Ask Mike at Hitec V15.0

[MikeMayberry]

You know the drill... How can I help?

Mike.

[omega blood]

Hi Mike, I just got a flash 5 setup( coool radio). When I set up for ailarons on two servos (ch 1/5 I think). One ailaron maybe to high or low compaired to the other one. My question, is there a way to trim the servo on ch5 without affecting the other servo? As always your help is greatly apriciated.


P.S. Do you have any extra neck straps laying around? :)

[Fred Bronk]

Mike, I see the 5245 DS are being advertized, now I need some!

PLEASE tell me how to get some for a 1/4 scale Extra.

These are just redone 225's right?

[Kosh]

Mike, I have had a Hitec Feather Receiver for roughly over a year now, and it has always been the source of some glitching. I heard the older models of these had glitching and range problems. How do I know if mine is affected and what can I do?

Thanks for your help.

[jjs63james]

HI, Do the Hitec HS-55 servos have enough torque to be used in an FMA Razor 400? Or are the HS-81's preferable?
:confused: thanks, James

[Kosh]

bump

[Magna]

Hi Mike

My eclipse demonstrated some bad behavior. Recently as I expand my model collection, I started to use memory model #5 and #6. Once I flew it for a few minutes, the throttle stick will no longer respond,(shall I say the rx). All other channel is fine!

Try another model memory, its works fine. I reset it and it works for a while though. Then same old thing, I did not touch #7 yet.

I believe this is some defect in the SW? HW? because I never uses the #5,#6 before until recently.

[freq]

Hi Mike. Here's my latest oddity.

SFM Soarstar w/ 555 RX, HS-55s for rud/elev, stock SFM 16A ESC, and 8x1100AAU pack. Stock 6V Speed 400 geared 1.85:1 and 8x4 prop. Flash 5X. Soarstar has been babied and never crashed. (boy, did I just jinx myself)

While building the plane, I powered up the system and elevator servo failed within 1/2 hour. Swung hard right (clockwise), and jittered around. Behaved as if my TX trim was way off to the right. Occasionally re-centerd and behaved normally, but mostly erratic. LHS replaced the servo before plane was ever flown.

After less than 2 weeks of flying with new elev. servo, the rudder servo failed in a similar fashion. LHS swapped it out.

A week later, the new rudder servo also failed. This time swung hard right to its physical limit. I opened up the servo and found no signs of physical failure (gears, etc.), moisture, or anything visually detectable. Tested input voltage coming from RX at 5V. Pot metered out fine. Motor spins freely until pot is hand-rotated to its extreme physical limits, either direction (strange). Re-assembled, and LHS was kind enough to swap out for a third time.

On all failures, I moved the failed servo to other channels on RX, but servo exhibited same behavior. A known good servo was tried on all channels and worked fine, so TX and RX are ruled out.

Again, no signs of over-stressing; no stripped gears or burnt motors.

What gives? Could I have gotten 3 units from a bad production run? Fortunately, my LHS has been very accomodating, but I hate to keep doing this to them and safety is now a major concern.

Thanks for the help.


-chris

[mcrabby]

Hi Mike, thanks for being here. I have alot of Hitech equiptment. Two flight packs with Focus 3 and H50's and 55's, and a Focus 6 with 422's. All purchased last year and one Feather flight pack that is 2 seasons old. Up until now no trouble. However, last weekend I experience some glitching in my throttle channel/servo in a LT-40 that has never been crashed. This is in the Focus 6 outfit. I replaced the servo, same trouble. I replaced the receiver, same trouble. I finally narrowed it down to the trim pot for channel three. I'm afraid I took the liberty to apply a couple drops of WD-40 to the small holes in the trim pot, and this cleared the problem. Can I get a trim pot sent to me to replace this one, or do you suggest it be sent back? Mark

[Ostrich]

Mike:

I'm building a T-52 trainer. I was looking to purchase the Laser 4FM package that comes with the two HS-55 servos. Do these have enough torque, or would I be better off with buying a different setup?

Thanks!

Clueless in Encinitas

[MikeMayberry]

omega blood- No, unlike the Eclipse the Flash does not have sub trims. You will need to adjust them mechanically.

Fred- Try http://www.servocity.com Yes, they are digital 225's.

Kosh- The best thing to do is send it in and let us check it out. If there is a problem we will repair or replace it for you at no charge.

jjs63james- I would recommend HS-81MG's.

Magna- Hmmm... I would send it in just to be on the safe side.

freq- That is very strange. I have never has a 55 fail on me. There must be something that is causing it. I would not think that it is just bad luck.

mcrabby- Sorry, we can't just send out components.

Ostrich- They would work but might not hold up well to hard landings. You might want to go with the HS-81's.

