Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

Not to contradict you Mike, but I have Multiplex servos that are 25 years old with all metal gears, no plastic. Hetic didn't exist at that time.
But whose counting

blkbird68

My Feedback: (19)

Thanks roger.....I didn't want to be the one that pointed that out...

MikeMayberry

My Feedback: (1)

Ok... I give up!

Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

Don't worry Mike, I still like that new servo you mentioned.

Just in case in falls in the cracks, with Hitec having all programmable digital servos, people don't realize that Multiplex were the first some 12 years or more ago with digital servos. They were called MC. Then they came out with the McV2 digital servos which were the first programmable servos. They dropped these in favor of the Digis because most people were not programing there servos the were they were meant to be. So now they have a reverse only program which everybody likes. I would bet that most people with the Hitec digitals are not programing theirs either.

Roger

XJet

That's probably because the programmer is so damned expensive.

Why oh why don't Hitec simply make a small interface that could be used with a regular PC or laptop to allow servo programming?

The hardware would be minimal and it would be a wonderfully cost-effective tool with more flexibility (store servo settings on your hard drive and reload them when switching servos back and forth between models)

Hell, publish the specs and I'll design the hardware, write the software and publish everything in the public domain.

Then *everyone* could program their Hitec digital servos without forking out $100+

On the other hand -- I can understand that Hitec might not want such a cheap alternative being out there, it could impact the sale of servo programmers (sorry :-)

Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

The Multiplex programer wasn't very expensive. Its just that People like novelty and when it wears off, they don't use it as much.

Roger

blkbird68

My Feedback: (19)

Sorry dude!

But my view on the programmer is that, while it would of course be nice if it were cheaper, I don't think that it is outrageously priced. And while the PC interface idea would also be nice. I think that approach would be more supplemental to the existing programmer rather than its replacement. I think as a whole it is a good idea. Multiplex of course was the first I can remember that was programmable, and then the UAV version of the Volz and of course the Hitecs.



And Mike how about a true digital servo that is widely available in the future??? i.e. not using a pot. for positioning...

PlaneKrazee

My Feedback: (14)

This looks like a great servo. What is the idle current and full load current compared to ganged 5945 servos of equal torque?

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

Not really, a JR matchbox runs $70. Put a couple of those in a plane and your just at just about the same cost as the programmer. Put the plane in, and you may be buying new matchboxes in addition to everything else...while the programmer is safe on the ground.

MikeMayberry

My Feedback: (1)

The full stall current is 3A; I don't know idle at this time.

Unless you are ganging servos you really don't need the programmer; but if you are, and look at the extra money you have to put into each and every airplane with add on devices, the programmer price is really not a factor.

Mike.

XJet

But when you compare the cost of making the stand-alone programmer to the cost of a PC-based unit, it would be possible to produce a *much* lower-cost (and more flexible) option in the latter case.

PlaneKrazee

My Feedback: (14)

Thank you Mike for the reply.

The 5945 servos seem to be the most energy efficient servos out there, regular or digital. Idle current of 3mA run of 230mA @6v. What is the stall current of the 5945? I had read a review where the reviewer checked several servos and found the 5945 to draw the least current of the bunch even less than stanard 42 oz. torque servos. That impressed me.

I just purchased the programmer and should be receiving it today or tomorrow. I figure I can set up my subtrim, rotation, endpoints as fast or faster with the programmer as I could with my radio and if I choose to move them to another plane I can just reset them and start over.

s3nfo

My Feedback: (14)

Mike,

I'm not ganging servos, I'm using an 8 channel Stylus and I've got 10 servos in a Hangar 9 Mustang and H9 has engineered the plane so that the single servos on both Elevs and Flaps have to rotate opposite directions so considered using Hitec digitals through a "Y" harness and needed to reverse the rotation of one of the Elev servos and one of the Flap servos. How do I change rotation direction without a programmer????

Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

In the old days, all we had to do is reverse the wires on the motor and on the feed back pot. But now with everything soldered on a pc board, it makes it a bit hard to do. But it can be done.

