Transmitter help

[gazzagoalie]

I'm looking to build a robot at some point soon, but cant find the right trasmitter for me. I'm looking for one that I can configure for tank style steering i.e. left stick controls left wheel, right stick controls right wheel, and a button to fire the weapon. Anybody know any good ones?
Thanks in advance

[terry]

Re: Transmitter help

Mostly used is spectrum or futaba must be 2.4 GHz , any cheap old set will do for antweight though. No one uses tank style steering as all esc's mix.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Transmitter help

Not all speed controllers mix. Electronize and the botzbits being examples that don't.

Why do you want to use tank steering though? The convention is to use one channel for fwd/back and another for left and right rotation.

[gazzagoalie]

Re: Transmitter help

I will building my own spped controllers, so this shouldnt be a problem. I just think I'd find it easier to control a robot with this setup rather than the conventional one.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Transmitter help

I will building my own spped controllers, so this shouldnt be a problem

I wouldn't bother unless you have a long and experienced background in electronics. You will easily spend three times the cash and much more in time getting a custom speed controller to work.

[gazzagoalie]

Re: Transmitter help

I will building my own spped controllers, so this shouldnt be a problem

I wouldn't bother unless you have a long and experienced background in electronics. You will easily spend three times the cash and much more in time getting a custom speed controller to work.

I am doing a degree in electronic engineering, and studied electronics for 5 years before starting. I already have a design for them. So far, the best idea I have is to get a normal 5 channel set and use one channel from each stick.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Transmitter help

If you are dead set on making them then by all means but i would heavily recommend against it. You will have enough trouble getting a robot to run for the first time let alone worrying about custom speedos.

And yes that would probably be the best way to get tank steering. Bear in mind though that standard transmitters will have one channel set up as a throttle. In other words it won't spring back to the center point. You will have to open it up, remove a small ratchet and take a spring from one of the horizontal channels to allow it to return to the center point.

[Eventorizon]

Re: Transmitter help

I wanted tank style when I started but trust me its more hassle than its worth.

Go back a year and you will see I have had almost exactly the same conversation.

I spent a day with my machine when it was done driving it round some bricks in our drive way to get the hang of it. Yes it took all day and then a bit more in the arena but its say 2 days compared to say 2 months of making it custom.

In the end its easier, cheaper and more beneficial in the long run to simply learn to use one stick.

[Ellis]

Re: Transmitter help

We simply rotated the sticks on our transmitter to give all sprung up and down. Took 10 minutes. The difficult bit is the speedos, making it drive like one of those Tumbler toys (I always wanted it like that, still do sometimes, but once you get the hang of one stick it really is fine) shouldn't be too hard radio-wise.

Good luck, keep us posted!

[gazzagoalie]

Re: Transmitter help

Do you have to use DSS modulation? I have found a set that uses GFSK, so would this be allowed in competitions?

[PJ-27]

Re: Transmitter help

Same, modified a 4ch Controller so I could control left and right drive with left and right thumbs, but it's tricky and EVERYONE else uses mixing and just their right thumb to drive. Plus it frees up your left to control the weapon.

If you've played Arenas of Destrction it's the one option you didn't get to have!

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Transmitter help

Lol pj not everyone! I use right stick forward and back and left stick left and right.