9303 bad balance

[marked23]

I just received my 9303 today.

If put the neck strap on and let go, it tilts up. I wish it was balanced to hang mostly horizontal from the strap.

Anybody fixed this problem already?

-Mark

[DavidH]

I have seen most JR radio users make an additional hook that puts the radio in the proper position to hang level from a neck strap.
The 10X has the same problem. If you look at pictures of Curtis's radio you will see the hook he made to balance the radio.

What they do is screw an Eye bolt thru the original attachment point. With the eye facing towards the bottom of the radio. This offsets more weight towards the antenna end of the radio.

David

[marked23]

Ahh... Good idea. Here's my attempt. I remeber seeing Curtis' mod, but I thought he did that because of the giant knob he uses on the right stick.

-Mark

[Tom Fiddler]

Man that is just sad, Not to step on anyones toes but there is no excuse for poor design.
Not busting on your fix Mark...A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do :mrgreen:
What about using a Lithium battery to help the balance?
Does your 9303 still have an invert switch?
Oh yeah, tape that crystal in your RX
Oh you need a "Real Safe" on that neck strap also. (Shamless plug for one of my products!!!!!)

[marked23]

I have a Reel Safe. I won it at a fun fly pilot's raffle. If you look at the shadow of my strap, you can see the ring that attaches it to the strap. [I won another here on the original HF raffle, but I never got around to collecting. Wanna send it to me now? :lol: ] Every once-in-a-while someone asks me what it is.

9303:
Yeah, it's freaking disappointing that a brand new design would have this giant ergonomic flaw. They should swap the position of the switch and the hook. Call it the "9303.1". I guess it's an opportunity for me to come up with a kit to fix it. Maybe a nicely machined part instead of the eye bolt I used.

-Mark

[Tom Fiddler]

Two things

1) Yes send me your info and i wil send you another Real Safe just got a shipment in yesterday

2) I have a CNC machine! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[marked23]

Oh yeah... the 9303, as far as I can tell, has no invert switch.
-Mark

[WayneBrown]

What's an invert switch?
j/k!!

[marked23]

Are you really asking that?

I heard a story about how Ernie Huber was the first person to hover a helicopter upside down. It's not like he rolled it over to do that trick.. he simply set-up the heli so that all the controls were normalized for inverted flight. Once set up that way, the heli could ONLY be flown upside down. Think about how he would launch such a helicopter... I've seen pictures of him holding the heli by the boom, inverted. After seeing that pic, I'm not sure the story is real. Pretty scary!

Anyway:
That's the idea behind the invert switch. Flip the heli over, hit the switch and you are all normalized for upright stick movements even though the heli is inverted. The 8103 has an invert switch. I imagine the 10X has one too. But the 9303 does not.

-Mark

[SuperFatCat]

I have cnc machined a neckstrap adapter for the 9303 which looks cosmetic along with the 9303 design.

Will people actually buy these adapters if I sell them? I thought I was the only one with the pet peeve about the balance thing.

[big-al]

"I have cnc machined a neckstrap adapter for the 9303... Will people actually buy these adapters if I sell them?"

posts some pics and you may have some business coming your way.

[marked23]

SuperFatCat,

Yeah, I think it's a good product idea. If I had a CNC machine, I'd already be selling them.

-Mark

[bighands3d]

Post pics of your CNC neck strap adaptor and a $ and get ready to sell some!!!

[WayneBrown]

I want one!

[SuperFatCat]

I have been using this balancing brace off and on , on several radios and have notice that the leverage it puts on the transmitters eyelet could actually weaken the eyelet and eventually break it off.

The 10X is using magnesium and could support the leverage load but I don't think the 9303 could because the front panel is plastic.

Curtis is using a 10X so it's ok. Besides, if he breaks the radio, he gets another one.

I don't want people to have broken radios from my design.

I will work on it to make it safer before I will sell it to anyone. Once I get something I think will be commercially sound, I will let you guys know about it.

[SuperFatCat]

"I have seen most JR radio users make an additional hook that puts the radio in the proper position to hang level from a neck strap.
The 10X has the same problem. If you look at pictures of Curtis's radio you will see the hook he made to balance the radio."

If you look at Curtis's bracket closely, it does nothing for the balance. It prevents his modified elevator/aileron stick from hitting his neck strap.

Curtis said: "The wire loop that is attached to the neck strap loop is an adaptor I use for my neckstrap. It is bent in an arc so that the top of the single stick knob will not hit it when I am at control extremes such as left aileron."

http://www.curtisyoungblood.com/9%20WHF-JR%20RADIOS.GYRO/DSCF0168.JPG