Big feet

Hi guys,
I have been reading some threads here on RCU about problems with 2.4 systems, be it heat, cold or whatever.
As someone who has not yet made the jump I am very shocked to see there are potential problems with these systems.

To assist other modellers who wish to purchase such systems I would like to start a thread to list FACTS about the known problems with ALL MANUFACTURES systems, this is NOT to become a blasting session, those help no-one.

The current status should also be posted, ie. fixed, no response from manufacture, reported, whatever.

A knowledge base if you will.

Please only post information from first hand experience.

Mr. moderator, this may become very useful, if so, can it become a sticky?

Thanks,

ravill

My Feedback: (11)

FACT: DSM from spektrum/JR is VERY clear about adequate power management necessity. They mention it OFTEN in their manuals for their transmitters and recievers.

I.e., if in doubt about your power delivery system, fix it until you are 100% satisfied. [sm=thumbup.gif]

Raf

BCoston

My Feedback: (7)

FACT: DSM from Spectrum/JR does not work above 307 degrees F.

http://www.spektrumrc.com/content/im...lenge_AD_3.pdf

jmohn

This is one that has affected many electric fliers:

Depending on the manufacturer of the ESC, there can be issues with the BEC (battery elimination circuitry) not having a high enough voltage output. The issues tend to be isolated with Tekin and LRP ESC’s when used with SR3000 or SR3001 receivers. There are several steps that can be taken to prevent issues from cropping up. First is to make sure you install a power capacitor on the speed control itself, as this seems to prevent high-current drains from causing issues on the ESC’s end. Additionally, installing the SPM1600 Voltage Protector into an open channel on your receiver can further prevent low-voltage issues.

A low voltage condition will cause a re-boot in the receiver. If you have the new receivers with "quick connect", then you will not see a problem. The older DSM receivers will take 2 to 10 seconds to re-boot and will most likely result in a crash. As stated above, make sure your voltage supply is "rock solid".


Jeff

GrayUK

Spektrum rx takes between 3 and 15 seconds to 'find' the rx and lock on. This is also true with momentary signal loss when airborn.
FASST locks on in under 1 second.

ravill

My Feedback: (11)

GrayUK,

The longest it has ever taken for my DSM/JR/12x/1221 rx/tx to "find" each other when I first start up my models is well under 3 seconds.

If I disconnect my power supply and then reconnect it, the rx responds faster than I can quantify. It feels, EXACTLY, like 72 mghz in that regard.

When "binding" I have waited upwards of 5 seconds for binding, but that is only the first time the rx gets to learn the tx.

Raf

Terry Holston

My Feedback: (1)

What he said.......................................

GSR

My Feedback: (145)

Gray, Totally unfounded statement- EVERY time I have checked the power fail issue by interrupting the reciever power system the reciever reconnects in well under one second-Perhaps you should borrow a friends and check it yourself. Scott

gooseF22

the newer JR/Spktrum receivers have fast relock, some of the older ones take a few seconds to reacquire. the newer ones are very fast, less than a second. It happened to me yesterday. I lost control during a turn for one second. when I landed the RX was flashing. it had a reboot

I had a bad BEC.

g

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

Not really in the Spektrum manuals..........

The update is simple. Upon a momentary powerloss the RX will attempt to find 2 new freqs to operate on. This was the cause of the 3-15secs time frame that many people see and caused numerous crashes. Now the overall cause was that the power voltage threshold dropped below what was acceptable for 72mhz (mainly an electric airplane issue but it did raise its ugly head on some larger planes with high current draw).

The fix. instead of changing the threshold voltage where the RX would shutoff Spektrum decided to change the reboot feature. The RX now goes back to the original 2 freqs and locks on within 1 sec or less. Your RX will also show flasing orange lights.


There is no statement in the manual or on the package to tell you which version you have. You have to perform a ground test of having the TX and RX on........turn the RX off then back on. If it blinks, its the new version. This goes for satellites as well. You can use a mix of the two versions

Upgrade is free and takes 5-10 days turnaround.


So both posts from above are correct depending on what version of the RX you have

littlepiston

My Feedback: (12)

thats great!!dose anyone know how hot this is!! WOW, my engine from my truck kicks the bucket right at 280*F.

GrayUK

What he said.......................................

jmohn

Sweetpea01: We did a bunch of testing on the DSM and DSM2 series receivers without the "quick connect" feature and found exactly what you stated. The time required to rebind due to a "brown out" or signal losss varied between receivers. Some took 2-3 seconds while others took as long as 15 seconds. It didn't seem to matter which receiver we tried (AR6100, 6200 or 7000) they were all a little different. I have the new JR921s now with the Quik Connect and they are great.

I was pretty pi$$ed off when my planes crashed from a lock-out (I had four of them do this), but was pleased with how Spektrum and Horrizon stepped up and resolved the problem for me. It's a hard business and there are so many different power setups, batteries, motors, etc. Hopefully we will hear less and less incidents like mine in the future. At least nobody was hurt.

Jeff

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

Since this is supposed to be an educational thread can Spektrum users expain what it means when a Rx L.E.D. is flashing and the Rx has already gone through the binding process? A friend had to shutdown the engine on his Euro more than once at the LBJR this past weekend when he noticed that the Rx was flashing. After shutting down he would turn the plane off and then on and the Rx L.E.D. would then come on solid?

