FrSky V8HT 2.4Ghz DIY Module
FrSky V8FR 2.4Ghz 8CH Receiver
FrSky V8R7 2.4Ghz 7CH Receiver
FrSky V8R4 2.4Ghz 4CH Receiver
I have an Art-Tech ETC62 6ch programmable radio that I never used because I don’t have too many Art-Tech compatible receivers. However, I wanted to put it to some use. I have a lot of FrSky receivers that I am standardizing on. FrSky (use be known as FriSky lol) makes some really nice 2.4ghz gear that has features that rivals Futaba and JR/Spectrum. It’s a tried and tested performer. The price makes it very appealing too. FrSky has a DIY module that you can solder onto transmitters that don’t have removable module compartments. This particular board gives you features like FHSS (frequency hopping), more readily available, and inexpensive receivers from FrSky. The V8HT works with any FrSky V8* receiver. eg. V8R4, V8FR, V8R7.
Esky ET4 transmitter used as donor. Took the pots and sticks from it to transplant into the Art-Tech
First off, let me just say that the Art-Tech radio is really bad. Maybe I got a dud? It was the first programmable radio I got when I was still new to the hobby. The potentiometers were not calibrated properly. They were so bad, I ripped them all out and put in the pots and sticks from an Esky ET4 transmitter. Surprisingly, they fit perfectly. The screw holes and all lined up. Only thing I had to do was splice the wires from the Art-Tech PCB to the potentiometers and they work a lot better now. It has a very limited LCD screen but it is programmable with up to 5 model memory slots. Once you get use to it’s limited screen, it is very programmable. However, in hindsight, I could have gotten a Turnigy/FlySky 9x, which is miles better, for less money. After I got a Spektrum DX6i and FlySky 9x, the Art-Tech sat in the closet.
Simulator port that has the PPM signal line
The V8HT DIY module is very simple with only 3 wires to solder. All you need to do is solder the positive/negative (red/black) for power and the PPM signal (yellow). The V8HT can accept 6V-13V so it’s easy to find power to tap from on my transmitter. The PPM signal line was a bit more difficult. The Art-Tech radio isn’t very common so googling it was a pipe dream. I managed to find the PPM signal on the trainer/simulator port itself. That’s where the PPM signal comes out. I used my multimeter to check and it outputted 3.7V From what I read online, the PPM signal is usually sent at 3.5V positive so I knew I had the right contact point to solder to. I soldered the PPM signal wire from the V8HT to it. I put the bind and LED board in my battery compartment.
I was able to use the existing antenna hole to mount the included antenna so I didn’t have to drill any holes. As you can see from the photos, on the outside, it doesn’t look like it was even modified.
So if you have a transmitter kicking around that you want to upgrade to 2.4ghz or to give access to better and cheaper receivers, maybe convert it to a FrSky one. Giving it a FrSky board breaths new life into it. I now have a programmable, FHSS, with readily available receivers. It would’ve otherwise been sent to the dumpster.
Video:
Coming soon