Mike.

[Fred Bronk]

Thanks Mike, I found them.

[freq]

Yeah, I thought it was strange, as the HS-55s have always been reliable. What might cause this?

-chris

[jjs63james]

MIKE,,,,,Thanks for the help! regards, James

[Steven D]

Mike,

Any chance of seeing expanded memory for the eclipse 7? It would be great to have one transmitter with the ability to change shift and frequency to match my existing recievers, but 7 memory slots just won't cut it (I've filled two JR 347's and half way thru a futaba 6xa...)

Steven

[stephen.s1]

Hi,
I have two of your 5125s. They are acting as flap servos on a 3m sailplane.

One is nice and quiet, but the other... Hums constantly, and loudly. The linkages are all free and loose. There's no binding anywhere. (I've been at this for too long to let that happen).

At a contest this weekend, someone said; "Oh, they all make noise". I can't buy that.

What think ye?

Thanks

[Andy W]

Why do the 55's buzz, even though the surfaces and linkages are free?

re: Freq's problem - I had a small ducted fan wing go straight in at full power (using a Feather @ 300' range, should have known better I guess) and although the (carbon) fan was destroyed and the 'unbreakable' EPP wing broken into several pieces, the 55's are in perfect working order.. just one example amongst many where they have performed flawlessly (and survived abuse beyond the call of duty)!

..a

ps. No , they buzzed BEFORE the crash, and do in many other models.. I have a dozen or so of these installed, including in my sailplanes..

[georged]

Mike,
Where can I get a copy of the Flash 5X operation Manual. I misplaced(lost) mine and now ready to do programming to it for mult planes? Thank you in advance.

[georged]

Mike,
Answered my own Q. Found site HITECRCD.COM and downloaded FLASH 4/5SX manual. Unable to print but can view file.

[cloudhopper]

Mike
I'f got the Flash5 and I can't figure out how to mix up elevator with aileron input, searched manual could'nt find anything.
thanks for your help
steve

[Kosh]

Hey Mike, me again. You said I should send in my receiver to be looked at, should I just send it to the Customer Service Center address on the website? Should I put it to anyone's attention?

Also, just came across some more details on my problem. I had the receiver in question in a plane and was doing a ground check. All surfaces were moving fine one minute, then the rudder just froze. I kept moving the stick and it eventually started moving again. It seems somewhat intermitent but I'm not sure if it's the servo or the receiver. The servo is an HS55 with blue case. Should I send the receiver AND servo in?

[Gordon Johnson]

Mike,
I want to replace the NiCd battery in my Eclipse with a NiMH battery. Where can I get the male and female plugs used on the radio -- one for the new battery pack, and the other so I can make a charger chord and charge it outside the transmitter with my 110D? I've looked at a few of your distributor's sites (e.g., Hobby Lobby and can't find these listed anywhere).

[Alfred]

Hi Mike

I plan to teach my daughter to fly soon and I am a little confused with the trainer cord instructions.

Do both radios need to have crystals in them?

I have only used Futaba in the pass and only the main set need a crystal in it.

Also, can the Hitec set be be linked to a Futaba set for training purposes (with the Hitec being the main set of course!)


Alfred

[RonD]

Mike, I have a Flash 5 radio. Suddenly this morning the trim rockers started to misbehave. On channels 1,2, and 4, no matter which way I push the rockers the trim only increases. On channel 3 no matter which way I push the rocker the trim only decreases. So I can't trim my plane. I can not get them to go negative or decrease from a positive number. I can do a RST ALL and set the trims to 0. I opened the back, looked for a loose cable, everything looks fine. I've removed the battery several minutes to see if I could get it to somehow reset and function properly with no luck. Is there some type of master reset to clear up the problem? Does it need to be sent to the factory for "brain" transplant? If so, how and where do I send it?

[MikeMayberry]

freq- Too much load or voltage.

Steven D- Sorry, no.

stephen.s1- All the digital servos will make a high pitched beeping type noise.

Andy W- It is not uncommon for the 50's and 55's to buzz a little.

cloudhopper- There is no such mix. Why would you need it? Don't tell me to coorditate a turn. That's what your thumbs are for!

Kosh- It is best to send it all just to make sure.

gordonjohnson- Try http://www.maxxprod.com

Alfred- There is no crystal needed in the slave. Yes, the Futaba is trainer compatible with the Hitec transmitters.

RonD- That's not good. Yes, send it in. Here is the info: http://www.hitecrcd.com/nsupportFS.htm

Mike.

[Andy W]

Thanks, Mike.. :)
..a

[ChrisE]

Hi Mike,
Is there any way with an Eclipse that I can make my second aileron come out of channel 5 rather than channel 6 as I want to use a 6gm -1/4 oz - 5 channel indoor receiver in an indoor aerobatic model?

