Traxxas TQ-3 User's Manual
Contents
1. Always use new or freshly charged batteries for the transmitter and make sure the receiver batteries are fresh The function light on the OptiDrive will flash red if the receiver batteries become weak Weak batteries will limit the radio signal between the receiver and the transmitter Loss of the radio signal can cause you to lose control of your T Maxx 3 3 Then start your engine it M The TQ 3 Radio System was pre adjusted at the factory The adjustment should be checked before running the model in case of movement during shipping Here s how 1 Fully extend the chrome antenna mast on the transmitter and turn the switch on The red indicator light on the transmitter should be solid red not flashing 2 Turn on the receiver switch in the model The switch is located in the top of the radio compartment The function light on the OptiDrive ESM should be green A red flashing LED indicates low voltage in the receiver batteries The sensor LED is intermittent depending on the rotor position 3 Position T Maxx 3 3 so that its front wheels are off the ground 4 Turn the steering wheel on the transmitter back and forth and check for rapid operation of the steering servo Also check that the steering mechanism is not loose or binding If the steering operates slowly then make sure you have fresh receiver batteries 5 When looking down at model the front wheels should be pointing straight ahead If the wheels are turned2. Your T Maxx 3 3 is equipped with the TQ 3 radio system The TQ 3 is a 3 channel system that provides up to a quarter mile range and control for up to three servo outputs The TQ 3 works in conjunction with the OptiDrive Electronic Shift Module to monitor and control the input and output signals for the throttle and shifting servos channels The OptiDrive monitors the voltage of the on board batteries The Function LED will flash red if the battery voltage is too low The OptiDrive ESM is designed to adapt and work with aftermarket three channel radio systems see page 15 4 cell Batter Throttle Neutral Adjust 7 Antenna Holder Steering Wheel Throttle Trim On Off Switch Steering Trim Receiver Steering Servo Reverse Shift Battery Channel 1 Channel 2 Channel 3 OptiDrive ESM Electronic Shift Module Forward Shift Throttle Trigger Shifting Servo Throttle Brake Servo Reversing Servo Switch To Transmission Power Indicator OptiDrive sensor Power Switch Battery Compartment T MAXX 3 3 9 gt Learn terms related to the TRX 3 3 Racing Engine beginning on page 20 10 T MAXX 3 3 THE TRAXXAS TQ 3 RADIO SYSTEM Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with these radio system terms They will be used throughout this manual 5 Cell Pack Another term for RX Pack or rechargeable receiver pack The RX pack is made up of five recharg
3. slightly to the left or right slowly adjust the steering trim control on the transmitter until they are pointing straight ahead 6 Operate the throttle trigger on the transmitter and check for rapid operation of the throttle servo When the throttle trigger is pulled back the carburetor should open slide moves out When the throttle trigger is pushed all the way forward the brake should lock THE TRAXXAS TQ 3 RADIO SYSTEM Operate the shift button on the transmitter and check for rapid operation of the shifting servo Push the shift button down for forward The servo will operate the spring loaded shift mechanism and you will hear the transmission click into forward Push the shift button up for reverse and you will again hear the transmission click and shift into gear Once adjustments are made turn off the receiver on your T Maxx 3 3 followed by the hand held transmitter Before each running session with your T Maxx 3 3 you should range test your radio system to ensure that it operates properly 1 Turn on the radio system and check its operation as described in the previous section Using the TQ 3 Radio System Have a friend hold the model with the engine off Make sure your transmitter antenna is fully extended and then walk away from the model with the transmitter until you reach the farthest distance you plan to operate the model Operate the controls on the transmitter once again to be sure that the model r
4. S TQ 3 RADIO SYSTEM Accelerate es In addition to the electronic throttle and steering trim controls your radio system features throttle neutral adjustment and servo reversing switches Throttle Neutral Adjustment The throttle neutral adjustment is located on the transmitter face and controls the forward reverse travel of the throttle trigger Change the adjustment by pressing the button and sliding it to the desired position There are two settings available 50 50 Allows equal travel for both acceleration and braking 70 30 Allows more throttle travel 70 and less brake travel 30 50 50 is the required setting for T Maxx 3 3 with the TRX 3 3 Racing Engine STEERING TRIM Electronic Throttle Trim The electronic throttle trim located on the face of the transmitter adjusts the neutral center point of the throttle servo when the servo is at rest This control has been preset for you at the factory If necessary adjust the control so that the carburetor is at idle and the brakes are not applied the model will roll freely Do not use the throttle trim to raise or lower the engine idle speed Make the idle speed adjustment on the carburetor Electronic Steering Trim The electronic steering trim located on the face of the transmitter adjusts the neutral center point of the steering servos when the servos are at rest Adjust this control to make the model drive straight with no steering input at the whee
