Greenfuelboy

My Feedback: (60)

Yes my radio froze I have no other example to go by. That is why I posted this silly post. I was thinking some one else would have the same problem. No throttle rudder ect. The screen was on and it looked normal. The battery power meter will move about every minute or two and it did not for over 10 minutes while retrieving my plane. After turning the power off to my radio the meter and all control come back and worked normaI when powered back up. I do not know if the radio was obstructed by RF and it went to sleep with its eyes open but that is what it looked like to me. RF or not it was not working. There is now way I would turn off the power while I was flying. I just can not believe that would have saved my plane. When I did finally turn the transmitter off it said saving and took a little bit longer than normal. I think the plane would have crashed by then.

rmh

When the radio is ON and you are on "home" screen, there is nothing which should be moving
IF- you tried the trims and they would not move or IF you tried to call up another function/screen and nothing happened - then -the tx would be as you note, frozen.
Unusual to say the least
Some computers when frozen, won't even shut down (remember this is computer and normal shut down includes a save.)
In those cases you have to physically remove power (remove battery ) to shut down - this can sometimes have adverse reactions!
As you describe it - the computer apparantly quit. Turning radio OFF whilst flying is really never a good plan.
On old radios this sometimes was said to correct a problem - I never saw it to work in 40 years of flying all kind of radios.

JIMF14D

I have never had my Hitec A9 lock up. But if it did while flying I would need a really fast brain and thumbs to:

Turn it off, turn it on, wait 2 secs for it to boot and ask via display "check your frequency" and then hit "RF on" display indication. Also if the throttle is not at idle and all switch modes are not in basic mode it will give a saftey warning saying somthing like "controls not set". After you sort all that out and get the RF on and your thumbs on the sticks in a second you will link with the RX and start flying your airplane.........................which by then will be in at least 11 big pieces if your lucky unless it was pointed straight up at 399 feet and trimmed and balanced perfectly with no wind before the lock up occured.Oh and your fail safe setting is not "power to idle".

This type recovery only occurs if you are the Flying Nun Ithink....

Actually it is similar to what would happen if you were about to be robbed in an alley and decided to use your turned off smartphone to call 911....................!
Think about it.....

Greenfuelboy

My Feedback: (60)

In response to Jim14D

That is why you can never turn off the Aurora 9 by the time you quit looking at the radio's screen the plane would be long gone or sitting in your front seat of your car. I have a great half of a plane for parts. I really do not see a chance in my case that I could have saved it by powering down. By the time it said do you want to transmit I would have crashed. I had a BME 50cc engine with a 20x10 three blade prop. I was going about 55 mph or more flat and level and started a turn when it froze. It was going down no fail safe it never came on. I think if I powered off the fail safe would came on. I has every thing set flat level flight with a slight turn. It would not have helped me in my case I was committed.

Greenfuelboy

My Feedback: (60)

I really never had any problems with my Futaba 9cap radio. I can not blame the 2.4 frequency for the crash. I wish that the other company's made a FM radio that frequency hopped. I know it is crazy but I feel that the range would be better with FM. The FM frequency is wider and not affected by as many things in some cases. They could put it on another frequency so that the 72 band was not effected. Who knows they could have used 50mhz or even 60mhz. I have not done any research to why they did not go this way. I just do not know why they chose to follow the leader. Supply and demand is funny that way. If some thing sells good the other company's will follow with a similar product. I know the new product could fail like every other new device, this was just my thought for the day.

j_keiter

My Feedback: (21)

So people start suing the manufactores of radios for crashing their planes. Next thing you know the radios triple in price to factor in the cost of liability. After 10 years or so the only radios available are old and used. A couple people win in court and the rest of us lose. This story has been played over and over in our sue happy country. Set up the plane with the engine running and range check it. Run the throttle up with someone standing next to the plane with you at distance. Also make sure the fail safe has been programmed to cut or set throttle to idle and slight up elevator. If planes passes throttle up range check and failsafe works then leave the manufactorer alone. They did there job. Transmitters and receivers are always subject to potential interference. If you cannot handle the potential threat and loss due to these issues then please pick a differnet hobby. Don't ruin it for the rest of us.

JIMF14D

The A9 is a great radio and solid as can be. Hitec builds great products and gives great service. Yes they update the software every so often. They even tell you when they have a problem...imagine that. Where I fly probably 90% of the pilots have gone over to 2.4 and discussions of radio problems related to crashes do not seem to exist any longer. Even the few guys who have the $10 orange RXs and the $30 BNF systems seem to get good results.

You have a 100 reasons why 72 is better so you probably should stick to that.

For me Iwould not go back to 72 under any circumstances. Ihave have lots of reasons why but no sense in me keeping this thread going further.

Good luck and have fun.

JIMF14D

Amen to that!

Greenfuelboy

My Feedback: (60)

I'M done complaining I will call it a day.

K-Bob

My Feedback: (1)

I saw a guy flying with a 72MHZ at our field the other day and it looked strange with the shiny antennae sticking up. Like seeing a typewriter in an office.

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

At least thoeseof us using 72 Mhz know it works and there are a lot less people on the same freq's. I personally use PCM with my gassers and PPM with every thing else. Don't do "Lectric ..."Letric is for Girls.

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

I just returned from Oshkosh today. I drove up last Friday. Did you attend?

I still have one plane on 72Mhz. It is an H9 P47-150 with a Fuji 32ei gasser.

