TQ Link 2.4GHz - 2 to 4 Channel Mod

[Jimmie Neutron]

No.
There has been two that have attempted... no success as of yet.

[MotorStuff]

Ok, thanks.

[danielhr77]

No. There has been two that have attempted... no success as of yet.

Same here... Lesson learned by Traxxas, hahaha...

[Jeepster83]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the hobby/RC world but my brother is steadily getting me interested. I've raced his slash 4x4 and competed with his Axial crawler and now there's this bite mark on my *** that is itching really bad!

I have a question within the topic of this thread though. Recently I helped my brother design, paint, and assemble a new body for his slash. It's a stock replacement body but it's painted to resemble a Stockton Police cruiser (my brother is a former police officer from there). It has an LED light bar with blue and red on the front and amber on the back. There are 2 momentary switches that came with the kit and they work fine. But he wants to use his transmitter to toggle the lights on and off as well as change the pattern of the flashes. He followed what the OP did in this thread with only 1 difference. While the OP used 2 SPDT switches my brother used 1 DPDT switch. My brother isnt a noob when it comes to wiring and electronics either. His job in the Navy was to maintain IFF on our military planes, and hes confident in his wiring on this project. We know that the switches and wiring are good because he used a servo to test. the servo moved its full sweep in both directions with the switches flipped respectively but when its connected to the lights it won't work. The momentary switches still operate the lights normally, but the switches on the transmitter don't

Any guidance in getting this to work before tomorrow's race would be appreciated very much.

Thanks!

[Jimmie Neutron]

Before tomorrow might not happen... it all depends on parts availability and your budget.

The Rx always has power when the ESC is on or the BEC is on.... depending on your set up.

To turn anything off or on with a remote will require a Rx operated switch... it is not possible to do this by simply plugging in LED's or fans into a controlled channel of the Rx.

Here is an example of what you need to control your LED's:
******* Receiver Controlled Switch PRODUCT ID: LUM-ONF

There is also more complex systems... where you have back-up lights and turn signals, but I have since deleted the links for those systems as they are way to expensive for the "wow" factor to overcome.

[Jeepster83]

Before tomorrow might not happen... it all depends on parts availability and your budget.

The Rx always has power when the ESC is on or the BEC is on.... depending on your set up.

To turn anything off or on with a remote will require a Rx operated switch... it is not possible to do this by simply plugging in LED's or fans into a controlled channel of the Rx.

Here is an example of what you need to control your LED's:
******* Receiver Controlled Switch PRODUCT ID: LUM-ONF

There is also more complex systems... where you have back-up lights and turn signals, but I have since deleted the links for those systems as they are way to expensive for the "wow" factor to overcome.

well that makes perfect sense. thank you for the input. now i have a question regarding the rf switch. since the light bar has 2 sets of lights and a switch for each set, does my brother need more than one rf switch?

[Jimmie Neutron]

If he wants to control each set of lights individually, yes. He will need a Rx switch (and channel) for each set.
If he just wants all the lights to turn on with one switch, I believe the Rx switch will handle the current load.

There is another part (PRODUCT ID: M_Fswitch) that I just found today... it (if I understand correctly) will turn on multiple items, starting with one and ending with another... cycling through what you have hooked up to it. But with this switch, you cannot change the order items turn on without changing the order of the items are hooked to this device.

Sorry I cannot provide links to these items... against forum rules.

[Jeepster83]

If he wants to control each set of lights individually, yes. He will need a Rx switch (and channel) for each set.
If he just wants all the lights to turn on with one switch, I believe the Rx switch will handle the current load.

There is another part (PRODUCT ID: M_Fswitch) that I just found today... it (if I understand correctly) will turn on multiple items, starting with one and ending with another... cycling through what you have hooked up to it. But with this switch, you cannot change the order items turn on without changing the order of the items are hooked to this device.

Sorry I cannot provide links to these items... against forum rules.

Got it working late last night! Thank you Jimmie Neutron!

