Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt H on March 29, 2012 at 6:15pm

4 for control surfaces (throttle, elevator, rudder, aerolons)

2 for pan/tilt

perhaps 1 for your autopilot/flight stabilizer

Check out Channel Wizard   http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1576877  for ways of extending a cheap 6 channel effectively.

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Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on March 30, 2012 at 12:39am

I think RC radios on UAVs are probably going the way of the buggy whip pretty soon.  I lost mine and I'm not planning to get another.  I've got a USB RC-style controller (RC flight sim style) and a microsoft sidewinder 3d, so I don't see any reason to waste the money, weight, and RF power on an oldskool controller.

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Permalink Reply by Dean Walker on March 30, 2012 at 6:45am

Jake, is that system something you crafted or a purchased system?  I would sure be interested in something like that if its available

Thanks 

Dean

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Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on March 30, 2012 at 5:31pm

Paparazzi GCS supports using a joystick.  Mission planner looks like it does too.

I use a USB RC-style controller like this...

http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=222554784&sellerid=18700237

It works just fine.  It plugs in and shows up just like a regular joystick.  If you want to fly with one hand and have a ton of channels I suggest a MS Sidewinder 3D or other 3D joystick.  On 3D joysticks the shaft also twists for rudder control.  Most also have a throttle and a hat switch on top (use for camera control).

With a setup like that you can control everything with one hand and use the computer with the other.

If you're going to use a laptop in the field there's no point in not running everything through it.  The computer will do the control, video, OSD, etc..

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Permalink Reply by Ron Jacobs on March 30, 2012 at 5:40pm

We are discussing transmitters to fly an actual RC aircraft right? Not flight simulator flight? I'd recommend getting at least a 7 channel 2.4ghz radio. A 9 channel would be really sweet and the more the merrier I would say. If you are doing FPV or aerial imaging you may want two radios, one for flight and the other to control the camera. (Camera operator should not be flying the plane of course.)

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Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on March 30, 2012 at 5:49pm

Why not control it through the computer?  Why spend all the extra money on electronics that duplicate stuff your computer already does just to use a crappier radio than your data link.

Why spam out all that extra radio noise also?  It's a shared and crowded spectrum so why do you think you should use 2 radio links for one drone?  If there's any interference problems you'll be the first one that's shut down and kicked off the field.

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