Solved Programing Flaps Issue

[toryander]

I'm using a Pocket elrs transmitter and am trying to program flaps in for my Stratosurfer. I've watched a few very good videos on this and it looks easy enough, but it's going wrong for me. After I've carefully followed the instructions, the flap go fully extended when the plane binds and stay there in spite of the programmed switch position. The flaps are connected to channel 5 of my er5 rx via a y-harness. I've attached pictures of the relevant tx screens. What am I missing?

 

[LitterBug]

I see a couple possible problems here.
1) What version of ELRS are you running on the TX and the RX?
2) take screenshot of your RF config page (ELRS)
3) the setup is way more complicated than it needs to be. This should be a simple 3 pos switch with a 3 point curve.
4) The weights should be default 100 on the input and mix.
5) The offset should be 0

Doing it this way. You do all the adjusting of flap positions simply by editing a 2or3 point curve.

I also add a slowdown in the flaps so they don't instantly pop down and up. that is done in the extra settings at the bottom of the mix page. Slow down and slow up

Here are screenshots from my Phoenix2400 glider running on an ELRS PWM RX

 

[toryander]

Except for the weight, it seems that my screens look like yours. I'm using 4.0 firmware on my pocket and crsf protocol. Picture attached. Channel five is getting some sort of signal and going fully extended no matter what my settings are. I've never used channel five on that er5, but i have loads of hours using the other four channels. I'm using a Plane model I created and have flown my Tutor with it.

 

[LitterBug]

Something is not right with your EdgeTX firmware version that it does not give you the ability to take arming off of channel 5. Perhaps you are on an old version that doesn't have the ability to use the newer ELRS 4.x features. That is severely inhibiting your attempts to set up flaps. If arm is on channel 5, it is on and off. Nothing in between.

 

[toryander]

I wonder if going back down to 3.3 would make any difference. Maybe I'll give it a try. I want to take the Stratosurfer out for her maiden. Maybe later this evening after it drops out of the 90s. I'll have to do it without flaps. On the other hand, I haven't flown anything with flaps yet, so I won't know the difference.
(I'll have to start saving for a TX16s)

 

[LitterBug]

I wonder if going back down to 3.3 would make any difference. Maybe I'll give it a try. I want to take the Stratosurfer out for her maiden. Maybe later this evening after it drops out of the 90s. I'll have to do it without flaps. On the other hand, I haven't flown anything with flaps yet, so I won't know the difference.
(I'll have to start saving for a TX16s)

You will still need to use a different channel than 5

 

[LitterBug]

You can either update to a newer version of EdgeTX (2.12.1 for example), or move your flaps to a different channel.

 

[toryander]

You can either update to a newer version of EdgeTX (2.12.1 for example), or move your flaps to a different channel.

I've got another er6 coming in that shouldn't be stuck in sbus like my current one. Then I can set channel 6 for flaps. Thanks!

 

[Merv]

... The flaps are connected to channel 5 of my er5 rx via a y-harness...

A couple thoughts.
1) on the rx reasign ch5 to ch6, just bypass the whole arm thing.
2) what speed are you using between the tx & rx. Make sure you choose one with a FULL designation. They have full resolution on ALL channels. The others only have full resolution on ch 1-4. Channels 5 & above only have on or off, maybe 3 positions.

 

[toryander]

A couple thoughts.
1) on the rx reasign ch5 to ch6, just bypass the whole arm thing.
2) what speed are you using between the tx & rx. Make sure you choose one with a FULL designation. They have full resolution on ALL channels. The others only have full resolution on ch 1-4. Channels 5 & above only have on or off, maybe 3 positions.

Thank you for the ideas, Merv. I will give this a try if I understand. I get a little confused about channels. The flap cable is plugged into channel five on the er5 rx. That's the only channel available for the cable (5 channel rx). Doesn't that mean I have to use channel five in the Mix? Or are you saying there is a way to make channel 6 use channel 5?

 

[Merv]

... Or are you saying there is a way to make channel 6 use channel 5?

Yes, you can make ch5 on the rx respond to the ch6 tx commands. You do it through the web interface.

 

[LitterBug]

A couple thoughts.
1) on the rx reasign ch5 to ch6, just bypass the whole arm thing.
2) what speed are you using between the tx & rx. Make sure you choose one with a FULL designation. They have full resolution on ALL channels. The others only have full resolution on ch 1-4. Channels 5 & above only have on or off, maybe 3 positions.

You don't want to ignore/ bypass arm on ELRS. It needs to happen or the auto ranging power and a handful of other functions aren't enabled. This can cause range issues. With ELRS 4.x you can move it to a switch rather than output channel 5 like I have shown above; BUT, you must be on the latest EdgeTX 2.12.x version for that to work.

You can remap the pwm5 output to a differen't channel like 6. I have done this in the past. That is also why my flap example above is on channel 6. You have to go into the wifi configurator on the RX similar to how you enable the serial output on the pwm pins. I have an ER5 in my RMRC Recruit and I remapped the PWM5 pin to output 6. I used output 5 to arm ELRS and set up a throttle cut override when it isn't armed. I have a strobe On mystratosurfer which also comes on when the plane/ELRS is armed.

 

[toryander]

You don't want to ignore/ bypass arm on ELRS. It needs to happen or the auto ranging power and a handful of other functions aren't enabled. This can cause range issues. With ELRS 4.x you can move it to a switch rather than output channel 5 like I have shown above; BUT, you must be on the latest EdgeTX 2.12.x version for that to work.

You can remap the pwm5 output to a differen't channel like 6. I have done this in the past. That is also why my flap example above is on channel 6. You have to go into the wifi configurator on the RX similar to how you enable the serial output on the pwm pins. I have an ER5 in my RMRC Recruit and I remapped the PWM5 pin to output 6. I used output 5 to arm ELRS and set up a throttle cut override when it isn't armed. I have a strobe On mystratosurfer which also comes on when the plane/ELRS is armed.

I'll have to look into this. Thanks. I've been on such a learning curve overload these past few weeks I wonder if I'm up to it. My er6 will be here Saturday.

 

[toryander]

I took my Stratosurfer for her maiden this morning without flaps. You were right, Litterbug; she is worth the trouble of threading wires and lining up screws. She flew so sweetly even with no trimming. My next project is getting the fc and camera running and mounted on her (when the mount arrives. Here's my maiden:

 

[toryander]

Alright, I have two 3-position switches to work with (and two 2-position push switches). I've set up arm on one of the 2-postion. Since I don't have switches for all that I need, what is most important that I should assign to the two 3-position switches for fpv flying? I'm using the Avatar Goggles L with an Avatar Mini 1s lite.

 

[LitterBug]

I took my Stratosurfer for her maiden this morning without flaps. You were right, Litterbug; she is worth the trouble of threading wires and lining up screws. She flew so sweetly even with no trimming. My next project is getting the fc and camera running and mounted on her (when the mount arrives. Here's my maiden:

Awesome! Classic example of a stratosurfer launch. It wants more up elevator to start. FC Autolaunch can help some with that, but it almost always dips untill it gets up to speed. I have thought about a launch mix switch on the elevator to help with that when self launching.

 

[toryander]

I got my new er6 in and put the flaps on a finger wheel on channel six and it works great. The flaps are making the takeoffs and landings so much easier.