Spektrum AR7100R Overview and Setup

[Finless]

Huh? Nimh? Where did I say that? I guess you didnt watch the video?

Jason... that thing is BIG with a fan... You sure you would want to run that extra weight on a heli?

Bob

[warpspeed]

Here is what the manual says for power requirements.

IMPORTANT: Do not use a 4-cell 4.8-volt battery to power
the AR7100/AR7100R. Because of the built-in regulator the
AR7100/AR7100R has a minimum recommended operational battery
voltage of 5.5 volts and is designed to use 6-volt 5-cell NiMH,
7.2-volts 7-cell NiMH or 7.4-volt 2-cell LiPo batteries. (Higher
voltage should be used only if the servos are compatible.) While
the AR7100 will continue to operate down to 3.5 volts, the AR7100/
AR7100R features a built-in 5.2-volt regulator for the Rudder, Aux
2, Gear 2, Throttle 2 channels output. A 4-cell 4.8-volt battery will
not provide sufficient head room (voltage margin) to maintain a 5.2
regulated voltage. Regulated outputs are provided to allow the gyro,
gyro gain and throttle to be operated at the necessary lower voltage
while the cyclic servos (aileron, elevator and pitch) are powered
directly by the pack voltage (typically 5-cell 6-volt NiMH or if high
voltage compatible servos are used 2-cell 7.4-volt LiPo batteries).



So yes a 6 volt regulator can be used in front of the RX hooked to the LIPO. Just make sure it is a REGULATED 6V as if it can drop below 5.5 volts it could be a problem.

Bob


Right there, in the above quote! Unless you're using the high voltage JR's, most servos are only rated for 6v. (Or 5.8 or whatever) If the 7100r passes rx voltage right thru, aren't you then running your servos at 7.4? (If using 2s lipo)

And OF COURSE I watched the vids Bob! I get Finless withdrawals if I don't get to see that grinning mug of yours every now and then!:P

[torkboy]

Huh? Nimh? Where did I say that? I guess you didnt watch the video?

Jason... that thing is BIG with a fan... You sure you would want to run that extra weight on a heli?

Bob

Its not that big....But come on, you know the fan is super cool! (pun intended) :YeaBaby:

[LoveMyTrex]

I don't think it weights too much more than a fremco arizona 10A reg, plus it will run cooler, and look cooler, and it has the proper connections presoldered on.

warpspeed, if you only want 6v to go to your servos you can run a reg like that big spektrum one between the lipo and the RX

and do you guys know if you can use the backlate sensor with the align G600 gov?

[TooLy]

and do you guys know if you can use the backlate sensor with the align G600 gov?

I read it will work

[TooLy]

Gyro will have to be on AUX2 and you will have to use travel adjust.

Bob

If I remember correct from my DX7, you can use the AUX2 for the gyro with the gyro sense menu, you just have to select it in the input select, choose "GYRO" under AUX2.

[Finless]

Yep... my mistake! But I prefer end points anyway as the gyro menu requires some math to get real gain....

Bob

[JR NUT]

dam you bob,you just keep costin me more money,:arggg:thanks for the great info just ordered 2:thumbup:

[slinky]

so can anyone actually tell me which servo's we can and can't use, what about futaba 9451's iv'e loads of these and there rated at 6v just like the jr 8717 shown in the vids, by the way i'm talking cyclic servos here, any help appreciated

david.

[JodyJ]

Hey Bob,

The supplied switch that comes with the AR7100/R. Is there anything special about it?

On my 600N I used a Pin Flag Switch and it works great, but I was reading the manual for the hell of it and it says the following:

Note: The AR7100/AR7100R uses a
specifically designed switch. Conventionally wired switches are not
compatible with the AR7100.

Thanks,

Jody J.

[buster1]

so, I don't need to use a regular govenor anymore? This is a new pretty cool device,
Looks like I need to pick up one of these,
Thanks,
Jeff

[TooLy]

Hey Bob,

The supplied switch that comes with the AR7100/R. Is there anything special about it?

On my 600N I used a Pin Flag Switch and it works great, but I was reading the manual for the hell of it and it says the following:

Note: The AR7100/AR7100R uses a
specifically designed switch. Conventionally wired switches are not
compatible with the AR7100.

Thanks,

Jody J.


Nothing real special, It's basically the same as your pin flag switch, the switch just give the rx the command to turn on and off by shorting the 2 outer pins (signal & negative).
Regular switches connected in line between the battery and the device so they actually pass the current and not just giving the command like the pin flag or sektrum switch.

[nwolsink]

How do I fit the sensor on the backplate of my pumped OS .91?

[TooLy]

How do I fit the sensor on the backplate of my pumped OS .91?

Check this:

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=75327&page=20

[JodyJ]

Nothing real special, It's basically the same as your pin flag switch, the switch just give the rx the command to turn on and off by shorting the 2 outer pins (signal & negative).
Regular switches connected in line between the battery and the device so they actually pass the current and not just giving the command like the pin flag or sektrum switch.

Thanks!

