Tech Aero IBEC interference with Electric Retracts?
 

Aloha RCU Flyers,

I have a TF .60 size P-47 with electric retracts. It flies great however last weekend I installed a Tech Aero BEC so that I can remotely kill the ignition and run all of the electrical components off of one battery. The battery I am using is a 2500 MaH A grade LiFe 123 from Tail Dragger RC.

When I cycle the gear on the ground prior to flight they operate perfectly. Also when I turn on the ignition (engine is off) move the sticks randomly and cycle the gear they still work fine. But when flying the plane the gear will not retract at first. Then it will randomly retract then extend itself randomly.

Sometimes one gear unit will extend or retract randomly. This only happens when the gear switch is in the retract position. When the gear switch is in down position the gear stays down and doesn't move at all. What's going on here? Is the IBEC creating interference on the gear channel? The signal is supposedly triple filtered.

If it helps the model is powered by a VVRC 20CC engine, I use all S3004 analog servos, E-flite 550 series electric retracts, 9 channel Spektrum receiver and I use a badger power slider switch.

This plane is a fav of mine I really want to fix this problem.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

My guess is that with adding the ignition draw onto the power system there is just not enough current delivery to make the system work. How is the battery power getting to the RX?

Battery to power switch, switch to receiver.

You may not be delivering enough current with your setup. A battery with minimum of 20 gauge wire preferably with dual outputs going to a dual input/output switch and two power connections to the RX may solve your issue. I have been running the Tech Areo IBEC for several years without issue as well as many other guys.

Think I'll probably add another switch/receiver/battery combo for the gear itself.

I don't think its the IBEC

We have one doing the exact same thing and there's no IBEC involved.

A friend asked me to maiden an ESM P-47 with a 20cc RCGF and when things were doing well I did a high speed fly-by down the runway and the gear cycled. Freaked me out, I immediately dropped the gear and circled and landed, figured something was loose or awry and I didn't want his new plane to total itself while I was holding the transmitter.

We have replaced the y-harness on the gear with a heavy duty one, run power direct from a battery to the rx without any switches, Horizon even replaced the retracts, it still does it. We can duplicate it on the ground by placing the plane in a cradle and starting the motor and advancing the throttle to about 40 percent and the gear will freak out.

So, don't waste your time chasing the IBEC

I had a similar problem on my TF 1/5 P-51 with Robart Electrics. Gear worked fine on ground without engine running. With engine running the gear would not retract. Turned out to be a 1/8" hole worn in the ignition metal braided cable where it pasted through the firewall. Replaced ignition and the problem was fixed.
Ralph White

Did you see Speedrecerntrixi's post about not being able to supply enough current at one time to run the retracts? I think that could be it since the gear was working fine before I added the IBEC and switched everything to one battery. Today I will redo the the power system on the retracts so that it runs off a separate Battery/switch/receiver. I will let you know how it goes.

I saw that, but I have my doubts but we will see what happens. Like I said, we are going through the same thing here and he's got an ignition battery with an RCXL kill swtich

For trouble shooting I would run the plane with a separate ignition battery and see what happens. Also I would look at the wires going to the retracts and if they will flow enough current. Running on the ground is low demand; in the air servos are being loaded more.

I put the ignition on a separate battery and the gear worked perfectly fine. Flew the plane Sun and Mon with no problems. I have a spare Rx and I will use it with another battery to operate the gear.