I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I just learned how to operate my Futaba 7 ch computer TX. I've got all my planes on one TX & it don't cost a 100 bucks for a new RX. Like I said before, most of my buddies have the 2.4s, so I really don't need to worry about interference. By the time I figured out all this "binding stuff" it wouldn't leave me any time to fly. I have a sign on my hanger wall- "" SIMPLIFY"" It sure makes life a lot easier !!

Thanks for letting us know what you found.

I'm not sure how the distributor for your neck of the woods handles things, but Horizon will do the upgrades over here for free. All you have to pay for is shipping to them and they do the upgrade and send 'em back.

I'm a bit confused on your check for the Quick Connect update; all that you do is to turn off the model then back on, the rx should come back online in less than 1/2 second with the lights flashing abeit at a much slower rate than when binding. If you turn off the tx only, then you'll see what the failsafe/SmartSafe settings are, but if you turn off both then the tx has to pick up two new frequencies and the rx has to find them. That process usually takes between 2 and 5 seconds. Here's a link to the Spektrum SB on the Quick Connect update:

http://www.spektrumrc.com/Articles/A...ArticleID=1756

As for re-binding, it's necessary after the initial setup to tell the rx what to do with the servos until it links with the tx and as you found out, setting the failsafe/SmartSafe. The classic example was guys with retracts who had reversed the direction of the retract servo. Turn on the model and the gear would retract, then extend when it linked with the tx. I usually do a re-bind after setup and then one after the maiden flights where the trims are set. IIRC, the manual talks about re-binding if you change something substantially like a linkage for geometry changes or something. While I've seen some folks talk about having to re-bind, that has never been an issue for me and most of those problems when finally diagnosed turned out to be operator error of some sort causing the problem.

When you decide on a new battery, please do a little research on the specs for the cells. Total mah ratings aren't enough anymore since a lot of the cells used for making model flight packs are actually designed for electronic devices where a high impedence battery is not an issue since those devices don't pull much current (amperage). This is not the case with today's new high torque servos which can pull quite a bit of power and on a high impedence battery pack, that'll drop the voltage like a rock when the battery tries to keep up with the demand. Look for the impedence, continous output and burst ratings before selecting new flight batteries.

Sorry 'bout your loss, but it's good that nobody got hurt.

cheers for the heads up ............

Was the lamp on the RX flashing at any point ?

..... forget it... didn't read deep enough, sorry!

i'm surprised that someone has not mentioned the probability that this is an intentional design.

it is possible that the spektrum radio would go into failsafe mode if there is not positive signal from the controller for more than a minute. i would bet that if you place the radio just as they did then, instead of leaving it alone, wiggle any control every few seconds, it would not go into failsafe.

i think the radio must have thought the person had either passed out with the controller still on or the radio has malfunctioned and controls are lost.

personally, i don't think anyone should leave his/her plane unattended assuming that it will stay where it is. the memory of the guy who looked down to adjust something on his radio when his 33% composite weathervaned into the pits, he went to grab it by the wing, bumped the throttle and it came around and bit him. his rolex came apart with the first hit of the carbon prop, his arm took the next two blades. 90 some stitches. they say, had it not been for his watch, he would've lost his hand. upon seeing that, i would've certainly lost my lunch.

Zeeb,

Thanks for the informative posts, I will go and check my two receivers to see if they have the update - and do a rebind while at it...

I have a question regarding 6V batteries and servo life: when installing a 6V battery, do you use a step-down device to bring voltage to the servos down to 4.8V or leave it at 6V? Sorry for the basic question, still learning my way around RC's.

Thanks.

I asked the same first time i went to a 6v in my 120sise extra. I told to check the servo specks to see if they run with 4.8v or 6v. The servos I was using worked in a range from 4.8-7.2v

The answer to this question is a bit fuzzy...[8D]

The only real issue with servos and voltage seems to be related to some Futaba stuff that IIRC, is mostly used for heli's in conjunction with their gyros. Those say 4.8 volts only and they mean it.

Others will say "officially" that their servos are limited to 6 volts, which is a bit confusing since a 5 cell NiCD/NiMH battery fresh off the charger will usually hit 7 volts and by the time they get down to 6 volts, they need to be recharged. 4.8 volt batteries are pretty much the same in that the usable voltage range is such that when they get down to 4.8 volts you better charge 'em.

Now for the reality; most servos with the exception of those few which are restricted to 4.8 volt systems will live quite happily on 6 volt batteries which actually run over 6 volts in practice. Some of the Li-Po/Li-Ion setups which crank out 8.4 volts fully charged and usually play around the 7.4 volt range are run with voltage regulators to cut the voltage to 6 volts. Some gasser ignition systems will not take much over 6 volts and have to be regulated even with a NiCD/NiMH 6 volt battery. Some servos, particularly as they get a bit older and the pots or gears start to wear, will exhibit a bit of "nervous" activity on freshly charged 6 volt batteries but it's not usually much of an issue. Just blip the servo once or twice and they'll stop jittering, usually that's a sign that the servo could stand a trip to the service center.

