lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

I have a JR Dx6i and recently bought 2 new JR AR600 receivers, I bound them and installed them on 2 planes.
While flying one of the planes there was a complete signal lost for about 2 secs, then everything back to normal. It happened also on the other plane.
I moved the receivers
to a shallower position in the planes thinking that there was a signal problem, alsoI changed the transmitter batteries, but it happened again.
Today when it happened there was no other planes flying and all the 5 people at the field were looking at the plane, no cell phones or any other interference.
Out of the three times that it happened I crashed a plane, I was flying too low and didnt have time to recover.
Are the brand new receivers bad?
Is the transmitter going bad?
Is it that the transmitter has 5 planes in the menu? It is supposed to hold 10 in the memory. (or is it 20??)
I did a range check and it was good.
I am running out of ideas and want your wise opinion before going back to the hobby shop to buy 2 new receivers.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

JR? Do you mean Specktrum?

What receiver batteries were you using? What was the plane? How was it equipped (number and type of servos)?

All t his is important to know for anyone to try to give you somewhere to look.

I have both the DX6i and the DX7 with various Spektrum receivers and never had anything like that happen.

CGr.

Crash Campbell

Hi,

It sounds like a "brown out". There are a host of potential causes ranging from stalled servos to faulty switches and possibly anything else in the chain. Two seconds is about how long it takes to reboot. I have seen this happen with a stalled retract servo, faulty BEC, carbon fibre used in the fuse and "black wire" on the Rx battery. It is most unlikely to be the Rx itself. Solutions are as varied as the causes but it can only help to ensure that none of the servos are binding and or stalling as well as boosting the power supply to the RX, there are many devices out there that will seperately power the Rx and the servos. Some 2.4 pilots use a capacitor in the power circuit to provide "backup" if there is a momentary power loss, certainly the cheapest "belts and braces" approach.

Hope this helps you start on the processes of fault finding/ building in redundancy.


Cheers,

Colin

TedMo

Don't know that Rx, is it full range or park flyer. It sounds like you are getting out of range OR voltage dropping to RX. If you have 4 or more servos and they are digetal that may be your problem. Try useing 5 cell 6v. pack.

Insanemoondoggie

Had these smae issues when I first went to Spektrum, I was one of the first in the club to go 2.4. and some of the early recievers had a slow reconnect time when the voltage fell below 4.8volts. At the time, you could send the reciever in to have it reprogramed or run 6 volts. I run 6 volts , have become use to the extra speed and torgue and the price for the larger battiers isn't to bad.

airtime82

My Feedback: (3)

key factor here ...........  spektrum

kiwibob72

The key that most 'useful' users list above is the likelihood that it is a brown out caused by low voltage (4.8 volt packs in particular).
And as we all know too well, drop the voltage too low on any system, and you'll have a smoldering pile of wood and plastic on the ground in no time! (regardless of system)

FYI - I have run a .50 nitro heli on a Dx6i with an AR6200 receiver (same system as you list 'lopflyers') with 5 high torque digital servos AND a gyro for over a year now on 5 cell NiMh 6 volt 2450Mah packs with out a single problem - NOT ONE! (my .60 plane works fine that way too)
That said, both the receiver battery pack and receiver itself are kept VERY well insulated from vibration inside a LOT of medium-high density foam rubber (care was taken not to cover the receiver wires) - have you ensured that your setup is insulated in the same manner?? - Also, are the antenna wires on the main receiver on a different plain to the receiver wires on the satellite receiver? (ie, one set on a horizontal plain, with the other set up vertically elsewhere in the aircraft).

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

After reading through the first post I seriously doubt this is a brownout or battery issue. Think the problem through. He is having these problems with BOTH planes he is flying. Now if he is using the same battery pack for both planes then it could be a battery problem. However, if not it has to be something else causing problems. My first guess would be you are getting interference from some other source (and before the sharpshooters say you can't have interference on 2.4 let me say yes you can. A stronger signal can block your signal out). However, it seems that others on your field are not having the same problem. This leaves only one thing look at. Your radio. It's the least common denominator. First try changing the position of your antenna. If that doesn't help then you may want to consider sending the radio in for service. Because the problem is happening using different receivers it's got to be in your radio or interference.

Ken

DenverJayhawk

As I stated in another thread, anyone that doesn't want their spektrum receivers because they believe DSM2 to be junk can PM me and I'll take RXs off their hands and pay for the shipping.

mike109

G'day

Some questions if I may.

1. Which way have you got the transmitter antenna oriented?

2. Which way have you got the receiver antennae oriented?

3. Receiver battery sizes and types and voltage?

4. Are there any metallic objects closer than one inch to any antenna?

5. Did the lockouts happen in the same place on the field?

I have been using a Spektrum DX7 for a couple of years now and never had any problems. I have been using a Hitec Optic 6 2.4 for about 1 year with no problems and I have a JR 2610 with a Fly Dream 2.4 module in it and it has been fine for about a year. The only problem I have had in the last year has been at a fly in and I had a clash with another 36 meg radio.

