BLTP

I've been using my A9 for serveral months and I love this radio. I have been looking forward to the new firmware release and been checking daily to see if its ready. Anyhow I have been using hyperion 2s Lipos since the first week I got this TX and never had an issue. I went to switch my lipo to my spare and when I went to hook up the new lipo I accidently aligned it upside down, for litteraly 1/2 a second if that. I mean i litteraly only lined it up for a millisecond and it barely touched the pins. i mean the connector is keyed and you cant even push it on wrong even if you wanted to. Anyhow I cant understand what happened, because my power switched off on the TX and like i said the pins barely touched! The radio doesnt turn on and now and cant afford to shell out money for a new one.

My good friend/coworker is a CE/IE and has lots of experience building , designing and reparing digital circuts , power supplies etc. I'm wondering if anyone else has done something similar and can point me in the right direction as to fixing it.

A.T.

Refer attached picture + detailof the most common component blown when battery isinserted with polarity reversed.
Note carefully:
>> Service Menu - CAUTION: Unauthorised Entry and/or TX alterations Invalidate Warranty & Rights/Remedies under Consumer Guarantees Act at least in NZ, irrespective of brand & may cause soft/firmware conflicts or "brick" your TX.. << "
as highlighted under sub section
"Transmitter - FAQ - Additions, Adjustments, Mode Change, Clonepacs & Repairs."
on my webpage
"Alan's Hobby, Model & RC FAQ Web Links"

Best contact Hitec Warranty & Service (otherwise local distributor if outside USA) for estimated cost range as required repair may involve more than just that capacitor.

Alan T.

4*60

My Feedback: (41)

Send it in.  Then add a real keyed connector further down the leads so there is no chance that it can happen again.

JIMF14D

Talk to Htec Support. They are very quick and very inexpensive on repairs. I would not try to replace parts and really void the warranty .

www.hitecrcd.com

BLTP

Last time i sent in a warranty repair to Hitec it took over 6 weeks to get it back. I verified that the exact same tantalum capacitor has blown. The sad thing is i was using the proper connector on my lipo. I sent the info to my friend and reviewed some other findings. Heexplained plain andsimple that is is a poor design. It is very common now a days to incorporate some type of polarity protection. Before i could even send him the part that went bad he had guessed it was atantalum capacitor as with hisexperience knows that they almost always get destroyed from this. Also i want to point out and I really mean it that iliteraryonly aligned the connector upside down by accident and barely touched the connectors to each other. I'm quite sure this can be a common mistake and really think that if this was as critical a mistake as it can be then hitec could of at least made a much better attempt at keying the connector which could easily keep people from blowing their expensive radios when swapping out batteries...which is a common thing to do considering how inexpensive Lipos are and that Hitec advertises the A9 as Lipo compatible. Also since the A9doesn'tsupport charging a lipo through the charging connector you have to expect hat people are going to be switching them in and out just like me many times.

JIMF14D

How do you reverse the polarity accidently if you have a keyed connector?

Jim D.

BLTP

All I did was line up the connector upside down and I pushed it just up against the pins, i didnt push it on it was just lined up against each pin. As i went to push it in, i realize it was upside down but the tips of the pins just barely touched. Iwouldn'thave been able to push the connector on because it was keyed but the tips can just barely touch if line them up. I dont want to encourage anyone to try it, but it can happen. Thats what annoys me the most.

bgw45

My Feedback: (1)

I know how, since I seem to have mastered the technique. But, when I do it I know who's responsibility it is . Yes, it would be nice if the board had polarity protection but it does not. Since electricity ( I'm not an engineer ) travels in nano-seconds. All that is needed is a "slight" brush and it is cooked. Sorry for your frustration..... I know since I am so good at it.