Howard

My Feedback: (55)

Just received my new JR X9303 2.4 system and also purchased the Flight Log. I bench test my all of my radio equipment because I find that it really helps my persoanl learning curve and that is what I am doing at the moment with the Flight Log. My understanding of the instructions indicate that you have to leave the power on after a flight and plug the Flight Log into the Batt/Data port of the RX which means that you hae to pull the plane apart each time to get the data or have a servo extension hanging outside the airplane somewhere. This seems too outlandish so I figure I must be reading the instructions incorrectly. If I am reading them correctly I would guess someone has developed a better way and if so please share it with us. Thanks [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

Howard

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Just use one of those Ernst charge jacks on the side of the fuse.

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Or if you have the battery power leads from your switch put into the Batt/Bind and Batt/Data ports and three wires from the switch to the rx, you can just pull the readings from your charge port on the switch for the data side. Just shut off that switch and leave the other one on. This of course assumes you have dual switches/inputs for power to the rx.

Considering all the battery options available and what you may want to try in the future, I think Josey's method is probably the best. Just hook up a Y lead into that port and run it to the charge jack. You'll need a double male or female end lead for it to work depending on your exact wiring setup tho...[8D]

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

After doing the Ernst jack thing, learning that I had to have a male-male wire to make that work right, I went to the switch configuration Zeeb mentioned, and that works well. I just had to label which switch was the "data", then, of course, remember to NOT shut off the OTHER switch when landing.

The gender issue on the Data Logger is a problem, too....it comes with a Male (for plugging into the RX), and doing the switch or the Ernst jack system, it needs to be "Female", so I just spliced on a female permanently to the Logger.

Sadly, I also have found that after verifying a configuration a few times, and finding little to NO difference in the logged data, the whole process is moot....had I anticipated how little I would actually CHECK the thing in practice (after confirming initial setup, or after a configuration change), I would have just hung an extension out the hatch or wing root and been done with it. Live and learn. [)]

Howard

My Feedback: (55)

Josey, Zeeb and Bob,

I got it - I just thought it was such a bad design (not the Flight Log but, how it is interfaced) that I surely had misread the instructions. I'll give Spektrum an A for effort and a D (at best) for implementation - of course a good counter argument would be to use a competing product but, there isn't one. I guess that puts Spekrum up toward the front. This afternoon I will either finish an engine swap on my twin or work on an 'in place' harness for the Flight Log.

Yee gads Spektrum, I can't believe this product made it through a design review.

Howard

Troy Newman

Howard,

I use this,

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=JRPA025

already has the Male-male plug in it....and has the proper polarity on the connector that mounts into the side of the model.

It is designed as a charge jack like the Ernst, but it is a little more deluxe version. The Male-male connector is intended for for use as adapter for your charger or voltmeter lead, however in this case it works great on the other end to connect to the RX in the data port. then the Flight Log device just plugs into it.

Simple, very light and looks good on the side of the model. It has a little plastic door to keep the dirt out of the plug ad snaps shut. The ernst deals are OK but sometimes you have trouble getting the connector to stay in it, and then the little rubber boot for the door always comes unlatched.

These deluxe charge jacks are a little higher end, and work better in my opinion.

A side note I use this port on the side of the model to test voltage...I will turn on the model and use my TX to move controls at the same time applying a loaded volt meter to this jack in the side of the model. This way I'm getting the actual voltage the RX is sending to the servos, along with a loaded baseline of all the servos on and moving , and additional load from my voltmeter. This way I can determine if I have a large enough battery capacity on the model. The data port is on the Servo buss and that means it gets the same voltage the Servo leads are getting.

Troy Newman
Team JR

Howard

My Feedback: (55)

Troy,

Thanks - I pringed the information and should be able to order it this afternoon. You might want to suggest to JR that they package this or something like this with the Flight Log.

Thanks again,

Howard

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

When I first started playing around with the data logger and the 2.4GHz stuff, I spent some time taking readings and adjusting the placement of my satellite rx's if there were problems. After getting a number of flights where there wasn't anything to look at on the data logger, I just quit worrying about it and stopped taking readings after each landing.

So I'm with Bob now...

I just converted one of my glow models to VPX cells and had a choice of running the balance charge lead into the switch (that makes the signal lead hot and the Spektrum/JR 2.4 rx's don't like that so you can't run the three wires from the switch to the rx...), or keeping the bind/data function at the switch and leaving a short extension hooked to the rx just in the wire bundle inside the model.

I decided to leave the charge function at the switch. Granted on the first few flights where you're looking at the numbers from the data logger it's a bit of a pain pulling the hatch after each flight, but once the rx's are setup I just don't bother with the data logger any more.

onewasp

{Quote}
Granted on the first few flights where you're looking at the numbers from the data logger it's a bit of a pain pulling the hatch after each flight, but once the rx's are setup I just don't bother with the data logger any more.
{Quote}

I always thought that was its intended purpose. I do likewise.

If you happen to, feel there might have been something wrong during a subsequent flight you can pull the hatch and see.
To check it after every flight (as long as you have a decent set up) falls under "cruel and unusual punishment" in my book.

BTW I have yet to have any in flight anomalies with Spektrum/JR.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

Just to reinforce.... I maidened my newest bird, a Sukhoi, 50cc gasser, this past weekend..... checked after first flight.... data logger completely empty... no holds, drops, frame losses..... so called it good and continued glitch free, just like it's supposed to be. It was a moderate reassurance to see data to "prove" things were solid.

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Im with Bob after a few initial checks I haven't even bothered..every time I checked all the reads were all zero's

1bwana1

Bob,
Zero on everything seems very unlikely. You could get those numbers if you had turned off the power to the RX or TX before checking with the flight log. I would check to see if those results are really valid.

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

Not that unlikely Ive never had a fade on my 50cc Yak yet. I do have 2 remotes one in the tail one in the nose so I have good coverage.

Rambler45

I plug the data logger into a Y cable, and use that instead.
That way I get both male and female plugs for the data logger.

seattle_helo

My Feedback: (1)

I'm just curious, Howard, how would you have it implemented?

nick

Howard

My Feedback: (55)

There are likely a number of reasonable solutions to make the Batt/Data RX port accesable from the exterior of the aircraft so that you can simply plug the Flight Log into the remote access and read what it says. One solution would be to include a connector that looks similar to the stand alone JR DSC plug that includes small plastic holder that mounts to the fuselage using a female connector at the fuselage instead of the usual male connector. You could also include a female/female adaptor to use with the existing stand alone DSC cable. Those are two pretty inexpensive options that would make this more convenient for the customer that did not wish to make his own adaptor or take the plane apart to use the Flight Log. Also, it could be incorporated into the switch assembly as a separate plug in just like what was done with the charging jack. It is very convenient to be able to measure the RX battery pack by using the charging jack and ESV - for example.

Howard

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

That is possible, although unlikely, and I'll recheck and post back next time the Suk goes out. I had turned off the TX prior to making the logger check, but doing this previously in the shop didn't change the output to the logger from the Rx.

In this particular plane, I have a single remote RX, mounted 90 and higher/aft of the main RX, which is dead amidships and not near (within 10") ANY electronics, battery, etc.

Your question had occurred to me, when I looked..... but I have had "zeroes" post-flight before on other airplanes.

seattle_helo

My Feedback: (1)

Interesting. I guess it had never occurred to me that the existing implementation could be a problem. It illustrates one of the logistical differences between airplanes and helicopters- ease of physical access inside the fuse. Most of us heli guys have no problem just plugging it in, even in scale birds, and actually, with the cost of them being so low, many of us just install a flight log semi-permanently into each bird. It's true that after you're comfortable with the numbers on those first flights that you don't need to check it very often, but having a Flight Log 'installed' and ready to go sure makes it easy to take a quick look after any given flight just to reconfirm that all is well. It's also a nice secondary display of the system voltage at a glance in addition to the gyro display. I can see, though, how having to plug it in every time might be a minor annoyance. And having to take a fuse apart would also be an issue for sure. Thanks for your thoughts.

nick

GBR2

My Feedback: (1)

Can't you just plug a Y harness into the Bat/Data port, hook the battery in on, the logger goes into the other.

slarty

Is there a definitive listing anywhere on what are typically good bad or indifferent readings from the Data Logger ? A colleague of mine just spent a week flying his CF gliders and other A/C's. He bought the Data Logger and now wishes he hadn't as the numbers all look horrendous to him. It would be nice to be able to point him in the right direction and tell him that the figures he is seiing are quite acceptable for a 15 minute flight.

Ta very much.

Howard

My Feedback: (55)

The end of the Y harness that you plug the Flight Log into is inside the fuselage and the Flight Log is outside and somehow you have to connect them in order to read the data. You have to either pull the plane apart or create a fuselage attachment for the connector. The available fuselage connectors are for charging jacks and they hold the male connector and you need a female connector to plug the Flight Log into - so you have to make a female to female adaptor. Not a big deal but not user friendly either.

Howard

Chris Moon

My Feedback: (8)

This is from the Spektrum web site:

The Flight Log provides the following information:

System voltage - receiver pack voltage

Antenna fades – represent the loss of a bit of information on that specific antenna. Typically it’s normal to have as many as 50 – 100 antenna fades on any one of the antennas during a flight. If any single antenna experiences over
500 fades in a single flight, the antenna should be repositioned in the aircraft to optimize the RF link.

Frame Loss – represents simultaneous antenna fades on all attached receivers. If the RF link is performing optimally, frame losses per flight should be less than 20.

Hold – a hold occurs when 45 contiguous (one right after the other) frame losses occur. This takes about one second. If a hold occurs during flight, it’s important to re-evaluate the system, moving the antennas to different locations and/or checking to be sure the transmitter and receivers are working correctly.

GBR2

My Feedback: (1)

Replace one of the female connectors on the Y harness with a male and then change the connector on the logger to female. I don't see this as a problem.

slarty

Thank you kind sir, I seeked but could not find !!