MO2
15-08-2006, 12:13 AM
This won't be a problem with brand new radios, but if your "new" radio is actually a used one, you will want to make sure that everything is reset to the factory specs before you try to set it up with a new model. Nothing is worse than going through all the settings, only to find that the trims were already maxed out in one direction when you centered the servos. Most radios have a quick way to reset either the entire radio (or just a single model) back to the original default settings; consult your radio's instructions.
2. Receiver Check
This really goes without saying, but enough people mess it up that it's worth mentioning here. Not all receivers work with all radios! Before trying to drive your car, disconnect the motor (in an electric car) or leave the nitro engine shut down (duh), and make sure you have control with your radio/receiver combination. In many cases. as long as the radio and receiver are on the same band and channel (e.g. 75MHz FM channel 70) they will communicate well. But some radio/receiver combos just won't work well, and of course mixing bands never works no matter what. If you're in doubt, ask the shop where you bought your radio if it will work with your current receiver.
TECH TIP
MULTI-MODEL FUN!
If your radio has a multi-model memory and you want to see exactly how some of these advanced radio settings affect your car, set up two models with the exact same basic settings. Some radios even have a model copy function to facilitate this. Once both are set up, make changes (one setting at a time) to one of the profiles, and then alternate between the two as you drive. You should be able to feel what the change does to the car, and decide if you want to stick with it or try something else.
3. Servo Centering
This is one of the most important steps in configuring a radio, and one that should be performed before any adjustments are made to the radio itself. Remove each servo from the car, remove the servo horn from the servo, and with the radio and servos powered on, replace the horn so that it is as close to its desired position as possible while the servo is centered. All of the trim and sub-trim settings on the radio should be at exactly "0" while this takes place. This allows the servo to begin at as close to zero/center as it possibly can. With the servos centered, you can reinstall them in the car.
4. Trim Settings
Now that your servo or servos are centered, use the trim function on the radio to adjust them into the desired position. Because of the splines on a servo's output, the horns will usually be just slightly off from where you want them, so you will need to add a tiny bit of trim to get things lined up properly. At this point you really shouldn't be more than two or three clicks away from center on the trim; if you are, you may have centered a servo incorrectly, or your steering or throttle linkage may need to be adjusted. It's always better to make sure that things are mechanically centered, rather than relying on your radio trim.
5. Speed Control Settings
Obviously this can be skipped for a nitro car, but for an electric it is essential. Your car's electronic speed control relies on throttle end points received from the radio/receiver to determine its throttle output, and when you change radios, these points can change as well. Most of today's ESCs have a one-touch setup option that makes this configuration easy, so consult your ESC's manual and perform the setup procedure (the motor should still be disconnected at this point).
6. End Point Adjustments
Once everything is trimmed out, you'll want to shift your focus to end point adjustment (EPA) settings. This is especially important with digital servos, where improper end points can stress the servos and lead to their failure. The idea here is to not force the servo to continue to push or pull on a linkage that is blocked from moving any further. For example, with most radios in their default full-throw setting, if you turn the wheel to full lock you will hear the servo motor trying to push the car's steering rack further than it can actually go. This will be characterized by a buzzing noise coming from the servo. To fix it, move the wheel all the way to one side and hold it there, and then gradually decrease the end point setting for that side until the steering rack or throttle linkage begins to move with it. You want the servo to move the rack or linkage to its furthest position, but anything beyond that is just going to burn out the servo. Once you've completed one side, repeat the process for the other, and for each servo you are using.
7. Track Test
Now that you've completed the basic setup, it's time to get your car running so you can make some performance adjustments. There are many more adjustments than these on most radios, but these are the first few you should check;
Sub-Trim • A radio's sub-trim settings allow you to fine tune the trim until everything is just right. This is most often used on the steering servo, where even after centering and trim, things may be just slightly off. Get your car running in a straight line, and if it drifts to one side or the other, use the sub-trim features to straighten it out. If you try this a few times and can't get the car to track straight, you probably have something mechanically wrong that is keeping it from perfection. Go over the car's linkages and suspension and check things like camber and toe.
Dual Rate • The dual rate feature increases or decreases the steering throw on both sides of the car simultaneously, while also increasing or decreasing the responsiveness to steering inputs. If you're looking for a more responsive car on the track, a high dual rate setting is a good bet; if you want to tone down your car's behavior, you can reduce the dual rate a little bit. Many radios have an easy way to adjust dual rate while you are driving so you can get to your desired feel.
Exponential • Most high end radios will have exponential (Expo) settings for both steering and throttle. Exponential settings will change the steering or throttle response from a linear progression to an exponential curve beginning from center. This is typically used to settle a car down around center, so that small turns of the wheel or small blips of the throttle will not have dramatic effects on the track. In a linear setting, moving the steering wheel 25% in one direction will cause the car's wheels to move to 25% of their maximum throw. With an exponential curve, however, that 25% of wheel movement may only move a car's wheels to 10% of their maximum throw, while between 50% and 100% of steering movement the car's wheels will move much more rapidly. If you are having trouble with your car being very jerky as you turn the wheel, try adding some steering exponential and see how it performs. These settings aren't for everybody, but some people--including pro drivers--swear by them. Exponential is also especially useful as a form of basic traction control for nitro cars by softening up the throttle. Again, experiment!
Drive and be Merry!
There are, of course, many other settings on some radios that can be played with, but we've touched on all the basics that you'll need to visit before going all out on the track or in your backyard. We know that we sound like a broken record when we say it, but again, taking the few minutes to make necessary adjustments like these will improve every aspect of your RC experience. Your cars will handle better, you won't break as many parts, and you'll be that much closer to RC nirvana.
