Binding multiple receivers

[Peter Iles]

Does anyone know if it is possible to bind multiple receivers onto a 2.4 GHz Tx so that the work at the same time, so e.g. you could have 1 receiver operating on channels 1 and 2 and another, separate receiver operating on channels 3 and 4, so you could operate 2 models at the same time? 

[John949]

You can certainly bind multiple receivers to the same transmitter (for the same model memory) - just repeat the binding procedure with the second receiver.  Some of the very large flying models do this as a form of redundancy.  If you do this then the outputs on each receiver would be identical e.g. the throttle stick would control the throttle channel on both receivers.  So you could have the left stick doing rudder and winch on one boat and the right stick doing the same on the other boat.  The servos would of course need to be plugged into different receiver channels as you suggest.  Why you'd want to do this rather than use two transmitters is beyond me though.

The converse is not true.  You cannot bind the same receiver to multiple transmitters.  The 'unique identifier' is in the transmitter and the binding process is the receiver 'learning' which identifier to respond to.

Whether you can bind the same receiver to different model memories is manufacturer dependent.  My old Spektrum transmitter does not allow it and calls it a feature (Model Match - although I've recently been told that the latest Spektrum transmitters allow you to disable it).  The idea is that you don't accidentally try to fly one model with another model's settings. I bind the same receiver to multiple model memories so that a have different models memories for each rig i.e Marblehead A rig, Marblehead B rig etc.  This means I can set the travels and trims differently for each rig.  My Tx16 transmitter allows this but gives me a warning.

 

[Peter Iles]

This is about my dad nagging me to find a reasonably cost-effective method of controlling multiple steam or battery-powered locos on his outdoor railway layout, rather than using a separate tx/rx per loco. 

It occured to me that each of the 4 main channels on a normal transmitter are operated from individual pots in the tx, and as you only need 1 channel per loco you could run 4 locos on 1 tx, either from the sticks,or with a bit of dismantling, direct from the pots.  There were some commercial products to do this, but they were expensive or ceased production during lockdown.

[John949]

Interesting application.  You could dismantle the transmitter and put pots on all 8 channels then!  Worth giving some thought to the safety of such a set-up - definitely need to use failsafe positions.   My understanding is that the cost of a live steam loco is such that a cheap tx/rx would be lost in the noise.

[Martin Tigg]

Not many transmitters allow this feature. One of the best it the Frsky Taranis models. Also the 4 channel receivers are small and not to expensive. Have a word with T9 hobbies who are very helpful. 

Edited January 6, 2024 by Martin Tigg

[Peter Iles]

Thanks guys, at least I know it's possible.  The locos in question are O-gauge (8mm scale) not anything bigger or more expensive.  The steam ones are simple things like Mamod or Bowman (didn't the latter also do yachrs and steam ships?) that generally have simple on/off regulators, not proper controls.  He used to run them in the garden, where crashes with the lot going over creating a pyre of meths seemed to make him laugh a lot!

[Peter Iles]

This is the sort of thing. The blue one is a Triang "Big Big Train", battery powered, about 18ins long.  The others are tinplate clockwork - he's got a good few of these too, but no control is possible!

[Mike Ure]

Can you "de-bind " a receiver?

If the "bound" transmitter is damaged, how can you bind the existing receiver to a new transmitter?

Equipment is Flysky i6.

Mike Ure

[John Ball]

If you have another Tx that is compatible with the Rx, just bind the Rx to it following the bind procedure.

John

[Peter Iles]

Hi Mike, John is quite right. You don't have to do anything to clear the old bind, just bind the receiver to a new transmitter and it wipes the old bind asylum do it.

Peter

 

[Peter Iles]

Sorry,  "at the same time"  not asylum ...