Q) Why doesn't my receiver work when I plug it into the PowerExpander?
A)
When plugging the receiver into the PowerExpander you should
not put any of the connections into the receiver battery input.
If you do, this will cause the receiver to think that it is
in Direct Servo Control (DSC) mode and it will not look for
the transmitted signal. All receiver connections should go
into the receiver servo outputs only. If you have any PowerExpander
connections left over you should leave them loose.
Q) When I use a DMM to check the servo current draw it changes
value a lot. Is this normal?
A) Yes, especially with digital servos. Even with the servos
at their optimal position a little 'hunting' is going to happen.
This is amplified because the servos are connected rather rigidly.
JR 8411 servos tend to bottom out at about 18mA but you are
going to see a current reading on your DMM jumping in the range
of 18mA-30mA.
Q) Can the Equalizer II and 3D run off a 5-cell NiCd (6V)
battery pack?
A) Yes, the Equalizer is designed to run up to 7.25V (fully
charged NiCds are about 1.4V). The full battery voltage is
passed to both outputs. The Equalizer can run down to 3.5V,
well below a 4-cell package's minimum voltage.
Q) Can more than one Equalizer II or 3D be used on one control
surface?
A) Yes, the Equalizer can be used in a multiple Equalizer
configuration. Examples of this are 2 receivers and 4 rudder
servos or a single receiver and 4 rudder servos. In theory
this configuration could be expanded to more than 2 Equalizers
but we have not actually implemented that as of now.
Q) Can a single Equalizer II be used with 3 servos?
A) Yes, a single Equalizer II can be used with 3 servos. There
is a setup procedure in the Equalizer II User Guide.
Q) How do I mount the Equalizer?
A) Since the Equalizer's mass is so low this is not much of
an issue. A good way is to wrap the Equalizer in 1/8"
foam rubber and secure this with tape or a rubber band. This
can be mounted to a fuselage member by tape or Velcro.
Q) I'm worried about the servos leads coming lose. What can
I do?
A) The servo connectors generally fit snugly. If you are really
worried about this you can fold the servo lead back over the
Equalizer before you wrap it in foam. This way if the leads
are pulled in any way they will pull back on the connector.
You can also use dental floss on each connector.
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