GT3B Hack Question and Answer Thread

[FredZ]

The idea behind dual receivers is redundancy, but for me it is a safety thing with interference. I'm planning to use 1 receiver for throttle only and the other for steer and trim. They both will have engine kill on power loss and/or signal loss. Having 2 aerials tends to make things work better. Given that I can't find receivers that have dual aerials for the GT3B I have elected for 2 receivers.


The real issue seems to be signal reflections from the water, and that huge rooster tail produced with a surface drive. So dual aerials are pretty much a must.


The GT3B binds its receivers to the radio and not the model, so this makes multiple receivers very easy.


And with a boat of 72” and around 15-18Kg hurtling through the water at between 60-100km/h you don't want to loss control.


I have tried many different cheap TX units, and all have bombed except for the GT3B, and now with this new firmware this TX unit almost has no limitations for a really cheap 3 channel unit. With out a doubt the GT3B and the firmware hack are the best $50 I ever spent on my boat. Actually in my first official race out with the new radio I came first in class. Bloody awsome is the only way I can describe it.



Regards


Fred

[losikid]

the 6ch and 8ch rx's have a dipole antenna, they may help, it replaced the satellite setup in v1 flysky 2.4

[FredZ]

Yes the 3 channel receivers work with the 6 and 8 channel firmware installed.

Regards

Fred

[FredZ]

Does anyone know how to flash this firmware from a linux machine? The ST Visual application installs and runs under wine, but no coms to the board.

I have to go to a friends place every time I want to upload any firmware to my radio and it is a real pain.

Regards

Fred

[jshull]

I'm interested in switching to one of these. My question is will the receiver handle 7.2 volts direct? I run a bec.

[FredZ]

Hi all

Tested the radio for the first time today after the firmware upgrade.

What I noticed is that when I used the steer-trim (above the steering wheel) it seemed to simply add to one side and subtract from the other. To explain. I have my endpoints set to 40 to -40, but when I went to center the steering I had to use a lot of trim, and it increased throw in one direction and reduced it in the other. I would have assumed it would have centered the throw within the end points regardless of trim.

Is this something I can change?

Regards

Fred

[losikid]

Originally Posted by jshull

I'm interested in switching to one of these. My question is will the receiver handle 7.2 volts direct? I run a bec.

Usually, no...I have ran 7.2 through one before, but i went through 7 of them before i found one that didn't burn up...

Originally Posted by FredZ

Hi all

Tested the radio for the first time today after the firmware upgrade.

What I noticed is that when I used the steer-trim (above the steering wheel) it seemed to simply add to one side and subtract from the other. To explain. I have my endpoints set to 40 to -40, but when I went to center the steering I had to use a lot of trim, and it increased throw in one direction and reduced it in the other. I would have assumed it would have centered the throw within the end points regardless of trim.

Is this something I can change?

Regards

Fred

Is the trim buttons assigned to ST1 or TR1?...ST1 is subtrim of channel 1 and TR1 is trim of channel 1. Sub trim moves endpoints to adjust center position. Trim moves center position but not changing endpoints. So the buttons need to be set as TR1

trim is accessed as a short click on trim and sub trim is accessed with a long click on trim (via the menu)

[losikid]

Originally Posted by FredZ

Does anyone know how to flash this firmware from a linux machine? The ST Visual application installs and runs under wine, but no coms to the board.

I have to go to a friends place every time I want to upload any firmware to my radio and it is a real pain.

Regards

Fred

You'd probably have to run some sort of virtual windows machine inside the linux os...

