Poor Transmitter Antenna Positioning may Cause Lockouts
 

Heard of a few lock outs are happening close together and with Futaba recently. Everyone please double check your setups and watch out for your antenna position.

Thanks,
Andy

Andy,

Without details, its hard to say what is/might be, going on. I have thousands of flights on FASST - many, many at ranges and in RF environments much above what we typically see in our models (even jets), without any problems.

We'd need to know what their setup was, what were the circumstances, etc. For example, I believe, as he does, that Erik's lockout was due to the Powerbox...

Bob

Hi Andy,

I ditto Bob. My FASST has worked flawless for years, In jets, gas, glow, and electric. I have yet to see someone flying a Futaba FASST system have what they think is radio problem. What exactly did you hear about the 8 instances?

Joe

Well, I'm not at liberty to say who. I can say that I personally saw one at Tuscon and know first hand on another that happened this week in AZ. The person I was talking to said he knew of six others recently. All out west.

Like I said I don't want to start a transmitter war. Just curious if Futaba has done something different recently.

I guess it's a silly question. Just seems odd that these are all Futaba systems and recent. And I've never really heard any problems with the new Futaba systems. It's just strange. That's all.

No disrespect Andy, but if your not at liberty to say who, then this is all rumor and hearsay?
BTW, two plus yrs w/ Futaba FASST and no hiccups… fingers crossed.

Z

Andy,
All due respect, but it sounds as a transmitter war is what you are trying to start. If you are going to make the allegation about 8 specific lockouts you should be prepared to give up your so-called secret sources. Unfortunately it makes you look as if you are just trying to start a rumor. What would be the difference if I started a thread on another site that went, "Hey I heard Andy Andrews was arrested for 8 different charges!" and when asked who said it, all I could say was "Oh I can't divulge my source." It makes me look like an ass for even saying one word without being willing to provide some kind of proof. This is the kind of post that reminds me of the national enquirer when they have grainy/fuzzy pictures of bigfoot.
Oh and been flying FASST since it came out without one lockup and I fly nitro, gas, helis, electric, and jets.

Patrick

Would be nice to know what model transmitter & receivers were involved were all lock outs withe same set up model wise? And how old was the radios involved?

Exactly.

Early Futaba 2.4 RX's were believed to have had (did have?) heat related issues that disappeared with the introduction of the "gold dot" Futaba RX's.

Maybe there is something funny going on. Names aren't important but details regarding equipment and environment would be productive.

14MZ & 18MZ, FASST & FASSTEST turbine & EDF jets, 4 years, no hiccups.. Fingers crossed

2 10c's 10 RX's 4 solid years of FASST, no lockouts

one word "TROLL"
mods please delete this thread as it is completely unfounded with no proof what so ever and will not ever come to anything positive for anyone

Don't worry, I'll add some balance to this interesting debate.


Is something going on with JR? I've heard of over 8 lockouts recently.


And these are from pretty big names in the hobby. It seems strange that all of these lock outs are happening close together and all JR. Not trying to start a radio war here. Just concerned and curious.


Any changes lately to JR systems? Manufacturing etc?


Thanks,
Nonny Moose.

i have 10 futaba all on 72 no trouble you will hear bad things about all radios been flying since 1950 all futaba detron citizeship you name then ive had them i dont like to talk bad about any thing in rc

When a guy like Andy says that there is something wrong happening, is better to keep alert. He could be wrong, but he is not a troll, definetively.

I also have no doubt that Futaba fasst radios can fly properly a jet, but anyways is a good idea to re-check everything in the jets and also study if something changed in the RF enviroment wich may caused those crashes.

Andy's not a troll/trolling. Keep in mind we've had problems with 2.4 transmit and receive issues in the past and it's us in the hobby that seem to discover them at the loss of an expensive model. The manufacturers seem to be constantly changing protocols so it's definitely not out of the realm to have a problem with a new protocol or perhaps the s-bus system, etc. Remember the spate of brown outs?

Im a futaba fan and I think (could be wrong) that Andy flies some futaba as well. We discover these trends by posts just like this and others stepping forward with either a "yes I know..." Or conversely "have no and heard of no problems".

its simply a matter of collecting information and gauging the community regarding a concern.

Wait a minute!! Futaba has Bigfoot???

I don't know, I've been witness to a lot of unbindings and lockouts by another major brand, but my Futaba's have been rock solid. When I put a new plane together I go to the opposite end of the house and power down and do a range check. Somtimes I'll walk a block away, goes through walls and doors. Of course anything is possible but without facts this claim seems unfounded.

"Not just FAST, Futaba FASST!"

The 617's are now made in China, but they still work just as good too.

"Not just FAST, Futaba FASST!"