P.S. My son LOVES your TV show!!

[Jimmie Neutron]

I wish it were really mine... lol
I wouldn't have to wait for RC parts.

Glad to read you got it working!

[quagman9000]

would this work for the TQi? does it enable something extra on the TQ because I am trying to work out four wheel steering and jolynsbass tried replacing a switch with a potentiometer but it didn't work(I am thinking that this modification enables something extra because zacflyer on youtube did this modification and used a potentiometer and it worked but we are still unaware of if he replaced a switch or did something else.) check out my thread. there is a link to the video.

here is the link http://traxxas.com/forums/showthread...rating-a-servo

[Jimmie Neutron]

Would what work??
Opening up channels or the receiver switch?

[jolynsbass]

I think he wants to know if doing the special trick to open up extra channels will somehow make channel three able to give fully proportional control if you hook up a potentiometer.

[quagman9000]

I think he wants to know if doing the special trick to open up extra channels will somehow make channel three able to give fully proportional control if you hook up a potentiometer.

Exactly because putting a potentiometer on a stock four channel radio (in place of a switch) didn't work but the modified radio did work.

[rustlervxl4life]

That looks pretty challenging

[Jimmie Neutron]

The answer to "opening up channels in a TQi" was answered 10 posts before yours.
Please take the time to read a thread before posting repeated questions.

If you want to know if something will work in a TQi, you will get better responses starting a separate thread than to post in a thread about the TQ LINK radios.

[Koda43]

Hey daniel do you know how wantasummit put the LCD screen on the Tx.cause I did your mod and I want to be able to see what I'm doing in the menu
Koda

[danielhr77]

I think that LCD screen is not connected to the Traxxas radio directly, is something else he added... Wish he shared with us the "how to" or a video to show us how it works...

[Koda43]

ok but then how did he connect it???

[Koda43]

or add it so it would show settings on it.

[danielhr77]

PM him and ask... Don't think that works until I see some kind of proof it does...

[Koda43]

ok sounds good i will thx anyway

[Newth Cox]

I think Traxxas now make one with an LCD screen, it's got something to do with an iPhone maybe?

[Debonair]

Thank you Danielhr77 and everyone else who contributed to this epic thread. I just did this mod and installed the Traxxas radio in my Mad Torque. The extra channel is being used for rear steering and working great. Thanks again!

[T-MaXXeD_2.5]

What Transmitters can this mod work on . i have 27 mhz and i want to get new 2.4ghz transmitter and 2ch is cheaper but i don't want to buy 2 ch and not be able to mod it to 4ch . i want 4 channels steering, gas/brake, reverse/forward/ remote start
please reply!

[Jimmie Neutron]

I have personally done this to quite a few 2238's and one 2239. I was able to get all of them to open up... but, there are some that have not been able to get their 2238's to open up. I do not know if it was because they were not performing the steps correctly or if the radio simply was not able to open up. This process is not possible with the new TQi or AM models.

I am not sure you will be able to get remote start working with only a half channel... I would make sure of that before you get too far into the project. -- Channels 4 and 5 are only half channels... meaning they do not have full throw. They on go from center to one side, not from side to side.

[WMendo21]

Update on Ground to VSS method to activate more channels that your radio...

THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY
Please continue at your own risk...

1) Set up a servo ready to operate in channel 4 on the Rx
-- Be sure to power on the Rx
2) Open up the case of your Tx
3) Carefully pull out the board/battery tray and set it along side of the Tx
-- You may need to remove a rubber wire holder and some black tape
4) Expose the ends of a length of wire (long enough to work with)
5) Insert one end of the wire in the spring with the black wire in the battery tray
6) With the power on, touch the wire (now ground) to VCC on the board for 4-5 seconds
7) Now touch the wire to TSW UP
-- The servo you have hooked up in channel 4 should activate
8) Confirm this by switching off the board (switch to the left) and performing the following:
--Switch the board on
--Press and hold the left (menu) red button until it blinks green
--Press the menu button again... you should get two green blinks
--Press the right (set) red button... you should go back to a single green blink
--Press the menu button to cycle through green blink sets... 2 for 2nd channel, 3 for 3rd channel, ect.


