I need radio help please!

[Supermario]

Ok. So my reluctance with learning a radio beyond 4ch is now biting me in the a** big time!
My new 4200 comes with a flysky 9ch radio. All was good, everything worked great. Then I started looking at the different radio settings. Now I went to run the excavator and the pump won't fire up and I have no drives. All other servos and swing motor works.
Before I make things worse and get really frustrated because I have no idea what the heck I'm doing, I figure I better ask for help.

Mario

[Espeefan]

Mario, I'm not too familiar with this brand of radio and the programming of them, but is there any chance you flipped a toggle switch that would be tied to a throttle hold function on a helicopter program? Throttle hold cuts and disables the throttle channel, so maybe your pump is tied to it? Throttle hold is typically a two position switch. The pump could still be on it's own separate toggle switch for on and off, and throttle hold will prevent any inputs from starting the motor.

In my mind, if the pump is tied to a 3 position switch, that offers an off, low speed, and high speed function, than I'm pretty sure throttle hold is enabled and preventing the pump from starting.

Not sure about the track drive though. Might have to dig into the manual for some reading. Trace all the ESC and servo leads to figure out what channel is controlling what, and then refer to the manual to see what kind of programming you can do with those channels.

[Supermario]

Thanks for the reply Nathan. I've cooled off a bit since last night and can explain better now.

Yes, the switch they refer to as throttle cut is what starts the pump. Before I got the excavator I had read a few posts about running a 7.4V battery first while getting air out and filling the tank. There is no need for that. I started mine with a 11.1V and found the pump was turning half speed compared to all the videos I've watched of the 4200.
Like I've said before I'm no expert with these radios but I know you can adjust almost every channel on these so I thought, great. I'll fill and get the air out and then find the throttle setting. Went upstairs for supper, brought the radio with me.
That's what I was doing when things went bad. Everything was working,I was just going through screens and modes. Never started cranking things up or down. Just looking. One thing I did do was, I think it started in glider mode and figured, let's switch to heli, see what that does.... Nothing. Ok, switched back to glider.....nothing! That's when I knew I was in trouble.

The manual is more trouble. All these flight terms they use , I'm having trouble seeing in my mind which does what for something like this hoe.
Channel numbers is also an issue. Is the layout of all radios as to which is channel 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8......?
The manual has a picture of the radio and describes each channel function by name but not numbers.

Thro cut - runs pump
Hov pit - runs left track. Radio has been modified and both functions up on top edge are sticks instead of rotary or potentiometer type.
Hov thr - runs right track .


Getting back to my problem. The best way I can describe it, a 9ch radio with only 4 working.
I found a screen that allows me to check the movement of each ch in either direction. As I move the main sticks, ch 1-4 I see on the display the movement. When I move the track sticks, nothing. When I flip the throttle cut switch, nothing.

I've sent in a support request to rc4wd last night. Hoping they can walk me through this and get it back to how it was or maybe something happened??? Not sure but it really, really sucks not being able to dig!
Finally got the time to play and can't! .... Nothing worse.

Mario

[Cooper]

One of the ways to re figure or reverse engineer is to label everything as they have it plugged in. Remove receiver from hoe, plug in a batter receiver pack and start by plugging in a simple servo( any working servo) to each channel and figure what radio movements correspond to that. At least you will be able to trace stick movements. It's a process but it's one way to find out without trying to understand what program mixes they have set. Remember if you have a channel that is not working servo to start throwing switches, one at a time and check movement. Just don't forget to label things before pulling apart . (Or then you will be fully competent with how to program mixes and radio settings because you'll have to learn the hard way!!). I know from past experiences!!!! . Hopefully I will have one of these at the door this week. If so I will try and help by listing what mixes they are using in the radio.

[Espeefan]

Sounds a bit confusing, Mario, especially if the channels aren't labeled as numbers. Not really knowing what mode the radio was set in for running the excavator at the beginning makes it tough too. Airplane, helicopter, or glider? Is there a manual for your radio available online? I'd like to take a look at it. Maybe I could help you out a little better.

The channel monitor screen you mentioned looking at will be helpful. Try flipping some of the toggle switches and see if they enable the track drive channels (as well as any others). Here again, you might want to try this in glider, helicopter, and airplane model mode. If you didn't change any radio settings for the channels, then I'm going to guess and say it's just a matter of setting the radio into the right model mode to unlock those other channels.

[mavrick0]

Another possibility is while in the menu you switched model memories. So now it's on a memory that is defaulted back to factory settings versus the memory that the model was setup on.

