Aerocal

I didnt see that this specifically got answered.
GPS is like a separate deal on a separate page.Altitude and airspeed from the GPS cannot be transferred to the Gauge pages.Alt and speed to the gauges can only be had with the dedicated sensors themselves.All of the GPS stands alone in its own page.
Ive heard more than one ask "what is GPS worth then?".Its just another tool once you understand what it does and doesnt do.GPS speed is going to be groundspeed not airspeed.It cant know how much wind there is only how fast you are going over land.You could be in a straight down dive at 100mph and GPS will show zero speed.With wind and variable climb and dive angles GPS speed isnt even a close reflection of how fast you are going through the air.For various reasons GPS altitude can be either be fairly accurate or pretty far off.It does however give a very accurate position report.Thats it strong point.If your flying over trees or a cornfield it may be a huge advantage to know exactly where its last position was if the plane gets lost.Ever try to find a downed glider in a cornfield by guessing? I can guess it would be even tougher in a wooded area with alot of brush.If it quits transmitting on impact and you are logging the flight.You should have a real good idea where it went in.Punch the coordinates in on your device and it should take you right to it within a few feet.Ive been in a cornfield and you dont have a clue where you are unless you take a ladder and climb above it to look around.
If the area you fly in has restrictions on where you can fly GPS will show you exactly where you have been over the ground.Someone complains you were flying out of bounds you pull up the log and show them.GPS says No I was exactly where I was supposed to be.If your a responsible person you will probably find it may allow you to expand where you are flying because you are being way too conservative just "to be safe".
Its just another tool in the box.Whether you need it or not depends on the situation.Knowing what it will and wont do tells you when you should use it for any specific application.

orthobird

My Feedback: (1)

thank you so much aerocal.  that does help me.

Aerocal

Both TM modules(1000&1100) have the basic ports for temp,rpm&volts along with the input from the Rx that carries the power and data.
All other Aux sensors(alt,speed,current,g-force,GPS etc.) use the X-Bus port which is only available on the TM1000.Its basically a serial type bus so each sensor daisy chains to the next with the source end plugging into the TM module at the X-Bus port.

orthobird

My Feedback: (1)

ok, finally got the rpm to work. this is what i had to do.
on telemetry STi module on my iphone, i went to model, then to tools
then edit for rpm sensor
pole is set to 0
and gear ratio is set to two. if gear ratio is set to 0, then rpm reading is very high, in 4,000 to 40,000 range.
if gear ratio is set to 1, then again, reading is way too high, but not as high as 0.
if gear ratio is 2, i tested it against tach, and it was right on money.
my sensor is the ignition sensor from a saito fg 36 ignition module. it is installed opposite to my da 170 sensor.

tarcure

I'm curious about the airspeed indicator. The downloadable spec sheet says the minimum speed is 15mph. Yet, another poster mentioned 5 or 10 mph (I believe). I was interested in using this to land my Cub and keeping it above a "trial and error" predetermined stall speed while landing. Does anyone have an opinion about this? Lag time in reporting? I've never watched (listened) to my altitude and rpm sensors that closely. Thank you.

Franco2fly

I've not observed a speed down to 15 mph...  It does work to 18 mph, I have my alarm set for 20.  Now bear in mind that the readings are from air going over the pin holes.  The reading is fairly instantaneous, but it is quirky....  downwind turns for instance there's a lag.  I know Im going faster than the 20mph, but the alarm will still chime.  It takes a few seconds before the sample is correct.

For slow flyers, it might not be as precise and quick as you would like.  That said, however, I turn from downwind to base and final, and then on final establish the same speed.  This makes for better landings, since your approach and decent are always close to the same.  Now what I am reporting is based on my RussiaStik, which is a very lightly loaded Ugly stik that has been modified with fowler flaps.


Hope thats somewhat helpful

KKKKFL

AndyKunz

At very low speeds, the Prandtl tubes are not super accurate. Yes, it will record lower, but the accuracy suffers.

There is a slight lag time, of course. It's under 1 second, but can be extended if you have lots of sensors attached.

Andy

Franco2fly

Ok riddle me this..  I'm sure others have seen the condition where you fire up the DX8, then the model with the TM1K and you don't see the bars indicating link...  In the past, I would power off everything and start over and usually the whole system would come up.  So bear with me. Yesterday, I was watching closely and it happened.  but this time due to my watching closely, I noticed that the orange light inside the TM1K went to a rapid blink the Rx is a 6210x came on solid.  Further, I use a "Y" on the Rx bind/data port with power on one leg the other side going into the TM1K. 

