RC Basics: Introduction to how a RC radio system works

[@xdarite1357]

I just came across this channel while trying to learn how a quadcopter works. I know these videos are eight years old, but this guy seriously deserves more love. The sheer amount of effort he puts into these videos are genuinely worthy of a full course on Udemy or some similar platform.

[@arkaroy7531]

Absolutely ❤

[@aperson-x5k]

youtube will never die bc of people like him

[@lawrencemay8671]

I’ve looked at about 20;videos. In almost all categories of info, you Brits seem to give a better understanding of what ever category of info I’m looking for.

[@mungkey]

For a noob like me, these are gold. Even those who have prior knowledge can still take a lot from the videos you make. Thanks a lot man, really.

[@Painless360]

mungkey Thanks for the feedback, too often those of us in the hobby forget that when you are new to RC, or coming back into it after a break, not everything is obvious and simple overviews can help plug the gaps in knowledge and provide a much needed basic understanding to learn from. Best of luck with your journey into RC. I have an 'Introduction to RC' playlist that this is part of that will give you loads of useful tips and tricks..Happy flying!

[@mig4868]

Painless360 I just bought an rc yacht and it's controller won't even activate. But from what I heard from you about frequencies, I can get a new controller for it, just as long as it has the same frequency as the 27MHZ transmitter inside.

[@حيدرصالحعوض]

Hi

[@stopitwithusernames]

absolutely agree! These have been the videos I've been searching for!

[@ravibrewster]

not only is the content clear and concise, but the delivery style is smooth and very well paced. thank you so much.

[@Painless360]

+Ravi Brewster thanks for the feedback, we do put a lot of effort into making these potentially confusing subjects easy to understand.. Happy flying!

[@haydengrundy1563]

I just wanted to thank you six years later, because this was the first video I watched to learn how to set up the electronics.

[@ashwin1332]

he still out here liking comments 6 years later. what a legend

[@hondavalk]

Wow, thanks so much. I am a 62 yr old female and have just discovered RC boating. I had to buy 2 boats before I finally got the one I wanted (now I own three). I just bought a Spectrum Trans and Rec to put in one of my other boats. Now, thanks to you, I think I can do it. Once you know enough on your own the hobby is very enjoyable, especially since I live right on lake Erie! Again, thank you!

[@Painless360]

Jane Thorkelson Thanks for the feedback. If you ever make an aircraft carrier then you could have the best of both worlds ;) Happy flying.. no.. Happy sailing!

[@TheGreyGhost_of43rd]

You still into rc boating!? The most undercovered subject or category on KZbin

[@ulysses_grant]

I don't know why it took me so long to come accross our channel. I'm always searching for RF contents in YT and I only found your video today! DEFINITELY subscribed! Thank you!

[@035746uk]

Just trying to figure out remote control and this, although a few years old, is by far the best and easiest to understand explanation I have ever come across . Many thanks. I can now go forward with a bit more confidence with my model boat RC

[@Painless360]

This is a Spektrum DX7. It is very old tech now. See my more recent videos on modern radios for current choices... Happy flying

[@theotherroad6654]

There are many ppl out there that try to explain the RC magic. You have really done it! Thanks for your efforts and I look forward to your other videos.

[@imemyself2820]

I started watching this as a completely blank slate and ended up knowing what to do and why. This vid is essential!

[@Painless360]

Glad it made sense, check out the other videos in the 'Introduction to remote control' playlist for more of the basics.. Happy flying!

[@tombrown8829]

Thank you. Been a jag and bimmer tech all my life and realise the same tech is in rc now. Starting again and learning.

[@rwseemore1]

Outstanding information, haven't done RC since the 1970,s and it has changed a lot. Your instructions were great and confirmed my desire to get into it again. Will keep this video and watch again as it covers a lot of useful information. Thanks for the valued instructions

[@robertsimmons1716]

Excellent tutorial! I’ve been out of this for 40 years and had no clue.

[@nickbarsby3378]

That is brilliant! Just thinking of returning to RC after a break of about 15yrs. You've answered a lot of questions! There aren't too many model shops left that you can just wander into and ask these days!

