Sparks333

Hi all!
I bought a FUN piccolo a while back (few years?) after I tried out a Model 110. (The Norvel engine was reaallly hard to start!)
I have a few problems with mine. Here they are. Please help!
The Piccolo in question is a FUN piccolo with the Piccoloboard Plus + onboard reciever. I have also upgraded the swashplate. and bearings.
1. When full throttle is applied, and I run up the tail rotor to turn, the tail rotor quits at full! It won't come back on until the rudder stick is back a neutral. Replaced tail motor, still problematic.
2. I cannot use my favorite Hitec transmitter, but must use my Futaba. I have tried switching the jumper, but it still does not work. Not very important, but annoying.
3. When I was flying, problem 1 occured. It crashed (Hard!) and now the onboard reciever does not work. I think the mixer board works, but the reciever conifrms the signal, then proceeds to send the servos in whichever direction it pleases. A few seconds later, the tail rotor joins in. The main rotor (thankfully!) never does kick in. Does anyone know what I did to it?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Sparks

VinceHerman

Have you read these links?
Ikarus board Welcome page
Paul Goelz's site
RADD'S SCHOOL OF ROTARY FLIGHT?

Lots of good information. Read up.
Now, about your electronics. It does sound like you do not have things set up right, but I am not sure what would make your tail shut down at full throttle. May be a moot point if the crash buggerd everygthing, as it sounds like it did. You will need to get the replacements/repairs donebefore we can troubleshoot your radio. Paul's site does have a good section on troublshooting the piccoboard, but if your receiver is broken, that will need addressed first. If the servos are not paying attention, the first thing to do is check the crystal on your receiver. take it out and shake it. Does it rattle? It is broken and time for a new one.

Sabot

good advise, replace the cyristal

Sparks333

Thanks for replying!
I shook the crystal, but heard nothing. To replace it: Is it simply a single-conversion FM Rx crystal, or something really off the wall? Just a question...
Second: The mixer board does appear to work. I tried it with a second reciever I had and the servos did not chitter. I didn't have the time to try it fully, but i plan to.
Third: I think I had it set up ok, since it was flying semi-ok before, but i will give the sites a check. Thanks!
Fourth: I like the use of 'buggered'

Thanks again!

Sparks

Sparks333

Here's a mystery!
First: I decided that the crystal was probably a single-conversion FM. I had read that it was somewhere, I think. Secondly, I tried another crystal, this one from my Hitec Featherlite reciever. Hmmm.... Still chittering servos. I decided to try to get 3 of my 4 channels working on the Hitec reciever, but the servos still chittered! I double-checked all the Tx and Rx frequencies and channels. I decided to try out the Piccolo reciever. I plugged it into a standard aircraft, and those servos chittered! So, now I know that either the Hitec reciever is incompatible with the Piccoloboard, or something reeaaallly screwy is going on, perhaps in the mixing board and the reciever. I think I will give Paul Goelz a try.

Thanks again!

Sparks

Sparks333

Everyone, thanks for your input. I talked to Paul Goelz and he helped quite a bit.
First off, the problem lies in the reciever. The deal: It's not the crystal. We checked out the reciever with an osilloscope, and even when the crystal was out, the clock was REALLY erratic. Here's what we figured: the way recivers work, you have a carrier signal (usually provided by the crystal) and a seprate signal. Because of the amplification required to make a reciever work at range, you cannot easily amplify a high-frequency signal, so the reciever uses a second clock that subtracts from the first clock to make a low-frequency signal that is easily amplified. This is called Superheterodyne mixing, or Superhet for short (for a really good site on how radios and stuff works, check out http://www.torreypinesgulls.org/Radios.htm). I think that the second clock has become erratic as a deformation of a crystal that provides the subtractor clock. As for the tail rotor, I now think it was caused by overheating.

Thanks again!

Sparks

macpegg.uk

SPARKS??

Do you use the IKARUS board by any chance??

Sparks333

Yes, as a matter of fact I do use the Ikarus board. Why?

PS: sorry about not responding for a bit