Radio advice

**madblue** · 4th February 2009, 20:30

am building a robot with my son am using drill motors x2 left and right like tank style and can not seem to find a suitable radio i have been told 2.4ghz.i need a controller so when both sticks pushed forward both motors go forward same with reverse and steering done by the two sticks but am getting confused looking at spektrum 5ex or i see everyone uses 6001 and what is mode 1 and mode 2 please can someone help??????????????

**widow_twanky** · 4th February 2009, 22:52

The Spektrum DX5e is fine. It comes with an AR500 receiver which is suitable for robot use and is very simple to set up.

6001 - I think you are refferring to the BR6000 receiver which will work with the DX5e. As you can buy the DX5e/AR500 combo for about Â£60 I dont really think you need to go there.

The DX5e has two sticks for a mode 2 set up, the stick on the right has a spring to centre the stick on the left/right and up/down. The stick on the left has a spring to centre it on left/right. The up/down motion of this stick does not have a spring return. This is the throttle on things like aeroplanes etc.

Mode 1 has the stick in reverse. Mode 2 is generally a right handed set. Mode 1 is a left handed set.

Bearing in mind you do not have a spring return on the up/down of one stick, we set the mixing up on all our so we drive using a single stick (the right hand one on a mode 2. left hand on a mode 1. Most people use a mode 2 as far as I am aware.)

This is easy to set up and is just a switch which says mix on the front of the transmitter, just turn it on. This avoids having to open the transmitter up and change the springs around or driving without the spring return.

Hope that helps, tried to keep it simple.

Just a point though, you can get a DX6i for about Â£100, can sell the receiver that comes with it on ebay for about fourty and buy an AR500 for about Â£35. This will allow you in future to run more than one model from a single transmitter and it gives you a lot more adjustment and options for fine tuning.

Andy

**widow_twanky** · 4th February 2009, 22:56

Oh and by the way, unless you have a seperate receiver battery, put one of these in.

http://www.technobots.co.uk/acatalog/RC_BEC_Regulators.html http://www.technobots.co.uk/acatalog...egulators.html

most battery eliminator circuits on speed controllers are not adequate to power the receiver.

**woody** · 4th February 2009, 22:56

MODES ...http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-transmitter-modes.html http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-...ter-modes.html

MODEs 3 and 4 are rare.

Two stick steering is OK ...

But the driving norm for a bot is ONE stick ( two axis )...usually the right stick on a MODE 2 Transmitter....or left stick if you wanted to use MODE 1.

If you use a single stick then the transmitter outputs are mixed either in the transmitter or at the speed controller/s or sometimes via plug in piece of kit called a V tail mixer.
The ELEVATOR axis on the transmitter then controls forwards and reverse of both motors and the AILERON axis controls steering.

All very confusing for a Newbie...

**widow_twanky** · 4th February 2009, 23:08

Just for a newbie? I dont know why Im commenting on this because Im now banned from our electronics after releasing the magic blue smoke from just about everything Ive touched recently

.

Which speed controller are you using by the way? That would tend to decide the mixing you use.

Andy

**woody** · 5th February 2009, 12:44

So Paul,
Recommendations:-
A cheap DX5e and AR500 receiver combo ...VERY BASIC.
DX6i or a DX7 and BR6000 receiver with lots of bells and whistles.

A DUAL controller such as the Scorpion XXL Speed Controller and the Sabertooth Dual 25A Motor Controller Universal.

http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/speed_controllers_main.html http://www.robotmarketplace.com/prod...lers_main.html for descriptions of the above...

OR two seperate controllers such as the Electronize.

http://www.electronize.co.uk/electronic_controllers.htmhttp://www.electronize.co.uk/electronic_controllers.htm

And a BEC or receiver battery.... http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/battery_eliminators_and_regulators.html%20http://www.robotmarketplace.com/prod...egulators.html for examples of BECs ( Battery Eleminator Circuits )

(Message edited by woody on February 05, 2009)

**glen** · 5th February 2009, 13:01

if your after a cheap radio i just bought 5 of these for some roboteers out our way and all 5 have been through an event. without fault.

they failsafe on every channel (output nothing when the radio is off so the standard speed controller failsafes work) and the range is great.

cheaper then the dx5 too

and hackable to 6 channel im sure as there is a 6 channel version of it for sale.

no other features other then servo reverses but i never used the other features personally!

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?catname=2.4Ghz+Ho bbyKing&idCategory=295&ParentCat=190 http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...cts.asp?catnam e=2.4Ghz+HobbyKing&idCategory=295&ParentCat=190

**kane** · 5th February 2009, 14:58

Just be aware that some of these very cheap 2.4 radios are not legal for use in the UK. Please check before you buy.

**beast** · 5th February 2009, 16:30

Glen are we on about
The T4A makes a good backup transmitter or a take anywhere unit. Drop it, scratch it, leave it in the car and forget about it. This is what the T4A is all about.
Multi Flapperon, mixer, vtail, FPV, robot controlling hobbiests do not order!

just thinking if you are why they say robot controlling hobbiests do not order!