Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang!  
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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros >> Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! Page: [1]

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Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/8/2008 3:35:46 PM   
Geardaddys


 

Posts: 216
Joined: 8/21/2006
From: Woodstock, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Fellas,

Knocked over my Futaba 9C Super this morning (on carpet thank goodness) but evidently the 3 inch fall was to much for my "b" switch.. I don't really want to send it in because a: I don't want to pay for it! and b: I don't want to be out of the flying business for a few weeks.. Anyway, I think that tower sells these switches, but I am curious as to how difficult they are to replace.. Does the switch get soldered directly on the circuit board, or does it connect via wires? I'm comfortable doing wire soldering, but would be a bit nervous about trying to solder directly on the board.. I do have a friend who has done extensive electronic repairs, so he could probably help me out if it was a board thing. Anyway, if any of you have done this I'd really love some advice on how to do it, level of difficulty, etc.. Thanks a bunch..

John..

PS.. the switch still "works" if that matters, if you look in the hole that the switch sits in, there seems to be a little spring (not sure what that is for?) but if you move the spring, it actually still activates the high rate for that switch.. I guess I could use it like that, but Might not be able to get to it "in the heat of it" if I needed to..

       Post #: 1

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/8/2008 4:15:23 PM   
madman75



Posts: 102
Joined: 9/28/2006
From: Newport, OH, USA
Status: offline 		About 10 years ago my wife knocked my Futaba Super 7 off my work table onto a concrete floor. Two switches got broken off with no other damage. If I remember correctly the switches were soldered to a small PC board that had a ribbon cable running from it down to the main board. I don't know for sure if the 9C is the same or not. It wasn't very difficult to replace the broken switches but I've been doing electronics repair for over 25 years. I would say the 9C is similar to the Super 7 in that the switches are mounted on a small PC board. Still not to difficult. I used solder wick to remove the old solder, then removed the switches and soldered in the new ones. Remember, too much heat or heat too long and the board can be damaged.

(in reply to Geardaddys)
       Post #: 2

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/8/2008 4:22:46 PM   
BuschBarber


 

Posts: 489
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		I had this happen on my Futaba 8AUPS. It was a 3 position switch. I have been very successful when soldering, but because this switch was soldered to the PC board in 3 places, I needed to use a Solder Wick or a Solder Sucker. I did not have either and I overheated the circuit board and took out ALL the switches on that side.

Be Careful!!

(in reply to madman75)
       Post #: 3

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/8/2008 9:03:33 PM   
stunt-man



Posts: 38
Joined: 9/21/2004
From: Toronto, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		When this happened to me, I took apart my 9C Super transmitter and saw that the switch is soldered directly to a small circuit board. I bought the replacement switch from Tower Hobbies, and eventually had my LHS do the repair. You have to be very good at soldering and have the right equipment since the solder points are very close together.

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       Post #: 4

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/8/2008 9:17:51 PM   
vicarh



Posts: 179
Joined: 3/10/2004
From: South Miami, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Why take a chance? If you are not really good at soldering / de-soldering, send it to Futaba, it is not that expensive...

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       Post #: 5

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/8/2008 9:24:00 PM   
BarracudaHockey



Posts: 10227
Joined: 7/13/2003
From: Orange Park, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Or Radio South http://www.radiosouthrc.com

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       Post #: 6

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/8/2008 9:47:55 PM   
mscic-RCU



Posts: 926
Joined: 3/29/2002
From: New London, OH,
Status: offline 		It isn't that difficult. go to Radio Shack and get solder wick, electronic solder and a low wattage soldering iron. Heat the solder joint on the board, suck the solder off with the solder wick. remove the old switch, solder it back with a dot of solder. if that is too much for you, send to me at my computer shop, www.37mainstreetcomputers.com and I'll have one of the guys fix it.

(in reply to BarracudaHockey)
       Post #: 7

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/9/2008 2:54:12 PM   
Geardaddys


 

Posts: 216
Joined: 8/21/2006
From: Woodstock, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the responses guys.. I took the back of the radio off and the switch is on a little "sub circuit board".. I will practice some desoldering on some old board, and consider giving it a shot.. When you guys talk about "low temp" soldering irons, what wattage are you referring to? I think that I have a 30 watt pencil type iron is that too much?



< Message edited by Geardaddys -- 5/9/2008 2:56:10 PM >

(in reply to mscic-RCU)
       Post #: 8

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/9/2008 8:15:26 PM   
mscic-RCU



Posts: 926
Joined: 3/29/2002
From: New London, OH,
Status: offline 		30 watt is fine. clean the tip good before you start. have fun!

