Spektrum DX7 backlight mod

[nightstalker]

But when it comes to this hobby if your flying and hit someone and the BMFA look into the case and see you was flying a none CE marked TX (for say) you will be on your own and wont be covered as you would have be flying with a none UK aproved item.

its to much to risk in this bobby as people can get hurt or worst killed.

My club requested me to take the small cable out of my TX case after that report in the mag so i was still covered and allowed to fly at the club, I just didnt want to put anyone at risk

[SadSack]

so you took it out but damage all ready done So how can you go back once work is carried out!!?
Your only option is buy new un tampered with tx...

Btw not having ago. its more about people who make the rules and let you have a get out. But you aloud to open tx to change sticks...oh by un trained person as we all are

[moyesboy]

The CE mark means that the equipment conforms to the relevant european standards.
The standards for 2.54Ghz are not constant across europe yet - your CE marked Tx is not legal in france for example - so the CE mark is not strictly legal as a CE mark - but that is not unusual. Perhaps the french came in line now anyway.

Unless your modification makes the Tx operate out side of the the paramiters measured for the CE mark, it still conforms.
A mod that does not change the power input to the first PCB, just runs something extra in parallel from the switch would not do that unless it generates interference with the RF cuircuit (a risk of that with the inverter perthaps I'm not sure). No risk with a simple LED.

However in general BMFA can't endorse people making modifications to their radio equipment as not everyone knows what they are doing, and so the safe thing to do is discourage it so they are bound to adopt that line.

I might well decide to try fitting an LED to my DX7screen. Unless I totally screw up it will not effect the safe operation of my radio and I reckon the insurance must cover me unless it can be shown that my radio operates outside legal limits. I know that not even spektrum will be able to tell the back light LED is there unless they look for the glow.
Maybe I'd puit an extra switch in there so the backlight is off except at night.

All this fear of insurance being invalidated annoys me - its always used as a back foot argument by the "fun police" types without any consideration for what the true legalities actually are - just if you do X you "might not be insured".

Oh re-routing the lead to the antenna does carry some slight risk of the rf signal inducing noise that feeds back into the other PCBs - unlikely though as it is a screened cable. Problkem is we are all ignorant of how to assess that risk.

[Mark_T]

Unless your modification makes the Tx operate out side of the the paramiters measured for the CE mark, it still conforms.

This is one reason why you won't get Horizon offering this as an 'official' mod and why any individual planning to offer the mod to others has to be cautious.

When you make the mod you assume personal responsibility for conformity of the modified unit and without suitable test gear and information about the tests you are just hoping it still conforms.

It will always remain safer to conduct no modifications at all and thus be certain you have no problems with conformity and hence insurance so that is the advice you will often see.

Individuals wishing to do this and take the risk need to do so knowing the responsibility they have assumed in the process. If they are happy with that then so be it, just be prepared for others to not always agree that it is a good thing to do without the skill, information and the equipment to verify that all is OK.

[nightstalker]

so you took it out but damage all ready done So how can you go back once work is carried out!!?
Your only option is buy new un tampered with tx...

Btw not having ago. its more about people who make the rules and let you have a get out. But you aloud to open tx to change sticks...oh by un trained person as we all are

No i only moved the wire to the outside of the casing and didnt damage my tx at all,

[the_frogger]

When you make the mod you assume personal responsibility

Nothing a quick waiver form won't sort out. It's done everwhere else all around us. They let me jump out of a plane with a parachute as long as I sign the form even though they provide all the equipment. Signing that little form means I am responsible for myself and my own actions.

I am not a lawyer but I cannot imagine considering the nature of our hobby that you will have any problem defending a mod like a backlight in court if you have to for insurance purposes.

We build our aircraft with any number of modifications (in some cases with a complete lack of skill) and don't even think about what mods we make to our aircraft. We add chinese weights, faster motors, different electrical systems, solder connectors, etc. all of it to the actual craft that will be going up into the sky. We make mods all the time, little adjustments here and there, take material away here and there, etc. All of which COULD lead to a failure which COULD hurt someone.

The whole argument is a bit like saying that if you change the led's in your car stereo it could interfere with the ECU system which could lead to a failure of the car which then might accidentally drive into a pedestrian so your car insurance is invalid.

[Mark_T]

I guess the good news is that pretty soon you'll be able to ask Stuart to comment on the RCHA insurance position on this sort of mod

You have a fair point about the mods we make to our models, the difference though is that the models are not subject to the same strict controls as are applied to to radio frequencies and related equipment thankfully.

Even so, willfully dangerous mods made to models could still put you outside your cover but I know that is not what you are talking about.

[J-S-Q]

On the other hand, you could just buy the new HiTec radio which has a backlight AND a touch screen.

[sacko]

Imo, you make a mod to anything and is your responsability, hence why I wont be doing the mod on anyones DX7 just giving the info how to.

All bits have been ordered from USA by Rob (Rctintin) so a tutorial should be sorted within the next coupld of weeks id hope.

[Rctintin]

Well Paul (sacko) and I are going ahead on this mod using an EL panel. I have all the bits on order for us both, so watch this space!!

I have been in contact with several people who have both 'DIYed' this mod, and developed this mod for resale purpose.

As far as modifying a Tx, we all know that the USA is a litigation nightmare, so how come the most prolific model helicopter pilot of all, the father of 3D, a certain Curtis Youngblood uses a 'cudle box' Tx that his father built for him. (His original one, not sure about his latest one)

As for interferance from the inverter, well from what I have researched, and I am only to happy to be corrected, all EL panels require AC voltage, and even the all singing all dancing DSX 12 has to have an inverter built into it to power the screen light.

Mine will incorporate a small push switch, so the light will only be on when I want it on.

[the_frogger]

Same here, my parts are on the way too. I decided to have a go myself in the end because there doesn't seem to be a willing installer. I'm going to fit the blue panel and have decided not to fit a power LED as the blue panel will always be on as a reminder and because I already run a lipo in mine I am not worried about power.

Now I just gotta watch out for the sky falling on my head!

[Rctintin]

Kermet while your are in there, change your Voltage reg at the same time, you wont ever have a problem with the excess voltage of your Lipo mate.

[Mark_T]

As far as modifying a Tx, we all know that the USA is a litigation nightmare...

The USA in general prefers to litigate when things go wrong rather than regulate in the hope of preventing things from going wrong although that may change a little with the current administration.

In Europe we have gone down the route of regulation rather than litigation.

So as a result we end up under pressure not to do things that may cause no problems at all just because we regulated to remove the possibility that they might.

Good luck with your mod, I hope it proves useful to you.

[J-S-Q]

Now I just gotta watch out for the sky falling on my head!

I hope your insured against that.

[Dedcalm]

As for interferance from the inverter, well from what I have researched, and I am only to happy to be corrected, all EL panels require AC voltage, and even the all singing all dancing DSX 12 has to have an inverter built into it to power the screen light.

My 10CG has back light on the unit but the LCD panel is LED lit which has the benefit of being dimmable using PWM on the LED's through the Tx software. I suspect most (if not all) backlit LCD's on Tx's are LED lit - certainly projects I have worked on using LCD screens all have LED backlights.

If using the inverter with EL panel I would ensure the wires from inverter to the EL panel are twisted (to reduce interference), otherwise the wires will act as aerials...