Futaba 6EX Service Advisory

by **gcobley** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:34 pm

I stumbled on this note today, and did not see any reference to it on the discussion board, so I thought it was worth bringing to your attention:

http://2.4gigahertz.com/techsupport/service-advisory-tm7-7c-6ex.html

It seems a small number of transmitters do not have truly unique codes, raising the possibility of interference.

I am very happy with my 6EX. I hope this is not a significant problem.

Gerry
1625

Gerry

by **tag1945** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:02 pm

I have two of these transmitters and did have them tested here in Jacksonville. One of them did test bad. I sent an e-mail to Futaba Service Center and ask for directions for returning the Transmitter to have it recoded... Since Futaba Service Center is closed on the weekends, I will post again next week with their reply...

Tom

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by gcobley

I stumbled on this note today, and did not see any reference to it on the discussion board, so I thought it was worth bringing to your attention:

http://2.4gigahertz.com/techsupport/service-advisory-tm7-7c-6ex.html

It seems a small number of transmitters do not have truly unique codes, raising the possibility of interference.

I am very happy with my 6EX. I hope this is not a significant problem.

Gerry
1625

Gerry
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

by **Capt. Flak** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:45 pm

Just so you know, the test took all of about 30 seconds. I just got back from having my radio checked. It is fine. The trip to the hobby shop took 45 minutes though.

Joe Walter #24

by **tag1945** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:44 am

Contacted Futaba Service Center and they said that the turn around time is about 3 days to recode the transmitter. If you want, they will send you a shipping authoration. I shipped mine via UPS to speed up the process and they should have it by Wednesday. The service Center is:

Futaba Service Center
3002 Apollo Drive Suite #1
Champaign, IL 61822

Phone #: 217-398-0007

Tom

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tag1945

I have two of these transmitters and did have them tested here in Jacksonville. One of them did test bad. I sent an e-mail to Futaba Service Center and ask for directions for returning the Transmitter to have it recoded... Since Futaba Service Center is closed on the weekends, I will post again next week with their reply...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

by **Rick West** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:07 am

You sent them a modified TX?

...94 [8D]

by **tag1945** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:48 pm

Rick

Yes. The same mods as yours. I'll let you know if they have a problem with it....... The local guy who tested the transmiter said that this is not warranty work, but a recall.

Tom

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Rick West

You sent them a modified TX?

...94 [8D]

by **tag1945** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:05 pm

Recieved the transmitter back from Futaba Service today. They replaced the software in the transmitter. They did not change any of my stick settings by changing the transmitter software. They said that because I had several mods to the sticks, they did not try. As it turns out, all of my original settings are still there and the transmitter works fine! This was a no cost upgrade for transmitters with the bad ID Code in them.....

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tag1945

Rick

Yes. The same mods as yours. I'll let you know if they have a problem with it....... The local guy who tested the transmiter said that this is not warranty work, but a recall.

Tom

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Rick West

You sent them a modified TX?

...94 [8D]

by **gcobley** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:48 pm

Mine checked out OK too. The guy said there were only about a dozen bad ones out there, so the chances of having two at a regatta are pretty small.

Gerry

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Capt. Flak

Just so you know, the test took all of about 30 seconds. I just got back from having my radio checked. It is fine. The trip to the hobby shop took 45 minutes though.

Joe Walter #24
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Gerry

by **michaele69** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:44 am

Gerry,

Where did you get your transmitter checked?

Michael Edwards - EC-12 1969

by **bigfoot55** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:06 pm

ALERT The problem was not solved for me by having it checked at local shop. Hobbytown in JACKSONVILLE Fl checked it in March and said I was 'good to go'.

Worked fine for 9 months after I got it. At July 12 weekend Choptank regatta I had radio conflict and DNS for all races on Sunday, a DNF and other problems on Saturday. Another competitor reported problems on his boat that ceased after I turned mine off Sat and we tested them on Sunday. Mine had the worst problem. His radio also was supposed to have been checked elsewhere.

Took it into a store in DC area today and it failed the test. Futaba sending no charge shipping label.

If you have a radio in the suspect number sequences- suggest you send it in to Futaba and have them check it. Thought I had said goodbye to radio conflict with the 2.4.

Tom Phillips
265

by **Rick West** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:10 pm

Thanks Tom. Good to know that a recheck failed. Better to know the Devil's lair.

...94 [8D]

by **greerdr** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:08 pm

Tom,
Do you know the "number sequences" that are suspect?

R.C.Greer

by **tag1945** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:26 am

Bob

I have 2 Futabas and had them both checked. What they have is, Futaba made a small tester that is actually a reciever that is married to a transmitter code that was used to test the transmitters at the factory. This code was supposed to be changed prior to shipping. Several got out with out being changed. If your transmitter is able to connect with the test reciever, the code in the transmitter has to be changed. One of mine tested bad and I sent it to the Futaba service center in Ill. where they made a software change to the transmitter. It was about a 2 day turn around time. There is no cost as you can ask for a shipping label from the service center. This service is not waranty work, but a recall! They even sent me a Futaba ball cap for my trouble.....

I had a lot of people worry about sending in there transmitter because they have modified it. I have also modified several things on my transmitter and they don't seem to care....

Tom G

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by greerdr

Tom,
Do you know the "number sequences" that are suspect?

R.C.Greer
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

by **bigfoot55** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:54 am

Bob-The two bad transmitters at Choptank were
FUT A70579082
FUT A70163356

These were WITHOUT the "I" sticker.
See the Futaba service alert for FAAST systems for the complete listing.

by **tag1945** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:38 am

I found the below info on the 6EX Transmitter. I had left my Transmiter on after sailing and ran the batteries down to 0. I had to re-link the transmitter with the receiver when I went to sail a week later. I had both of my TXs check for GUIDs and the one with the TX left on had the 0 GUID. After talking to Tom Phillips, he also had his TX check and it passed. Since having his tested, he also left his TX on and ran the batteries down and had to re-link his TX and RX. His TX now has the 0 GUID.

If anyone else has had to re-link their TX, please have them check at a hobby shop to see if the GUID has changed!

"On the 6EX, it was discovered that if you turned the TX on and then turned it off one-half second later (+/-20ms) the GUID could be reset to zero. It is THAT critical, is has to be exactly within that 40ms window on the half-second mark. It would seem that it is very unlikely to happen in the field ... although it is possible. It has to do with internal system checks the transmitter is running on power-up ... if interrupted at this critical point, it apparently wipes the identification code. Hobbico reports that newer Futaba units (shipped after January 14) have been modified to prevent this happening. The same applies to the 7C transmitter and the TM7 Module, but the time is 2 seconds (+/-20ms) rather than a half-second.

There have also been reports that a deeply discharged battery state can cause the transmitter to wipe its GUID on startup ... perhaps due to an low-voltage-induced on-off cycle as described above. Futaba has not been able to replicate field reports of this occurrence in their labs despite hundreds of hours of testing.

The Futaba service bulletin states that owners of 6EX, 7C, and TM7 units should avoid rapid on-off switching ... and if you detect a loss of bind between a formerly operating transmitter and receiver, do NOT rebind, but ship the system to Futaba for inspection and service. No response to inquiries about firmware updates to the older units."

Futaba 6EX Service Advisory

Futaba 6EX Service Advisory

Who is online