I have read several times of having separate power sources for Rx and Servos. The only way I can see of doing so is combining all the B+ power leads to the servoes to a separate battery? There must be an easier way, does someone make a device where this is possible, like a breakout box etc?
Thanx
Don

I do not know what you mean by B+ power leads. I assume you are flying a model powered by and ESC (electronic speed control) that now has a built in power reduction for your receiver and servos. If so, and you want to power the servos and receiver by a separate battery, all you have to do is break the red lead connection between the ESC and receiver by either just cutting it in two or by removing that pin (the center connector) from the housing by carefully lifting the locking tab holding it into the housing and pulling the lead out of the housing. Then just connect any 4 or 5 cell Nixx battery to any unused port on the receiver (or connect it to a port already in use through a Y harness). Put a switch in line with the added battery for convenience in using it and charging it.

B+ is the positive side of the battery. Thanx for you help.
Don

I use separate power source for electric retracts. I do this by splicing another negative lead to the original negative; then signal and one negative lead go to the receiver, and positive and the other negative lead go to the alternate power source.

A simple board could be made with 1/10"-spacing copper strip board with header pins soldered in, if you want to connect multiple servos to the alternate supply.

EMS sells a device manufactured by JOMAR products called a "glitch buster" that allows you to optically couple the servos to the receiver and power the receiver from one battery and the servos from another.

Check the web site for EMS.

abenn...........I have installed EFlite electric retracts in a P51 Mustang and want to power the retracts with a separate retract battery. I already use a separate Rx battery.

South Ontario had the same heat and drought as the U.S. Midwest last summer and you only have to see one electric go in full bore from 200 feet because its BEC overheated to realize there is a problem that must be fixed. Separate batteries all around.

I want to make sure I understand your retract wiring for a separate retract battery. Pull the red pin on the plug coming from the retracts and going into the Gear channel in the Rx. Splice a black wire onto the black negative wire in the Gear plug. Plug the original black/signal into the Rx gear channel. Attach the original red wire and the new black spliced wire to the separate retract battery.

Do I have that correct?

Bill

Originally Posted by erie_flyer

...I want to make sure I understand your retract wiring for a separate retract battery. Pull the red pin on the plug coming from the retracts and going into the Gear channel in the Rx. Splice a black wire onto the black negative wire in the Gear plug. Plug the original black/signal into the Rx gear channel. Attach the original red wire and the new black spliced wire to the separate retract battery.

Do I have that correct?

Bill

This is correct.

You have it correct Bill.

If you don't want to mess around with the leads on your retracts you can make up a simple Y-harness with the red lead missing on one leg and the white lead missing on the other. Unfortunately you can't simply cut the wires on a regular Y-harness because the plugs will be the wrong gender -- you need a regular servo plug on the leg that's going to the receiver, a socket to take the plug on the leg that's going to the battery or alternate power source, and a regular servo socket on the leg that the retract plugs into.

I have in my hand a JR factory-built Y harness with one male plug and two female sockets so it would appear to be the proper design for a separate retract battery.

Bill

Only if the bottom of the Y has a socket on it, and the two branches are one socket and one male plug.

A "standard" Y-harness has two sockets on its branches to accept two servos, and one male plug at the bottom to go into the receiver. We want it to work the other way round in our case, and to have a female socket at the bottom to plug the retract into, male plug on one branch for white & black wires to the receiver, and a female socket on the other branch to accept the normal plug from the alternate power supply.

If yours does have the right plugs and sockets, then just pull out the red wire from the receiver plug.

Yep, done deal. Pulled the red wire on the male Y-harness Rx plug and insulated it with some heatshrink so it doesn`t short out against something. Put an Rx switch on the female battery plug.

Electric retracts cycling nicely.

I use a 5 cell 6.0 volt NiMH on the electric retracts, 4.8 volts won`t cycle them reliably. Use a 4.8 volt NiMH on the Rx with the red wire pulled and insulated on the male Rx plug coming from the ESC.

Bill