After I realized that the TM1K wasn't coming up correctly, I guessed that there was some power issue.   I unplugged my 2700mah 4.8v JR battery, and used the 4.8v battery that was in the plane for ignition.  I just plugged this extra pack into one of the aileron leads that was hanging out the side of the plane.  Instantly, everything came up fine.  Guessing that power was the issue, I slammed the slide switch mounted in the plane back and forth about a dozen times.  I then unplugged that extra battery, and BINGO, the whole system worked.

Ok so I tossed and turned all night, "How can the switch be the problem?"  My first guess was the "Y" connector as there is some small capacitor internally wired...  I walked into the shop in my Jammies at 4 AM and did some more testing.  If I slide the switch slowly I can get the TM1K to blink rapidly and not lock up.  Snapping the slide switch aggressively, usually makes the system come up.  I then tried moving the power from the Bind/data port and eliminating the "Y"  I put the switch/battery on the aileron channel direct.  This made no difference.  Sliding the switch slowly causes the TM1k to blink fast but not lock correctly.

I think the fast blink is indicative of something but I don't have a clue.  At a minimum I will replace the switch, but I can't figure out why a slow turn on would cause this.

Ok let the comments come flying in....  Also like to hear from others if they have seen this.  The switch in question is one of those high dollar switches that has the charge port on the same mounting as the switch.

What say ye?


KKKKFL

Len Todd

Put an Ohm meter across the disconnected switch and look for a spot in the switch contact that shows increased resistance. Increased resistance indicates a bad switch contact point. Over the years in industry, I have seen many mechanical switches fail. First indications of a failure are typicallyintermittentspots in the switch's contact travel. Also, I personannly never clean one. Once they start showing up as bad, they are trashed. If they fail once, they will fail again.

Franco2fly

I like your thinking....  There's something not right with that switch...  slamming it back and forth and then it works stinks on ice...  I just cannot make any intelligent sense as to how the switch ONLY impacts the Telemetry module.  The Receiver ALWAYS comes up perfectly,  A slow slide of the switch causes the TM1K to think Bind..  even here, It's not really bind, because I slam the switch a few tics later and it works.  I thought once you put a Receiver into Bind, it loses the old SID.

KKKKFL

Len Todd

The Rxer may be less sensitive to the voltage drop/spike/condition caused by the intermittent switch.

Aerocal

Franco
Any Rx does not lose its bind info when put into bind mode.It only modifies the data when it receives a bind signal from a Tx.
Im not clear on your statement that the Y has a little capacitor or something wired into it. Is it like an amplified Y?
I would get rid of any kind of component Y and use a directly wired one.

Franco2fly

Aerocal,

We've been talking about it over in the thread
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...5#post24052539

Cannot seem to break the code as to why the TM1K fast blinks (Bind) on power up.

KKKKFL

Len Todd

I have never seen the "fastblink" on a TM-1000 other than when binding. I have AR 9210 Powersafe Units (Voltage Regulators) with 3 remote Rxers and TM-1000s in both of my giants. The TM-1000s are simply plugged in to the Main Unit's bind/data port. The AR 9210's soft-switch turns on the power to the AR 9210 Main Unit, the 3 Rxers and the TM-1000 all at the same time. I know mine is a different arrangement. But the power is applied to all components at the same time. Yet, there is never a TM-1000 fast blink.

It could be the TM-1000 is more sensitive to the power surge/rebound (i.e change in voltage, etc.) when you have the power from the battery going directly to the TM-1000 versus the power going to the Rxer and then the RXer bus feeds the power downstream to the TM-1000. ??? I have seen situations before where power had to be applied to various connected components in sequence. I just never before experienced this in the "RC world." I would bet that if you fed the battery thru a Voltage Regulator before if got to the RXer/TM-1000 connection, the initial voltage would be "smooth" enough to preclude the fast blinking. Another thought would be to put in a soft-start circuit (i.e. a resistor and separate switch (to take the soft-start in and out)) across the switch so that the TM-1000 and Rxer would not see the initial jolt when the main switch closed. And, the soft swtich would eliminate the RF generated when the battery connection is made. Electrical Sparks = RF.

