One Minute Guide to DX6i Binding

Here's how to bind a Spektrum DX6i to a receiver.

• Tx power off
• Insert bind plug into Rx bind port.  Polarity doesn't matter
• (optional) Plug a servo into Rx AIL channel.  Not necessary, but you can use it to see if your binding worked.
• Insert ESC plug into any RX channel.  Doesn't matter which one, since we're only concerned about power.
• Rx LED will fast blink.
• Move Tx about 5-6 feet away from Rx
• Pull up Tx Trainer switch.  Turn on Tx.  Screen will show "Bind"; Keep holding Trainer switch
• Rx LED will: stop flashing; resume slow flashing; stop flashing;  Wait a couple more seconds.
• If you have a servo plugged in, it will come to life.  Test by moving AIL channel.
• Release Trainer switch.
• Power off Tx, Rx, remove bind plug.

Two biggest problems:

• Tx and Rx are too close.
• You don't hold the Trainer switch for enough time.

Mixing THRO to ELEV on DX6i

Here's some notes I posted on rcgroups about DX6i mixing.  The goal is to mix the throttle to the elevator, so that increasing the throttle doesn't make the plane rise.

• MIX1 and MIX2 are "free mixers" that can mix any two channels together
• pick THRO as the master and ELEV as the slave
• the THRO has two things that can be mixed: D and U. D for when the throttle is between 0%-50%, and U for when the throttle is between 50%-100%. (This makes more intuitive sense if you think of the rudder -- you might need some correction when turning right but not left).
• set the switch to SW = ON. This makes the mix always active. You can bind to one of the switches if you want to turn it on and off.
• pick some small values: 0% for D and -10% for U (negative percent = down)
• take off, and get some altitude.
• give lots of throttle. you should see it rise like you are used to, but a little less
• the ELEV mix is proportional to the THRO
• play with the two percentages until it's how you like it
• be careful and don't do too much at the beginning. If you mixed -100%, you would go right into the ground as soon as you throttled up!

Sugru: repairing DX6i charger port

Another note to Sugru about repairs.  This to my DX6i where the charge port had busted loose.

Here's a simple, unglamorous repair that saved me time, money, and the expense of being without a radio transmitter that I use frequently.

The battery recharging port had worked its way loose, due to a crack in the groove that holds the connector in place.  It's a standard sized connector that's available at any local electronics
store, but it turns out this particular piece is a nonstandard size and can only be replaced by sending the unit in for warranty service.

I was actually opening the case each time the unit needed to be charged; in addition to being inconvenient, I was worried that the wires attached to the case would undergo more stress than they were designed for and might work their way loose.

I considered using epoxy, but then the connector would be permanently bonded to the case, and if it ever went bad I would have even more work to put things right.

The sugru worked perfectly; the connector is held very tightly and resists the pressure when the power cable is attached;  and if I should ever need to remove the connector, the Sugro can be easily scraped away with a small blade.

The work took about 10 minutes including opening and closing the case, and I let the Sugru cure overnight before testing, so I didn't have any downtime related to the repair.  I didn't bother making it
pretty since (a) there wasn't a lot of room for my fat fingers, and (b) with any luck it will be many years before somebody has to look at the inside of the case again.  I guess if it ever gets stolen I'll have the perfect identifier -- my fingerprints permanently embedded inside the case!

And the package of Sugru was so much cheaper than the shipping cost of returning the unit to the manufacturer (via tracked mail) I'm money ahead as well!

Thanks again Sugru, you've saved me time and money!

Wireless Trainer Port

Saw this linked from RCGroups, but couldn't figure out who did it or where it's written up.

Basic Idea:

• student's Tx is bound to the Rx
• Rx has trainer cable wired to battery port
• PPM signals feed into the trainer port from the receiver
• For simulator, can power from USB

Dx6i Elevon Mixing for SuperFly

Update:  Superfly Guru Hance over at RCGroups has a better solution than the one I originally used. Here it is.  I've gone through the steps below and verified it works great... Thanks Hance!


Transmitter: Spektrum DX6i
Receiver: OrangeRX Spektrum DSM2 6ch

Reset Memory

• Start by resetting the settings for this model:
  [MENU / SETUP LIST (9)/ COPY/RESET (12) / RESET]
• This only resets one model memory, not the entire DX6i. 
• This resets your model name as well.

Receiver Setup

• Engine (ESC) to throttle.
• Right (starboard) servo to aileron.
• Left (port) servo to AUX1.

Left Stick

• Nothing needs to be done.
• Throttle will work as expected.
• Rudder channel not used.

Aileron Control

• At this stage, only the right elevon should move.
• Aileron right:  right elevon up.
• If the right elevon moves down, reverse the aileron controls:
  [MENU / SETUP LIST (9) / REVERSE (4) / AILE-R]

Elevator control

• Move elevator up and down.
• Nothing should happen at this time.

Wing Tail Mix

• Set the wing tail mix to "dual aileron" mode:
  [MENU / SETUP LIST (9) / WING TAIL MIX (6) / DUALAILE ACT]

Check control surfaces again

• Aileron stick right: right elevon up, left elevon down.
• Aileron stick left: left elevon up, right elevon down.
• If left elevon motion is backwards, reverse flap channel:
  [MENU / SETUP LIST (9) / REVERSE (4) / FLAP-R]
• If right elevon motion is backwards, reverse aileron channel:
  [MENU / SETUP LIST (9) / REVERSE (4) / AILE-R]

Elevator

• Set MIX 1 to active:
• [ MENU / MIX1 (6) / ACT ]
• This will give you a new menu for MIX 1.
• Change first row to: ELEV -> FLAP ACT.
• Change second row to: RATE D -100% U -100%.
• You may need to set the rate to +100% if the servos are reversed.
• Change third row to  SW ON TRIM ACT.

Final Test

• right stick:  right elevon up, left elevon down
• left stick:  left elevon up, right elevon down
• stick back:  both elevons up
• stick forward: both elevons down

"Classic" Dx6i Mixing

Here's the "standard" instructions for the Dx6i

Here's the steps I used to set elevon mixing with my Dx6i / Superfly combo.  Thanks to  brandonrc for his YouTube walkthrough that explained about using Mix1 and Mix2.

todo: another rcgroups discussion, are they in agreement?
    Spektrum DX6i Elevon Weirdness: Worse Than You Think
         Fix For Elevon Routines

Radio Hardware

• transmitter: Dx6i
• receiver: 6110e

Servo Connections

• Left servo, connect to ELEV
• Right servo, connect to AILE

Set Elevon Mode

• menu: ADJUST LIST / SETUP LIST (9) / WING TAIL MIX (6)
• set ELEVON = ACT (all others INH)

Set Proper Reverse (I haven't heard anybody else mention this, but if I didn't reverse AILE then the controls were rotated 90 degree, i.e. which I mean elevator and aileron controls were swapped.)

• menu: ADJUST LIST / SETUP LIST (9) / REVERSE (4)
• set AILE = R (all others =N)

Get Full Servo Throws:

• menu: ADJUST LIST / MIX 1 (6)
• set ELEV -> ELEV ACT
• set RATE D = 125%
• set RATE U = 125%
• set TRIM = ACT
• menu: ADJUST LIST / MIX 2 (7)
• set AILE -> AILE ACT
• set RATE D = 125%
• set RATE U = 125%
• set TRIM = ACT 

125% is the maximum mix adjustment you can select.  The SuperFly manual recommends starting with throws of 1.5 inches up and 1.5 inches  down and adjusting to taste, so use whatever value gives you the control you like.