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Futaba 4PL Setup, Tips, Tricks & Help

Stormin2u said:
Thanks FB, I appreciate the help. I'm covered on those, the problem with the steering has been a constant. Harley suggested a new model and that solved the DT3 3 position switch problem and the throttle has always worked but the steering in both M1 and M2 the steering has failed. It's looking more and more like this might be the transmitter, not the RX. I may just have to return it for a fresh one. This really isn't that hard, in fact it's pretty easy.
Click to expand...


If you need any help, drop me a pm.
J
 
Here's the deal, I know the the possibility of this must be like winning the lotto, but here it is, a buddy dropped by with his new 4PL in the box and we tried his on my rig. First both his TX and RX, all was good with the RC gods, all systems functioned perfectly. We then tried my RX and his TX it had steering and throttle but no DT3/3pos. Next we tried his RX and my TX, we had DT3/3pos, throttle and no steering.

So right out of the box my TX had no steering and the RX had no third channel. My lucky new 4PL from TEDROCKS giveaway must have been unlucky when it came to it's build, go figure?

The graphs did their best job to tell us that, it seems so clear now.

Thanks again to Harley and Jdawg for the help and support, you guys are doing us all a big service, beer is on me, and of course big thanks to TEDROCKS for his generosity and support of RCC and it's members. "thumbsup"

THE END
 
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Hey Harley, I hope you don't mind me throwing this out there but I wanted a case to protect my 4pl and I didn't have much money so I found this online for 20 bucks. I figured I'd give it a try but wasn't sure if it would fit since it's made for a dx3r/s/e, low and behold it's like it's made for it"thumbsup" Part number is VNR2024, made by Venom.
DSC01315Copy.jpg

DSC01313Copy.jpg
 
Thanks for the above post, my LHS carries those cases and I keep forgetting to bring my radio in to check fitment. I'll pick one up finally.
 
Just got my 4pl yesterday. Thank to Harley for all the write-ups "thumbsup" This is sooo much nicer than my Ko-Propo EX5-UR..

I'm currently running an XR10 with dual HH BRXL's.. I have the dig setup on DT2, rear motor control on DT4, and steering trim to DT1.

So I'm wondering what other functions everyone is finding useful to assign to the various other switches.. I will use this radio only for my XR10 until I get some additional funds for some other receivers.

Also, I'm running NIMH rechargeables.. Anyone know what voltage threshold this thing shuts down on?

Thanks...
 
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I just bought a 4PL yesterday too "thumbsup"

I just hooked it up to test it and everything seems to work: throttle (backwards though), steering (smooth as butta), winch (creeping all over the place) and 2 speed trans shifter.

I need to read the instructions and mess around with it.
Right now the dial is controlling my shift servo (not good) and the 3 position switch is controlling the winch... but it's creeping out non stop.
I need to figure out how to hook the trans up to the push button or one of the dt switches.
 
johnnyh66 said:
I just bought a 4PL yesterday too "thumbsup"

I just hooked it up to test it and everything seems to work: throttle (backwards though), steering (smooth as butta), winch (creeping all over the place) and 2 speed trans shifter.

I need to read the instructions and mess around with it.
Right now the dial is controlling my shift servo (not good) and the 3 position switch is controlling the winch... but it's creeping out non stop.
I need to figure out how to hook the trans up to the push button or one of the dt switches.
Click to expand...


The trans is as simple as going to the switch menu and assigning Ch3 (or 4) to PS1. Should work perfect for your two-speed.

Whats the winch servo?
 
Thanks Harley!
It's a RC4WD Bulldog winch. I read a lot of people are using heyok's winch controller for servo and 3 racing winches... and I founf one guy useing it for the rc4wd winch.
But,
I'm entering a TTC this weekend and I know I can't get the controller in time so I'm worried the thing is going to unspool and get caught up in my axles or something.
 
wouldn't it just be a simple sub trim adjustment on the channel your winch is hooked to and set epa's for either direction should be good to go, courious cause I'm about to hook my winch up on my honcho and it's a bulldog as well.
 
My bulldog winch was notorious for never keeping keeping the trim set to keep it from spooling.. I had to mess with it about every time I turned it on. I cured it by hooking a 2s lipo directly to it for power.. I'm sure using a BEC would do the same thing..
 
ok, it's super easy! I only referenced the directions for the names of things. The menu is really easy to use. I have my 2 speed trans on the push button and the winch on the 3 position. I don't know if it's been said but I'd like it to be a rocker. I was practicing w/my thumb while driving and I kept overshooting neutral.

The dial is controlling winch trim.
Every time I use the winch I have to reset the trim.
Trim will be set, use winch and trim returns to 0 and immediately needs to be dialed in.

Could the winch (ch 3 or 4) be hooked up to DT3 like a 3 pos switch? Push forward and it spools out, let off and it stops, pull back to spool in. If so, can it be instant on, instant off or would the speed have to ramp up?

I really like the sub-trim. It's the first time I've had that on a radio.
I redid ALL my front end links tonight and had my servo horn off. When I put it back together to "just test" I didn't bother to set the servo to center. I was off by a few degrees and remembered the sub-trim... very nice.
 
johnnyh66 said:
ok, it's super easy! I only referenced the directions for the names of things. The menu is really easy to use. I have my 2 speed trans on the push button and the winch on the 3 position. I don't know if it's been said but I'd like it to be a rocker. I was practicing w/my thumb while driving and I kept overshooting neutral.

The dial is controlling winch trim.
Every time I use the winch I have to reset the trim.
Trim will be set, use winch and trim returns to 0 and immediately needs to be dialed in.

Could the winch (ch 3 or 4) be hooked up to DT3 like a 3 pos switch? Push forward and it spools out, let off and it stops, pull back to spool in. If so, can it be instant on, instant off or would the speed have to ramp up?

I really like the sub-trim. It's the first time I've had that on a radio.
I redid ALL my front end links tonight and had my servo horn off. When I put it back together to "just test" I didn't bother to set the servo to center. I was off by a few degrees and remembered the sub-trim... very nice.
Click to expand...
I just tried the bulldog winch on my kopropo before I installed my 4pl rx just to try it. I get the creep and chatter like alot of guys so I'm certian that the issue is to do with the esc that come with the rc4wd winch and not the radio. Let me know your findings please "thumbsup"
 
With 4PL, can it allow to disable/enable reverse only with any of the switch ?
 
Harley said:
Why would you disable reverse? I can check but I don't believe so.
Click to expand...
Maybe he runs a non-crawler that won't allow reverse (off road is a good example)??:shock:;-)

If so, that is usually done in the ESC so it shows lights that indicate the reverse is disabled.........:roll::roll:
 
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