Help! - 2.4 GHz Losing Connection

[scallybert]

Okay, lads here's where I'm at now. The fault only occurs if I power up the main motor and then after a seemingly random period of time - it doesn't happen straight away, usually after about 10 seconds or so. I've isolated every servo on the heli in turn and the fault remains until every servo is disconnected. If any servo or gyro is connected it will fail (so the fault doesn't appear to be with any one servo or the gyro) yet if I only have the BEC/throttle line connected the fault doesn't appear. As I said earlier the addition of a steady 4.8v flight pack doesn't solve it.

So I need your help here guys. Is it static from the belt and if so how can I solve that?

Sounds like what happened to me.

I bought a 2nd heli and swapped *all* the electrcs - made no difference. (!).

Graphite paste on the belt instantly fixed it.

People have said that WD40 on the belt makes it go away for a bit. I'm wary of WD40 but it's an easy thing to try to see if it makes a difference.

[Si Goodchild]

Graphite paste on the belt instantly fixed it.

People have said that WD40 on the belt makes it go away for a bit. I'm wary of WD40 but it's an easy thing to try to see if it makes a difference.

Cool, I'll give that a go as I have some WD40 in the garage. Any recommendation on the exact type of graphite paste would be much appreciated!

Si

[adieuk]

hi si,
try mr sheen on the belt m8

[Si Goodchild]

Okay, guys, an update. Disconnected the belt and spun up the model and there was no obvious problem! I then re-connected it and tried the WD40. Gave the belt a good soaking and then wiped off the excess. I have just flown a complete Lipo with no problem YEEEHHHAAAA... except...

...just as I went to land the &£$@1 rx lamp started to flash again!

Okay, I really think we're getting somewhere here. What other belt treatments or mods should I be trying? (noted the Mr Sheen, but surely that stuff generates static?), or should I just get a new belt!

Many thanks for the help so far guys!

[scallybert]

Cool, I'll give that a go as I have some WD40 in the garage. Any recommendation on the exact type of graphite paste would be much appreciated!

Si

http://www.dragon-gscale.co.uk/lgb-5...aste-418-p.asp is what sorted my little GAUIs.

Don't overdo it, as it will make a mess if you do...

[Si Goodchild]

Honest opinion please: should I just spend £5 or so on a new belt?

[adieuk]

hi si,
try mr sheen m8
its antistatic then if not get a new belt on it
but i would try the mr sheen it has worked for some m8

[Si Goodchild]

Cheers, bud. Sounds like a pretty strong hint to raid the wife's household cleaning products! I'll wipe off the WD40 first!

Si

[del19_82]

I second the vote for mr sheen, had static problems, quick spray & it solved it!

[adieuk]

hi si,
andy (awkman) had the same problem with his gaui ep 100 and he got told
the mr sheen fix and it worked for andy just give it a go m8

[moyesboy]

Coincidently I had exactly this problem last week.
My 450 had been flying fine, but just occasionalyI noticed the flashing LED (AR6200) but put it down to poor tx switch off discipline when swapping packs (thought it had been flashing the while flight).
I swapped the gyro from 401 to 720 and did a test spin up with no blades indoors. Lots of twitches, power on and off and flashing light on Rx.
Put the 401 back on and all seemed OK.
Then I did a bit more testing with the 401 (no blades indoors) and found that I could get the same issue if I ran it faster (flashing light then twitches and power on/off).
I gave it the Mr Sheen and it was cured.
Next evening tried it again and problem was back (so the mr sheen dries out and doesn't work - 'er indoors likes the heating on tropical).
without applying any more lubricant I connected the tail boom to the battery negative with a wire strapped on. Problem gone.
so then I earth wired the whole heli - bat neg to motor mount to bearing housings to boom clamp. Heli is a g10 non conductive frame with CNC bits (helidirect superframe).
That seemed to sort it.

The heli has done 7 packs now without issue - no flashing lights. I run a high head speed (flat line 100%, 13T scorpion-8 and revolectrix 3cell)
It seems the static discharges were marginal and not enough to cause issue, but the 720 made it a bit more sensitive. Probably I will try the 720 again now confidence is back.

[Si Goodchild]

Many thanks, guys. I'll give Mr Sheen a try tonight and if the effect is temporary will look down the earthing route. Incidentally I was thinking last night about whether to improve the earthing and bonding of the heli as there are so many metallic parts connected by glass fibre frames thus leaving the possibility of the heli becomming a big capacitor. I was planning to put a short spiky wire pointing downwards at the back of the tail boom to discharge the static (it needs to be sharp-pointed to concentrate the charge in one point and pointing downwards should direct the static to earth. (You see, I do remember some of my A Level physics!).

So, tonight's sequence of trials will be:

1. Mr Sheen, and make sure that the main drive gear isn't rubbing against the frames.
2. Battery negative conenction to the major airframe components (just like every car!).
3. Temporarily swap out rx for the AR7000 from my Raptor (!)
3. Order new belt!