Posts: 3,288 Threads: 129 Likes Received: 2,740 in 1,644 posts Likes Given: 2,969 Joined: Apr 2017 Reputation: 65 Artillery discussion aside, welcome to a great board with great folks that can answer every question you can come up with! You will catch on to all of this, promise! I felt like I had just taken up the most complicated hobby ever invented when I first took up flying, and I had bought a prebuilt camera drone! After a failure of a motor and a quick learn about repairing these things, I started to build one of my own. Again, welcome! SoCal Kaity :D OMG, no one told me it would be this much fun! Addicted :) Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 Far out! Thanks for all the great replies and advice so quickly. I've learnt a lot already. I really appreciate the warnings about dangerous props, I needed that. I've become a bit blasé with handling the Phantom 3, hand catching and all that, but I realise the Tyrant is a whole different beast. I hope it doesn't live up to its name! I'll definitely learn about arming switch options as a priority. Apart from once plugging in, I haven't had a chance to set up the Tyrant yet. And now it's the wee hours of the morning again and it beeps too loudly to do it now! Even plugging my RX into the UART has been a bit confusing. The manual (see pic) insists I "assure rightly connect to 1-4 channel in sequence: Aileron-Elevator-Throttle-Rudder" so that's what I did: Ch1 Ail, Ch2 Ele, Ch3 Throt, Ch4 Rud, despite this not being the Channel assignment on my Orange RX. It all came alive when I plugged in the battery, the thing lit up like a Christmas tree and I was able to bind the RX to my Spectrum DX7S. God knows what all the flashing lights mean! The next thing in the manual refers to motor Unlock/Lock, holding the throttle stick down and to the right "till the indicator light turn green". It was already on, but it flashed a bit. The manual then says, "Motor lock and Motor Unlock operation methods are contrary", and tells you to hold the stick down and left until the green light goes off. Not clear which is which actually but the motors didn't respond to throttle input with the green light on or off. The Christmas lights all came on again when I plugged into Cleanflight with a USB cable, but nothing else seemed to work. Someone posted somewhere that they'd wasted hours with the wrong USB cable, so now I'm doubting the DJI cable I'm using. One didn't come with the Tyrant. Then I checked out the Youtube that Buzzjob also mentioned showing how to connect a Tyrant 150 to Cleanflight and it showed connecting the RX in the native Spectrum Channel order. So I did that (see photo) but that didn't work either. But the Youtube is nearly 2 years old and Cleanflight doesn't look quite like that now and oh god I don't know what I'm doing and that's when I threw up my hands. Actually, TomBDBad has posted that you can change the order in Cleanflight, thanks Tom, so maybe that isn't the issue. But don't give up on me chaps, I'm persistent, I'll crack it when I next get a chance. An interstate guest has just arrived and I'm in tour guide mode... • Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 I referred to "Chaps", but maybe there's a "Chapess" amongst us. These usernames are suggestive but inscrutable. I've no intention to be gender exclusive and if there is a lady present, then that's great, they're so rare in RC. Posts: 1,504 Threads: 83 Likes Received: 944 in 654 posts Likes Given: 2,142 Joined: Sep 2016 Reputation: 24 (04-Jan-2018, 04:35 PM)Ubute Wrote: I referred to "Chaps", but maybe there's a "Chapess" amongst us. I always say 'hey guys' and have explained on a few occasions that this is in no way gender specific. We do have a few ladies on the forum and the content and info they share is as entertaining and valid as anything any of the blokes come up with. When you return from 'tour guide mode' to the default ranks of us dronaholics, if you can post a screenshot of the 'ports' tab and 'Receiver' tab of Clean / BetaFlight, we might be able to spot something... Windless fields and smokeless builds • Posts: 3,288 Threads: 129 Likes Received: 2,740 in 1,644 posts Likes Given: 2,969 Joined: Apr 2017 Reputation: 65 Lol. I recently gained the "Likeable Guy" achievement badge...not offended, just humored! There are few enough of us gals to force reconfiguring the entire website/forum and I am not part of the gender police. SoCal Kaity :D OMG, no one told me it would be this much fun! Addicted :) Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 Hi kaitylynn, yes it was your post that prompted the gender comment. Perceptive, aren't I?! It's great to know there are women on the forum (and in the hobby) and I look forward to your helping hands as I climb my Himalayan learning curve. Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 05-Jan-2018, 03:04 AM (This post was last modified: 05-Jan-2018, 10:20 AM by Ubute.) I actually need urgent help with a related issue. Someone please tell me I really don’t need a bright new Taranis QX7S with spiffing carbon fibre look. Please tell me my old Spektrum DX7S is just fine, despite all the dirt and grime from years of slope soaring, despite the switches coming loose and turning round, despite – well, I can’t really think of anything wrong with it, except it’s old and everyone in quads seems to use a Taranis. Please remind me I’ll have to buy a multi-mode module to keep using all those Orange receivers in all my other planes. Please tell me the Taranis is yet another huge learning curve and there’s really no value in all that open source programming for a simple quad. Please tell me the acquisitive joy of the new just isn’t worth it. PLEASE!!! • Posts: 