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e-E-Sky Honey Bee- Lama- Belt CP- E-Smart > I'm about to tell Spektrum to stick it.......
 
 
racin06
Veteran
Location: Indianapolis, IN

I updated all of my AR6100 receivers to v1.6 recently. I've had a few incidents in the past in which my helis would lose power and drop like a rock. I suspected a low voltage condition; however, now that I've upgraded the AR6100s, I know that the incidents are due to signal loss. I had two of these incidents today. In both cases, the AR6100 LED was solid when I arrived at the heli. What could be causing the signal loss? The heli was no more than 40 yards away and about 30 ft. in the air when both of the incidents ocurred.

Below are a couple of photos which illustrate how my AR6100 is mounted. I'm also flying with my DX7 antenna at a 90 degrees to the ground (pointing towards the sky). Any help would be highly appreciated. This is very frustrating .

08-18-2008 03:19 AM
 
 
toolman18
Key Veteran
Location: Portland, Texas

Racin,
I dont know anything about Spektrum but i do have an RDS8000. Its 2.4. Mine has never had a glitch. Works excellent. Easy to program. And theyre offering a free second receiver as a promotion. Check Rons heliproz. They have special pricing also. 180.

We need video proof around here.
08-18-2008 03:24 AM
 
 
tryan02
rrProfessor
Location: Canton, Missouri

I am sorry racin. But well me and fender been sayin it over a year. There is a reason why the futaba receiver is twice the price of spektrum. They definitely have problems and are working on them but at what expense. They jumped at the chance to beat futaba to market apparently to soon. I hope for the sake of all you spektrum owners they recall those receivers and give you good ones.

all this just today?
http://www.runryder.com/helicopter/t453084p1/

Canton MO backyard flying club
Club President
Team No funds left.
08-18-2008 03:37 AM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Trex450SE_owner
Heliman
Location: usa

Have you tried to mount the receiver on different places? I had similar incidents. One time, it was just a loose motor connector. I replaced the bullet connectors and it solved the problem. Another time, I replaced the receiver away from gyro and it solved the problem.
08-18-2008 04:20 AM
 
 
norsman
Veteran
Location: paradise PA

Knock on futaba,two AR6100's and a 7000 no problems yet but I hope you get it stright Racin
08-18-2008 04:33 AM
 
 
Gregor99
Elite Veteran
Location: Western Wa

I'd move the RX to the back of the heli. Away from the motor. What are the results of your range check. The manual says it should be 90 feet. I was able to get over 120. Check it if you haven't already.

When it fails is there a total loss of all control? Tail, cyclic, collective? Have you sprayed your belt?

Canton MO backyard flying club
West Coast Chapter
08-18-2008 04:37 AM
 
 
Dood
Elite Veteran
Location: America's Dairyland

Who says it has to be a signal issue?

Stick a voltmeter into the rx and cycle all your servos. watch what happens.

People assume you cant have a low voltage condition on an electric, but thats entirely not true.

I have experienced this first hand, had a similar problem on a 450.
I chased the problem for a few days trying to figure out what it was.

It turned out I had a tail servo that was on its way out, and when I cycled that servo to the left, I noticed the voltage dropping to well below 3.8V (this was coming of of a 6V BEC.

(\__/)
(='.'=) The Dood abides.
(")_(")
08-18-2008 04:45 AM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Gregor99
Elite Veteran
Location: Western Wa

Dood, he as the 1.6 firmware. If it was low voltage issue then quick connect would have been triggered and the LED was flashing. Racin06 noted that the LED was solid.

Quote 
In both cases, the AR6100 LED was solid when I arrived at the heli.

Canton MO backyard flying club
West Coast Chapter
08-18-2008 04:47 AM
 
 
TJinGuy
Elite Veteran
Location: Socorro, NM - USA

Gotta be something wrong with your setup/placement. Move things around and see what happens. Also maybe spray your belt with silicone if you don't. I know the bigger heli have problems with static and the Spektrum receivers. If nothing else, step up to a better rx like the 6200 or 7000. All else fails sell your stuff and buy a Futaba setup

- Chris

Variety+spice+life+supporting_paper_towel_industry=
King2+Rex450+Protos+Concept30
08-18-2008 06:06 AM
 
 
Dood
Elite Veteran
Location: America's Dairyland

Flashing LED's

Well not necessarily. Sometimes they flash, sometimes they don't.
If your lights are solid, you still could have had an instance of "QC" and not know it.

That solid light don't mean %&##.

I own 2 receivers that won't flash no matter what. I have called Horizon support and asked about this for confirmation. The response I got was something like, "Yeah, some never flash. Some stay solid, some go out. We can't explain why."

Quote 
I suspected a low voltage condition; however, now that I've upgraded the AR6100s, I know that the incidents are due to signal loss. I had two of these incidents today.

I can't tell you that it IS/ ISN'T a low voltage condition. I can tell you that you shouldn't rule it out, as the theory can still be supported.

