Precautions when mounting the receiver and servos
Follow these guidelines to properly mount the servos, receiver and battery.
• Make certain the
alignment tab on the battery,
switch and servo connectors is oriented correctly
and “keys” into the corresponding notch in the
receiver or connectors before plugging them
in. When unplugging connectors, never pull on
the wires. Always pull on the plastic connector
instead.
• If your aileron servo (or others) are too far away
to plug into the receiver, use a servo extension
cord to extend the length of the servo lead.
Additional Futaba extension cords of varying
lengths are available from your hobby dealer.
Always use an extension of the proper length.
Avoid plugging multiple extensions together to
attain your desired length. If distance is greater
than 18” or multiple or high current draw servos
are being used, use Futaba Heavy-Duty servo
extensions.
• Always mount the servos with the supplied
rubber grommets. Do not over tighten the
screws. No part of the servo casing should contact
the mounting rails, servo tray or any other part
of the airplane/helicopter structure. Otherwise,
vibration will be transmitted to the servo causing
premature wear and/or servo failure.
• Note the small numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) molded into
each arm on the Futaba 4-arm servo arms. The
numbers indicate how many degrees each arm
is “off” from 90 degrees to correct for minute
manufacturing deviations from servo to servo.
• To center the servos, connect them to the receiver
and turn on the transmitter and receiver. Center
the trims on the transmitter, then nd the arm that
will be perpendicular to the pushrod when placed
on the servo.
• After the servos are installed, operate each servo
over its full travel and check that the pushrods and
servo arms do not bind or contact each other. Also
make sure the controls do not require excess force
to operate. If there is an objectionable buzzing
sound coming from a servo, there is probably too
much resistance in the control. Find and correct
the problem. Even if there is no servo damage,
excess battery drain will result.
• Use the mounting plate from the receiver
on/off switch as a template for the cutout and
screw holes. Mount the switch on the side of the
fuselage opposite the engine exhaust, and where
it won’t be inadvertently turned on or off during
handling or storage. Be certain the switch moves
without restriction and “snaps” from ON to OFF,
and that the cutout allows full motion of the
switch in both directions.
• When you install the switch harness to the
helicopter, please use the switch cover. Generally
sandwich the frame between the switch and switch
cover and securely tighten the screws. Different
models might require different installations. If so,
please follow the model's instruction manual.
• To prevent the servo lead wires from being
broken by vibration during ight, provide a slight
amount of slack or extra so that the wire sticks
out slightly and fasten it at suitable points. In
addition, periodically check the wire during daily
maintenance.