[@Painless360]

Sadly that's true but there are lots of playlists in the channel designed for pilots like you to get back into it all. The hobby has become more diverse with more powerful radios, kit and models with more diversity than ever. It's a fun place to be.. Best of luck

[@ChrisZwolinski]

This is excellent!! I have been out of the hobby for so many years that my old radios are probably not even legal anymore. (27mhz) Many new things to play with and learn. Thank you.

[@Tyler-ev7xq]

You need a ham license then it's legal

[@johnpeabody6166]

was 35 mhz for planes and 27mhz for boats?

[@ChrisZwolinski]

@@Tyler-ev7xq Didn't need a ham license back in the old days........However I do have my general license. Tried the radio and the servos where seized up. Got a Jumper T8SG Plus and a couple receivers.

[@ChrisZwolinski]

@@johnpeabody6166 the difference was that 27 Mhz could be used by anyone. 35Mhz required a amateur radio license. Didn't matter if you were using it for a plane, boat , car or helicopter. Back in the olden days, we didn't have multirotors like we do now. 😄😄

[@electricman8545]

I'm getting back to the rc hobby since 4 years of break. Glad I found this video

[@neopositivity]

I've seen a million videos on this was the 1st one that actually gave me a good understanding of pwm ppm and sbus. Great job

[@scottobrien3484]

Very useful video. I’m from the crystal days so this clears things up nicely…. Thank you 😊

[@peterk5782]

I learned more on this then I have on many channels. Well put together. Thank you

[@arthurcayer6630]

I’ve been out of RC for thirty-five years. This vid is properly awesome. Well done.

[@Painless360]

Welcome back! The hobby is amazing with so much cool stuff to try out, fly-drive-sail. Best of luck!

[@johncloutier5196]

Very good job explaining. I am building an RC Destroyer but with no experience with RC so I’ve gotten a lot of parts from my local hobby shop but trying to figure out how they go together. Thank you! John

[@blessingpeace]

WOW i am newbie and your video flew me away, too all other newbies make sure you watch the whole video , thank you mr. painless

[@ronaldkondler5792]

Dear Painless!! You have taken me from knowing absolutely nothing, to a level that at least puts me into the "game"! Your weight should be in GOLD, sir! I have searched for days on KZbin looking for information like what you have just presented, as I am trying to do a remote control of a kayak rudder assembly to eliminate unsightly control lines that remind me of a spider web!! I simply cannot thank you enough!!

[@JoeWood73]

Coming back to the hobby after many years, I found this very helpful! Radios have come a long way since I last bought one. Thank you.

[@goode426]

So many wonderful comments from New guy's you have helped like me make sense of all this electronic stuff, so they have said it better than I could. You are a great teacher and have a way of making things easy to understand. So today I am subscribing to your chanel and I want to thank you so much for your time and effort the hours, and days you have given to simply help people as myself (to understand so We could fly! I do not take this for granted. You are could have just chosen to spend your time flying. Thank you and cheers to you Sir!

[@Painless360]

Welcome to the channel. I'm all about education not entertainment so the content isn't all click-bait but is about helping get into the air and use the technology with the minimum of stress. Check out the playlists that are designed around topics that start simply and help you learn all about the subject. Best of luck!

[@goode426]

@@Painless360 Thanks!

[@jimsodowsky1298]

Very good as am just getting back into RC after a long hiatus. Tks

[@DaveFer]

Really great explanation. Glad you got down to the PWM level. I'm brand new to RC, but have done PWM programming against bare metal, so this was perfect for my need.

[@DiscoverRajivVlogs]

This is advantage of watching long video, you get ton of information. This tutorial is ultimate.👍

[@Painless360]

Thank you for the comment, sometimes it feels like entire generations have developed a 6 min attention span so often the fix that the viewer is looking for is missed.. Happy flying!

[@djwak59]

VERY nice ! Although I admit, I’ll probably go over everything a few more times. I’m just getting into plane flying cus I’m a drone guy, and I’m used to controllers that come with the drone. Now I need to understand how all the pieces fit together, rather than having the everything already set up by the manufacturer. Thanks so much ! Very informative. I look forward to your other videos of how to.