1,504 Threads: 83 Likes Received: 944 in 654 posts Likes Given: 2,142 Joined: Sep 2016 Reputation: 24 This post on DIYdrones might help. I don't use spektrum so can't be much more help I'm afraid. Windless fields and smokeless builds • Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 Some progress made with my Tyrant. I now have it plugged into Cleanflight and the computer simulation is moving in time to the aircraft. It is very exciting to see that. I had to get Google Chrome on my Mac for Cleanflight to run on, and also download a driver, and then it connected. Unfortunately that's as far as I've got because I can't get anything happening in the Receiver tab. Nothing happens when I move the TX sticks, not even on the wrong channels. I set the Channel assignment to Spektrum so it matches my receiver, but still no joy. I tried rebooting everything, and rebound the RX to the TX before connecting to Cleanflight, but still no stick action. Getting late now, will investigate further tomorrow. • Posts: 1,504 Threads: 83 Likes Received: 944 in 654 posts Likes Given: 2,142 Joined: Sep 2016 Reputation: 24 You probably have to configure the 'Ports' tab in CleanFlight to recognize the which port the RX is connected to and which RX protocol you are using. Take a screenshot of the Ports and Configuration Tabs and let us take a look..? Windless fields and smokeless builds • Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 Hi Tom BB Bad, Thanks for helping me. I looked at the Ports tab but couldn't see what to do. I definitely didn't disable the MSP on the first serial port, but I did try turning on the serial Rx. That didn't make any noticeable difference. Any input at this stage would be most welcome. By the way, my little post about the Taranis was a joke, me agonising over vain consumerist desires. I thought good sense had won and I'd stick with my trusty Spektrum instead of the glittering allure of a new QX7S, but this difficulty getting the FC to recognise my receiver has shaken my faith and I'm fantasising about the Taranis again. Nothing for anyone to worry their head over, I just thought you could have a laugh at my expense. Posts: 1,504 Threads: 83 Likes Received: 944 in 654 posts Likes Given: 2,142 Joined: Sep 2016 Reputation: 24 If you scroll about half way down the config tab you should see a box there with with the heading 'receiver' and 2 drop down boxes 'receiver mode' and 'serial receiver provider', (if you have PWM selected then the 2nd drop down box disappears) that is the info we are after... I think it is PWM that you need to select from the 'Receiver Mode' dropdown box. From the looks of your RX it is PWM (1 wire per channel) that you will use, in which case, I think that the 'Ports' tab doesn't need to have the 'serial RX' slider activated... Windless fields and smokeless builds • Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 Ok, great, thanks Tom, that did the trick. I now have control with the sticks. The virtual quad in the Preview screen in the Receivers tab responds to my sticks but Ail and Rud inputs were reversed. Probably you can fix that in Cleanflight but I did it in the Tx. The Preview quad is rolling around like a drunken sailor but I've calmed it down with 50% dual rates and 35 expo, again on the Tx. Presumably the drifting around is because there is no stabilisation. If the real aircraft behaves like this I don't think I could fly it. I suppose this is Rate, or Manual Mode. So I need to change the flight mode to something stabilised. I think there is Angle Mode or Horizon Mode, not sure the difference. Are there pre-sets for a beginner? Can you have different amounts of stabilisation on a switch - or better still, control the amount with a pot on Aux2 (Ch6)? Do you guys also adjust rates and expo in your Tx? And I need to program arming switches. Is there anything else essential to set up to get in the air with a safe and reasonably controllable Tyrant? Now you've got me plugged in and working I'm happy to read up and find out for myself. But I appreciate beginners' tips on things I might not have thought of, like multiple arming switches. But I have to remember I have only 6 channels. And I've still got to work out where I'm actually going to mount the receiver on the quad. Cheers, and thanks for all the help so far. Posts: 3,288 Threads: 129 Likes Received: 2,740 in 1,644 posts Likes Given: 2,969 Joined: Apr 2017 Reputation: 65 I have always had to choose the Spektum TAER1234 as my Channel Map to get my Qx7 to work correctly. It is defaulted to AETR1234. If you are using a Taranis radio (the Qx7 is a Taranis), the mapping is likely incorrect. Fix it by selecting “JR / Spektrum / Graupner” from the Channel Map drop down. Click “Save and Reboot”, then re-check. SoCal Kaity :D OMG, no one told me it would be this much fun! Addicted :) • Posts: 35 Threads: 1 Likes Received: 16 in 13 posts Likes Given: 1 Joined: Jan 2018 Reputation: 1 Actually, from this point it was easier than I thought. I followed the Youtube about setting up the Tyrant in Cleanflight and now it's connected properly it all worked fine. I'm going with the Motor Stop when Armed for now because that's what I'm used to with planes. I don't like props to start spinning when I hit a switch. The Youtube assumes you want the quad in Acro mode but I've set it up on a 3-way switch for Angle Mode in the up position, Horizon Mode in the middle and Acro Mode in position 3. I'm assuming those modes work ok in their default settings. I imagine I could tweak them if necessary. It's night time now, but I'm getting close to flying this thing for real. Busy with our guest tomorrow, but if it's calm in the evening, I might give it a whirl. |