erbroens

I have been very lucky today, while I was getting ready to test fly a new jet (a small F-86, with a ram 500) with the Futaba 14 mz that I have been flying since january almost without issues.

The radio suddenly went into a black screen and stopped working. Turning it on or off didn´t worked too,and after taking out the battery and turning it on again the radio showed this windows error message: "T12M2 LOADER - CANNOT CREATE PROCESS" turning off by itself after clicking in the ok button.

Fortunately, this happened when the plane was in the ground, but It could happened in the other
jets I fly in this same radio, or a few minutes later, in the F-86 test flight.

In 25 years years of r/c modeling I never had a serious problem with a Futaba gear, but as I
doubt that I will ever fly this system again. And I am not only bothered that this happened to
me , but also because there is a significant number of high performance radio control models being flown with this system, exposed to this same senseless idea of installing windows in a r/c transmitter..so that´s why I am writing this alert.

A thing that troubles me is that I already had a warning of a malfunction on this same system.
Some time ago I was setting up a plane in this same radio and then a error message popped
on the screen and then the system crashed. After turning it off and on it worked again and I believed that I have done something wrong... I wrote a email at the 14 mz "owner´s club" about
this error and never had a reply, so I didn´t took the right action of grounding the system and
taking a corrective measure.

Of course I will be suggested to send the radio to fix, but that´s is not a easy task to do where
I live, and It will be frustrating losing the programming of the airplanes on it.. many hours of work ahead not to mention the flight tests to fine tune the values. And anyway, I need confidence to fly a turbine powered plane and this system couldn´t provide it again to me....I am really disappointed with this radio.

I hope that this alert help other 14 mz owners to be aware of this system inherent vulnerability,
and perhaps avoiding a serious accident.

Enrique

Crazy4Flight

My Feedback: (540)

[&:] Windows: The blue screen of death! [&:]

erbroens

yes, if could be literally if we are a little unlucky! []

Enrique

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

..and they said it couldn't happen !!!

That is quite a confidence shaker... however, given the choices, I'd rather reprogram that risk any kind of plane to a tx with known problem....

swissflyer

When do you say : "Stopped working" you mean that also the "Emitting part", was not working, others say when you moved the stickes, no command was transmitted to the plane?

Why i remember a point in the manual, where is wirtten that if the Windows Processor stop, the futaba one, used to control the plane should always work.

Moe142

My Feedback: (7)

Good old Microsoft!!! That's Windows for ya.. Always go with open source.

Ron S

My Feedback: (2)

Enrique,

I'd post your message with the picture in the Futaba Direct forum, to see what Bill Baxter has to say. That's scary. I have not had any Windows processor issues with my 14mz, and as Swissflyer says, I believe if Windows fails, the radio should still transmit... The manual states somewhere, that shutting off the transmitter, then turning it on quickly without letting the system shut down properly can make weird things happen.

I've dumped a jet while using this transmitter, although I am not convinced it was due to the transmitter. For now, I'm "burning mine in" so to speak, using smaller prop planes.

erbroens

Hi Alessio,

Yes, it stopped emitting.

And it is not working right now, it only shows the error message without transmitting.

Enrique

erbroens

Thanks Ron, let´s see what we are going to learn about this. And about your problem it is really
hard when a plane is writed off without knowing for sure the cause of it...

Enrique

wojtek

My Feedback: (73)

thanks for the post .... i was actually almost on the fence to jump over and get a 14mz .. especially that the new software now supports positive and negative shift .. ( JR RX can be used which i have around a dozen of )

for now i think i will pass ... between the RXe's susceptibility to interference, and now this...



Voy

Ron S

My Feedback: (2)

Not having used a 10X or WZ9 before, I think the flexibility in the programming with this transmitter is really great. I want to use this capability on a model having some unique mixing reqs. But I'll hold off some, until my confidence builds up. I've been using my transmitter since January too.

I wouldn't say using Windows is senseless - it opens up a lot of possibilities. Just as long as it runs stable.

erbroens

Yes, that was another issue... better thing to do now is wait to hear more people if they had problems too or not with this system.

Enrique

erbroens

What possibilities? A pic of a Kangaroo when you select the "Roo" model?

