APC 3 issues

[secrtwpn1]

I am attempting to hook up my APC 3. When I follow the instructions, and hook it up to the stern planes, Ch 3, the device controls the throttle, which is on Ch 1. Any suggestions of what I'm doing wrong??????

Thx
Farlan

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Farlan,
I just check to be sure.
All my Tx use Ch 3 for throttle and Ch 2 controls the dive planes.

I am set up
Ch 1 = Rudder (right stick)
Ch 2 = Dive plane (right stick)
Ch 3 = Throttle (only stick that stays where you put it) (left stick)
Ch 4 = Not used (was ballast tank motor) (left stick) (edited by Jim Butt, original text said right stick)
Ch 5 = Sail Planes (this is a knob control)
Ch 8 = ballast motor ( this is a three way switch)

Ch 6 & 7 are used for winches I made to operate the masts.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

A quick note:
I normally do not use the rear planes other than having them connected to APC.
(I could use any unused channel for rear planes APC)
I use the sail planes for depth control.

[wlambing]

Farlan,

Ralph's way will work. I do my stern planes on the elevator channel, rudder goes on aileron channel, throttle is on throttle, and ballast blow/vent is on rudder channel. This is on on a Polk Tracker radio. This puts my control surfaces both on the right stick, and the speedy/ballast stuff on the left. Makes it easy to drive that way. All my radios are done this way.
You'll find what works for you. Good luck,
Bill

[secrtwpn1]

I will switch'em around and see what happens....thx for the info

[subdude]

Farlan,

Are you using an aircraft radio, perhaps in helicopter mode? Aircraft radios have 2 modes of operation, which re-assign channels to different types of flying. You should be using mode 2.

"The Mode II configuration is very similar to the layout in a full-size airplane. The “stick” controls the Aileron and Elevator functions. Rudder is controlled by the “rudder pedals” and the Throttle is controlled with the pilot’s left hand on the side of the cockpit. A Mode II RC transmitter controls the aileron (roll) and elevator (pitch) with the right hand, while the rudder (yaw) and throttle are controlled by the pilot’s left hand.

Mode I moves the throttle function to the right stick and the elevator control to the left stick. This separates the primary controls so that there is less accidental “mix” when moving one control or the other, as is common with Mode II. The Mode I pilot will be controlling the throttle and aileron with his right hand. The rudder and elevator will be controlled by the left hand."

Remember, in subs we use rudder in place of ailerons, so right stick should be elevator and sub rudder, left stick should be throttle and whatever else (ballast control, apc controlling stern planes, etc)

[KevinMC]

All,

Be careful not to confuse the radio mode with the channel assignments. Jim is correct to point out that heli radios do some strange things with channel assignments (and mixes), but I wouldn't be surprised to find that the root of this problem is much more simple than that. Just as the major radio manufacturers could never agree on servo wire colour standards, negative/positive frequency shift, etc... they also never adopted a standard channel assignment order.

As noted above model submarine diveplanes are typically driven from the "elevator" channel (to use the aircraft radio terminology) but to understand what channel number that maps to you also need to be specific about what radio type you have. Futaba radios (and Polks trackers as I recall) assign their first four channels in the following order: AIL, ELEV, THR, RUDD, so for this you'd want to connect your APC to channel #2. For Airtronics radios the assignments are ELEV, AIL, THR, RUDD so you'd want to connect APC to channel #1. For a JR radio the assignments are THR, AIL, ELEV, RUDD.

It's been a very long time since I last read the APC instructions, so I don't recall what the specifics are, but it's not enough just to identify a receiver channel number to connect to as all radios aren't equal. If your pitch control function isn't coming out on the channel that's described in the manual I'd just fall-back to figuring out (with a servo alone) where the pitch channel is coming out, then insert the APC between the rx and the diveplane servo.

Farlan - what brand of radio do you have?

[subdude]

Kevin is, of course, spot on with using a servo to figure out channel outputs. I never did understand what was so hard about standardizing channel assignments between major radio manufacturers. And you are correct, Futaba and Polks are in order 1-4 ail, elev, thr, rudd.

I do still think that Farlan may have his radio set to Mode 1, which switches the positions of elev and thr on the sticks. More information is in order.

[secrtwpn1]

I have a Hitec Laser 4......72mhz

[subdude]

According to the manual available here: http://hitecrcd.com/files/LASER4and6.pdf the Laser 4 has mixing switches on the bottom for both V-tail (channels 2 and 4 ) and elevon (channels 1 and 2 ). The manual says it's set up for Mode 2, and I don't see anything about changing to Mode 1 operation.

I would suggest you start troubleshooting by making sure that both mixing switches are OFF, then hooking a servo to one channel at a time on the receiver and see which stick controls it. Then connect the appropriate servos in the boat to the correct channels. Once everything works as intended, then unplug the elevator (stern planes) servo and hook the APC between it and the receiver.

[secrtwpn1]

I THINK I have the issues figured out! I'll find out at the lake this weekend!!!!! Thx all for your help!