Capt Kremen

Happy 'Electric' Days ... Editor of the little Yellow Mag & BEFA Founder Member No.2 😉

A couple of useful video sites for ETHOS folk: https://www.youtube.com/@adam_mawz_maas And FrSky Ethos: Throttle Reverse (Updated) (youtube.com) And https://www.youtube.com/@MrD

And just when you think you've got the hang of it ... along comes a(nother) update and it changes yet again 😉

Self Check can be enabled by gently depressing the Rx button when all other items have been completed. It goes 'Blue' then flashes, controls dance, all done. Caution: do ensure model is at a flying attitude when doing this or 'panic' mode may result in for example up elevator. Lovely radio system though (FrSky X20S for me) and Rx but FrSky keep 'improving' and 'updating' things. Beware of videos on line, even after just a few months ago, they can sometimes be out-of-date following an update with latest methods. Also, always check Rx and Tx software are kept updated to ensure compatibility with latest operation. Items bought from dealers may not have the latest updates if they've been in stock on a shelf awhile! 😉

Red Letter Days = Rip Off!

I have a couple of Tool Kit devices - (Charger, LiPo Balancer) - You do have to calibrate them for best/accurate results though. No issues to date.

At least one make of Tx which had/has(?) a touch screen on its front face for adjusting model menus etc. This was not sealed from the elements i.e. water, snow! This ingress of H2O, particularly in heavy downpours, corrupted the screen making subsequent operations difficult, if not impossible!

Brilliant! Thanks GBG, 'ticking' self-check and waggling the sticks to all extremes did the 'blue' LED trick. Whilst I love the flexibility of Open/Edge & ETHOS OS, the various tick boxes on the umpteen different permutations of model & receiver, can catch you, (or at least me),out. Doesn't help when you haven't used or performed a specific set-up or task in a while ... soft memory fade occurs 😉 'Now how did I do that six-months ago?' Yes, templates are good for repeats but as in this case, I'd updated to the latest spec. which can change or add things that weren't there last time!

Just updated a FrSky ARCHER SR6 Rx to latest V2.1.12. Using a fully updated X20S Tx, the Rx is registered and bound OK, (Solid Green LED with power On). No servo (AETRA set up) response EXCEPT Throttle on Ch3 which does operate thru full range. Any clues what 'tick box' or other item needs changing to get the rest of the controls working? The whole set-up worked perfectly before.

+1 for 'Mr D' and suggest ensuring all components i.e. Tx and compatible Rx are updated to the latest software. This is quite straightforward with the ETHOS Suite which tells you if an update is available, just click 'update' and it does everything for you. Superb set, (I have RadioMaster TX16S MkII and the X20S is much less faff if all you want is to fly with a reliable piece of kit). If you love programming though you can still devise all manner of permutations etc. in the numerous menus.

We had the 'Flying Scotsman' steam loco visit our local station at the W/E, stopping to take on water. You can guess what was hovering directly over the rail track, loco and carriages full of passengers. Other scheduled trains were still running past on the other adjacent track whilst the drone was in the air. Sooner or later ..... do hope not though.

To paraphrase a film/tv titles credit statement: "No Sullivan Clevis Tools were harmed in the fixing of the Riot!" 😉

Many sports flyers enjoy the Max Thrust 'Riot' in its various formats i.e. Foam or Balsa/Ply airframes. I recently acquired a second-hand but totally un-flown foam 'Riot' V2 version. I am in the fortunate position of having a generous quantity of quality model part spares such as motors, wheels, servo, clevis and control horns gained after many years modelling. Just as well, as the attached photo show the state and poor quality of control horn as supplied with the 'Riot' and received out-of-the-box. This is therefore an advisory to 'Riot' owners out there, check the condition of your fittings, they might just be about to fail like the one pictured did. I also had one of the cheap plastic clevis literally crumble too. Thankfully none of these occurred while the plane was in the air and were caught beforehand. My 'Riot' is now like 'Triggers Broom'! Replaced: Motor, Prop, Spinner, U/C, Wheels & Axles, All Servo, Control Linkages, Ball-Head Clevis, Control Push-Rods & Runs.

The 49” Challenger ARF does NOT include Motor, ESC, and servos.

All R/C Glow Engines For Sale - None boxed OS40LA engine complete with silencer - Un-Used Power Wing FZ53 Four-Stroke Engine complete with silencer - Very Clean, Very Light Use Thunder Tigre Pro 46 Engine complete with silencer - Un-Used O S 40MAX FP R/C Engine complete with silencer - Well used but still a runner PM me with your offers please. Thanks for looking. 😉

Have recently flown the T-Tail 'EasyGlide' Aggressor. Flew well BUT lots of niggles with assembly due poor QC and fiddly, poorly thought out servo plug coupling arrangements, to name but a few. Down to a (expensive) price not up to a quality, typical of many ARTFs. Wonder what it will be called in other countries when it surfaces there as these model mouldings do e.g. Max Thrust 'Riot' is called the ArtTech 'Devil' in the US.

