I think I've broken my Hitec A9

[Bucksboy]

Ive used my Hitec Aurora 9 for months now and have been very impressed with it. I made up a seperate power pack to use as the original one was a bit small, the only problem was that the pack could be fitted negative to positive. I couldn't find compatable plugs. I never worried as I never unplugged the pack. Until today, my son did. You guessed it, he plugged it in negative to positive, released the magic smoke and nothing. It wont work.

i'll take it back to the shop and Perkins but is it repairable or have I got to face buying a new one?

my fault, I know so its not warranty work, has anyone got any experience of similar problems?

[Andy Blackburn]

" released the magic smoke"

Said it yourself - very probably completely fried. I think you probably need a new one - and a new set of plugs...?

Only thing i've seen that's remotely similar has been plugging some Hitec servos the wrong way round into a Spektrum Rx - of course, nothing worked and it looked as though it hadn't bound properly, until someone thought to check.

 

Edited By Andy Blackburn on 07/09/2012 19:22:11

[twinstar]

I suspect they may be able to a board replacement.

If you email mike mayberry on RC groups he can probably tell you - he works for hitec

[A.T.]

Posted by Bucksboy on 07/09/2012 19:11:04:

Ive used my Hitec Aurora 9 for months now and have been very impressed with it. I made up a seperate power pack to use as the original one was a bit small, the only problem was that the pack could be fitted negative to positive. I couldn't find compatable plugs. I never worried as I never unplugged the pack. Until today, my son did. You guessed it, he plugged it in negative to positive, released the magic smoke and nothing. It wont work.

i'll take it back to the shop and Perkins but is it repairable or have I got to face buying a new one?

my fault, I know so its not warranty work, has anyone got any experience of similar problems?

If good with smt soldering, DIY:

Hitec Aurora - Reversed TX Battery Polarity Damage Fix 01

Hitec Aurora - Reversed TX Battery Polarity Damage Fix 02

 

 

more information on the Aurora 9 under Hitec USA Support Forum Sticky:
Aurora 9, AFHSS Spectra Modules, Optima Transceivers, Minima Receivers
& Telemetry - FAQ & Undocumented Features
- Mixes, Setups, Tips. {Individual Links often updated}

Alan T.
Alan's Hobby, Model & RC FAQ Web Links

 

Edited By A.T. on 07/09/2012 21:13:07

[Simon Chambers]

I have a big bug bear with a lot of rc transmitter designs and complete lack of reverse polarity protection. It only requires a couple of pence parts to satisfactorily protect it. Its not just the a9 with this problem, many others do. It's shocking that they don't even have basic protection.

As AT's links describe above, it usually only takes out one capacitor. If your good with the iron it's doable. I would imagine Perkins would replace that complete board - no doubt probably not that cheap!

I use a PCB 2.54" Molex connector on my packs to prevent me doing the same.

Si.

[Bucksboy]

Hitec use a weird plug on the battery that I couldn't find to solder onto my new packs. I used a set of 6 Eneloop batteries to make a pack that had over double the capacity to the one supplied. I knew that it would stay in place for charging and wasn't a problem. My sons Hitec A9 pack went low so I said 'no problem, just take my pack out and shove it in yours, be careful about the the polarity though' I thought that warning was enough but no, he managed to reverse it!

I surprised that there isn't a sacrificial thing that blows but they must rely on the mechanical fit of the plug.

I can solder but I'll take it back to the shop to see what they say. I don't mind spending a few pounds, especially as the link above shows, it's likely to be one particular part. What I don't want is a bill approaching the cost of a new one.

I'll keep you all informed.

Bucks

[Bucksboy]

Well, I took it to my LMS and they phoned someone, Hitec repairs I presume. It costs £50 for the board and £20 to fit, £70 in total. Cheaper than a new set but steep nonetheless. On the plus side, it'll still be in warranty and I know that it will be trustworthy. Not something I could say if I repaired it myself.

So, back in a week they promise. An expensive mistake to make.

bucks

[Simon Chambers]

Actually the part is cheaper than I thought it would be. The £20 labour is a bit steep for fitting, as its probably only 10 minutes labour and 5 minutes re-calibrating it. However its probably worth its price for piece of mind if your not experienced at SMD soldering.

Be aware that you'll likely loose your model memory if you haven't backed it up already. As that board contains the memory that stores your model information.

In future, I would either cut off the battery connector from the original NiMh battery and then solder the fly-leads onto the Lipo power leads.

Alternatively, use these: 2 Way Crimp Terminal Housing Molex 22-01-2025 KK, Friction Ramp, 2.54mm Pitch, with these compatible crimp pieces: Molex KK Crimp Terminals 08-50-0032

Cheers,

Si.

[Bucksboy]

Simon, I will snip off the connectors that came on the original Hitec battery and fit them to my sons higher capacity battery to ensure it never happens again. I'm happy that I'll never do it myself and it would never have been a problem if his pack had lasted a few minutes more. Yes, we had backed up the models so thats something.

Thanks for the link to those connecters by the way, I may invest £3 to see of they fit. Thanks again.

Bucks