Taranis x9d, can't calibrate - sticks don't go to endpoints?

[degallierd]

Here's a short video - but my rudder and aileron movements do not go to the endpoints and/or behave erratically. I tried the calibration but essentially they behave the same way in the calibration too.

I recently had to re-solder a wire on the right gimbal that had disconnected, and now it functions but obviously has other issues. Do I just need to replace my gimbals??

 

[degallierd]

New video · Saturday, Apr 10, 2021 🎬

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[Konrad]

Looks like a classic calibration problem. Can you show us your repair work?

 

[HENNY]

How did your Taranis calibration get this way. Have you done anything to your radio. Try the calibration in the system menu page 6 of 7. I see you are also having receiver issues. Please explain how this may have occurred.

 

[degallierd]

How did your Taranis calibration get this way. Have you done anything to your radio. Try the calibration in the system menu page 6 of 7. I see you are also having receiver issues. Please explain how this may have occurred.

I haven't used the Rx in several years and when I got it out again I noticed the right gimbal didn't work - I opened it up and saw that one of the wires to the potentiometer was broken. I resoldered and put it back together.

I tried the calibration yes, and it can't reach the end points and still reacts erratically. I feel like I might just have to replace the gimbals?

 

[degallierd]

Looks like a classic calibration problem. Can you show us your repair work?

 

[HENNY]

You may have damaged something or connected the wires incorrectly???

 

[HENNY]

Yes get the hall gimbals.

 

[Konrad]

I was looking to see if you had a solder bridge. Also have you been able to measure with a VOM if you in fact get 5K Ohm sweep from the repaired pot/gimbal.

I see nothing magical with the Hall effect gimbals.

Henny has a good point in that there seems to be more than one thing wrong with your FrSky set up. Is there some history we don't yet know about?

 

[degallierd]

I was looking to see if you had a solder bridge. Also have you been able to measure with a VOM if you in fact get 5K Ohm sweep from the repaired pot/gimbal.

I see nothing magical with the Hall effect gimbals.

Henny has a good point in that there seems to be more than one thing wrong with your FrSky set up. Is there some history we don't yet know about?

Yeah nothing else I can think of for history. Solder joint was good, but yeah I agree - something bigger seems to be wrong. For now I ordered new gimbals to see if that solves the issue.

 

[degallierd]

Yeah nothing else I can think of for history. Solder joint was good, but yeah I agree - something bigger seems to be wrong. For now I ordered new gimbals to see if that solves the issue.

Also no, I'm not sure how to measure that.

 

[Konrad]

You have a soldering iron but not a Volt Ohms Meter (VOM)? A VOM is a tool of much higher practical value than even an oscilloscope for basic electrical trouble shooting. If you are going to spend any time working with electrical circuits you will need a basic VOM, and learn to use it. I still have mine from 35 years ago. I use it weekly if not daily. With a name like Fluke you know it has to be good!

 

[degallierd]

You have a soldering iron but not a Volt Ohms Meter (VOM)? A VOM is a tool of much higher practical value than even an oscilloscope for basic electrical trouble shooting. If you are going to spend any time working with electrical circuits you will need a basic VOM, and learn to use it. I still have mine for 35 years ago. I use it weekly if not daily. With a name like Fluke you know it has to be good!

View attachment 6703

Ha - thanks. I have one yeah, but I'm not familiar with how to use it to measure resistance on this pot. Not everyone is an electrical engineer.

 

[Konrad]

Nether am I! Measuring resistance is a fundamental skill in any electrical project. No need for a high level education, simple high school (USA) algebra is sufficient.

 

[HENNY]

Yes and a volt meter is good for measuring volts as well.

 

[gnichola]

Silly question, but how good are you at soldering? Are you sure you didn't get it too hot? You can burn the resistor in the pot and it will get wonky. The weird thing is why would messing up one gimbal affect the other?

 

[Konrad]

Silly question, but how good are you at soldering? Are you sure you didn't get it too hot? You can burn the resistor in the pot and it will get wonky. The weird thing is why would messing up one gimbal affect the other?

The ground and V source to the gimbals is usually supplied by a daisy chain. If there is a short causing a voltage drop all pots will likely see this lower Voltage.

 

[degallierd]

Silly question, but how good are you at soldering? Are you sure you didn't get it too hot? You can burn the resistor in the pot and it will get wonky. The weird thing is why would messing up one gimbal affect the other?

Reasonably good? But yeah, I'm not sure why the other one is messed up to. It has been in storage for 4 years so who knows. I'm just going to replace the gimbals.

 

[gnichola]

The ground and V source to the gimbals is usually supplied by a daisy chain. If there is a short causing a voltage drop all pots will likely see this lower Voltage.

Well perhaps, but it seems odd that a daisy chain would connect one pot on one side and one pot on the other side.
Also, my soldering post was dumb, obviously it couldn't be the solder job as that would only affect the one pot. I am dubious that new gimbals will fix it.

Keep us posted @degallierd

 

[Konrad]

Not in series but in parallel. All the negitives are electrical connecet the same location. All the positives are connected to their respective common electrical location. The pot acts like a voltage divider to determain gimbal possition.

But yes, as the problem has been discribed, hall effect gimbals will not fix this problem.