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Not enough channel and channel sharing help
« on: August 25, 2021, 02:02:29 AM »
On the 10ch flysky I have run out of channels to do any more features so looking at creative ways of sharing channels. Suggestions welcome.
Channels are:
Gun fire
MG
Volume up and down on rotary
servo opening hatch on 2nd rotary
Toggle smoke on 3 way switch pos1
toggle light on 3 way pos 3
Engine start on last switch. (dont like auto start much)

I want:
2nd MG sound and light
User sounds ( i understand I can use 6 way rotary switch for this)

I combined smoker toggle with light toggle to free up a channel and that works, but either light is on or smoker is on i want both to work at the same time, eg smoker is on when light is on. its like they are out of sync.

Over to you to tell me what I can try next. Thanks

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Offline LukeZ

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Re: Not enough channel and channel sharing help
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2021, 05:49:57 PM »
Good questions.

Note that you can assign multiple functions to a single trigger. As I'm re-reading your post, it sounds like this is what you have done with the smoker and light. If they are not synchronized, maybe you want to use the "on" and "off" functions instead of the "toggle" functions. For example, set the light to turn "on" in position 1, and the smoker to be "enabled" in position 1. Then set the light to be "off" in position 2 and the smoker to be "disabled" in position 2. This should ensure that both are on or off at the same time.

You can also use the turret stick as a 9-position switch, similar to the way stock Heng Long and Taigen tanks work. For example you could assign the second machine gun function to "Turret Stick - Top Left." I won't lie, I don't like using this as much as a dedicated switch because it reduces the sensitivity of turret movements, but it does give you a lot more switches to play with. There is a page in the Wiki that describes this feature, click here.

Finally note that you can also install a physical switch in your tank and connect it to one of the General Purpose Inputs A or B. This can then be assigned to any function in OP Config. Yes it's true, you won't be controlling that function from your transmitter, you will instead have to physically flick the switch on your model. But for some functions that may suffice - maybe you could use that switch to enable/disable the smoker. It's not ideal but it frees up a switch on your transmitter that you could use for something more important.

Short of changing transmitters, those are the options I can think of...
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Re: Not enough channel and channel sharing help
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2021, 12:16:58 AM »
Luke your option to use on and off commands for the smoker and light doesn’t work as when you switch to position 2 middle position the smoker or light then turn off, that’s why toggle works.

Turret stick idea is worth a try, gives 4 more functions but they could be accidentally triggered.
Will give it a go.

Is there any info on the rotary switch you need for the benedini, as Thomas no longer sells them.

Thanks

Re: Not enough channel and channel sharing help
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2021, 11:21:24 AM »
Just to confirm, lukes suggestion is workable and easily overlooked. Yes you do tend to move the turret when going for the switches but its a solution for now.

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Offline LukeZ

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Re: Not enough channel and channel sharing help
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2021, 11:46:01 AM »
Luke your option to use on and off commands for the smoker and light doesn’t work as when you switch to position 2 middle position the smoker or light then turn off, that’s why toggle works.
I understand what you're saying. In order to use position 3 for some other purpose without affecting the smoker, we have to use the toggle functions on position 1 and leave position 2 clear. It also makes sense that when you put both the smoker and light toggle functions on the same trigger, it works but they are not synchronized. This is because at startup the light is initialized to Off, and the smoker is initialized to Enabled. So if you toggle them both at the same time, they go in the opposite direction of each other.

Since you want the light to work with the smoker, there is an unorthodox way you could accomplish this. In OP Config on the Motors tab, set the Smoker Type to "Separate Heat & Fan." However, do not actually separate the heating element and the fan control on your smoker, keep them both plugged into the Smoker output on the TCB. Connect your LED to the Aux output on the TCB. In OP Config, the Fan speeds will control the Aux output, and the Heat percentage will control the Smoker output. Set the Fan speed to 100% for all three positions (Idle, Fast Idle, and Max). This will turn your light on whenever the smoker is on. Under the Heat percentages you can set the speed that you want your smoker to run at for each position. See the attached image.


Is there any info on the rotary switch you need for the benedini, as Thomas no longer sells them.
FrSky has one. Here is a link to buy them in the US, and another to buy them in the UK.

Glad you experimented with the turret stick switches. They are not ideal, but when your transmitter is limited in channels it really the only way to get more control.

UsingLightWithSmoker.jpg
Not enough channel and channel sharing help UsingLightWithSmoker.jpg
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Offline Sub

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Re: Not enough channel and channel sharing help
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2021, 06:02:06 PM »
Hi.
Don't know if this will help....but i have come up with some good solutions for my latest scratch build by using the mixing function on my Turnigy 9x ( not a million miles from a flysky tx.)
Using mixing on the Tx i have opening hatches on the throttle hold switch and the MG  and Cannon fire on a 3 position switch, centre both off up mg, down cannon flash and recoil, by setting 3 mixes on the flap settings, plus all the usual f+r, left / right, turret turn and elevation etc, i even have turn indicators from the io ports.
The turret stick also switches on running lights and 2 sets of headlights, engage / disengage transmission, just set the turret turn delay to max 0.5 seconds, more than enough to quickly flick the stick to the light position without the turret moving.
Its worth thinking about the mixing settings as you can do some great things on them and gain extra channels, i certainly have after running out of the standard 8 channels.
I now have 13 functions from a standard Turnigy 9X.
On one of my models the smoker port controls a servo that rotates the commanders gun sights ( I dont use smoke machines )
Hope its of use to someone.
Regards.
Sub.

 

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