I have confirmed this method on radio (Tx) models 2238 and 2239, both with the 2218x receiver (Rx)

Awesome thread! I have the 2239 radio and at first I wasn't able to free up ch4 but I repeated steps 6 & 7 a few times and then I heard my test servo plugged into ch4 work. Thanks for all the valuable info here!

[WMendo21]

^^ Now I'm just waiting for my ROSS module and Lipo to get shipped so I can have remote start on my Revo!

[maddemaxx]

ok stumbled across this thread this morning to see if the new 4 ch radio will work for my winch , turns out the 2 ch one i have now will work for it i just need to add the switch and wires ! thanks guys

[danielhr77]

I'm glad it helped...

[maddemaxx]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater

works like a charm

[Chevy_maxx]

Well id like to thank all of you. Lol i thought i was going to have to upgrade my radio gear. But i followed yall ideas. My transmitter was only reading 2 channels. But i grounded the vcc to the other one and Walla its reading all 5. Going to radio shack now I'll be able to run my winch. I use this receiver on my scx10.

Sent from my C5155

[joshy788]

So after reading all 6 pages of this thread. which BTW daniel its GREATLY appreciated. so i did NOT want to keep this secret from u guys.
SO i tried allll the steps to UNLOCK my 5 channels,
i came across this.
my reciever was OFF and not even in the same room... ALL can be done from the TX
I grouded my VCC for 5 even 10 seconds... nothing.
i even turned it on and off with it grounded.
SOOOO
i came across this
i went into the *setup menu* and was going threw the *channels* 1 blink, 2 blink, 1 blink*
I then put VCC to ground and let go *maybe a second of being placed together*
i then got a SOLID GREEN light.
so i FLIPPED threw the channels again and BAM
5 channels

My serial number starts with A2242
Please let me know if any of you guys who had this FAIL try this step and let me know thanks

[Pede Pede]

I want to add a toggle switch to my tq setup to remotely switch on lights. I purchased this simple small on/off switch from radio shack.



Question is, if I want to use channel 3 how would I wire this up? I know the middle peg goes to ground and I know where to solder the ground to on the transmitter. Where would I solder the outter wire to? Would it be here?

[Jimmie Neutron]

I think you need an on/on switch to operate channel 3 with 2 positions... on/off/on for 3 positions.

RSW DWN to ground for one direction
RSW UP to ground for the other direction

It looks like you have TSW UP circled in the picture, which would be channel 4.

[Pede Pede]

I think you need an on/on switch to operate channel 3 with 2 positions... on/off/on for 3 positions.

RSW DWN to ground for one direction
RSW UP to ground for the other direction

It looks like you have TSW UP circled in the picture, which would be channel 4.

Thank you for the reply. Ok, it doesn't HAVE to be channel 3, channel 4 or 5 would be fine as long as I can still use the toggle I purchased. My local RS does not have an on/off/on in store. So then, as long as I hook up one wire ro ground amd the other to the point I circled above, I should then be able to use channel 4 to toggle lights correct?

By the way, anyone care to tell me what rsw, tsw, ect stand for or mean?

[Jimmie Neutron]

RSW could be for reverse switch...
TSW could be for T lock switch...

"So then, as long as I hook up one wire ro ground amd the other to the point I circled above, I should then be able to use channel 4 to toggle lights correct?"

Correct, as long as you also have a receiver controlled switch.

[Pede Pede]

RSW could be for reverse switch...
TSW could be for T lock switch...

"So then, as long as I hook up one wire ro ground amd the other to the point I circled above, I should then be able to use channel 4 to toggle lights correct?"

Correct, as long as you also have a receiver controlled switch.

Thank you!!