Confusion about channels, button assignment and TX

[T9FURY]

Hi all, I have a few questions about channels and buttons on transmitters. As there is a lot of information to digest I thought I would post questions only on specific subjects so I can take it in easier. I got my HL Challenger 2 on Tuesday and already preparing for upgrading it. 2 upgrades will be a TK60G2 board and a new TX. But not sure how to decide what TX to get, which I guess is what this post is intended for.

Now I know the two sticks are 4 channels with channels 1 & 2 on the right stick and channels 3 &4 on the left stick, I was also under the impression that any buttons on the TX are also channels, so in aircraft terms the the sticks control the throttle, ailerons, elevator and rudder, then you might have a 2-way switch for the flaps up and down, you might have another 2-way switch for bomb bay doors.

So, translating that onto my tank TX, I know the turret and tank movement is controlled by the 2 sticks (4 channels), but! We have the 5 buttons in the bottom right hand corner (RX-18 TX);

Engine on/off
Smoke Switch
Shoot
Coax MG
Volume Control

Are these actually classed as channels? Some of them only control the sounds, but if you look at the shoot button, it fires the main gun which is the same function as the left stick (forward), so is this button a channel or is it just wired / linked internally to the same channel as the left stick?

MODE AND CHANNEL SWITCHING

I might be mistaken but it seems as though when buying a transmitter that you buy it with a set mode (1 or 2), or a mode 1 or 2 module which seems a bit restrictive, I was also looking at a wiring diagram for channels of the new control board I am getting, it appears that the plugs for channels 1-7 are the same, does this mean I can assign the tank functions as I see fit to the sticks and buttons? Or can I buy a transmitter that can switch the channels for me (see below Spektrum DX6E)

WHICH TRANSMITTER?

So with the above in mind I am finding it hard to decide what TX to get. With the basic out of the box setup I was advised to go for a Futaba 4YWD, but it seems way too overpriced for a 4 channel TX (£170 ish), obviously depending on where you get it from. Then I was looking at the Clark site where I am getting the control board from, he has the functions laid out for an 8 channel control mode based on the 10 channel FS-i6S TX and that was priced at just over £50, plus I would still have 2 channels that I can play about with, so this seems like a bargain. Then I was looking at some videos for the Spektrum DX6E, and this one seemed you could program it to do anything, you could mode switch simply by flicking a switch on the back, and it seemed as though you could assign any of the channels to any of the sticks and switches, which looks like you wouldn't have to go into the tank and mess with plugs.

Anyway, here is a list of what I was looking at or advised?

Futaba 4YWD (too expensive for a 4 channel radio)
FlySky FS-i6S (Excellent bargain for a 10 channel radio)
Spektrum DX6E (Excellent programming capability ............ I think)
Turnigy 9X (seems like a dated TX, have to buy it with a particular module, a bit hazy on the whole V2 flashing thing)
Frsky Taranis Q X7 (good 16 channel, good bargain, and lots of programmability)

Also I need to bear in mind if any of these will NOT be compatible with the Clark TK60G2, although it would be nice to have it compatible with the original RX-18 system my priority will be all the new gubbins I am installing. Also, if I get more tanks and want to do all the binding thingy ma jig, I will buy more receivers for that particular TX.

Thanks in advance.
Mick - T9

[jarndice]

I suggest you save all the brain ache and go to either---

http://www.rctankelectronics.com
Where Ian (TANKBEAR) will sell you a Radio with preloaded Tank Software, or

http://www.rctanksaustralia.com
And click on E-SHOP and Kevin will sell you an upgraded complete with the latest Tank Software Turnigy 9X (My favourite Radio by the way)

If you buy a Radio from a dealer unless it specifically says otherwise it will not come with Tank Software it will only have Aircraft,/Helicopter and Drone Software, which is not what you want I promise,
All the buttons will be pre assigned if you buy a radio with Tank software,
Both Ian and Kevin's Radios are compatible with all the CLARK/ IBU 2/3 and the ASP2 Control boards.
Shaun.

[T9FURY]

While I appreciate the links, but the whole point of the post is so I can learn, I want the headache, and if I am to get into the hobby seriously then I need to know what works with what, how far can I go with equipment or push it to it's limits. I could have ordered my Chally with everything pre done for me, but I want to mod it all myself, and that's why I am looking TX's that I can program myself if it is possible.
Not only do I like to know how something works I like to know why it works that way.

