Malcolm Holt

With only seven channels you cannot operate two elevators, two ailerons, a rudder, a throttle, an opto switch and a gyro. If you want to add the gyro you could put both elevators on a Y-lead to free up a channel. I share your feelings about hard copy but, for a specialist book with a very limited potential market, it is not a practical proposition. The e-book does have the added benefit that I update it for free each time Futaba release a new software version. You will also find that it is well worth familiarising yourself with the search feature. This is particularly useful on a reference book.

What you are asking is perfectly possible but I don’t understand the problem. Idle down does not require a channel. It is built into the throttle function so you just go to the Idle Down menu and assign the switch of your choice. You can choose the on and off positions and you can also use the same switch that you are using on the Opto kill. Personally I wouldn’t recommend using the same switch for idle down and throttle cut as it would be all too easy to kill the engine accidentally. I always use a dial to activate the kill switch as it is almost impossible to move unintentionally. You are currently using seven channels. How many channels are available on your receiver?

Is your setup for channel 8 responding correctly in the servo monitor? If so, double check that your receiver is in Mode A, otherwise create a new "clean" model on the transmitter and just programme the kill switch on channel 8. If this works correctly you must have some residual setting lurking somewhere on your current setup which is causing the problem.

Thank you, Nigel. I am glad the notes have been of help and I am always happy to try to answer questions on the 8FG and 14SG.

Is each aileron on a separate channel or are you using a Y-lead? If the former, all you need to do is go to the Reverse Menu in the Linkage Menu and reverse the offending channel.

Logic switching is not necessary .As you correctly state, setting Landing Condition as the highest priority will override the others. As we have already seen, program mixes cannot be allocated to specific conditions. With only three conditions the switches can be set to coincide so it is not a problem. All the factory defined mixes have values which can be assigned differently in each condition so it is usually best to try to use one of these when using four or five conditions and so avoid complex switching and multiple PMixes. One approach is to use the Butterfly Function as follows. In the Butterfly menu go to screen 3/3 and activate the mix but do not assign a switch. Move the throttle stick to the bottom. Scroll to the 15% offset value at the bottom of the screen and hold RTN until this changes to 100%. This reverses the operation of the butterfly control to match the throttle. Now go to screen 2/2 of the Butterfly menu. Select Condition 1 and enter whatever values you need to produce the correct response of the elevator to the throttle stick (see my book if necessary). Finally select Condition 3 and enter the same values. You will now have a throttle stick to elevator mix in these two conditions.

On the 14SG there is no direct way of assigning program mixes to specific conditions though, as in the example above, this can often be achieved by setting the ON/OFF switching so it coincides. If you would like to name the four conditions, the logic switch positions which activate them and the conditions in which you require the program mix I am happy to have a look at it though I cannot guarantee that it will be possible.

In this case you can simply assign the condition switch as the Prog Mix switch on screen 2/2 of the Prog Mix menu. At the ON/OFFselect screen set two ON positions and one OFF position to correspond with the appropriate conditions.

The latest edition of my 14SG Programming Guide, which covers the new features introduced in the V 6.0 upgrade, is now available. Anyone who has bought the book over the last week or so should already have the latest version. You can check this by going to the first page, immediately after the front cover. It should read - November 2015 Edition (Software V 6.0). If you bought the book prior to this, the latest version is available to you as a free update. Go to Manage My Kindle (via Tools if you are using a PC or phone App) and follow the instructions for updates. If you have added notes, highlights or bookmarks you need to make sure that “Annotation Back Up” is turned on or you will lose them. If you do not add notes or highlights then selecting “Automatic Updates” should ensure that you automatically receive the latest version whenever I make amendments. On this occasion the changes to the book are very minor as Futaba’s V 6.0 made very few changes to the programming. The main change was to increase the scope of the telemetry. Edited By Malcolm Holt on 24/11/2015 15:34:03

