Tutorial For Futaba 14SG and DJI Phantom 2

[BrandonBallard]

Greetings everyone, I promised a tutorial so here it is!

Special thanks to llavalle because I used one of his pictures and this is basically a conversion of his original tutorial for the Phantom 1 located here. Also thanks to peec for helping me and basically directing me to llavalle's tutorial in the first place.

This tutorial will be broken into two parts...

1. The Physical Installation
2. The Transmitter Setup

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Part 1 - The Physical Installation

First thing, lets remove your battery and the propellers from the Phantom 2, just for safety.

Tools you will need for both parts of the tutorial...

1. Double Sided Adhesive
2. Small Zip Ties
3. Scissors
4. X-Acto Knife
5. DJI Screw Driver (Included With Phantom 2)
6. #2 Metric Allen Wrench
7. SD Memory Card (SD: 32MB-2GB or SDHC 4GB-32GB)
8. Microsoft Windows PC With Card Reader

Let's Get Started...


Step 1

Turn your phantom upside down and remove the 16 screws holding the top cover on. (12 Allen heads and 4 Phillips heads)

Step 2

Upright your Phantom 2 and slowly pull the top cover off, you’ll find a GPS cable connecting to the main board, take a picture for reference and unplug it. Put the top cover and it’s screws somewhere safe for now.

Step 3

Remove the two Phillips Screws holding the stock Receiver in place, put them in a tupperware bowl or something.

Step 4

Get your X-Acto knife and cut the glue on the plug indicated below, pull that plug off gentlty. Unplug the third plug from the right on the Naza as indicated below.

Step 5

Slide the stock Receiver out from around the main board, then turn the Phantom 2 upside down and remove the rubber grommet and the 2 antennas from the legs. Pull the antennas up and out the top of the Phantom 2.

Step 6

Take the RS7008SB Receiver and use this nice video to turn it to Mode 2. Mode 2 turns Channel #8 into a S.BUS connector, we will not be using Channel #8 for this tutorial but atleast it will be set.
Tip: If you can't find a way to power the receiver you can do this after you complete "Step 8" and just use the Phantom 2 as the power.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDqLrvf6Il4[/youtube]

Step 7

Get some two sided adhesive and your Futaba R7008SB Receiver, mount it something like the pictures below.

Notes
1. Make sure you leave a gap between the Receiver and the Naza because they should not touch.
2. Make sure you mount the new Receiver on the opposite side of the stock Receiver, because it won’t fit anywhere else.
3. I stacked three layers of adhesive so I could mount it over the large positive and negative battery wires.

Step 8

Plug the wire we disconnected from the stock Receiver earlier and plug it into the S.Bus2 port on the Futaba R7008SB Receiver as indicated below.

Step 9

Run the antennas for the Futaba R7008SB Receiver out the nearest leg hole, make sure you put the antennas 90° from each other.

Step 10

Replace any Zip Ties you may of had to cut, and just make sure you got everything right, you also have two options at this point...

1. You can leave your top cover off until you've completed "Part 2 - The Transmitter Setup".
2. You can put your top cover back on and make sure you reconnect your GPS cable and tighten your screws.

Regardless, make sure you reconnect your GPS cable and tighten your screws. :evil:

 

[BrandonBallard]

Re: Tutorial For 14SG and DJI Phantom 2

Part 2 - The Transmitter Setup

Prerequisites:
1. You've completed "Part 1 - The Physical Installation" of this tutorial.
2. You have the Phantom 2 Assistant Software installed and working.
3. You have an SD card on hand (SD: 32MB-2GB or SDHC 4GB-32GB).
4. You have a Microsoft Windows PC with a Card Reader.

If you don't have DJI's Phantom 2 Assistant Software installed you can download it and other Phantom 2 related software below...

http://www.dji.com/download/phantom-2-downloads/

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Step 1 - Downloading The Files
Download my preconfigured 14SG Profile by clicking the link below, it includes a copy of Futaba's File System Utility, it is all in a ".zip" file you will need to extract.

Click Here For Phantom 2 14SG Profile!

File Contents:
Futaba File System Utility.exe
Instructions (FFSU).pdf
PHANTOM 2 File

Step 2 - Formatting The SD Card
WARNING: Only use an SD Card that DOES NOT have important data on it, when you insert this card into the 14SG it will format the card and erase EVERYTHING.

1. Insert the SD card into the SD card slot of the T14SG.
2. Turn on the T14SG power. When an unformatted card is inserted, the "This Card Has Not Been Initialized" screen will appear.
3. If the T14SG is ready to format, move the cursor to [FORMAT] and touch the RTN button.
4. Move the cursor to [YES] and touch the RTN button.
Formatting starts. During formatting, the [NOW FORMATTING...] message is displayed.
When formatting is completed, the [FORMAT COMPLETED] message is displayed. Depending on the card capacity and speed, formatting may take as long as several minutes.
[IMPORTANT] Do not turn off the power until the [FORMAT COMPLETED] message is displayed.
5. End formatting by touching the RTN button.
6. Turn off the T14SG power.
7. Remove the SD card.

