Hi guys, I purchased a used Cinestar with Mikrokopter flight control a few months ago and have yet to get it in the air. I am able to get my transmitter bound, but it won't stop beeping at me. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Here is a video of what I'm dealing with, thanks! Cheers, Alex
Optic welcome to the forums. Would you be kind enough to change your user name to your real first name and last name, please? The reasons for this (and how to do it) are explained here: http://forum.freeflysystems.com/index.php?threads/real-names.497/.
The J-tone (in Morse) that you're hearing is the Flight Controller telling you that it is not receiving a valid signal from the receiver. Have you turned on the transmitter? Can you also provide details of the transmitter and receiver you're using? Thanks Andy
Thanks for the quick response Andy! I was using a Spektrum DX8 but managed to screw it up attempting to bind to the satellite receiver. Now it will not bind to anything. I think I've exhausted all of my options unless you have any suggestions - time to send it in for repair if not. I was able to successfully bind my DX7, let me make another video...if I'm not mistaken, the alarm pattern does change but keeps on beeping. I used a Spektrum AR6210 to bind the satellite to the DX7.
As I recall, you cannot bind a satellite receiver as such -- you have to connect the satellite to a main receiver and then bind the main receiver. Once you've bound the main receiver, the satellite is bound too. What pattern of beeps are you now getting? (Posting the video is the best way of letting us "look over your shoulder" so to speak). Andy.
You are correct, Andy...you cannot simply bind a transmitter to a satellite without the proper receiver to do so. Here is a video with the transmitter powered on and the receiver showing it's bound. I was thinking that this was a GPS issue since the blue light is blinking, but I've disconnected the GPS to see and the beeping persists. I took it outside to see if the light on the GPS turned solid, but no luck
The J-beep is definitely "no valid receiver signal." Work backwards from the flight controller board -- the ground/Rx wire to the receiver, and then the receiver. It's somewhere in that chain if the receiver is definitely bound to the transmitter. Andy.
Hello Alex, In MKTool go to the Channels tab and see what has been selected for "satellite receiver". Since you are now using a Spektrum DX7, the receiver selection will need to be "spektrum satellit" or "spektrum satellit (lowRes)". DX8 configuration with a DSMX satellite is "spektrum satellit(HiRes)" Please see attached. Greetings, Adam
Thanks Adam, lets hope that works. I got a similar response from Mikrokopter this morning. Really wish I would have seen this yesterday before I started messing with it again. I did something stupid... I was checking the solder points for the satellite and had the flight controller flipped upside down and resting on the carbon. My trade schooling memory failed me and forgot carbon is an excellent conductor. Powered it on and of course it started smoking, I'd say a solid 2-3 seconds before I was able to remove the power. Nothing seems to have changed on the board but I don't think I'd want to risk it in the air, I'm hoping I just fried the resistor a bit, sure smelled like it. Check this picture out and give me your thoughts. Rookie mistake
If it was just those three pins on the board that were in contact with the CF, then you fried the Recom -- DC/DC converter. By the way, that's the Flight Control Board, not the Navigation Control Board. You can just remove that Recom and replace it with this: https://www.quadrocopter.com/DCDC-Converter-for-Flight-Controller-ME_p_59.html and then see if there was anything else damaged. Andy.
Phew, thanks Andy. Part has been ordered. You know, I was looking on Mikrokopter's website and couldn't find the FC board anywhere, only the Navi...they look pretty similar and I confused them as being one in the same. Thanks for the clarification. Now, like I said, the board still powers on and all the lights are the same. A DC to DC converter is going to either work, or not, am I correct? It's a silicon package, those are pretty resilient to damage. The smell could have simply been burning carbon, which was my initial thought. Just wondering if its completely necessary to replace this part if everything checks out. Then again, better safe than sorry
Alex, Check the attachment. The "RECOM" in question is the IC3 (#15 in the attachment), a 5V regulator for the servo outputs on the FC. It should be replaced as it appears the CF bridged Vout/Gnd pins. Greetings, Adam
You fellas rock, thank you so much for the informative and prompt responses! The Traco regulator Andy suggested has been shipped from Quadrocopter. Hoping to have it on Saturday. Cheers
Be careful to get the Traco properly oriented -- viewed from the underneath the pins are off to one side of the long axis -- the image that you posted will help. If you get it wrong way around it will pop. AMHIK. Andy.
Alright, so close! Looks like that Recon board is fine, as all of my motors checked out via Motortest in MK Tool. I've setup my DX7 and took it outside to do the compass calibration. The Cinestar responds to the DX7 as it should, but I'm having compass issues. I followed the proper procedure from here to no avail: http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/MK3Mag#connection_to_the_NaviCtrl The clicking does not start after step two so I came back to MK Tool and noticed the compass was marked red signaling an error. Not sure where to go from here. I've included some screenshots and a pic of my setup. Thanks!
Definitely the GPS -- the arrow should point to motor #1 (it look like it on boom #1) (so rotate it counter-clockwise 90 degrees when viewed from above). The two ribbon cables on the Navigation Control board should be on boom #1 (as they are) but on the side closest to boom #8 (so also rotate that 90 degrees counter-clockwise when viewed from above). While you're at it, you better check the orientation of the Flight Control Board -- that has an orienting arrow that should be pointing to boom #1 too. The arrow you need to find is on the top surface of the Flight Control Board, right by one of the mounting posts. Andy
The GPS is actually mounted on boom 7, facing forward, in the same direction as all of the arrows on the flight control and power distribution. I was told it doesn't matter which boom the GPS/Navi is on, as long as it is facing forward. I moved it anyway, no luck.