Help with MFU-3 set up

[p6v8man]

Hi all,

I'm a 63yr old youngster who is desperate for help with my Scania R620 truck. I purchased the truck about 3 months ago now and followed up with an MFU-03 so that I could enjoy all the functions whilst driving the truck. But it's with the MFU that I've hit a stone wall. I just cannot get it to work correctly. I have tried going through the set up with the manual but find that what settings I do have travel from one side of the transmitter to the other! I am using a Carson 14ch tx(which is recommended to work with the MFU-01 to 03). The manual say's to set the mfu you need to follow A,B and C which is Tx, Trims and gearbox. Now when I go through this process I might find that the steering can go from the right hand stick over to the left. That lights will work on the right hand stick and then not at all. Gear shift can go from left to right on the left hand stick to up and down on the same stick, or move completely over to the right hand stick with no sound and so the list goes on.

This is one item on my Bucket list that I really want to do before I go on to new pastures(so to speak) so can anybody please, please help me, because I'm at a total loss as to where to go with her now. Oh and one final thing. Does anyone know about fault codes for the MFU?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope someone out there can help me.

Many thanks, Richard

[Tamiyabigstuff]

Welcome to TC Richard.

I'm not familiar with the Carson R/C gear you have chosen to use but having looked at the online stores selling this as suitable to use with the MFU's it should work OK.

The online manual for the Carson unit does seem fairly basic - have you done the 'Binding' process correctly as this would seem to be the key step to getting everything working correctly.

Check & double check all the connections to the MFU and also that the batteries are fully charged.

The MFU manual does cover some basic troubleshooting, manual is available online at the TamiyaUSA website if you need it.

Tamiya recommend the Futaba 4YWD R/C gear for the MFU but I have successfully used a mix of Acoms 40Mhz Tx unit & Acoms & Futaba Rx units with MFU's in 1/14 trucks & 1/16 tanks and found them relatively easy to set up.

I'm guessing you are a Rover P6 3500 V8 fan ? Nice car.

[berman]

The first thing is to make sure that the correct servo/mfu plugs are in their correct sockets in the MFU and the receiver, without this in the correct order, none of the setup procedures will work. (Refer to the diagram on (i think) the third page of the MFU instruction booklet. Then make sure the servo reverse switches are all at N. (Normal).

There is 3 videos from one of our forum sponsors Stellamodels.com.hk on youtube on exactly how to do the TX/Trims/Gbox setup (helped as I was getting stuck on the gbox one).

I would post links but am on ph at work (shhh...) 

I have no experiences with the carson unit, all my truck curently use the Futaba 4ywd bar one.

 

[p6v8man]

Many, many thanks to Tamiyabigstuff and Berman for your help/advice. Because I followed your advice and went back over my tracks I found that I had put the servo plugs into the MFU the wrong way around!

When I started to plug the leads in I had the MFU UPSIDE DOWN!! What a prize plum lol.. Now that they are in their correct slots everything is working as it should, but I learnt one very good lesson from this and that is if you feel tired while your building then call it a day and have a rest, because mistakes are just waiting to happen. I have been modelling for something like 50 years making the usual plastic kits as well as r/c boats and aircraft and I should have known better.

The Carson radio looks and feels like something out of a second hand store but I must say it does the job albeit in it's own fashion. Carson is a subsidiary of Tamiya in Germany, which is why they g'tee the radio to work with Tamiya Truck's , Tanks and Boats. Also as I'm a glutton for punishment what I would really like to do is to get my Futaba 8J radio OR my Spektrum dx7 v2 to control the truck. Both are excellent radio's and as I use them for my aircraft I feel comfortable with them. I also like to assign switches for various functions and although the Carson has 10 switches in all I'm at a complete loss how to assign them. Going down that road with a Truck seems to make sense to me as it will allow me to get away from having to keep using the Trims. So If anyone can help me with either the 8j or the dx7 please get in touch.

And finally this is for Tamiyabigstuff. Yes I am a fan of the good old Rover P6. I used to rebuild them, and had my own little workshop where I could while away the hours working on a V8 engine or the bodywork. They were brilliant cars in their day and the Rover V8 engine ................... Well, I drool every time I hear one. Ah they were the day's!! lol.

So once again thank you so much chaps. Your advice has been invaluable.

Kindest Regards,

Richard.

[berman]

Glad you got it sorted! I am not completely sure which, but I know some of the Spektrum radios can be set up to play with the Multi Function Units. The older DX6i, DX6 and DX8 and some of the other newer ones with more channels, which, i am not completely sure.

PM ant88 here (or alternately sign up at tamiyatruckin.org.uk) as he has a file that is downloadable for the newer Spektrum units to use with the MFUs which uses a button to do away with using the trims by dual rate. Many have used his file with great success.

I have a black dX6 that I bought second hand to use soley with my trucks, but for some reason it will not work (i think the unit is faulty). It works fine with planes etc though...