[@flying30west5]

Thanks for the intro....Leaned a ton! I and from the FM receiver world....

[@tedmundsmith2006]

Hello painless just wanted to say thank you for this video i use to fly a heli back in the day with airtronics radio and im looking at getting a new heli but i saw that the radios are running 2.4 ghz so i knew there was something new i didn't understand so searching youtube i found that your video seamed to cut through the bs and just give me the info i needed so thank you for that and until next time Happy flying

[@Painless360]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYqxg42Mf66fbc0 may be of interest too. Best of luck!

[@poedo4ever]

Very helpful video,for a beginner,[like Me]. So different from our cousins across the Atlantic,who love the sound of their own voice. Recently,One Gentleman,spent 50 seconds,talking about the Box the Controller came in.

[@Painless360]

:D Thanks for the comment, this channel has always been about education more than entertainment (unlike a lot of other channels). It means that I get a lot less subscribers and views but the content is a lot more useful to those that need it! Happy flying!

[@joemoore1379]

I am quite new to rc but i understand a lot more about my rc's now that i have watched this video. Very good detailed descriptions, thank you very much!

[@attorney1100]

I am trying to get into RC radio systems and I really understand perfectly this video. Thank you very much.

[@Painless360]

Great to hear - lots more videos in the 'Introduction to RC' series on the channel that may help too.. Best of luck!

[@m18794]

Great video , im in my 70s but love this kind of stuff, i love to know how all this kind of stuff works well explained in detail, its brilliant !!

[@Painless360]

Thank you for the comment, please see my introduction to remote control series for lots more videos like this. Happy flying.

[@walterpickford3204]

Excellent explanation of a very technical subject. Plain language but not over simplified.

[@Dulema]

I have been interested in getting into RC as a hobby since there is so much you can do with it. Everywhere I have looked on the internet to get a crash course for beginners was way too complicated and always lost me very quickly. Your video was excellently excecuted, well planned, and I greatly appreciate the time you took to apply visual aids when needed. I found it very entertaining and highly informative. I retained most if not all the concepts you explained and now I feel that I have a much better grasp of the workings of RC. This was a very intimidating hurdle for me to overcome and you helped a lot! Thank you very much!

[@Painless360]

Thank you, check out the other videos in the series for more of the basics explained for newcomers: kzbin.info/aero/PLYsWjANuAm4oWuE5ZDX4TAiHBv2i0Xl4m

[@samwillard5688]

My Goodness, Thank you for this series!

[@davidmg1925]

Congratulations on a truly excellent [edit; exceptional] tutorial. Very eloquent, informative and also easy to follow.

[@Painless360]

Thanks for the feedback and welcome to the channel. Lots of the basics covered in the 'Introduction to Remote Control' series..

[@mikeharnett2410]

Getting back into R/C after a long absence but digital? What's digital? This video is perfectly understandable, clear, and concise. I now understand all of the gobbelty-gook I've been hearing about. Thank you for a great explanation. Now to put what I've just learned into practice. Wish me luck.

[@DiscoverRajivVlogs]

I'm not a expert, but it's true that signal will be encoded/ encryption to avoid any interference.

[@charliedoubl]

This video has helped a lot!!! I’m new to the hobby, and I’ve been having trouble understanding the terminology and all the other stuff. Thanks for putting in the time to make this!!

[@Painless360]

+Charlie Payne glad it helped, check out the 'introduction to remote control' series on the channel. That covers a lot of the basics and should give you a decent grounding in the terminology too. Best of luck

[@zerobro44]

The fact that 2015 was 9 years ago makes me feel old lmao. Really good tutorial though !

[@dkathrens77]

I am a noob here in the RC world. Some electronic, radio and telemetry training and experience in other fields. Your explanations have made it clear to me, without stating it explicitly! Do I in fact understand that the RC communication link is one-way, that is, from ground to the aircraft? It seems that in the case of servo only control, say a glider, the Pilot is the feedback loop. In the case of a multirotor UAVs, and intelligent motor speed control, the Pilot is aided by a programmed flight controller that contains its own control logics, such as PID control, and of course ESC control for the motors. Finally I ask how is telemetry handled? I thought at least some basic telemetry was transmitted back to the ground, to be displayed on the RC controller. And optionally more telemetry using a separate radio/antenna system. Thanks for your valuable efforts.