[RonD]

Found my original purchase receipt and the Flash 5 is under 2 years old, so I guess it will be fixed under warantee. Will send it in today. Thanks for the response.

[MrC]

Hi Mike,

I'm new to e-flight and to rc. My first radio gear is a JLine Quattro (sorry). But I have now seen the light ;)

I am about to purchase the Eclipse 7 with the Spectra module, a feather receiver, and some servos. Can I purchase the JR version of the receiver and servos to allow me to swap it with my old equipment?

Thanks,

--MrC

[ElectriFan]

Mike,

I just got myself a Flash 5X radio. I read that it will beep when the Rx timer counts down and when the Tx battery is low.

1. I have never had it go all the way down, so is the beeping different for each?
2. At what voltage will it start beeping for the Tx battery?
3. With the pack sold with the Tx, approx how much time does one get before it runs out of juice?

Thanks.

[Wild Bill]

Mike
---I have a Flash 5 and would like to use the fifth channel ( I assume thats switch # 3 )as a on/off switch for a FMA Co-Pilot on a plane that I use for instructing new pilots. Is it possible? Which direction is off, towards the sticks or towards the antenna. Also since it's a three position switch would the center position serve the same function as the center of a rotery knob, i.e. reduce the response of the unit by about one half, it seems to center a servo.
---Also can you answer a question I have about one of your companys divisions products(I know thats not proper English), a Sirius GFS 10 Amp? I replaced the wire with larger wire as instructed as per the pamphlet but will it handle three 55 servos? How much current draw does a 55 have in amps and how much current draw does an average micro Rx have? This is going into a Crazy Max, IT'S A BLAST TO FLY.
-------Thanks in advance,
-------Bill, still confused in Brawley,its the heat
PS And no I'm not using the CM for a trainer.

[freq]

I hate to say it, but yet another HS-55 failed on me, Mike. This time around 300-400 feet up. Same symptom; swung a hard right and stuck there. The ensuing death-spiral and subsequent crash were somewhat unsettling. :(

OK, excessive load or voltage. I'd buy it, but I see no sign of either. I really baby the Soarstar and fly her gently, mostly fairly slow. On an 8-cell pack, I measure 5V from the RX outputs on the bench. Maybe the ESC is producing spike currents in flight? After this last failure, I replaced the original SFM 16A (6-10 cell) ESC with a Zagi-15 (Aveox). Time will tell if this points to the culprit, but I'm open to suggestions in the meantime.

Thanks for the help with an issue that has several folks around here scratching their heads. Also, thanks to Hitec and my LHS for promptly replacing the 4 failed servos.


-chris

[StregaMustang7]

Hey Mike, im looking for some good high torque servos for my Elv. and flaps. These will be going in a 180+mph Top Flight .60 size P-51 Mustang.......IE a pylon racer



Thanks John

[SiRacer]

Mike, I am thinking about buying the Eclipse with spectra module. I was wondering if the Eclipse can change shift on the frequency. I currently have a JR Tx and Rx and I would like to be able to use the Eclipse with my JR receivers. Thanks

[kelvin]

Mike,
I think the section in the Eclipse 7 manual on how to set the elevons is confusing or wrong. I had to read this section 6 times before I though I understood it and I guess I didn't. The concept of master/slave in the text didn't make sense to me. I needed to reduce the throw on the elevator settings for my Zagi. I wanted elevator controls set to 50% and aileron to 85% I followed the directions and when I flew it instead of doing a left roll it would do a barrel roll while a right roll was a roll. I reset all 4 settings to zero to see what control surface was affected. I was able to figure it out by removing the master slave explanation from my mind a replacing it with elevator control and aileron control. The two top numbers represent; 1 is aileron 2 is elevator. The two bottom numbers represent; 1 is right surface 2 is left surface. So when the top number is set to 2 and the bottom number is set to 1 your are adjusting the right surface for elevator. Now my Zagi rolls right or left the same way. I love this radio but the documentation is a little confusing when I read it.

Thanks


Kelvin

[Don Cohn]

Hi Mike...

I used my Eclipse/Spectra today on my first 5 servo sailplane (RESA) and I found that I can get the radio to completely lock-up. Fortunately, these incidences occured on the ground.

Are there any known issues/bugs with this radio that can cause the radio to basically seize up? Anyone else out there have this problem as well?:confused:

Don Cohn

[stuartaw]

Hi Mike,

Are the CG330 and CG335 suitable for charging NiMH packs? I know that many people in the UK do so with no problems. However, we (the shop I work in) checked with Amerang (the UK Hitec importers) who said no. And of course the instructions don't mention NiMH. What's the official line on charging NiMHs in general on these chargers? And also specifically the newer SubC 3000's whose delta-peak seems greater?

