Programming the T14SG for the Phantom

Futaba T14SG: 2.4GHz transmitter,
12+2 channels and telemetry.

In a previous article I described how I upgraded my DJI Phantom quadcopter with a Futaba R7008SB receiver. In this follow-up article, I'm now showing how to program the T14SG transmitter in order to fly the Phantom. So let's start...!

Phantom Transmitter/Receiver Upgrade Futaba T14SG/R7008SB

My DJI Phantom with Futaba R7008SB receiver and
T14SB transmitter. Telemetry now included!

The international version of my blog is still lagging behind, but I try to slowly catch up. So here we start with Pimp My Phantom...

The DJI Phantom comes ready to fly and so the box includes only a simple and inexpensive 2.4GHz transmitter to keep the box price low.

Update: Meanwhile, DJI has improved the Phantom's transmitter and receiver. While the company now markets this improvement as a frequency hopping system, measurements show that the new system only uses four discrete frequencies, so this is still a very simple system.

After having flown the Phantom with great pleasure for several ten of hours I wanted more comfort and more reliability than just what the beginner's level has to offer. I wanted more reliability of the radio link even in difficult locations with many reflections, automatic timers for monitoring the flight battery, and also a proper slide lever for controlling the camera for my future gimbal upgrade.

After touring the local electronics chain store I picked up a Futaba T14SG transmitter that also comes with a suitable R7008SB receiver. This combination features flight battery telemetry, that is, the receiver send back the battery voltage to the transmitter. Don't declare me nuts, read on for my story of upgrading my Phantom...

Pure Sight: Above & Inside Sameranger See and Fernsteinsee

Panoramic view in any aspect. ;)
Sameranger See (T/AT)

Top notch mountain lake diving: Sameranger See and Fernsteinsee. Extraordinary sight that even make tropical waters cry. Both mountain lakes are side by side in between Fernpass and the town of Nassereith, Tyrol, Austria. But sight is not only top notch below the water surface but also above; filming at this beautiful location is a real pleasure. My DJI Phantom quadcopter is a great tool for aerial filming. Enjoy the video!

Summer Ice Diving Speciality

I want to ice dive NOW!

With the present hot weather for the past few weeks that seems to last some more weeks to come I desperately want to have an ice diving specialty!

Pure Natural Diver (EAN21)

Perfectly tuned to Nature: 21% O₂.

Natural diving is Green.

No, not because of all that damn green algae in our diving waters, caused by the big bad farming and so.

Diving is Green because we're perfectly pure in what we breathe when we dive: 21% Oxygen, as made by Mother Nature. Only EAN21 makes us properly tune in to Nature. No more industrial breathing gas crap, such as EAN32. No way!

Be part of the Green Whole! Get certified as a Pure Natural Diver today!

**** Deep BBQ Expert

Four-Star BBQ Expert certification.

Our brand new diving special of the year! Get it while it's still hot. Perfect for those four-star-instructors that already achieved almost anything you need to pay for.

More Hero Juice...

The GoPro HD Hero 3 series cams are performing excellent in many aspects, except battery lifetime. At least for surface use I've come across something that helps in those cases where you drained all your spare Hero batteries and still want to shot more footage: a comparably small USB battery tank with quite some capacity. It is perfect to give your GoPro HD Heros some more juice, as well as to your mobile phone.

Impressions: TheDiveO 50+ FFM Dives

New pictures of me diving the Dräger Panorama Nova Dive full face mask ... I've now dived the Dräger in 50+ dives in open water, without even the slightest problem. I'm glad, I've purchased this full face mask, as it is a professional and rock-solid mask.

A Crabby Motel: Sundhäuser See and Möwensee

The plashy weather left room for improvement, yet our dive trip to the southern foothills of Harz was worth it. The two lakes Sundhäuser See and Möwensee are pleasant to dive, it's easy going in comparably clean waters. This year we had an incredible amount of tiny young crabs floating in the waters, looking like «snow» in the video footage. The perches were rather bored these days, hang around everywhere and sometimes even remotely glad for some fun they had with us divers ... but then it became booooring again fast.

Fly & Dive: Echinger Weiher

A Phantom in the air.
Mysterious bubble circles.
Psychodelic lights.
The Holledau below the water surface.
The Bavarian Cenotes.

And all this in a single small waterhole: Echinger Weiher. As always: enjoy the film!

Transporting a Phantom

Albeit the DJI Phantom quadcopter is light and small in size, you always need to carry additional things you'll need, such as the transmitter, battery packs, et cetera. In order to have all things ready that one may need on a trip I went for a transport case. Luckily, Globe Flight sells a suitable one, albeit it needs some DIY work.

It Only Happens to Me: Computer Communication Problems

Every electronic nowadays seem to come with USB connectivity. So the DJI Phantom quadcopter doesn't want to be the only exception. Using a USB cable you can update the quadcopter's firmware and tune several parameters of it's flight control unit. Easy, just install the driver software as well as the Naza-M assistent software (grrrr, Windows only). According to the manual, I powered up the Phantom, then connected the USB cable that came with the Phantom to my computer. Beep, beep, Windows recognizes the new USB device ... so I'm starting the assistent software ... and then nothing happens...

Above the Waters ... Done Right: Fly & Dive

Roughly two years ago I rather accidentally stumbled into filming and filming under water in particular. I have to admit that I've been hit hard again ... after seeing the Ready-to-Fly Quadcopter Phantom by DJI Innovations. I immediately knew: my GoPro HD Hero 3 has to go into thin air! I want to film diving spots not only from below but also from above! And those reports were just fueling my idea as they painted a realistic, yet highly addictive image of the Phantom system by DJI Innovations.

Sunny Moments in Lake Blindsee

Our day trip to Blindsee (roughly 1100m above sea level, near Lermoos in Tyrol/Austria) was worth the effort: two peaceful dives in a meager, yet very beautiful underwater landscape. Featuring a pikepearch clearly demonstrating against fotographic lenses and tenches chilling in sun light. Enjoy the scenery!

NOx Expert

This card makes every gas blender envious!

Some aspirants of higher diving education may sometimes miss the beauty of nature. Don't be afraid any longer, just book this specialty: it ensures unparalleled pleasure, just show the examiner how to properly take a break. Examinations were never a breeze like this before!


PS: Many thanks again to Axel Eisele who pressed the shutter at the right time and from the right angle while I was taking a small break in lake Blindsee (T/A).