John Howell

I've just discovered that my failsafe is too sensitive and is triggering when it shouldn't. For now I have removed it but I'm a bit nervous running a boat at 80kmh without a failsafe.

Who here uses a failsafe and what brand/model do you use?

Mine is a Duratrax DTXM4000

alex_hockey

My Feedback: (5)

i use that exact faiil safe and it works perfect for me

LtDoc

gb_direwolf,
You know more about using a failsafe than I do. Having said that, are you setting it correctly, and not operating beyond it's capabilities?
- 'Doc

Captain Ramius

Something must be triggering it , did I see power lines in the background of the first vid?

PCM radio is the best solution but also expensive.

Justaddwata

My Feedback: (3)

I use failsafes on everything. Only if I didnt want the boat would I remove the failsafe.

If I am not running PCM or DSM then there will be a failsafe. As Cptn Radimus said - something is triggering it. Therefore - it is doing its job. Remove it and you might find the glitch on the pond that it was saving you from [X(].

TERBObob

My Feedback: (21)

Just curious .... doesn't that failsafe have an adjustment for its sensitivity ?

John Howell

The Duratrax doesn't have any adjustment. I guess finding the source of this problem is pretty hard to track.

Paul M

I use a Venom failsafe and at first I was having the same problem. Turned out it was radio interference caused by a lousy attempt at sufficiently padding my radio stuff. Once the problem was solved, I don't even know I have it except when I test it which you should do EVERYTIME your out.

Not only could you lose a boat, you could hurt or kill someone as well. Like JustAddwater said your thinking the failsafe is a pain in the $#@ and it's really saving you.

I found my problem by putting the boat in a stand securely with a water source. After I started it, I walked away from it until the failsafe kicked off. That's how I found the problem. I knew I didn't have the receiver padded well, but I thought I could get away with it which made the problem pretty easy to find.

Do you have another radio you could use as a control to see which is casuing the problem- radio or failsafe?

FROGMAN524

My Feedback: (5)

I use an MIT something or other, the other guys have heard what I have, but it works fine. Ken.

John Howell

How well do you have to have the receiver padded?

I've got mine resting in foam.

Justaddwata

My Feedback: (3)

Wrapped in foam and an elastic band to help hold the plugs in place (and receiver crystal in) will help !!

magyarbacsi

Look for any metal to metal connections that are loose enough to rattle. I use a Venom fail safe on my cat with a 260. With the radio on I can tap on any metal surface of the boat with a screw driver and cause the servos to jitter. This also causes the fail safe to activate and if I keep up the signal long enough. the failsafe shuts the motor off, as it should.I found this out while checking my muffler clamp with the boat on and the screw driver touching the shaking muffler.

I also connected every metal component on the boat together with an 18 ga. single strand copper wire. Tuned pipe, out drive, shaft log, anything that was metal including the motor. I use to have this problem where at wot, the boat did a quick sideway skip and then quit. I guessed that I was getting a glitch causing the servos to jitter and the failsafe kicked in. Probably did not needed it, but also wrapped wire around the high tension wire, i.e. plug wire at close wrap all the way from plug to coil and grounded that.

I have not had any problem with glitches this way and can run wot and keep a straight track.

I used to own a '67 Vette that had braided ss shielding on every plug wire and a metal shield around the distributor. I had another hp car that was not shielded this way and all my neighbors knew when I was close to arriving home as their tv picture started to act up till I shut the motor off. That is why we have to use a resistor plug. I accidentally forgot to use one one time and it was a wild ride. I virtually had no controll of the boat.

FROGMAN524

My Feedback: (5)

Hey guys, is it really necessary to foam in the reciever? Mine is so tight in the radio box with everything else that it doesn't move anyway. Ken.

Paul M

YES!! That was my problem. It was so tight, I thought the same thing you did, Ken. I had nothing but problems til I got a bigger radio box and some foam.

Are you going on your maiden voyage soon?