Miss Geico ESC issues

[tman52804]

Guys, got my boat out for the first time, but had issues getting the ESC to arm.
It took forever to get it to arm, but it did arm once, so I got one run on the new boat. I tried several other times with my second set of new batteries and it just won't arm. I'm very familiar with the ESC's because I have many brushless airplanes and helis, so I'm absolutely sure this is just a defective ESC. It happens.

I absolutely love this boat, just need to contact Horizon Support tomorrow and get a new esc for the weekend.

Happy Boating, this is going to be one awesome boat!

[Boomer]

Are you using lipos?Did you use the Proboat programing module?
Boomer

[tman52804]

I really played around with it when I got home and I don't believe it is the ESC (wasn't seeing it power the receiver, but at home I could see the receiver light come on for a brief moment). The radio and receiver just aren't binding everytime. I turn the power on and the receiver would flash, but never turn on steady. I would rebind, it would be good until I powered the receiver down and then the transmitter down. Next time, transmitter on, receiver on, no luck. Tried from several different distances, etc..I'm not sure if it is the radio or receiver that is bad. I've bound many receivers both spectrum and JR and never had this issue.

Oh, I did use the programming card.

[tman52804]

Okay, I believe it is the transmitter. I went to rebind it again, the receiver would flash rapidly, but the transmitter would never marry up to it. The light on the back of the transmitter wouldn't flash or come on steady, nothing.

Just tried it again, transmitter will not enter bind mode. Batteries are new, not metal objects or anything around. Hope Horizon can ship me a new transmitter by the weekend.

[Boomer]

Ok I know this sounds dumb, have you double checked the batteries in the transmitter to see if one might turned around ?
Sorry, but I have done it
Boomer

[Darin Jordan]

OK, guys... you don't have to bind the radio "every time". Sometimes, it takes a couple of tries to get it to initially bind, but once bound, you should remove the binding plug and you are all set.

The sequence should be:

1) place binding plug on RX
2) Turn on TX and scroll to bind screen.
3) Apply power to RX (plug in cells and turn on ESC) The RX should flash rapidly....
4) Press "BIND" on the TX. I usually hold the botton down for a second or so to make sure it took.
5) Watch the RX. It should flash several times slower, then may flash off, then should come back on steady orange.
6) Remove binding plug.

I usually turn everything off on the boat and unplug the cells, then arm the boat as usual just to make sure it's all up and working. Then go run the boat.

That should be the only time you have to "bind" the system.

The Spektrum RX's take about 5-seconds or so to fully arm. They use this time to set the failsafe conditions.

Personally, I leave the on/off switch on the ESC ON all the time, and just let it arm as soon as it's plugged in.

If you do decide that it is the radio, contact Spektrum support and let them know the issues you are having.

[Darin Jordan]

Okay, I believe it is the transmitter. I went to rebind it again, the receiver would flash rapidly, but the transmitter would never marry up to it. The light on the back of the transmitter wouldn't flash or come on steady, nothing.

Forgot to ask... WHAT TX are you trying to use? Is it an aircraft TX??

To bind the DX7 I have, you have to leave the TX off, apply the power to the RX as described above, THEN, while holding down the bind button on the TX, TURN IT ON. Things should go through the binding process at this point.

[Boomer]

Wow, I feel like God has just spoken to me. Nice to here from you sir! I have only used my boat once, so that is likely the issue. I like many am awaiting the arrival of my new Flex shaft so I can get back to having some fun. I am glad about the delay as I have been reading lots of good info on how to best tune the boat and to prop it.
I think I will just spring for the bucks and get one of aftermarket versions so I can get back on the water.
As I said before, you have a winner on your hands. Thanks for the detailed instructions.
Boomer

[tman52804]

I'm using the transmitter that came with the Miss Geico. It won't bind. I followed the bind sequence in the manual. There isn't a button to push on the transmitter like most others.

Boomer, batteries are new and installed correctly. I did get one successful bind and run on the lake. It won't link up again, so I've been trying to rebind, no luck. I'm not a newbie at binding. Sorry, I'm getting frustrated. Looks like it is the transmitter, so I"ll call Horizon first thing in the morning.

[Darin Jordan]

I'm using the transmitter that came with the Miss Geico. It won't bind. I followed the bind sequence in the manual. There isn't a button to push on the transmitter like most others.

I just read the manual... and I disagree with the instructions listed in 11. on page 6. That's not how the ESC, or radio, works.

You arm the boat as follows:

1) With everything off, install the batteries.
2) Turn on the TX
3) Turn on the boat.