5. cle is at rest 1 The engine must be shut off The radio system must be on receiver systems or to access advanced programming options visit our website and transmitter www Traxxas com T MAXX 3 3 15 Remember always turn the TQ 3 transmitter on first and off last to avoid damage to your T Maxx 3 3 Never turn the radio off while the engine is running aS 16 T MAXX 3 3 THE TRAXXAS TQ 3 RADIO SYSTEM Each time you prepare to run your T Maxx 3 3 you must clear your frequency to be sure no EO channel 1 Brown one else in the area is using the same channel Channel 2 as you Red EO channel 3 There are six possible channels numbered Orange 1 through 6 Each is represented by a color Channel 4 Look at the crystal plugged into the back of Yellow your transmitter to determine which channel Channel 5 your truck is assigned to Green GO channel 6 Blue Always turn your TQ 3 transmitter on first and off last This procedure will help to prevent your T Maxx 3 3 from receiving stray signals from another transmitter or other source and running out of control Always turn your transmitter on first Always turn your receiver on second Always have the transmitter and receiver turned on before you start the engine Never turn the radio system off while the engine is running The on off switch in the model only turns the receiver on and off It does not turn off the engine
6. cuments bag Push the wire all the way through the antenna tube Insert the base of the tube into the antenna post Take care not to crimp the antenna wire Slide the crimp nut over the antenna tube and screw it onto the antenna post Use the supplied tool to tighten the crimp nut on the post just until the antenna tube is securely in place Do not over tighten or crush the antenna wire against the receiver box Fold the top of the antenna wire over the top of the antenna tube Slide the antenna sleeve over the tube to retain the antenna wire Now slide the antenna tip onto the top of the antenna tube Never cut or shorten the antenna wire On the transmitter always fully extend the telescoping antenna when running your T Maxx 3 3 Make a habit of holding the transmitter so the antenna points straight up THE TRAXXAS TQ 3 RADIO SYSTEM Antenna Tip Antenna Sleeve Antenna Tube Antenna Wrench Antenna Crimp Nut Antenna Post Spray a little window cleaner on the antenna wire to make it easier to push through the antenna tube Don t shorten the length of the antenna wire Its length is tuned to the frequency band cutting it could severely shorten the radio system s range Don t push the transmitter antenna down from the top Pull it down from the bottom one segment at a time to prevent binding and kinking the antenna mast 05 T MAXX 3 3 13 14 T MAXX 3 3 THE TRAXXA
7. e and steering instructions to your T Maxx 3 3 Trim The fine tuning adjustment of the neutral position of the servos made by turning the throttle and steering trim knobs on the face of the transmitter THE TRAXXAS TQ 3 RADIO SYSTEM Your TQ 3 transmitter uses 8 AA batteries The battery compartment is Use the Right Batteries located in the base of the transmitter Your transmitter uses AA batteries Use new alkaline batteries or rechargeable batteries such as NiCad or NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride batteries in your transmitter Make sure 4 Turn on the transmitter and check the power indicator for a rechargeable batteries are solid red light fully charged according to the manufacturer s instructions Press in tab If the power indicator light flashes then the transmitter batteries are weak discharged or possibly installed incorrectly Replace with new or If you use rechargeable freshly charged batteries The power indicator light does not indicate batteries in your the charge level of the batteries installed in the model transmitter be aware that when they begin to lose their charge they lose power much more quickly than regular alkaline batteries Caution Discontinue 1 Remove the battery compartment door by pressing the tab and sulle your e lifting the door up at the first sign of wea 9 P batteries flashing red PSIA P soia g light to avoid losin 2 Install the batteries in the correct ori
8. eable NiMH battery cells and is used in place of the 4AA batteries in the model Channel The 27 MHz frequency band is divided into 6 channels so that up to six models can be operated simultaneously Each channel is referred to by its flag color and channel number as shown below CHANNEL FREQUENCY FLAG TRAXXAS BAND COLOR PART No C PA 1 26 995 BROWN 2031 C PA 2 27 045 RED 2032 l 3 27 095 ORANGE 2033 Ee 4 27 145 YELLOW 2034 PA 5 27 195 GREEN 2035 e PA 6 27 255 BLUE 2036 Clearing your frequency A routine verbal check to make sure nobody else in your area is operating on the same channel Always clear your frequency by calling out your channel number before operating your model Wait or move to another area if your channel is already being used Crystal X tal The plug in device that determines which channel the radio system will operate on For each channel there are two crystals one for the receiver and one for the transmitter Of those two crystals the one marked RX with the lower number 455 MHz lower must be inserted into the receiver Frequency band The radio frequency used by the transmitter to send signals to your T Maxx 3 3 All Traxxas RTR models operate on a 27 MHz frequency band mAh Abbreviation for milliamp hour Measure of the capacity of the battery pack The higher the number the longer the battery will last between recharges Neutral position The standing position that the servos seek whe
