Clark TK-80S + Futaba 16IZ/R7108SB = frustration?

[JennyC6]

Picked up a TK-80S MFCU for one of my custom builds as the HL board that came with the tank I based it off of won't work for what I want to do. I have the gun laying working perfectly, but that's being run 'direct', as in the servos that traverse/elevate the gun are directly connected to the receiver. The hull, however, is supposed to operate through the MFCU......and it doesn't. The receiver is getting power from the TK80S, but that's it. Clark Model's website is facking useless, too. Only shows FrSky setup, documentation sparse in general.

Anyone out there know how to get this thing to listen to a Futaba S-Bus signal?

[tank_me]

I really wish there was a mandatory meeting with a customer to find out whether or not a Clark board would fit their needs *BEFORE* people buy them. Not your fault, but there is a pretty steep learning curve to them as the documentation sucks. Once you program it once or twice and remember the functions it's really easy.

Did you get the programming remote and either a battle system or the Clark programming line to use as the IR command receiver? If not to that question, you won't be able to program the Clark board to do servo elevation or servo recoil regardless of whatever radio you have. You need to program the board with the IR remote to use those functions.

The Clark board in this case is not responding because you must program one of your switches on your radio to initiate the Clark engine start up. That is "Switch C" on the Flysky typically set to Channel 8. I know zero about your radio so I can't help you figure out which switch that is. Most of us that like and use Clarks use the Flysky radio because it's simple, cheap, and easy as hell to setup. Since you aren't using a Flysky you can try to program your current radio with the same Aux channels. Since your radio will have different switch designations, you will have to figure out which switches on your radio line up to similar ones on the Flysky. I had the same idea to use my own FRSky Q7 radio and like you I got really frustrated trying to get mine to work. In the end I bought a Flysky FS-i6S.

This info shows how the setup is for the Flysky: https://dakrctank.com/sbus-board-radio-config/

[tank_me]

RC Tank Legion has a ton of Clark vids regarding setup: https://www.youtube.com/@StanlleyLegion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3H-EWi9B4A&list=PLeenDeC-4VKHIy_9T7XH1p7KGzAdJzBRi&index=74

[ccarley]

My guess...

The TK80S is likely the S.bus version with no actual channel inputs I believe. That being the case, and not knowing about your radio, it sounds like you are using the receiver like a standard receiver for barrel functions but need all of that to actually go through the Clark via S.bus. Is it just one connection from the receiver to the Clark? Does the Futuaba do both? The FlySky radio only does one or the other, not both at the same time.

This page may be difficult to go through at first, but take your time and read through it. There is an explanation of the differences between S.bus connections and standard PWM connections to the Clark. Everything should be controlled off the Clark board; any connections from the receiver should not bypass the Clark.

http://www.clark-model.com/eng/prod_rx80/index.html

Clay

[SoCalBobS]

JC6; if it gets too frustrating, you might consider getting a Flysky. Besides being proven to work with Clark, it is set up with both stick centered, desirable for r/c tank applications. By the way, I have a Flysky with S-Bus linked to a TK-50. I haven't gotten around to programming it, and that is required for servo elevation. In the meantime, I plugged the elevation channel into the receiver and have function, even though everything else is S-Bus driven.

[JennyC6]

I really wish there was a mandatory meeting with a customer to find out whether or not a Clark board would fit their needs *BEFORE* people buy them.

Or just better documentation hah. If I'da known going in it was gonna be this much of a fuss to set up I would have not bothered with the SBus version and got the PWM one instead. I'm only really using it as a glorified dual ESC, smoke driver, and sound driver anyway it literally only needs to listen to two channels to do what I want it to do. Well, technically three, but I bet if I got creative with wiring and a 5-gram servo I could set off the airsoft gun direct from the receiver.

Not your fault, but there is a pretty steep learning curve to them as the documentation sucks

You ain't lyin' brother. The documentation is TERRIBLE! It took me two hours of furious googling just to find a wiring diagram that showed proper polarity so I could solder the battery leads on correctly. Even that was a crapshoot; I used the diagram for a TK60 hoping the battery polarity hadn't changed on the PCB between that and the 80.

That seems to be par for the course with these tanks in general, though...they're a tinkerer's paradise but they're not plug-and-play. The Heng Long documentation isn't much better. Some serious language barriers in the way, methinks, between us westerners and the Southeast Asians building these things. Maybe that's why Tamiya gets away with charging 4 figures for their tanks? I've built a Globe Liner and it was pretty much 'shake the box a couple times and you get a semi truck' easy....well, as least as far as I built it anyway. I'm nitro converting that truck so it hasn't been driven yet.

Did you get the programming remote and either a battle system or the Clark programming line to use as the IR command receiver?

Not yet, but I do think I might want to set this one up for IR battling in the future so I probably will.

If not to that question, you won't be able to program the Clark board to do servo elevation or servo recoil regardless of whatever radio you have. You need to program the board with the IR remote to use those functions.