))oap...)):^8: :^8: :^8:
2. Receiver Check
This really goes without saying, but enough people mess it up that it's worth mentioning here. Not all receivers work with all radios! Before trying to drive your car, disconnect the motor (in an electric car) or leave the nitro engine shut down (duh), and make sure you have control with your radio/receiver combination. In many cases. as long as the radio and receiver are on the same band and channel (e.g. 75MHz FM channel 70) they will communicate well. But some radio/receiver combos just won't work well, and of course mixing bands never works no matter what. If you're in doubt, ask the shop where you bought your radio if it will work with your current receiver.
TECH TIP
MULTI-MODEL FUN!
If your radio has a multi-model memory and you want to see exactly how some of these advanced radio settings affect your car, set up two models with the exact same basic settings. Some radios even have a model copy function to facilitate this. Once both are set up, make changes (one setting at a time) to one of the profiles, and then alternate between the two as you drive. You should be able to feel what the change does to the car, and decide if you want to stick with it or try something else.
3. Servo Centering
This is one of the most important steps in configuring a radio, and one that should be performed before any adjustments are made to the radio itself. Remove each servo from the car, remove the servo horn from the servo, and with the radio and servos powered on, replace the horn so that it is as close to its desired position as possible while the servo is centered. All of the trim and sub-trim settings on the radio should be at exactly "0" while this takes place. This allows the servo to begin at as close to zero/center as it possibly can. With the servos centered, you can reinstall them in the car.
4. Trim Settings
Now that your servo or servos are centered, use the trim function on the radio to adjust them into the desired position. Because of the splines on a servo's output, the horns will usually be just slightly off from where you want them, so you will need to add a tiny bit of trim to get things lined up properly. At this point you really shouldn't be more than two or three clicks away from center on the trim; if you are, you may have centered a servo incorrectly, or your steering or throttle linkage may need to be adjusted. It's always better to make sure that things are mechanically centered, rather than relying on your radio trim.
5. Speed Control Settings
Obviously this can be skipped for a nitro car, but for an electric it is essential. Your car's electronic speed control relies on throttle end points received from the radio/receiver to determine its throttle output, and when you change radios, these points can change as well. Most of today's ESCs have a one-touch setup option that makes this configuration easy, so consult your ESC's manual and perform the setup procedure (the motor should still be disconnected at this point).
6. End Point Adjustments
Once everything is trimmed out, you'll want to shift your focus to end point adjustment (EPA) settings. This is especially important with digital servos, where improper end points can stress the servos and lead to their failure. The idea here is to not force the servo to continue to push or pull on a linkage that is blocked from moving any further. For example, with most radios in their default full-throw setting, if you turn the wheel to full lock you will hear the servo motor trying to push the car's steering rack further than it can actually go. This will be characterized by a buzzing noise coming from the servo. To fix it, move the wheel all the way to one side and hold it there, and then gradually decrease the end point setting for that side until the steering rack or throttle linkage begins to move with it. You want the servo to move the rack or linkage to its furthest position, but anything beyond that is just going to burn out the servo. Once you've completed one side, repeat the process for the other, and for each servo you are using.
7. Track Test
Now that you've completed the basic setup, it's time to get your car running so you can make some performance adjustments. There are many more adjustments than these on most radios, but these are the first few you should check;
Sub-Trim • A radio's sub-trim settings allow you to fine tune the trim until everything is just right. This is most often used on the steering servo, where even after centering and trim, things may be just slightly off. Get your car running in a straight line, and if it drifts to one side or the other, use the sub-trim features to straighten it out. If you try this a few times and can't get the car to track straight, you probably have something mechanically wrong that is keeping it from perfection. Go over the car's linkages and suspension and check things like camber and toe.
Dual Rate • The dual rate feature increases or decreases the steering throw on both sides of the car simultaneously, while also increasing or decreasing the responsiveness to steering inputs. If you're looking for a more responsive car on the track, a high dual rate setting is a good bet; if you want to tone down your car's behavior, you can reduce the dual rate a little bit. Many radios have an easy way to adjust dual rate while you are driving so you can get to your desired feel.
Exponential • Most high end radios will have exponential (Expo) settings for both steering and throttle. Exponential settings will change the steering or throttle response from a linear progression to an exponential curve beginning from center. This is typically used to settle a car down around center, so that small turns of the wheel or small blips of the throttle will not have dramatic effects on the track. In a linear setting, moving the steering wheel 25% in one direction will cause the car's wheels to move to 25% of their maximum throw. With an exponential curve, however, that 25% of wheel movement may only move a car's wheels to 10% of their maximum throw, while between 50% and 100% of steering movement the car's wheels will move much more rapidly. If you are having trouble with your car being very jerky as you turn the wheel, try adding some steering exponential and see how it performs. These settings aren't for everybody, but some people--including pro drivers--swear by them. Exponential is also especially useful as a form of basic traction control for nitro cars by softening up the throttle. Again, experiment!
Drive and be Merry!
There are, of course, many other settings on some radios that can be played with, but we've touched on all the basics that you'll need to visit before going all out on the track or in your backyard. We know that we sound like a broken record when we say it, but again, taking the few minutes to make necessary adjustments like these will improve every aspect of your RC experience. Your cars will handle better, you won't break as many parts, and you'll be that much closer to RC nirvana.
))oap...)):^8: :^8: :^8: