Spektrum  DX7 - "Fail Safe"

Using the AR7000 Receiver

Been a lot of questions about this, as the manual is about as obtuse as a politician answering questions about his taxes.....so we'll try to clarify some of the more important points to ponder.

First - To be technically-precise - the Spektrum system does not go into a "Fail Safe" mode.  Except for the THROTTLE channel, and that is only when it is Active in the TX setup!.  What the receiver DOES do is "HOLD" the last servo-positioning signal when the transmitted signal is lost for some reason other than loss of power to the Receiver.

So.... let's assume you have properly bound the system with controls neutral.  Turn on the RX, then the TX, and move the sticks to some position while watching your airplane.  While holding the sticks in that position, turn off the TX, and the controls on the plane will stay where they were.

Let the sticks go back to neutral, then turn on the TX, and as soon as the RX locks, it will move the surfaces to the neutrals of the TX.

If you have activated the THROTTLE "AUTO SAFE" setting, then when you do the "turn off TX" part of the test, you'll hear the throttle move to the position you had it set with the TX when you last bound the system.

This is the extent of the actual "Fail Safe" settings with the DX7.

Finally - just to observe it - while everything is ON, move the TX sticks to some off-neutral position, hold them there, and power off the Rx.  You'll be able to move the servos on the airplane just like the RX power is turned OFF.

If this loss of power occurs while in flight, there is NO control to the servos, NO directing of control surface movement, etc.  It will act just like you unplugged the RX battery, and likely you will have complete loss of the airframe.

Our goal is to have the airplane setup so that it will NEVER, EVER, under any circumstance, lose it's battery power during operation.  EVER.

If we lost TX power momentarily, depending on the attitude and direction of the airplane, the RX *may* recycle- and re-lock onto the TX signature.  Don't count on it.