Spektrum DX7-s + AQ Help? (xtrmtrk?)

[Sicarius]

Hi!

I'm getting close to maiden, but i have a few questions about using the Spektrum DX7s with an orangeRX on the AQ 2.1..
I'm unfamiliar with model flight as a whole, basically i'm still at square 1 compared to some here..
Are there any pre-defined settings or best practices that i should read up on?
I got through the manual (bible) and changed my name and set the first model to Heli, but i'm drawing a blank on all the settings in there.
Also: Can i get telemetry from the AQ to my spektrum without any tricky mods?
Are there any other functions that are useful for the extra switches?

One thing though.. i already love this Tx, it feels like a rock-solid controlling platform!

I know that user Xtrmtrk has one, so i'd love some pointers from him, and of course everyone else here!

[Nikotine]

Hi!

I'm getting close to maiden, but i have a few questions about using the Spektrum DX7s with an orangeRX on the AQ 2.1..
I'm unfamiliar with model flight as a whole, basically i'm still at square 1 compared to some here..
Are there any pre-defined settings or best practices that i should read up on?

Lots of info is in the wiki. Most important settings are setting it to plane (see below) and the channel 'direction'. Some channels may be reversed, meaning controls will be reversed as well. This can all be set in the remote.

I got through the manual (bible) and changed my name and set the first model to Heli, but i'm drawing a blank on all the settings in there.

You must set it as plane, not heli. Otherwise you will have channel mixing, which you don't want. Please go through the wiki.

Also: Can i get telemetry from the AQ to my spektrum without any tricky mods?

No.

Are there any other functions that are useful for the extra switches?

The DX7 has 7 channels, and you're already using 6 of them. The channel 7 switch (should be AUX2) isn't used by AQ software, but I programmed it to control my leds (see my signature).
The D/R switches are for dual rate. You can program your remote to be less or more sensitive with those switches.

[Sicarius]

Lots of info is in the wiki. Most important settings are setting it to plane (see below) and the channel 'direction'. Some channels may be reversed, meaning controls will be reversed as well. This can all be set in the remote.

You must set it as plane, not heli. Otherwise you will have channel mixing, which you don't want. Please go through the wiki.

No.

The DX7 has 7 channels, and you're already using 6 of them. The channel 7 switch (should be AUX2) isn't used by AQ software, but I programmed it to control my leds (see my signature).
The D/R switches are for dual rate. You can program your remote to be less or more sensitive with those switches.

I posted this in the first place because i cannot find it in the wiki, that's the first place i looked!
Thanks for the info, btw, WHY doesn't the telemetry work?.. No is such a heavy word..

Edit: Found it.. it was in the manual, but that was being locked because it was edited last time i checked.
http://aeroquad.com/showwiki.php?tit...ur+transmitter

[Nikotine]

Thanks for the info, btw, WHY doesn't the telemetry work?.. No is such a heavy word..

Simply because the DX7 doesn't support any kind of telemetry. You can get telemetry working from your quad to a laptop with Xbees, but not directly to the DX7. One step higher, the DX8, supports telemetry: http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/D...8800#telemetry

[Sicarius]

Mine does. I've got the S, which apparently supports telemetry (there is an entire menu structure in there dedicated to warnings and readings) it even says so on the link you sent..

[Nikotine]

Aha, I missed the "S"
Interesting, looking at the telemetry modules like this one http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/D...ProdID=SPM9548, it looks like there are definitely some possibilities to interface with AQ.
That data port might be a serial port and the temp/volt port will be able to take a 0 to 5v signal from the Arduino.
Unfortunately I don't have one to experiment with.

[Mavvie]

I have a DX8i and I can tell you that temp/volt port is not for powersupply, on that port it expects direct connection to the battery to measure the voltage of the battery. It can also take the direct connection to a Spektrum temperature sensor or both if you use a Y-cable.
Spektrum telemetry transmitters actually transmit 2 voltages. The one the receiver is getting from the FC and the one it measures on the volt/temp leads.
What you can find on the data port I don't know, normally it connects to the Rx to get it's data. If you know the protocol on that cable, you can probably interface it to AQ, but that's where my knowledge ends.

-edit-
The telemetry transmitter gets it's power from the data connection, which normally plugs in the bind/data port of Spektrum Rx's. After connecting a telemetry module you have to rebind to your Rx which happens via a little button on the telemetry module as you can't use the bind/data port anymore with a bind plug.
-edit-

[wooden]

If you want to do telemetry straight to your TX, you'll need the Spektrum Telemetry module. No one has interfaced this with AQ yet as far as I know, but you don't need that module if you want standard AQ telemetry - just use XBees or APC220 wireless modules.

[xtrmtrk]

@Sicarius - Yep, the DX7s is a pretty solid transmitter. Lately I've been wishing I had more channels with potentiometers on them, but for what it does, it's a good transmitter.

Yes, you might want to get the Spektrum telemetry kit (cheaper on eBay than most other places). I use it and am pretty addicted to the remote battery level stuff. I've also used the motor RPM sensor to do some debugging. I haven't used the temperature sensor yet, but I have it. The altimeter would be fun. I've hooked the Data Port up to an oscilloscope, thinking I might be able to interface it with the AQ software, but the protocol it's using wasn't obvious to me. Plus, I think it would require changes to the transmitter to display incoming data types other than what it already knows about, and I'm not going to mod my transmitter.

If you choose the "Acro" airplane model for your multicopter you'll be pretty much good to go. As stated above, you might need to reverse some channels, that can be done in the Servo setup screens (please ask if you can't find anything, it took me a while to find my way around the Tx's screens & menus). If this is your first time flying a quad, you'll definitely want to play with the D/R & Expos as well. I'd suggest something like this:

Aileron - Pos 0, D/R 80, Expo 35
Elevator - Pos 0, D/R 80, Expo 35
Rudder - Pos 0, D/R 100, Expo 0

Play around with those numbers to find settings that let you fly comfortably. The Expo is really important.

I also find the timers very useful. I'm a bit paranoid about not discharging my batteries too much so I use the throttle-up stopwatch function to determine how long I can fly on a battery, then after I've figure that out switch to the throttle-up count-down timer with an alarm to tell me when to land. I've been meaning to see if I can set an alarm based on on-board battery levels from the telemetry module, but I'm not sure it can do that or not. I know the DX8 can.

I have a Naza flight controller and with that model I have the FailSafe mechanism set up. It does an AMAZING job of self-landing if the Tx looses connection with the quad for any reason. Since we don't have auto-land on AQ (yet) it's not as useful. Though you might want to make sure you're setup to FailSafe to something that's safe and makes sense.

I upgraded the battery to a LiPo, and it lasts for about 8 hours.

Horizon Hobby's customer service is fantastic. I knocked my DX7s over onto pavement and broke one of the switches. Horizon replaced the switch and had the transmitter back to me within a week - all free. I was very happy with that.

Have fun and don't hesitate to ask more questions. Like I said, it took me a while to figure out a lot of the features. Heck, I'm still figuring things out on it.

[Mavvie]

Not sure if the settings are the same on DX7 and DX8, but to set battery monitor warning on DX8:
2 ways to get to the right menu, if on another model, select the right model and you're in the system menu. If it's already on the model you want to change, switch of transmitter, press roller and switch on.
In menu, choose telemetry, then choose flightpack voltage. There you can set min V, max V and what type of LiPo it is.