I prefer 2.4Ghz. Most everyone in my club has 2.4. No issues. I have had to solve numerous glitches with 72Mhz, over the years, especially with gassers. 2.4 has been Glitch Free for us and no waiting for the Frequency pin.

I love gas for Warbirds, but Electric has come a long way and for areas where sound is an issue. Electric Rocks!! I have an H9 89" Carden Yak with a Turnigy 8080 on 50v. It accelerates in the vertical and swings a 26x10 Evolution wood prop at 7500rpm.

HoundDog

My Feedback: (49)

Just figuered it out 39 years in a row that I've attended OSHKOSH for at least 1 day. Got married in 75 and flew a 172 to Macanaugh Island ,Ottowa Canada and Martha's Vinyard on our honny moon. Told Donna that weather was moving into Wisconsin and we would have to get home before Sunday (a day early) or we'd get stuck out there. Well When she saw the weather here Saturday night she guessed I was going to make the last day of Oshkosh in 75.

ovationdave

My Feedback: (16)

I always get a kick out of the people who claim they will never use 2.4 on anything but electrics, or not at all, and then act as if they have all the answers. Hundreds of people have posted that they have no issues with any (including me, gas, glow, electric) and yet I am suposed to believe that I should never use 2.4 with gas? Sorry, I have too many years/flights with my DX7 with no issues with any power source to say its a problem. I was way more paranoid with my 72mhz. I am sorry to those who suffer issues and lose a plane. But this happened plenty with 72mhz too, but now that so few are using it, I think people begin to forget how frequently people claimed they "were hit" back in the day. I see way fewer planes going down at the field today than I used to........

~D

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

I am only using 72 on gas because I need to buy another 9ch Rx. I would much rather use 2.4 on everything.

jeffEE

My Feedback: (5)

Gee, If 2.4 is better at locking onto the RX, and 72mhz has stronger signal at longer range, all we need to do is come up with a 72 mhz set up that binds to only one RX. Sounds simple.

ovationdave

My Feedback: (16)

Hey Rich, all I can say is, good battery maintenance, and make sure that you will never have a "brown-out" (that means 5 cell Rx Nicad), and you should never have any issues( ihope). Ihave never had a problem, and Ilove my 2.4. Ihave lost my share of planes, some due to pilot error, some, I am not sure about.Ihave never lost a plane (on 72mhz) that I was sure was the radio's fault, but I was never positive either. I have, however, lost a couple on 2.4........ I can honestly say (but will deny at the field) that thosewere pilot error. Either way, it sucks to lose a plane, especially on the first flight. But I have been there, done that, and all I can say is, whatever makes you feel better, stick with it if it works for you.

Happy flying to all........what ever your radio!!!!!!

Dave

eemor

Please help me understand this thread. Optical kill problems and ignition RFI are reciever issues. How does transmitter screen "freezing" relate??

BuschBarber

My Feedback: (2)

No matter what anyone says, there is no RC radio that is immune from glitches, but after 33 years of chasing the cause of glitches with my 72Mhz radios, 2.4 comes awfully close to eliminating the things that make your aircraft radio glitch.

Each manufacturer has, at one time or another, had an issue that they have had to resolve with some kind of update to the Tx or Rx. The Optical Kill issue just happens to be one that popped up with the Hitec A9. They will come out with a resolution to the problem, just as other manufacturers have done with their products.

I believe you are safer with a 2.4 radio, with no need to worry about anyone else shooting you down or waiting for a frequency pin. I have not had any issues in the past 4 years.

Use the same cautions you have in the past and be sure to use 6v batteries or better and good voltage regulators, if necessary.

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

I believe you'd be hard pressed to find either of those two issues causing a tx freeze.

mjfrederick

I apologize, didn't realize the cheap radios had to ask if you wanted to transmit... But like I said before, you had nothing to lose. Is it a last-ditch effort? Yes. But I've seen cycling transmitter power restore control on SS and PCM where the Rx for whatever reason had lost contact with the Tx.

JIMF14D

It is not a question of being a cheap radio. It is a saftey feature since the A9 can be configured to operate on either 2.4 and 72. It reminds you to check your channel/pin if you are on 72. It also allows you to do set up on your radio without radiating or tying up a channel at the field.

You should try one, you may actually learn that there is a whole new world out there.

Jim D

K-Bob

My Feedback: (1)

Now that's a strange feature indeed. Whenever I turn my transmitter on I always want to transmit. Using all 80 channels and hopping a few hundred times a second, my Futaba surely isn't tying up any frequencies.

A.T.

Reasons for First Screen Prior to Transmission beginning =

1. Safety - Check Model Name is correct

2. Safety - Check Frequencyto ensurecorrrect Module is inserted and correct Mode
or Frequency and whether PPM or PCM will be active.
a. AFHSSSpectra 2.4Ghz check indicator for "Normal" or "Scan" Mode is correct.
b. Spectra ProModule check indicator for PPM or PCM function and Frequency selected is correct.
Then respond to "Ready To Transmit - YES or No.

3. Battery Power Preservation - Select NO when simply wishing to use menus to load a new model/adjust existing information/ Data Transfer etc.

No doubt the other brands will soon follow this lead

Alan T.

JIMF14D

Hard to learn anything new when you know everything already or your mind is made up. It is a great feature, some day you might buy an Aurora 9 and see how good it is.
Jim D.