DX7 Manual

[r40734]

Here is the link to the DX7 manual online. I have been running into more and more people who have never bothered to open their manual when they got their new transmitter. Granted, it won't answer all your questions, but I've noticed that most of them can be figured out by just checking the manual.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/ProdInfo/Files/SPM2710_DX7_Manual.pdf

Maybe this should be in the sticky section...

[franky92]

not really...

[dhend25]

Hello all,

I'm new to rc heli's and new to the "DX7". Just my opinion, but I find the manual very lacking in basic information for newbies.

I'm desperately trying to figure out how all the little connectors and cables hook up and that manual is little, if any, help at all. I think they devote a few sentences to binding, a pretty critical part of the whole process, and then show an illustration with a binding plug that looks like something that plugs into the transmitter charging port.

The connector in my box that has a red tag on it that says "bind plug" is a small black plastic connector that does'nt look anything like the one represented in the illustration.

I still haven't figured out how to bind my transmitter to the receiver and servos.

Any ideas on that would be much appreciated!

Sorry for the semi-rant on the manual, but I think they could do a lot better.

Thanks,

DH
Virginia

[r40734]

...an illustration with a binding plug that looks like something that plugs into the transmitter charging port.

That picture does kind of look like the charging plug... never noticed...

Anyways, we can work with what you saw in the manual, then we'll go over an alternate route. This is long, but it is much more simple than it sounds. Once you figure it out, you'll be able to do it in 30 seconds.

First, there are two types of bind plugs. One male and one female. If you only have one in your box, then it is most likely a female. The one in the photo represents the male bind plug.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method #1 (as shown in the manual)

If you actually have the male bind plug, then it will be used in the way shown in the manual, page 18 of the link on post #1. The male plug is the part that looks like the charger plug. Make sure your receiver battery pack is charged, the switches are off on both your Transmitter (Tx) and Receiver (Rx), and your polarity is correct. It's also a good idea to bind it the first time without the motor connected, as a safety measure.

I'm assuming that you are using the AR7000 Rx that came with your radio. If so, see the AR7000 pins photo attached below for where you plug into it and notice the position of the negative wire (brown). The picture in the manual doesn't detail this very well.

Now, turn on the switch connected to your battery. The Rx and satellite should start blinking rapidly. Next, hold down the bind button on the back of your Tx, then turn on the Tx. The lights on the Rx should turn off and the light on the Tx will start blinking. Just keep holding the button down. Eventually, the lights on both the Rx and Tx will turn on and stay on. Now you can release the button on the Tx.

It is now bound, but here's where I see some people make a mistake. Turn everything off and remove the bind plug. This time turn on the Tx first, then the Rx. If the bind process was successful, the lights on the Rx (both main and satellite if you are using the AR7000) should turn on after a few seconds and stay on solid. If so, you are done and the Tx and Rx are now matched up to each other.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Method #2:

Another way to accomplish the same thing is to use the female bind plug plugged directly into the Rx. I usually plug the female bind plug into the BATT/DATA pins of the Rx, the same ones we were plugged into in the photo. Then I plug the battery into any one of the other available channels. The Rx is now on and ready for binding. Next, you hold the bind button on your Tx and turn it on. All the lights will react the same way as above. When it is done, remember to remove the bind plug, unplug the battery, and turn off the Tx.

Remember, from this point on, always turn on your Tx before you power up your Rx. The only time you should turn on the Rx first is during the bind process.

If this helps, great. If not, give us more detail as to what equipment you are using and what the problem is.

(Please excuse me if any of the photos are blurry. My eyes can't seem to focus today. Please excuse me if any of the above text is blurry also, as my brain is also having focus problems.)

http://www.helifreak.com/E:%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5CKBane%5CDesktop% 5CHeli%20Build%20Files

[Pinecone]

Video setup guide: http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=28681&highlight=bind+spektrum

[dhend25]

Dear r40734,

Thanks for your very detailed reply to my newbie question.

After looking at the illustration in the manual carefully again, I think I see that the bind plug just has a small black wire loop that makes it appear like its a different type of plug.

Anyway, what I have are two small black plastic connectors looped onto each other. One is a 3 hole female plug and the other is a 2 prong male plug with a larger plastic housing. The male plug has the red tag looped around its wire loop that says "bind plug".

The smaller female plug will plug into the Rx's batt port as shown in your photo's. The male plug will not plug into the Rx. When you say to check the polarity and pay attention to the "brown" wire, I'm not sure what you mean as these connectors appear to only go in one way.

The picture on page 18 of the manual shows the switch harness incorporated into all this and the bind plug just hanging out in mid-air (boy, I don't like this manual).

[dhend25]

Dear r40734,

Thanks for your very detailed reply to my newbie question.

After looking at the illustration in the manual carefully again, I think I see that the bind plug just has a small black wire loop that makes it appear like its a different type of plug.

Anyway, what I have are two small black plastic connectors looped onto each other. One is a 3 hole female plug and the other is a 2 prong male plug with a larger plastic housing. The male plug has the red tag looped around its wire loop that says "bind plug".

The smaller female plug will plug into the Rx's batt port as shown in your photo's. The male plug will not plug into the Rx. When you say to check the polarity and pay attention to the "brown" wire, I'm not sure what you mean as these connectors appear to only go in one way.

The picture on page 18 of the manual shows the switch harness incorporated into all this and the bind plug just hanging out in mid-air (boy, I don't like this manual).
r40734,

Sorry, I didn't mean to post my message yet. So I'm continuing. The middle photo seems to make the most sense, but I don't see any way to switch the Rx on or off w/o the switch harness being inter-connected as in the manual illustration. I don't see any switch in your middle photo.

I'm sure this is very easy to hook-up once you figure out how to do it.

Thanks again for going to all this trouble.

Sincerely,

DH
Virginia

[r40734]

I see where the confusion is. I have broken my previous post into two sections; method #1 and #2.

The first photo is referring to Method #1, which is connected just as the manual shows. All the photo is really showing is where you plug the battery in and what the polarity is. The brown, being the negative, is on the right side in that photo. In this method you will use the larger male plug, and it will be plugged into the switch harness, not the Rx.

Photos #2 and #3 refer to the second method. It eliminates the switch in the process. As soon as you plug the battery in, the Rx will have power. The only way to turn it on and off is to physically plug in and unplug the battery. The smaller female bind plug is used in this method, and it will be plugged into the Rx.

These bind plugs are not polarity dependent, only the switch harness itself. All the bind plug is doing is grounding the signal, so it doesn't really matter which way it is plugged in.

Watching the video that Pinecone linked to should help a lot, too.

For what it's worth, I almost always use the second method, unless I just happen to have a switch already connected.


Thanks again for going to all this trouble.


Not a problem. That's what this forum is supposed to be all about.

[dhend25]

r40734,

Thanks for the clarification. That seems to make more sense to me. I'm pretty helpless when it comes to electronics. So, in other words, you can choose to employ the .switch harness or just go w/o it. What you're saying is that you usually go without the switch.

Thanks again for the kind help. I'll let you know how it works out when I try it probably tomorrow.

Thanks also to "Pinecone" for the very helpful link!

Sincerely,

DH

[Pinecone]

Those of use flying electric don't have a swith harness. And you need the JR/Spektrum 3 wire switch harness to make it work.

So I always use the direct to the Batt port method.

[dhend25]

Pinecone,

My "DX7" did come with the "switch harness". FWIW.

Although it seems much simpler to bind without it. IMO

Thanks for your input.

DH