bonebreak

I have a voltwatch installed on my Edge. and when I move the control surfaces, 3 or 4 of the voltwatch lights will light up. I have tried unplugging servos, and by-passing everything, and it is the same no matter what (It is the same if 1 or 4 surfaces are moved at the same time too). Is this normal? If not, what should I look for?

dignlivn

The lights represent the load being placed on
the battery. I don't use a Voltwatch,instead I
use a loaded volt meter. Mine puts a 1 amp load
on my battery, so I know exactly what voltage
I have.


Bob

Mikes145

My Feedback: (5)

I just installed a Voltwatch2 on my edge and it doesn't do what you're describing. Just 1 light stays on. I haven't flown the plane yet though. It says it has a 1 year warranty. Maybe send it back for new one?

R/C Skyjumper

Check the instructions and there are 2 of these that do dif things and you both may have dif ones- Just my 2 cents worth

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

It could be the capacity and maybe the C rating of the battery pack you are using. The LED's indicate the voltage as it drops due to load.

The loaded voltmeter is one of those gotta-haves for our field boxes, however, the voltwatch is a great tool to get an idea of the battery condition before and after each flight as a quick check to see if the battery needs charging. It is not a replacement for the loaded voltmeter, but an addition.

CGr.

mclina

You should also verify that the voltage setting on your Voltwatch is the same as your battery, 4.8V or 6.0V. You probably already checked it, but just in case.

bonebreak

I have a voltmeter, and the battery checks out to be good (it is a brand new 1100mah 6v). I also have another voltwatch on another plane, and it doesn't do what the Edge is doing. The biggest difference I guess is that I am running a Futaba 3010 on my rudder. I know this servo draws more current than my 3004's, but the voltwatch does it with that unplugged. My next step is to grab the one off my Cessna and see if it does that same thing. Thanks for alll the help guys!

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

I have many voltwatches,, all at least 2-3 years old and they all act like the op says,,once the plane is down on the ground, you check to see its not half way down, it measures the voltage being used,,,so it you are working all the surfaces to test it, then you are playing with 4 electric motors and they draw a lot of power, and it shows on the voltwatch....so its working fine...get near the yellow and its time to go home...Rog

dignlivn

Let us know what you find.

Bob

Campgems

The flashing lights are as GGR said, an instant reading of the voltage. It is a great tool for showing up a stalled or binding servo.With all servos at rest, it gives a reading of the actual voltage with that static load, similuar to a loaded volt meter, but with a lesser load. When you start moving the servos, the load inceases and it is is quite common for a five digital servo setup with a Futaba 1000mah 4.8 pack to show three or four lights flickering as you wiggle the siicks. If the flicker gets down so the yellow or red is coming on, it is time to recharge. It the yellow or red comes on near full, it is probably a binding servo or linkage. Unplug one at a time to see which is putting the heavy load on the battery.

Last, I bought a batch of three a couple months back. I keep them on all my planes. I installed one the other day and it was showing more battery drain than I'm used to seeing. I had one servo, a digital gyro servo that the previous owner had put on the rudder. I unplugged it and things looked more normal, but I'm still getting a red flash now and then on the bench.Ireplaced teh battery and it is the same.I think I'll plug a second, older voltwatch in and see if I'm getting the same condition shown, or if this last batch is not up to snufff.

Don

Mr Cox

Yes, I just want to chime in here, the voltwatch is indeed a direct measure of the voltage that the servos sees during action, and that is excactly what you want to see!

The flickering can be reduce by using a capacitor to help smothing out the deepest drops in the voltage, and prevent your rx to go into safe mode. Or you simply need to use a larger battery in combination with those particular servos.

There is noting wrong with the voltwatch itself.

Rodney

That Voltwatch is giving you some valuable information. It is telling you that you have one or more of the following problems: To small a capacity battery, a battery with a high internal impedance, a switch that has to high an impedance or to small a gage wiring between the battery and the receiver or a combination of any two or more of these. This is especially important if you are running one of the 2.4GHz units as you are flirting with a reset (brownout) possibility.

Campgems

Rodney, that was my concern. Even a pcm Rx will go quite for a bit until it reboots. I've got enough room on my bench right now to dig out the techtronic scope and see just how low the voltage does drop at the receiver. Lets see, it's been 30 years since I used a scope for anything useful. I'f Ican just remember. Hope it's like riding a bike.

