LG15 for JP ER120 Gear
05-23-2023, 04:49 AM
#2
You are not going to get a "cookie cutter" list of settings that will work correctly to your liking, It will take a little work and understanding of the unit to make it work optimally for your install. Each plane is different.
Attached below is a list of starting points that I use to set up the LGC15 for ER120s on the bench. Then, once at the field, I end up adjusting gains and limits for each airframe to my personal liking. Every plane is different, and every pilot's preferences are typically different. Things like power levels on the brakes and steering gains, etc. are typically unique to the gear and airframe. They are typically adjusted taxiing and braking on the runway. Also, the LGC15 does not have a voltage regulator in it. So, some of the settings are dependent on the applied voltage.
For current limits, I adjust the limits until they work reliably on the bench and then bump up the limit 2 increments. If there are independently operated gear doors, door sequences have to be programmed correctly for the sequence you need.
Read the manual a couple times, make it work on the bench, then adjust the steering settings at the field when taxiing.
Attached below is a list of starting points that I use to set up the LGC15 for ER120s on the bench. Then, once at the field, I end up adjusting gains and limits for each airframe to my personal liking. Every plane is different, and every pilot's preferences are typically different. Things like power levels on the brakes and steering gains, etc. are typically unique to the gear and airframe. They are typically adjusted taxiing and braking on the runway. Also, the LGC15 does not have a voltage regulator in it. So, some of the settings are dependent on the applied voltage.
For current limits, I adjust the limits until they work reliably on the bench and then bump up the limit 2 increments. If there are independently operated gear doors, door sequences have to be programmed correctly for the sequence you need.
Read the manual a couple times, make it work on the bench, then adjust the steering settings at the field when taxiing.
Last edited by Len Todd; 05-23-2023 at 04:55 AM.
05-23-2023, 04:54 PM
#4
Do what Len suggests, you don’t want to burn your motors due to excess current or have too much power that the lead-screws bind, use the lowest current that will allow actuation every time (retracts have full actuation, not shutting down mid way up or down) and increase current a couple of clicks to avoid triggering the limit under load of wind resistance etc. also allow a portion of a second of reverse so lead-screws don’t get locked
05-26-2023, 04:50 AM
#6
I attached the wrong initial settings sheet above. The above linked sheet was NOT for the ER 120. It was for ER 150s. My mistake. However, ... I did setup the Ranger's JPs, which are smaller gear (maybe they are ER 120s ?), with the same settings as my ER 150s, and they worked just fine. Whatever, ...
Depending on the voltage you use, at a 1 amp current limit, you may find that once the gear starts wearing or gets dirty, they may start hanging up. At the lower voltages (e.g.6.6 VDC), more current is used. I run the newer ER150s at 2S LiPo voltages direct. Looks like the ER 120's design limits do not recommend a 2S LiPo w/o a VR or LiFe, etc. In the past, I used to run the early ER150s at 7.0 VDC with a regulator. At the time, the word was out that they could not handle 2S LiPo voltages. Castle has a great adjustable 10 amp regulator. Since that set, JP has upped the allowable voltage on the newer ER 150s to accommodate 2S LiPo voltages. The current ER 150s run just fine on 2S LiPo voltages w/o regulation. Also, I typically wind up around 1.5 amps for a current limit in the 150s and the smaller set in the Ranger. Not sure why JP apparently did not up the voltage limit to 2S LiPo for all their gear.
As the gear wears or get dirty, you may find that you need to clean it, loosen the side plate screws a bit or remove the sharp edges in the gear's side plate slots. The symptom is the gear starts hanging up. I have found you can usually up the gear's current limit an increment or two at the field, and then do the cleaning. repairs, etc. when you get back home. Then readjust the current limits.
But again, whatever model electric gear and input voltage, I recommend starting out by getting them to work reliably on the bench with minimum current limits and then bumping the current limit setting up 2 increments. You may find as they wear, that you may still need to bump the setting up at the field and then when you get back home cleaning and adjusting the gear operator to get the current limit settings back down to 2 increments over reliable bench operation. Fortunately, if your setting is too low, you'll find that out as the gear goes up and they typically will come back down enough to land.
Depending on the voltage you use, at a 1 amp current limit, you may find that once the gear starts wearing or gets dirty, they may start hanging up. At the lower voltages (e.g.6.6 VDC), more current is used. I run the newer ER150s at 2S LiPo voltages direct. Looks like the ER 120's design limits do not recommend a 2S LiPo w/o a VR or LiFe, etc. In the past, I used to run the early ER150s at 7.0 VDC with a regulator. At the time, the word was out that they could not handle 2S LiPo voltages. Castle has a great adjustable 10 amp regulator. Since that set, JP has upped the allowable voltage on the newer ER 150s to accommodate 2S LiPo voltages. The current ER 150s run just fine on 2S LiPo voltages w/o regulation. Also, I typically wind up around 1.5 amps for a current limit in the 150s and the smaller set in the Ranger. Not sure why JP apparently did not up the voltage limit to 2S LiPo for all their gear.
As the gear wears or get dirty, you may find that you need to clean it, loosen the side plate screws a bit or remove the sharp edges in the gear's side plate slots. The symptom is the gear starts hanging up. I have found you can usually up the gear's current limit an increment or two at the field, and then do the cleaning. repairs, etc. when you get back home. Then readjust the current limits.
But again, whatever model electric gear and input voltage, I recommend starting out by getting them to work reliably on the bench with minimum current limits and then bumping the current limit setting up 2 increments. You may find as they wear, that you may still need to bump the setting up at the field and then when you get back home cleaning and adjusting the gear operator to get the current limit settings back down to 2 increments over reliable bench operation. Fortunately, if your setting is too low, you'll find that out as the gear goes up and they typically will come back down enough to land.