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I couldn't find a definitive answer when searching.

Regards

Stuart

[ToddO]

Hi Mike,

I have been using a Flash 4 Tx and a 555 Rx for about a year now (purchased about 18 months ago). They have been terrific!

All of a sudden, this past Sunday morning while range checking at 25 paces with collapsed antennae, my plane started to glitch. This was with no stick input. The motor and control surfaces would sporadically glitch. This was the first time ever, I had experienced glitching. Not having a hard or recent crash, I thought it was some isolated interference beceause I was at the same school field I usually fly. I extended the antennae an the problem stopped. I launched and noticed occasional glitching of motor speed and control surfaces while in flight.

I troubleshoot the problem last night and believe it to be with the 555 Rx. I did the following at home, so I don't think the problem was local interference at my flying field.

1) Confirm problem: Standard ready to fly setup (S400 motor, Nicad pack, ESC, 555 Rx, 2 HS-81MG's). Glitching would occur to all used Rx channals with no stick activity at ~20ft away with collapsed Tx antennae. Glitching worsened when pointed the Tx in a certain orientation back under my arm.

2) Unplugged ESC from Rx and used flight pack to power Rx and servos to isolate out potential ESC problems. Glitching remained the same.

3) Unplugged servo #1 and ESC (using flight pack for power) from Rx to isolate potential servo #2 problems. Glitching remained the same.

4) Unplugged servo #2 and ESC (using flight pack for power) from Rx to isolate potential servo #1 problems. Glitching remained the same.

5) Rx antennae appears undamaged.

6) Rx crystal is seated well.

I think I have isolated out everything down to the Rx and Tx and the problem is likely in the Rx. Does this sound like a problem with the 555 Rx to you or do you have any other ideas? If you think it is a problem with the Rx, how do I get this serviced?

I am in a panic state of thinking I may need to send back my only Rx for service. The thought of being grounded is killing me :-(. My son will see dad cry. Do you provide loaner Rx's for the duration of customer Rx servicing with a credit card number as security for the loaner? :-)

The data an markings on my Rx are:

Channel 50
72.790 MHz
FCC IFHHFD5MC72
CA34201021795A

Thanks for any help and best regards, ToddO

[OCModels]

I have a problem with my Hitec radio... My problem is when I setup my Zagi and Wedgie on my Eclipse 7, it wants to force the plain into a roll when you give the elevator stick full up. I have seen this with three different hitec radios on four different flying wings. When you go to do a loop and give it full up it snaps. I can't remember which directions but it does it quite violently. Is there something I can do to fix this??? Do Hitec radios have to be setup up special when you engage elevon mode???

Just for the info. The receivers range from Hitec, JR and Futaba. and all do the same thing.

[OCModels]

Someone had made the comment that I was stalling the wing and that the plane was entering a spin due to stalling the wing but I think I ahould point out that this did not happen with My JR 8103 radio nor did it happen with my Trusty Old not sure legal Futabe radio. I only have this problem with my Hitec Eclipse 7. Plus! At the speed I'm entering a loop I really don't think the wing is anywhere near stall speed... My neighbor has the same problem with his Hitec 5 channel system too...

[JStory]

OCmodels maybe i can anwser your question for ya. Different radios have different ATV settings. So basiclly the wing is stalling and casueing it to go into the Zagi death spiral. Believe me i know this from first hand experiance. So all you need to do is either lower your rates or the the Endpoint Adjustment, then it wont snap anymore.

[leccyflyer]

Mike

I'm told by my LHS that the 205BB servo has been discontinued in favour of the 225BB and 225MG. Is this right?

cheers

Brian

[OCModels]

The rates have not changed between radios. The throws are the same and expo is the same between radios. My JR radio was setup to give the same throws I have setup with the Hitec radio. I actually had dual rates set on my JR with massive throws set for when I want to go wild. I don;t have that set in my Eclipse. I have noticed this with two other Hitec radios (Flying Buddies) on flying wings as well.

[mkirsch1]

Originally posted by OCModels
Someone had made the comment that I was stalling the wing and that the plane was entering a spin due to stalling the wing but I think I ahould point out that this did not happen with My JR 8103 radio nor did it happen with my Trusty Old not sure legal Futabe radio. I only have this problem with my Hitec Eclipse 7. Plus! At the speed I'm entering a loop I really don't think the wing is anywhere near stall speed... My neighbor has the same problem with his Hitec 5 channel system too...

An airplane can stall at any speed. What you are doing is called a HIGH SPEED STALL, and is common when too much elevator throw is present. You are trying to change the pitch of the airplane too quickly, and the airflow is separating from the wing.