I also just looked at the rc4wd page under the 4200 and there's a couple of notes for the radio. One was that the pump and light switches must be turned off before turning on the radio. That might be causing your issue too.

[Supermario]

Thanks for all the great input guys.

Cooper. I considered figuring out the channels like you suggested but, this thing is brand new, all nicely wired and tie strapped. I would hate having to start tearing it apart before it's even touched dirt
I want to paint it CAT yellow and will have to strip it this winter but for now, I want to play!
Congrats on ordering one of these beasts. I'd really appreciate any radio info you could give me when you get a chance thanks

I agree Nathan. I think it's a mode issue that has the other ch off.
I did some digging and discovered the true manufacturer of this radio. Turnigy. Here is a link to the exact same radio manual word for word as the one I have in my hands.

http://www.modelsandall.co.za/Products/ImaxTX.htm

As always, thanks for your help Nathan. Your effort and contribution to this forum does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

I think you might be onto something Maverick0. It would be nice if these radios had a " are you sure? " screen before any changes are made but no such luck
So what your saying is the set up is gone and must be done all over?

I tried the switch thing. Discovered if you have a toggle switch in the wrong place when you turn the radio on, it says switch error and will not do anything until switch position is corrected.


Still waiting to hear from rc4wd. I'll keep everyone posted through this issue just incase it happens to someone else in the future.

Mario

[Crash]

I have a 6 ch and you can save profiles, I wonder if there is a profile you can reload and bring it back to what you had when you took it out of the box.
I know that some switches and nobs share the same channel and you have to tell it what to use , maybe you accidentally switched it to the var nob.

Just my 2 cents worth

[mavrick0]

You may not have lost the memory just switched to a memory that isn't programmed right for the 4200. You'll just have to find the area where the model memories are stored and see if can find the original one.

[Supermario]

I'm really glad Nathan asked about looking at a manual. I thought the online manual was word for word as my paper version in my hands but have come to realize it is much better! its English!
I guess google translate wasn't working right the day they printed this





See why I was feeling lost? not sure what language that is but it aint English to me!

I better fire up my printer and get some ink because this manual in my hands is going in the fire pit!

Mario

[Espeefan]

Wow, Mario, you weren't kidding about the poor translation! I don't know what a wanton is, but I'd be pretty embarrassed about the description of how mix 5 and 6-7 work!

Anyway, I can't believe the manual does not give channel numbers and instead refers to them simply by function. Assuming the channel numbers use some sort of industry standard, we could only guess that channel 1 is the aileron function, channel 2 is the elevator function, channel 3 is the throttle, and channel 4 is the rudder. That would be in aircraft terms. That is also assuming the American standard of the radio being set up in mode 2. Mode 1, which is kind of a European thing, switches the throttle and elevator controls with each other. Everything else stays the same.

So if my assumption is right, we know now what channels 1 through 4 control. It's 5 through 9 that we aren't sure about yet.

I can also tell you that the toggle labeled F. MOD is short for flight mode. That should be a three position switch, which in helicopter mode controls the throttle servo. In aircraft mode that might control a set of flaps. (Or in the case of a semi truck it could control a shift servo.) RUDD D/R is rudder dual rate, ELE D/R is elevator dual rate, and AILE D/R is aileron dual rate. These toggle switches won't move a servo by themselves when you flip them, instead they limit the servo travel, when a stick is moved. A dual rate is a program feature that limits the servo travel to a lesser degree, or with the toggle flipped the other way, gives you full servo throw. The idea is to sort of tame a model down and limit the total servo travel by something around half. It makes a highly responsive model more docile that way.

TRN is a trainer switch that locks out the controls of a trainee's radio, when tethered to the instructor's radio. This toggle shouldn't control any channel at all.

GEAR is of course for landing gear. Should control a servo one direction 100% or the other, depending on the position. Could very well turn lights or some other function on or off.

So that leaves the potentiometers. The knobs HOV PIT (hover pitch), PIT TRIM (pitch trim), and HOV THR (hover throttle) are all helicopter functions dealing with blade and throttle pitch curves. In airplane model, I can't say for sure what they might do. At least one of the might control a flap and be fully proportional in operating a servo (or in your case an ESC). If these knobs controlled your track drive motors, then I'm going to guess and say the excavator was originally set up using an airplane model program. In helicopter mode the knobs most likely wouldn't directly control just one servo's travel. Helicopters use a throttle/pitch/aileron/elevator mix, all controlled with the two main sticks. That's why I say if your excavator doesn't seem to be working at all or is doing strange things in helicopter mode, it's probably the wrong mode altogether!

