Pro-Style DIY nRF24 RC Transmitter

YouTube hacker Electronoobs is no noob(?) to RC transmitters and receivers, but after building a few controllers that worked OK, he decided to step his game up and make something more comparable to a commercial model. Most noticeably, this new transmitter has a nice black 3D-printed case, instead of a bare breadboard or something made out of an old remote. He’s also using much higher quality joysticks than his previous breadboarded version, for more precise operation.

Inside of the housing, an Arduino Nano takes analog inputs from each joystick, and two toggle switches on top, which it then transmits using an nRF24L01+ module. On the other end, the receiver is a rather simple setup, consisting of little more than a corresponding nRF24 unit and Nano. It does, however, demonstrate that things are working well, and could be expanded to much more in the future.

While the Arduino embedded in both devices provides the appropriate 3.3V levels to power the radio modules, Electronoobs notes that it can’t supply enough current, so a separate power supply needs to be used. Definitely something to consider if you’re having trouble connecting with this type of transceiver.

Although certainly not the first person to use this type of module with an Arduino, it’s an aesthetically pleasing design, and even includes a small OLED display to help with tuning functions. Links for print files as well as code can be found in Electronoobs’ write-up.