Spektrum receiver blinking LED - what it means - Page 3

wjbite · Jul 19, 2009, 10:50 PM

Post #1 of this thread is fairly long to read - but it explains very well 99% of these unexpected flashing lights.
Try reading that first - if it doesn't answer your questions please explain how you think your situation is not covered there and one of us will try to help.

FourPlay26 · Jul 21, 2009, 08:47 AM

I have intermittent flashing of both main and secondary receivers on power up. I have bound the system and have had ONE good power up, but trying a second and third times the receivers flash rapidly. I have tried both powering through the 11.1 lipo and speed controller and a separate 4.8 flight pack ( all with usable power), but the system keeps flashing rapidly on power up.

I have lost the use of servo’s (one crash and one ditch) and throttle control while the receivers are flashing. I have noted that on the good power up’s that the lights remain off until they get a signal, then on steady, but when they don’t power up properly, the lights flash from the moment that power is applied.

Sorry to be long winded but I think I have covered this problem and now await your assistance – thanks in advance.

Regards

wjbite · Jul 21, 2009, 11:03 AM

This thread helped me sort out the same problem (unexpected blinking lights).

Okay, here is the sequence without all the explanation as to why it happens - if this works for you and you are curious you can then go back to the first post and find out why. If this doesn't work you have one of the weird isolated cases and will have to read the thread thoroughly to try to match up with the outlying cases. This assumes that you have already done the binding.

1. Power off both the Rx and Tx
2. Power up the Tx
3 Power up the Rx
Steady light? This is normal go to next step. If blinking light, something else is wrong, skip to 8.
4 Power down Rx
5 Power down Tx
6 Power up Tx (THAT'S RIGHT, OFF - THEN ON - cycle the power on the Tx) strange, eh?
7 Power up Rx
Steady lights - instead of blinking, now? If so, you are home free - don't EVER repower you Rx until you have cycled the power on the Tx bacause you WILL get unexpected blinking lights - it is a cool diagnostic feature - tells you if your Rx battery has dipped during flight - but you GOTTA follow the rules, above.

8 If the above didn't work for you, as I said before, read the whole thread and try to get some clues that help from the other cases.
Good luck.

Walt Bankes

FourPlay26 · Jul 21, 2009, 07:05 PM

Walt

Thanks for the reply

Very Much Appreciated

djackson010 · Jul 21, 2009, 07:37 PM

I am converting my Futaba 7UAP 72 MHz to Spektrum's 2.4. I followed the instructions for binding and the receiver lights only flashed once when they were first turned on. They were then blank. The binding clip was attached, but my wiring harness only has the pos and neg wires, no signal wire. I went through the binding process anyways and got the steady light on the receivers afterwards and the servos worked okay. I think everything's okay but I am concerned because I never got the flashing lights prior to binding. Any thoughts?

wjbite · Jul 23, 2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FourPlay26

Sorry do you mean for number 3
Blinking light next step and Steady Light skip to end?

Thanks for the reply

Sorry FourPlay.
I'll go back to post #33 and renumber that and add some more words to make it clearer- thanks for the heads up.
Walt

Daedalus66 · Jul 23, 2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djackson010

I am converting my Futaba 7UAP 72 MHz to Spektrum's 2.4. I followed the instructions for binding and the receiver lights only flashed once when they were first turned on. They were then blank. The binding clip was attached, but my wiring harness only has the pos and neg wires, no signal wire. I went through the binding process anyways and got the steady light on the receivers afterwards and the servos worked okay. I think everything's okay but I am concerned because I never got the flashing lights prior to binding. Any thoughts?

The switch harness MUST have three wires if it is to be used for binding, as the bind plug needs to connect the signal wire to negative. If you are using a 2-wire harness, plug it into any slot BUT battery/bind and insert the bind plug in the battery/bind slot. Once you have completed binding, you can restore the normal setup. Note that if all the slots are filled, just pull one of the servo connectors to bind or use a Y-connector to feed power while binding.

village_idiot · Jul 23, 2009, 05:59 PM

Binding problems have really nothing to do with the power reset which is what this thread is about.

FourPlay26 · Jul 26, 2009, 06:39 PM

Thanks All this post solved the problem and all is well

djackson010 · Jul 27, 2009, 07:13 PM

For the unhelpful comment, thanks alot. I saw a thread about something that sounded like what I was having an issue with, so I posted my problem. To those that tried to help, thank you. I still haven't gotten it right. I will keep trying.

djackson010 · Aug 02, 2009, 03:42 PM

Daedalus66,

Thank you for your help. I finally got it bound.

velojet · Aug 05, 2009, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freechip

... Spektrum Support Answer : ... While flashing you should still have
control of the servos. ...

Not so in my experience (with a DX5e + AR500). I've twice (in 50+ sessions) largely lost control while flying (spectator: "Did you mean to land like that ?") and on checking found that the rx LED is blinking and the servos move jumpily and erratically (but the battery has plenty of power in reserve). On each occasion, it's happened after a battery change. I thought I'd cycled the tx, but maybe not, and maybe not in the sequence advised in the first post.

I'll now follow that sequence religiously (thanks, village_idiot!) and see whether I can retain full control.

John V

MartinMu · Aug 06, 2009, 08:54 AM

Hello

I have the same effect since today. There was actually no change in config. While changing the Battery, then powering on the Receiver again, my AR500 began to blink.

I powered down Rx and Tx
Powered up Rx
Powered up Tx
Light still flashing.

I switched to another battery. Same result.

Anyway, i took the flight. It kept flashing all the time, for three flights in total. I wonder if now over night it got resetted. I haven't found any obvious reason for such a flashing.

