FS-i6s, Jumper T16, FRsky X-lite

bracesport

Legendary member
@corpse - trainer mode is just two Tx's working together - one is the master Tx and the other is the trainer (student module) - the master can take over when things look hairy with the students flying - normally they are tethered together with a cable, but in my case, they are tethered wirelessly.
 

"Corpse"

Legendary member
@corpse - trainer mode is just two Tx's working together - one is the master Tx and the other is the trainer (student module) - the master can take over when things look hairy with the students flying - normally they are tethered together with a cable, but in my case, they are tethered wirelessly.
Ok, is there a way to program dual rates? I can do that in betaflight easily but for scratch builds I'll need to do it from OTX.
 

bracesport

Legendary member
In OTX you do the rates and the expo in the 'Inputs' page - in the example below the there are triple rates (hi/med/low) each on a switch, and the expo is driven from a global variable - you may notice I have Aileron rates and Elevator rates on different switches.

The INPUTS menu is where you set control rates and expo. The MIXERS menu is where you design the control logic (how the system should respond to commands). The OUTPUTS menu is for dealing with linkage geometry (setting limits and centres for each servo channel).
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bracesport

Legendary member
na - I just spend too much time fiddling with it (rather than flying) as I find it fascinating!

To make a simple ship with dual rates there is not too much to it and companion makes that programming a doddle - the complexity creeps in when you want to customise the radio to your liking which adds another level of functionality at your disposal (like logical switches, in-flight adjustments, and voice calls for modes or values), but the more you get into it the easier it gets.

There is heaps of great OTX instruction and tips on youtube but I started with this 'basics' overview from RC-soar and poked around youtube for the rest - just the other day I learned about the 'instant trim' command in OTX which enables you to hold a level flight path and grab the trim settings at the push of a button (nice!) - so we learn new things each day!

I knew nothing of programming when I started out - if you keep things neat - especially the mixes using the cascading technique of combining common trims into sub-channels you can't go too far wrong! :)

The examples below illustrate the idea of cascading - channels 12/14/16 are trims that affect both ailerons so I can set up and tweak these settings once and apply them to the ailerons by attaching the grouped channel 18 to each aileron (neatly) - although channel 10 only effects the flap channel I cascade the trim settings for neatness and easy visibility for tweaking the settings rather than trying to do it within a growing list of mix settings within the flaps channel.

As a side note about channel 8 for the expo, this weight and offset amount will make a global variable for the expo vary between 0-50%, and in OTX the weight is worked out by using the total variable (min and max) where in this case the min is 0 and the max is 50 - the weight is calculated (max-min/2) and the offset is calculated (max+min/2) - therefore the weight is 50-0/2=25 and the offset is 50+0/2=25

I am happy to help (try to help) if you have any tweaks or modes you want to create.

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bracesport

Legendary member
Updated to OpenTX 2.3.10 - this time I updated directly from Companion (I normally remove the SD and do a clean install of the Contents) - everything seems to be working well - there is a small bug that still prevails relating to the 'master/multi' trainer mode which when read by companion switches 'master/multi' to some other 'random option'.

On the weekend I had great success using the 2nd MPM (I have an internal and external) as the receiver for my FSi6s used as a student module - when on, we had both Tx's functioning which meant the trainer did not have to use a switch to take over (we just used voice calls)! The trainer system allowed me to fly as a novice with confidence knowing my pro mates could bail me out at any time - the wind was blowing 32 knots, what a rush! :)

my flight log from Sunday

Even my 'nearly' seven-year-old son had a fly!
 
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Wildthing

Legendary member
Updated to OpenTX 2.3.10 - this time I updated directly from Companion (I normally remove the SD and do a clean install of the Contents) - everything seems to be working well - there is a small bug that still prevails relating to the 'master/multi' trainer mode which when read by companion switches 'master/multi' to some other 'random option'.

On the weekend I had great success using the 2nd MPM (I have an internal and external) as the receiver for my FSi6s used as a student module - when on, we had both Tx's functioning which meant the trainer did not have to use a switch to take over (we just used voice calls)! the trainer system allowed me to fly as a novice with confidence knowing my pro mates could bail me out at any time - the wind was blowing 32 knots, what a rush! :)

my flight log from Sunday

Even my 'nearly' seven-year-old son had a fly!
I did my update a couple days ago, haven't tried it since so don't know if there are any bugs in it. I do know that the Open TX doesn't like the lastest and newest Spectrum rx's A guy in the club has a brand new plane with telemetry and more, don't remember the model of the rx but fatal warnings out of range came almost instantly . Another guy with a Spectrun Tx bound to it and didn't have any issues so I tried my Jumper and it failed range tests . Something about the new new Spetrum protocols that Jumper is having a problem with
 

