Some Help with the RTF Volantex RC Ranger 600mm Glider

[Greg]

As a new flyer I recently purchased the Ranger 600 to gain some experience before moving on to other aircraft. 

 

Being a beginner I don't know if I am doing something wrong. I unpacked the aircraft today and charged the battery as instructed. when the charging of the aircraft battery was finished I put AA batteries in the transmitter but did switch the TX on. I then connected the charged battery to the aircraft. What immediately happened was the motor instantly ran at full speed  although the transmitter was not switched on. I then switched on the TX and operated the throttle up and down but the motor continued to run at full speed. The operating of the throttle control made no difference. I then switched off the TX and then disconnected the battery from the aircraft. I then tried switching on first the TX first before connecting the battery to the aircraft. As soon as the battery was connected the motor ran at full speed again. Once again I operated the throttle lever in both directions but this, once again, made no difference to the motor which continued to run at full speed. Whilst the TX was switched on and the motor running I decided to check to see if the elevator and rudder controls worked. I operated the controls back and forth and up and down but the elevator and the rudder did not move.  I then switch the TX off and removed the battery from the aircraft. This time I removed the four AA batteries from the TX. I again connected the battery to the aircraft. This time the motor did not run. At that point I decided to stop and ask for help.

 

I have read the instructions over again but I can't see anything to help. Am I doing something wrong or would you think I have a fault with the Ranger or the transmitter?

 

[John Lee]

Sounds like the transmitter is not bound to the receiver. Does the LED in the receiver flash & then turn solid colour (See the second Line 3 of the rebinding instructions)? I suggest you remove the propellor and try re-binding. 

[EarlyBird]

 

[Simon Chaddock]

First you always turn ON the transmitter and check that its LED scree comes to life before you connect any batteries in the plane. Always disconnect the plane batteries before you switch of the transmitter.

As John Lee says you receiver is not "bound" to the transmitter. There are huge range of freqeuncies than 2.4 gH radio can use and can hop around them in real time.

The binding process is required for the Transmitter and receiver to agree what system is to be used. Untill that has happened the receiver is simply "not listening"  to what the Transmitter is sending.

It also has a 3 stage "Safe" mode gyro stabilisation so it will pay to read the instruction very carefully and go through the full set up process before trying to fly the plane.

If you have access to an experienced flyer he should be able to determine that the controls are all doing what it is supposed to.

[EarlyBird]

Greg,

 

Looking at the video above the flight battery is connected first then the Tx is switched on. This goes against the normal safe procedure of Tx on flight battery connect then flight battery disconnect and Tx off last.

 

The video shows that when the flight battery is connected nothing will happen until the Tx is switched on and gyro initiated, return home set and finally the throttle is moved from min to max and back to min.

 

The throttle being at maximum when the battery is connected is dangerous and indicates to me that it's faulty. I would contact the supplier for a replacement.

 

Steve  

[leccyflyer]

If this works like the other Volantex transmitters the binding is accomplished by connecting the battery to the model first, holding the model in a stable, straight and level position and then switching on the transmitter within five seconds.  After the model is bound to the transmitter, on subsequent flights you switch the transmitter on first, then connect the battery to the model within three seconds.

[MattyB]

I think will limit my advice to…

1. Remove the prop (not a negotiable step!)
2. Read the instructions on binding the model to the TX - https://pcg-modellbau.de/media/pdf/fb/88/27/VolantexRC-Ranger-600-Manual-EN.pdf
3. Bind it!
4. Retest.
5. If successful, power down and prop back on

Pic below should help…

 

Edited January 29, 2023 by MattyB

[Greg]

Sorry to all those who have replied to my post. I have only just seen them as I, once again, forgot to switch on the Follow Topic button when posting 😟. I will look at your Responses in the morning and reply. Thanks again.

 

Greg

[leccyflyer]

Greg - when you come to read the posts, please take Matty's advice and follow the procedure in the manual for that specific model, not generic information about other, unrelated, models and systems. However well meaning that information is, when presented, it is not correct for the purposes of binding these models.

[MattyB]

1 hour ago, Greg said:

Sorry to all those who have replied to my post. I have only just seen them as I, once again, forgot to switch on the Follow Topic button when posting 😟. I will look at your Responses in the morning and reply. Thanks again.

 

Greg

Don’t worry - you aren’t obliged to put follow me in a topic, nor are you obligated to reply within a timeframe, or to reply to every post individually. This is the t’interweb, not a meeting with royalty… 😉

Edited January 29, 2023 by MattyB

[Greg]

Thank you all for your help. I decided to follow Matty's advice and follow the instructions in the manual for binding. I removed the propeller and did exactly what was said in the instructions. As soon as I connected the battery to the aircraft the motor instantly ran at full speed. To see what might happen I put the aircraft down on a flat stable surface with the motor running and continued with the binding procedure. It made no difference. The motor continued at full speed and there was no response on the aircraft either when the elevator and rudder controls were operated on the transmitter.

 

I have now contacted the supplier of the model.