Don

sandal

I'd like to add one more thing to Rodney's suggestions: mechanical resistance. If pushrods or hinges are binding, the voltage could drop and make the LEDs flicker. Particularly if you are using a high-impedance NiMH or have any of the other problems that Rodney listed. The combination of mech. and electrical problems can easily cut the voltage in half under load. What I would do to check for mechanical problems is to disconnect all servo horns and wiggle the transmitter sticks. If the LEDs are steady, the problem is most likely to be a binding pushrod or hinge. If the LEDs still flicker with the servo horns disconnected (which puts a very small load on the elec. system), you have an electrical problem. Or there could be a combination of both.

Campgems

Don't forget a chipped or broken tooth in the servo gear train. I kind of expect that is what my problem was.

Don

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

didnt this come up last year this thread is much more friendly

so far I have installed 4 VW in my planes and there just a little extra cheap insurance at 6$ ea, got some of mine off ebay,they all jump when I put a load on them, but return to the base when I let off the sticks.

the thing I like aout them, is if I am tooling around the shop I just turn on the planes and check the charge levels, if I notice there is a low charge on one particular plane,I just hook up the charger, after sitting for a while I stumbled upon one of my planes that was really low,even if I am not flying for a bit I like to keep the batterys up, and not let them drain down too low.

a couple of examples of mounting location I put mine in the cockpit so there easy to read and not placed on the side of the plane where they can get dirty or dammaged

jimmyjames213

My Feedback: (2)

heres a website where you can get those for 4 bucks
http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=2038

Campgems

great examples.

Yes, this has come up a number of times before, and yes, this is a less heated discussion that some of the past ones. As long as we remember that there are always more than one way to accomplish something and present your way as a option to consider, things can reamin quite friendly. Anyway, isn't this whole hobby about fun??

Don

opjose

The "flickering" on the Voltwatches seems to be more prevalent when digital servos are used.

But as stated it is normal.

You want to make sure that the overall level indicated stays in the upper green. As suggested, lower than this may indicate that your batteries are not able to supply the required power.

Many people do not realize that a typical standard sized servo can draw up to 2 amps when fully stalled!!!

Bare this in mind, given the capacity of a typical 800mAh flight pack.

42etus

My Feedback: (2)

I've said it before and I'll say I'll again; If you value your planes, dump the Voltwatch and get a VoltMagic. http://www.voltmagic.com/
Paul

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

You can say it any way you wish. Being confrontational about such things will not win over any converts.

Voltwatch2 works just fine. You use your product and those of us that have been usiing Voltwatch2 for quite a while now will continue to use ours.

Now, if you have something concrete to back up your claim, then come on.. tell us, but be a bit less agressive about your approach.

CGr.

R/C Skyjumper

Hey 42
What them things cost?
No price on web site

Mikecam

http://www.hangtimes.com/chargers.html Scoll down a bit and you will find it. $39.99.

I use the voltwatch on my nimh battery planes. I use the voltmagic on my A123 equipped EF Yak. It really works wonders and after the first day of using it the price became irrelevant.

You can adjust it for your set up and the info it produces is truly useful.

The voltwatch is an onboard volt meter, the voltmagic is an onboard computer. Really take the time to read what it does, it could save you a plane.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Well, the Voltwatch2 does exactly what it says it will do and costs $11.99. Certainly you should get more for three times the cost. Is all that necessary?

Three of my planes have two batteries each. That, together with my Voltwatch2, saved my Venus II. One Voltwatch2 per plane. It is just a matter of taking the time to make an observation to see the condition of the batteries and acting accordingly. With out the Voltwatch2, I might have taken for granted that I had plenty of time to fly a third or forth flight, which just wasn't the case. You see,one of the two batteries failed in flight.

If I had one battery and it failed in flight, Voltwatch, Voltmagic, or any other gizmo would not have saved the plane no matter what. The battery failure occured during the third flight of the day on that plane, and I found it by my routine post flight observation of the battery condition using voltwatch. My routine is to check the battery before and after each flight, as I did that day. It (Voltwatch2) did just exactly what it was designed to do.

I don't doubt that the other gizmo's are fine, but to make a comment as above, is simply not productive and distorts the facts. Voltwatch does what it is designed to do, as I'm sure the other gizmo is. I like and trust the Voltwatch.

CGr.

Mr Cox

Why don't you just tell us why you prefer it?

I'm happy with the info that I get from voltwatch.