Issue with steering either cutting out, not responding, or going the opposite direction on what I turn the wheel

[DavidB1126]

RadioLink RC8X with R6FG V5 receiver.

At the track a few days ago, I had a problem, it would happen for like a split second. It would either cutout, not respond, or turning the opposite direction than on what I turn the wheel too.

Wonder if the metal wire at the end of the rx antenna could cause this? Most likely. But I thought it would be more as a range issue than cutting out (med sized carpet track so car and TX are less than 50 ish feet away at all times.

Prob need a new receiver. I only got a spare 8 channel receiver. Might try to fit it in to the small compact race chassis. But dual antennas aren't gonna help.

Note, I have all RX/TX gyro functions disabled as they are "cheating" for racing. And will (probably) make me drive worse than I did.

Is there any other way how to clean or wrap up antennas? What I used to do is wrap the antenna around my finger (minus the metal end) and tape it to the RX case.

 

[tntpoof]

check you esc bec. hd the same issues happen . went thru servo fter servo th I checked bec it would fade in voltage or switch -/+ directon

 

[ahr43]

David, are you using a 'glitch buster' cap? If not try plugging one into an available receiver port. Possibly voltage sag at the servo is dropping to or below minimum specified. A glitch buster stores voltage and releases it on demand to the steering servo in low volts situations.

As always, check your radio system owners manual to ensure compatibility. Hope this helps and cures the issue. 'AC'

 

[DavidB1126]

David, are you using a 'glitch buster' cap? If not try plugging one into an available receiver port. Possibly voltage sag at the servo is dropping to or below minimum specified. A glitch buster stores voltage and releases it on demand to the steering servo in low volts situations.

I am not.

Wonder if the ext cat pack on the ESC can cause this? On Monday, the cat pack came undone from my tape. But it looks all good. Just need to retape that up.

Ill try a different receiver today and see if it still does it tomorrow. Ill try to fit the 8 channel one so I can try out the servo speed thing. It will be a tight fit tho.

 

[ahr43]

Ext cat pack on the ESC generally serves as a power back-up for the motor.

If space is an issue, you could use a heavy-duty "Y" splitter on the steering port of your present receiver. Plug the steering servo into one pigtail and the g.b. into the other. Of course, that introduces two more electrical connections into the circuit and two more places for things to go wrong. But it is a course of last resort.

Good luck. Interested to read how this comes out and how you resolve it. Cheers. 'AC'

 

[bill_delong]

If there is the slightest nick on the antenna, then the Rx is ruined, been there done that. I have since switched to antenna-less Rx's and absolutely love them, but in the past I made sure that none of my antenna's ever protruded outside the body. I would restrict the antenna tube to whatever height the body would allow and that's all that was necessary to feed the antenna to get decent signals, never damaged an antenna after that strategy.

 

[DavidB1126]

If there is the slightest nick on the antenna, then the Rx is ruined, been there done that. I have since switched to antenna-less Rx's and absolutely love them, but in the past I made sure that none of my antenna's ever protruded outside the body. I would restrict the antenna tube to whatever height the body would allow and that's all that was necessary to feed the antenna to get decent signals, never damaged an antenna after that strategy.

If I do use a tube, how would I make it like stand up? Because current race stuff doesn't have like a mount for them, like my Traxxas cars.

 

[ahr43]

If I do use a tube, how would I make it like stand up? Because current race stuff doesn't have like a mount for them, like my Traxxas cars.

David, here is my antenna mount for the 2009 dragster I'm restoring. 1/4in nylon clamp secures an antenna tube with a short length of nitro fuel tube as a spacer. G10FR fiberglass mount attaches it to the frame rail.

 

[bill_delong]

tons of antenna mounts out there, first one I saw here:
https://www.amainhobbies.com/schumacher-universal-antenna-mount-schu1042/p170576

 

[DavidB1126]

Fitted the 8ch RX. Tight fit but I think it can work. Looks like enough clearance so shouldn't have any issues. Going to have the antennas running beside the battery. Looks like a spot that it is secure. I also updated my firmware on the TX so I can use the new 8ch RX for adjustable servo speed. 14ms way too slow. 4 just enough. 3 is a little too much. Will experiment with it tomorrow.

 

[Chubaka]

Watch that drive shaft! They love the colored spaghetti.

 

[DavidB1126]

Watch that drive shaft! They love the colored spaghetti.

Been there done that before. And that's why I try to secure my wires.
This is when my ESC wire got caught up. Was wondering why it wasn't working after I hit a jump.

 

[DavidB1126]

Went through all my settings in the radio and turned off all gyro settings there, and the receiver is on no gyro mode. So we will see how it does with the 8ch and the 6ch rx, if it stops, ill keep the 8ch in as I like the servo speed adjustability.
If it doesn't stop, but I switch radios to my trusty 4GS and it doesn't do it, it has to be something inside the TX making it wonky.

 

[DavidB1126]

Found out the issue, everyone with the RC8X and the latest firmware has the same issues. More about it on these threads:

https://www.rctalk.com/forum/thread...rc8x-futaba-t4pm-sanwa-m17-flysky-nb4.138512/

https://www.rctalk.com/forum/threads/new-radio-radiolink-rc8x.138874/

 

[DavidB1126]

Found an example for yall
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdFhF-yrZh4l8H3xBCC94kxJJMLiMrlgv?si=4TQ6UhQaQBP9WaAq

 

[DavidB1126]

Will post an update if problems resolve next time I'm at the track.

I was at the track last Wednesday for racing, while out for practice, it didn't seem to cutout and do what it did, but it didn't feel right. Maybe since I had to reset everything, maybe I have to go back in and redo some of my settings. I should have recalibrated the esc to see if it was the issue, but didn't. Won't be doing RC Racing or going to a track until march is looks like so can't really test it out since my local carpet track closed down (which I had lots of practice and tune time there)
For racing that night I used my trusty 4GS with no issues. Looks like ill continue to use my 4GS for my wheeler B74 unless I figure out the issues with the 8X. (Ill use the 8X for all my other cars as I don't have issues with those cars with that radio)

Edit:
We will see what I do with my 8X. Might get rid of it and just go get a FAST and RELIABLE radio that actually WORKS.

(Copied from New Radio thread)

 

[DavidB1126]

They had just released a new firmware. V1.2.1.
Not gonna install until I hear from others f rom the FB group
Downgraded to V1.1.5 a month ago. And can't go to a track to test it out till late March. Will stay with 1.1.5 and dial in back my radio settings and have no issues when I go racing in March @ BeachRC.

Also not to mention I am kinda tired plugging in the radio and trying to adjust stuff so Ill leave it as is
And thats why I learned to not update firmware on RC stuff.

 

[DavidB1126]

I might have found out my issues. I am running a older version receiver. Razor RC in one of his videos say that you NEED the latest version receiver inorder to run at the lower latency servo speed options. I am running a a V2.0. I have to be running a V2.1 receiver. Gonna get a V2.1 receiver and a glitch buster cap and hopefully I can fix these long awaited issues to be fixed.