Roger

XJet

I wonder what percentage of Hitec digital servo users are missing out on many of the real benefits of these units by not having (or having access to) a programmer?

How many of those would consider paying $20 for a PC-based programmer I wonder?

Any hands up?

Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

I have a laptop, but not everybody has one, so if you want to program your servos in your airplane, it would be a problem taking your computer to the shop wouldn't it???

Roger

XJet

I think most people could get their models within a few feet of their PCs (laptop or desktop) :-)

It just seems crazy that there are probably a huge number of Hitec digital servo owners out there who are missing out on the programmable features for the lack of a $20 programming solution rather than a $120 box.

Since the communications protocol between the programmer and the servo is proprietary to Hitec, they'd be in the best position to either create or commission the creation of such a useful piece of software -- but ultimately they will have to weigh up whether a PC-based unit would eat into the sales of their purpose-built boxes too much.

Of course there's always the other option that someone could reverse-engineer the Hitec programmer's comms protocol and create such a device without Hitec's help -- but one would hope that, in the interests of customers, they'd happily share the necessary information :-)

radray

I have been using progammable servos for at least 5 years now and have both the Multiplex PC programmer and the Hitec field programmer. For my MC/V2 servos, the PC interface was easy, convenient and allowed me to store the servo parameter file. This feature came in very handy when my servos were returned from a periodic checkup and they were reset to factory default settings. I just recopied the programs to the servos and they were back in operation without any further adjustments. If Hitec does come up with a PC programmer, please make it USB compatible so I can plug it into the front of my desktop computer instead of the back! I would also like the programmer (PC or field) to monitor servo current to find and troubleshoot or minimize any control surface binding

aerobear

My Feedback: (4)

The hardware for a PC based servo programmer could be cheap, but the selling price has to include the cost software development and end user technical support. Neither one of those is cheap.

JR has a new PC based programmer for their 10X transmitter, bargain priced at $300.

Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

You know I have had Multiplex programmable servos for a while which came out before Hitec ever dreamed of having them, I programmed one just to see how it worked. Most people don't even bother with programing. Its a novelty that wears out very quickly.

Roger

3DFanatic

My Feedback: (5)

I'll buy one!

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

They obviously use add ons like servo reversers then. The programmer is easy and the most common thing Ive been asked to do is reverse one for elevators...not send it in like some other brands or get out the solder.
Plus I use it to bench test Hitec and other servos. Well worth the money. I have a Pc and a laptop but in my workspace both are a liability.
The instructions and the battery are probably the worst thing about the programmer!!!
Try talk you LHS into having one on hand. I know Hitec offered them a special deal so they could program them for customers.

hilleyja

My Feedback: (3)

I'll tell you this, the Hitec Programmer was one of the best $149.00 I've spent on this hobby. If all I used it for was to program Hitec digital servos it wouldn't be worth it. I use it to set the initial position on all my controls before configuring with full flight packs. This saves me a lot of effort and time. I buy a lot of used servos on the web and use it to check them out before putting them in an airplane. Oh, lets not forget about its main function. I own almost 20 Hitec digital servos and use it to set these up for split controls, centerpoints, endpoints, and direction. On my GP Christen Eagle II I had to reverse all of the 4 airlon servos -- I could have done this in the TX but it was simpler using the servo programmer.

Note: When using this to establish the centerpoint of your servo use 1522 for a Futaba TX and 1500 for a Hitec TX. I don't know what JR and/or Airtronic and/or Multiplex use but it is simple enough to determine by using the programmer to measure the TX pulse when your controls are centered -- just hook up the programmer to a RCvr channel and turn on the TX.

JohnMac

Roger,
The Mk 1's are programmable too. Still using them 10 years on. I think that the fact that Multiplex and Hitec servos are the only programmable ones (so far as I am aware) is no coincidence!
Regards,

John.

Forgues Research

My Feedback: (7)

I think your right, but weren't the first generation programmable with the PC only?

Roger