jchuston

Hey all-

I am wondering if anyone knows whatw this problem is...

First, if you aren't familiar with the Electrifly receiver, the hook up for the servos has no template for hooking up the servos (example...futaba receivers will only let you plug in the futaba servos accorting to the "J" hookup) Now, I bought this flight pack with the CS-12 servos. I was attaching the wing and had to hook up the aileron servos. I accidentally hooked them up reversed, like flipped over...I hooked up the battery and things wend bonkers...I realized what I had done and unhooked the battery, flipped the servo connections, and re attached the battery...
Things are really screwed up now...the receiver does weird stuff...Sometimes it will initialize fine, but if I touch the battery or the reveiver it will reset itself and toss the servo arms around, sometimes binding them...just the other day after it flipped out I all of a sudden had control of the elevator with the throttle stick!!!!

I am doing everything right to hook this thing up, my only mistake was flipping the servo leads once...can this fry the receiver???

I talked to great planes and they want me to sent it to them to get it repaired...anyone know how long this takes...I am pretty bummed that this has happened...it seems like if this could happen be accident, they would give you a specific warning that you should pay VERY, VERY close attention to the hookups...

All the instructions say is not to short out the connection (like putting the jumper where a servo should be)

HELP!!!

-John Huston

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

Just plugging in the servos backwards should not cause the receiver to fry itself. The plugs are designed so that can't happen. Back in the old days, Airtronics used to put the "hot" wire on the outside pin. The Airtronics connectors were keyed so you couldn't plug them in backwards, but if you plugged the wrong kind of servo into the receiver, it would fry the whole works.

Nowadays, the "hot" wire is on the center pin. If you accidentally flip the servo connector over, you won't fry anything because the hot wire is still connected to the hot pin.

If you plugged the main battery in backwards on this unit, you could've done serious damage. On normal receivers, the battery plugs into a regular servo port, and follows the same rules as a servo.

Are you sure you didn't plug a servo in sideways, or miss by one pin or something? Or, did you plug the main battery in backwards once?

Great Planes has excellent customer service. They'll probably simply send you a new unit, but it'll take at least 2-3 weeks.

jchuston

mkirsch...

I know for a fact that I did not plug them in sideways...first, becauseI know how to plug them in(he he)...this isn't my first plane, but I leave the elevator and the rudder plugged in...each aileron servo goes in one on either side...onle slot left on that side...

Next, the battery connector is one of thos big clear/white plastic one with a round hole and a squate hole (standard rc car hookup) so I would have had to really try hard to get that wrong...

I don't know what the deal is...

Don 07tncav

A few basic electric questions:
Do you have the combo close to your motor?
Did you put the capacetors (sp) on your motor or leave them off?
The reason I'm asking these questions is that you may be getting interferiance from the motor.
Are your cruddy connectors working right? I crashed three planes because I used those type of connectors at first, now I use Deans.
Did you get a receiver with the antenna a bit loose? If it's loose or the wire is a bit frayed it could be shorting out by hitting other connections.
Are you using this 30 amp connector with a 280 motor? Shouldn't make a difference but you never know.
Good luck!

latch66

Is the receiver the right shift for the system you are using?

If it's not, it will produce a very similar set of problems to what you are describing.



JR and Airtronics are Positive shift systems

Futaba and Hitec are Negative shift systems.

jchuston

This particular reveiver works for both...I have used it to fly several flights and a few tests in the garage...the thing did work...

how long does Futaba take to fix this iff I send it in???

John

latch66

I've never had anything which I've had to send to Futaba, so I don't know. If they are similar to JR, it will take about 2 to 3 weeks at least.

If the shift is not the problem, then do check the capacitors as suggested by Don.

He's right about the capacitors being an issue. Even if your motor has one, or two capacitors, but not all three, you will need to add all three to ensure you are not getting interference from the motor.

I have an Electrajet which came with one capacitor across the poles of the motor. Horrible interference (and that was with an FMA receiver). I had to add the additional two capacitors between each pole and the case to cure the problem.



BTW, Don is also right about the plug. Do yourself a favor and replace that thing with either a Sermos or Deans Ultra. That will save you some headaches in the future.

jchuston

I may do the changing of the plugs later...as for the capacitors, they were installed on the motor when it arrived at my house in the mail...

as for whether something is wrong with interference, it was never a problem for the first 5 flights...

The ONLY problems that I have been faced with have arisen since the servo leads were connected reversed...

michaelma9

Hey jchuston,
Did you ever get this resolved? I just got the same receiver/esc and plugged the servos in backwards too. It has not worked yet although I'm not sure if I have the right crystal. Do these need a Futaba crystal only or can Hitec work (single conversion).

Mike

jchuston

Mike-

I am not sure if the Hitec crystal will work. Seems like it could but I am not sure. I did get the problem resolved. I sent the receiver in to "Hobby Services" aka the repair shop, and they just sent me a brand new one. since then, the thing has worked beautifully. Been through a lot of flights and not a problem since they sent the new receiver.

Let me know if you find out anything about the crystal thing...also, if it isn't working quite right, try removing the jumper that is installed on the two prongs next to where the servos plug in. I think that the jumper needs to be on for JR transmitters ONLY...

Talk to you later...Good Luck!

-John

michaelma9

Thanks for responding John-
Looks like I will be sending it in for repair already, never even got a chance to use it.
I don't have the jumper in since I have a Futaba radio.
How lond did it take for them to send you the new one?
Also are you using a Futaba crystal?

Thanks

Mike

jchuston

I am using a Futaba crystal. I would say that it wasless than two weeks, but with a lot more people flying now than when I sent mine in (February) I would say that it could take longer. They really didn't have it long. About the time that I got the card stating that they had received it and were working on it, about 5 days and I had a new one.

I am also about 2.5 hours from Champaign...

Talk to you later... Good luck!!

-John

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

Avoid confusion when buying a receiver crystal: ALWAYS buy the right receiver crystal for the receiver. Don't play this, "Does YYY brand crystal work in my XXX brand receiver?" You can never be sure, and it can end up costing you a lot more than the right crystal would have in the first place.

michaelma9

So where is a good source for the single conversion Futaba crystals? All of the local shops don't carry them, the only place on the web is Tower, however they are backordered until late June for my frequency.

Thanks

Matt Kirsch

My Feedback: (21)

Your local shop can't order them from Great Planes for you?? They're just being difficult. Both the local shops I frequent are more than happy to order ANYTHING you want as part of their regular orders to Great Planes.

One problem with that, though: If Tower doesn't have them in stock, then Great Planes is out of stock too, because they're both the same company.

In all likelihood, if Great Planes doesn't have any crystals in stock, then none of their major dealers will have them in stock either. Crystals aren't something most smaller shops keep in stock, because you can put a lot of money into something that will probably never sell.

Have you tried http://www.servocity.com?