ATL is the default setting on the Throttle and Motor Functions. It allows the trim lever to adjust one end of the travel without affecting the other. In Normal mode it allows adjustment of the low speed without affecting the top end. Traditionally this would have been used to adjust the tick-over speed on an I/C motor without either reducing the top speed or stalling the servo by trying to drive it too far. In your case you want to be able to adjust the top speed while leaving the throttle off position (low speed) unaffected. Accordingly you need to use reversed ATL. You have not described how you have programmed your motors so I assume that you have assigned the Motor Function to one and an Auxiliary to the other. Go to the Function Menu and scroll to Motor Trim. Tap RTN. The H/W Select screen will open so assign whichever slider you wish to use (or you could just use the trim T3). On the right-hand side of the screen the Mode should already be set to ATL but, if it says Normal, then change it to ATL. Below that you should see ATL Normal. Scroll to Normal, tap RTN and change it to Reverse. Check the servo monitor and you will see that the throttle stick works normally at the low setting but that its travel can be adjusted by the slider/trim at the top end.

You can go to the Function Menu and assign a reversed ATL trim to the Motor function channel but not to the slave channel. This will allow you to vary the high end speed of that motor as far as the transmitter is concerned. There should be no problem if you decrease the speed from the defined maximum though whether your ESC will accept an increase in speed is a different matter. As I said, my knowledge of electric models is sketchy at best.

Barry, I am happy to try to help but need to be clear on what exactly you wish to be able to do. Do you want to increase the speed at low throttle or decrease the speed at high throttle? Do you want to be able to adjust both motors or just one? Please describe exactly how you have programmed the two motors and what effect you wish to be achieved by moving the slider. Does each motor have a separate battery? Please note that I do not fly electric models and have only a limited knowledge of their setup. I can help with programming the 14SG but you will need to check that any changes I suggest do not conflict with the programming of the ESCs.

I'm glad you've got it working. The In and Out speed values in the Motor Menu and also on the Throttle Delay work exponentially. As you discovered, a small increase in value at the high end of the scale increases the delay quite significantly. To be fair to Futaba they do not sell this radio with a sequencer. What I have suggested is very much a work around which requires a bit of "creative" programming. That said, it saves the cost of buying a dedicated sequencer and adding an extra gadget which is yet another item with the potential to go wrong. For the benefit of others who may wish to experiment with sequencing please note that I suggest initial values of 23 in my book simply for convenience when programming. They allow sufficient time to see what is going on while watching the sequence in the servo monitor but avoid having to sit and wait for 40+ seconds each time you experiment with a switch. I then add, "These values determine the total time for one complete sequence and can be adjusted later as required".

Have you set all four In and Out speeds in the Motor Menu to their maximum (27)? This gives a total sequence time of 44 seconds on my 14SG allowing 11 seconds for the doors to open, 22 seconds for the gear to move and 11 seconds for the doors to close again. (I sent you a message via the Futaba direct support forum)

Barry. I suggest you contact Ripmax for advice on the best peripheral equipment to buy for your particular setup. My book specifically addresses the programming of the transmitter. Advising on the purchase of additional equipment is beyond its scope. To do a decent job of this would require that I buy the whole range of receivers, SBus hubs, connectors, programmers, gyros, servos, sensors etc for which I have no personal use.

Use the SBus servo utility in System Menu and the socket on the back of the transmitter. The method is described on pages 64 - 66 of the Futaba 14SG manual. There is also an explanation, with several screenshots, in the SBus Servo chapter of my 14SG Programming Guide.

I always knew that modelling gear was much cheaper in the USA. Amazon UK is selling AnnMarie’s book for £799.45. To be fair to them, if you are prepared to put up with a second-hand copy, it is a snip at only £699.68. Now to the matter in hand. Assuming you have selected a 4-flap wing type, go to the Function Menu and assign SD to FLAP. It will automatically control the linked FLAP2 so do not assign any control there. Similarly assign SA to FLAP3 which also controls FLAP4. Disconnect the flap linkages. Move SD and you will see the inner flap servos move between three positions. You now need to connect the inner flaps so that they are fully raised when SD is in the up position and lowered as far as you will ever need them to go when SD is in the down position. Experiment with different clevis positions on the flap horns and servo arms. If necessary you can fine tune with the End Point menu. Now go to the Dual Rate menu and select FLAP. Switch SD fully down and you will see the inner flaps lower fully. At the top of the dual rate screen adjust the left-hand +100 value to +60 and you will see the flaps rise slightly. Adjust the value to give the maximum downward flap movement you require. Now put SD in its mid position. On the Dual Rate screen change the NT (neutral point) value to +60. Again you can adjust this value to give the desired intermediate flap position. Now repeat the above process with the outer flaps. In the Dual Rate menu you will need to select FLAP3 and, of course, move switch SA. There are other ways of setting up flaps which give more options but this method is pretty straightforward.