Franco2fly

I have been able to repeat the condition in various perturbations.  I've cut signal wire from the switch to the Power in port, no joy here though.  I have established that the TM1000 sees ground on the signal wire by cutting the yellow wire on a short extension and placing that in the output from the bind/data line.  With it cut everything comes up fine, just no Fade or Hold data.  One workaround would be to put a small micro toggle switch in that line.  I would be interested in finding out if other members in the community can cause this.  All one needs to do is VERY SLOWLY slide the power switch into the ON position.  Another work around is to have the connection to the Rx on a short extension and plug in the TM1000 AFTER the power is applied to the AR 6210x. 

I have seen this condition throughout the last year.  I just never recognized it.  Usually, canopy is locked down, I go to the flight line and switch on power.  Sometimes the  bars do not appear on the DX8..  all year long, when this happened, I just cycled the power switch until the bars appeared.  It is infrequent IF the On/off switch is snapped briskly.  So now the question to everyone becomes, "Have you experienced a NO LINK where the TM1000 doesn't initially come up on your DX8, or for that matter DX10 or 18, since I believe this is TM1000 related?

KKKKFL

JohnB96041

I believe it is your switch that is giving the problem. Have you tried a "new" heavy duty switch to see if the problem occurs? I have never had this problem, ever.

Franco2fly

I thought it was switch as well purchased a Brand new Heavy duty JR Ultra Switch II.  There was exactly NO difference.  I then modified the original switch by cutting the yellow wire.  Now there was no way for the TM1000 to have a connection between yellow and black, the traditional Bind at least from the switch, and this made NO difference. 

The next test was to use a short extension between the normal deans connection and the Receiver to the TM1000's come with a micro JST on one end  and a deans that plugs into the receiver.  I inserted the short extension , but I cut the yellow wire.  This stopped the quick flash, but it also means there is no Fade or Hold data.  It does mean that I could put a small toggle switch on this line and only turn it on once full link is established.

At this point I need others to try and duplicate the problem by doing a slow slide switch power on and see if the TM1000 comes up correctly.

As a side note, I first noticed this way back earlier this summer and it was on an electric plane.  It was all buttoned up, and I cycled power and the bars showed on the DX8.  At that time I didn't realize what was going on since the Telemetry module was buried.  This week I have been tidy'ing up the wires in my new Quarter scale RV-4 and everything is fairly out in the open.  That's when I put my finger on the problem and discovered I could repeat the "No Link "  condition by merely sliding the switch SLOWLY.  I jumped on the notion that it was a flaky switch, when and bought a brand new one only to discover it did the same thing.  Both switches are high end 3 wire heavy duty and the batteries are fresh off the charger.

I I think the next test will be with a different receiver because I think that is where the error is coming from and it doesn't matter if power comes from channel 6 directly or if power comes off a "Y" connector on the Bind/Data port.

KKKKFL

JohnB96041

I have also found that the small connectors that plug into the tm1000 as well as the connectors that are used to plug in any telemetry devices are a weak point. Sometimes just changing out the connectors that have the small white plug-in will solve some binding and connectivity problems.

Franco2fly

Thanks,
That's a good tip...  I will go snap and unsnap the white connector a couple times and see if that has some impact.  Its worth a try.  At least I'm not doing the Re-Bind thing which is what I used to do when this occurred during the summer.  Dummy that I was, I thought the TM and lost bind.  I recall a couple times over the summer when I even had trouble doing the re-bind, and I now think that it is all associated.

KKKKFL

orthobird

My Feedback: (1)

i lied, my rpm only works at idle.  at higher rpm, the readings are way high.

Franco2fly

Do you have the poles set correctly?

KKKKFL

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

Is yours a Brushless RPM Sensor?

Franco2fly

He has a Saito, and said that he was using a split off the electronic ignition box...  which is curious to me, since my two RCG gas engines (one a 20cc the other a 15cc) both work flawlessly, but one must remember to cut the red wire.

KKKKFL

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks!! I have not tried RPM sensors with Gas or Glow, yet.

Franco2fly

I have tried them all, the electronic in-line (poor), the one that bolts to the back of nitro engines, ( a hassle to mount ) and optical ( the easiest).  The only route easier than the optical is the split off the electronic ignition used by the Gassers.  Here one must remember to cut the red wire on the lead going to the TM1000.  I must admit the best option and electronically safest is the optical pick up.  It is pretty easy to paint the back of a spinner black and mount the optical pickup in the cowl.  Here's a shot of one I mounted on a Saito .90 four stroke.  The white nub in the picture is a balsa stik that has the sensor glued to the end, while the stick is glued to the inside of the cowl.


KKKKFL