Step 3 - Importing The Profile
1. Insert the SD card into your computer.
2. Execute the "Futaba File System Utility.exe" located in the .zip file you downloaded and extracted in Step 1.
3. Go to "File" and then "Mount", and select the SD card, and then click "OK".
4. Click (Highlight) the lowest number on the list that is not greyed out.
5. Go to "Edit" and then "Import", and select the "PHANTOM 2" file located in the .zip you downloaded and extracted in Step 1.
6. You should now see on the number you chose the "PHANTOM 2" profile!
7. Go to "File", click "Unmount", and then click "OK", and close the program.
8. Remove your SD card from the computer.

Step 4 - Installing The Profile
1. Insert the SD card into the SD card slot of the T14SG.
2. Turn on the T14SG power.
3. Double tap "LNK" on the touch sensor to get to the "LINKAGE MENU"
4. Scroll to "MODEL SEL." and and touch the RTN button.
5. Scroll to "TX" on the left and change it to "CARD" and and touch the RTN button.
6. Scroll to "PHANTOM 2" on the right and touch the RTN button.
7. Scroll to "COPY" on the right and touch the RTN button.
8. Your screen should look like the image below...

9. Scroll to "COPY", and touch the RTN button, and then hold the RTN button for 1 second.
10. Turn off the T14SG power.
11. Remove the SD card.

Step 5 - Command Stick Calibration
1. Connect the Phantom 2 to your computer with the Micro USB cable.
2. Turn on the Phantom 2.
3. Turn on the T14SG power.
4. Open the Phantom 2 Assistant Software
5. Go to the "Basic" page and change the Elevator and Throttle channels from "NORM" to "REV".
6. Start a "Command Stick Calibration" by clicking the "START" button in it's section.
7. Move all of the sticks throughout their complete range several times.
8. Click the "FINISH" button when you finished the above procedure.
9. When you release the sticks they should all return to 0 or be very near 0.

Step 6 - X1 Calibration
1. Start a "X1 Calibration" by clicking the "START" button in the X1 Calibration section.
2. Move the left bottom "LS" Slide Lever up and down maxing out it's range several times.
3. Click the "FINISH" button when you finished the above procedure.

Step 7 - Confirming The Controls
1. Go to the "View" page in the Phantom 2 Assistant Software.
2. Confirm that the "SA" switch (IOC) throws the "X2" channel to the +783 (Up), 0 (Middle), and -784 (Down) values.
3. Confirm that the "SD" switch (CMS) throws the "U" channel to the -783 (Up), 0 (Middle), and +784 (Down) values.
4. Confirm that the "LS" Slide Lever (Gimbal) throws the "X1" channel to the -1000 (Up), and +1000 (Down) values.

Congratulations, We're Done!

Your Controls Are...

SA = Intelligent Orientation Control
SB = Control Mode Switch
SE = Timer (Up Is Start, Middle Is Stop, Down Is Reset)
SF = Limits The Rudder Control To 50% Speed (For Slow Pans)
SH = Momentary Failsafe Switch (This Will Throw You Into Failsafe Regardless of Mode)
LS = Gimbal Tilt (Left Bottom Slide Lever)

Basically I've tried to make the T14SG as similar to the original transmitter's switches as possible (referring to the "SA" and "SD" switches).

Note: Because the T14SG does not have a self centering throttle like the original DJI transmitter I have set a throttle curve in the profile to create a sort of "dead zone" in the middle. I have flown it for a week and I'm already used to it.

 

[djiatl]

This is fantastic! Looking forward to the second part. Thanks! :mrgreen:

 

[BrandonBallard]

Part 2 is done! This was my first tutorial so let me know what you guys think of it, if you have any questions let me know. :mrgreen:

 

[ginsonic]

Part 2 is done! This was my first tutorial so let me know what you guys think of it, if you have any questions let me know. :mrgreen:

Thanks again for your support! I will receive my P2 on 16 January, can't wait to set-up with new Futuba . BTW I got an universal Futuba 14SG, and he come with helicopter mode set-up (but can be changed anytime into airplane one) and autocenter (alike DJI stock RC).

 

[Bugatti]

Fantastic tutorial Brandon! Thanks a bunch! One question ... in the video to change the mode of Futaba 7008SB receiver how do you power the receiver? What do I need to power the receiver?? I do not have any extra batteries other than what came with Futaba 14SG.

 

[James Cole]

Fantastic tutorial Brandon! Thanks a bunch! One question ... in the video to change the mode of Futaba 7008SB receiver how do you power the receiver? What do I need to power the receiver?? I do not have any extra batteries other than what came with Futaba 14SG.

