Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Ok, Here is my problem.

I'm using my new 12Z in a new Boomerang Elan with a JetCat P70 turbine. It is running on 72MhZ.
I have all Hitec Digital Servos (HS5625 MG) except on the Flaps and the Nose wheel steering (HS625MG). I have Jetronic Brake and Retract valves. I am using 13 Channels. The extensions to the elevator servos are 48" long and have built in signal amps ("Expert" Brand). I have over 8 hours setting this up and got everything working great. I went to go fly and could not get the plane to respond to any control inputs from the Transmitter. I swapped out the Rx with a new one, changed the switch, changed the battery pack, still nothing. I had 6 or 7 guys look at my Tx setup. They all agreed that it was right. Remember, I did have this all working at home. I even swapped out RF modules. Still nothing. A guy at the field had a 14Z so I gave him my program on a Flash Memory card. He installed it in his radio, still no response from the plane. A buddy had a small hand held Ham radio and verified that the Tx was emitting a signal, as well as the Rx. I sent the Tx to Futaba and they found "Nothing Wrong".

Everything on this plane is brand new including Servo extensions. I'm at my wits end.

Can anyone help?

Thanks
Bob

tkilwein

Is the led on in your RX? Green or red or not on.
With the other working 14mz not working your RX this points to the RX/setup/power or not on right freq/tx mode.
Try a channel relink to the RX, check binding RX number set in the tx, tx mode (pcm-g3-ppm correct?).

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

I've done everything except upgrade from a 4.8V battery pack to a 6V battery pack

PCMG3 is what I am using.

The system has failed operation with 2 different 5114 Receivers.

I don't know what color the LED is. I'll have to pull the Rx to check it.

Thanks for the input.

Bob

Campgems

Are both your TX and Receiver in the same mode. PPM or PCM?? Same Channel?? I thought my 9C had crapped out on me and when I changed the RF module it worked. I sent my syntiized RF back for repair only to find I had the high digit set to 6, not 5. The bezel over the switches don't align very well. I refuse to change channels on it at the field now for fear I'll setup on the wrong ch and shoot some one down.

If all above is good, try just one servo on the receiver and seperate battery and see what happens. If it works start repluging the rest of your system one at at time until it fails. Then unplug one at at time leaving the one that caused it to fail still pluged until it works. Those two components may be fighting eachother and drawing the battery voltage low. You may have an interaction between two servos or what ever else is plugged and without starting from a good point and working to failure, you are going to have a rough time finding it.


Don

jayjayneri

It should be either the transmition mode (PCM, PPM or G3), the frequency, or more likely since you are using G3 mode, yu did not set the correct receiver ID on your transmitter. I would bet that that is the culprit. Just my 2 cents.

Jayjay

Four Stroker

Add to the list: PCM G3 Mode A or Mode B.

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

It was working fine and for whatever reason, it stopped working. I ran the turbine at home using the radio and it was fine. A couple of days later I go to the field and nothing happened. I didn't change anything during those 2 days other than top off my 4.8V 4200MaH NiMH Receiver pack.

PCMG3 2048 like its' always been
Mode A like it's always been
Channel 38 like its' always been. I haven't changed any parameters, it just stopped working.

Bob

Campgems

With 13 ch of equipment on your setup, do you have a regulator? I still think you have one component drawing the receiver voltage to low. Plug a Voltwatch into the receiver, use a Y if you have to, and see what the voltage is.

Can you get either of your receivers to work on your friends 14z on the bench? Can you get his receiver to link up to your TX.

Don

Edit Add. You mentioned that "everything" is new. After working in the computer industry for over 30 years, and trouble shooting systems with hundreds of units on it, the first thing we always looked for in a head scratcher failure was, what was added recently. The first 10 hours of an electronic component's life represents it highest failure rate. It is quite possible that a servo, retract, brake, etc just died and took down the system. This is why you are going to have to start isolating . A receiver, battery, and one servo on the bench is where to start. You already have a clean bill of health from Futaba on the TX.

Don

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Point taken Don. I will start from scratch.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Bob

Campgems

Let us know how you make out.

Don

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

I will Don.

I ordered a Smart-Fly 14Z power expander with an A123 Battery pack yesterday.

