Blade 400 DX6i glitch?

[SeaComms]

I just finished rebuilding the heli with new servos and had everything aligned and was testing it all and noticed a strnge glitch with the elevator servo.

I did read a while ago someone saying the DX6i introduces glitches if the DR was set to 80%. Mine was...

OK, I had the DR for aileron and elevator set for 80% and the expo for +30% (note - testing showed the expo had no change on the issue).

If i put it in throttle up mode, pulled full up elevator and full right aileron, as I moved the throttle from full negative to about 2/3 negative, the elevator servo will glitch. This is totally reproduceable. So I altered the DR back to 100 and it will still do the same, though now you need to have the aileron set for about 80% to the right (stands to reason).

Can someone else try this and see if its just mine or do they all do that?

Also noticed if I set the rudder to 80% DR it will glitch as well when fiddling with it.

Not adding much to my confidence.........

[SeaComms]

Just put a video to show you what I mean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_mjz0SaAB8

[alucard]

Hello there I am from puerto rico and I saw your video on the giltch on the Dx6i. Whell I have the same radio and the same reciver with hs56 servo for the cycling and the f9650 for tail, all this in a T-rex 450 se. Whell I notacied some glitch like yours in my t-rex on the elavador servo. But as far I know it only happen on my old lipo battery that suffers like 4 crashes and was out of services for 6 moth. I have a eflite 22000 mah lipo and I did not see any glitch with this battery. Olso I saw that the problem is more when the lipo is half way charge. I fully balanced and charge that lipo and imidiently go to fly and the problem was not present. Somebody told me that the reciver is very sencible in voltage drop some people say that it sut down itsef when the voltage drop to much. So try with a new lipo fully charge and balanced and let me know.

[SeaComms]

So try with a new lipo fully charge and balanced and let me know.

Hi Alucard and thanks for the tip (god I love forums - how did we survive before the internet??)

Ok, that was one thing I hadnt actually tried yet! Just happened to have another barnd new battery fully charged and balanced sitting there so I whipped it out and gave it a try. Took me about 30 seconds before I found a stick combination that induced the twitch :(

Anyways, the LHS I bought it from should be open now so I will give them a call and see what they say.

Cheers, Dave.

[carlo_the_wonder_frog]

More than likely a bad servo, upgrade.

[alucard]

Ok so let me know what you fin out. Carlos said something about a bad servo you can check it out olso just in case. Any way let me know.
Alucard.

[SeaComms]

I did have a bad servo (as well) but this happens when I have the originals or new Hitec 65's installed...

Have also eliminated the ESC by replacing it with external BEC, tried different batteries in TX and RX, different servos, and now have removed the receiver from the heli and disconnected the gyro.

If I get the glitch to happen in one particular stick position, for example full down elevator, full right rudder, full right aileron and mid throttle stick (in idle up mode) moving the throttle stick slightly will cause the rudder servo to glitch. If I move any stick settings, or DR settings the stick positions will change. If I move any one of the stick positions slightly, the glitch wont happen.

This is just an example, I have 5 servos connected at the moment (no gyro) and manged to get a glitch happen in every servo. None at the same time or same stick positions I might add!

Rang the suppliers and they are looking into it now - awaiting their reply

[alucard]

Ok well it look like the transmitter is malfuction. But no sure mine is not that severe and it happen with the dual rate at 100. The problem was present when tha lipo for the heli is low in voltage and only with the old one. Let me know whta the hobby shop tell you about it.
Alucard

[CoptrDoctr]

I did have a bad servo (as well) but this happens when I have the originals or new Hitec 65's installed...

Have also eliminated the ESC by replacing it with external BEC, tried different batteries in TX and RX, different servos, and now have removed the receiver from the heli and disconnected the gyro.

If I get the glitch to happen in one particular stick position, for example full down elevator, full right rudder, full right aileron and mid throttle stick (in idle up mode) moving the throttle stick slightly will cause the rudder servo to glitch. If I move any stick settings, or DR settings the stick positions will change. If I move any one of the stick positions slightly, the glitch wont happen.

This is just an example, I have 5 servos connected at the moment (no gyro) and manged to get a glitch happen in every servo. None at the same time or same stick positions I might add!

Rang the suppliers and they are looking into it now - awaiting their reply
Have you considered the receiver as the culprit? If you use your transmitter to fly your sim and do not experience these imput glitches, then it would likely be your receiver. If you can afford a spare AR6100e it might be worth it to isolate your fault. Just my thoughs. I always try to determine the common denominator(s) in the case either the Tx or Rx, then systematically test to isolate the problem.

[SeaComms]

Actually that is a very good idea - I am looking at a nother receiver for a small plank for the missus to learn on so might grab that first.

[SeaComms]

Idea acted upon - new version 1.6 receiver ordered :) Also just realised my current one (obtained with the blade brand new 4 weeks ago) is labelled ver 1.2. Did the loose-power simulation test and it failed - took bout 5 seconds to reconnect and no flashing LED.

