Stratus Lockout Need Help

[buburub]

Hey Guys,
I was flying my Stratus this past Sunday and was doing some sliders and flips. I brought it back to a hover at about 60 feet above ground and all of a sudden I lost control of it and it flipped forward as if someone with another radio was trying to do a forward flip(nobody else at the field). I regained control for a second and leveled it out before I lost it again. It felt like it was a fading in and out situation. Before you knew it, the ship was in the ground :( . Upon inspection, we found the one of the cyclic servos stripped, the plug for the gyro senser unplugged and the plug from the regulator to the receiver partly unplugged. I try to do everything to prevent mechanical failure such as: insulating all servo wires with mesh, insulating the antenae with fuel tubing (which connects to a whip antenae thats mounted on a skid, fully charged receiver and transmitter batteries, thorough inspection before and after any flight day. I didn't know you needed to put shoegoo on the wires that connect into the receiver to keep it in.

Can you guys help me and tell me possible causes of this lockout?
and also any other way I can prevent this from happening again?

Thanks in Advance,
Edmund

[WayneBrown]

after a quick read of your post, I see you have a whip antenna mounted to the skid, and you entered a hover.
question is, could you have at the same time had the tx antenna pointed more or less at the chopper?
Antennas do not radiate or recieve well at the tip. Something to consider.
Another thing to come to mind, you 'think' it was a lockout, what failsafe settings do you have? A loss of signal would initiate a lockout to failsafe, not what you described. Look at the servo leads even if it means removing the sleeving to get a look at it. Wiggle test every lead, and check over the bearings. Do not exclude the clutch bearings and/or tail transmission bearings.
I'd guess that the leads coming unplugged was a direct result of the crash. Voltage failure would not cause the servos to move.

[buburub]

I would say it was more like the undoing of a plug or something with the switch rather than the activation of failsafe because I was able to gain control intermittently. To my knowledge once failsafe is activated there is no way for me to regain control unless i turn my transmitter off then on again. I did a range test with the transmitter fully calapsed and I got around 175-200 feet. I insulated the antenna wire with fuel tubing and mounted the whip antenna on the skids. the tip of the antenna was mounted to the skid with shoogoo. Please let me know if I'm doing something wrong and if so how to correct it.
Thanks

[WayneBrown]

actually when the error count reaches the threshold determined by the manufacturer, the Rx goes into failsafe, if the error count goes below that threshold, you regain control again until the count goes back up.
One reason I suggested you look to bearings, specifically the ones least checked ie: clutch and tailrotor transmission.
Again, it could be a combination of a bearing, RF, a chafed wire and orientation to the Tx.

[Zilly]

What Radio gear are you running TX,RX etc

z

[DavidH]

I brought it back to a hover at about 60 feet above ground and all of a sudden I lost control of it and it flipped forward as if someone with another radio was trying to do a forward flip(nobody else at the field). I regained control for a second and leveled it out before I lost it again. It felt like it was a fading in and out situation.

Well the above doesn't sound exactly like it was going in and out of failsafe settings. But you did not say how you have the Failsafe setttings positioned.

I have the throttle F/S set to go to idle. So when there is any kind of interference that would cause a failsafe. The throttle drops to idle and all the other controls Hold there last position.

The forward flip part seems to me that maybe a servo lead was chafed and rubbing against the frames. If the model is not going into Failsafe or Hold. What you described is usually what happens when wires are getting chafed.
Another possibility is check you battery well for a few things.
Is the charge OK?
Could be broken tabs and the power is not fully going to the receiver.


Just a few things to check.

David

[buburub]

Thanks for the reply so far guys!, I'm using Futaba 9C super Transmitter with the 9 channel receiver that comes with it in PCM mode. I have my failsafe set to idle and I've tested this out on the bench and it activates perfectly. I'm running the 4000 mah pack from duralite with a 5.3v regulator w/switch. The receiver and transmitter pack was fully charged and the crash happened on the 2nd flight. All I know was that it was extremely scary watching a 90 gas ship going out of control. eeek! If there's anything else please share it with me :roll:

[WayneBrown]

how old is this model?

[buburub]

The ship is about 6 months old. I had a total of about 25 flights on it. It was flying perfectly, amazingly smooth and powerful. Everything is new on it.....well used to be new.
Thanks!

[WayneBrown]

okay, check the wires for chafing, and at least check the gap between the clutch driver and fan for interference.
I wouldn't think after 25 flights there would be an issue with a clutch bearing, but stranger things have happened.

[MAIONX]

hmm i do not like where that aerial is mounted... Right next to the muffler... u should have that on the other side, just as a precaution!

[allen]

what is the switch that you are using, i had a fury lock out three times then i figure out it was a bad switch...

[saary]

i had 2 lockout with my new stratus :( and i couldnt find out what is the problem :(

[misio]

Sorry to hear abut your problem, I was going 7 months with locking up with my stratus lucky me no crashes but that was on 14mz. Until I find photo of Bobby antenna mount away from engine one I did that change all problems stop.

Your fury is new so there is not a problem with heli, I will go back to full size antenna as a first step and mounted away from engine. Next if you even thinking about replacing item pull all servos wire and check them for cuts, check all wires.

Change your channel on tx and rx

Next I will replace power switch and voltage regulator, (look at Fromeco) and mount voltage regulator away from rx, any power wires away from rx.

Next it will be engine bearings.


Hope that helps