[brian6674]

Hello,
I purchased a hack kit from Overkill. Installed and everything went great. Radio works and love the new features. But I am having a problem with channel 3 and 4. I have the 6 channel firmware installed and have a 6 channel receiver. Chanel 1 and 2 work as normal. But channel 3, push button on grip, don’t work no more. I can go into the end point menu and set and move all 4 servos. I just cannot get them assigned to buttons. I have the manual that I downloaded from Overkill. But just cannot grasp the channel 3 and above set up. I am normally good with this type of stuff. May just need a slight nug to get me going in the right direction.
I would like to set up channel 3 as a toggle, channel 4 as a momentary if possible.
Thanks for any help.
Brian

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by brian6674

Hello,
I purchased a hack kit from Overkill. Installed and everything went great. Radio works and love the new features. But I am having a problem with channel 3 and 4. I have the 6 channel firmware installed and have a 6 channel receiver. Chanel 1 and 2 work as normal. But channel 3, push button on grip, don’t work no more. I can go into the end point menu and set and move all 4 servos. I just cannot get them assigned to buttons. I have the manual that I downloaded from Overkill. But just cannot grasp the channel 3 and above set up. I am normally good with this type of stuff. May just need a slight nug to get me going in the right direction.
I would like to set up channel 3 as a toggle, channel 4 as a momentary if possible.
Thanks for any help.
Brian

Would you provide the firmware version you have? The newer firmware does not match the "listing" from the website last I looked.

[Shinjari]

Good evening everyone had a dilemma with my install

Got the board and installed the header....installed program....

but when I try to try to install the program it says this error when I do the 'program>>>current tab' and i get
"Error : Cannot communicate with the board.
Wrong board selection or check board power supply or check that a previous session is closed."

what am i doing wrong? running win7-ultimate 64 bit and its running under compatibility mode xp ver 2.

EDIT/UPDATE: Ran it on my netbook running 32-bit Win7 and it ran perfectly. Must be the 64bit BS.

[FredZ]

Originally Posted by Shinjari

Good evening everyone had a dilemma with my install

Got the board and installed the header....installed program....

but when I try to try to install the program it says this error when I do the 'program>>>current tab' and i get
"Error : Cannot communicate with the board.
Wrong board selection or check board power supply or check that a previous session is closed."

what am i doing wrong? running win7-ultimate 64 bit and its running under compatibility mode xp ver 2.

I had exactly the same problem. Sequence seems to be the key.

After you have installed the ST Visual Programmer click Start|All Programs|ST Toolset|Setup|Install RLink Driver
Reboot your PC. Unlike Linux, Windowz seems to bork then loading drivers on the fly.

Turn the radio off and leave it off.
Ensure the cable is connected from the radio to the board the correct way round.
Then plug the USB cable from the PC to the board. The TX should power up on is own. And a GREEN LED will start flashing on the discovery board. An alarm will also sound on the TX, this is dissabled after you upgrade your firmware.

Start the ST Visual Progammer.
Ensure you have the following configuration:
Hardware: ST-LINK
Port: SWIM
Device: STM8S105x6

Open your new firmware.
Then click Program, Current tab

If all is well the RED LED next to the USB socket on the discovery board will light up and stay on.

Hope this helps

Regards

Fred

[brian6674]

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

Would you provide the firmware version you have? The newer firmware does not match the "listing" from the website last I looked.

I installed gt3b-ch6-0.4.1

[Shinjari]

Originally Posted by FredZ

I had exactly the same problem. Sequence seems to be the key.

After you have installed the ST Visual Programmer click Start|All Programs|ST Toolset|Setup|Install RLink Driver
Reboot your PC. Unlike Linux, Windowz seems to bork then loading drivers on the fly.

Turn the radio off and leave it off.
Ensure the cable is connected from the radio to the board the correct way round.
Then plug the USB cable from the PC to the board. The TX should power up on is own. And a GREEN LED will start flashing on the discovery board. An alarm will also sound on the TX, this is dissabled after you upgrade your firmware.

Start the ST Visual Progammer.
Ensure you have the following configuration:
Hardware: ST-LINK
Port: SWIM
Device: STM8S105x6

Open your new firmware.
Then click Program, Current tab

If all is well the RED LED next to the USB socket on the discovery board will light up and stay on.

