Futaba "Powersafe" 18(?)
 

Apparently this is in development and/or close to completion (Hopefully)!! http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/t...psec7d2ea9.gif


http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/t...pscbbrqdzb.jpg

Looking for the "like" button. Great idea.

Excellent news. I lost an Ultra Lightning due to issues with the interface between a Powerbox cockpit Srs, and Futaba sbus Rx's. I have since returned to 6014's, and other power distribution systems. That combo has been bulletproof for me. I hope this will be a better alternative.

I remember when that happened Erik. My non-sbus set-ups are a 6014 and Orbit Jack, so this "new" rx will definitely be welcomed, and a great solution!!

Hopefully more news will start coming out.

Rumors have a mid-2015 date in U.S. for about $220.00 list. Hopefully sooner. Hobbico still tight-lipped. Perfect match for 18MZ.

omg plz!! Plz!!!!

Thanks for the info. Tom!

A "little" detail: this receiver is compatible both with FASST and FASSTest systems.


Best Regards,

Jesus Cardin

A European jetster posted over on Brand X blog that Futaba will be introducing a new TX (T18SZ) priced between 18 and the 14......color screen, S-Bus, etc. probably at a Japanese Show in May.

Hopefully the Rx dual battery telemetry is more accurate on this unit. I am always getting falsely low batteries reading whenever running it through a battery back up system.... It is always 2 tenths low. Also Futaba....if you are listening.... can you take the voltage reading out to the hundredths. 6.6 doesn't tell me if it is 6.61 or 6.69 which is a huge difference in residual capacity for an A123 battery. Thanks!

Wow! Very Nice!

A European jetster posted over on Brand X blog that Futaba will be introducing a new TX (T18SZ) priced between 18 and the 14......color screen, S-Bus, etc. probably at a Japanese Show in May.


This has been coming for some time, last I heard was that development was running over a year late now due to Futaba working on their new car system.


Modtron
Oxford UK

I was thinking of using of the Powerbox royal SRS with 2 SBUS receivers, now I am scared. Any resolution or lessons learned from your mishap?

Thanks and sorry you lost a plane. I had a 6014 and one of the smartfly boards and watched my planes fly away. Painful

Anyone heard if futaba has a new SBUS gyro coming? Even JR has an SBUS gyro already!!

Matt,

My airplane had 2 7008's into a cockpit SRS, fed by 2 A123 batts. Everything was brand new, and built by a professional. Long story short, the airplane locked out on a knife edge pass, flew almost to the horizon, then snapped out in the direction the rudder was applied. Tx is an 18MZ, that has given me no other trouble. It did not go into failsafe, as I had the gear programmed to extend with failsafe, and they were retracted at impact. It wasn't a structural failure, as all the linkages were still intact, and the servos worked. Both batts had a full charge.

A few months later, I read where there were some compatibility issues with the early srs's and sbus Rx's, causing failures like mine. I've been told that a software update on older units fixes the issue, and newer ones don't have it. It seemed to be kept pretty quiet. I went back to using 6014's, and other power management systems, including the traditional cockpit, which have worked perfectly for me. Bottom line, the answer to your question is I don't know. Good luck to you.

Erik

THanks for the candor Erik. So much about these new gyros scare me. They act like you can turn them off if something goes wrong, but their software still stands between you and controlling those servos, even when they are "off".

Matt, I use all the SRS power boxes with all the SBUS RXs in many different models never a problem. The one thing I don't use are the A123 packs. I flew the Cockpit SRS in my F4 with the first version software and Im still flying it now. We are never going to know what happened to Erik's plane , but it was a maiden so it could have been anyone of the new components. And don't be afraid of the gyros, you can turn them off!! I am installing a royal in a twin at this very moment and its royal # 4 for me and the previous 3 have been flawless.

Don

That's all 100 % true. I am not sure the Powerbox/sbus rx was the cause of the problem. I highly suspect it though.

While reading voltage to at least 2 decimal places makes sense, if they have telemetry in the unit I would hope they would track the current and capacity used for each receiver pack as well. Knowing how much capacity has been used from each pack would be far more useful then the battery voltage for an A123, no matter what the resolution.

Agreed, but have you known Futaba to jump ahead of the game in telemetry? I am hoping they swing at a lob pitch.If they jumped on the rest of what you said, I would beside myself.