This has absolutely, positively nothing to do with your radio. As someone else said, different radios have different travel volumes on the servos. It only takes a tiny tiny difference to turn an airplane from yank-n-loop to yank-n-crank. ALL airplanes will do this if they are given too much elevator input. My Zagi does it. My Tilde does it. ALL my glow planes do it.

A loop is not performed by yanking the stick full back and hoping for the best. Give just enough elevator input to do the loop. If you want, you can reduce the elevator travel in the radio to reduce the snapping tendencies.

[Neil Morse]

Mike:

First of all, I hope you still have my hat! I didn't realize you were giving me one until I just went on the "Ask Chef Mike V14.0" thread to ask a serious RC question (instead of a cooking question), and saw that I had won the hat. I'll send you my address.

Now the question:

I have an Eclipse tx. I have a Tiny with a GWS 4 channel single conversion rx, and I want to program the plane with separate servos for each aileron, and then mix the ailerons with elevator to give down reflex with up elevator and vice versa.

Question 1: The default for separate aileron servos on the Eclipse is channel 1 and channel 6. Since I only have a 4 channel rx, how do I do this?

Question 2: Once I get it programmed for separate aileron servos, how do I do the mix with ailerons and elevator?

Thanks in advance. I have to confess that I haven't even tried to answer these questions myself by reading the manual, so my apologies in advance if this is simple and explained in the manual.

Thanks for the hat,

Neil

[Neil Morse]

While waiting for your response :rolleyes: , I've now read the manual and tried to figure this out for myself. I can't. I have a sinking feeling that what I'm trying to do is impossible. Here's a related, but maybe simpler, question that I also can't answer:

If I have a plane set up with flaperons with my Flash 5 and a 555 rx (using channel 1 and channel 5), and I want to fly that plane with my Eclipse, how do I do it? Put another way, is it possible to set up a plane with flaperons using the Eclipse and a 555? Do I need at least a 6 channel rx to use the Eclipse with flaperons and E/F mixing? Help.

Neil

[Neil Morse]

Mike:

I went to bed after trying to get this to work, and an answer came to me during the night. Here's what I did:

1. Made channel 4 a -100% slave to channel 1 in both directions;

2. Made channels 1 and 4 +20% slaves to channel 2.

Now I have just what I wanted: ailerons on channels 1 and 4 with adjustable elevator/flap mixing, now set at 20%. Is this the best way to accomplish this?

Also, I still have a question. How do I deactivate channel 4 on the rudder stick? In other words, the way it's set up now, if I inadvertently move the left stick from side to side, I'll make the left aileron twitch -- not good! How do I fix it so the left stick no longer has any effect on channel 4? (BTW, your method of not replying promptly is working really well so far, so maybe I'll figure out the answer to this, too.)

Neil

[MikeMayberry]

Sorry for the delay in responding. I was about halfway done with them on Friday when I saw a banner ad I hadn't seen before and clicked on it... it killed everything I had typed to that point(ahhhhh!):mad:

ChrisE- Sorry no. You will need to use the super slim or wait for the new Electron.

MrC- Yes, the Eclipse is shift selectable so will operate your JR equipment.

ElectriFan- It is the same beep but the low battery warning won't stop. The voltage threshhold is 9.2V and give you several minutes before you would lose control.

Wild Bill- I don't know... You will just have to try it. Hitec is not affiliated with Sirius. The average current draw for the 55 is about 50mah under load and receivers are 10ma.

freq- I don't know why you are having such bad luck with them, I have never had one fail. :confused:

StregaMustang7- There are a few choices... the best would be the digital coreless 5945MG for strength and precision but the 5625MG would also be a good choice for considerably less money. I would not use anything less than a 645MG on the low end.

SiRacer- Yes it is.

kelvin- It's hard it out over this forum, I would suggest you give me a call @ (858)748-6948 x 302 and we can discuss it.

Don Cohn- Yes, in the GLID mode you cannot P-mix to channel #3. It was posted here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45775&highlight=eclipse+bug

stuartaw- They are not optimized for NiMh's but they will charge them. The larger 3000's seem to charge fine on them.

ToddO- Yes it does sound like the receiver. Send it in and we will repair or replace it at no charge. Here's the info: http://www.hitecrcd.com/Support/service_and_repair.htm Sorry, no loaners.

OCModels- It sure sounds like a tip stall to me. If the travels are identical then the plane would fly the same. There is no reason one radio would be any different. I don't have a solution for you. Sorry!

Brian Cullen- Yes that is true... about 4 years ago.

Neil Morse- You can't get there from here! You will need a six channel receiver. As for your elevator aileron mix, you can do it in the elevon mode, but I don't understand what you are trying to achieve. :confused: I would suggest you give me a call to discuss it further.


