failsafe as kill switch?
- Thread starter kenzx
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BrawnFG
Well-Known Member
yes.
I use a spektrum reciever with built in failsafe on all channels and a kill switch equivalent to a killer-bee V1 that I got off ebay. Works a treat, kills when I flick a switch, kills if out of range, kills if rx battery dies.
The majority of cheaper kill switches use the position of the third channel to decide if they should open (engine run) or close (engine kill) the relay. The relay is closed under no power. Hence you just need to set the failsafe to the position that kills the engine.
Note that some kill switches work off "is the servo position signal and power OK" to decide when to kill the engine (e.g. killer-bee V2) and so thease will NOT work with a failsafe (and won't work with spektrum rx or similar which has built in failsafes). This is the type of kill switch that you attach with a Y-lead to one of your servos, e.g. on a 2 channel rx or if you are using all three chanels.
edit: just read Tonys post and realised that you mean the mechanical kill switch on the engine cover. You'd have to faff about with a spring return and another servo and allsorts. Best to spend £30 to £50 on a devent electronic kill switch as described in a few other threads doing the rounds at the moment
I use a spektrum reciever with built in failsafe on all channels and a kill switch equivalent to a killer-bee V1 that I got off ebay. Works a treat, kills when I flick a switch, kills if out of range, kills if rx battery dies.
The majority of cheaper kill switches use the position of the third channel to decide if they should open (engine run) or close (engine kill) the relay. The relay is closed under no power. Hence you just need to set the failsafe to the position that kills the engine.
Note that some kill switches work off "is the servo position signal and power OK" to decide when to kill the engine (e.g. killer-bee V2) and so thease will NOT work with a failsafe (and won't work with spektrum rx or similar which has built in failsafes). This is the type of kill switch that you attach with a Y-lead to one of your servos, e.g. on a 2 channel rx or if you are using all three chanels.
edit: just read Tonys post and realised that you mean the mechanical kill switch on the engine cover. You'd have to faff about with a spring return and another servo and allsorts. Best to spend £30 to £50 on a devent electronic kill switch as described in a few other threads doing the rounds at the moment
Last edited:
tonystott
Well-Known Member
If it was that simple, there wouldn't be a market for aftermarket killswitches. Where the complexity comes in is the "reverse logic".. The killswitch works by >closing< a normally open switch when signal >or power< is lost, and the now closed switch earths the engine's ignition, stopping the motor.
A failsafe simply turns servos to a certain predetermined position when signal is lost. A failsafe needs power from the receiver to work, in order to move the servos. So even if you added a servo which earthed the ignition, you are still going to have a runaway if power to the receiver is lost for any reason. Remember this could happen a number of ways - short in battery, broken wire, loose plug, faulty switch, or even loss of battery through accident!
So no, it is best to get the real deal
- Thread starter
- #4
I first I was thinking - what good is a 3rd channel kill switch if you loose signal and can't operate the 3rd channel to shut it down. So if I understand right.
The kill switch works with the 3rd channel button as well as when it looses signal automatically, right?
Kenzx
The kill switch works with the 3rd channel button as well as when it looses signal automatically, right?
Kenzx
dwarfy
Well-Known Member
Correct :cool2: