How to Buddy-Box JR Radios

[admiralev]

im currently flying a JR XP6102 and with the new beaver i have in my basement i have a few questions about using buddy boxes as there is little information that i could find digging through other forums and the manual offers no help.

i have the basic idea that a buddy box is a TX that is dumb and is a slave to the main controller which your instructor would be using. im just really confused as to how these things work and what i would need to buy.

can anyone offer some advice as to what i might need to know or need (in terms of a JR compatible product) or direct me to some information that i must be missing?

thanks!

[flydiver]

You need another JR TX (I think you can mate Spectrum too). Whatever RX is in the plane > that needs to be the master since it controls the plane. It sends the actual signal.

The 'slave' can be on a different channel. They connect with the buddy cord (simple mono audio cable-Radio Shack). The slave is OFF (IMPORTANT!) but the control electronics turn on when the cord is plugged in. Antenna can be down since it is not broadcasting.

When the 'buddy button' is pushed the control information comes over from the slave and is transmitted by the master. When the button is released all control goes back to the master.

The only way I have set the up is to set up the slave so it's control is just like I want it to be for the student (limited controls usually). It has to be set up completely.

There are some things you can do with some stuff called P-link but frankly the manual isn't too swift about it and the basic method was working for my limited needs so that's all I ever used.
Don't expect the 6102 manual to help-it's awful for this, worse than some of it's other limited information.

The slave I'm using is a JR 662 and that manual was better (older model).

fly

[admiralev]

great thanks for the info. ill mess around with it. i have to get the TX in my hands while reading this to set up the trainer system.

thanks!

admiral

[flydiver]

I figured out how to get it going via searching/asking at RCGroups and Wattflyer. Manual was mostly worthless.

Edit-while browsing this afternoon ran across a thread that indicated a DX6i will only connect with another one. Take that info for what it's worth.

More Edit-same thread continuing, best read yourself:
www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41517

Couple of quotes:

[You need to use a Spektrum or JR computer radio with battery to buddy box with the 6i. Our club training program had trouble figuring this out. The popular JR Sport S400 buddy box is not compatible.][To reiterate, and relate my experiences. You must have a computer radio to buddy box the DX6i, the manual states this.

I tried a JR Quatro and had no luck. So I hooked up my JR 6102 and it works flawlessly.

I am told, though I cant be sure, that the DX7 does not have this limitation so I assume this is a case of we got what we paid for..]