[@Painless360]

Most modern links are two way now so that you can get telemetry data back to the radio (see CRSF, SmartPort and others). There are options for separate telemetry but those are usually used for more professional rigs.. Happy flying!

[@keithpanzer3099]

Well done, concise, simplistic. Great for a beginner

[@David-bs6bv]

Thank you for these fundamentals and explanations. I used to fly many years ago (channel 49 crystal lol) and I'm looking to get back into it and am realizing how much has changed.

[@samueleboh8965]

sincerely speaking the video was an eye opener.

[@Painless360]

+Samuel Eboh glad it helped! See other videos in the 'Introduction to Remote Control' series for more explanations.. happy flying!

[@pieterprins2942]

Your introduction video was very clear and answered some urgent questions I had with binding a new receiver to my transmitter. Thanks, I will certainly see more of your video's.

[@Rabsian]

Thank you, much appreciated. To a newbie this can all be quite confusing. Your vids are helping so much.

[@Painless360]

You're welcome. Check out the other videos in the Introduction to remote control playlist. Best of luck!

[@jasonfalcon7821]

The best advice for Radio Control is a Simulator. Everyone has one! Which will allow you to learn all your maneuvers and try airplanes, jets,and helicopters.

[@christophermcleod4920]

This is EXCELLENT! Thank you so much for such an excellent end-to-end coverage. I'm just getting into this and you answered so many of my questions. Thank you!

[@fpvcrumudgeon4576]

Excellent. So great to understand how, at some level, something works! Hope there is a similar explanation of FPV RC systems available. Thank you for your work!

[@Painless360]

Yep, there is. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aprUfKNjbLeEoc0 is one of three videos that cover a lot of the basics for quads.

[@fpvcrumudgeon4576]

@@Painless360 Thank you Lee. Great videos!

[@capin93]

Thanks for the video. Everything was well explained and it all finally clicked in my head.

[@rokkuzner]

Such an amazing tutorial. Thank you very much!

[@AsgardStudios]

Brilliant intro! Thank you so much for that.

[@anjanasp8949]

I just can't explain how it influences me over RC controls First I used to think it is complicated or difficult on making the controls but this tells me a lot (according to me!) that RC Is 80% simplicity 20% difficult Thanks a lot for this video

[@bernard83110]

merci bonjour pour cette video , je commence juste la RC , c'est clair et précis , surtout les modes d'initialisations , Salutation depuis la France. thank you hello for this video, I just start the RC is clear and precise, especially the modes of initialization, Greetings from France.

[@bernard83110]

TKS for like .

[@ternietorrinque6348]

Jambon mdr

[@maxliyan]

i was so lost and then i saw your videos. Thank you so much.

[@Painless360]

You're welcome. Glad it helped! :D

[@AlexMascari]

Thank you. When powering the receiver does this also mean the motor is connected to the receiver through the signal line through the esc

[@Painless360]

Indirectly, yes.

[@hobie1dog]

Thank you for posting the video. Outstanding job of keeping it simple for the newbies

[@jerinekunjachan6226]

Very simple explanation and useful thanks

[@jumperstartful]

Thank you for the great introduction. Clear and concise.

[@johnm8016]

Thanks for all your time and effort doing these videos, these are needed for all of us newbies. Best wishes to you.

[@Painless360]

Thanks John, happy flying!

[@nagalakshmiduvvuri2316]

your lectures are always great, thanks so much, they help me a lot

[@arcturus-mc2691]

I am planning to make a rc solar powered catamaran boat but i really want to learn more about rc controls and this was very helpful thank you

[@saurabhnabar44]

the way you explained was very good making intricate things in a simpler manner keep it up.

[@Painless360]

I can't see if you're a subscriber but if this channel is new to you - welcome! All of the videos on here are aimed at those getting to grips with the hobby and any playlist called 'Introduction to..' or '... for beginners' are especially suited for those with lower levels of experience in R/C. i.e. 'Introduction to remote control' for example.. Happy flying!