If you lose power just long enough, it will force the ESC to reset, losing power. You may or may not have power distribution from the BEC.

Things I would seriously look at, are the wires going to the ESC, receiver, etc.. for any shorted, frayed, or broken wires. Anything that would cause an interuption to power supply.

And like I said, check all servos, and a voltmeter on your receiver.


It sounds strange and far fetched, but from someone with a similar issue and first hand experience with this, you have nothing to lose by checking it out.

(\__/)
(='.'=) The Dood abides.
(")_(")
08-18-2008 06:25 AM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Gregor99
Elite Veteran
Location: Western Wa

I'm in agreement that regardless of flashing, an outboard switch bec is a must. However this is the first I've heard that the QC didn't result in a flashing LED. I've bench tested this with both of my AR6100s and they flash if QC was activated. Also in Racin case, IF QC was activated, we wouldn't be having this conversion. When it works, the is a momentary loss of control, but it comes back in less than a second.

Racin, new test for you. Power up your RX and TX. Then quickly disconnect and reconnect power to the RX. Does it flash?

Canton MO backyard flying club
West Coast Chapter
08-18-2008 06:35 AM
 
 
racin06
Veteran
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Yes, it flashes, Gregor.
08-18-2008 11:45 AM
 
 
racin06
Veteran
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Just to reiterate, this is an FP heli with a brushless main motor, brushed tail motor, two ESCs, two servos and HH gyro. I'm also running an 800mAh 2s lipo.

What about the position of the rx antennas? Is vertical OK or should the antennas be positioned horizontally? What about the DX7 antenna position? How should it be positioned?
08-18-2008 11:50 AM
 
 
Gyronut
Elite Veteran
Location: Martinsville In.

Racin

The most realistic answer to the cutouts is that the ESC is going into thermal shut down. It prob cools down enuf by the time you get to it to reactivate the rcvr.

Rick
08-18-2008 01:53 PM
 
 
Gregor99
Elite Veteran
Location: Western Wa

Quote 
Just to reiterate, this is an FP heli with a brushless main motor, brushed tail motor, two ESCs, two servos and HH gyro. I'm also running an 800mAh 2s lipo.

Ah! I missed that. OK, then the BEC may not be required considering the small electronic package. Just to double check, you did disconnect the red wire from one of the ESCs?

I found the range was slight extended with the Tx antenna at 90. The RX antennae should be straight as you have it now. I have mine horizontal. I'd to a range check to see if your Rx's current orietation is causing any issues.

Canton MO backyard flying club
West Coast Chapter
08-18-2008 04:32 PM
 
 
racin06
Veteran
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Yes, I disconected one of the red ESC wires.

I spoke with Horizon support this morning. The technician said that it's definately a signal loss and not a low voltage condition. I mentioned to the technician that someone on this board said that the LED will not always flash when quickconnect is engaged and he said that is absolutely false. He said that the problem was more than likely caused by the end of the DX7 antenna being pointed directly at the heli, which is possible because I have a tendency to tilt the front of the DX7 towards the ground when flying. This sometimes puts the end of the antenna pointing directly at the heli. The technician recommended that I position the DX7 antenna at 90 degrees and then rotate the antenna another 90 degrees to the left or right. This puts the antenna parallel to the top of the DX7 and also parallel to the ground. This will always ensure that the antenna never gets pointed directly at the heli.
08-18-2008 05:22 PM
 
 
TJinGuy
Elite Veteran
Location: Socorro, NM - USA

The Fasst stuff says to have the antenna sticking straight up when the radio is laying on its back. In other words it should be sticking up at the sky when flying. That is what they say anyways.

- Chris

Variety+spice+life+supporting_paper_towel_industry=
King2+Rex450+Protos+Concept30
08-18-2008 05:27 PM
 
 
tryan02
rrProfessor
Location: Canton, Missouri

Theoretically the TX antennae should point the same way as the RX antennae. You have 2 of them on your RX that are supposed to be 90* apart so if the heli is rolling one antennae will always have good signal.

Its electromagnetic transmission remember the iron filings around the magnet in high school? same principal. The iron filings push outward on a flat plane you lay the magnet which acts as a transmitter and broadcast EM field horizontally. your radio does the same. Now we want to recieve the most of those filings on a receive end we would lay the collection device antennae flat like the transmitter AKA magnet now the only other thing is how far the filings went out thats where the EM field died the receive antennae must remain in the strongest part of that EM field. To do this may require an increase in power from the transmitter (magnet). the only way to do this is ARGH,ARGH,ARGH, more power. So make sure those spektrum TX batteries are fully charged.

Canton MO backyard flying club
Club President
Team No funds left.
08-18-2008 06:17 PM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
smartguy
Senior Heliman
Location: los angeles, CA

move the rx around also check all the servos making sure they are not going out.
08-18-2008 07:03 PM
 
 
Gregor99
Elite Veteran
Location: Western Wa

Range check results?

Canton MO backyard flying club
West Coast Chapter
08-18-2008 07:21 PM
 
 
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