Revell Type VII Build advice

[H2Ohaze]

Ask anyone you sail (sailboat/powerboat/sub) with, or maybe car/truck clubs if they' ve channels assigned to their members, if 75 band. If your going to be near any of these folks get a different channel. Don't get 69...its sort of a default channel. Flyboys don't count, they're on 72 band. The Neptune sub I know is sold in USA on only a small subset of channels choices, I don't know what ones (my Neptune is channel 87). If Neptunes are popular near you, look into this. Channel choice is not a big deal these days as everyone is going to 2.4 Ghz and leaving 75 band.

I had a related problem, after your crystal/Lepton is fixed you might check your ESC...

With a Polk radio and and SL-8 Sombra Labs Rx, everything was fine. I had set up my Micro Viper 10, telling it where neutral was, etc. Then one day I decided to limit the EPA on the throttle since my Holland was going too fast both forward and reverse. I cut the EPA to about 40% forward, 30% reverse.

Suddenly the Rx started picking up chatter. The servos were going crazy. I returned the EPA to 100% Still chatter. I changed Rx- still chatter.

Finally, I guessed that the Micro Viper was also chattering, but it wasn't the symptom, but the cause. It would have the two lights (red/green) flicker at neutral, not be constantly on. The prop would sometimes give small little jumps, but mainly the lights were the first warnings that the ESC was sending out little low level erratic blips. These blips--->motor caused interference with the Rx or servos or something. All I had to do was reset the Viper, telling it neutral, and endpoints again.

This is a matter of degree. When calibrated the Viper will flicker those lights a tiny bit anyway, that's normal. The flickering was more than "normal".

I have a question related to WFLY modules, since the talk has turned to crystals. Can I take modules out of the back of WFLY radios as sold and have them work in a Futaba 9C Tx/ SL-8 Rx ? What I'm wondering is buying a few that people have discarded in favor of the Spectra Synthesized 75 Mhz. So I would buy up a few of the WFLY modules and have single 75 band frequency channel modules.

Edit: HHmm, I think the WFLY radios all come with channel 69 modules only...?

[Avera]

HI David,

Thanks for the reply.

There are 30 crystals (Channel 61-90) listed on that link, from what I understand anyone should work as there are all 75 Mhz. Anyone better suited than the other?

Andrew

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Stop right there!

You have the wrong crystal in the receiver. The Lepton-6 (Sombra labs product) receiver has a single-conversion front-end -- that WFly crystal is the wrong crystal as it a dual conversion type.

I'm amazed that your receiver is working at all!

You gotta get the right crystal. Go to this page and read my post, the sixth one down from the top of the page http://forum.sub-driver.com/showthre...hlight=crystal

And read the whole thread -- a comedy of errors to be sure.

Though you may buy some of these receivers from Caswell and they have the WFly crystal, don't use that crystal -- the receiver should not come with a crystal, it's something you have to buy separate. It was a screw up at the packaging department -- they meant well by putting those WFly crystals in with the Lepton-6, but it was an error. Sorry about that.

David

[Avera]

Had a chance to play with the SD and electronics and here is what I observed:

1) The ballast functions, but intermittently. As long as it chatters (the transmitter command for the ballast is in neutral and the servo pulses back and fourth but not touching the valve) I know that I can manually control the ballast. When it stops chattering, transmitter commands does not move the ballast servo. If I turn off the transmitter, the failsafe kicks in and the ballast blows but again only the servo is active (chattering).

2) The throttle (a little sensitive - if the joystick moves just a bit the motors start up; trying to give ballast commands often triggers a change in throttle)

3) Rudder and front planes servos work with TX commands, but I do not get any movement from the rear plane servo as I pitch the SD up down or give it up/down plane command. The knob for channel 6 does not do a thing either. Mind you I am only working with the SD on my table and I calibrated it to zero bubble.

Not sure what to make of all the this. At least the air pump works and I can live with a partial operating ballast tank. It is the rear plane that bothers me.

Extra info: My lipo guard shows 3 green and 1 red light. The ADF shows a solid green. All the equipment was recently bought at the same time, the only issue with the equipment is that the crystal in the Lepton 6 channel receiver is from the WFly receiver as the Lepton cyrstal shipped was the wrong one.

I have not yet installed the SD in the sub and still have to make the pin and attach the strap before I can trim the boat. Just want to make sure that the electronics work before going to the next step.

