jfetter

Geez, dude, you can check the sarcasm, I said "due out" not "will be shipping", it was originally supposed to be available late June and from what my source says, they are expecting a 07/16 ship date. Before you chastize me, I said "expecting", not "banking on", "betting on", "mortgaging the house on", "holding my breath until", etc...

Jack

jfetter

You should wait for the 9303 2.4 GHz which should be available any day now, it is running $629 at Esprit Model (pre-order for $229, the other $400 billed when they ship) with the JR 921 RX...

Jack

golfingguy27

I wish I had $630 to spend on a radio.... getting the used 9030 and spektrum module is going to be pushing the limits firther than I'd like already....

onewasp

Lets say he accepts $250 for the Tx. you then add a Tx 2.4 module at $239 (your pricing not mine) .
You now have a used 9303 on 2.4GHz----but it does NOT have the full digital to digital setup and while good is not the same thing as as the X9303.

Your total expense (parts) is now $489. You still need an Rx. Lets say you pay list (street price) for that---$169.
Now you have $658 invested.

The NEW X9303 WITH the 9 channel Rx is (street priced) at $629.

As you can easily see you have the money spent but you dont have the new X9303. Just where is this a benefit to you?
Looks to me as if you are $29 in the hole??????

The answer seems to be buy the X9303 and get the real deal NEW!

BTW why do you feel the DX7 is so inferior for your purposes. I sold a 10X to go to DX7 and I'm quite happy. Will I look at the X9303?----yep----will I buy it? we'll see. If it has some feature I really like then yes.
I used a single change in my set up and have everything on the DX7 that I used on the 10X.
No regrets on my part-------I doubt you would have any.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

The Spektrum module "System" comes with the AR 9000 receiver included in it's purchase price.

onewasp

My error Bob.
The $239 price was stated and I took that as the module only price.
In fact the $239 is the 'street price' shown by Horizon for the Module plus the AR7000, while the Module plus the 9Channel is shown as $299.

I'm going to look hard and soon at the X9303---------we shall see.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

I should have looked closer at the price, too. You're right - the lower cost is with the AR 7000.
Had the X9303 been a little closer to on the street, I probably would have done that.

BaldEagel

You can set up all three dual rates on one switch, that's it, any mixing you want to do will have to be seperatly switched, Have not investigated if mixing can be put on the same switch. Now as far as I know Mulitplex have a 2.4Ghz modual for there Tx's already, its certainly advertised in Europe, I don't know the 3030 so can't advise on availability for that model.

Mike

kwjames

I just came across this thread. I am having a problem and don't want the read all 118 pages to find my answer. I have just build another plane an installed a new RX in it. I had alittle trouble getting the new RX to bind with the TX. While I was setting up my servo throws in the shop I lost my bind and could not get it back. I called the hobby shop and asked if he thought I had a bad RX. He said one of his car racers was having the same problem but as soon as he put a fresh battery pack in it solved his problem. I have new battery packs. I recharged both the TX and RX packs and then was able to get the RXto rebind. This afternoon when I went to the field I toped off all my packs before my maiden flight. It was some what windy so while waiting for the wind to die down I ran a tank of fuel while theplane was on the ground. Running the new motor 5 min at a time 3 times using up the 1st tank of fuel. Just as I was about to kill the engine an refuel for the maiden the throtle goes to fuel open and I have no controll over it for about 15 seconds then is fine. Then it does the same thing again goes to full throtle and stays there for 10 to 15 seconds. I thought I had a linkage or servo problem. I pulled the plane apart to look at the throtle servo. That is when I seen I only had the green light on the second part of RX not the main. I could not get the radio to rebind and pretty soon I did not have any light on it. It is not a battery problem because I had plenty of power left according to the volt watch plus I tryed a new pack.
I HAVE A BAD RX RIGHT.
Ken

Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

Although it is possible to have a defective rx...there is another possibility that quickly comes to my mind from your description of the issue.
Are you using a 4.8 volt battery pack in the plane?....and are you running many high current draw servos?...and/or do you have one or more servos being overdriven or binding? Do you have faulty power leads and or faulty connections?
If you answer YES to any or all of the above, Therein lies the possible culprit.
The Spektrum receiver is a miniature computer...and as such, it has to go through a "boot-up" process whenever it is turned on. If your battery pack...whatever size it may be...ever falls below approx 3.5 volts, even for an instant, the receiver goes to sleep...and stays off until the battery voltage returns to something above that turn on/off threshold.
After the voltage returns, the receiver goes through its boot-up process and searches for the unique identifier signal from your transmitter. That takes time....a quite variable length of time....maybe a few seconds...maybe a lot more....it may never reacquire signal until turning everything off and then on again. If you were in the air, you would possibly crash before reacquiring a lock on your tx.
One thing that bothers me is your throttle going to high. In a signal loss, it should be going to low throttle. Perhaps you did the binding with the throttle stick in the full on position???
It is a good idea to rebind after all of your servos are setup, and especially your throttle is properly set, and be sure your tx sticks and switches are in the normal flying setting. Pay close attention to what position your gear switch is, assuming you use retracts. Binding that in the wrong position will cause the retracts to cycle up and down when you turn the radio on. Not a good thing to do!!
Personally, I fly only with six volt battery packs. That keeps the receiver happy and gives my servos much greater speed and strength. I hope this info steers you in the right direction until some more knowledgeable folks jump in to help.
Good luck, and have faith. The Spektrum system is the best thing to happen to r/c since the arrival of radios.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

Ken - "I have just build another plane an installed a new RX in it. I had alittle trouble getting the new RX to bind with the TX. While I was setting up my servo throws in the shop I lost my bind and could not get it back."

This sounds like the binding procedure wasn't done correctly in the first place. The Spektrum does not "lose it's bind". 99% of the reported symptoms are that the RX simply doesn't respond, servos just sit there still. Turning everything off, then back on solves those.

Things to check - hopefully you have studied the manual thoroughly, and are familiar with all the terms and pieces/parts of the system.
1. Battery on RX - above 4.8v, even when servos moving.
2. Used the "BIND" (Battery/bind) receptacle on the RX.
3. If Binding through a switch harness, it MUST be "three wire", or you aren't connected on the binding wire (Orange).
4. Follow procedure. Clearly drawn in the manual. Works fine.
5. Bind procedure....
....a. Bind plug inserted in Bind/Battery slot of RX, if through switch harness, plug is shorting Orange to Black.
....b. Turn on RX; should be positioned so you can watch led's on both Rx's
....c. While holding BIND button on TX depressed, turn on TX. Continue HOLDING Bind button until both RX's go through "flashing to steady" transition
....d. Release Bind button - wiggle surfaces to verify. Turn off RX, remove Bind plug.
....e. Test system - Turn on TX *FIRST*, turn on Rx. After some seconds, both Rx led's glow steady, servos respond to Tx.

That's the procedure. Can't be done any other way.

Flypaper 2

Ken:
After you program the servos, you have to rebind the radio. It sounds like only one rec was bound. Plug the bind plug into the batt. connector in the rcvr. and plug the batt. into an open channel. Push in the bind button, turn on the trans. Both rcvrs will start flashing then go out. Hold the button down till both rcvrs come on solid. Don't let go of the button till they are both solid. May take 15 seconds or so. Every time you set up a new plane and program the servos, you need to rebind. How long did you charge the batts. for.

kwjames

Thanks for the come backs guys. I am using a 6 volt power source. I will check for over travel on sevos. Although at the time I lost my bind I was only moving the throttle servo. I still do not understand why neither green light comes on when you power up. Just a 10th of a second blip when first turned on. I am using 5 Hitec 5965 servos plus throttle. May be to much current draw so I am going to go to a smartfly expander. I think it will be worth the extra $100.00. I have already got 2,000.00 in the plane. Using the exspander will give me a constant 5 volts to the Rx regardless of what the servos are doing.
Ken

Flypaper 2

Should be an orange light in each rcvr that comes on when you turn on the rcvr.. power. It may take a few seconds. Don't know of a green light unless they've changed it. Maybe a bum rcvr.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

Ken - you haven't told us what process you're using or used when you have the trouble. Those things can make a real difference. I run only 5 cell, 6v systems, don't need no stinkin' regulators. System works fine, too. Disconnect all your servos from the Rx, try the correct binding process, see if the lights stay on.

The blinkin' you're describing sounds like incorrect procedure.

Capt Jim

My Feedback: (168)

The GREEN led that you refer to must be in the "Voltwatch" device...it sure isn't in the receivers. If you are not getting top green LED on the voltwatch...you very likely have a bad battery pack, and the voltwatch is trying to call your attention to it.

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Ken,

You've gotten some good advice already and should cover fixing your problem, but I'm curious about several things.

Virtually every problem I've seen guys talk about with the Spektrum boils down to a power issue, i.e. not enough voltage. You say your batteries have "plenty of power left according to the voltwatch" but if I understand that unit's operation it is strictly a voltmeter with no load applied. That is not a good way to determine if you have "plenty of power left" in the system.

