Originally Posted by scott page

Turns out that fear is an acronym for False Expectations Appearing Real.

Cheers, i didnt know that.
Did you know the word POLITICS comes from the Latin 'poly', which means 'many',
and from the word 'ticks', which refers to tiny bloodsuckers.
So we arrive at this formula:

Politics = Many + Bloodsuckers

Originally Posted by s_mack

I know you think you're certain its software...

- Steven

Well, it was software... I stumbled onto the "solution" here on RC Groups myself, by accident... The "newer" software I flashed was with voice mods. Apparently that changes the way the backlight works. Meaning if you don't do the voice( hardware ) mod (my "soundcard" has not arrived yet) the backlight stops working. Wait, that means it's a hardware problem after all...
Hope this will help somebody else at some time, it was quite a mystery to me...

Sounds a bit like a user problem Obviously the confusion isn't yours alone (just today on the main firmware thread, someone else was tripped up by the exact same thing), but essentially the user is asking the software to use a feature it doesn't have the hardware to use. Is that the software's fault? Hardware's fault? Mmm... at the root of it, there's a human involved. Pilot error. Understandable, as it may be, but still. Glad you got it solved.

Originally Posted by s_mack

Sounds a bit like a user problem Obviously the confusion isn't yours alone (just today on the main firmware thread, someone else was tripped up by the exact same thing)...

Yes, that is where I stumbled onto it... User problem, hmm, now that you mention it, most of the problems I need to solve in my day to day job are just that....

I have a Turnigy 9X in transit atm. I also have a perfectly good 7.4 volt Li-Ion 800mah battery and charger that came with the Mash Bell 47 chopper. It is a 2s pack. Would this be suitable to use in the transmitter or should I go for a higher voltage?

Secondly, I am excited that I decided to buy this TX now having always had other name brands. I did not realize the versatility / capability of this unit until the last day or so.

Thirdly, would it be worth putting in a rev/polarity diode to protect the TX? If so, where/how?
Thanks
Dougie

ps. after reading the above posts, DON"T tell me you can get these things to talk to you as well???

Yep, they can talk That's a pretty involved mod though, so you'd have a lot of reading.

I use a 2S 800mah in mine and have for a long time. The only disadvantage is that you have to charge it more regularly because you really shouldn't go below 7.2v.

More useful than a reverse polarity diode would be to simply not plug anything in backwards Its more of an issue if you do choose a 2S because your balance plug is a perfect physical fit for the tx power connector... but it will fry your radio. My 2S battery has two identical plugs coming off of it... the balance plug, and one I made for the +/- to plug into the 9x. I've never made the mistake of mixing them up... afterall, one has two wires going to the plug and the other has three and I bothered to learn what the radio requires before randomly plugging things into it.

I think pretty much all the reverse polarity events that happen come from people simply plugging in a connector that fits... which really isn't ever a good idea. There are no "standards" in this hobby. None. There may be some things that are relatively consistent, but you should ALWAYS check that the battery you receive is wired correctly for the thing you're plugging it into.

In the case of the 9x's battery-bay power plug, look at the original battery holder that it comes with and you'll see which pin is positive and which is negative. Make your battery match that and you're good to go.

- Steven

Originally Posted by Grantham Kid

I have a Turnigy 9X in transit atm. I also have a perfectly good 7.4 volt Li-Ion 800mah battery and charger that came with the Mash Bell 47 chopper. It is a 2s pack. Would this be suitable to use in the transmitter or should I go for a higher voltage?

Secondly, I am excited that I decided to buy this TX now having always had other name brands. I did not realize the versatility / capability of this unit until the last day or so.

Thirdly, would it be worth putting in a rev/polarity diode to protect the TX? If so, where/how?
Thanks
Dougie

ps. after reading the above posts, DON"T tell me you can get these things to talk to you as well???

If you use a diode I believe you will lose an additional 0.7 volts or more depending on the diode. Starting with a 2S battery plus diode voltage loss you battery will not power the Tx for very long.

I used this battery http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=20638

It last for a long time and fits perfectly in the battery compartment.

The key point about polarity is to use a three pin connector that fits (either the one that's on the battery holder with the 9x or a servo type connector as on some of the HK batteries) and make totally sure that the center wire is positive! The plug can be inserted either way, as the two outer pins are grounded.

I suspect that many of the sad stories we hear about reverse polarity result from inserting a two pin plug into the three pin socket -- the chances of getting it wrong are about 30%!!!

Others probably arise from plugging the balance connector of a 2s LiPo into the socket. There are, of course, many other ways to screw it up!

Thanks heaps for that info guys. I don't fly as much as I used too so wouldn't be heavy on TX use. I will be very aware of the rev polarity thing. I have meters etc. Maybe my Hitec Ni Mh batt pack might fit too. It has a similar plug.
Cheers
Dougie

Originally Posted by hendrnk

I used this battery http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=20638

It last for a long time and fits perfectly in the battery compartment.

Which plug did you use? The little white one or the black one?

Originally Posted by Grantham Kid

Which plug did you use? The little white one or the black one?

I've got a different battery from Hobby King but it has what appears to be the same set of 3 plugs. I use the black one for my TX though you want to make sure to get the polarity right (I labeled mine). I also charge it using the black plug and also use the balance plug.

Originally Posted by Grantham Kid

Which plug did you use? The little white one or the black one?

The black one is the only safe one to use. It doesn't matter which way round you plug it into the transmitter, as positive is in the middle and both outer pins are ground.

The trouble is that some of the other batteries (such as the 1850 Zippy LiFe) don't include the black connector. People try to plug in the little white one (JR), which is only two-pin. It sort of fits but they get the polarity wrong -- poof goes the TX!

Thanks to steven for the very fast delivery to germany (7 days) of a telemetrez.
I have installed it with Smartiepartsboard V2.1 so i had to solder miso and mosi.
I have burnt the newest er9x-frsky version and it now shows switch error thr and ail.
If i skip this error the switches show allways on, no change when switching.
The thr on the display is blinking a little. Do I have to change something in the Settings to get these Switches working?
Thx Michael


Edit: Sorry, forget my question about switch error , now it works like it should (don't know why ;-) )

See last few pages of TelemetrEZ discussion: http://9xforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=994

I am thinking of getting a 9x but it seems like everyone has quit making the mod boards for them. does anyone know of any in the us that has stock?