So I guess with all that said, I would go back to airplane mode, and see if you have model #1 selected. That would probably be the default model name that the excavator was set up under. Try that and see how the servos and switches function. If you accidently switched to a different model, the original excavator radio set up should still be there and saved. All the end points will remain untouched as well. You just have to find the right model name.

By the way, I also noticed the manual looks like it mentions the AUX-CH function giving you the ability to assign (program) channels 5 through 9 to an input on the transmitter, so a toggle or knob might be assigned to run a function of the excavator on it's own, regardless of default radio settings.

Maybe some of this will help you, Mario. It's a lot of information to take in, but combined with some reading of the manual, perhaps you'll be able to figure this out. It's difficult give good advice without really seeing what channels the servos are plugged into, and what the model does in the different modes. I think if you continue to play with it you'll solve your issues! I hope anyway!

[Supermario]

I'm almost there!!

I started looking at the aux channels. It said NULL next to all of them. That's when I finally clued in , null is off!

Ch 5 is the pump
Ch6 is left track
Ch7 right track

Each channel has various choices besides null.

Thro hold, gear, pit trim, Hov thro, Hov pit,

I got the tracks running by placing ch6 on Hov pit and ch7 on Hov thro.

The pump ch5 is a little more complex. Out of the five choices the one that works best is thro hold.
Problem is, with the switch off, the pump runs backwards. Turn switch on and pump runs correct direction and half speed for a few seconds then up to full speed. Turn switch off and pump reverses direction
So I think I'm almost there. I need to adjust something on the thro hold setting? I'm thinking the end point so switch off is not reverse and switch on is normal?

It's been a great day none the less! progress made!

[Supermario]

That's it! I am one happy camper!
Not only is my hoe running again, I learned a lot about this radio!
I adjusted end point and all is good now. Pump only runs in correct direction.

So happy..... Time to go play in the backyard.

Thank you everyone for your help and info.

Mario

[Espeefan]

That's great news, Mario!

Yes, you definitely can adjust the EPA for the throttle hold channel to stop your pump from running in reverse, when you flip the toggle switch the 'off' position. Just go under your EPA menu, scroll till you find channel 5, and dial back the EPA from 100% to zero, in the proper direction. Proper direction being you adjusting the EPA for the toggle switch, while it's in the 'off' position. This will effectively give your pump ESC a neutral signal when you flip it to the 'off' position. In the 'on' position the signal will tell the ESC to run 100%.

You got it! Definitely on the right track.

[Espeefan]

Originally Posted by Supermario

That's it! I am one happy camper!
Not only is my hoe running again, I learned a lot about this radio!
I adjusted end point and all is good now. Pump only runs in correct direction.

So happy..... Time to go play in the backyard.

Thank you everyone for your help and info.

Mario

Good to hear! I guess my reply was too slow! You didn't need any further help at that point anyway. You know what you're doing now. That makes you a pro!

[Supermario]

Well.... Not a pro but no longer a village idiot with radios anymore
What a great feeling

Mario

[andyathome]

I need the advice of a pro.
I have been doing a bit of playing with the radio settings on the excavator flysky .
have managed to slow the boom and rotation nicely but some how the pump is going in reverse????
tried changing the end stops but nothing seems to work, have set it up the same as you have but cant figure out how to reverse pump.
any ideas??

cheers andy

[fhhhstix]

Originally Posted by andyathome

I need the advice of a pro.
I have been doing a bit of playing with the radio settings on the excavator flysky .
have managed to slow the boom and rotation nicely but some how the pump is going in reverse????
tried changing the end stops but nothing seems to work, have set it up the same as you have but cant figure out how to reverse pump.
any ideas??

cheers andy

Just switch two of the three wires going to the motor that will reverse the motor direction of a brushless motor.

[andyathome]

cheers ,all ready done ,but must be a setting in radio to change the output to the motor? also found the pump has finally died and not pumping enough preasure and also letting air in past the seal at motor end ( which i new was leaking, pump now sounds like someone has thrown a bag of bearings into the houseing )
lucky i ordered a new one just over a week ago.
thanks for the suggestions.
next time ( as I usualy do) i will take a photo before i change anything.

[Buster]

I had the same problem with the direction of rotation of the pump.
I'm not a pro with the Skyfly radio but do have taken photos before I changed the settings.