You can use any stick, switch, dial, slider or trim to operate DG1 and DG2. Just go to screen 4/4 of the Function Menu and reassign the controls in the usual way. You can turn them off by setting their controls to null (- -) but why would you want to? You cannot assign their channels to any other functions. Each time Futaba update the radio's software I produce a new edition of the book to reflect any changes. The updated edition is available free of charge to existing owners. Make sure your Kindle account is set to receive automatic updates. I also incorporate additions and improvements. Any suggestions are welcome. If the additions warrant it, I will produce a new edition even if Futaba do not upgrade the radio, though I have no immediate plans to do so. If you select a 4-flap wing type you can enter different values for the inner and outer flaps in all the appropriate menus (Dual Rate, Flap Set, Camber Mix, Airbrake, Trim Mix). I am not clear exactly what you are trying to do but, if you need help, please ask.

P.S. Although it would not have helped on this occasion, do not forget the search facility on Kindle and Kindle Apps. You can type in any word or phrase and it will immediately give you all the references with quick-links. It is much easier than trawling through the whole book or Futaba manual.

They are the two digital channels on Channels 13 and 14. You can assign any control to them and moving this simply moves a connected servo to +100 or -100. There is no proportional control. You cannot assign any Function so they cannot be programmed in any way. For example, they do not have adjustable end points. They are useful for operating devices which require a simple on/off switch or controls which do not require fine-tuning of the end points e.g. a glider tow-release. I don't actually think they are mentioned in the book as they are not programmable but I'll add a short paragraph in the next edition for the sake of completeness.

Sigh - This is the Amazon.com link. Are you unable to view it in Turkey? Link

Sorry, you'll need to copy and paste it. Alternatively just go to the Amazon.com home screen and type "Futaba 14SG" in the search box. You should then see "Programming for Fixed-Wing Aircraft" among the list of suggestions.

Very strange. Amazon.com certainly does have my book; it's where I get most of my sales. Try this link http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=futaba+14sg+-+programming+for+fixed+wing+aircraft&sprefix=futaba+14sg%2Caps%2C230

Below is the relevant section of the reply I received from Amazon. I am not entirely clear what the final paragraph means. It appears to say that you can buy the book from Amazon.com but then apologises for any disappointment which suggests that this is not possible in Turkey. I can only suggest that you attempt to buy it from Amazon.com and contact them yourself if you are not successful. Sorry I cannot be of any more help. “Unfortunately, it is not possible to purchase Kindle contents from Turkey in Amazon.co.uk website. Sorry for the inconvenience caused. Please be informed that, Kindle content supplied from Amazon.co.uk is only available to customers located in the United Kingdom, Jersey, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Ireland and Gibraltar. Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite 3G are also available to customers living in Portugal. Customers residing outside the United Kingdom can shop for and download Kindle content from our partner sites Amazon.com, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Amazon.it, Amazon.es, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.cn, Amazon.com.br, Amazon.com.mx, Amazon.com.au and Amazon.ca if applicable. However, the residing place is Turkey will be able to shop and download Kindle contents from Amazon.com. Please accept my sincere apologies for any disappointment caused”.

Presumably you receive that message when you attempt to use Amazon.uk? Have you tried buying from one of the other Amazon sites such as Amazon.com? I imagine there will be restrictions depending on where your credit card is registered because of different taxation levels. For example, the introduction of VAT on e-books led to the recent price rises on the .UK site. There are also countries in which Amazon does not trade or possibly is not welcome. I have e-mailed Amazon Kindle support and will post their response here.