I'm fine with the board not doing servo elevation. Futaba's SBus system is pretty neat in that it operates just fine in parallel with PWM. Since I'm building a casemate assault gun, I can very easily just plug my two gun laying servos directly into the receiver and have the gun laying exactly as I want it...which I have already done. Here's a test clip of it. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...219_204512.mp4 My radio is sophisticated enough that I can even program the weight of that huge derp gun...yeah it's a 3D printed ML-20S I'm building another post-apocalyptic vehicle...by simply telling the servos to move slowly in radio programming. I absolutely adore the gun laying and don't want to change a thing about that.

The Clark board in this case is not responding because you must program one of your switches on your radio to initiate the Clark engine start up. That is "Switch C" on the Flysky typically set to Channel 8. I know zero about your radio so I can't help you figure out which switch that is.

I can put whatever switch I want onto whatever channel I want. Can even bind one switch to multiple channels. I might put a switch on every channel 5-16 and see if that makes it wake up.

Most of us that like and use Clarks use the Flysky radio because it's simple, cheap, and easy as hell to setup.

I'm a huge pilot, I've got several nitro cars, a couple nitro boats...my 16IZ is my 'one radio to control them all'. I eventually plan to have my entire armor collection on it too, whether through Clark boards or something else(IBU2 maybe? I wanted one of those but couldnt' find one in stock anywhere). These HL radios are cheap and I will inevitably lose the one to the tank I want to drive.

This info shows how the setup is for the Flysky: https://dakrctank.com/sbus-board-radio-config/

I'll see if I can translate it to Futaba.

[JennyC6]

My guess...

The TK80S is likely the S.bus version with no actual channel inputs I believe.

It appears to be both. They only included a cable for SBus, but the sockets for the 8 PWM inputs are still on the board so in theory all I need is 7 more of those cables and I could just fall back on PWM.

That being the case, and not knowing about your radio, it sounds like you are using the receiver like a standard receiver for barrel functions but need all of that to actually go through the Clark via S.bus.

The Clark board is there to drive the speaker, smoker, fire the airsoft gun, and operate the tracks. The gun will be laid direct from the receiver. It's already set up absolutely perfectly as is; I can waggle it around to my heart's content.

Is it just one connection from the receiver to the Clark?

That's how I have it wired right now, yeah.

Does the Futuaba do both? The FlySky radio only does one or the other, not both at the same time.

Futaba SBus operates in parallel to PWM, rather than in lieu of it. I can lay the gun off PWM channels while the Clark board listens to SBus to handle sound, smoke, operating the tracks, the airsoft unit, IR functions if I ever get in an IR battle with this vehicle, etc. The Clark board should have no clue that there isn't anything connected to its gun laying ports. If I needed to I could even rig the airsoft unit to run direct off the receiver(A 5-gram servo and a microswitch would do the trick, or else one of those 2 amp LED 'switches' they sell for crawlers should be skookum enough for the task) though in doing so it would end up being full auto with a fire rate equal to however fast the motor could work the gun.

[JennyC6]

The Clark board in this case is not responding because you must program one of your switches on your radio to initiate the Clark engine start up. That is "Switch C" on the Flysky typically set to Channel 8.

I did what I said and IT CAME ALIVE! I'M DRIVING IT AROUND NOW! CONFIRMED Futaba SBUS WORKS ON CLARK BOARDS! WHOOOO! It's very rough in how it's actually moving the vehicle BUT BY JOVE IT MOVES!

....is there a way to disable pivot steering without the programming remote? That's what I want to do next. And I wonder if the volume control is working properly; I have no less than four VR controls on this radio so I should be able to control the volume that way.

[JennyC6]

https://youtu.be/GkCAAR0NdKs

It's a bit hurky jurky, as if I'm constantly blipping the throttle over and over again when it otherwise should not be. Don't know what the deal with that is. I suspect the radio may be working 'too fast', if that makes any sense...the standard Flite Test 9-gram servos I used for gun laying were also acting a fool until I programmed some slowness into them to simulate the gun weight. Perhaps if I do a similar adjustment to the track channels itt'l smooth up? The engine sound also isn't revving up...it idles and I can make all the gun booms I want, but it won't rev up.

That R975C3 does have a nice idle note though. And I have full proportional control over the volume in real time from the radio. Pretty sweet setup. Surprised I haven't blown the arse end out of the HL speaker in this thing haha.

[RacerXXX]

New to tanks and this site. I was looking at this thread because I want to run Tanks on IX14 Specktrum. I have the Beier control system that I'm going to try and use. I'm still waiting on other parts before this project gets started.

[Rubicon99]

New to tanks and this site. I was looking at this thread because I want to run Tanks on IX14 Specktrum. I have the Beier control system that I'm going to try and use. I'm still waiting on other parts before this project gets started.

Beier is a rather advanced system that is not seen or used much in the US. It's very popular in Europe though.

[Jarlath]

....is there a way to disable pivot steering without the programming remote? That's what I want to do next. And I wonder if the volume control is working properly; I have no less than four VR controls on this radio so I should be able to control the volume that way.

Nope. Clark Board default to a super spin (Pivot Turn), only adjustable with the IR programming remote.

Volume on the Clark 80S is still setup as controlled by a potentiometer (unless jumpering pin 1 & 3 for the volume control), the only external one I know of is Channel 6 is usually assigned Switch D on the FS i6S (2 position switch). This controls full output and a minimized position. I do not know if assigning it to a variable pot would make any real "control" over volume.