9. entation as indicated in the pi 9 battery compartment 3 Reinstall the battery door and snap it closed If the power indicator doesn t light red check the polarity of the batteries Check rechargeable batteries for a full charge 0S5 T MAXX 3 3 11 a 12 Direct the battery wires through the slot in the battery cover If the wires are not properly routed they may become broken or shorted causing radio system failure and loss of control If you use rechargeable batteries in your receiver be aware that when they begin to lose their charge they lose power much more quickly than regular alkaline batteries Signs of weak receiver batteries include sluggish steering response and shortened radio range Caution Discontinue running your T Maxx 3 3 at the first sign of weak batteries to avoid losing control If the radio system doesn t appear to work when the transmitter and receiver switches are turned on check for correct battery installation 05 gt T MAXX 3 3 THE TRAXXAS TQ RADIO SYSTEM The radio receiver in your T Maxx 3 3 uses 4 AA batteries The battery holder for the receiver batteries is located underneath the battery cover The battery cover can be identified by the on off switch 1 Remove the battery cover by removing the two 3x10mm buttonhead cap screws from the cover 2 Remove the battery holder and install 4 AA alkaline batteries Make careful note of the batter
10. esponds correctly I em A j A Co Throttle Brake Servo Do not attempt to operate the model if there is any problem with the radio system or any external interference with your radio signal at your location gt 5 D r Shifting Servo Steering Servo T Maxx 3 3 Z Servo Operation When the engine is running don t use the throttle trim on the transmitter to adjust the engine idle speed Instead use the idle speed adjustment on the carburetor Do not use the throttle trim as an idle up function for starting or you could affect the OptiDrive programming Don t attempt to operate your T Maxx 3 3 if there are any problems with your radio system or radio interference at your location T MAXX 3 3 17
11. l THE TRAXXAS TQ 3 RADIO SYSTEM Servo Reversing Switches 2 Set the TQ 3 Transmitter to its factory default shift settings The servo reversing switches are located on the front of the transmitter Set the THROTTLE NEUTRAL switch to the 50 50 setting g next to the on off switch Moving a switch reverses the direction of the Set the THROTTLE TRIM to the center 0 setting then adjust the rene sili ap chit corresponding servo Each switch corresponds to a channel as shown throttle linkage until the carburetor closes linkage may require re setting below For example if you turn the steering wheel to the right and your Set the CHANNEL 2 SERVO REVERSING SWITCH to the right position the OptiDrive to maintain front wheels turn left you would move the channel 1 switch to correct Set the CHANNEL 3 SERVO REVERSING SWITCH to the right position proper shifting action DO NOT change the position of any of the servo reversing switches after programming the OptiDrive If settings were changed after programming the OptiDrive it will have to be reprogrammed the servo direction It may be necessary to adjust the corresponding trim control after moving a switch The default position for the servo reversing switches is shown For transmission durability the OptiDrive ESM limits the model s reverse speed to about 70 of full throttle If settings are changed and you notice a decrease in forward top speed you could have the OptiD
12. n the transmitter controls are at the neutral setting NiCad Abbreviation for nickel cadmium The original rechargeable hobby pack NiCad batteries have very high current handling high capacity and can last up to 1000 charging cycles Good charging procedures are required to reduce the possibility of developing a memory effect and shortened run times NiMH Abbreviation for nickel metal hydride Rechargeable NiMH batteries offer high current handling and much greater resistance to the memory effect NiMH batteries generally allow higher capacity than NiCad batteries They can last up to 500 charge cycles A peak charger designed for NiMH batteries is required for optimal performance Receiver The radio unit inside your T Maxx 3 3 that receives signals from the transmitter and relays them to the servos RX Pack RX is acommon abbreviation for the radio receiver and items associated with it RX Pack denotes the optional rechargeable battery pack used to power the radio system in the model It is available as Traxxas part number 3037 Servos Small motor units in your T Maxx 3 3 that operate the throttle and steering mechanisms Three channel radio system The TQ 3 radio system consisting of the receiver the transmitter and the servos The system uses three channels one to operate the throttle one to shift the transmission and one to operate the steering Transmitter The hand held radio unit that sends throttl
