Off the wall question for Hitec...
 

Okay, this may sound like a crazy question, but I have to ask...

I love my Lynx3D in just about every regard, but I'd very much like to find out if a modification is possible... what I want to do is to increase the throw of the steering wheel. As it looks now, the wheel moves something like 40 degrees each side of center.

What I'd like to have is the wheel move more like 70 to 90 degrees each side of center. I know this would require a different pot in the wheel, and some modification of the stops...

Would a mod like this be at all possible? What I'm after is to get less sensitivity around neutral, but still get full throw at the ends of the steering wheel throw, but without having to resort to using exponential. I can't tolerate the feel of expo, so the only way I can see to get the feel I want is by increasing the physical throw at the wheel.

Would this be possible?

Trips

That would be possible, but like you said, you would have to replace the POT and a few other thngs.....

Another option is, if you have a Hitec Digital servo, you can program the DEAD BAND of the servo with the HFP-10 Digital Servo Programmer and Tester.

Would it be possible to have this done by Hitec if I sent the transmitter in?

I'd rather not increase the deadband, I prefer a dead linear response with minimal deadband, just with more wheel travel at the transmitter.

Trips

No, I don't think they would do this.

This would cost a lot to do...time is money.....

Any idea what value the steering pot in the transmitter is?

Thanks

So... no one knows the value of the steering pot in the Lynx3D?

Trips

I don't, I would have to open the radio and look....

Re: Off the wall question for Hitec...
 

Trips,
I opened up my 3d to lube all the plastic on plastic joints since everything is getting old and sqeaky. I noticed the the steering POT is NOT responsible for limiting the steering throw. Instead, the steering wheel has a built in mechanical stop against the 3D case. You could probably increase the steering throw by just removing the steering wheel (1 screw under the black plastic cosmetic cap) and grinding down the stops to your liking.

-ling

Oh, one more thing. If you remove the steering wheel, you will notice that the pot rotates nearly 90 deg in both directions. No need to replace the pot.

linger,

Thanks for the info, but before I'd modify the stops I'd want someone at Hitec to tell me if I'd have to recalibrate the radio...

When I ran the KO Mars radio, any time you did something to change the steering pot (for example, adding the wheel extension unit or removing it) you had to go into a separate calibration mode to recalibrate the radio to the pot.

On some Airtronics radios there is a special pot calibration mode as well, I've never seen it on the car radios, but the Infinity 1000 heli radio had this mode.

Is there a diagnostic or calibration mode in the Lynx3D? If so, how would I access it? And can someone at Hitec comment on whether it's safe to modify the steering stops for more wheel travel?

Thanks in advance.

Trips,
Yes there is a recalibration mode. I'm not sure if hitec wants it public since peope may try it and seriously screw up their radios. I'll give you a hint, you gotta hold down 3 buttons while turning it on.

As far as I can tell the recalibration mode adjust the neutral position and endpoints of channel 1 and 2. It also has a nifty realtime readout that shows what position the channels are at.

With that said - DO NOT MODIFY THE MECHANICAL STOPS!!! I played around with my radio last night and my previous posts were incorrect. The recalibration mode did not let me set the electronic endpoints much further than the mechanical stops. It will allow you to turn the POT more, without a change in the signal.

On another note - does anyone know the size of the bushing that supports the Pot. I forgot to measure it the last time I took it apart. I want to replace it with a bearing.

Thanks again for the info.

From what you're saying, I get the impression that if I were to modify the mechanical stops to get more steering wheel travel and then recalibrate, I would end up with essentialy the same servo throw I had before, but more wheel movement at the transmitter? That is what I'm seeking. I'm not looking to get more servo throw, I want to keep the actual output the same as it is now, just use more steering wheel movement to get it.

In other words, what I want is to get the same electronic signal as before, but while turning the wheel on the transmitter more.

Thanks

Trips

Trips, sorry, let me clarify. Moving the wheel beyond the mechanical stops will not give you more steering throw. Basically, the calibration EPA will not let you set it beyond the approximate place of the mechanical stops. This means that you will probably have to replace the pot or add a resistor in series with the current pot as well as modifying the mechanical stops to get the radio to do what you want.

For example, lets say neutral is 0 and the calibration EPA at the mechanical stop is 127. The calibration lets you set the EPA lower than 127. However, if you turn the wheel beyond the stops and set the calbration EPA, it will still read 127...no more.

I did another test and set the calibration EPA as far as possible and removed the steering wheel so that I could go beyond the mechanical stops. I would turn the steering pot and the servo would follow. Once I hit where the mechanical stops should be, the servo stops moving even though the servo can give more travel. Basically the transmitter hits this imaginary calibration EPA and refused to go beyond that point.

Hope I didn't confuse you too much.

Thanks again, I'll look into replacing the pot or adding a resistor. Knowing that I can test by just removing the wheel makes me less nervous about trying.

Trips