Binding a tinyhawk freestyle to a tiny x-8 tx

[gruvhed]

Hi guys, new member and first time poster:

I've got a Team Blacksheep transmitter off of a rtf tiny whoop nano (looks like a kingkong tiny x8 transmitter), and a emax tinyhawk freestyle bnf that I've been trying to bind together with no luck.

Not sure if the drone isn't binding, or the transmitter. I'd read online that I need to flash the transmitter with a d8 frsky protocol, which I think I did with the Kingkong windows app, but now looks like I lost the controller presets and still can't bind to tinyhawk. Not even sure where to start figuring out how to get started. Please help!

 

[Dugdog47]

You say you got a transmitter off a tiny whoop? Do you maybe mean receiver?

One thing I know for sure, tbs is crossfire and is not compatible with d8 frsky protocol. You'll have to use a tx that is compatible with frsky.

 

[gruvhed]

Thanks, didn't realize the TBS used crossfire protocols on their tiny whoop nano. Was assuming the controller was frsky d8/d16.

Does that mean that if I flash the tx8 controller with a frsky d8 protocol it still won't work because the transmitter is crossfire? Or can the same radio be used for both assuming it's flashed with the right protocol?

Sorry, still a noob when it comes to grown up radio stuff, all my other quads are toy grade whoops or cheap wifi drones so still learning.

 

[Dugdog47]

When you say tx8 I'm assuming you mean this:

If so you shouldn't have to flash anything as it's internal module comes compatible with d8.

 

[gruvhed]

Actually it's more like a kingkong ldarc tiny x-8 (but came with the TBS tiny whoop nano RTF kit)

 

[Dugdog47]

Ah okay cool. I think those are actually frsky. Maybe try d16 for the tinyhawk.

 

[wafflejock]

Yah just to clarify some stuff you actually just need binding between the TX (controller) and receiver, in the case of tinyhawk it's a bit confusing because I'm pretty sure the receiver is baked in to the single board that also has the FC and brushless ESC (true all in one).

Also to further confuse matters you can use the FC MCU to send a signal to the receiver chipset to get it into "binding mode", or you can usually hold a bind button on the board while plugging in. I prefer the former method of using the betaflight CLI to put the receiver into binding mode when that works, but it depends on connection between FC and receiver and certain communications between them so the Betaflight CLI/FC can send the signal to receiver to go into binding mode.

After you have your TX and receiver connected to each other the other part is making sure the betaflight configuration tab has the right protocol selected for the receiver (FrSky) and saved, and then finally going to the receiver tab to make sure that moving the sticks is getting values sent from the receiver to the FC.

 

[wafflejock]

Also if you already had the tiny hawk working or it had default firmware flashed then you shouldn't need to adjust the receiver protocol selection on the configuration tab in betaflight and can just focus on getting the TX to bind to the receiver. Like @Dugdog47 mentioned too there are two "sub-protcol" options within FrSky namely D8 or D16, believe it has to do with number of channels sent, in general you only need 4-5 channels I think for your control inputs AETR and an arm switch (usually modes switch as well so make it 6), but different receivers and transmitters are sometimes set to different versions of that "sub-protocol" and it needs to match.

 

[wafflejock]

General procedure is

1 get quad into binding mode by holding button or using CLI commands
2 get TX into binding mode using menus on controller or by holding some button/momentary switch while starting up
3 wait for TX to stop scanning indicating it found the receiver and is bound (or give up after a few minutes and hope it worked anyway ), also look for indication on RX that it was in binding mode and has now changed ideally (from flashing to solid or red to green or whatever state change)
4 check receiver tab for data, if not showing try to restart quad (power off disconnected from computer full cold start again)

 

[wafflejock]

Here's a link that has the CLI options for putting a receiver into binding mode, I think the regular bind_rx one worked for me on the tinyhawk but looks like it is somewhat firmware dependent too:

Bind your SPI receiver via Betaflight CLI

If your receiver is connected via SPI, you don’t need to fumble for the bind button - simply bind from the Betaflight CLI with the bind command.

brushlesswhoop.com

 

[gruvhed]

whoa I think they should issue an IQ test before they agree to sell someone a drone.

Lots to digest, will have to find time to try the different methods. My wife's already jealous of my drone habit, I suspect if I go further down the rabbit hole she'll become an RC widow.

Will update here if I can get the tinyhawk off the ground.

Thanks for the help guys

 

[wafflejock]

Haha it is a lot to take in especially at first and all at once, hence I try to keep quiet if others appear to be helping out in simpler terms since I tend to go straight into the deep end . It's a character fault.

Anywhoo yah once you get things bound and control inputs mapped you're in a much better place in terms of getting the thing off the ground. Protocols and getting signals and enough power are all difficult especially if a beginner to electronics stuff (I have a BS in CS from depaul and it still mostly baffles my mind ). If you had a jumper or other tx that ran open TX and had a screen I think dugdog or I could give direct step by step but hard to know all the gear out there.

 

[gruvhed]

Thanks for all the help guys. Still no dice getting flight, and think it might be outside my current skillset getting everything up and running with the tiny x8 controller. (Even to arm the drone the instructions say to flip the corner switch to position 1, the tiny x8 doesn't have a 3 position toggle there, instead two mystery buttons).
Ended up biting the bullet and ordered an emax controller. (Someday will bite bigger bullet and pick up a Taranis). It's coming Tuesday, so fingers crossed I'll be in the air by then.

 

[gruvhed]

So funny story regarding the tinyhawk freestyle...
After tips from all the helpful users here, YouTube tutorials, and talking with a drone store clerk over the phone, I was able to bind the emax e6 transmitter to the tinyhawk.

That thing has so much pep, I managed to fly it for twenty minutes, then in acro mode accidentally gunned it, and it went into the clouds, out of tx and goggle range. About half an hour later, driving around the neighborhood I picked up a faint signal in a part of neighborhood. Somehow I managed to wander onto a hidden psychiatric campus and was escorted out by the manager after having to explain that I wasn't trying to secretly photograph high profile patients.

From now on angle mode only until I get better.

Never did manage to find that drone, although I learned alot from the entire experience.

Thanks so much to dugdog and wafflejock for all the help.

 

[wafflejock]

So funny story regarding the tinyhawk freestyle...
After tips from all the helpful users here, YouTube tutorials, and talking with a drone store clerk over the phone, I was able to bind the emax e6 transmitter to the tinyhawk.

That thing has so much pep, I managed to fly it for twenty minutes, then in acro mode accidentally gunned it, and it went into the clouds, out of tx and goggle range. About half an hour later, driving around the neighborhood I picked up a faint signal in a part of neighborhood. Somehow I managed to wander onto a hidden psychiatric campus and was escorted out by the manager after having to explain that I wasn't trying to secretly photograph high profile patients.

From now on angle mode only until I get better.

Never did manage to find that drone, although I learned alot from the entire experience.

Thanks so much to dugdog and wafflejock for all the help.

Hahaha thanks for sharing the story definitely good for a laugh . On the plus side they didn't ask you to stay

 

[Dugdog47]

Haha yeah people freak about "camera drones" lol.

The good news is you can just buy any bnf kwad with a frsky receiver and use that tx and goggles.

Happy flying!