Spectrum module upgrade problems

[go29kev]

Hey guys, i am helping a friend try to find out what kind of problems people are having with the jr radios that have been up greaded to the spectrum modules. we have had two members in our club have problems in the last few weeks and the problems are only with the ones that are using the jr radios with the upgrade modules. a plane and a heli both crashed with no hint of plroblem till they just glitch and go in. and another plane had three ail. hits in 1 min and was able to make it back. and the one plane was at joe nall on a landing when about 5 foot from the ground it droped like it went full down for a sec. and the heli just went hard one way and went in. it was no dumb thumb it was a glitch. and the other plane was on a up line and rolled 1/2 roll on its own and before we got it back in it rolled two more times 1/2 roll with no stick imput.
if it is a problem in the module then it needs to be fixed before more people lose their planes for a bad product.....

any info on problems that may be out there would be great.

[DKnippen]

I'm not just saying this , but it's the first I've heard of any problems involving the JR Module. We have at least 5 guys in our club that have converted their 10-Xs to 2.4 with the JR module. A couple of jet cats, and 35- 40% planes. Can you give more details of what you have in your plane? Battery's, Receivers, Did you use a flight log when setting up the satellites? How many flights before the problem. Why do you feel it's the Module? It sounds like they were working fine for awhile.
Hope you find the Problem. I would call Horizon and talk to a Tech. They know their stuff.

[3D-Seth]

	Quote: Originally Posted by DKnippen
	I'm not just saying this , but it's the first I've heard of any problems involving the JR Module. We have at least 5 guys in our club that have converted their 10-Xs to 2.4 with the JR module. A couple of jet cats, and 35- 40% planes. Can you give more details of what you have in your plane? Battery's, Receivers, Did you use a flight log when setting up the satellites? How many flights before the problem. Why do you feel it's the Module? It sounds like they were working fine for awhile. Hope you find the Problem. I would call Horizon and talk to a Tech. They know their stuff.

Same as what Dan said, I am in the process of switching my gas airplanes over to 2.4. I have a QQ 100cc Python I just finished up, 13 flights no problems. Getting ready to switch my QQ Gen 3 Yak over here pretty soon as well. I am using the 10X with the Spektrum module.

Just like what Dan said, what is the setup in these planes? Were they nearing the stop fly and re-charge point on the batteries?

We need a bit more info to try and help you out! If all else, just call Horizon and they will be glad to help!

Seth

[sweetpea]

Same here in Vegas........the noiseiest 2.4 Spectrum in the country!

We have over 5 JR 10X and 9303 conversions. No problems whatsoever.

I'd send in the radio, conversion module and RX's for testing.

I think you'll find that a bad install finally caused the crash or possibly the connector on the back of the modules lost contact.


I would in no way start a JR conversion is having problems. Its too early and not enough info for that kind of comment.

[go29kev]

i cant say for the heli because i was not there when it happend. but i was there when the first plane went in. and he was useing the 4 sat rec set up and 2 6v batterys. two sat in the body and two on top in the conopy area. and each one was turned so that thay were in diferent orientations. he has two other planes with the same set up and they had worked fine before. but it seems that now he cant get but about 15-20 feet away and it glitches. and the batterys was just off of a fresh charge, first flight of the day. and the same on the other plane but on the 2nd flight. about 3/4 into the flight. no he did not have a flight recorder on the plane. this is not just a case of por install the guy realy knows what he is doing. i read a few post on other threads about some people haveing a ail glitch. and some elev and rud glitches. i am not in any way saying ""jr bashing"" here. i have owned jr's for years. i do use both jr and futaba so its far from saying any thing bad. the only thing i have agenst jr is the fact they are more $$$ than futaba. and thats the main reason i have gotten futaba's the last 2 radios i bought was the fact they are less $.
but i am just trying to get some info on if others have had problems. and if so what might it be. i just wonder what it might have been that two compleatly different people useing the same stuff to have problems like this. the first guy sent his off and it still had problems and the 2nd time he sent it in they just repalced the whole module. and now its fine. it could have been a bad batch or just a fluke i dont know. like i said i just am trying to make sure that it doesnt happen to another plane. its just to much $ to not question ya know...

[Costas]

	Quote: Originally Posted by go29kev
	they had worked fine before. but it seems that now he cant get but about 15-20 feet away and it glitches.

Sounds like a Tx Module Power output issue. I assume that the Bind button is not depressed etc while using the Tx as this will place the Tx into low power mode.

I would be checking the antenna, antenna cable as well as the RF connectors on the antenna and the module to ensure that they are clean and properly mating (centre pin & socket) correctly. I would also have a look inside the Tx module to ensure that the internal coax connector that connects to the PCB has not come loose. Sometimes the centre pin on the module's external RF connector can get pushed in preventing it from making a connection to the attached lead - This can sometimes happen (rare) if you connect/disconnect the RF connector frequently.