Mike.

[Neil Morse]

You can't get there from here!

But I did! What I'm trying to accomplish seems pretty simple to me. I want to get elevator/flap mixing on a plane with only a 4 channel rx. I don't know why elevator/flap mixing seems so mysterious to you -- there's a default set up for it on the Eclipse. I'm just trying to do it on a plane that's too small and light to tote around a 6 channel rx, and I seem to be almost there. Could you take another look at my last post and try to answer the question of how to get channel 4 off the left stick? I think it's pretty sad if your top line radio won't allow me to do this. If you're still having a problem understanding what I'm after, I'll give you a call. Thanks.

Neil

[Hague]

My LHS cannot seem to order me control arms for HS55's, only a rebuild kit with gears and 2 arms. What is the part # or how can I order some of these.
Thanks, Hague

[mkirsch1]

Neil Morse, here is a trick I think they use on Futaba 8U radios:

Set up another PMIX, if you can, mixing channel 4 to channel 4, but at -100%. No matter what you input, 100% of that input will be mixed in in the opposite.

[stuartaw]

Originally posted by MikeMayberry
stuartaw- They are not optimized for NiMh's but they will charge them. The larger 3000's seem to charge fine on them.


Thanks for the reply Mike.

What about smaller packs. Is there a significant risk of non-peaking and blowing the cells away?

Stuart

[Neil Morse]

Mkirsh:

Thanks. You're the second Futaba guy who has made that suggestion to me today and I will try it tonight and let everyone know if it works on the Eclipse.

Neil

[Fly]

-100% channel mix on itself does work on the Eclipse. Tried it Saturday on a friend who flies mode 1.

Odd thing was that while he got the servo channles switched, the trims stayed put! The rudder trim was under the aileron stick and vice versa. That was very easy to deal with, however.

Now that we know how well this set up works, we can stop switching servo connectors to fly each other's planes. (We both have an Eclipse.)

[freq]

The mystery of the failing 55's continues. I've had a few days on my 5th new HS-55, now with the Zagi (Aveox) 15A ESC instead of the SFM 16A. Time will tell, but I hope the SFM controller was causing the problem. At least we'll solve the mystery. :confused:

I'll second Hague's wishes for HS-55 arms without buying a new set of gears.

Next question: With a Flash 5X, is it possible to do both V-tail and spoileron mixing simultaneously in GLID mode?


-chris

[Neil Morse]

Kudos to Mkirsch and Fly (who posted here) and Kasra (who sent me an email) for answering the question that Mike couldn't answer. Mike thought we "couldn't get there from here," but we could and did! With channel 4 mixed to itself at -100%, I now have just what I needed: a plane with a 4 channel rx that has elevator/flap mixing. In fairness to Mike, I'm going to assume that he just didn't read my question carefully enough, but I think the decent thing to do to make it up to us is to send everybody a hat and t-shirt. :D :D

Neil

[rpage53]

What is the length of the antenna on a Hitec Shredder AM on 27 MHz?

Thanks,
Rick.

[ChrisE]

Hitec Electron ???!!?!

What?
When?
How much?

Thanks

[mkirsch1]

Yeah Mike, your Eclipse has more capabilities than you thought! :)

You don't want me wearing a 6-letter-F-word hat to the flying field, now do you?

[MikeMayberry]

Neil- I guess you learn something new everyday!

Hague-#55708, but unfortunately we are still waiting for them to come in.

stuartaw- I would not use it on anything smaller than 600mah

freq- Yes you can do both mixes.

rpage53- 21"

ChrisE- 6 channel, dual conversion, 30% smaller than the 555. (17grams w/case, 13g w/o) Similar price to the 555. Available late July.

mkirsch1- Well whatayouknow... I stand corrected!

Mike.

[dgtaylor]

I was wondering if there were any physical differences in the different eclipse radio versions, or if it is just the accessories that come with them that make for the differences in the aero, glider, and heli versions.

I currently have only planes, but am thinking about trying a helicopter in the future. Could I simply purchase the eclipse and spectra without servos and receiver (don't need them right now), or do I need to purchase the heli model to be able to use it in a heli?

Thanks

[PDX Slope Pilot]

Hi Mike,

I just bought a Hitec Eclipse transmitter. Can you tell me where I can get a Hitec neck band to hold it? Thanks.

:)

Victor

[Zagi miester]

Mike,

I have an Eclipse 7. My first computer radio. I am using the radio in a Omega HLG. I want to use my throttle control for the flaps instead of the vr1 knob. How can this be accomplished. This is a 2 servo wing.

Thanks,
Bryan

[Stig C]

dgtaylor

The only difference between the heli and the aero
versions is the receiver batterypack and the servoes.
The batterypack have more "mah" and the servoes should be better in the heli version. The transmitter is the same.

