2.4 optima 7 and crazy servo wag

Xnaron · Nov 06, 2009, 12:15 AM

I got tired of trying to get the parkzone esc to arm with the optima so I replaced it with a phoenix 25. It works fine but I am getting this crazy wag on all servos when I power up the receiver. I think it is wagging 4 times. What does this mean? It does it every time. I tried another optima with some other servos (not in an airplane) and the same phoenix speed control and this does not happen.

update: I tried my other optima and it does the same thing with 4 servos connected using the phoenix 25. I unplugged one servo and powered it up and it only wagged a couple of times. Then I tried another 40amp e-flite esc I had with the 4 servos and it powers up with only one wag. Is this some kind of BEC overload at start up? Any ideas?

I then hooked everything back up with the spektrum module and receiver to test the phoenix 25 and it was fine. I have been flying this typhoon for years. First on 72mhz then on spektrum without any issues with the stock 20amp esc. However I tried everything and couldn't get the optima to arm the stock typhoon 20amp esc (another thread for this issue) so I replaced it with a Phoenix 25.

optima 7 royal evo typhoon (0 min 18 sec)

MikeMayberry · Nov 06, 2009, 02:32 PM

It's normal for the servos to jump when you turn on, but we've just observed one quick jump.

Mike.

Xnaron · Nov 06, 2009, 04:37 PM

I am going to test it tonight with a different phoenix 25 to see if it does the same thing.

Xnaron · Nov 06, 2009, 06:22 PM

I did quite a few tests...here are the results

This video is with 4 Hitec HS56HB servos using an e-flite 40amp esc. Illustrates what is probably the normal servo movement on startup.

e-flite 40amp esc with 4 hitec HS56HB servos (0 min 15 sec)

This video is with 4 Hitec HS56HB servos using a Phoenix 25amp esc. Battery is plugged in (no switch harness). Crazy servo wag

Phoenix 25 with 4 Hitec HS56HB servos (0 min 16 sec)

This video is with 3 Hitec HS56HB servos using a Phoenix 25amp esc. Battery is plugged in (no switch harness). Illustrates what is probably the normal servo movement on startup.

Phoenix 25 with 3 Hitec HS56HB Servos (0 min 18 sec)

This first part of the video is showing 4 Hitec HS56HB serovs using a Phoenix 25amp esc. A switch harness is used to apply power from the bec on the esc to the receiver. Notice the super crazy wag. This second part of the video is showing 3 Hitec HS56HB serovs using a Phoenix 25amp esc. A switch harness is used to apply power from the bec on the esc to the receiver.

Phoenix 25 with switch and 4 HS56HB and then 3 HS56HB (0 min 28 sec)

My opinion on what is happening is that that the phoenix 25 doesn't supply quite enough power to the optima on boot with 4 servos attached. On boot the normal behaviour of the optima seems to be to give each servo a wag. It seems to happen immediately when the receiver boots. I think that with 4 servos attached to the phoenix 25 the receiver starts to boot and while wagging servos it seems to brown out and reboot. The cycle seems to repeat itself for 4 times and then for some reason it boots and the system stabilizes.

It looks like the power requirements fo the optima are more than what I am used to with the 72mhz and 2.4spektrum gear I have been using. I have routinely used 4 servos on the Phoenix 25 without issue on both the Spektrum and 72mhz receivers. This means I will have to be very careful and adjust my experience and perhaps start using an external BEC with the optimas. Also I am not sure how I feel about the wag. It seems to move the servos a fair amount. I don't know if this would ever cause a problem with any mechanical limits in the control throw.

vhoward1122 · Nov 06, 2009, 08:08 PM

You could tap the wires your lipo plugs into on to your esc and plug that wire into the SPC port on the rx. That way when you plug in your battery, you won't get the brownout.

Xnaron · Nov 06, 2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vhoward1122

You could tap the wires your lipo plugs into on to your esc and plug that wire into the SPC port on the rx. That way when you plug in your battery, you won't get the brownout.

That's a great idea. I will give that a try. The manual for the optima doesn't talk about the pinouts but I am assuming the spc connector is standard with center pin being positive and bottom pin being negative. On the optima the jumper jumps the signal wire on the top to the power wire in the center.

I believe I just need to run a power connection directly from the battery to the negative (bottom pin) and positive (center pin) on the rx. The diagram for the optima manual has a diagram of the connection but doesn't have specific pinouts.

