Hurricane 550 Static Free

[saltydon]

On my first 6 batteries I have had very eratic servo pulsing which I believe is caused by tail belt generated static discharge. The heli would jump and you could see the servos pumping every 4 or 5 seconds. Usually the elevator servo was affected but it was not the only one. After reading many threads about static and the many theories that abound about how to get rid of the gremlin, I devised a plan. I constructed a brush, ( from a broken Dremel) that contacts the aluminum wheel on the Gaui tail and grounds to a bared spot on the boom and stops the charge from building. I have flow 3 times since making this modification and even in cold dry air there is no more servo jerking and spasming. The brush is tiny and the weight is inconsequential. It seems to work!!!

[mjdee14]

Very Ingenious !!

I guess the 2.4 ghz radios are not affected..i have seen no evidence of it with mine or read much about it here in this forum....

But that is a great fix.......that's why the guy in the "flight of the Phoenix" got them out of the desert !!

[saltydon]

I am using a DX7 2.4 radio. I was very surprised when this glitchy behavior started, especially on a day when it was almost raining but, if you think about a rubber belt whizzing around in an isolated aluminum tube, the chance of creating static is very high. Perhaps the placement of the rx made it susceptible or any of a hundred other things that may have made the rx react to the static discharge. Whatever the reason, I enjoy a little creative problem solving now and then and my heli performs very smoothly now.

[mjdee14]

I am using a DX7 2.4 radio. I was very surprised when this glitchy behavior started, especially on a day when it was almost raining but, if you think about a rubber belt whizzing around in an isolated aluminum tube, the chance of creating static is very high. Perhaps the placement of the rx made it susceptible or any of a hundred other things that may have made the rx react to the static discharge. Whatever the reason, I enjoy a little creative problem solving now and then and my heli performs very smoothly now.

What reciever were you using? and now I definately will fill that fix in the memory banks....problem is, at my age it's hard to access the sectors I stored it in !!

[saltydon]

I am using the AR7000 and I even relocated it to stop the glitching, with no effect. I flew 2 batts again tonight and there was no glitching with the grounding brush on. I will take it off again to see if the glitching returns.

[ukgroucho]

Nice work. Sometime folks also just wrap a wire around the bolt that goes thru the pulley - even better is to use a small flat 'spade' connector with a hole in it - and attach that to the tail boom.
I'm surprised that you did not need to earth the boom to the battery -ve (this is normal practice AFAIK).

What kind of frame is it?

[saltydon]

The frame is the injection formed plastic model. I believe in the adverts it was called aeronautical grade plastic. It seems very strong and stiff but I have no idea what its conductive or static storage attributes might be. I won't ground to the motor unless I get more glitching. I want to go one step at a time so I can determine what has made the difference.Hopefully I am finished and can just fly.