Total new guy question. How many channels?

DixonGrfx

New member
I am currently in the FT - Mini Guinea build. This is my first build that will have RC electronics in it. But now I'm wondering how many channels my receiver needs to operate all the motors and servos. One for the ailerons, one for the elevator, one for the rutter, (two for the motors?), and one for the cargo door? So a total of 6? do I have that right?

Dusty
 

tamuct01

Well-known member
You will need a minimum of 5 channels if you use a Y-connector for the 2 aileron servos and another for the motors. You can use a maximum of 7 channels if you split the aileron channels and motor channels. The advantages of splitting the channels are to add differential thrust (3 mixes to couple the motor channels to each other and add rudder mixing) and to add additional aileron controls such as flaperons. It all depends on how much your transmitter/receiver will support and how complicated you want to make it.
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
So a total of 6? do I have that right?

Yes, your lay out is correct, 6 will work just fine. I agree with @tamuct01, you could get by with 5 if you did not want differential thrust, that is put both motors on the same channel with a Y harness. You could also use 5 with differential thrust and eliminate the rudder.

If you were a minimalist, 4 would work, no differential thrust , no rudder, just bank and yank.

With 6 channels, I would chose to separate channel for my ailerons instead on my motors. This will make the aileron install much easier. If both are on one channel, you need to be very carful which way the servos are installed. Make sure they operated in opposite directions.
 

DixonGrfx

New member
Well, I have a 6 channel transmitter, but just the 4 channel receiver. Then just one Y-connector. To setup the plane on 4 channels I would still need another Y-connector, so I'll be making another order either way. So I may as well get the 6 channel receiver. The next question is weather the Spektrum RC DXe 6-Channel Full Range DSMX Transmitter has the ability to setup channel mixing.
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
I would still need another Y-connecto

You can make your own Y connectors, it’s just an extra end solder on. Pos to pos, neg to neg and signal to signal.

I don’t know anything about Spectrum, but almost any Tx today is capable of mixing.