Possible Receiver Problem

[Neil_H]

Hi All,

Getting back into RC racing, but seem to have hit a stumbling block.

I have got new electronics for my new car baring the transmitter and receiver of which I'm using my old Sanwa 40Mhz system.

I have just installed my motor, esc and servo and was looking at setting up the esc and sorting the steering out.

I turn it on, the fan starts on the esc but that's it. Transmitter seems to do nothing, motor and servo don't respond, car might as well be turned off.

Also don't get a jolt of power when switched on.

I have tried two separate receivers and two sets of crystals but to no avail.

Esc goes into channel 2, servo goes into channel 1.

I have checked and double checked that the correct outputs from the Esc are connected to the corresponding motor terminals and obviously positive/negative battery connectors.

Transmitter batteries are full along with the lipo in the car.

I thought it might be due to the Esc needing to be set up, but my servo should still operate. Esc seems to power up fine and will go through set up functions not that I am able to complete this due to the lack of power/signal.

Does it sound like I should just try a new transmitter and receiver given they have just sat in a box for a number of years compared to everything else which is either new or newly new.

I don't mind getting a new transmitter as I would have liked to have gotten a 2.4Ghz system at some point anyway, just want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious

[mattybucks]

What esc is it and have you set it up correctly?

[RogerM]

Suspect that voltage isn't making it from ESC to RX. Check the wires between ESC and RX for breaks etc.

If you have a PT doe the light on that come on? If not then it's almost certainly lack of power to the RX.

[Neil_H]

It is an LRP Flow,

Lights come on, and it looks like you can go through the set up process. The manual says to hold the 'set' button for 3 seconds to enter set up mode. This however does not seem to happen, although you can hold the 'mode' button for 3 seconds to enter what looks to go through a series of selections.

I don't have a PT so can't check that.

I will suspect that the ESC isn't set up correctly, I will have a sit down with the manual, but like you say it does not look like the receiver is getting any power which would also explain why the servo is inactive.

I am not used to modern Esc's but I would have expected without going through the set up process that it would still send power to the receiver?

Thanks for the help so far

[john333]

Your esc will power up, but if its not getting "feedback" from the receiver it wont let you set it up, something I found out when I forgot to plug in the wire from esc to receiver

So I would say its definitely a receiver power problem

[Neil_H]

Thanks for that, yeah it doesn't let me enter set up mode.

Therefore it is either the cable from the esc to the receiver not giving power or something internally within the receiver.

Cable from the esc looks fine, receivers though haven't been used/tested in over 10yrs

Looks like I have an excuse to get a new transmitter

[MattW]

I'm wondering if the receiver plug wires are in the correct order. I have some vague recollection that old Sanwa receivers needed the wires in the plugs in a different order.

[MattW]

http://www.fatlion.com/sailplanes/im...sconnector.png

That suggests that they were indeed different at one point - weather that point includes your receiver, obviously I can't tell you (Airtronics = Sanwa America btw)

Try and find out rather than just swapping them - as getting it wrong can in some circumstances create smoke!

[shinytopman]

Just a quickie.......It doesn't show "+ - S" on the moulding of the receiver case?

[Xracer]

A really obvious one, you do have the right crystals in?

[Neil_H]

Yeh, think crystals are correct, Tx in the transmitter RX in the receiver.

Thanks for the link I'll look into it, I have tried every combination of reciever ports, and then thought I'd try them the other way round which led to smoke on the first attempt so gave up thinking id fried one of my receivers, but I'll give the link a read.

Worst comes to worst I've got a new transmitter and reciever on the way but would be good to get it working

[Neil_H]

Just a quick update I've got it working

Looked at the link and looked like I needed to swap the positive and negative over. I did this but still nothing. I then inserted it upside down and now the motor is responding to the esc.

Another positive note is I did this with the receiver I thought I had fried, so that also looks like its working

I just need to remember to swap it back when my new transmitter arrives