[dgtaylor]

Stig C

Thanks for the info. That's what I thought but I needed to make sure before putting up the money to get one.

[S Anastasio]

Mike I am using an Eclipse with 2 HS55's as airleron servos on channels 1 and 6. The problem I am having is that they fail to return exactly to neutral after moving them in either direction without going to the opposite direction. It makes my Crazy 8 look Crazy after making a turn. Any suggestions?

Sal

[MikeMayberry]

dgtaylor- All the transmitters are the same in all the different versions of the Eclipse.

vltrucco- Part# 58311 Try http://www.hobbyhorse.com

Zagi miester- Set it up in 4 wing mode and use the CROW feature. That way you will get elevator compensation.

S Anastasio- Make sure you use the smaller horns with the smaller holes and put the linkage on the hole closest to the center and as far out as you can on the control horn. This should make a big difference.

Mike.

[RonD]

Mike, what channels does a 555 receive? Is it 1-2-3-4-5 or 1-2-3-4-6?

[Zagi miester]

Mike,

Thanks for the quick reply. Now question #2.

I'm using a 250mAh receiver pack running 4 HS-55 servo's. How long can I safely run this pack between charges? The radio is an Eclipse 7


Thanks,
Bryan

[leccyflyer]

Mike

Thanks for the reply about the discontinued 205's - 4 years!! That was a surprise as the LHS only sold me the last ones a short while ago - it's a shame, first my fave 101s were superceded and now the 205s.. Anyway I've used the 225BB Mighty Mini in their place and still saved an ounce over the previous HS-300s.

cheers

Brian

[MikeMayberry]

RonD- 5 channels 1-2-3-4-5.

Zagi miester- There is no way to give you an axact answer, it depends on how much you move the sticks. I would expect at least an hour.

Brian Cullen- If we discontinue something it is replaced with something better!

Mike.

[billdad1]

Mike,
I just got the Eclipse 7 and have read the manuel a couple of times but I cant find anything about saving the trim settings. Is it saved automatically or did I just miss it.

[tqpham]

Hi Mike,
Just bought several HS-81's and noticed that they go off-center drastically when the transmitter is off. Don't notice this with other servos plugged into the same receiver. Is this normal? thanks

[erashby]

From what I gather from the operating instructions, there is no way to have both dual rates and exponential rates set up for a single model, but only have one or the other on at a time. Is that correct?

[billdad1]

Mike,

Is there a fix??

One would think it would make sense to see the model name first when you turn on your Eclipse 7.
Also you should be able to use proportional throttle control in Glider mode.
Anyone have any info on how to fix these problems?

Other than a few things like this I love the Eclipse 7!!!

Thanks for your input on this forum. I have learned a lot by just reading the questions posted and then your replies.

Bill

[knightwind1]

Will the feather work with standard size servos?

Thanks
Lee

[Mel Duval]

Hi Mike,
I am trying to fix a Feather that was damaged by an over-zealous friend of mine taking the crystal out. He scraped off a surface mount transistor and a small discrete (a resistor I think) on the corner of the board right under the crystal. Evidently there are at least two versions of Feather design, because the one I have in my Crazy Max has two surface mount transistors under the crystal and his has three. Any chance you could look up the part numbers for me? I suspect the transistor crosses to an NTE-2401, but no idea at all what the small discrete was. I doubt it would be cost effective to send it in for repair and I can get the parts locally for under $10. I also have a Weller soldering station and a vacuum desoldering station available to use.

thanks,
Mel Duval

[ls77]

Hello Mike, I have been having HS55 servo failures, two in a row! Both were bought new from a LHS and both failed within minutes of use. I tested the voltage and its 5.04 volts from the Rx, the linkages they control move very easily and the control surfaces are so small that there could never be an overload situation for the servo. Both servos will now just go "Nuts" if they are connected to any Rx. They twitch back and forth and act as though they are being glitched but any other servo connected to the channel work fine. Any Ideas, are you guys seeing a high failure rate on the latest hs55's? Thanks

-Troy

[Navy Diver]

Mike,
My son has a Flash 4X that I purchased used here on ezone (I have a Flash 5X), and I am having problems with settings for model #1. My son is flying only 3 channel planes for now. When I plug everything into a receiver (he has a feather and 2 GWS R4P's) then elevator is on the throttle stick, rudder is where it is supposed to be, and the throttle doesn't work. This only occurs in model position 1 and I have tried the reset command to no avail. Right now he only has three planes, in positions 2,3 and 4, but do you have any suggestions for reseting position 1 to the factory settings?
Thanks,
Eric

[tic]

Mike; what's the diameter and pitch of the new skyscooter pro 2 prop? also, I understand it's a new gearbox.. same ratio?... .. love the decals.. bout time!...... I was going to order the prop from tower hobbies but they list it as "temorarily unavalable" with no price listed.. congrats on the skyscooter pro 2.. looks like a winner to me!...

