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can the cold affect a servo?

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can the cold affect a servo?

Old 01-11-2004, 08:30 PM
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racer-RCU
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Default can the cold affect a servo?

lately the coldest that it has been here is like 14 degrees at night. Well during the day the high might be 30-40 if we're lucky, my shed usually stays around 27. When i turn on my radio(jr computer radio) it takes a few seconds for the lcd screen to show up, and when i move the aileron stick "slowly" the right servo moves but it's real jerky, now when i move them fast the move smothly, none of the other servo's do this, anybody know whats going on?
Old 01-11-2004, 11:47 PM
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CafeenMan
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

I don't know about the servos, but I would suspect the battery is being affected.
Old 01-12-2004, 01:23 AM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

And the cold will slow down the liquid crystals in your display. A LOT.
Old 01-12-2004, 07:11 AM
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vinnie
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

Racer, I can understand "slowly" for a servo. Most servos have some grease on the gears and elsewhere that thickens with cold.. Plus the motor and battery may need to warm up. BUT..."jerky" causes some concern. I'd replace that servo and check it for a lost gear tooth or some other obvious defect. Send it in for a check-up or chuck it, but don't use it. []
Old 01-12-2004, 12:05 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

The cold will make your nicads come down a bunch. It shouldn't slow your servos down, unless one has a problem. I would open it and make sure it isn't missing gears. As stated, jerky sounds bad. Other than that, it shouldn't affect it.
Old 01-12-2004, 04:48 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

ok thanks guys, i'll go ahead and replace it and send it in to horizon to have it inspected
Old 01-12-2004, 04:55 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

If it is a cheap servo, it will cost as much to have it looked at as a new servo. If that is the case, I would just replace it. If it is an expensive servo, by all means, have it checked out.

Good luck.
Old 01-12-2004, 04:58 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

naa it's a standard, i'll look at it myself i guess, i have some spares though
Old 01-12-2004, 06:52 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

I would be careful of thermal cycling your electronics in a potentially wet or humid environment. This can cause condensation to appear on electronic components. We all know what water does to electronics.
Old 01-12-2004, 06:56 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

Geist has a good point I never thought of.

As far as the servo goes, I tend to change the cheap ones out every so often anyways. I had a bunch that were about $15 years old that work fine, but I just didn't trust any more because of age so I replaced them all. Wouldn't mind using them in slower planes, but most of mine are faster.
Old 01-12-2004, 08:08 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

If I was in a 27* shed trying to move the stick slowly, the servo would have a major case of the heebie-jeebies......

We in the desert think 50* is close to unflyable weather!
Old 01-12-2004, 09:42 PM
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Default RE: can the cold affect a servo?

well i went out there today, was warmer today and there were no problems with the servo, i guess it was the cold cause all worked excellent, but it was wierd it was just that one servo, but like i said it works fine now, i'll still probably keep an eye on it, thanks for all yalls help

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