[@GadgetInspector]

Great vid professor. This helps me tremendously. Going to buy my first transmitter/receiver combo now.

[@Painless360]

+1nspector Gadget if it's for a multirotor and you can cope with only 5 model memories then the FS-I6S is wortha worth a look. Best of luck with it.

[@GadgetInspector]

Just ordered the Turnigy 9X from HobbyKing. Mainly for multirotors. On a budget so I hope this one works out.

[@timcarr1980]

Great video. I'm brand new to the world of rc and this was very helpful and easy to understand. Thank you!

[@dockazoo8582]

Fantastic information and a great place to start learning to fly my first RC of any kind. Just received my first quad yesterday and this video is just what I needed right now. Thanks for sharing it with everyone.

[@Painless360]

Doc Kazoo You are welcome, videos on learning to fly quads on the channel too, if you're interested..Best of luck!

[@diggydice9041]

Hey Painless360, I've got to tell you something you must already know but here it comes..... this start & all the subsequent videos on/or about the RC Electronics & RC Flying has to be the most comprehensive tutorial I've seen where you didn't have to pay? I'm, "painfully " new & I'm already addicted. Been looking into/researching this for 2 months solid. I'm hesitating because of the electronics involved. Not because it's too expensive but I just don't want to buy a "kit" where I wind up taking most the electronic parts off to put on better ones. I don't want a drawer full of stuff I can't ever use. Anyway, this is quite a nice bit of work you've done here. I am appreciative & perhaps when I've went thru more I'll be able to start to lay out the components I want to use? I'd like to buy things that will be useful. There's a lot to it so I'll get on with it..... ty for the series, you've done a great service to any/all who visit. peace & happy holidays

[@Painless360]

See my kit picks video from the summer for my recommendations.. happy flying!

[@goneviral6037]

Would it be possible to have one stick control a motor and steering and other stick to run another motor and steering of different servo for a tugboat so can have one motor going forward and other motor going in reverse and the same time for sharp turning if using 2 secs? Thanks

[@Painless360]

Absolutely. You need a radio with a flexible setup though. Radios that use OpenTX or JumperTX would be to do it easily. See my OpenTX mix school videos.. best of luck!

[@lochinvar00465]

I miss the old days. Built my first system from a kit (Ace R/C). Hardest part was soldering the boards for the servos(super tiny parts). But in the process I learned exactly how the whole circuit worked. The one thing I am impressed with on the new digital systems is that they still eventually use the same PWM signal to the servos. To me, the rest of it is a bit of over engineering a simple system that works well.

[@timjinks3011]

Great vid, and the others...thank you... just getting back into it after some years. Just check@ 26.11...pulse width should be 1 mS-2 mS (or 1000uS - 2000uS) with 1.5 mS being centre position. A pulse width of 1500 mS is one and a half seconds which would be a slow reacting servo!

[@Painless360]

Yep. 1500 microseconds (1.5 milliseconds) is what pretty much everything uses as mid channel. The only one I've come across that is different is futaba... happy flying!

[@lochinvar00465]

I built a couple of non-standard devices as well as the motor speed controller and servo. One was simply a switch as might be used to turn lights on and off, and the other was a controller for a winch motor(for the anchor). And my speed controller had the crazy ability to run a brushed DC motor smoothly at a speed far lower than the motor would normally run. All these devices used 4011's, 4013's and 4093's and the winch controller and speed control used relays (micro size). The speed controller design was "upscaled" to run a 1/2 hp electric bike which dramatically pointed out a small flaw in the design that I hadn't seen at the small scale.(fixed)

[@Smith_Jeorge]

perfect simple tutorial for biggners like me ❤️👏👏👏

[@douglasmcinroy3118]

Very informative and well explained. Will watch again and properly absorb. Thank you.

[@fredericbenzaquine3510]

So many thanks for making these things clearer, now I feel like I truly understand 🙏

[@Painless360]

You're welcome, check out the other videos in my 'Introduction to Remote Control' series for more of the basics explained simply.

[@sergiomontes5534]

Wow a great video!! Very easy to understand I'm converting the gi joe mauler to remote control.

