I have been using a RF Filter between my Jeti controller(s) and the receiver in my electric pattern planes from the beginning with no issues. Last weekend at the BARCs contest in Napa, I put in one quick flight before the contest and all went well. Round 1, I went to power up and the controller would not arm. I tried several times with no luck.

After trouble shooting the issue, it turned out to be the RF Choke between the controller and the receiver. Somehow it failed (open circuit on the signal wire) right after the first flight.

I substituted a normal servo extension but range was marginal so I did not fly the plane that way. Derek Koopowitz loaned me a spare RF Filter and I was back in the air.

Anyone else had any problems using these filters? BTW, there are only 2 very small SMT resistors in the circuit. I am thinking it was a cracked circuit land since I could get the filter to work on the bench just by putting a little pressure on the middle of the circuit board.

Don

Don:

Which one were you using? I bought the Futaba one but have never used it. I use the noise sink that the electric heli guys use and have never had a problem.

It was a Futaba Filter. Many, many flights on it with no issues then it developed an open on the signal lead. We have several of them in use around here with no reported problems so my guess is this is an isolated incidence.

Don

Jim how much improvement in range do you acheive with the RF filter?

about half again the distance without the filter. I did not have my leads from the receiver to the ESC twisted as some have suggested elsewhere and I am going to try that with and without the filter to see if it makes any difference. I consider any connection/plug as a failure point and I would love to eliminate another failure point in the system by removing the filter.

Don