Here is a pic of my modified module - I found that I required a dab of hot melt glue to ensure that the new (modified) coax lead would not pop off the RF connector on the PCB. The original coax cable is quite thin and does not present a lot strain on the PCB mounted RF socket, but there have been a couple of cases on DX7s where this connector has popped off by itself. The DX7 uses the same connector internally.

[GooseF22]

really stpid question: was the antenna pointing at the model? or bent up/side. makes a difference.

try changing antennas with someone and ground test.

I would send it in as a set with the radio/receiver.

[Huffy]

Maybe there is a problem! 1x Hempel 50% extra flown with JR 10X with spectrum modual, driven by powerbox royal with fromco power. Two 9 chan rx with 4 sat rx.(all checked before takeoff).( monday 26th may). 1 Comp Arf 2.6m Yak flown with JR 10X with spectrum modual. 1 x9 chan rx with 2 sat rx, driven by EMCOTEC with fromco power. all checked before take off. (30th may).
Both Aircraft went "off the air", unbind or whatever. The Hempel has been found, the seach party will leave tomorrow to look for the 2.6m yak. Both aircraft went AWOL at or about 500m from the TX. The last flight on the 2.6m yak, the data logger showed no frames or holds. ( only 2, 4 for the rx's). The fromcos 8.0v under 1.5 amp load.( 8 ball checker)

[JohnVH]

I know the OLD spectrum tx modules had some issues, how old are they?

[Huffy]

Feb 2008

[Stu_D]

Huffy If the planes had been flying nicley up to when they were lost then my thinking would point to the batteries as they seem to be the only common point between the planes .

A 40% planes peaks out at 15 amps and the 35% is not much below that if you had 4200 mha batts thats 8.4 amps at best you can supply the system . We all know the result when Spektrum runs out of amps . IMHO poor batts have been the cause of a lot of probs with 2.4 . I did a lot of testing with my 2.6 yak when Spektrum first came out and the only hole I found in their system was that if the batts were poor / on the way out or close to the margin 2.4 would find out very quickly . I chewed three sets of batts until I worked this out .

Hope this helps .

[Huffy]

Stu, both A/C had 2x fromco 5200's. I have been informed that 3 other a/c lost at our field the week before with the same problem. can spectrum be shot down?

[JimC-MD]

How did the aircraft behave when they "went off line"? Did the throttles drop? What failsafe method was used? How were the units hooked up? Was there anything plugged into the bind port of any of the RX? This has me curious.

[go29kev]

well from what i have been reading from others (in other post on other threads )and on here there has been quite a few people who have had problems. it may be a number of different things causing them but there are problems somewere for some reason. but i know from my own eyes that two very nice and well flying planes that flew like a dream with 72 gear has had problems after a 2.4 module upgrade. and like i said before i know the batterys was not the problems. it is something in the module upgrade somewere and all i wanted to know is if others have had the same problems to get an idea on what was going on.
I have said this before in other posts i have been in this hobby for 23 almost 24 years and have seen it all when it comes to what caused a plane to go crazy. from radios to switches to just good ol stupity but this is something that i felt i need to bring up and see what if any thing was up. i am very good with the electronics of things i went to college for computer engering tech. i have see new things go bad out of the box so before people say it was something the person did or didnt do right or say there is no way it could be a bad line of parts think about it and ask questions not just snap answers that seem to say its the persons fault.

But we have called and they said send it in to us. so it is being sent back and i will post what is found to be the problem as soon as we hear from the company.

[GooseF22]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Huffy
	Stu, both A/C had 2x fromco 5200's. I have been informed that 3 other a/c lost at our field the week before with the same problem. can spectrum be shot down?

we have found some vulnerabilty with the 2.4 video systems if they are powerful enough, but it causes noise not a lockout. they transmit on wide band and bleed over harmonic waves. But if it was off board it would have to be alot of power.

Some of the modules were a bit loose in thier mounts, so we tape them in. there have been loose antenna connectors here and there and a few broken leads. If the receiver lost the plane, and there was sufficient time before it crashed and it didnt reacquire, then there is only three causes if the receiver still works after the crash.

the transmitter lost or dimmed power, the power system failed in the plane, or it was overwhelmed by noise. Since the JR modules are narrow band and very powerful, they will burn through almost any signal. If the power system is good but over taxed, it will recover after the reboot given enough time, so if I just watched one fly away, with me moving the transmitter around, and nothing was happening, Then I would check for adequate power on the crashsite remains, and definitely not fly with that transmitter. It could be also something in the actual transmitter PPM chain or even transmitter power glitch, and not the fault of the module at all. You just dont know for sure.

my 2c.
g