Hope this helps

Regards

Fred

Ran it on my netbook and it ran flawlessly. Thanks for the input. Now I just need to figure out how to turn Chanel 3 into a 3-way switch. I'm using the stock 3channel receiver.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[losikid]

Originally Posted by brian6674

Hello,
I purchased a hack kit from Overkill. Installed and everything went great. Radio works and love the new features. But I am having a problem with channel 3 and 4. I have the 6 channel firmware installed and have a 6 channel receiver. Chanel 1 and 2 work as normal. But channel 3, push button on grip, don’t work no more. I can go into the end point menu and set and move all 4 servos. I just cannot get them assigned to buttons. I have the manual that I downloaded from Overkill. But just cannot grasp the channel 3 and above set up. I am normally good with this type of stuff. May just need a slight nug to get me going in the right direction.
I would like to set up channel 3 as a toggle, channel 4 as a momentary if possible.
Thanks for any help.
Brian

You have to assign channel 3 to a switch...read the key mapping section of the manual. If you need more help , lmk.

You'd end up doing some like

Long enter on REV
choose 3 (ch3 trim switch)
choose ch3
etc

[Shinjari]

Originally Posted by losikid

You have to assign channel 3 to a switch...read the key mapping section of the manual. If you need more help , lmk.

You'd end up doing some like

Long enter on REV
choose 3 (ch3 trim switch)
choose ch3
etc

So then if I want to use the CH3 trim 'slider' for my servo winch, I'd make it a momentary? or MOM right?

[brian6674]

Originally Posted by losikid

You have to assign channel 3 to a switch...read the key mapping section of the manual. If you need more help , lmk.

You'd end up doing some like

Long enter on REV
choose 3 (ch3 trim switch)
choose ch3
etc

This is the aria I get lost a bit. I have tried a few diffrent options. If set up as Mom it should only triger the servo while CH3 button is depresed, correct? Seems no mater what I do the CH3 button is non active. I am useing the menu where "REV" is flashing. I select the small number on the left to "3", then select "CH3" in the right side.

[losikid]

Originally Posted by Shinjari

So then if I want to use the CH3 trim 'slider' for my servo winch, I'd make it a momentary? or MOM right?

Yes, MOM will make it so the channel is only at 100/-100 when the switch is being held. If you choose NOL, then it stays at the position from the last click. Something like RES then it acts like NOL but if you press and hold the switch for more than a second then RES function will return the channel to center. END has a lung click that sends it to the end point

The step rate is how much do you want the servo to move per click. 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, or for a 3 position switch it be 100%.

[losikid]

Originally Posted by brian6674

This is the aria I get lost a bit. I have tried a few diffrent options. If set up as Mom it should only triger the servo while CH3 button is depresed, correct? Seems no mater what I do the CH3 button is non active. I am useing the menu where "REV" is flashing. I select the small number on the left to "3", then select "CH3" in the right side.

If you want to use the channel 3 button then the small number on the left should be "c" ... "3" is for the 3rd channel trim switch

[Shinjari]

Originally Posted by losikid

Yes, MOM will make it so the channel is only at 100/-100 when the switch is being held. If you choose NOL, then it stays at the position from the last click. Something like RES then it acts like NOL but if you press and hold the switch for more than a second then RES function will return the channel to center. END has a lung click that sends it to the end point

The step rate is how much do you want the servo to move per click. 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, or for a 3 position switch it be 100%.

If I understand correctly MOM will only move 'fwd' when I press and hold the slider. Once I let go will it stay at that position or will it return to center?

Is this where NOL is different? I can press and once I let go it will remain at that position and not 're-center'?

Based on what i've searched this is what I've come up with/found

If I want to use the Channel 3 trim 'slider'

Long Enter REV
Scroll to 3 (for the trim slider)
Enter
Scroll to CH3
Enter
Scroll to NOR
Enter
Off
Enter
Done?