 

Greg 

[Denis Watkins]

Reverse the throttle setting

On the transmitter Greg

And bind again

[GrumpyGnome]

Not sure that's possible on the included tranny Denis.......

[Greg]

I don't think I can reverse the throttle setting. The transmitter is very basic and I am sure only for use with the Ranger. I do have a FS-T4B 4ch transmitter. Would the Ranger bind to that? Or is it that the model will only bind with the TX that came in the box?

 

Greg 

[Frank Skilbeck]

Looking at the model, it looks like a brushed motor, so if the battery was plugged directly into the motor the motor would run at full speed, can you check that it's not been mis-wired and this is what is happening. 

[MattyB]

16 minutes ago, Greg said:

I don't think I can reverse the throttle setting. The transmitter is very basic and I am sure only for use with the Ranger. I do have a FS-T4B 4ch transmitter. Would the Ranger bind to that? Or is it that the model will only bind with the TX that came in the box?

 

Greg 

 

No, the RX included will only bind to the TX provided with the kit. Consulting with the supplier is definitely the correct thing to do at this point; the only other thing I would check is which channel teh ESC is plugged into in the RC, as it could have been plugged into the wrong one at the factory.

[PatMc]

9 minutes ago, MattyB said:

 

No, the RX included will only bind to the TX provided with the kit. Consulting with the supplier is definitely the correct thing to do at this point; the only other thing I would check is which channel teh ESC is plugged into in the RC, as it could have been plugged into the wrong one at the factory.

Would the ESC being plugged into the wrong channel prevent binding ? If it could be bound then moving each stick in turn to it's limits would change the motor run speed & identify the channels by stick movements.

OTOH if it can not be bound it's possible that the TX & Rx have been accidently switched with another pair somewhere between leaving the factory & being packaged by the retailer.   

But IMO it's already time to consult the supplier is the best advice. 

[Caveman]

Binding is not the issue. The manual gives the binding procedure which involves plugging the battery into the glider before switching on the tx. Clearly the manufacturer does not intend that the motor should burst into life. Therefore the model is faulty and should be replaced by the vendor.

 

GDB

[GrumpyGnome]

Yes, just get a replacement from the supplier.

 

@Greg- sorry it's been a disappointment; 'Straight out of the box' was supposed to have been simple!

Edited January 30, 2023 by GrumpyGnome

[Greg]

15 hours ago, GrumpyGnome said:

Yes, just get a replacement from the supplier.

 

@Greg- sorry it's been a disappointment; 'Straight out of the box' was supposed to have been simple!

I have contacted my supplier and they are getting advice from the manufacturer. They say that it may be a faulty TX rather than the aircraft which would be simpler to replace rather than sending the whole lot back. Which ever way, they will be providing me with a correctly working model. I am now waiting to hear again form the supplier.

  

[Piers Bowlan]

16 hours ago, MattyB said:

 

No, the RX included will only bind to the TX provided with the kit. Consulting with the supplier is definitely the correct thing to do at this point; the only other thing I would check is which channel teh ESC is plugged into in the RC, as it could have been plugged into the wrong one at the factory.

RC Hobby sell a PNP version without the Tx and say it is compatible with the Radiomaster 16S. I’ve no idea what protocol either that or Greg’s FlySky Tx uses.

In any event it certainly sounds faulty. Who did you buy it from Greg?

[Greg]

12 minutes ago, Piers Bowlan said:

RC Hobby sell a PNP version without the Tx and say it is compatible with the Radiomaster 16S. I’ve no idea what protocol either that or Greg’s FlySky Tx uses.

In any event it certainly sounds faulty. Who did you buy it from Greg?

The model was purchased from HobbyRC.co.uk.

[Frank Skilbeck]

18 minutes ago, Greg said:

I have contacted my supplier and they are getting advice from the manufacturer. They say that it may be a faulty TX rather than the aircraft which would be simpler to replace rather than sending the whole lot back. Which ever way, they will be providing me with a correctly working model. I am now waiting to hear again form the supplier.

  

Mmmmh in your first post you noted that the motor ran at full speed before the Tx was switched on, this would suggest a faulty unit in the model to me, as normally if the Rx and ESC get no signal the motor doesn't run.

[Greg]

4 minutes ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

Mmmmh in your first post you noted that the motor ran at full speed before the Tx was switched on, this would suggest a faulty unit in the model to me, as normally if the Rx and ESC get no signal the motor doesn't run.

That is correct but if you remove the AA batteries from the TX and then connect the battery to the aircraft the motor does not run.

[MattyB]

29 minutes ago, Piers Bowlan said:

RC Hobby sell a PNP version without the Tx and say it is compatible with the Radiomaster 16S. I’ve no idea what protocol either that or Greg’s FlySky Tx uses.

In any event it certainly sounds faulty. Who did you buy it from Greg?

 

It is irrelevant in this case as the OP has the RT version, but yes, the Volantex models in tis series can be bound to the MPM TXs using the V761 protocol, though it doesn't sound issue free. Video below: