Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

I'm having problems with my servos traveling in diffrent directions,not sure if my computer radio will do the mixing to fix this,i have the hi-tech eclipse 7channel radio,anyway i was wondering if i put one servo up high in front of the stab,and one down low in the second hole from the rear,would this solve my problem so i can run them both on channel 2?i really appreciate any help,im opened to suggestions.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

if what you meant is that one servo is moving up and the other down you have to reverse the servo that is moving in the wrong direction,,,

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

yes,but i dont think its possible with my radio,and i dont have programmer or whatever hit tech sells to do this,is there another option?

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

My transmitter looks like it will handle this function,hopefully i can figure it out with the owners manual.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

If your transmitter does not have the mixing available to mix two different channels into the elevator channel you will end up with only two options. One is to purchase a secondary mixing device such as a JR Matchbox or a similar unit by Futaba. There's one more company that makes these things (the actual inventor, I think) but I can't rember their name. The other option is to run the linkage up on one servo and rotate the servo on the other side 180 degrees and run the sevo arm off the bottom if necessary. That method rarely works out well with large surface travels.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Well,i have both elevators moving together,but only one trim works,how can i cure this?

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

There has to be something in the instructions about Dual elevator servo installations. Usually there is a spacific channel that is intended to be used as the slave channel. Once the proper RX port is being used and the mix function turned on in the TX menues you will then have to match the servos travel with end point, throw percentages, sub-trims and mix rates. If you can't find anything in the manual then I would suggest a phone call to Hitec.


Shawn

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

I think that means that you have 1 elevator half pluged into the wrong channel with the wrong mixing,,, if the regualar trim on your radio make only onw half move I bet you there is a dial you can move and will make the other half move too. and that is wrong you will have to plug one elevator half on the right channel so when you have the mix on the trim will make both elev. half move!!!!
REad you manual again and you might figure it out!!!!

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

no the eclipse 7 will not mix and trim both elev halfs.you will need a reversing y to do this

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Yeah, instead of the regular Y you have in the back for the elevators, they make a special Y that will reverse one of the servos for you. Before I had this on my Funtana90 I just put the horn 180 degrees, so it was down instead of up, but I had different travel in the two servos that way. With the Y, it works well.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Lilone,were did you buy this reversing y harness?i dont see them on towers web site.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Just a suggestion, but don't use the reversing Ywe. They have a tendency to change trims as they warm up, making trimming your plane a little undependable. Offhand, I know of two companies that market them. One of the two that I will always do business with is Cermark (www.cermark.com). You might want to look to them for your switches and wiring, too. The other I won't ever do business with again so the name will never be mentioned.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Silver, what do you do about it? I haven't put my Y reverser in yet, and if it isn't as dependable I might not use it.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

If you can, take the servo to your LHS and have them reverse it for you.
Then just use a standard "Y" on ch.2, problem solved.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

The easiest solution is find a buddy with a Hitec servo programmer - 5 seconds work its reversed and matched for centre and throw. Or stop being a tight wad and buy a programmer of your own they are about £80 ($150) !!!!!;)

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

OK, Let's start from scratch here....what brand and model servos do you have on the Elevators? If you have HiTech digitals you can reprogram with a Hitec servo Programmer. If Not then you will probably need to buy a "matchbox" or similar device. OR buy servos that can be programmed, OR buy a radio that can do the job.

If you have digital HiTech servos you can maybe barrow a programmer to set them up for you. Lots of Hobby shops will have these available to help with this very thing. You may not have to buy one. :)

A reversing Y Harness will NOT allow you to match the surfaces without using some other devise with it. So that's not a good solution.

Sorry to tell you, this ain't a cheap plane to set up. It's a bargin to buy but can get real pricy to get set up if you don't have the radio for the job.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

In response to "what do I do about it?", I've been using Matchboxes for years and have always ended up very happy. I used to run Hitec products but switched to JR a couple of years ago, making the use of a Matchbox "a natural".

Any of the transmitters that I use have an elevator mixing capability but for several reasons I don't use them to mix and match elevator servos. One reason is because it uses up a mix I may well need for something else later. Another is that the Matchboxes have always gotten the servos matched up at all positions better than anything else I've tried to date. One more reason is beause I never have to worry about accidentally screwing up a set mix inside the radio by mistake. Each plane is set up individually at the plane, not the transmitter, and I have to physically make a change at a Matchbox to alter anything. The last reason is because I'm a little on the lazy side and the Matchboxes are easy to use while maintaining extreme reliability. Depending on the plane, I've run up to 4 Matchboxes at a time. The Ultimate I'm currently setting up will use three Matchboxes. One for each pair of aileron servos and one for a pair of elevator servos. That would be a lot of transmitter mixing!!

I tried reversing Wyes some time back and was never satisfied with them.

Once you step up to larger planes the cost of setting them up does increase. I've had both the experience, and seen the results of others experience, of trying to do things cheaply. It always ended up a lot more expensive to replace the plane and it's associated parts than it would have been to do it correctly the first time. I know that in a lot of cases purchasing some of the parts may be delayed due to financial constraints, thereby delaying the use of the plane, but doing it right is worth the wait!!

Pat

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Ive gotten everything wrapped up except for the elevators,i recieved a reverse harness today,but im having big problems aligning the elevator halves,i think the hinge part of the horn might be causing problems,has anyone experienced this?

