Transmitter/receiver question

[TomGee]

As a ‘returner’ to the hobby, I come from an era of crystals and interference when it comes to transmitters and receivers. So, I’m just getting my head around 2.4ghz…

I bought a basic buggy for both my sons and a different receiver/transmitter set each. As expected, the transmitters and receivers automatically paired out of the box. However, is this because the two units are linked somehow by the manufacturer or does the receiver just detect a signal and ‘lock on’ to it? Would the two units still find each other if, for example, several transmitters were all switched on at once?! 

The reason I ask is that I’d like to buy one of the sets again and run it in my new car at the same time as my boys (IE three of us racing/bashing different cars at the same time, with the same model of radio gear in two of the three cars). Is there a chance the gear will interfere with each other, or will the two sets from the same manufacturer pair independently and operate fine alongside each other?

 

If they do have some sort of link ‘out of the box’ does that mean that these budget sets cannot be unlinked and then paired to different gear later if, for example, one of us wants to go wheel instead of stick but only change the transmitter?

 

For info, the set I’m thinking of getting two of is this cheap and cheerful fella: https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/absima-sr2s-2-channel-24ghz-radio-control-system-stick-radio-407387

 

[TurnipJF]

19 minutes ago, TomGee said:

As a ‘returner’ to the hobby, I come from an era of crystals and interference when it comes to transmitters and receivers. So, I’m just getting my head around 2.4ghz…

I bought a basic buggy for both my sons and a different receiver/transmitter set each. As expected, the transmitters and receivers automatically paired out of the box. However, is this because the two units are linked somehow by the manufacturer or does the receiver just detect a signal and ‘lock on’ to it? Would the two units still find each other if, for example, several transmitters were all switched on at once?! 

The reason I ask is that I’d like to buy one of the sets again and run it in my new car at the same time as my boys (IE three of us racing/bashing different cars at the same time, with the same model of radio gear in two of the three cars). Is there a chance the gear will interfere with each other, or will the two sets from the same manufacturer pair independently and operate fine alongside each other?

 

If they do have some sort of link ‘out of the box’ does that mean that these budget sets cannot be unlinked and then paired to different gear later if, for example, one of us wants to go wheel instead of stick but only change the transmitter?

 

For info, the set I’m thinking of getting two of is this cheap and cheerful fella: https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/absima-sr2s-2-channel-24ghz-radio-control-system-stick-radio-407387

 

You can bind and rebind those as many times as you like, and the receiver will only listen to the transmitter to which it was most recently bound. You and your offspring won't have any difficulty running your cars together with those radios.

As for pairing the receivers with a different transmitter further down the line, that is where things get a bit iffy. Some manufacturers use different protocols to others, and some manufacturers even use different protocols within their own model ranges, so it may or may not work depending on whether the new transmitter and your existing receiver use the same protocols.

[KEV THE REV]

17 hours ago, TomGee said:

As a ‘returner’ to the hobby, I come from an era of crystals and interference when it comes to transmitters and receivers. So, I’m just getting my head around 2.4ghz…

I bought a basic buggy for both my sons and a different receiver/transmitter set each. As expected, the transmitters and receivers automatically paired out of the box. However, is this because the two units are linked somehow by the manufacturer or does the receiver just detect a signal and ‘lock on’ to it? Would the two units still find each other if, for example, several transmitters were all switched on at once?! 

The reason I ask is that I’d like to buy one of the sets again and run it in my new car at the same time as my boys (IE three of us racing/bashing different cars at the same time, with the same model of radio gear in two of the three cars). Is there a chance the gear will interfere with each other, or will the two sets from the same manufacturer pair independently and operate fine alongside each other?

 

If they do have some sort of link ‘out of the box’ does that mean that these budget sets cannot be unlinked and then paired to different gear later if, for example, one of us wants to go wheel instead of stick but only change the transmitter?

 

For info, the set I’m thinking of getting two of is this cheap and cheerful fella: https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/absima-sr2s-2-channel-24ghz-radio-control-system-stick-radio-407387

 

I switched from 27AM to 2.4g and bought the Absima set you mention . It is a good basic set up and I like it . I bought a few more Fly-sky FS-GR3E receivers ( they are the same as Absima as I believe Absima is a rebranded Fly-sky ) and paired them to the handset so I can use different cars with the same handset. The receivers are much smaller than the old 27 receivers and can fit into a chassis very easily and don't have all the old ariel wire trailing all over the place

[TomGee]

Thanks, chaps. That’s good news.

I couldn’t quite believe how much these receivers have shrunk…I thought it was missing when I first opened the box!

[Wooders28]

I waited a good while, before taking the plunge to 2.4, I mean ,its only the frequency right?......🫣

Modern radios are not only interference free, but have a plethora of features I didn't now I needed, until I got them, and now I don't know what I'd do without!

The main ones for me, are

Multi memory - can store xxx number of recievers in its memory, so when you buy another car , you just buy another reciever, set to #2 and all the settings are saved.