[erashby]

Originally posted by tic
Mike; what's the diameter and pitch of the new skyscooter pro 2 prop? also, I understand it's a new gearbox.. same ratio?... .. love the decals.. bout time!...... I was going to order the prop from tower hobbies but they list it as "temorarily unavalable" with no price listed.. congrats on the skyscooter pro 2.. looks like a winner to me!...

[baron]

Mike:

I've got a Focus 4 FM that I bought in 1995 that I've had trouble using with other receivers. I tried using it with a GWS R4-P receiver, but it would only make the servos twitch (JR servos). They (Rx and servos) work fine with a Futaba radio, and the Hitec radio works fine with its original receiver. Any ideas?


Thanks,

Eric

[Dick Northcraft]

Hi Mike:
I have a new Laser 4, w/the Feather rec and 55 servos. I was doing the range check on my TM that is about ready and one servo buzzes...it doesn't vibrate and the arm doesnt move, just buzzes. If I move the stick it will stop for awhile, but then starts again. Everything seems to work, but I am concerned what would happen if I fly it. Is it safe?
thanks...you are a lifesaver!

[RonD]

Hi Mike, I have a Flash 5. I want to use it on a flying wing with elevon mixing. I want the movement with the elevator to be 3/8 inches and the movement with aileron to be 3/4 inches. Right now they are equal at 3/4 inches. How can I reduce the elevator movement without reducing the aileron movement?

[erashby]

Baron:
I have a Flash 5x and Hitec 555Rx and also a GWS 4P Rx. I had the same problem, until I discovered that I had plugged the servos in backwards on the GWS 4P. On the horizontal GWS 4P, the one where servos plug into the side not the back, the servo plugs need to be turned 180 degrees from how they plug in to the Hitec 555 Rx. On the GWS 4P it has the leads marked S + -, but you need to follow the lines to the pins. The s=signal or yellow wire is the pin to the right, even though the S is on the left. This is because the leads bend 90 degrees. Take a look from the top of the RX and you'll see what I mean.

Dick Northcraft:
The HS-55 servos are known to buzz, and Mike in the past has said that it is not a problem. Mine buzz too sometimes.

RonD:
That is a good question. I have a Flash 5x that I use with a flying wing, but I can't remember how I set it up. Maybe you can adjust the "elevator end point" separate from the "aileron end point" under the "end point adjustments" (EPA) on the Flash 5 when it is set for elevon mixing. I'll have to give it a try when I get home.

[Jay Burkart]

Have you any info on the new receiver you had mentioned.

I need to raise my drool factor and my want list>

Jay Burkart

[Don Sims]

Mike, thanks to you and the folks for prompt repairs of a Feather Receiver that I sent in. It works great now!!
Don

[baron]

erashby:

I thought of that, but when I brought it to the LHS, we didn't change anything on the rx or servos, just switched on a futaba rx, and it worked. Both Tx and Rx are FM, single conversion I beleive.

[KeithLuneau]

baron, I'm assuming they're both on the same channel, right? Sometimes we overlook the simple things, and it makes everything else confusing. You said you tried the GWS reciever with the Futaba transmitter, right? You know your Hitec transmitter works, right? was the reciever battery charged? If all these things are good, I don't know where to tell you to look.

Keith

[dvint]

Thie receiver has been very reliable for over 5 years.
Now no response to transmitter-battery and crystal are
OK. Any Ideas ?
Thanks

[enigmabomb]

Hi Mike.

I have a servo that recently started chattering really bad. Now it's almost uncontrollable. It has been used to spec, and has been a hard worker for almost 3 months now. Is this a sign I need a new one already? Or could it be broken? It's brother (the other servo included with the radio) has been working good, and still is.

-enigmabomb-

[mkirsch1]

Mike's obviously overworked and underpaid (aren't we all?) :)

enigmabomb: If your servo is only 3 months old, it should be eligible for warranty replacement. I'd send it in to Hitec's service.

dvint: You got a pretty good run out of that receiver. Unless you're a licensed electronics whiz (obviously you aren't, otherwise you wouldn't even be asking, right?), you should probably send it in to have the pros work on it. However, it may be more financially prudent to just buy a new one, as the repair costs for this one might be fairly high.

[billdad1]

Mike is going to have a lot of catching up to do.......

[tphillips]

Ask Mike at Hitec V16.0 (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=48975)

Don't worry guys, I'm sure Mike will review this thread too. (I'll drop a note in the new thread)

Terry