Broken switch on Futaba radio?

[My Local I.T Guy]

Thanks for checking anyway Lofty, much appreciated, I'll pop down to avi this week and get one before Jim goes walkies..

[My Local I.T Guy]

Hey Guys

I drove all the way out to RipMax this Monday gone and they fixed the switch for me "while-you wait" which I was totaly chuffed with as I'd spent best part of 3+ hours getting there and 2+ hours getting home again, but now, I've discovered my buddy cable socket doesnt work proprly

Its been working perfectly up till last weekend as I was using the radio with Pheonix sim, no problemo at all, and flew a few flights on buddy cable with it, all was good, but now I plug it into pheonix and I'm getting that "Please switch on your radio" message keeps popping up, yet if I wiggle the cable about, it comes back on.

I tried pheonix with my 6EX and its fine, so its not the cable, so to my dismay, I wrote back to Ripmax to tell them that since they repaired the switch, my buddy connector is now not working and they told me

Any faults associated with the trainer socket of Futaba transmitters are nearly always caused by a connection to third party equipment, rather than a Futaba trainer lead (the socket's intended purpose), so it's likely to be a chargeable repair this time.

If you are able to send the transmitter to us we can usually arrange a repair within 48 hours. If the trainer connection has been damaged the repair cost will be £35.00 including return postage.

I tried to tell them its been perfectly fine up to the point when i got it home from them repairing just the broken switch, but their having none of it and want to charge me to repair the trainer socket...

This is a brand spanking new radio.. Shouldnt this be covered by warranty?
I cant fly at all now until this is fixed....

[Nutz]

This is why models shops can be handy cos if you bought it from them it would be there job to fight to cause on behalf of you. have you opened it to see if it is a loose connection, if you can take apart laptop you can definitely take apart a TX.

[My Local I.T Guy]

This is why models shops can be handy cos if you bought it from them it would be there job to fight to cause on behalf of you. have you opened it to see if it is a loose connection, if you can take apart laptop you can definitely take apart a TX.

Indeed, I tried that, cant see anything out of place or loose at all. Will pass back to Inwoods then, let them hassle RipMax, problem is, nothing happens quickly, and in the meantime, I wont be able to fly at all.

[Bravedan]

Being a fairly frequent Buddy/Phoenix/FMS/Clearview Sim user with 6 Futaba air Tx's I have to say that :-

1. The connection you get is usually far from reliable.

2. I have never proven a connection problem into the Tx, it's ALWAYS been the lead or lead plug.


Have you really eliminated the highest risks, the plug/socket pin mechanics and likely high resistance connections?

Have you unplugged the battery and used a non-residue contact cleaner aerosol on the pins while working them in and out?...........(allow drying time before switch on)?

Are all the pins still there, and have you realigned the pins so the bear more on the sockets?

There is a history of the pins of the plug INSIDE the body bending and shorting, even blowing up the electronics.

[My Local I.T Guy]

Being a fairly frequent Buddy/Phoenix/FMS/Clearview Sim user with 6 Futaba air Tx's I have to say that :-

1. The connection you get is usually far from reliable.

2. I have never proven a connection problem into the Tx, it's ALWAYS been the lead or lead plug.


Have you really eliminated the highest risks, the plug/socket pin mechanics and likely high resistance connections?

Have you unplugged the battery and used a non-residue contact cleaner aerosol on the pins while working them in and out?...........(allow drying time before switch on)?

Are all the pins still there, and have you realigned the pins so the bear more on the sockets?

There is a history of the pins of the plug INSIDE the body bending and shorting, even blowing up the electronics.

Wow, bloody hell, thats a lot a problemo's. I cant however drop the feeling that this is the socket on the radio itself. It works perfectly, every time with my 6EX, no glitching, everything totally perfect, the second I try it with the 10CG, its playing up, and the 10CG is the only one thats been opened, and had anything replaced and my Peonix cable is pretty much immaculate, all be it a little dusty, but the plug itself, all pins, all straight...

Just seems too much of a coincidence it breaking the same time it has been opened/repaired

[Trevor]

If it is like my old Futaba Challenger where the trainer socket stopped working, the socket is on the back case and when you take the back off, the wires connecting it get stretched and can break or stress the solder. They are easy to solder back on.

[My Local I.T Guy]

If it is like my old Futaba FF6 where the trainer socket stopped working, the socket is on the back case and when you take the back off, the wires connecting it get stretched and can break or stress the solder. They are easy to solder back on.

Hi Trevor

Yep, the socket is on the back, but not connected to the back of the case, it just sits on a circuit board right under the hole in the back of the casing so when you take the back off, none of it is connected to the back of the Tx casing..

[Lofty]

From what I have seen JR / Spek don't have this problem when it comes to B/B or Sims, due to the socket type they use. But on the other hand I've seen / heard of tons of people that have problem with Futaba sockets. The most problems I have seen is with the 2.4Ghz 6EX, man these been tons.
And it don't help much when it comes to the plug part of the socket there sime to be well made ones and not so well made plugs

[My Local I.T Guy]

Thanks Lofty, seems your spot on with this, the guys at phoenix sent me a new cable which they said was "One of the better ones" and now when I plug-in, my radio comes on all by itself, and works perfectly!

So it looks like it was just the cable after all.

Apologies to Dave, he was right, right from the get go, Sorry dave, although I did take your advice, thus contacted Phoenix to get them involved and that worked a treat, cheers mate

Kudos to Inwoods too, they have been pretty helpful