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[Hotglove]

Please excuse my ignorance, the answer may be simple (I certainly am) I am planning to replace an ESS One sound module with an ESS One Dual Plus. One reason for the change is to be able to play home-made mp3 files as auxiliary sounds. I use the Spektrum DX6i tx and AR 610 rx
I currently use throttle and rudder as normal, with Aux channel controlling power on/off to the sound module and gear channel controlling lights.
This leaves the aileron and elevator channels free.
The sound module has a "Y" cable to connect to the throttle, battery cable and a single core cable to connect to the aux channel (currently in use to switch module on and off)
Is there a way to configure either the ele or ail channels as an on/off switch or an alternative set up?
Thanks

[Andyn]

Afraid not, Spektrum's programming will only accept what is connected to it currently as per most radios

[barriew]

The switch on the Tx does not operate an actual  switch in the Rx. It merely outputs a fixed signal which the sound system recognises as "ON". All the channels are capable of outputting this signal depending on the position of the lever. Therefore you could use any of the spare channels to operate your second sound channel - you just have to work out by trial which way to move the lever. Obviously it would need to be a none self-centering lever.
You can experiment by attaching a servo to the switched channel and observing what it does when the switch is operated. Then you can see how to use your spare channel to replicate this.
Barrie

[clockworks]

You can convert a stick channel to a switch channel with a bit of rewiring inside the transmitter.
A stick is just a variable resistor (potentiometer). If you replace the variable resistor with a 2 position switch (SPDT) and a couple of fixed resistors (one equal to the resistance of the potentiometer at "stick down", the other equal to "stick up") you will effectively have a stick channel that has 2 positions - full up and full down. This is all a switch channel is.


Fairly straightforward rewiring job, just need to remove the 3 wires from the stick potentiometer and drill a hole for the switch. The centre wire from the potentiometer goes to the centre terminal on the switch. Solder one end of each resistor to the other switch terminals, then the other two potentiometer wires go to the other ends of the resistors. If it works backwards, just use the channel reverse function.


Probably best to use the left stick left/right channel for this, as I can't see that ever being used for a boat?

[Captain Flack]

This is a shot in the dark but can you not use a receiver controlled switch?  I know you can get latching or non latching

[DaveM]

You might consider a twin latching/non-latching Rx-controlled swith like the ACTion P44. With this you could use one of the spare "stick" channels to operate both the lights and the sound unit power on/off independently - just set both relays for latching. That will free up the gear switch or Aux switch to operate the sound unit second channel. No need to muck about inside the Tx, which always has the potential for disaster!
https://www.componentshop.co.uk/p44-universal-twin-switcher.html
DaveM

[Hotglove]

Thanks for the replies, much food for thought 

[red181]

on dx6i you also have the trainer switch, flap switch throttle hold button and flap switch, all can be used as on/off switches if you reprogramme the tx as below.


So if you have the elevator (right stick up and down) and this is redundant, but you want an on/off switch, you can use a mix to achieve this. You can see in the monitor screen what movement this is achieving, but as said previously, the best way is plug a servo into the receiver and see what is happening, whilst you get the on/off throw, it might need to be reversed.
go to adjust list in menu, go to mix 1
this will by default be inhibited. so to get the gear switch (or another) working on the elevator channel, you need to tell the transmitter this is what you want, so on the left scroll till you see gear, then scroll on the right to elev, and then "act" (activate) instead of inhibit.
sw (switch) needs to now be on, and scroll to the rates, you will need most likely zero percent on the left in menu, and then 100 % on right to achieve the movement. This might take some playing around, I think, if both are zero there would be no servo deflection, so in effect the switch isn't going from zero to 100% on


Back to list, and setup list, scroll down to monitor, flick the gear switch, and you will see the elevator indicator move, as you have now programmed the transmitter to do this, however, the gear channel is still active, you will see the indicator move  with the elevator. Just go into the travel adjust and zero, in both directions, the gear channel.


Alternatively! (and I have done this)
open up the tx, disconnect the wires going to the elevator pot, fit a on/off switch to the case, somewhere that is convenient for you to use, and attach wires!)


It might sound a bit daunting if you have never played around with mixes, you cant break anything, so experiment. Ive just doen this with my dx6i for you, so I know this works. I do this sort of thing all the time, but you are limited to 6 channel with dx6i, I eventuyally bought a dx8 to get 8 channels, so I can use
throttle
ailerons
rudder
flaps
gear
elevator
aux1 for a sound unit

aux2 for lights


clockworks answer is spot on for just swopping elevator pot to a switch, but your tx has the capability of doing what you want if you experiment 

[Hotglove]

Hi Red
Thanks for the reply, acting on other advice I just plugged the light servo lead into the elevator channel on rx (left stick up and down on my tx)
It works but is not ideal, switches when not wanted occasionally, your suggestions sound as if they will add a bit more finesse, so I will have a play and see what can be achieved with programming (not wiring, I have too many models with different requirements)
Thanks to all 

[colh107]

Thanks Red,
That got me going.
I've got it basically set up - with Gear switch to Aileron channel. But it's only going 0 to +100% rather than -100 to +100. Do you (or anyone else) know if there's a way to get this? I've tried various adjustments but haven’t hit on an answer yet.