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       Post #: 9

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/9/2008 11:20:47 PM   
Geardaddys


 

Posts: 216
Joined: 8/21/2006
From: Woodstock, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Ok a few more questions and I'll be done with this! Went to radio shack today and got some flux, desolder wick, and a 15 watt grounded Iron.. Took apart an old servo and was able to remove many of the components from the board.. put them back and soldered them back on when I was done.. (YouTube is great!) anyway, I think I got the hang of it my joints all looked good.. My only question is about the leftover flux on the board after you are done with the project.. Is it ok to leave it on the board, or is there a good way to remove it? I may have been a bit heavy handed with the flux.. All in all though not very difficult.. The switch that I need to remove from my 9C is much larger than the tiny parts that I removed today, so it should be a bit easier..

Thanks for all of your input!


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       Post #: 10

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/12/2008 8:38:38 PM   
mscic-RCU



Posts: 926
Joined: 3/29/2002
From: New London, OH,
Status: offline 		Easier to use rosin core solder. The flux needs to be cleaned up as it is an acid and is not good to leave on the board and joints. wipe off the flux and clean with alcohol. I would just get flux core solder, easier.

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       Post #: 11

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/14/2008 10:51:15 PM   
Geardaddys


 

Posts: 216
Joined: 8/21/2006
From: Woodstock, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Ok.. will do.. I have some rosin core solder.. someone told me that a little "extra" flux will help with the heat transfer.. I was really surprised how easy the solder came up with the solder wick.. cool stuff.. I figure I'll probably only save 10-15 dollars by fixing it myself, but the education on solder techniques was something I needed anyway..

Thanks again..

John..

(in reply to mscic-RCU)
       Post #: 12

RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/14/2008 11:43:55 PM   
bruce88123


 

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From: Memphis, TN, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: mscic-RCU

Easier to use rosin core solder. The flux needs to be cleaned up as it is an acid and is not good to leave on the board and joints. wipe off the flux and clean with alcohol. I would just get flux core solder, easier.

The flux used for electrical connections is NOT acidic/corrosive and will cause no problems if left on the boards. Plumbers flux can be corrosive. Flux LOOKS bad if you use too much. It is quite normal to use a little liquid or solder flux even when using rosin core solder. There are days when I solder 100+ connections and they are fine even without cleaning. Alcohol, or better yet, will clean off the residue just fine. Use a short/stiff bristled brush or a small wooden scribe to free up the residue.

Just don't over-do it, leave a clean/shiny connection and all will be well.

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RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/14/2008 11:47:13 PM   
bruce88123


 

Posts: 10292
Joined: 11/26/2004
From: Memphis, TN, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Geardaddys

Ok.. will do.. I have some rosin core solder.. someone told me that a little "extra" flux will help with the heat transfer.. I was really surprised how easy the solder came up with the solder wick.. cool stuff.. I figure I'll probably only save 10-15 dollars by fixing it myself, but the education on solder techniques was something I needed anyway..

Thanks again..

John..


Flux is used primarily as a cleaning agent.
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03278.htm for some more info.

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RE: Broken "B" Switch on Futaba 9C? Dang! - 5/25/2008 1:21:44 AM   
Geardaddys


 

Posts: 216
Joined: 8/21/2006
From: Woodstock, MD, USA
Status: offline 		Ok.. Got my switch in last night and went at it.. Opened up the radio, removed the little board that the switch was soldered to and used the desolder wick to remove the old switch.. Took me a bit because I was really nervous, but I was successful in getting the new switch in and soldered into place.. Had a bit of an 'oh-oh' moment though.. the switch was the two position switch, and there are three terminals to solder on the board.. anyway, as I was cleaning the board with a qtip and some alcohol I noticed that on one of the holes in the board where the end terminal on the switch goes had a TINY TINY TINY washer sort of glued into place around where the hole in the circuit board was.. Anyway, as I was cleaning it, it came off.. So I figured I had trashed the board.. Then I looked at it and noticed that there were no electrical connections running to that particular hole, and thought "hmm, maybe that little washer doo dad was just to have something to solder that terminal of the switch to, and it doesn't make a connection anywhere.. So, I soldered the other two terminals in, left the end one alone, and it works like a champ..

Thanks a bunch for the advice and encouragement.. I figure I only saved about 5-10 dollars at the max doing this, but it was fun to learn..


(in reply to bruce88123)