[creightoncarr]

Has anyone got the backplate sensor to work properly with a YS 91SR? I've now tried two different sensors on the 91SR in my Aurora (and tried each sensor with both the limiter built into the AR7100R and with a separate RevMax unit) with no luck. With both sensors and on both limiters the crank pin is detected when it passes by, but it appears to be picked up twice during each passing. When I activate the limiters during flight they do nothing. I attached one of the sensors to the backplace of an OS91SZ-H that I'm not using, and turning the crank the pin is detected only once during each passing. I don't know what the difference is, but I wonder if the odd readings with the YS is causing the limiter to determine a sensor failure and pass the throttle curve straight through. So I'm curious, is it just me, or has anyone got this sensor to work with the YS91SR?

[Finless]

I will be hooking mine up this week in prep for maiden Sunday so I will find out soon. I am sure this has been tested so I have to assume it should work.

I have noticed on my OS that testing on the bench for the sensor, I had some anomalies at first. Turning the motor the wrong way seemed to act like the LED was going OFF when the crank came around and the led was ON the rest of the time. Also if the crank is over the sensor on power up it also did this but within a few turns by hand it would straighten itself out and start working right.
Flying showed it worked just fine regardless of seeing this strangeness on the bench which didn't always happen.

The way this sensor works is it is a hall effect sensor and there are magnets in the sensor head. The magnets produce a field and when the crank pin comes around it disrupts this field and the hall effect sensor picks this up change. Maybe backing OFF the sensor a little from the backplate might help?

Anyway again I will be testing this by this weekend on the YS 91SR....

Bob

[creightoncarr]

I'll be interested to see how your testing goes with with YS. I remember you responding to my prior post indicating you saw some anomalies as well when turning the crank by hand, so I decided to go fly it and assumed everything would work. Unfortunately I was wrong. When I hook it up to the backplate of the OS I do get some anomalies here and there when rotating the crank, but nothing like with the YS. With the YS engine, it is very predictable, every time the crank pin goes by, the light flashes twice, without fail. I installed the standard hall effect sensor and magnet in the fan and using that method the limiter in the AR7100R works fine. I agree with you, I would assume that Spektrum tested this sensor on the YS engine, but it seems odd that of the two sensors I have neitehr one works on the YS. I have tried them with the sensor touching the backplate and with the sensor slightly removed the backplate with the same result. Weird.

[rotorhead58d]

you guys sound like you need an optical sensor. i'll get to work on that. lol

[creightoncarr]

Well, I'm going to give another go tonight. I backed the sensor as far away from the backplate as possible by setting it to the inside hole for 50-sized engine mounting. The sensor now sits about 1/3cm away from the backplate and appears to function normally now as the crank passes by. I'll see tonight if it's too far away to funtion properly when the crank is spinning at operating speeds. The crank pin on the YS is 8mm in diameter whereas the crank pins on the OS91 and OS50 are 7mm and 6mm respectively. My thought is that the system is calibrated to detect a certain change in the magnetic field when the crank pin passes by, and the larger crank pin of the YS engine throws it off. I'm waiting to see if Bob gets his to work touching the backplate of the YS in his Aurora.

[Funky]

Its not that big....But come on, you know the fan is super cool! (pun intended) :YeaBaby:

I saw one of the new Spektrum regs today running a 9100 RX. The regulator was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. It is definately something we could use on our helis (for regulated systems). He had it mounted in one of the sides of the servo tray on a 600N with a carbsmart next to it. After cutting off the upper and lower tabs it was a great fit and looked pretty cool too :roll:

If I see him thise weekend, Ill get some pics.

[creightoncarr]

Isn't the 9100 the Powersafe receiver with two power inputs? That receiver doesn't have a regulator built in does it?

[creightoncarr]

An update on using the backplate sensor on the YS91SR:

After attaching the sensor to the bracket in the .50-sized mounting hole and giving myself about a 1/4cm gap between the backplate and the sensor it appears to be functioning properly now. I put four tanks on the Aurora this afternoon and the limiter locked right in. I was worried that the signal might be too weak with the sensor so far away. I was running 100% throttle curves and no problems with overspeeding even when really unloading the head. Attached is a pic showing the gap between the sensor and the backplate. Any closer than this and it would not work right.

[Finless]

Cool.... Glad that idea worked!
You did my leg work so now I don't have to go thorugh that :)
I am still going to mount my sensor first touching the back plate and then do this change if I need it.

Bob

[Bobbyk]

An update on using the backplate sensor on the YS91SR:

After attaching the sensor to the bracket in the .50-sized mounting hole and giving myself about a 1/4cm gap between the backplate and the sensor it appears to be functioning properly now. I put four tanks on the Aurora this afternoon and the limiter locked right in. I was worried that the signal might be too weak with the sensor so far away. I was running 100% throttle curves and no problems with overspeeding even when really unloading the head. Attached is a pic showing the gap between the sensor and the backplate. Any closer than this and it would not work right.

A pic of the whole beast will be nice too?

Robert