Please can someone explain buddyboxing

[Stanley Speel]

Hi,

A friend wants to have a go at helis, so I said in the summer (hopefully when I'm a bit better too ) I'd set up a buddybox so he can have a go.

I have tried searching, but can't find anything on it - is there a formal name for it or something?

Anyway, I am using a DSX11; what is the cheapest transmitter that will work with it? What lead do I need to get - just a normal 3.5mm audio cable?

Also, how does it actually work - do I get full control when I hold down the trainer switch, and can you assign the slave tx to only have control of certain channels?

Thanks

Stanley

[dave j]

you will need a compatable transmitter and a buddy lead to go between them if you hold down the buddy switch the person you are helping will have control then when you let it go control returns to you

[Andy from Sandy]

That 3.5mm jack outputs or inputs the channel signals as a serial stream. You connect two transmitters together using a cable with the 3.5mm jacks at either end.

One TX is set as teacher/master and the other as student/trainer. You will need to RTFM to find out how to set your TX up. I think any tx in the spektrum jr range will work that have the trainer port.

The master tx is the one that is transmitting to the helicopter the slave is sending its data to the master on the cable. When the trainer switch is held in the student position the student signals get transmitted to the model. When the switch is released the teacher takes control back.

The switch usually used for the trainer is the momentary one that springs back when let go.

[nostrils]

The dx11 can pass full control or part control (ie elevator only or pitch only) making it even easier for a beginner, look at the back of your manual its all there and the cheapest transmitter would be the dx6i

[Gate88]

If I can offer a few words of advice, dont try and buddy someone less experienced than you for your first few attempts cause its not as easy as you think it might be. You'd be best off getting a more experienced pilot to buddy your buddying so to speak, get him to fly about and then randomly hand control over to you so get used to trying to mirror the stick movements. Its hard because if your sticks are not in exactly the same position the heli will jump as it switches from slave to master and if its in an odd orientation it can get a little tricky.

I love it though I find it's a real adrenalin buzz. When I'm flying normaly my concentration levels vary depending on what I'm doing, but when youre buddying a novice you have to be on the ball the whole time and there's a real sense of achievement when you save the day. Of course its a bit less entertaining when you put someone elses model in trying rescue a bad situation!

[Zeeflyboy]

I found the only real trick was following collective.

You obviously want collective to be in about the right place, beyond that I found it fairly easy to take over control even with no inputs on the other sticks prior to take over.

[unwind-protect]

The dx11 can pass full control or part control (ie elevator only or pitch only) making it even easier for a beginner, look at the back of your manual its all there and the cheapest transmitter would be the dx6i

This is a great feature, BTW. If you hand off all except collective, you can be fairly confident that as long as you can keep the heli away from the ground it won't come to harm. I've done this a number of times with people who want to try and hover a heli.

Also, because the configuration is set by the master transmitter, you can fly any model it's set up for without having to reconfigure the slave.

[p41mer]

I cant say enough good things about the buddy system. It has brought me along in leaps and bounds. Keep it simple to start and you and your student will tune in together more with every flight. As a student, I now have every confidence that my tutor will do his best to catch the model. Putting me on the spot to try stuff I would never of attempted before! - Thanks John!

dp

[Stanley Speel]

Thanks everyone I still don't know whether I can use a 3.5mm double ended audio cable as a buddy box lead?

I never thought about the jumpiness if the sticks were not the same on each tx.

[LaurenceGough]

Thanks everyone I still don't know whether I can use a 3.5mm double ended audio cable as a buddy box lead?

I never thought about the jumpiness if the sticks were not the same on each tx.

Stereo leads will not work, mono may but I would just go ahead and buy a official one as it's not really worth playing around with.

Spektrum Trainer Cord SPM6805

[Stanley Speel]

Will a DX4e work with the DSX11. Assuming it does, will the partial slave controls work too (ie so the dx4e only controls cyclic or pitch etc)?

[moyesboy]

I have recently done the research on this with my DX8 and DX7.
Almost any JR type transmitter including probably esky will work using p-link master. This transfers all the primary controls (sticks) and retains the programming and trims in the slave. Mechanical trims on the slave will stil affect things obviously. This mode would work with a DX4e.
I have this on the go with a noname chinese TX box my kid used to play with on the sim.

To transfer just some controls you use program master, then the slave has to reproduce the programming and takes the trims that affects the transferred channels - so you would need the throttle and pitch curves in the slave. So you would need a computer JR 35Mhz tx, or a DX6i or better.

[Stanley Speel]

Thanks - I'll probably wait to get a dx6i then.

[Bungy15]

Just ordered the genuine SPM6805 training lead... for information for me and others could anybody measure how long it is. many thanks