The RX will arm itself after around 5-seconds, and you'll hear the servo engage, and the ESC should go through a few beeps, and then should be armed.

You should NOT need to pull the throttle to full, then back to neutral, to get it to arm. IN fact, this may prevent that from happening.

If the RX is truely unbound, and you've followed the manual instructions for the radio itself and it still doesn't work, then you may truely have received a bad TX. BUT, make sure that the rest of what I've suggested has been done.

It's VERY unusual for the RX/TX to come "unbound", unless someone purposefully did it. NOT saying it can't happen, just that it's rare.

I'll feedback to ProBoat about the manual instructions and see what they have to say. Maybe they know something I don't, but I've never had to use the throttle trigger on the TX to get anything to arm. It normally self-arms and autodetects the endpoints.

[nomobux]

I just read the manual... and I disagree with the instructions listed in 11. on page 6. That's not how the ESC, or radio, works.

You arm the boat as follows:

1) With everything off, install the batteries.
2) Turn on the TX
3) Turn on the boat.

The RX will arm itself after around 5-seconds, and you'll hear the servo engage, and the ESC should go through a few beeps, and then should be armed.

You should NOT need to pull the throttle to full, then back to neutral, to get it to arm. IN fact, this may prevent that from happening.

If the RX is truely unbound, and you've followed the manual instructions for the radio itself and it still doesn't work, then you may truely have received a bad TX. BUT, make sure that the rest of what I've suggested has been done.

It's VERY unusual for the RX/TX to come "unbound", unless someone purposefully did it. NOT saying it can't happen, just that it's rare.

I'll feedback to ProBoat about the manual instructions and see what they have to say. Maybe they know something I don't, but I've never had to use the throttle trigger on the TX to get anything to arm. It normally self-arms and autodetects the endpoints.

I believe with cars / trucks, you do push the trigger to brake during bind to set your failsafe ( DX3R ) Maybe those parts of the process got thrown into the manual

[Darin Jordan]

I believe with cars / trucks, you do push the trigger to brake during bind to set your failsafe ( DX3R ) Maybe those parts of the process got thrown into the manual

The failsafe on the RX is set to wherever the positions where when you initially BIND the RX/TX. Once the binding plug is removed, the binding is done. Powering it up after that is just initializing the RX. It doesn't "bind" each time you power it up, unless you forget to take the binding plug off the RX.

I got my MG out last night, which is still new, right out of the box, and I turned on the TX, plugged in the cells to the boat, then turned on the boat. The RX flashed through it's initialization sequence, then went steady orange, then the ESC did it's beeps, and I was ready to go. No transmitter interaction required.

This is a straight up BJ26/ELAM/FasTECH power system with no changes... This is how it's always worked.

[tman52804]

It was bound originally when I checked to make sure the steering servo was working properly. I hadn't powered the boat up for a week as I've been waiting for my aftermarket flex shaft. I went to power it up and it wouldn't bind. I've really tried everything and I believe since the RX will blink in bind mode and the TX won't blink or anything, that it is indeed the TX.


When I turn on my TX and then power on my RX, the RX will make one short flash and that's it. Nothing else happens. RX doesn't go solid and esc doesn't arm.

[Darin Jordan]

When I turn on my TX and then power on my RX, the RX will make one short flash and that's it. Nothing else happens. RX doesn't go solid and esc doesn't arm.

If you have one, try this....

Disconnect the ESC from the RX. With the bind plug in place, Plug in a seperate RX battery pack to the RX (though the AUX contact, or any other unused connection). See if it will bind then.

If it will, then it is something in the ESC, or in that part of the system (low batteries, etc., not powering up the ESC properly). If it doesn't bind then, then you do have a radio issue (assuming that the batteries in the TX are still providing >4.0V...)

Sorry you are having troubles.

[AndyKunz]

Make sure you are NOT touching any of the control inputs while doing the bind. Just leave the tx alone!

I went to power it up and it wouldn't bind.

Do you mean it didn't "connect" or didn't "bind?" "Bind" is a once-and-done operation. Once you have them bound, the only time you need to re-bind is if you're changing the failsafe settings. During bind mode, the rx will initially flash very quickly, then slowly once it hears the tx's bind command, then it goes off, then comes on solid.

"Connect" is what happens every single time you turn on the rx and tx. It means that the rx finds the (already-turned-on) tx and starts listening to it so it can control the servos. You know that the rx is connected when the LED comes on solid.

In normal operation, you turn on the tx first and then the rx. It may take up to 5 seconds before the rx connects to the tx (signified by solid LED).

When binding, you put the rx in bind mode first (fast flashing), then power up the tx and put it into bind mode.

Andy