The 'Chapter One' plan by Nigel Hawes was published in the Nov. 2014 RCM&E as PART 7. In what Issues of RCM&E are Parts 1 to 6 featured?

Whilst the MPX 'Cockpit 12' Tx has calibration capability, (carried out and indicating successfully all correct), the MPX 'Smart SX' Tx handset/controller does not have any LCD display and no description of a calibration process appears in the MPX manual accompanying the set. With the MPX set-up, the control surface variance remains. I will set up a Spectrum 'buddy-box' test rig using two fully re-calibrated Spektrum Tx and see if they (still) indicate a control difference on switching between.

Thanks Andy, tried that several times, still a trim/control variance of up to 5mm approx. (elevator and aileron in my case), between Tx switching 'tween the two. I am curious to know how many others and with other radio makes e.g. Futaba, FrSky, HiTec etc. this difference occurs. Could explain away a few of the 'difficulties' encountered between the Teacher & Pupil, especially during early stages when getting to grips with just keeping a model in the air!

Recently I was made aware of an issue which had not, to the best of my knowledge, shown itself before. On linking a MPX Cockpit Tx to a MPX SX Tx Handset for training purposes via Bluetooth wireless link, on transfer of control from Master/Teacher Tx to Pupil Tx and subsequently back, some control surfaces moved to adopt slightly different neutral positions. (Enough to potentially cause a change of model trim). I repeated the test and observation using two Spektrum Tx, (a DX8 & DX6i via cable connection), similar slight changes in control positions on transfer were noticed. In both instances, all Tx trims were centralised to begin with i.e. not off-set, all Tx fully charged/fresh batteries installed and the same Rx and model installation servo used. Control end-points checked as well as any mixes which might be present, no obvious cause except perhaps component variance e.g. pot resolution(?) Searching through the manuals of both radio manufacturers, I can see no mention of this anomaly or how it might be rectified or compensated for. Obviously the Master Tx flying a model in trim then transferring control to a pupil Tx with it changing trim/control position is not ideal or desired. Have others noticed this with their training link/buddy-box set-ups? If so, how did they resolve the issue? Once the pupil has enough flights under their belt/log book, the teacher probably intervenes and takes less control, so the issue is likely less noticeable but the crucial initial first few flights are likely to be critical.

Radiomaster Rx can be assigned a number, as can Multiplex Rx too which is then associated with the specific model that Rx is installed in. If you remove and install that Rx in a.n.other model the association/link continues unless otherwise re-numbered and of course any model specific changes are made.

Currently an all-fixed wing club, as part of looking at opening up our horizons, we are considering introducing Quad & FPV operations to our all-grass countryside field. We do already have a small indoor venue, (Village Hall), where the typical 'Whoops' micro/mini craft can be flown. Questions: Do 'conventional' fixed wing & Quads/FPV flying on the same site work in everyday, all-weather practice? Initially, we're thinking of limiting the size of Quad, likely to be 4-5" rotor size, not the mega size machines many professional photo folk use! If so, how has your club/group arranged and organised it? Otherwise, is it best to keep the two types of craft totally separate i.e. each use their own dedicated sites? Also, being very conscious of noise, what is the best practice for noise testing Quads? (Have looked at the BMFA site and it's not that helpful specifically regarding Quads - We already noise test all models as a matter of routine to comply with all recommendations). We intend to have a trial, see what the response, participation and overall interest level is. Possibly we may attract some new and younger blood into the club, well that's one aspect too! (Yes, like many if not most clubs, the current average age of club members is north of 60+!) Any other aspects, safety, practical rules we should consider, organisations to contact? Thanks in advance for any constructive and helpful information forum members may provide.

+1 for a Sean Bannister 'Algebra' - Mine was from a commercial kit. (Was it Ripmax?). Conventional tail, not the 'V-tail' version. Veneer covered foam wings, ply fuz as stated. Also, I had fitted a nicely moulded Radio Sailplanes releasable tow hook to mine, remember them(?) Shared Uxbridge Common Sports field with Sean back in the 70s when he was (test?) flying it. I was flying a free-flight Keil-Kraft 'Caprice' with D/T and fairing pretty well against the 'heavier' R/C model launched off a bungee.

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Time marks in 'catch-up' link 1:33 to approx 1:53, (with music tracks interspersed!).