Buddy box
Encyclopedia
Buddy box or buddy boxing is a colloquialism referring to two R/C aircraft radio systems joined together for pilot training purposes.
This training system is universal among the five major R/C radio manufacturers (Futaba
, JR
, Hitec
, Airtronics and KO Propo
) which means that transmitters do not have to be the same brand in order to be joined via an umbilical cable. There are, however, two different types of DIN
cable connectors used for the purpose and the two are incompatible. Therefore, both transmitters must have the same type of receptacle in order to operate together.
Buddy boxing is accomplished by joining the student and master transmitters via the aforementioned cable and making sure that the servo
reversing switches and trims are set identical on both. The student is given control of the aircraft via a long-handled, spring-loaded switch on the top left corner of most transmitters located on the master transmitter, normally held by the instructor. When the switch is pulled forward and held on by the instructor's left index finger, control of the aircraft is at the student's transmitter. Should the instructor judge that the student is encountering difficulty in flight, control is transferred to the master transmitter merely by releasing the switch. (On some older Futaba radios such as the popular 6XA, the trainer switch is actually a push-button located in the corner, the aforementioned corner toggle switch is reserved for channel 5 - landing gear.)
The two transmitters need not be on the same frequency. The master transmitter is the one that actually flies the plane; buddy boxing turns the student transmitter into a "dummy" remote control of the master. The student transmitter is operated with power switched off as power for both is provided by the master. The student transmitter will power up via the umbilical despite being switched off.
This training system is universal among the five major R/C radio manufacturers (Futaba
Futaba RC
is a Japanese company that is most known for designing and manufacturing hobby-grade radio control systems including transmitters, receivers, servos, electronics and model aircraft...
, JR
Japan Remote Control
Japan Remote Control Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of popular radio control devices including transmitters, receivers, servos, electronics, programmable robots and model aircraft.-Overview:Unique to JR Propo's radios is the company's patented ABC&W technology, or...
, Hitec
Hitec
Hitec is a company based in South Korea that manufactures radio control devices, including transmitters, receivers, servos, electronics and model aircraft. Later products include robotics, servos with Karbonite gears and the Robonova--a humanoid robot accepted in the Robo one robot competition....
, Airtronics and KO Propo
KO PROPO
KO PROPO is a manufacturer of radio control equipment and humanoid robot KHR-1, established in Tokyo, Japan in 1945....
) which means that transmitters do not have to be the same brand in order to be joined via an umbilical cable. There are, however, two different types of DIN
Din
DIN or Din or din can have several meanings:* A din is a loud noise.* Dīn, an Arabic term meaning "religion" or "way of life".* Din is one of the ten aspects of the Ein Sof in Kabbalah ....
cable connectors used for the purpose and the two are incompatible. Therefore, both transmitters must have the same type of receptacle in order to operate together.
Buddy boxing is accomplished by joining the student and master transmitters via the aforementioned cable and making sure that the servo
Servomechanism
thumb|right|200px|Industrial servomotorThe grey/green cylinder is the [[Brush |brush-type]] [[DC motor]]. The black section at the bottom contains the [[Epicyclic gearing|planetary]] [[Reduction drive|reduction gear]], and the black object on top of the motor is the optical [[rotary encoder]] for...
reversing switches and trims are set identical on both. The student is given control of the aircraft via a long-handled, spring-loaded switch on the top left corner of most transmitters located on the master transmitter, normally held by the instructor. When the switch is pulled forward and held on by the instructor's left index finger, control of the aircraft is at the student's transmitter. Should the instructor judge that the student is encountering difficulty in flight, control is transferred to the master transmitter merely by releasing the switch. (On some older Futaba radios such as the popular 6XA, the trainer switch is actually a push-button located in the corner, the aforementioned corner toggle switch is reserved for channel 5 - landing gear.)
The two transmitters need not be on the same frequency. The master transmitter is the one that actually flies the plane; buddy boxing turns the student transmitter into a "dummy" remote control of the master. The student transmitter is operated with power switched off as power for both is provided by the master. The student transmitter will power up via the umbilical despite being switched off.