To me it seems that your transmitter is the common link but if you are using the same sorts of batteries, then that may be a problem or there may be some RF problem at your site but if there is, others should be having problems too.

mike109

Duplicate post.

kiwibob72

Good point, anyone doing a UAV video feed near by?, if so, you might find this interesting: [link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy7Gg6Tj57Q[/link]

TimBle

Lopflyers, I've experienced the same event with a DX7 I was considering buying 2nd hand. I then understood why the owner wnate to sell, he thought he could ush it onto an unsuspecting newbie.
I don't know what the issue is diffinatively but I just thought I'd weigh in on the thread and tell you that you're not mad and you were not seeing things.

Only thing to check I would say is how the Receiver's were installed, specificaly the alignment of the antennae.
There won't be anything wrong with the radiosince that is a Horizon policy. There is never anything wrong with the radio or the Rx unless they admit to it. Whether they fix it on the sly I don't know but its worth sending it back anyway to have it checked.
If you know anyone at an electronics lab at the local university, you can take it in there and have them check out the signal to eiliminate any intermittent signal transmission.

kiwibob72

Are you even remotely serious??
Dude, do me a favor and actually READ and UNDERSTAND the post I made to which you quoted part of, and in the future, please do not try and misrepresent what I say just to try and justify what looks to be your own personal agenda - Like I actually implied, the Futuba vs Specktrum debate is nothing more than pointless "BS".

radius1x1

Right on Kiwi, it's pure BS again! I have 20 planes and 4 Helis; all spectrum and never a problem. I would suspect battery or antenna pointed directly at the plane is the real culprit.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

I edited and removed several posts to remove any references to Spektrum bashing. I have recently locked down several threads in this forum for this reason.

If you don't have something to contribute to the content of the thread, without bashing others or radio systems you don't particularly like, then don't post.

CGretired, Moderator.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Thx everybody, the battery is 6v 2000mah, but is not covered. The receiver is in a bed of foam to avoid vibration.
The 4 servos are not digital, they are Futabas standard. The battery was fully charged when both incidents happened.
I am going to check today for metal parts nearby as Mike 109 suggested.
Both blackouts happened at different places at the field and the plane was close so it was not a range issue.
Thanks for all your help.

Insanemoondoggie

Hmmmm? maybe RCKen is on to something here. Send the radio in and the recievers and have them checked. Their repairservice is pretty good. I know it's more money, but in the long run you'll be ahead of the game.

jetmech05

There was a recall on some of the spektrum DX 6 family but that was a year or so ago...you were supposed to check the date code under the battery to see if your transmitter was in the recall...I think it had something to do with servos not responding to inputs...not all but one or two. Anybody remember this?
If your transmitter is newer than a year I bet you're OK unless it set in a hobby shops stock shelf for a while, could be something to check...
Minn is correct about interference.....any freq can be interfered with......
Is there another flyer in your club with a DX 6 that you can bind your receivers to? Just for troubleshooting?

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

There was a recall last Feb. that had to do with stick pots. I suppose that since it is electrical/mechanical in nature, anything is possible.

Either way and like Ken said, best to send it in and have it checked out.

Just my 1 cent.

DenverJayhawk

OP - i'd recommend using a 6V battery receiver battery. I have a DX6i with several receivers ranging from 6200, ar500 and ar6110e. I've never had a brownout on any of them.

As to your questions whether the receiver brand and transmitter is going bad, I personally doubt that to be the case. But you should send your equipment to Horizon for testing if you are not comfortable. I'll bet they say there's no problem though.

TimBle

with 2.4GHz systems, there is no need to wrap the Rx in foam as it could overheat. This has happened to a few folk at our club where they used a 6V high capacity battery. Simple mounting on foam double sided tape of foam backed dual lock velcro is sufficient. I doubt your issue is voltage drop unless you failed to cycle the supplied battery.

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Thank you RC Ken but I have this transmitter for 1 year now. It is currently flying two other planes w Spektrum receivers without problems.
I bought both this receivers the same day at my LHS. I think I am going to send them back for inspection.
I have a battery in each plane so there were different batteries.
No one was shooting video when it happened yesterday. At least at the field. This particular field is surrounded by neighborhoods though.
This is why I love RC universe, thanks for all the answers[8D]

TedMo

After having read the responces you got it sure points to the Rx's you bought. I'm assuming that you are not having any problems useing same TX with other planes (RX's). I myself have only purchased either AR6200 or AR7000 Rx's and no problems at all in past 2 years. Just figured not worth saving $20. on lesser RX's. By the way I have 16 planes all equipped with these RX's and ready for flight at all times. Some are electric, some glow.