AR7000 lockup?

[michael503]

I have a new Trex and a new ar7000 rx with the DX7 system.. (I have a 6100, but it's visiting Illinois right now).
I'm setting up this bird for the first time and I've got the Align ESC and I'm using a ParkBEC inline. I have shortened the ESC 's RX wires to about 2" and mounted the ParkBEC next to it in the front of the heli and I have extended the BEC's wires and added a ferrite choke, the RX is in the rear.
I plan to mount the RX under the boom eventually, but for now, its sitting on the bench.

My problem is this. I bound the RX to the TX using a battery (4.8v), but when I hooked the Rx up and turned everything on, I got a solid light from the RX and only the initial beep from the ESC, no additional sounds indicating arming or disconnection or wrong throttle position, and none of the other servo's would work. On and off several times and the same thing. I bypassed the ParkBEC, and it armed (worked), then put it back togather... and it worked. I have not been able to duplicate the problem, I even tried removing the throttle signal wire from the connector block altogether and the other servos still worked. Has anyone seen this? I'm new to this whole binding thing and I'm confused and concerned about what happened, especially since I can't get it to do it again.
-Confused

[Jermo]

make sure you put the binding plug into the battery port for binding, connect the battery to any open channel connection, power up the RX, THEN while holding the bind button on the back of the TX power on the TX. Note: the aux reciever must be plugged into the main reciever for operation. Once the lights go solid power off the RX, remove the binding plug and power the RX back on, The RX should initialze and everything work.

If you don't hear sounds from the ESC it's likely because it uses the motor windings to make sound.

DANGER: Connecting the motor to the ESC is dangerous during setup. Special precautions must be made to present serious injury or even death. Please be careful.

[michael503]

I had bound it, just outside the heli with no servos connected and using a 4.8v RX pack as power. still working ok .

I had a thought today but do not want to try it to see if that was it. under aux1 and aux2 there is a big gap, one could connect a servo to just 2 pins of aux1 (elevator on a Trex) so that the positive out of the RX was connected to the signal pin of the servo and the positive pin of the servo was connected to RX ground and servo ground was not connected. The wires are tight in their looms, I could have connected a servo wrong by mistake.

[BlackJeep]

Can't help with the original question, but for what it's worth..

When testing a new receiver / esc / set up I remove the pinion gear. no danger and you can set things up easily.

[michael503]

I had the blades off of it...
originally, I set the servos using a RX battery pack, no motor or esc connection

[Danal Estes]

You say it works sometimes, so you are bound correctly, no need to re-bind. Things to be aware of:

1) Don't accidently power up the TX with the bind button pressed. This has happened to multiple people, most commonly due to a transmitter stand or tray. This will lose your bind (not your current symptom)

2) Occasionaly, at power up, a DX7 will fail to link. The whole system runs a bunch of quality checks and refuses to link if they don't pass. Just try again. Nothing to worry about.

3) Your theory about the pin / plug misalignment also sounds possible.


Fundamentally, once it links up, it's very reliable. I've been flying one for some months now (DX7 and AR7000) no issues.

[joehelicopter]

I had the same problem....make sure your throttle recovery is inhibited and make sure the throttle sub trims are low enough that the ESC doesn't see any Volts when the reciever is switched on.

[michael503]

I had the same problem....make sure your throttle recovery is inhibited and make sure the throttle sub trims are low enough that the ESC doesn't see any Volts when the reciever is switched on.

Throttle recovery inhibited? I was wondering about failsafe settings that are set at binding. What is the standard procedure on electric helis?

[joehelicopter]

Read the manual---failsafe setup is easy-I set the throttle at zero-all other controls at neutral during the binding......no problem

[michael503]

thx, its a project to go thru the manual so I've been avoiding it, I just got it friday :oops:

[Danal Estes]

Be aware that there are two forms of "failsafe" conditions:

1) RX powered up, but not yet linked to TX (first couple of seconds). CH1 outputs no pulses (ESC won't arm) and all other channels ouput positions memorized at bind time.

2) Loss of signal. CH1 goes to position memorized at bind (so please ensure this is zero throttle on an electric) and all other channels "hold last known good" signal.

So, to answer your question about "standard procedure on electrics", be CERTAIN the throttle is at zero, and all other channels can be just normally centered.

[michael503]

thanks, I was reading my way through this tome of a manual and hadn't come across it yet, I was wondering what I had to do to get zero to slightly negative pitch and zero throttle since they're on the same stick

[Hughes500Bob]

You might want to read Chief Wilsons post in this thread http://www.helifreak.com/viewtopic.php?t=34087. We need a test pilot to sort this proper setting of fail safe for a DX-7.

[wren1702]

Hey Michael! Glad you made over to HeliFreak!

Alan

[michael503]

Thanks, Finless's videos brought me here!