tail goes crazy-beast x

[dogbiscuit]

just when I thought my endless issues were over and I was going to have some good luck..... off course I was wrong and the problems started again. So this time....

As I was about to fly my 5th pack of the day on the 550, I noticed a couple of twitches on the tail blades. I centred the tail in rate mode, But before spooling up the tail just began moving on its own and would not stop. It now just spasms/settles/spasms randomly. When I got home I popped the tail servo on the tester (ds655 less than 6 months old) and it was fine. I plugged in the tail servo from the 600 into the 550's ar7200bx, and it to began to spasm as well with the heli perfectly still.

So I assume it can only be the tail gyro in the spektrum beast x ? Can these units just fail between flights There was some fine damp misty drizzle in the air on one of the flights, could this really cause the issue of do the tails just fail, or any other thoughts please....

[KevDavies]

What voltage regulator are you using??? My Vortex had the same symptoms. The Voltage reg was garbage! Fitted much better one and flies perfect!

[dogbiscuit]

no reg on the 550.... old school set up......power from the flight pack via align 70a esc with a scorpion bug

[GIXERMAN]

There's your prob then 5amp bec, align 70amp with bec pro is ok.

[dogbiscuit]

its done over 40 flights and been ok like this....... (way more than it managed with the 1st talon!) I have however just gone back to my wide chord 550 maniacs about 10 flights ago..... if its the bec, why now ? whats happening now all of a sudden then ? (i do have another 70a align esc and a new talon that could go on to test)

[KevDavies]

Yeah fully agree not enough amps to your fbl unit. After my issues, Chatting with Angelos (spartan designer), and others. Id say you need a 10amp capability at the MINIMUM!!

I got a Scott Gray Reactor cheap off Pepperpot, and it instantly fixed my heli, didnt change anything just the reg. I now have to buy 3 more of them...........

[SaneAdam]

its done over 40 flights and been ok like this....... (way more than it managed with the 1st talon!) I have however just gone back to my wide chord 550 maniacs about 10 flights ago..... if its the bec, why now ? whats happening now all of a sudden then ? (i do have another 70a align esc and a new talon that could go on to test)

A 550 with actual 550 blades on will have a high disk loading compared to standard 520's. It is going to work everything that much harder. Or if the blades you have just gone back to are bigger, wider, heavier than the previous pair it will have the same effect

[KevDavies]

I got 10 flights to my KDS reg before it gave up!!!

[George J]

Harvey

I personally had no issues with my 550 with Beastx on 550mm blades on stock Align 70a esc but I wasn't flying as hard then! Only way to find out if it's your Beastx really is to power your system another way so you're getting more amps, it's possible that you've been right on the limit with the Align bec and now it's just stopped coping.

See you for a few flights when you get up to Norfolk next week.

[waveydavey]

If it were the reg/power supply why would it be on the tail only? Surely if that were the case the cyclics would do exactly the same or more so. I would be checking the beastX against another one. At least as well as.

[George J]

As Dave above has said it could just be an issue with the Beastx but power, after checking the servo, is the easiest thing to rule out first IMO.

[dogbiscuit]

A bit of early morning discussion on this one I see, thanks all. just a few more thoughts. what I need is a definative way to work out whats the problem. sending the bx to horizon is of course an option, but thats the long downtime solution ( i was heading to norwich mid next week with the heli in the camper to fly with the norwich boys...always the way!) It also means a complete setup again, so if there is a simpler way first that gives an answer......

1....The bit I also dont get, is why only the tail servo doing this if its a problem with power to the bx.... why not the cyclics also as mentioned above ?

2.....If I power the system with the scorpion bug it still does it (I powered up as normal,turned the bug on after the bx had initialised, then unplugged the flight pack) I also tried using the bug on its without the flight pack as the only power source, but the beast x will not initialise properly like this

3.....If it is the bec, surely if I put another esc on to test this theory, then the tail will be ok again ? if it still does it then its the beast x ? does this follow,

4..... is it worth putting the meter on the esc power ouput. does a simple volt reading tell me anything ?

5.... if I borrow a life pack and plug it in, and disconect the red wire from esc, then again, if its the bec, it should be ok then...?

edit... I am aware of the current discussions around power hungry fbl systems causing these issues and the need for better regs and becs that some people are experiencing.

[waveydavey]

Answers to your points above will only come on doing it. Ive noticed that you have beastX on your 600, why not swap that over just to test. You don't need to go through a setup, youll see straight away whether you have an issue.

[George J]

You've tested the servo and tried another so not that. Easiest thing to check next is if it's getting enough power. If it still does it then it has to be an issue with the Beastx?

[KevDavies]

you need to rig an ammeter and try to fly it to see what the draw is.

You connect this between the battery positive and the first device on the BEC side so best way is a short servo extension lead on the end of the bec wire into the fbl power in. cut the red wire only. splice in the wires for the ammeter/multimeter red to battery side and black to fbl unit side, power on unit and watch the current drain figures.

Im pretty certain the amps shown will be very close to the BEC's maximum rated output.

Its my belief (could be wrong) that if the power is failing the tail will be the first thing to act up. as it is the easiest to control (hit throttle hold) And the cyclics get the lions share of the power.