My Tx is shipping back from Hobby Services today. They actually flew a plane loaded with Digital servos and a PCMG3 Receiver. It worked fine.

dragoonpvw

My Feedback: (7)

Did you try changing channels. It sounds like my 14z at Joe Nall a few years ago. I had to change channel a few times. It seemed like I had changed channel but I got no response. In the end I stuck the Transmitter antenna inside next to the Reveiver Antanna and carried out the frequency change. Once they were both on the right frequency it worked fine. You say that a guy with a 14mz tried it at the field, did he change frequency of the rx when he started up or just set his trans to the frequency you told him?
Good Luck
Pail

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

I did try but nothing happened.

I got the Tx back from Futaba yeterday. I tried both receivers and couldn't get anything to work.

The 14-channel Receivers are on their way to Futaba this morning.

After 2 more hours of frustration trying everything under the sun, I converted the system to 2.4MhZ.

Everything works fine now.

I'll let you know about the Receivers when I get them back from Futaba.

Thanks to all who tried to help.

Bob

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Problem Update!

Well, I thought I had seen everything but even at age 60 you can learn something new every day.

I believe I pooched my two 72MhZ 14 channel receivers. I was setting up my 2.4 MhZ system last night and plugged my Hangar 9 Voltmeter into the charge jack on my heavy duty receiver switch to check the battery status. After checking the battery I left the meter plugged in to the charge jack. I don't know why, but I did. When I turned on the Receiver switch I was still getting a Voltage reading on the meter! I thought to myself that this can't be right because on charging I would be putting Voltage and current directly into the Rx bus!!!

I checked a couple of other planes with the same switch and when I turned on the Rx the charge jack was disabled and the Voltmeter shut off!

I checked several new switches I had and they also shut off the charge jack when I turned them on. Apparently the Receivers could take a couple of charges from my Triton charger before they took a dump.

A word to the wise. When you buy a new switch check the function before charging. This was a brand new switch that was bad right out of the package.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Bob

Campgems

Bob,

Walking back through your post and what you did, leaves me to think that the problem isn't solved yet. See if this reasoning makes sense.

you couldn't get receiver 1 to work. OK you fried it with the bad switch. You now have a fully charged battery, and you put in receiver #2. It also doesn't work. Would you have recharged the battery again with #2 receiver attached before checking to see if #2 receiver worked? That would be the only explaniantion for #2 not working.

It is quite possible that your switch got arched over and welded a contact. I fear that you still have a problem lurking and you need investigate further.

You stated in your first post that you had changed the switch. Does this mean you have two bad ones???

Does your turbine have an ignition battery? Is it possible you have something that is cross conecting the two batteries,assuming there is more than one battery in the plane.?

Don

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Don,

I gave you an Abbreviated sequence of events. When I thought the first Rx failed I replaced it with a new one. When the new one failed I replaced it with the original one.

When I swapped out the switch at the time I didn't see anything wrong with the original one because I didn't have the V meter plugged in so I put the original one back in.

I figure there is a solder bridge in the switch. I didn't have time to take it apart last night. I'm just happy I didn't decide to charge the Rx battery after putting the 2.4 Rx in. I think I might have fried that one too.

I just hope Futaba fixes them under warranty.

Bob

MX240

My Feedback: (4)

I never though of charge curent going into the receiver. Man....I will never leave to charger hooked on while I take just a second to check the controls....if that's the problem??

I am sure Futaba is a exellent outfit....but when I had one years ago and drove 150 miles to a pattern contest and the transmitter didn't work (wasn't the fuse) it went in the dumpster and I've been with another brand ever since.

Campgems

Bob, one last question. Did you charge the battery with each receiver plugged in. IE two charges?? This is what I'm having trouble getting my head around. If the receivers were fried because the charger was feeding into them, then you would have had to charge two times, one for each receiver.

Don

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Don,

I did. I charged at least twice with each one.

Bob

Campgems

Bob

OK, I understand it now. Sorry for being so presistent, it's an old habbit from my days helping guys fix the big computers. Just making sure every base was covered. I'll be interested to see what you find when you tear that switch apart. Or should you send it to FUtaba to expalin your receives if they give you a bit of push back.

Glad you got your arms around this one.

Don

summerwind

well actually, it's guys like you that make this sport that much more fun.
i certainly learned a lot just reading this whole thread, and while unfortunate for Bob, it really helps to know that one more step needs to be taken even with new hardware.
making sure the charge jack becomes inactive when the switch is turned on is something i'll be checking for before i fire anything up..............it's a new one to me, but i guess even as fool proof as our equipment has become, nothing is to be taken for granted.

hopw Futaba does the right thing and fixes or better yet, replace Bob's Rx's.

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Thanks to everyone for the help!

Bob