Too many folks are only paying attention to what the mah rating of a battery is and not enough to it's internal resistance or impedence. Then they use small diameter wires in the switches and servo extensions. You've got enough fairly high performance servos installed that if any of these things exist in your power system, you may draw enough amperage to drop the battery voltage below the Spektrum's threshold of 3.5 volts.

If any of that stuff, especially high impedence batteries are involved, using a power expander will not solve your problem. It's also not necessary to regulate the rx to 5 volts and just cuts the available voltage before it "reboots" which is actually just a signal reaquistion time as noted above. Run it on 6 volts.

The green light thing has me confused as well since my Spektrum rx's have orange lights and as already noted, you must wait for both lights to come on solid before releasing the bind button on the tx.

Let us know what the final resolution is when you get it figured out?

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

Zeeb - when I use the Voltwatch (or other type on-board devices), I plug them into a Y somewhere on the RX power buss. That way the flickering LED's that may or may not really accurately represent the voltage being sensed (which may or may not be the voltage available at the RX internally, or the servos externally, BTW), are at least sensing the voltage "downstream" of the switch in a fully-powered up configuration.

That way, you can stall a servo and watch the pretty lights change colors....

onewasp

Bob,

Today blinking lights replace both reason and logic.

---or, put another way "How to crash with complete confidence."

FliteMetal

An ESV is what you bought once when someone suggested it then it went into your
field box. Replace your ESV's battery and attach a servo plug to its lead so you can
easily plug into a Y harness close to your receiver. That's the best you can do
without system telemetry.

kwjames

Okay alittle update on my post and some corections. 1st the light on the RX is orange or red not green my mistake. I am using a 2500 mha battery 6 volt. When I said I had plenty of power left that statement was not only based on the volt watch but the fact I had only used the battries 15 minutes after a full charge. The battries I bougth are new off the internet cheap from china. I have sence decided to replace with JR 2300 mah sub c cells which is only an extra 1 once extra weight. I still am going with power expander because it allows me to feed the servos from the battery without pushing all the current through the RX. I will be using a heavy duty switch. There will be Dean connectors from battery heavy wire to switch to Dean connectors to power expander. I will not have to use any y-contectors because there is 3 slots for each chanel and all servos will have heavy duty leads. 2 channels are set aside to run power from battery pack at 1 amp 5volts to supply just the receiver. This 5 volts they say will remain constant. The following is a link to smart-fly power expander. http://www.smart-fly.com/Products/Expander/expander.htm You can read their claims yourself. Sence deciding to do this I found a thread on RC Universe that others having the same problem have done the samething with great success. What I am doing may be alittle over kill but I not only want to protect my plane but don't want some 12 lb missle going at someone. Will keep al posted. Cost for changes $150.00
Ken

onewasp

{Quote}
I still am going with power expander because it allows me to feed the servos from the battery without pushing all the current through the RX
{Quote}

To each his own------the AR7000 will handle 30Amps------I avoid parts count with a passion------like I said, to each his own.

NJRCFLYER2

My Feedback: (42)

Yep. Power expander gadgets do become useful when you have a monstrous load from about 8 or more improperly installed high power digital servos. Or a dozen or more properly installed high power digital servos. Otherwise, a more complete waste of money and payload doesn't occur to me. Maybe a rock would qualify? However rocks are re-usable after a crash most of the time. We use them to weigh down scoresheets at contests. Cheaper than a power expander for that use too!

Anyway, power expander or not, the limiting factor is the small contact area of the servo conector pins from yesteryear. Even though the AR7000 may be able to handle 30A, you will never be able to deliver that on any kind of sustained basis (not that you should!). You would need to devote 6 of the 7 channels, plus use the power connection for parallel connections in order to reach a level where you could, for some insane reason, deliver about 20A sustained. If the goal is to melt wires downstream of the receiver, then this is the way to go.

So, someone's original advice to just get the right battery is the easy way go. Oh yeah, use the right guage wire too. Regulators with the correct design and ratings are fine too, if you are a Li Ion or LiPo user. Everything else is pretty much a waste of money except for extreme cases.

rmh

Being a poor old country boy - I simply double up things (wires ) till the battery (a123) feeds everything all it wants . (yum yum)
No expanding devices (how do you expand power , short of a bomb?)
as noted, the weak link is simply supply --if you have proper battery.
I also use the A123, four of em in two 3.4 lb fully aerobatic electric models and pull over forty amps from em of for 8-10 min flights
The piddlin 6 amps I maybe pull at one instant as my rx pack is nothing to em.
apparantly the full sized car folks also have decided they work-------
not to mention a drag bike called killa cycle - 8.2 - 155mph

NJRCFLYER2

My Feedback: (42)

How in the heck could that possibly work!? You must have sent away for some special foreign made wires I bet! Sinister, very sinister...