Regards
Mick

[Raminator]

Now I know the two sticks are 4 channels with channels 1 & 2 on the right stick and channels 3 &4 on the left stick, I was also under the impression that any buttons on the TX are also channels, so in aircraft terms the the sticks control the throttle, ailerons, elevator and rudder, then you might have a 2-way switch for the flaps up and down, you might have another 2-way switch for bomb bay doors.

So, translating that onto my tank TX, I know the turret and tank movement is controlled by the 2 sticks (4 channels), but! We have the 5 buttons in the bottom right hand corner (RX-18 TX);

Engine on/off
Smoke Switch
Shoot
Coax MG
Volume Control

Are these actually classed as channels? Some of them only control the sounds, but if you look at the shoot button, it fires the main gun which is the same function as the left stick (forward), so is this button a channel or is it just wired / linked internally to the same channel as the left stick?

It'll be based on channel mixing and using different parts of the same channel. You can have the receiver read a particular position in a channel as an output, think along the lines of the different positions the ignition key in your car has: channel 0%: off (key off), channel 50%: on (engine on), channel 100%: start (engine ignition). That's one channel giving you three states from very basic mixing.

Take a look at some of the convoluted stick combinations the Clark boards use for different features, it'll give you an idea of how much information you can extract from a relatively small amount of transmitted data.

Also I need to bear in mind if any of these will NOT be compatible with the Clark TK60G2, although it would be nice to have it compatible with the original RX-18 system my priority will be all the new gubbins I am installing. Also, if I get more tanks and want to do all the binding thingy ma jig, I will buy more receivers for that particular TX.

None of them will be compatible with the RX18, unfortunately. The Heng Long system is proprietary, with the receiver embedded in the electronics.

You should be alright with basically any of the radios you've been looking at, from what I understand (not having used one myself) the Clark boards are expandable with more and more channels freeing up more controls. You probably won't be able to go wrong.

[maxmekker]

Just go for the flysky

http://www.dklmrc.com/product/fs_i6s

and wait untill the 8ch software comes

use it as 6ch for now

[Tiggr]

In another hobby, where I was fitting DCC decoders and sound boards to large scale locos, I found the best way to learn was to go to an established experts house with a loco or three, and do the install with expert tuition one to one.

I would venture to suggest that the same approach be taken with RC tanks - provided you can find someone not too far away from you to guide you through an install or two on a one on one basis.

[T9FURY]

As uasual, thanks for the replies peeps.

Just go for the flysky

I went for the Flysky FS-i6s, after much research, forum searching, reviews and after I spoke with Ian at RC Tank Electronics and he said they DO NOT provide tank software on their transmitters, and that the only transmitters with tank software are if you get hold of something like the Turnigy 9X / XR Pro that has open source software and even then you have to write the software in yourself. So after all that I went for the FS-i6s.

But my original question still stands though.

Are these actually classed as channels? Some of them only control the sounds, but if you look at the shoot button, it fires the main gun which is the same function as the left stick (forward), so is this button a channel or is it just wired / linked internally to the same channel as the left stick?

From what I read in an article all the buttons on a remote constitute auxiliary channels, so if you have 2 sticks, with 4 buttons / switches then it will be an 8 channel radio. So going by that theory the RX-18 TX would be a 9 channel

2 sticks (4 channels)
Engine on/off
Smoke Switch
Shoot
Coax MG
Volume Control

Which SHOULD make for a pretty decent TX, even if it is bound to the RX, but I know it isn't, looking at something like the Futaba 4YWD which is also a 4 channel TX but also has buttons, so are these just wired inside to already existing channels, so not really making them separate channels? I think as soon as my new TX turns up I might have to rip the RX-18 to bits and have a look inside.

Mick

[Raminator]

But my original question still stands though.

Are these actually classed as channels? Some of them only control the sounds, but if you look at the shoot button, it fires the main gun which is the same function as the left stick (forward), so is this button a channel or is it just wired / linked internally to the same channel as the left stick?

From what I read in an article all the buttons on a remote constitute auxiliary channels, so if you have 2 sticks, with 4 buttons / switches then it will be an 8 channel radio. So going by that theory the RX-18 TX would be a 9 channel

No. Like I said earlier, you don't need a separate channel to act as a switch. Take a look at the Clark controls for use with four channels:

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  clark_tk22.png (68.29 KiB) Viewed 2906 times

That's eleven functions bound to four channels.