For example the Turnigy 9X running ER9X or tankER9X,
[insert shamless plug for tankER9X]

[end shamless plug for tankER9X]
or Spektrum DX6i, will allow you to control multiple tanks with the one radio. So for a bit more initial cost it works out more cost effective for multiple tanks. However, it is the flexibility of these radios that offers great potential. Many of the 2.4 gHz adapters offer tank momentum settings already (not mentioned if the Torro system provides momentum). Even if the adapter doesn't you can program such a function using these more powerful radios. You can program servos to control the recoil of a cannon far more realistically and the list can go on limited only by your imagination and creativity.

Final Word:
I think this offering is a great step forward. But it is a small step and maybe that is best. Otherwise there would not be the saying 'Learn to walk before you can run.' In my mind the first upgrade of any Heng Long tank is to get it on 2.4 gHz. No point upgrading gearboxes, tracks,... if you don't have a radio to control it properly.

This system should be the number one upgrade option for most tankers.

From all the available info and pictures I can only assume that the system doesn't provide any additional channel outputs. I could be wrong and I hope so (I have been wrong before). When a label goes on that other I/O it would be clearer. If there are no extra outs then this is the biggest drawback for the unit.

Thus,

if you are a tinkerer, have multiple tanks, like to add custom functions to your tanks then a separate 2.4 gHz adapter and radio setup is probably a better option.

Such setups already exist, are competitively priced and are available from a number of stores. The main difference is that these systems will require reading of the instructions (if they exist ), creativity and problem solving to reach all of the benefits. All of my Heng Long tanks using the RX18 as a controller now operate on 2.4 gHz, all are able to battle with Tamiya tanks, they can be set to light, medium or heavy class, and all can be controlled using just one radio with individual speed and momentum setting for each.tank. Soon this will be the norm and this offering from Torro certainly has the ball rolling in that direction.

Disclaimer:
Yes I have an online tank store. Yes I sell products that can be viewed as in competition with the above. No I have not actually seen or used the unit and I am only basing my comments on the information I have seen. It is up to you to decide whether I have added anything useful to the discussion or simply contributed a load of bunk.

[madmonk25]

thank you for the info. i will hold fire. see what going to happen in the future . hopeful i will learn more about the hobby first

[welshdragon]

We have just received a copy of the user manual from Taigen, click on the link in our product listing to view http://www.welshdragonmodels.co.uk/taig ... 1778-p.asp

We expect to have these in stock next week, website will be updated with price shortly. If any forum members are interested in purchasing one please email us at sales@welshdragonmodels.co.uk for your forum members' discount code if you haven't done so already!

Steve

http://www.welshdragonmodels.co.uk

[Inflatable]

@RCTanksAustralia, you seem to like the tankER9X remote, but do you know the Hitec-Optic Sport 6-channel remote? Is that any good?

Thanks..

[971wright]

Hi Guys Have seen a video of the new system fitted in a Tiger,it sounds and acts like a RX18 on steroids.The sounds are exactly the same as the RX18,but louder the recoil jerk is massive..

Pitty they had a chance to make a major step forward and the have slipped on a Bannana.They could have put in correct sounds and a Tamiya compatable system ,insted of copying the RX18 .

I will not be buying one .

regards pete

[RCTanksAustralia]

@ Inflatable
A couple of the guys in our club have the HiTec but I have not had much to do with that radio. So I can't really offer an opinion on the HiTec I'm sorry. So I'll act like a politician and bang on about tankER9X instead (don't you hate it when pollies do that). The 9X with tankER9X is in my opinion the best value for money controller around. Remember that tankER9X is a simle modification of the ER9X firmware, All of this stuff is open source which means that tankER9X is FREE. Now you can't get better value for money than that. If you are capable with a soldering iron you can modify your own 9X for less than $10. Then it is a simple matter of downloading tankER9X and flashing it to the 9X. I do offer radios with all this done for you but the process is relatively simple and any one can do it. If you have ever tried setting up an EL Mod so that you can access all of the functions then then this function is what I love about tankER



You simply select what channel order and controller you want to use and the program will do 90% of the setup for you. It is a 'template' after all and just like any template you do have to add some individual settings. But I don't think that there is any other tank specific radio program out there. And remember it is free.

@ ALL
Reading the manual for the Torro offering it looks like you can bind the radio and receiver RX18 through this process:

Option Transmitter : Setting code instruction as below :
1.Open the function key which Machine gun reality sound switch .
2.Open the the function which power switch.
3.Open the tank switch .
after above function finish operation,the key for indicator LED light will be blink flash,after around 5 minutes,
the blink light will be president of bring light,take the function key which Machine gun reality sound switch to
original position.the setting code pairing is successful .

This is a good thing as it means you will not need to replace both radio and RX18 should one fail.

I wouldn't dissmiss the product because it doesn't do Tamiya. The biggest failing with the Heng Long system is that is doesn't operate on 2.4 gHz. This product addresses that and provides an inexpensive and painless way to remedy the solution. Plus there are units of there that will take care of both the Tamiya issue and track recoil.

Cheers
Kevin G

[FreakyDude]

LOL Kevin you read better chinese than me, I read that manual and half of it was exactly that ..chinese lol

[madmonk25]

there seems mixed feeling on this new 2.4 ghz taigen kit. i was going to get one.as my hand set is not that good what you get with the tank. plus i am going to up grade the gears for steel ones at the same time. so i had better control. is there any thing out there any better. as a up grade kit ?

[forgebear]

or you can try the crystals one on the right hand side of the transmitter and the other in the base of the tank in the battery compartment thats the next step before you take your tank apart
dave