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Mike,

I'm going to start with the basics and we can go on from there if this doesn't work. I'm really hoping this is a 28% edge and not the smaller one.

Start by making sure that all the transmitter trims are at neutral. Next make sure that the ATV for the elevator is set at 125%. Make sure that the sub trims are at zero for the elevator channel. Set both the high and the low dual rates at 100% for the elevator channel.

Now center both of the servo arms at the elevator servos. They need to be exactly the same if at all possible. I don't know what type or length servo arms you are using but if you can, set the clevis/ball link on the servo arms a distance of 1-1/8" from the output shaft. Now go to the elevator horn shafts and set the horns on the screws. They must be 1-1/8" or more from the center of the clevis to the center of the bevel in the elevator at the hinge line. This must be the same at both sides. Having the distance of the clevis pin to the hinge surface less than that of the servo arm provides mechanical advantge to the flight surface over the servo. Not a good thing.

From this point you may need to screw the elevator horn in or out one turn either way on each elevator half to get the servos to match up, but not much more. That's about as far as you can go with a reversing Wye, so if that doesn't work I don't know what to tell ya. It's possible that the elevator horn shafts to be off from each other a little but that's something that needs to be attended to prior to the final assembly process. It can be done late in the game but it's awkward having everything permanantely attached to the fuselage while you're working on it.

Let me know how you come out using the above.

Pat

Edit below:

I forgot to add that once everything has been neutralled out, and both servos are matched in position at the servo arms, the control arms for your elevators must be exactly the same length. Measure the control arms from the center of the mounting hole for a ball link (pin of a clevis) at one end to the same position of the ball link or clevis at the other end.

Few servos are perfectly matched out of the box, so if the above doesn't work out I don't know that there is a lot more you can do with the accessories you currently have at hand. Perhaps others may have some more ideas.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

It really pays to get the elevators sorted out and travelling EXACTLY the same up and down. My 300LX went from being a wing-rocker to perfectly flat elevators when I synched the elevator halves to within .5mm of each other instead of just setting the horns up equally and eyeballing it.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

I've watched this thread for a couple of days now. It's all been good info and suggestions, but I've got another idea;

http://www.smart-fly.com/Products/Eq.../equalizer.htm

Smat-Fly's Equalizer II! $40 bucks. Don't need the expensive programmer or matchbox. You don't need another funny "y" cable to screw your life up. It just works. And, it is super easy to use.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

On a model of this size and expense it should be a crime to put a reversing Y in it to control the elevators, these crash WAY to many models IME, loose it quick.

The Smart-Fly Equalizer is the best bargain if your using the Eclipse. The next best solution is to use Hitec digitals and have one reversed so the move in unison. The last option is to get a transmitter that will do the mixing in the radios programming like a Futaba 9C or a JR 9303. Strangely enough the newer Hitec Optic 6 channel has a dual elevator mix that would solve your problem as well, sort of a step backward but it does have the feature. I have an Eclipse and this is the exact reason I bought a Futaba 9C so that I didn't have to go through this hassle ever again. Strangely enough I learned that having the dual elevator mix wasn't as desireable as I had at first imagined it would be. It seems there is a slight lag between the two servos throughout their arc of travel that results from the mix itself, go figure! I'm now using a heavy duty Y harness with Hitec digitals and sync them together with the Hitec programmer which produces a PERFECT syncronization of the two. As far as I'm concerned it's the best way to do it....IF your using the Hitec digitals anyway.

FWIW getting the elevators to track in syc ACROSS the range of full travel is next to impossible if one servo arm is pointing up and the other is down. The problem is more pronounced if the throws are big like 45 degrees for 3D.

With the airfoiled tail surfaces that the WH planes have ANY mismatch will show up in flight and it will make getting the plane to fly in trim next to impossible. These surfaces are VERY effective and are nothing like flat tails on smaller models. I learned this the hard way and once I got them tracking together I was amazed at how straight the plane flew and how much easier it was to fly certain maneuvers, up to that point I had been fighting the plane without realizing it.

My money would go for the Smart Fly Equalizer 2. Get one, put it in and adjust the elevator halves to track each other as closely as possible. You CAN NOT eyeball this BTW! Make a pair of 1 foot long pointers with some .070 carbon fiber rod and a pair of clothespins, CA the rods to the clothespins then clip them on to the elevators. Next bring the tips of the rods close together behind the rudder and then work the elevator through it's range of travel with the radio, they should track each other exactly the same all the way from top to bottom, if not adjust the servos or Equalizer till they do. One last point is to be sure that when your servos are at neutral and holding the elevator centered it's a good idea to use and incidence meter to verify zero degrees on BOTH elevators, remember that none of this will do you much good unless the elevator halves are matched at center as well.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Thanks shogun.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Shogun,

Thanks! The Smartfly was the name I couldn't remember. Does the same thing as the Matchbox. Then again, it should. Smartfly was the first of the type.

RE: Elevator problems on my edge 540
 

Actually Dugster beat me to it!

Yep and they cost about half of the price of the JR matchbox's. I like the matchbox though as they are a great way get 4 servos to agree with each other.

I had the opportunity to help a friend set up a BVM Kingcat and it has 4 matchboxes in it, made the job a lot easier.