I have been using CH8 (assign to a knob in my Tx ) to control throttle (motor rpm) in my 2 Align 450 for years, while CH3 is for collective.
Recently I was asked by a buddy why I do not set up an idle up switch to control the motor speed ? I have no clue to answer.
Anyone who can shed some light on the answer ?
Thank you.
you only need idle up for flying 3d. normally, it switches throttle control off of the stick and locks it at full power. but you could probably change your dial to a switch or use both depending on your radio. I believe arducopter will slowly throttle up even with a switch.
@wcfung1 I’m not sure whether your question is about Ch8 vs Ch3 for throttle, or using a switch vs a knob, or both.
It use to be that Ch8 was hard coded as the motor interlock channel and that precluded users from using their helicopter setups in there transmitters. Since AC 3.6, users are now able to choose setting up the channels any way they want. You can put the motor interlock channel on channel 3 and collective on channel 6 if you want to replicate the transmitter outputs for a heli setup. This will then allow you to use the throttle and pitch curves in your transmitter with the idle ups but you would have to use the RSC_MODE 1 (passthrough). However I don’t recommend this set up as it doesn’t protect your heli if you have a transmitter failure. Your RC receiver would have to be programmed to output a throttle setting on the motor interlock channel to keep the flight controller from shutting down the engine.
I am currently working on a change that will be safer than the RSC passthrough mode and revert back to the user chosen RSC Mode for non-manual throttle modes like auto and loiter. In acro and stabilize modes, this would give users the ability to use the functionality of their transmitter to program multiple rotor speed through transmitter throttle curves and the associated pitch curve. It will hopefully come in AC4.3 (a year from now). Not sure if I will have time to merge it before then.
Hi Bill,
Thank you for your reply. My question is about CH8 versus idle up switch, ie. a set up just like the trad heli without FC.
You answered my question in that, I can still set up an idle up switch so motor and pitch can function independently, but not recommended.