Turn your 2channel 2.4ghz traxxas into 3 or 4 channel!

[menace]

Interesting thing I found out today is that the traxxas tx's are the same internally but with missing switches and wiring. I picked up a new 2 channel with 5 channel receiver for $60 shipped and just for something to do I opened it up and had a look see. 15 minutes later my 2 channel was a fully working three channel. I haven't modded it into a 5 channel yet but will when i get a suitable 3 position switch. Just thought I would share in case anyone was curious...

[Rootar]

post some pics.

[Twist n Broke]

Originally Posted by Rootar

post some pics.

+1 on that. I'd be courious to see and do that to mine

[losikid]

Originally Posted by menace

Interesting thing I found out today is that the traxxas tx's are the same internally but with missing switches and wiring. I picked up a new 2 channel with 5 channel receiver for $60 shipped and just for something to do I opened it up and had a look see. 15 minutes later my 2 channel was a fully working three channel. I haven't modded it into a 5 channel yet but will when i get a suitable 3 position switch. Just thought I would share in case anyone was curious...

Yes hardware is the same, but the question is if the firmware is unlocked. The first shipments of them the firmware was unlocked, but traxxas caught on and started locking them. I don't remember the correct procedure to check but its posted on the internet on multiple places

[T3rry]

you go in to the menu and go to the second setting which is the channel selecting for servo reversing and stuff, then you see how many channels it has..


however this way is flawed, you can make it think you have 5 channels simply by doing the factory reset for the 5 channel one (i think it's JATO) but i am pretty sure this does open the menu tree, but they still do not function as they should.

[menace]

Good info there..Here are some pics for wiring in case you want to add some more switches..

Inside the bottom you will see this:



which translates to this:




RSW = rocker switch and TSW = toggleswitch

toggleswitch looks like this in the 4-channel:



and the rocker switch is wired like so:



My rocker has been hacked to a 3 position switch so the bottom wire on the little switch board is supposed to be the purple lead (hence the 'P')

As stated in my first post it was just solder and go on mine but I guess YMMV...Also if you are unfamiliar with the traxxas 4 channel radios, when you use the toggle switch the first position turns channel 4 all the way on, the second position leaves channel 4 on and turns on channel 5

I have found this great to use channel 3 (with the right switch) as my servo winch control and channels 4 and 5 for lighting control

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by menace

Good info there..Here are some pics for wiring in case you want to add some more switches..

Inside the bottom you will see this:



which translates to this:

It appears the photo of the "connect strip" is backwards to the hand drawn sketch?? (or one of them is upside down).

Correct??

[menace]

Yeah the blurry picture of the circuit board is upside down--I just posted it so people would know where i meant when i said "the bottom" The wire names and colors are accurate though.

[losikid]

How did you hack the rocker to a 3 pos switch, does the encoder board just recognize when no input from either rswup or rswdown to center the servo , or possibly did you connect them both together???

[menace]

The wiring was straight forward--yellow wire to one terminal (top pin), purple wire to the opposite terminal (bottom pin) and the ground in the middle. I'm using a servo winch so i set the dead spot and flipping the switch up or down sends the winch in forward or reverse with no movement when the switch is in the middle.

On the summit the 3 position switch acts as a half turn--so all the way up is low gear, "off" position or middle position turns the servo half way and all the way down switches it all the way into high gear. Its easy to remember when running the summit--just go all the way through and ignore the center "Off" position.

[losikid]

ok so when neither when gnd is connected to p or y it will be centered, interesting...I may have to pick one of these up. It seems if possible, hack into the processor and may be able to turn this into 6 ch's.

p,y, b, g will have all their own inputs on the ic, just a matter of re flashing it with different firmware.


But i don't have much experience doing this, maybe wantasummit has some insight on hacking it. Since he is the radio hacker on rcc thats an actual EE (i think anyways), i'm just a tinkerer that likes to connect wires and see if it blows up or makes it better.

[DeweyCJ5]

glad i found this post did the servo test and i will be making my 2ch a 3 position 3rd ch radio

[danmac]

wow thats some good info me i cant do trhis but id someone else did i know me and my roomate would buy the crao out of it

[DeweyCJ5]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater

works like a charm

[3tc]

alguien tiene las fotos de como hacerlo?

[Greatscott]

Originally Posted by 3tc

alguien tiene las fotos de como hacerlo?

(someone has the pictures of how to do it)

Lots of videos on YouTube, but I don't know if this mod is possible if you have a newer TQi radio.