bracesport

Legendary member
I am only using FRsky and FS Rx gear so am not familiar with Spectrum - it will be an OpenTX issue or an MPM issue - I doubt the Radio Brand is the problem - but I am just speculating! :)
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
I am only using FRsky and FS Rx gear so am not familiar with Spectrum - it will be an OpenTX issue or an MPM issue - I doubt the Radio Brand is the problem - but I am just speculating! :)
Well the guy is a smart cookie like you :) . I don't remember all the terminology he used but he has a ton of features turned on and was reading me different numbers that I have no idea what they meant but all to do with range and how many times the signal was being dropped. Everything he talked about was way over my head :D .

Spectrum did something to their new protocol that it isn't totally compatible, atleast not yet until Open Tx figures it out so fair warning if you do get a new type of rx from Spectrum
 

bracesport

Legendary member
All the telemetry stuff is new to me too - I have read on the forums that calibrating the multi protocol module for some of the protocols can be an issue at times when protocols are updated by the various vendors.
 

bracesport

Legendary member
I learned a new trick this week which is to add notes that show up when the model loads - I use it to remind me what functionality I have programmed - in the fullness of time I want to add notes about flying performance or settings related to each model. :)
 

bracesport

Legendary member
updated to 10.3.10 last week, but noticed the MPM's were asking for 1.3.1.69 so I copied them to the Sim file on my computer and used the 'sync Sim' command in companion to add them to the radio, then updated the modules on the Tx - I have an internal and external MPM so note that there is a 'noinv' version (for the internal MPM) and an 'inv' version (for the external MPM) - all good. :)

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sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
I learned a new trick this week which is to add notes that show up when the model loads - I use it to remind me what functionality I have programmed - in the fullness of time I want to add notes about flying performance or settings related to each model. :)

Interesting - I know the Spektrum ix12 has had that functionality for a while now, in the form of alerts when you switch to a particular model. For example, if you start up a model and the throttle is at 1% or higher, it will disable any throttle output and alert with a "Throttle High" warning. I've gone in to play with it for mine to have it set for some of my alerts - my quad, for example, has Turtle Mode, and it won't arm if the Turtle Mode is on. And since the Turtle Mode is the same switch as the lights I have for my Versa Wings, I like having the alert set up. :)

I wonder if OpenTX functionality is similar in how it functions...
 

bracesport

Legendary member
@sprzout - at the moment I am not sure if OTX will 'automatically' trigger functions on startup depending on stick position (for example) - but I will look into it as it is interesting - OTX does have the obvious warnings including throttle position at startup (if enabled).

What I do is set up all models with a 'basic mode' for model load, and then add functionality as required on the day - and example is with my ail/ele stick held in the bottom right corner, and SF pulsed I add DLG launch modes - and with the ele/ail stick held in the bottom left corner, and SF pulsed I add Elevator and Aileron rates (slope soaring) - it would be easy to add a stick position (say ele/ail held at the top left corner and SF pulsed) to arm a 'prop mode' - I love OTX! :)
 
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bracesport

Legendary member
here is a video of my setup progress using curves to adjust the flaperons for my DLG - the upside is that it is easy to set the profile of each flight mode (including differential), but it does not enable inflight adjustment of the differential - the camber can be adjusted which is probably more useful.

in the video there is a quick overview of the universal settings I am setting up (not a how to) - the logical functions and the special functions are used to make it all possible.

 

Wildthing

Legendary member
here is a video of my setup progress using curves to adjust the flaperons for my DLG - the upside is that it is easy to set the profile of each flight mode (including differential), but it does not enable inflight adjustment of the differential - the camber can be adjusted which is probably more useful.

in the video there is a quick overview of the universal settings I am setting up (not a how to) - the logical functions and the special functions are used to make it all possible.

Ok, that is all to cool but I am old, how would you expect me to remember all the special functions, I have a hard enough time remembering my own name :D
 

bracesport

Legendary member
@Wildthing - you and me both - in all truthfulness a regular ship does not need too many fancy tricks - the DLG with its launch modes that do not allow accidental throttle stick movements are easier to use with a few special modes etc - yinno, I love to tinker too! :)
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
@Wildthing - you and me both - in all truthfulness a regular ship does not need too many fancy tricks - the DLG with its launch modes that do not allow accidental throttle stick movements are easier to use with a few special modes etc - yinno, I love to tinker too! :)
Hey, how about voice commands ? :)