Server centering question

[DrGus]

My first build. The servo centering tool powers up but none of the three modes will move the servos. I think I have everything connected properly. See photo. Any suggestions?

 

[Mr NCT]

My first build. The servo centering tool powers up but none of the three modes will move the servos. I think I have everything connected properly. See photo. Any suggestions? View attachment 244793

Your servos plugs (on the left) should be plugged in horizontally. Hope you didn't burn anything.

 

[leaded50]

horizontally as Mr NCT says + right as the info on the tool says. As the way its laying there, the ground (black wire) on the connector is against us.

 

[DrGus]

Your servos plugs (on the left) should be plugged in horizontally. Hope you didn't burn anything.

That worked. I am electronically challenged so I may have many more questions. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Merv]

FYI, different brands of servos have different wire colors. But the all use this pattern. The red wire is always positive. The darkest color is negative, typically brown or black. The lightest color is the signal wire, typically white or yellow.

 

[Piotrsko]

Good description of connections of modern 3 wire "airtronics" connection @Merv. Even if you're partial color blind like me.

Doesn't work on my really old stuff, but.........who flies 3v center tapped 6 pin systems with a color coded signal wire anymore?

Also pretty sure servo testers of vintage age didn't have a centering pot. All you could do is mark the case of the tester and move the pot pointer to that spot. This new stuff, I dunno, darnfangled wonderstuff

 

[Bricks]

^^^^ Unless you happen upon some old Futaba servos where positive was on the end pin, why they ever did this was way beyond me.

 

[Piotrsko]

You making fun of my hardware? I probably have working servos older than you. airtronics applied for a patent on their style connector, convention back in the day was offset red one side, black the other side not offset, signal in center or seperate connection like on my reeds system. Futaba was set up to not set a battery fire if a nicad connector came loose and shorted. Believe it or not, this was radical thinking because dry cells tended to not deliver that much current

 

[Bricks]

My earliest cough cough servos were rubber band operated actuators, so yea maybe not as old but not faaaaaar away.

 

[Piotrsko]

Yup that be it. Left, center,right , center, one click at a time. How many clicks do I need To turn right? What was I doing last???? Oh crud I forgot where I left the rudder........ only salvation was it was not that responsive to rudder, more of a suggestion than a command.

Gee, you're old, too. Tube or transistor?. Mine had a 100 cell "B" battery to run the tube in The transmitter I don't remember the receiver other than this big red box with 4 wires the size of modern RC planes

 

[Bricks]

Mine was simpler one click left and two clicks right all I had.