[@bladerunner30]

Many thanks for sharing your knolodge with all of us!

[@johngates7293]

Really good introduction to RC essential for beginner like me.

[@ericbailey3577]

Perfect introduction to radio control!

[@aleksandersuur9475]

Very informative. A small nitpick, units in PWM explanation chart, pulse widths are 1000-2000[ms], [ms] is milliseconds, microseconds would be [μs] or [us] if you don't want to figure out how to type μ

[@Painless360]

+aleksander suur thanks for the message. We struggled to find that symbol when we made the video. Bugged me as an engineer but the video still works. Happy flying!

[@aleksandersuur9475]

yeah, i usually just copy paste the weirder symbols from somewhere, faster to google than to look it up from character map.

[@graemehodgson8580]

This is one of the better videos I have watched! It has really helped me with RC!

[@Timber81]

Very nice! Im a newbie trying to learn all of this Magic. Your vids have helped me very much. In so thankful to you Lee. Happy flying snd Happy Holidays

[@nanatieku5805]

This very video is easy to understand. Very nice

[@cuthbertmilligen]

Really fantastic introduction! any thanks!

[@ManveerSingh-vd5hl]

awesome video brother. Just what i was looking for

[@vedantsgoodlife7302]

great work @Painless360 I had a question about 2 channel rc receiver used for boat control. I hv to be a bit elaborate. when forward control is pushed, both propellers rotate in a way that moves boat forward. when left control is pushed left propeller stops, right still rotates turning boat left. likewise with the right control. the thing I didn't understand is what happens when both forward and either left or right controls are pushed simultaneously. in one youtube video I saw both propellers rotate, but may be in manner that pushes the boat forward at the same time turns it. what exactly happens?

[@Painless360]

You can setup the radio so that you can control that. Check out the Opentx mixes for tracked models as its the same concept.. Hope it helps..

[@billmartin2581]

Excellent video. I have learnt a lot from it

[@alie5146]

Hey, I’m new to this, and I’m a bit confused. So what if the motor has only two wires and no plug? How do you connect it to the esc? Or are there different esc’s for that type of motor? Thanks.

[@Painless360]

If it only has two wires then it's a brushes motor and you need a brushed ESC.. Best of luck!

[@paghieman807]

Tq sir...easy to understand..trying to build something😊😊

[@matusknives]

Looks really nice, but what are the sounds at 5:21?

[@tommacbride3654]

Top Notch! Thank you for the time to put on a wonderfully done presentation.

[@mustaqh-t5610]

Soooooooo much thanks to you for good description

[@vulcano9200]

Super explanation, many tks from Portugal, very good!!

[@stefedwards2934]

Thanks for this, coming back to rc flying after 40 years....a little scary🇬🇧😂

[@albertdeleon6272]

How do you detriment the signal range

[@Painless360]

Most standard, legal RC systems setup well will get you over 1.5km easily. Happy flying

[@LymezoidBeats]

So great video, but I have ONE question: I have a receiver, servo, motor, and ESC connected, and I turn the circuit on, and the servo and motor work for a second, then die out. I am testing the circuit for my RC model. And I can't move anything afterwords. I think I connected all of the wires in the wrong place on my ESC. I have a FlySky FS-I6B remote. I have the FlySky i-BUS reciever. Thanks for the help.

[@Painless360]

Sounds like the setup us polling more current than the BEC can supply. See the other videos in the 'Introduction to remote control' for more of the basics.. best of luck

[@josephinebennington7247]

Have you done one on the 3 Position Switches? Basic Stick functions are obvious. But Being new to this pastime, distant from knowledgeable flyers, and knowing I want to utilise the gyro in my FMS trainer, what is the relationship between the GYRO unit plugged onto the Receiver’s SB pins and one of the STALK SWITCHES on my FUTABA T6K? As simple as ON or OFF or....?

[@Painless360]

It depends on the radio. If it's an OpenTX radio then I have lots of videos that cover that.. Best of luck!

[@danniecarmona2509]

Thank you very interesting and easy to follow what you were saying 👍

[@edwardwillison2087]

Excellent! Thank you so much for this. You're a legend! 👍