joephu

I'm a littler confused with how the electronics connect:

Plane - Multiplex EZ-Star Radio-Ready with X-08 ESC
Tx- Futaba EXAS
Rx - Futaba R156F micro
Battery - ElectricFly 7-cell NiMH with male 2-pin connector
Charger - Triton Jr with two banana adapters (2-pin & Dean's)

My plan is to solder on a 2-pin female to the ESC battery leads adapter so the flight battery pack will plug right in. That part I think is fine. But I'm a little confused about the Rx connections.

The Futaba manual states that this radio kit came with a Tx AND an Rx rechargeable batteries, but I don't see an Rx battery. I read elsewhere that this Rx get's it's power from the servos. So which one is correct, dedicated Rc battery or power from the flight battery? Also, the Rx came with a switch harness with 2 leads, which is a little wierd because the picture shows 3 seperate leads! I assume the red male end plugs into the Rx but what about the black female end?

I just don't mind doing a little cutting and soldering am a little lost at this point. Any help would be great!

Mayday!Mayday!

1. If you are planning on using deans connectors, I would recommend the female plug on the battery. NOT THE ESC! If you put the female on the esc and the male on the battery it will be easy to short the battery by touching the exposed leads of the plug.

2. It is not possible for any esc to get power from servos as servos are not a power source. The battery supplies power through the Rx to the servos.

3. On this setup you only need one battery- the flight battery. It will supply power to the motor and the Rx. The power (voltage) to the servos are stepped down so they don't fry.

Here is a picture of a brushless motor setup. (sorry I had no brushed pics)

The end with the male deans goes to the battery. The switch is on the ESC. The wire that looks like a servo lead will connect to the Rx on the BATT/AUX channel. This will power the Rx. And since this is a brushless setup you can disregaurd the 3 wires to the motor.

Mayday!Mayday!

Also I forgot- that esc is rated for 8 amps so make sure not to push it to hard. I believe the EZ Star comes with a speed 400 motor, and you should be fine, but if you decide to use 8 cell, 9 cell or lipo batteries you may exceed the 8 amps depending on prop.

joephu

Yes, you are right about the 400 speed motor and 8 amp limit on the ESC. I was going to go with the recommended 6-cell, but figure I could taper back on the throttle and only use full throttle sparingly.

Anyways, thanks for the picture. I thought the servo looking wire off of my ESC was supposed to go in the "throttle" channel of the Rx. That's why I didn't understand how the battery current would flow to the Rx. I guess the ESC takes care of this.

So if I understand this correctly:

#1 Attached the battery to the ESC adapter using the Dean's plugs (good point about female end on the battery)
#2 In series, attached the ESC "servo" plug to switch harness, then to the 6/B input of the Rx

I think this is right.

Thanks!

jdetray

The ESC connects to channel 3 of the RX. That is the throttle channel, and that's where the ESC must be connected. The battery eliminator circuit (BEC) in the ESC regulates your battery voltage to a level that is safe for the RX and servos.

You don't need the switch harness at all; it just adds unnecessary weight. Connect everything as in the diagram below. At the conclusion of each flight, simply disconnect the battery from the ESC, then turn off your transmitter. That's how it is normally done with small electric planes.

- Jeff

joephu

Oh, I see. Thanks. So really, it is the input from channel 3 that powers the Rx and servos.

Now, I must ask, why is there an input 6/B on the Rx? Is this designed for applications where a motor and/or ESC are not present (ie. glider) and dedicated Rx battery is used?

Mayday!Mayday!

The /B is there if you disable the bec on the ESC. Then you can have a battery for the motor and one battery for the Rx/servos.
On some higher voltage setups the esc cannot handle or step down the voltage so you would have to disable the bec and use a seperate battery for the Rx.


I use JR radios and the esc would connect to channel 1 or bat/aux, but jdetray is correct about your setup for Futaba it is channel 3.

joephu

Just finished soldering the Dean's plugs and made the connections as outlined. Voila! The controls work like a charm. I can hardly wait to make my maiden flight. So far, I'm impressed with Futaba EXAS 6-channel Tx. The programming and navigation is very intuitive for a newbie like me. The manual, IMHO , could be a little more detailed.

You guys are great. Thanks for bearing with me

jdetray

Congratulations! Well done.

- Jeff