Any idea?

Cheers
Martin

wjbite · Aug 06, 2009, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinMu

Hello

I have the same effect since today. There was actually no change in config. While changing the Battery, then powering on the Receiver again, my AR500 began to blink.

I powered down Rx and Tx
Powered up Rx
Powered up Tx
Light still flashing.

I switched to another battery. Same result.

Anyway, i took the flight. It kept flashing all the time, for three flights in total. I wonder if now over night it got resetted. I haven't found any obvious reason for such a flashing.

Any idea?

Cheers
Martin

Modify your sequence thusly:

powered down Rx and Tx
Powered up Tx
Powered up Rx

Always power up the Tx first EXCEPT when binding.

Try it - you'll like it

Walt

velojet · Aug 06, 2009, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wjbite

Modify your sequence thusly:

powered down Rx and Tx
Powered up Tx
Powered up Rx

Always power up the Tx first EXCEPT when binding.

Try it - you'll like it

Walt

This is directly contrary to what village_idiot advises in Post #1: "The only sure fire way is to connect the receiver first, then wait more than 2 seconds for it to start scanning for the TX, then power up the TX."

John V

Jul 21, 2009, 07:05 PM	#34
FourPlay26 Wantabee RC Pilot Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Redbank Plains Queensland Posts: 97	Walt Thanks for the reply Very Much Appreciated Last edited by FourPlay26; Jul 23, 2009 at 07:22 PM.

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Jul 19, 2009, 10:50 PM	#31
wjbite Kokopeli Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Rochester, NY, USA Posts: 975	Post #1 of this thread is fairly long to read - but it explains very well 99% of these unexpected flashing lights. Try reading that first - if it doesn't answer your questions please explain how you think your situation is not covered there and one of us will try to help.

Jul 21, 2009, 08:47 AM	#32
FourPlay26 Wantabee RC Pilot Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Redbank Plains Queensland Posts: 97	I have intermittent flashing of both main and secondary receivers on power up. I have bound the system and have had ONE good power up, but trying a second and third times the receivers flash rapidly. I have tried both powering through the 11.1 lipo and speed controller and a separate 4.8 flight pack ( all with usable power), but the system keeps flashing rapidly on power up. I have lost the use of servo’s (one crash and one ditch) and throttle control while the receivers are flashing. I have noted that on the good power up’s that the lights remain off until they get a signal, then on steady, but when they don’t power up properly, the lights flash from the moment that power is applied. Sorry to be long winded but I think I have covered this problem and now await your assistance – thanks in advance. Regards

Jul 21, 2009, 11:03 AM	#33
wjbite Kokopeli Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Rochester, NY, USA Posts: 975	This thread helped me sort out the same problem (unexpected blinking lights). Okay, here is the sequence without all the explanation as to why it happens - if this works for you and you are curious you can then go back to the first post and find out why. If this doesn't work you have one of the weird isolated cases and will have to read the thread thoroughly to try to match up with the outlying cases. This assumes that you have already done the binding. 1. Power off both the Rx and Tx 2. Power up the Tx 3 Power up the Rx Steady light? This is normal go to next step. If blinking light, something else is wrong, skip to 8. 4 Power down Rx 5 Power down Tx 6 Power up Tx (THAT'S RIGHT, OFF - THEN ON - cycle the power on the Tx) strange, eh? 7 Power up Rx Steady lights - instead of blinking, now? If so, you are home free - don't EVER repower you Rx until you have cycled the power on the Tx bacause you WILL get unexpected blinking lights - it is a cool diagnostic feature - tells you if your Rx battery has dipped during flight - but you GOTTA follow the rules, above. 8 If the above didn't work for you, as I said before, read the whole thread and try to get some clues that help from the other cases. Good luck. Walt Bankes Last edited by wjbite; Jul 23, 2009 at 02:24 PM.

Jul 21, 2009, 07:37 PM	#35
djackson010 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 7	I am converting my Futaba 7UAP 72 MHz to Spektrum's 2.4. I followed the instructions for binding and the receiver lights only flashed once when they were first turned on. They were then blank. The binding clip was attached, but my wiring harness only has the pos and neg wires, no signal wire. I went through the binding process anyways and got the steady light on the receivers afterwards and the servos worked okay. I think everything's okay but I am concerned because I never got the flashing lights prior to binding. Any thoughts?

Jul 23, 2009, 05:59 PM	#38
village_idiot Inciting Riots Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 7,245	Binding problems have really nothing to do with the power reset which is what this thread is about.

Jul 26, 2009, 06:39 PM	#39
FourPlay26 Wantabee RC Pilot Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Redbank Plains Queensland Posts: 97	Thanks All this post solved the problem and all is well

Jul 27, 2009, 07:13 PM	#40
djackson010 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 7	For the unhelpful comment, thanks alot. I saw a thread about something that sounded like what I was having an issue with, so I posted my problem. To those that tried to help, thank you. I still haven't gotten it right. I will keep trying.

Aug 02, 2009, 03:42 PM	#41
djackson010 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 7	Daedalus66, Thank you for your help. I finally got it bound.

Aug 06, 2009, 08:54 AM	#43
MartinMu Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Niederwil, Switzerland Posts: 105	Hello I have the same effect since today. There was actually no change in config. While changing the Battery, then powering on the Receiver again, my AR500 began to blink. I powered down Rx and Tx Powered up Rx Powered up Tx Light still flashing. I switched to another battery. Same result. Anyway, i took the flight. It kept flashing all the time, for three flights in total. I wonder if now over night it got resetted. I haven't found any obvious reason for such a flashing. Any idea? Cheers Martin