RogerParrett

Happy New Year Bax & Krysta!

I've been playing with my newly arrived 12FG (thanks Tower!). Coming from the 9CAPS, I've got a pretty good understanding of most of the functions. However, I'm a bit perplexed at the concept of Virtual Channels (the 12FG has four of them).

Can you give me a situation of when they might come in handy and/or simplify a setup?

Best Regards... Roger

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

Virtual channels are functions that you use without having to use up an actual control channel. For instance, if you want to use elevons on a flying wing, you'd normally use an elevator channel and an aileron channel and two mixes to get them to work together. Trims may be a problem, depending upon the mixer, and throws could be difficult to control. When you set up the flying wing with elevons (2 ailerons in the 12FG), you only see ailerons as the regular channels, but the elevator is a virtual channel. You set aileron AFR's as normal, and elevator AFR as normal. Throws get set up very easily because the transmitter does the mixing.

The Camber Mixing is also uses a virtual channel. Instead of a flap channel on the transmitter using a control, you set up a virtual channel as "Camber", along with the slider, switch, or knob to control it. In the Camber Mix, you then set how much flap deflection you want, how much aileron droop or reflex, and how much elevator compensation. Now you don't just deploy flaps, but you have a full aircraft setup with pitch compensation done in one swoop. No need for complex mixing.

You can do the same thing in other instances and rename the virtual channels to whatever you desire. The virtual channels can be the master control in a mix with any number of slave channels. Yet you don't "use up" one of the actual control channels in the transmitter. In our example above, you don't "use up" a channel for Camber, but still have a master AFR for the whole thing, even the ability to set a curve for how it responds, and you don't use an actual function.

Basically, you get four "bonus" functions that can be used to create custom configurations that the manufacturer hasn't thought of.

RogerParrett

Perfect. Thank you.

electricpete

This seems fantastic, is it available in the 10c
Peter

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

The 10C does not have virtual channels. They are available only on the 12FG, 12Z, and 14MZ transmitters.

Steve Collins

My Feedback: (8)

I still don't understand the concept of "virtual" channels.

Can they be used to do things like open/close a canopy or turn on/off navigation lights?

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

No. A virtual channel is a function used with mixing in the transmitter so that you can consolidate several different functions under one function. You can assign a control on the transmitter, but you don't use up any additional transmitted channels. For instance, "Camber" is a virtual channel (or function). You can assign it to a switch, knob, stick, or slider and it will control the camber of the wing by moving the flaps and ailerons to the desired positions. It will also move the elevator if you have it set to add compensation. You can then adjust how much total Camber movement you get in its own AFR section, which then adjusts how much total movement you get. You set the individual channels in their own sections. Once done, you have only one place to work with when you need to make adjustments.

You can also have virtual channels for elevons, where you use two ailerons and make elevator a virtual channel, or airbrake, and so on. It's another name for having a complex mixer and giving you an easy way to set up and adjust it.