Marty

GrayUK

Another thing I find a bit scary on Spektrum is the odd failure to locate the tx!
I have seen this a few times with other peoples Spektrums, the answer is …switch it all off and re-boot. But why does it not link…? There must be an answer, anyone know?

GrayUK

jmohn

FOUR....scary!

DougV

I lost 2 airplanes to Spektrum lock-out, but after a year of airplanes crashing.... they fixed (patch) the issue.

I hope Futaba don't take a whole year to fix there heat issue.

Doug.

kirkj

My Feedback: (61)

this is actually in the manual... if the TX antenna is VERY close the the RX, it will swamp the RX and it will not lock on. not an issue for me, just move the tx a little and cycle power. you cant fly in this condition so there is no chance of loosing a plane.
it happens to me mainly with my heli, as i usually have it on a bench and my TX sitting next to it when im getting ready to fly.

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

I'm not sure what you mean. Hope this helps

After binding the RX should not blink. It should stay solid.

If you are saying that after he bound it was solid then shut his engine down and noticed they were blinking.........then in that case he had a power failure (with the new RX's). The only way to clear the blinking lights is to shut both the RX and TX off then back on. If you only shut the RX off it will see that as another power failure and continue blinking. Sometimes you will get a hold indication on the data logger with the powerfailure as well.....but not always.

From what I've seen it won't hurt you to fly with the lights blinking.....its only a warning device to let you know you had a problem.


If he didn't have the new RX's then you got me stumped why they are blinking.....I'd call Spektrum technicians on that one.

digitech

My Feedback: (10)

ok did some testing on a Spektrum AR9000 inside a Elan.
the beeps you hear are from my Emcotec BIC.
the Spektrum is powered with 5.5 volts by 2 lipo,s of 2200 mah each.

worked perfect and deformed succesfully in the end (can someone send me a new housing?)[:@]
temp from -40 to +150 or peaked even more while the housing was melting.

see the video,s
i used 2 calibrated temp sensors
one located 1 mm above the housing of the ar9000
one stuck under the ar9000
both are Temp sensors from Inconel from a Turbine

i used Freeze and a paint stipper.
i checked numerous time to see how long it takes to relink.
and did cold and hot reboots.
see the moisture on the housing when heating it from -27 to 100c in less then 10 seconds
still working.
i am sure these conditions will never accur...

re link less then 1 second cant really measure.
.

now please someone do the same with a Futaba and get some results..

so all the babble about extreme heat and cold and relink from 3-15 seconds is all bull

but then again opinions are like forums , everyone seems to write one one

VIDEO:

Video 1 Freeze and link test [link=http://www.digitech-turbines.com/video/test14.avi]test 1[/link]

Video 2 Heat test until the body is deformed [link=http://www.digitech-turbines.com/video/test15.avi]test 2[/link]

file 1 is about 50Mb
file 2 is about 37 mb
all in Avi (mpg4)

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

What I mean is that the Rx was bound to Tx while he was building the plane. He has already flow the plane a few times. He gets to the flightline, turns on the Tx, turns on the plane, starts the engine and he didn't look at the Rx until after the engine was running and sees the LED blinking. He then has to shutdown the engine and turn the plane and Tx off and then on to have the LED come on steady.

Marty

Steve Collins

My Feedback: (8)

I have been flying my Boomerang XL2 this summer on Futaba Fasst (12FG). I have yet to experience any problem of any sort.

On the Boomerang, I am using 9 Futaba S3305 servos, 1 Futaba standard servo on retracts and a Minihobby electronic brake valve. I use a single 4.8V 4500mah Nimh battery for power.

Range check distance is incredible; roughly 3 times the distance mentioned in the manual.

I have also been using the Futaba Fasst in my T-Rex 600E electric helicopter with absolutely no problems.

So, my experience has been nothing but rock solid performance.

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

Gotcha.......sounds just like a power fail. Could be as simple as the engine during starting caused something or a servo stalled out on throttle or choke or some other surface. caused a spike in needed voltage. That servo will draw current and take it from the RX. If the voltage dips below the threshold amount (even for a nanosecond) the RX will shutoff and then reboot. Your friend probably didn't even notice the reboot since he was on the ground at idle most likely. The lights blinked to show the problem had occured. The only way to clear the lights is to do what he did.

This is why many folks have moved to using some type of powerbox (like Smart-Fly or the AR9100 rx) and BEC's in electrics that can handle larger current draws (even if very temporary).

Of course I'm just guessing this was the issue from what was posted. He may of infact had the problem previously and this is just the first time he noticed lights blinking as our habit pattern in R/C is to turn the plane off before it gets back to the pits.

jmohn

Digitech,

The AR9000s have the quick connect feature unless they were from the first run. All the new ones have this feature and do not "lock out". Try the same thing with an AR7000 or 6200 and see what happens. I haven't had any heat/cold issues, but have had a lot of voltage related problems.


Jeff

ravill

My Feedback: (11)

I've had blinking lights immediately after turning on my Rx as well.

I blamed it on the fact that I don't run a switch. I just connect two deans connectors together. If I don't quite line them up and get an intermittant connection as I'm trying to line them up, that split second power on/off as the connectors just graze past each other will cause the light to blink.

I have to make sure to make a solid, one time connection. Thankfully it doesn't happen that often.

Raf