RC Tanks Australia Forum

Is there a guide on how to connect a 6Ch OrangeRx to the RC5HL? I got the RC5HL unit yesterday, and I didn't touch the firmware on it. If it makes any difference, I have a DX7 radio. Also, is there any information on what the channels on the RC5HL actually mean? I know that the 5th channel is for power switch, but I have no idea what the rest are supposed to do. I have also attached a picture of what OrangeRx I have and how I connected it.
Throttle -> Ch1
Aile -> Ch2
Elev -> Ch3
Rudder -> Ch4
Gear -> Ch5

At one point the tank actually switched it on, and I was able to operate the tracks, but the controls were all screwed up. Aileron Left/Right made the tracks move foward and backwards. Now, I can't even switch on the tank anymore. The lights flash, but I can't get the engine starting sound to work.

Hi Drtank

The channels on the RC5HL refers to what order the channel are output from the receiver.

IN1 must connect to the channel that is output FIRST in the frame rate from the receiver
IN2 must connect to the channel that is output second in the frame rate
IN3 must connect to the channel that is output third in the frame rate
and so on

This varies for each brand of receiver so there is NO point saying IN1 is Rudder for example because in your case it isn't. It is the case of most other Futaba/JR radios. Sprektrum/Orange output in the following order

AIL -> IN1
THR -> IN2
ELE - > IN3
RUD - > IN4
GEAR/AUX1 - IN5

So connect up in the following order and take out the receiver jumper if you are using a 6 channel receiver.

Channel 5 - typically gear is usually already programmed to a switch and as you have already turned the tank on then that switch will be fine.

For startup the DX7 radio should be on first and ALL channels should be at neutral (150us). Make sure that the Gear switch is ALSO in neutral at startup if it isn't you wonlt be able to turn the tank on. Since the spectrum radio is not setup for anything else but planes you will have the problem with your throttle as the lever is not self centering you must manually have it in the center. Then of course because it is NOT at the bottom you may get a throttle warning. Once all channels are in neutral turn on the tank/RC5HL and WAIT until the green LED is solid. Then throw the gear switch

If any of the directions operate in reverse then invert/revese that particular channel.

Here is the old setup for the 2HL the connections will be the same but you may not need to set the channels to reverse for the 5HL.

Stick RCtoHL(Fut)-DX6i-1.jpg

Cheers
KG

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rctanksaustralia.com

I got it to work by doing the following.

I put the radio into Heli mode and changed the Gear range to go from 0 - 100 instead of -100 - +100

I used the following channel map
IN1 - AILE
IN2 - ELEV
IN3 - THRO
IN4 - RUDD
IN5 - GEAR

Also the startup procedure is a bit different. I need to zero out all outputs and wait for the green light on the board to go green. That will be harder when I put the top of the tank. Then I flick the gear switch (output goes to +100), and the motor start up sound begins to play. I then need to flick the gear back (output goes to 0), and then the tank finishes the startup procedure. If I leave the gear switch in the 100 position, then the tank goes into a continious startup shutdown cycle.

HI Drtank
No nothing different about that procedure at all your just operating on Mode 2. As for CH5 that is the standard and correct procedure. Ignition/CH5 must go back to 0/neutral. Channel 5 is the switching channel. You may or may not be able to program the following with the spectrum but for other programmable radios by toggling CH5 the following ways you will get:

0 to +100% -> Ignition on/off
0 to -100% -> Toggles Switch 1 on the RC5HL (typically used for headlight on/off)
0 to -50% -> Toggles Switch 2 on the RC5HL (switch between hull and turrent machine guns or on/off smoke unit)
0 to +50% -> Workbench mode - motors disabled but everything else works (stops me driving off the bench when testing)

All clearly shown here:


and the setup for Mode 2 operation is

RCtoHL(ver1.4) stick DX6i(mod-2).jpg

Cheers
KG

_________________

rctanksaustralia.com

So I think I can emulate some of the switches through a progam mixer on the Spektrum radio. One last question. I have an Airsoft version of the tank. What needs to happen to fire the cannon? In my case when I move the throttle stick, the cannon raises up or down depending on the throttle lever position.

Hi DrTank

The cannon is not firing because your elevation stick is NOT travelling to its full extent. The trigger for fire is when the stick goes above +- 75% of range. Either increase the limits for the elevation channel on your stick OR assign a switch to say +120% of the elevation channel.

Have a look at hawkeye3guns post in the very topic just underneath yours (same issue - same solution)

viewtopic.php?f=148&t=867

The VERY limited range of travel employed by Spektrum is one reason why these radios are great for aircraft but not so good for land vehicles. Similarly why the factory firmware on the TGY9X is better swapped for ER9X.

Land vehicles typically allow for switching of lights, firing of guns, movement of other parts. To be able to control all these functions the range of a channel must be wide so that each function can be assigned a particular part of the channel range. The wider the channel range the more functions. For example our Taipan protocol is this for CH3/ELE/GUN channel

-125% to - 110% Machine Gun 2
-109% to -76% Machine Gun 1
-75 % to + 75% Gun elevation
+76% to + 110% Standard cannon round
+111% to + 125% Armour piercing/high explosive round

Cheers
Kevin G

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rctanksaustralia.com

I played around with the ranges and got the machine gun and the cannon to fire. The cannon fire is just the recoil with the sound action. I was curious what needs to happen to actually fire the airsoft motor so that the pellet can be shot. Thanks