dkshema
rrProfessor
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
| I've been finding my way in and out of the Trex forum here on RR over the past months since Align released their 500 electric.
It seems that there are is an inordinate number of 500 owners experiencing problems with their Spektrum radios in this model. Somewhere in the time that's passed since the 500's introduction, people have glombed onto the belief that the 500's tail rotor drive belt is responsible for generating random static discharges that are making the Spektrum receivers go nuts.
I've watched the videos of people chasing all over their helicopters with the $15 static checkers they've bought at the local Home Depot. I've seen the endless discussions about lubing the TR belt, grounding the various parts, grounding the entire system to the battery negative lead, switching out the CF side frames for the glass side frames, and now the introduction of the torque tube TR drive... ...all in that search for the Holy Grail of making their Spektrum radios behave well in the 500.
There are a lot of people writing less than complimentary words about Spektrum-based radios and poor EMI/ESD shielding.
It's even reported that Jason Krause outright claims that the Spektrum radios simply are incompatible with the belt-driven 500.
In all of the discussion, people ignore the fact that there are many other brands of helis, all with belt-driven tails that seem to fly day in and day out with their Spektrum receivers just purring along with never a glitch.
In all of the static about static, I've seen one post that makes sense. It appears that static discharge may be the culprit, but the post suggested that the noise is finding its way into the receiver through the power leads, via the ESC/BEC.
----
Enough background, now for the questions. Has anyone back at the Spektrum or JR ranch ever performed any ESD testing under controlled conditions, on the receivers to determine their ability to operate in an environment that includes multiple high-energy static discharges? Has susceptibility testing been performed on the receivers? Both conducted (via power and signal wires) and radiated sources?
Is anyone back at the JR/Spektrum ranch actively looking into the reported static discharge related glitches? It would be enlightening for someone in the radio production end of things to enter the fray and determine if there is a technical explanation that would confirm or dispel the rumors about these "static induced glitches".
-----
* Making the World a Better Place -- One Helicopter at a time! *
Dave |