13. rgeable 5 cell nickel metal hydride NiMH battery pack that replaces AA alkaline batteries and increased voltage for dramatically improved servo performance The TRX Power Charger Part 3030X is a peak detecting unit that will charge the RX Power Pack Part 3036 flat pack or 3037 hump pack in about one hour The peak detection circuitry automatically shuts off the charger when the maximum charge has been achieved The TRX Power Charger also includes a 7 2V adapter for charging 7 2V EZ Start batteries The TRX Power Charger can operate on either AC or DC power A special wiring harness for T Maxx Traxxas part 3034 that includes a handy external charging jack is required The optional DC car adapter Part 3032 features a tangle free extra long wire and integrated fuse The long charging cord allows the model to remain outside the car while charging Caution Never charge batteries in an enclosed car interior or while driving Never leave charging batteries unattended Monitor them closely Traxxas integrated TRX Power System is the easiest way to add the power and economy of rechargeable batteries to your T Maxx 3 3 Consult your hobby dealer for purchasing information I J JE IN Locate the black antenna wire that exits the top of the receiver box Pull the wire straight with your fingers and then insert the end of the wire into one end of the antenna tube the antenna tube tip crimp nut and sleeve are located in the do
14. rive system reversed Return the TQ 3 servo reversing switches for channels two and three 3 With the throttle at neutral press and hold the SET button until the Function LED flashes green AE FUNC ON twice and then release the button immediately You are now in programming mode x2 4 Pull the transmitter throttle i trigger to the full throttle CHANNEL SERVO 2 NS back to their default settings 1 STEERING position Hold it there until the 4a kia and re program the OptiDrive 2 THROTTLE AND BRACING Function LED flashes green Ont x Module For programming with three times Note The throttle aftermarket radio systems 2 Seu we please see our website servo will not move during programming even though it is connected to the controller OptiDrive Operation em e m 7 Green Function Programming the OptiDrive ESM 5 Release the transmitter throttle Shift allowed The OptiDrive ESM electronically monitors trigger allowing it to return to e hicl dana Isf dand i b Red flashing Function vel ic e spee an contro s orwar an reverse neutral The Function LED will Te bs Low battery see pg 12 shifting Controlling the shift action electronically turn solid green indicating that Opn 2 FUNG ION ieee Red Sensor rather than by mechanical systems reduces the the shifting servo is OK to shift e a number of components in the transmission The and the programming has been completed The controller i
15. s now SENSORE circuit is broken Possible transmission weighs less there is lower programmed and ready to go disconnected or broken sensor throttle or shift wires Possible rotational mass for quicker acceleration and constant drive engagement for smooth power delivery damaged sensor b Receiver has lost signal from the O If the transmitter throttle settings are changed it will be necessary o o to complete the programming sequence again transmitter the OptiDrive has The OptiDrive module prevents the transmission from changing If the SET button is released before the Function LED flashes entered fail safe throttle and shift directions while the truck is in motion The truck must be completely green twice in step 3 the OptiDrive will return to the normal servos become unresponsive stopped to change directions regardless of the position of the shift operation mode Blue flashing Sensor selector switch on the transmitter The OptiDrive module is preset at the If you experience any problems during programming turn the Normalloperationias Y 3 x i sensor vehicle moves Indicates factory If the transmitter throttle trim adjustment is changed then the receiver off then on again and repeat the programming steps eignallpubeaumicenson be pening OptiDrive module will need to be re programmed on the rotor position solid blue or off For instructions on how to use the OptiDrive with aftermarket radio when vehi
16. y polarity by comparing against the diagrams in the battery holder 4 cell battery holder 3 Insert the battery holder into the battery cover 4 Reinstall the battery cover and secure with the screws see sidebar To prevent losing control of your model it is important to stop at the first sign of weak receiver batteries Visible warning signals include sluggish steering response and shortened radio range In addition the Optidrive is equipped with a low voltage indicator and a failsafe circuit When the a SENSOR FUNC ION voltage of the receiver batteries drops below 4 3 volts the Function LED on the OptiDrive will flash red If the voltage drops below 4 3 volts for more than 2 seconds the OptiDrive ignores throttle and shift signals and applies 25 brakes failsafe mode Steering will still be operational and the Function LED on the OptiDrive will flash red The OptiDrive will stay in failsafe mode until the power is turned off or the receiver battery voltage rises above 4 3 volts for more than 2 seconds Anytime the Function LED flashes red it is time to stop and install new batteries or recharge your battery pack if equipped Do not try to continue running your model with weak receiver batteries on board Traxxas TRX Power System optional The optional Traxxas TRX Power System can be purchased separately to power the radio system in the T Maxx 3 3 Benefits include the economy of a recha
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