Xnaron · Nov 06, 2009, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the suggestion! I just tried it and it works perfectly now. I only get the single wag. This is definitely the way to go in the future for all my models. I knew about SPC mode but for some dumb reason I thought you had to do something special with the servo wiring. You don't. I am a happy camper now

Xnaron · Nov 11, 2009, 11:59 AM

I have 6 optima 7 receivers now. The latest 2 I bought do not exhibit the wag as bad as the first ones I got. I looked at the bottom of the receivers and the stickers are different.

The ones with the bad wag have two stickers on the bottom. The ones that just wag the servos slightly or sometimes not at all have only one sticker. See pics...

So something is different between the two. The ones that have the bad wag move the servos at least 45degrees on startup.

So something isn't consistent between these two receivers. I am hoping a software update can fix this. Is there any way to tell which version of the software is on the receiver without hooking it up to a computer?

thanks,
Brendin

UPDATE: I have an optima 7 installed in my TREX 450SE and it does the wag on all servos on startup. Sticker is single brown with "J09 09". I replaced it with one of the new optima 7's I bought (with same sticker and J09 09) and this one doesn't wag at all on startup. Hitec do you have any ideas on why some are wagging and some aren't? Did all the optima 7 rx's go out with the same software? Out of the 6 optima 7rx's I bought 3 have the bad wag and 3 do not. All of the receivers are powered via SPC.

Xnaron · Nov 11, 2009, 01:07 PM

I put the receiver that didn't wag on the trex into the typhoon (currently has a really bad wag where the servos move over 45 degrees on startup). The new one will still give a wag but only very slightly maybe 15 degrees). So each receiver seems to exhibit various degrees of wagging. 3 are really bad with over 45 degrees and the other 4 are very minor to not noticeable.

I put the ones that have minor wag on the typhoon into the heli's (swift and trex 450 SE). They don't wag on startup in the heli.

On the bench with an hs56HB servo the 3 with the minor wag move slightly at startup about 15 degrees. The 3 with major wag will move the servo at least 45 degrees.

Xnaron · Nov 11, 2009, 02:27 PM

Here are two videos that show 2 different optima 7s in the same airplane. The first video shows the wag on startup. I swapped the receiver to the non-wagging one and the second video shows this one starting up without a wag. Both optima 7's have a single brown sticker with code j09 09 on it.

On a side note...I purchased 3 of the module kits that came with 2 optima 7s. I just got around to testing the other two modules. I figured I better do it before I sell them. One of them works fine. I can't get the other to go into bind mode. The led stays red. I'll be needing to send it back for service.

optima 7 with wag (0 min 14 sec)

optima 7 without wag (0 min 31 sec)

rcairnut · Nov 11, 2009, 03:53 PM

Maybe some Quality Control issues?
What else?

nut

CAT Power · Nov 11, 2009, 05:12 PM

I have analog servos (hitec, futaba, JR) they do what yours do.
Digital servos (Hitec, JR) they don't move

Comm69 · Nov 11, 2009, 05:52 PM

Sometimes I am getting the single wag but, also sometimes after powering up the RX, I will get a single wag and then I get this slow choppy movement of the control surfaces when I work the sticks.

Repowering the RX fixes the problem. Happens on Eflite and Motorolfly ESC's.

Tomorrow I am sending my DOA transmit module back to Hitec for repair.

Xnaron · Nov 11, 2009, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comm69

Sometimes I am getting the single wag but, also sometimes after powering up the RX, I will get a single wag and then I get this slow choppy movement of the control surfaces when I work the sticks.

Repowering the RX fixes the problem. Happens on Eflite and Motorolfly ESC's.

Tomorrow I am sending my DOA transmit module back to Hitec for repair.

Does the red led come on with your DOA module? I didn't want the hassle of sending mine back to hitec and since I bought it yesterday they hobby shop exchanged it for me for another module. Guess what this new one doesn't go into bind mode either. I double checked my two working ones and they go into bind mode fine...so I guess I am going to need to send this one back to hitec.

Comm69 · Nov 11, 2009, 11:43 PM

Yes, the red led would light solid and that is all. I swapped the bad module tx board 3 times in my EVO with the good tx module board. Still no good, I am certain the module TX is bad.

I did not want to send it back either but I have no choice; I purchased the board from Hobby Horse and not my LHS.

I did notice an interesting and probably to be expected event when setting up another receiver with the good tx module. I had forgotten to set the servo #9 for the model I had selected. The receiver would link but after a few seconds it would give the low battery warning beep. Had me perplexed for a minute until I realised that I had not set channel 9 for the model. DUH!

