Servo Reverse Explained

On most RC transmitters these days, be they older 27Mhz or 40Mhz systems, or newer technology 2.4Ghz Crystal free systems, you’ll normally find a pair of quite insignificant looking switches marked simply with N/R. To the more experienced enthusiast, these two switches can be a god send, particularly when you’re using one transmitter with multiple RC Cars, but to a beginner, they can sit there for months on end going completely unnoticed! But what are they for? The answer is, “Servo Reverse”.

Servo reverse can save an awful lot of messing about when you’re first building an RC Car. Since there is no standard way for servos to be fitted into model cars, on some models they may operate in the opposite direction to others simply due to the way the steering assembly is designed. In some cars, with the radio gear set to the default positions, when the steering control is moved to the right, the car will turn to the left. Whilst this may seem like a fun little challenge, for normal operation, particularly at high speed, this can prove to be a real nightmare.

With servo reverse switches, this control commands sent to the servos can be reverse instantly on the transmitter, with either throttle or steering servo being reversed independently via individual switches. This ensures the movement of the controls on the transmitter matches the movement of your RC Car, enabling changes and adjustments to be made without having to make any modifications to your car itself!

If you’re using the same transmitter to control more than one car, as is common these days as RC enthusiasts acquire several vehicles to handle differing terrains, these switches can be invaluable, enabling you to make the switch in just seconds.

Also, if you’ve just purchased and new or used RC Car and are trying it out for the first time, and you find that nothing seems to operate in the right way or direction, look for the servo reverse switches and try alternative positions. More often than not, these cunning little devices can cure a lot of headaches remarkably quickly!

Servo Reverse… Simple, but very very useful!

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