Now the hot new setup for out purposes is the A123 battery which is a Lithium/Iron nano-phosphate technology and puts out a pretty constant voltage through out it's discharge curve at about 6.6 volts. Also a cheaper alternative is the LiFEPO4 battery which is the same chemistry of Lithium/Iron phosphate but is not the nano-phosphate technology which is patented by A123. They work in the same voltage ranges, but do not have the output capability of the A123. These batteries charge in 20 minutes, no fire hazards like those associate with Li-Po and to a lesser extent, Li-Ion batteries and just really work well. Out of all my models I have one analog servo on a glow model that gets the nervous "twitch" when first turned on with those batteries. Everything else is perfectly happy with the A123 batteries.

Okay now that I've probably put you to sleep, the short answer;

Run good quality 6 volt packs unless you have either one of those 4.8 volt restricted Futaba servos or an ignition system which won't take anything over 6 volts. Don't fret about servo life, it may be a bit shorter but I doubt you'll actually notice it and the manufacturers are real good about fixing them if you have a problem. It's more important to keep your computerized radio system happy than worry about a bit shorter servo life and as a bonus, you'll get faster servos with more torque at 6 volts vs. 4.8 volts.

Clear as mud????

I love my Spectrum radio system. I have it in 4 airplanes and have had almost no problems. The supplied battery for the DX 7 system's AR 7000 rcvr. is a 4.8volt NI CAD not a NiMh. I did have my first one not holding a charge after 1 year. I replaced that battery with a 4.8 valt 1600 mah NiMh battery. I did buy a good Triton charger and after deep cycling my original battery, it seems fine. I still use the 1600 mah Ni Mh for all my planes. I was told that the servo life ,(JR 821), would be compromised with 6 volts. Why do we need the 6 volt batteries? Just use higher MAH units at 4.8volts. I do have a "Winged Shadow Reporter" on every model. For 25 bucks you get a neat little device that will sound a loud signal if you lose your airplane. Mine is on the ldg. gear channel so I just flip the switch to hear the beeper. The secondary 2 advantages are that a double flip of the switch will cause the device to beep the voltage at the present time. The other neat feature is the every 30 second loud beeps if the voltage is below 4.6v. Even with the engine running you can easily hear that low voltage warning. With this little goody you should never have another rcvr. low voltage problem and should be able to identify a bad battery before you lose the model. And if you crash in the woods, you can find whatever is left of your little darling.[8D]

www.wingedshadow.com

Maynard, Thanks for the tip on the Winged Shadow Reporter. It's always good to know what devices are out there to help us out. I read about the 2.4 gear for a long time before I bought my DX7. It has been flawless, to the point that I admit I really SHOULD send in my RXs for the upgrade but haven't felt any need at all. Before I bought mine, almost every guy at our field had gone to them, and I belong to several fields and all of them had pretty much gone DX7, or at least some kind of 2.4Ghz. Zero incidents reported. A few people getting loud here in the forums but most just wanted to do some b^tching because they lost a plane. They weren't really concerned with identifying the causes, which is the aim of these forums and why these forums are such a benefit to all of us.....we can all learn about things together. The fellows who actively (and interactively) perticipated in identifying problems usually ended up in very short list of problems....a bad switch here, a binding problem there, the possibility that was presented here took a little time to figure out....binding at low throttle and then innocently finding you need to reverse your servo throw. You don't think about it or find out about it until the system goes into safety. Battery voltage problems....people getting all up in arms because the RX loses contact below 3.5 volts.......and of course, the whole time us old farts are reading that and saying to each other; "Who the HECK would go flying with their model's battery that low????" Finally the message started getting through....go flying your 72 mHz on a battery that low and you'll STILL be bringing home the proverbial Bag-O-Balsa!! And yet JR rose to the occasion and made quick-recovery RXs that help people keep from losing their models so easily to doing something dumb.
Modelers and innovative manufacturers started creating redundant voltage systems to compensate, but as before, those systems were only as good as the jobs done installing them. A bad connection and you can have all the voltage in the world....no power, no RX, and no plane left.
I learned from it too, though. I'm a very good solderer, so I decided that rather than add extensions, wherever possible I would hard-solder the conductors. I've lost planes before from a bad connector with one loose wire that I didn't pick up on in time. And I've been using 6-volt systems for a long time now. Nothing fancy, just good Sanyo packs with a ton of mAh's, always plenty for the servos and loads they would have. On my giant-scales with the big-draw servos in the tail I added (Y-d) an extra pack into their wiring so they wouldn't rob the voltage at the RX. Sounded real complicated but it turned out to be as simple as adding a Y-cable connector. Credit for that goes to Tom at Wild Hare. Simple and effective.

So, I haven't gotten into the huge-dollar items for that, but I think I have the bases covered and can feel quite confident. Most of this has been done just for my own warm and fuzzy feelings....I'm more than a little certain that the primary installation job and the attention to detail and the connections is where the REAL smart moves are. And of course, being smart enough to keep checking the battery conditions and voltages at the field.

And it seems Maynard has found something that can even help with that. So, the DX7 and 2.4Ghz as a whole are just getting better and better. Since I started flying 30 years ago, I have not found any development that I have been as pleased with (Although, the successful development of all of these ARFs is pretty darn cool!).

Jim