Nov 06, 2009, 10:15 PM	#7
Xnaron Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Edmonton Intl, Canada Posts: 2,563	Thanks for the suggestion! I just tried it and it works perfectly now. I only get the single wag. This is definitely the way to go in the future for all my models. I knew about SPC mode but for some dumb reason I thought you had to do something special with the servo wiring. You don't. I am a happy camper now Last edited by Xnaron; Nov 12, 2009 at 08:02 PM.

Nov 11, 2009, 11:59 AM	#8
Xnaron Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Edmonton Intl, Canada Posts: 2,563	I have 6 optima 7 receivers now. The latest 2 I bought do not exhibit the wag as bad as the first ones I got. I looked at the bottom of the receivers and the stickers are different. The ones with the bad wag have two stickers on the bottom. The ones that just wag the servos slightly or sometimes not at all have only one sticker. See pics... So something is different between the two. The ones that have the bad wag move the servos at least 45degrees on startup. So something isn't consistent between these two receivers. I am hoping a software update can fix this. Is there any way to tell which version of the software is on the receiver without hooking it up to a computer? thanks, Brendin UPDATE: I have an optima 7 installed in my TREX 450SE and it does the wag on all servos on startup. Sticker is single brown with "J09 09". I replaced it with one of the new optima 7's I bought (with same sticker and J09 09) and this one doesn't wag at all on startup. Hitec do you have any ideas on why some are wagging and some aren't? Did all the optima 7 rx's go out with the same software? Out of the 6 optima 7rx's I bought 3 have the bad wag and 3 do not. All of the receivers are powered via SPC. Attached Thumbnails 85.5 KB · Views: 34 100.5 KB · Views: 32 Last edited by Xnaron; Nov 11, 2009 at 12:43 PM.

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Nov 06, 2009, 02:32 PM	#2
MikeMayberry Hitec/Multiplex USA Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Poway, California, United States Posts: 2,733	It's normal for the servos to jump when you turn on, but we've just observed one quick jump. Mike.

Nov 06, 2009, 04:37 PM	#3
Xnaron Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Edmonton Intl, Canada Posts: 2,563	I am going to test it tonight with a different phoenix 25 to see if it does the same thing.

Nov 06, 2009, 08:08 PM	#5
vhoward1122 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Bend, OR Posts: 1,432	You could tap the wires your lipo plugs into on to your esc and plug that wire into the SPC port on the rx. That way when you plug in your battery, you won't get the brownout.

Nov 11, 2009, 01:07 PM	#9
Xnaron Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Edmonton Intl, Canada Posts: 2,563	I put the receiver that didn't wag on the trex into the typhoon (currently has a really bad wag where the servos move over 45 degrees on startup). The new one will still give a wag but only very slightly maybe 15 degrees). So each receiver seems to exhibit various degrees of wagging. 3 are really bad with over 45 degrees and the other 4 are very minor to not noticeable. I put the ones that have minor wag on the typhoon into the heli's (swift and trex 450 SE). They don't wag on startup in the heli. On the bench with an hs56HB servo the 3 with the minor wag move slightly at startup about 15 degrees. The 3 with major wag will move the servo at least 45 degrees.

Nov 11, 2009, 03:53 PM	#11
rcairnut "Rip the Bring" since 1960 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pierre, SD, USA Posts: 608	Maybe some Quality Control issues? What else? nut

Nov 11, 2009, 05:12 PM	#12
CAT Power Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 135	I have analog servos (hitec, futaba, JR) they do what yours do. Digital servos (Hitec, JR) they don't move

Nov 11, 2009, 05:52 PM	#13
Comm69 Hmmm, Should that be smoking? Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: EAST COAST, USA Posts: 309	Sometimes I am getting the single wag but, also sometimes after powering up the RX, I will get a single wag and then I get this slow choppy movement of the control surfaces when I work the sticks. Repowering the RX fixes the problem. Happens on Eflite and Motorolfly ESC's. Tomorrow I am sending my DOA transmit module back to Hitec for repair.

Nov 11, 2009, 11:43 PM	#15
Comm69 Hmmm, Should that be smoking? Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: EAST COAST, USA Posts: 309	Yes, the red led would light solid and that is all. I swapped the bad module tx board 3 times in my EVO with the good tx module board. Still no good, I am certain the module TX is bad. I did not want to send it back either but I have no choice; I purchased the board from Hobby Horse and not my LHS. I did notice an interesting and probably to be expected event when setting up another receiver with the good tx module. I had forgotten to set the servo #9 for the model I had selected. The receiver would link but after a few seconds it would give the low battery warning beep. Had me perplexed for a minute until I realised that I had not set channel 9 for the model. DUH!