I liked very much the system flexibility, but I never found something that justified the use of a graphical interface for programming a r/c model... And this flexibility and programming ease could be reached using black and white menus and mouse-like buttons, like the 9 and 12 channels systems.

Enrique

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

Thanks for the headsup Enrique! Will Futaba be liable for any accident that occurs due to this software problem? Has Futaba acknowledged this problem and working on a solution?

wojtek

My Feedback: (73)

i would not exacly panic about Futabas response at this point ... it could be a single isolated occurance .. .. however for me this piled with other issues this radio is known to have is making me decide to hold off and wait some more .... too bad , i could use the 14 ch and many of the features ..


Voy

Ron S

My Feedback: (2)

Enrique,
I agree there is little value for me in programming a bmp picture on the screen. Also, little value for me with the music stuff. Nice but not required.

With some of the pattern or free-style 3D fliers, they might have use for the music function. I do have the sound function enabled with some of my switches - gear up, gear down, etc. I do like the interface with the triple rate, Expo, and offset functions, and I do use them. At first they are confusing, but there's alot there to absorb. Scrolling thru the model selections, are also all thru the Windows interface, and it seems to work well.

Having said all that, I wonder if your issue is related to reading of the compact flash card? Have you tried starting up the transmitter without the card?

pilott28

My Feedback: (27)

Understand that phase shift only works in PPM mode, which means you will have to purchase an external fail safe to be legal. And, you will only have 8 1/2 channels as you will be in Futaba 1024 mode. I believe this also means that you will only have 8 1/2 channels with other receivers utilizing 1024 mode, such as the weatronics. The only way to get 14 channels is to buy the proprietary Futaba receiver at $300+, and this receiver is the subject of some debate around noise rejection capability. See other threads in the forums. Perhaps some of the guys using the MZ can confirm this. I found it by digging into posts in the Futaba support forum as I was considering the 14MZ myself.

I ultimately bought the 22MX from JR/Graupner, which has 10 full channels (12 in PPM mode with an IPD receiver), the latest JR case components and the flexible European programming algorithm from Graupner. A powerful combination. The programming was easy to master (easier than 10X I think as programming parameters are collapsed into fewer menu items using a table structure) and certainly more flexible/powerful. The current JR modules, including synthesized, work with the MX22.

dragonpilot

My Feedback: (38)

ebroens,

Did you have the new update from this year installed? I've had this radio for over a year and a half. The only lockout I've experienced was when playing with songs on the mp3 function so I'll never use that function again. Maybe the error has to do with the memory card going bad or something. I've used this receiver with Hitec and Futaba receivers. I haven't used the G3 receiver yet but that's going in my new jet. I'm planning on following the range tests to the T with that one.
As far as features this radio is incredible and getting software updates, that's even better..
As far as the touch screen, mine doesn't function properly and I can't get even calibrate it, it is so bad. In my opinion, Futaba should recall the touch screen. So now I use the scroll wheel.
The radio is almost functionally limitless, it will be the last radio you'll ever need especially with the updates which improve the functions. It could use an amp meter in the servo monitor function (HINT to Futaba, mabye with the DSC?)
I'm curious to what the response will be to your issue, aside from sending it in. I'm sure they have all the malfunction errors listed from the product development testing and could enlighten.

j.duncker

My Feedback: (2)

Did you have your mobile [ or any other ] in close proximity to your TX. There seems to be a small but increasing number of well documented cases of mobile phone transmissions corrupting computer PCs.

2 recent cases in my club, one of which happened to a very careful and experienced user.

Rider-60

My Feedback: (17)

That's scary!
someone wrote "Why i remember a point in the manual, where is wirtten that if the Windows Processor stop, the futaba one, used to control the plane should always work.
just a question then, if windows fails , what will be emitted to the plane if all settings and mixings are lost??

Florent

Maudib

My Feedback: (51)

It should go into failsafe mode if it's a PCM 1024/2048 receiver.

With twin processors, one would think the base functions would be controlled by the "hardcoded" instructions and that even if the windows functions failed, you would have "last known mixes" intact.

That seems unsettling... yet in practice is more likely to be a hardware failure than a windows thing... unless there is code stumbled on with a unique mix that violates the operating system or creates errors. And if hardware fails on any radio your likely to experience the same scenario.

