RC Model Reviews

Oops wrote:Thinking further, it should be possible that when a combination of channels or channel position is used then an extra channel gets activated. Let say, the throttle is below a certain % or the flaps are down...


This would free up two channels.

Thanks.

I had to scan all your posts to figure out you are using a 9X radio with the frsky telemetry system. What I could not determine is if you have switched to custom firmware, such as ER9X in your radio. IF you are running ER9X, you can make all sorts of combinations/mixes. You can use the pots/switches/3 way switch to modify what's going on. You could mix the flaps in when throttle is down, or you could have it set so that when the 3 way switch is one position you can have the flaps drop at x% throttle, but if the switch is in a different position, x% throttle would NOT activate the flaps and so on.... With ER9X, there are only 2 limitations... MAX 8 physical Channels in the receiver (for now... I believe that's being worked on, actually), and your imagination, the latter being the most important.

I am no expert on ER9X but I have created a theoretical aircraft in my mind that I will be building later and I have created a test platform with all the servoes/ESC and such that I will need. I have used this platform to determine that my imagined mixes work. I continue to use this platform and my radio to test new ideas, but apparently I could do this with the eepe software that works with ER9X and not have to touch the radio to try things out. My only problem is that my version of Linux does not have all the dependencies available (yet) for me to install the linux version of eepe so I rarely use it, as I have to boot an old copy of windows that I have and just absolutely can not stand. I have to keep it for those rare times when I'm forced to run software not written for linux... but that's my problem, not yours.

If you have not yet switched to one of the available software options for the 9X, you will be limited in what you can do with the radio.

Regards

Christian

I just tripped over this on RCgroups regarding a Sailplane setup with ER9X:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... count=9619

Good suggestion kaptain. Sorry I was incomplete with the info, I have ER9X installed. I have been scratching my head on this and have made program sketches. The ER9X is fun to play with but I am still limited by 8 channels to play with at the receiving end. I use the phoenix 2000 a lot in gliding mode and like to keep the profile as clean as possible (if that is possible with a camera and antenna sticking out).

Elevator, Ailerons and Flaps are on one channel each (3). An earlier model setup in ER9X I used Ailerons on two channels which reacted to Flap position which created a huge flap area, while another switch would made them airbrakes. Throttle one channel (4). The rudder (5) could be combined with ailerons but I don't have a vision yet how the Autopilot would react to that. The Autopilot (RTL, etc) is one channels (6) while the OSD (7) and attide stability/altitude hold (8) is another (not all in this order). These last two I could sacrefice but in particular the last one needs an input, according to the instructions. But I could put a servo tester in here which Hobbyking sells and appears to be lightweight and cheap.

While on the transmitter end I can play a lot I haven't got the expertise to make a 0-10% signal into a 0-100% at the receiving end. Which I could use the flaps for and control the Tilt of the camera. The ex-OSD channel could become the camera Pan.

If some of you think I am frustrated with this, not at all. I love this little challenge (if work commitments was not holding me back).

Thanks again, Kaptain, for taking the time to think this over.

kaptain_zero wrote:
I continue to use this platform and my radio to test new ideas, but apparently I could do this with the eepe software that works with ER9X and not have to touch the radio to try things out. My only problem is that my version of Linux does not have all the dependencies available (yet) for me to install the linux version of eepe so I rarely use it, as I have to boot an old copy of windows that I have and just absolutely can not stand.

I've just spent a happy weekend fooling around with complex mixes and curves on er9x, using eePe and the simulator on Win XP Pro.

Setting up models on the computer and being able to test them on the sim is something that makes er9x so damn good. It's way faster than banging buttons on the Tx, especially copying and moving mixes around, and the sim totally helps you get the hang of complex iterations and switch dependencies (like when nothing happens and you think "er ooh um" ).

Since you hate Windoze so much, maybe there is another alternative....porting eePe to Android so that we can store and mod models on a smartphone or tablet at the field. Assuming it hasn't already been done that is.

In relation to using the full sixteen channels, isn't that just dependant on a firmware update for the FrSky receivers, so that we can daisy-chain two 8 channel ones together? Hopefully that will happen soon.

Sid Sideslip wrote:
Since you hate Windoze so much, maybe there is another alternative....porting eePe to Android so that we can store and mod models on a smartphone or tablet at the field. Assuming it hasn't already been done that is.

Well, I don't have any tablets or so called smart phones, nor will I ever bother with one... a tablet perhaps for the living room, but only if it runs open source software. We shall see how things shake out with Apple launching lawsuits on the tablet front. In the meantime, it's only a matter of getting a couple of dependencies sorted out on my preferred version of Linux before I can compile and install eepe in it. I've used Linux for a long time but I'm not that handy with tarballs.....

Sid Sideslip wrote:In relation to using the full sixteen channels, isn't that just dependant on a firmware update for the FrSky receivers, so that we can daisy-chain two 8 channel ones together? Hopefully that will happen soon.

Yes, I heard that there indeed are talks between Eraz and FrSky, so it does sound promising..... having that happen would open up some serious new possibilities for the 9X radio. The only concern I have with 16 channels is if there is enough on board memory to handle all the additional mixes? With the ability to display FrSky telemetry on the 9X display with a bit of modding..... the only thing left would be to figure out some slider switches on the sides of the radio body and *everyone* would be happy........ OK, maybe not *everybody*.... there's always the competition.....

Regards

Christian

Possibly we should start this topic in another area. It sounds something I should start working with: er9x using eePe and the simulator on Win XP Pro. I look it up. I presume I need to install the USB cable to the 9x radio, Sid? I have such cable but have not yet installed it.

Oops wrote:Possibly we should start this topic in another area. It sounds something I should start working with: er9x using eePe and the simulator on Win XP Pro. I look it up. I presume I need to install the USB cable to the 9x radio, Sid? I have such cable but have not yet installed it.

I've started an eePe thread in the "DIY Projects and Hacks" subsection of electronics and radios. Answer will be there.

http://www.rcmodelreviews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=1180

This might give you the extra channels you need!
http://pm.keirle.com/1_gadgets/channel_ ... hopper.htm

Regards Del

Life is full of crashes!

Yes Del, indeed. Certain channels, like the OSD or balance mode do not get too often. I presume I need a PIC programmer. Are these commercially for sale? Thanks.

Sid Sideslip wrote:using eePe and the simulator on Win XP Pro

XP is no longer supported by microsloth, and I just got tired of a new antivirus update every fifteen minutes. I run Ubuntu.

I do run XP on my daughter's computer for access to Google Sketchup, Ashlar Vellum Graphite, and my old flight sim.