May have found my problem....

[GaryM]

1. I have an occasional servo "stutter" on my Blade 400 also. It happens near 3/4 throttle in the normal mode. All three cyclic servos "stutter" at a certain point near full throttle. Moving aileron or elevator off center stops the stutter. The rudder never misbehaves.

2. After upgrading the cyclic servos to HS65s the "stutter" is still there, at the same throttle setting.

3. Re-binding does not help.

4. The stutter does not occur every time the TX/RX are powered up.

5. Changing the cyclic mix for the HS65s does not eliminate the problem.

6. I also have a Honey Bee K2 with stock servos and Telebee gyro converted to AR6100E that has the EXACT SAME STUTTER PROBLEM. Exactly the same symptoms as the B400.

7. Horizon Hobby claims they have never heard of such a problem and asked that I send both my TX and RXs in so they can look at them.

If you know some DX6i setting mojo that will remedy this I would appreciate hearing about it. Thanks.

[SeaComms]

Yep - that pretty much describes mine.

With mine, if I have right rudder and right aileron, elevator pulled right back, at round 1/4 throttle the elevator channel twitches. If I raise the elevator to bout halfway down (1/4 stick) then at around mid throttle the throttle servo twitches (have a servo in there at the mo for testing). If I raise the elevator control slightly more then raise the throttle to around mid stick the aileron servo twitches.

I had managed to find a position in which the rudder also twitched, but cant remember it now.

And this only happens in idle up mode - havent found a spot for norm yet! Very strange.......... Still awaiting the new receiver for final testing since have changed servos, removed gyro and ESC and used seperate BEC. Only common points left are the TX and RX.

My gut feeling is the TX - will find out very soon

[GaryM]

BTW, I have two AR6100Es (v1.2, I think) one on the HBK2 and one on the B400.
Also, as I recall, my B400 will twitch the cyclics in the idle up mode near full throttle.
The HBK2 did not misbehave until the AR6100E was installed. My money is on the DX6i right now and I am not a particularly happy camper.

I wonder if I should try and yank Spektrum's chain on this one.

[SeaComms]

I have read a few posts now of glitches like this appearing when DR of around 80% is set. What do you have for the expo and DR?

[GaryM]

Both the HBK2 and B400 are 90,90,100. BTW, I fly my CX2 with the DX6i as a single servo, not ccpm, and it has no glitch.

[GaryM]

This is a long shot but is it possible the glitch is caused by a dirty joystick encoder within the DX6i case? I wonder if some electrical contact cleaner might solve the problem.

[SeaComms]

I thought about that, but you have to have both sticks in the right position for the twitch - move any and the twitch stops. The stick/servo thats moving is also not the one twitching, and on mine the twitch is most prevalent when moving the throttle, so there are 4 channels operating at that time (throttle, elevator, aileron and aux1) and only one servo twitches!

The more I think about it the more it sounds like the transmitter....

[GaryM]

I'm looking for the silver lining in this cloud. We're DSM. That makes this a digital twitch, right? Much better than an analog twitch.All we have to do now is educate the helis.

[LockMD]

SeaComms, and all with a twitch. Have you considered (long shot) its just static electricity building up. I use a non-aerosol tri-flow on the belt. Just my nickle.

[SeaComms]

Thought about that. But this is happening on the bench, with the receiver and servos out of the heli and the motor, ESC and gyro disconnected, 2 weeks after last attempting to fly :(

Hopefully new receiver will arrive today and will be able to run final test. So far have eliminated all but RX and TX, this will either eliminate the RX or point to it.

[LockMD]

kinda thought it was a long shot, let us know if 1.6 rx helps.

[SeaComms]

Nope :(

1.6 receiver arrived today, bound it and exactly the same

So I tried creating a new model and recreated the setting from scratch in case it was something silly. Same result :(

So I have packed up the TX, the v1.2 receiver, the dud servo and long detailed explanation including links to the youtube video and it will all go on a merry ride to Adelaide (bout 2,100km each way). So I am still grounded :(

[LockMD]

That sucks! - ????????? Got me - let us know if you ever find out.

[GaryM]

I just got off the phone with Horizon Hobbies in Chicago. After detailing my woes with two different helis and two different AR6100es and three different sets of servos the tech guy wants me to go to the "monitor" screen of the DX6i and see if the servo plot reflects my problem. I tried to argue that if the TX is bad this plot might be bad too but he is adamant about the monitor function. He also claims he has never heard of this problem. BTW, I also am having a problem with the FS One sim, it is stuck in the slow motion mode and won't come out. I was assured there is a fix on the way. This weekend I am going to reinstall the stock Esky TX/RX in the HBK2 and see if it comes back to life. The Blade is down, the main gear stripped, broken blade, and more. All the result of a hover that turned into a very, vary rapid rearward, uncommanded movement. Something has got to give.