As for the placement of the SD, how snug should the dog bones be between the SD and the prop shafts?

Thanks for any input,

Andrew

[Avera]

Just a quick reply to some of the responses as I won't have time to really look into it until this weekend. The RX and the TX were just purchase from Caswell, the RX is the 6 channel Lepton receiver. As for the Lipo Guard, I first get two green lights indicating a 2S battery then all four lights go on. I think I made a mistake in the programing and will play with it this weekend and advise. My only concern is that the ballast servo should run when I move the left control on the TX. It used to, before I did the programming which is why I think the solution lies there.

[trout]

I can possibly offer a solution to the rear planes not adjusting. While setting the ADF up, when it asks for you to set full rise, are you doing your bow plane command? It is actually referring to the planes that are controlled by the ADF, not (in my case) the bow planes. I kept setting it up and misunderstanding the instructions and nothing would move. As it was explained to me by Kevin, when you are setting the neutral and full rise it is setting the range that the plane will move. I was moving the bow plane, the ADF did not see any difference in neutral to full rise on the aft planes therefore its range was zero.
Let me know if I was clear as mud and if this helps at all.
Peace,
Tom

[Albion]

Is this an older ADF? What RX are you using, there was some incompatibility with the early ADF and some RX

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

OK. Are you giving the ADF time (the moment you turn the mission switch 'on') to run through its start-up protocal? That would explain the non-operation of the angle-keeping portion of the circuit.

Are you getting three solid green LED's on the Lipo-guard?

Kevin: Help!

David

[Avera]

Hi David,

Yes, the Lipo Guard is wired directly to the battery cables (its lit). My concern and probably due to programing ADF error, is that I cannot get the ballast servo to work in the above configuration through the transmitter (sometimes when I power up the SD, that servo moves quickly to one extreme. I have to disconnect the power, manually readjust the sero to get it to stop doing that). If I wired the ballast servo directly to the receiver it works like a charm, but not through the ADF/Lipoguard connections. Also the rear planes don't adjust as I tilt the SD up/down. So my guess (hopefully) is in the ADF programming.

PS: I like the video!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

You got it right, Andrew.

Did you make up the Lipo-guard power wires to the battery power cables? It's through that the device senses battery cell number and voltage.

Here's a video that should give a bit of inspiration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmDDjB3RZik&feature=youtu.be

David

[Avera]

Sorry to be away for a while; I have been to Home Depot and can only find the a 4x8 foot panel of white foam insulation nearly 1 inch thick. Is this the white stuff David mentioned?? I am still looking for the pink stuff, but the LHS and area building suppliers don't seem to carry it.

Also, on the SD electronic side question, I thought I had properly wired the ADF and the lipo guard, but the control for the ballast does not appear to function. Here is how I wired the ADF and Lipo Guard:



ADF:

With the ADF laying flat There are two 3 wire leads on top and two 3 wire connectors beneath it.

A) The top lead runs to the receiver #6 channel position
B) The bottom lead to the Lipo Guard.
C) The top ADF connector to the rear place servo
D) The bottom ADF connector to the ballast servo

Lipo Guard has a top connector and a bottom lead

A) The connector receives the bottom lead from the ADF as mentioned in B above
B) The lead connects to the receiver #4 position


Please let me know if any of the connections are wrong.

Thanks,

Andrew

[ADDINGTON]

There is also the option of Depron foam. Available in sheet form at any hobby outlet that caters to R/C Aircrafters, who use it to 'skin' their models. It comes in a variety of thicknesses and is Closed-Cell. I cut it into strips and "laminated" it (in layers where necessary) into my Type VII. Very easy to work with, and among its attributes is that it does not come in pink.
-Kerry

[trout]

LOL - I need to be so careful, but for short tests, I leave it down in the house for the same reason as you mentioned. Just know it will get a little warm.

[Avera]

No it was collapsed. I'll keep that in mind next time. Just that being in the house with it, the long antenna is an accident waiting to happen.

[trout]

Another side issue concerning the WFLY FT06-A transmitter: I was testing the SD and laid the transmitter on its back, but left on. I noticed after several minutes that the face plate was getting hot, not burning or melting, just very warm to the touch. I have never experienced this with my other transmitter. I am going to post this on the WFLY section as well.

Any thoughts????

Andrew

Was your antennae extended? If I run my antennae collapsed it will get uncomfortably warm, I believe Kevin taught me to keep it extended even when testing. It does run cooler.