I would still like specifics. If these were larger models the problem could be the powerbox.

we need solid proof of what is being said not just stories of what someone heard, just like the justice system of the civilised world, no good comes from unfounded stories

I too, have had hunderds of Futaba flight's 10c-9c-7c on 2.4. I have witnessed 1000's of others. On the other hand I have personally seen 10 other "brand lockouts". We fly near a industrial park. Lots of interference. In the past with 72 you could tell if your reciever filters were bad.....you could see the giltches. Not to "diss" the other brands.......... we need to know if this are "new" receivers, a Newer Futaba radio perhaps? A jet installation, Gas or what? We need more info...................

I've personally experienced lockout issues with another brand (and of course everyone knows what the brand is, let's not BS each other). But my FASST 10C has been rock solid for years. Truly, the only brand I trust for my big / valuable stuff is Futaba.

And yes- either put up the specifics, or you are just a rumor monger.

#1 - Andy is not the kind of person to be associated with the word, "troll."
#2 - See #1
#3 - The specifics of the radios (type), receiver, use of powerbox or not, battery condition (which could really be the problem), and the year the TX was made would be very important to see if a pattern exists.
#4 - So far, the only pattern I see is that the "problems" all happened in the West. Maybe there is something going on in the Western States we don't know about? :rolleyes:
#5 - I've been using Futaba FASST 10CAG for almost 9 years ... problem free.

I too would really like to know #1 radio model #2 battery size/maker/model #3 " WHO" " WHERE "& " WHEN " as with ANY 'issue' on anything should begin with * F * A * C * T * S * first. Please be fair to everybody so 'IF' there is a 'problem' we can be informed before a 'lost of a plane or lose of a life ' THANKS

For the thousands of units out there and hundreds of thousands of flights, very impressive that these things are as reliable as they are. What puzzles me, is why does jr need satellites and all that confusion when futaba can accomplish it with two little wires? Unless we see a recall, I chalk this stuff up to install differences and unfortunate luck.

whats funny, is that each discipline in the hobby gravitates to a specific brand of radio. when I was flying helis, futaba dominated. Even the jr sponsored pilots used futaba gyros. Sailplanes used airtronics...... It seems like jr had a stranglehold on jets, but it seems to be balancing out. Interesting to see if jr's sbus system will be a big pull for them.

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Troll

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Great answer!

Were they using hobby king receivers?

Trying to create panic is not good to anyone, no matter the intentions, and probably saying you fly JR is not a good idea either, I went to read read because I am one of the happy guys who changed to Futaba from a JR12 X.

Although I don,t do jets I have done just about everything else with all of the major brands. When I started out 36 years ago getting a glitch or two during a lying session was pretty common. These days we don't get glitches, we get locked out and crash. I will agree with Andy as I had flown IMAC with Tony Quist for a few years and his installs were always top notch. It just may be a trend, not due to manufacturers but to how a region can develop a trend in installs and preferred equipment. Throwing a second party power box in there may add an unknown. I can say that after I started working in the RF field back in 1997 I have changed some things in my installs that I would have previously never thought an issue. I have seen antennas less then an inch away from a digital servo, receivers mounted on top of batteries, etc. I do all I can to eliminate any internal noise being generated from the airplane. Some things like running metal pushrods or pull pull cables next to long servo leads could cause an issue, not by it's self but add a few small things together and it can become a bigger issue. Jets are obviously complicated and carry the most electronics of any R/C aircraft and in some cases there aren't many options to how it's going to be laid out. In the end all you can probably do is the best you can and run very thorough range checks both with engine running and engine off and with the TX at all angles from the airplane. That type of range check has served me well with the big gassers. I have had situations where the engine off will get double what the manufacturer states as safe yet the engine running only gets half. One of those was fixed by simply changing the rudder pull pull from steel cable to Kevlar.

ALL RADIO EQUIPEMENT HAVE SOMETHING WRONG AT TIMES WHY KNOCK THEMi got 10 futaba radios and i dont knock any radio to each his own

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I think the moderator needs to stop this before it gets vicious.

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It is almost impossible for this thread to bring something good, as there is no way to establish a "trend" as all he parameters are not the same and the equipment used is not always installed with one brand and/or in compliance with Futaba instructions, for this o consider this thread to be irresponsible.

Unsuscribed from this gossip

It is almost impossible for this thread to bring something good, as there is no way to establish a "trend" as all the parameters are not the same and the equipment used is not always installed with one brand and/or in compliance with Futaba instructions, for this o consider this thread to be irresponsible.

Unsuscribed

I fly with a Futaba 18mz and welcome Andy's inquiry. If there are crashes from lock-out then we should talk about it and try to understand if it's a real problem or localized. That is what forums are for! The guys who are claiming this is a brand war are going to turn it into that.