EPA / End Point Adjustment- this let's you alter the end point of the servo or throttle. You'll usually find, that when you turn full ,the steering arm hits the end stop, and the servo is still trying to turn. You can alter the end point down to ,say 97%, and the steering reaches the bump stop and no more. But the majority of the time, I use it when the kids drive my race cars, as rather than swap the fast motor out, I just drop the end point to 25% and off they go. Which worked well for my daughter learning to drive, as I put a faster motor than she could drive in, and dropped the throttle end point, and set her wee challenges (think Gran turismo licences.. ), and when she completed them, I turned the speed up a bit 😁

Those are the main ones, but on more expensive radios, you can alter the throttle or steering curve (instead of linear, ie 50% is 50% , you can have 50% steering at 40% input , then ramp up to 100% at 100%) , ABS braking strength etc, but that's more if you're racing.

 

On 4/6/2024 at 5:58 PM, TomGee said:

Would the two units still find each other if, for example, several transmitters were all switched on at once?! 

Think of it a bit like WIFI, in the sense that, the WiFi router (transmitter) is sending out the signal, and 1000's of devices 'could' lock on, but only the one with the WiFi password (receiver has been binded) would be able to except the signal and comunicate. There could 1000 WiFi routers in a block of flats, but you can only communicate with the one that you had the password for.

On 4/6/2024 at 5:58 PM, TomGee said:

Is there a chance the gear will interfere with each other,

Nope, well ,there might be, the chance of a lottery win chance..🤷‍♂️

 

On 4/6/2024 at 5:58 PM, TomGee said:

for example, one of us wants to go wheel instead of stick but only change the transmitter?

Depends, there's a few different protocols /systems,  a bit like Android and Apple, so if you had one type, and the wheel was another, then no, it wouldn't bind.

 

On 4/6/2024 at 5:58 PM, TomGee said:

thinking of getting two of is this cheap and cheerful

There's not much options for us old stick guys, so if you're on the fence, I'd maybe go for a wheel now, and get used to it, as there's soooooo much more choice. (Surprised there's 18 on the modelsport website tbh, but only the single Futaba with full feature ,at £270,  as my Sanwa Exzes ZZ is discontinued) 

 

3 hours ago, TomGee said:

couldn’t quite believe how much these receivers have shrunk…

Most of mine now ,don't even have an antenna either! 😀

[BuggyDad]

6 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

There's not much options for us old stick guys, so if you're on the fence, I'd maybe go for a wheel now, and get used to it, as there's soooooo much more choice. (Surprised there's 18 on the modelsport website tbh, but only the single Futaba with full feature ,at £270,  as my Sanwa Exzes ZZ is discontinued) 

I came back to the hobby after 30 years away, started off buying a basic stick one (for my son). Slightly regretted that as soon as it came to a second car and a second transmitter. So moved to wheel early. Muscle memory (or whatever it is) from that long ago I figured should be weak - nothing much. Stick very rare in the market - seems to mainly exist only at the absolute bottom (like no multi model memory) and very top of the range territories. We now have a couple of £50 Absimas (CR3P, basic, but with all the important adjustments included) and a Noble (lovely, "low mid range" money) - sensible price/feature/quality levels at which there are no stick options. So just because of availability in the market and therefore avoiding the need to change from stick to wheel later, I'd go wheel. 

[Wooders28]

2 hours ago, BuggyDad said:

We now have a couple of £50 Absimas (CR3P, basic, but with all the important adjustments included)

That's what I got for my kids, a bit of a faff to bind extra recievers, and to calibrate to an esc (ended up using the steering channel..), but great radio for the cash.

[BuggyDad]

25 minutes ago, Wooders28 said:

That's what I got for my kids, a bit of a faff to bind extra recievers, and to calibrate to an esc (ended up using the steering channel..), but great radio for the cash.

What's the issue with the ESC? Isn't it just, zero - ESC button, full fwd - ESC  button, full brake - ESC button, same regardless of transmitter? 

[Wooders28]

30 minutes ago, BuggyDad said:

What's the issue with the ESC? Isn't it just, zero - ESC button, full fwd - ESC  button, full brake - ESC button, same regardless of transmitter? 

Just wouldn't calibrate full brake with a 10BL120 esc on her race car, not sure if I had something set wrong in the TX throttle settings, but switched channels, and used the steering, and it did it first try 🤷‍♂️

[TurnipJF]

3 minutes ago, Wooders28 said:

Just wouldn't calibrate full brake with a 10BL120 esc on her race car, not sure if I had something set wrong in the TX throttle settings, but switched channels, and used the steering, and it did it first try 🤷‍♂️

It is an odd phenomenon, and one which I have experienced as well. It seems that different manufacturers, and sometimes even individual esc's, have different ideas as to what a maximum endpoint should be. I had the same occurring when trying to calibrate a M-tronics ESC. It would calibrate to the steering channel but not the throttle channel, however when I adjusted the end points on the throttle channel from 100% down to 99%, it calibrated just fine.