Rickles56

If you read the first section of the manual it tells you that if you ever let the battery go dead or too low then that kind of error can happen. I suspect you have a battery issue. I don't understand why you haven't tried to contact Futaba at least by phone. If I had a glitch, I would call them right away. I would quit flying with it as well, the number one rule of R/C radio equipment...

If you sent it back to Futaba they normally would fix it and turn it around in two days. Free if you are under warranty still. I will keep flying with my 14MZ, I am even selling my backup radios. As far as loosing your setups, you only have to save the contents of the flash card on your PC to get a full backup.

mc3854

My Feedback: (6)

My 2 cents worth is I have been using a 14 mz for 2 years and still won't quit using it because of this!! I have seen the exact same screen before but I let my battery get too low! It did come back up with a new battery though so it's not the same problem. Yours sounds like a power issue of some sort. I did get the blue screen of death one time while flying because of the MP3 player! I looked down to check the timer and oops, blue screen!! Plane still flew as always. Landed shut off the radio and re-booted and it was fine. It has never done it since! I have a second 14mz and have never had a problem with it at all!

I had a 9Z before these and was landing one day and suddenly had no elevator. On final so damage was minimal! Elevator did not work when I got to the plane. I went to the servo monitoring screen to see if the transmitter was sending a signal and low and behold it was not! Sent in for repair and it was something on a circuit board that went bad. This radio didn't have Windows software in it!! It had never given any sign of a problem!

Years ago I used JR equipment and had a transmitter just quit transmitting one day while flying! Battery was fine but no RF !!Well that wasn't pretty! It didn't have Windows software!

I guess what I am saying is that the same thing can happen with ANY radio we use! Windows software or not! We all have become so use to not having any problems with radio equipment that when it happens we get really p........ off ! Not only can we lose an expensive plane but it is dangerous.

I think a warning on RC Universe is great but the tone of the posts are not JUST a warning that this happened! Keep an eye on it and see where it goes!

As for Futaba being responsible for the plane, why should they be? Would you expect them to be responsible for the damage caused by my 9Z mentioned above? I wouldn't!!!!

Again, my 2 cents worth! Sorry I don't feel the same way!

eggwhisk

This post worries me and now confirms that I am not the only one to have suffered this fate. I am currently on my 3rd 14mz- the first was damaged in transit, the second had a similar fault to that described above and the third has just come back from service. Let me explain.

Having had my first set replaced with no quibbles due to being damaged in transit, I was very happy with the set for a number of months... until I experienced the first problem. I had just started my 90 size heli and had a firm grip on the rotor head, and was ready to carry out to the square when the engine went to full throttle and the swash plate to full back cyclic. Looking at the radio (fully charged, first flight of the day), I could see a blank screen, and the switch still 'on'. Trying to hold the rotor head and calling a friend over the noise of a full-bore 90 heli engine was hard work, resulting in a damaged thumb (trapped in the blade grip) and ruined clutch on the model. We all know the importance of a fail-safe, and I can guarantee that mine was set to hold on all servos except throttle, which was set to cut. This first fault ended up with me returning the set, to be told it was 'absolutely impossible' for the RF link to be taken out by a crashed operating system. Wrong! Unfortunately, this fault could not be replicated by the service centre. I managed to get the set replaced by paying a small percentage after explaining that I couldn't trust that particular unit.

About a week ago, I was setting up a Harpoon on the bench, and was beavering away programming the replacement set when it did the same thing. Again, the battery was fully charged. This time, after switching the set off and back on, it would turn off completely when the ‘transmit yes/no’ screen appeared. Nothing I could do would fix it; battery out, reset switch pressed, card out/in. This time, I was really upset. What on earth would have happened if the model had been doing 150mph and had flown into someone or something? It just doesn't bear thinking about. I now have the set back with a new software re-install and it seems to be working correctly. The unit is now for sale, and I am going JR. I have completely lost faith in the set and can not trust any model to it any more. I find it very interesting that this happened, when it is ‘impossible’.

Also my 2p, thoroughly fed-up

mc3854

My Feedback: (6)

What will you do IF the JR fails for some reason?? It happens!!