When you buy the 14SG it comes with a cable to power the TX using the stock RX battery... or you could plug it into the phantom as the instructions state... both will work.

 

[Hiway]

Greetings everyone, I promised a tutorial so here it is!

...

You give fantastic tutorial... bet you have to beat the women off with a stick.

Very well done

 

[BrandonBallard]

Fantastic tutorial Brandon! Thanks a bunch! One question ... in the video to change the mode of Futaba 7008SB receiver how do you power the receiver? What do I need to power the receiver?? I do not have any extra batteries other than what came with Futaba 14SG.

You can use the Phantom 2 as the power source after you finish step 8 of the tutorial.

I've updated the tutorial with this tip...

Tip: If you can't find a way to power the receiver you can do this after you complete "Step 8" and just use the Phantom 2 as the power.

 

[ianwood]

Will this tutorial work for the Futaba T8FGS as well? I just picked one up. The setup looks very similar, if not the same.

Also, if you like the self-centering left stick, apparently you can email Futaba and they will send out the spring assembly for it. I just emailed them so can't vouch for this yet but if you search for it on the Google, you'll see others have done it.

 

[BrandonBallard]

Will this tutorial work for the Futaba T8FGS as well? I just picked one up. The setup looks very similar, if not the same.

I think the physical installation will be the same except for the channel/port you use on the receiver. The software profile will not work, BUT if you follow llavalle's tutorial located here it should resemble in configuration.

Also, if you like the self-centering left stick, apparently you can email Futaba and they will send out the spring assembly for it. I just emailed them so can't vouch for this yet but if you search for it on the Google, you'll see others have done it.

Yes, if you call or email a technician they will send you the spring assembly for free (they did for me anyway), but for right now I've decided to fly without it.

 

[Jdacal]

Brandon thanks so much for the tutorial, very well done. Which part of the 14SG menu would I have to get to to change your "SF" switch to "SG" instead?

I've been looking through the manual for about an hour and can't seem to find it. Or at least its explained in a way that I'm not making the mental connection with it. Futaba is new to me, I had only worked with Spektrum in the past.

 

[BrandonBallard]

Brandon thanks so much for the tutorial, very well done. Which part of the 14SG menu would I have to get to to change your "SF" switch to "SG" instead?

I've been looking through the manual for about an hour and can't seem to find it. Or at least its explained in a way that I'm not making the mental connection with it. Futaba is new to me, I had only worked with Spektrum in the past.

Below is a piece of llavalle's tutorial located here, it should help you with this, modify accordingly.

5-Setting dual rate for slow pans
-Navigate to Model - Dual Rate
-Chose the Rudder
-Go down under the position #2 and select "SF", the big 2 position switch on the left.

-Switch the SF switch forward to change the mode, you should see the arrow setting to "2" now.
-Change both to values to 50

-Now switching the position of the switch will affect the curve

 

[Jdacal]

Thanks Brandon, will read through the other tutorial as well. Learning a lot this week.

 

[HeadintheClouds]

Great tutorial, thanks. Can anyone please confirm that this would also be the same procedure for installing the R2008SB receiver for use with the Futaba T8J?

Many thanks.

 

[MikeSD]

Question: If you used Mode 4 (D), on the R7008, instead of Mode 2 (B) would that also work AND give you extra channels (i.e. 9-15 + S-Bus) tha could be used as a video switch (for a 2nd camera), for instance?

RE: S-Bus: Is S-Bus2 always available on the seperate connector, regardless of mode setting?

Swash Type

For a Quad, like the Phantom 2, what is the swash type?

 

[goldfishrock]

Great tutorial, thanks. Can anyone please confirm that this would also be the same procedure for installing the R2008SB receiver for use with the Futaba T8J?

I'd be intersted in that too. I've just purchased the T8J + R2008SB to fit to my P2.... Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[rockandice]

I am hoping you all can help with my issue. I have done the installation and all appears correct. The Naza software show the sticks all work, and all is good to go. I cant get my phantom to start up, using the normal startup. What am I forgetting to do, or is the startup something new. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[skeeter]

Thank you very much for the tut!! Nice!

Edited: They are OK now...not sure what was going on...the IOC was backwards and off by a bit earlier...hmmmm...lack of coffee perhaps....

On mine: SA (X2)

Up = +783
Center = 0
Down = -784




Thanks again!

..sk

 

[Ozon8r]

Has any P2 owner that added the R7008SB receiver also added the sbs-01g GPS telemetry sensor to their phantom? If so, did you add a hub or terminal to accommodate the phantom sbus as well as the sensor? Any thoughts?

While I have the mini osd for speed distance height and orientation relative to the home position, I thought it might be nice to have gps coordinates if the quad goes down.


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