Sats ~ Flashing

[tourerjim]

Got the 600e pro 750mx 3gx kit built & flown but sats are ether flashing when helis powered up on bench or after a flight, ive unplugged 1 servo a time on 3gx but still flashes, its not like me to run out of ideas but this one has...?

[cupracing]

What are you using to power the electronics?

[tourerjim]

What are you using to power the electronics?

Its the Align's 6A External BEC, had thought about using 6v battery & do away with the BEC but would like to try & solve the problem first.

[coolice]

Hey Buddy.

As above, what regulator are you using? The flashing is indicating a brownout of the Spektrum radio gear due to a drop in volts to the system.

As it's a 600 EFL I'm guessing you may have fitted the Align BC6 it comes with, if so this is the reason for your blinking as it's not man enough on FBL machines.
.

[cupracing]

Its the Align's 6A External BEC

This could potentially be the cause, do you have an alternative to try?

[coolice]

Ah, bingo. Align unit no good, throw it away for FBL use and fit a CC BEC PRO. Lots of reports on HF of Align units failing and at 6 amps continuous through one servo plug, which itself it only rated to 5 amps, soon runs out of steam.
.

[waveydavey]

I witnessed this yesterday, sats were fine until the 3GX had initialised and then immediately on servo shuffle the sats flashed. I said the same as you but then it started working okay and Jim had a couple of little hovers

[coolice]

I witnessed this yesterday, sats were fine until the 3GX had initialised and then immediately on servo shuffle the sats flashed. I said the same as you but then it started working okay and Jim had a couple of little hovers

Hi Dave.

To a degree they do work, however all the 3G forums have said how power hungry V4 is compared to the older firmware's and also the Align servos are known to be more juicy than others which adds to the problem.
This unit was designed in the old days when we had levers reducing the mechanical strain/loads going back to the servos and only one gyro. We now have more direct controls which apply more load to the servo directly and two more gyro's constantly moving said servos so overall load on the electrical supply is increased. Over on HF fliers have managed to get the Align unit to cause the 3GX to brownout on the bench even without flight loads.

The other problem is as Align supply it with the kits, it's assumed that it will work ok, but the truth is it can't.

Jims been on all the 3GX forums I'm surprised he missed this information.
.

[tonystevens]

i get this using a powerjive bec, think is default set to 5.7v??

[Mike Sanders]

Use a LIFE battery Jim.

[waveydavey]

The odd thing is sometimes it works and some it doesnt. I wouldn't trust the align next either.

[tourerjim]

I've got a Castle 10amp peak 25 max bec I can replace it with that should do the trick...? forgot I fitted one of these on my 500 good year ago now I sure was for same reason.

[tourerjim]

Use a LIFE battery Jim.

I would prefer to use bec as its easier to read lipo voltage.

[rich-6]

I ditched my Align regulator off when I went flybarless in favour of a Gryphon Vega

I managed to drop the power to my beastx today though lol, according to the TM1000 it was down to 3.8v It never showed any losses or fades so I guess I got lucky, that was on a freshly charged lipo too.

I'm now considering x2 life packs to go with my mains.

[Grumpy]

This is most likely a 'false Brown-out'. it's nothing to do with the BEC. You get a 'false Brown-out' indication if using DSM2 mode and if you don't turn off the Tx between flights.

To avoid the flashing light either turn off the Tx between flights or use DSMX mode (there is no Brown out indication when using DSMX, even in the event of a real brown out)