DX6i Throttle cut switch tip

[Daylight99]

If you have a DX6i radio you have by now noticed the "Throttle Cut" button. I wanted to be able to turn off the motor without pushing the button and holding it so I went to my local Radio Shack and bought a SPST micro toggle switch. I opened the transmitter case and removed the two screws that hold the button switch in place, then I cut the two plastic screw mounts away. What is left after removing the button is a nice clean hole that the micro switch fits into perfectly. Just install the switch and solder the two wires from the switch button to the micro toggle, then put the case back together. Now once you activate the throttle cut function you will have a positive "on-off" control of the motor.

I did all this in less than 15 min.

[Rabbitcreekok]

Thanks for the tip, Bob.

[AlexinOz]

Yes, thanks, worthwhile knowing

[Sir Raleigh]

It's really strange you brought this up at this time...

I have an Optic 6 with a throttle cut momentary button on top of the case and a throttle lock toggle button next to the display at the bottom of the case.

I was out this morning and while flying at half throttle I accentually pressed the throttle lock toggle button instead of the timer select button which is right above it and it locked the throttle at 1/2. No movement of the throttle stick would change the motor speed on the plane and I though something had gone wrong with the ESC. Now I was in a predicament trying to figure out how to bring the plane down for a safe landing at 1/2 throttle.

Although I've never used the throttle cut momentary push button before (considering it to be a IC engine thing) I did remember that it was there. When I pressed the button the motor on the plane did stop, so I just kept it pressed while I brought the plane in for a dead stick landing.

However, trying to hold the button down on top of the transmitter and operate the elevator and rudder stick at the same time proved to be very difficult, although not impossible, but I did get the plane down safely.

Now, if that push button on top of the transmitter was a toggle switch everything would have gone much smoother. I just have to replace that push button with a toggle switch now.

Thanks for a great tip.

[dumo01]

Originally Posted by Daylight99

If you have a DX6i radio you have by now noticed the "Throttle Cut" button. I wanted to be able to turn off the motor without pushing the button and holding it so I went to my local Radio Shack and bought a SPST micro toggle switch. I opened the transmitter case and removed the two screws that hold the button switch in place, then I cut the two plastic screw mounts away. What is left after removing the button is a nice clean hole that the micro switch fits into perfectly. Just install the switch and solder the two wires from the switch button to the micro toggle, then put the case back together. Now once you activate the throttle cut function you will have a positive "on-off" control of the motor.

I did all this in less than 15 min.

Bob

As with the others thanks for a good idea. Did my DX6i today. I had been thinking about it for awhile especially after the posting not long ago about using the mix on the DX7 to do a lock. Tried that with my 6 but could not get it to work so went the hardware route. The final push for me to do it was one of our club members getting hit in the leg last week with a prop on an IC plane that had a servo fail to throttle wide open while taxying back after a flight. This idea would not have helped in that situation, but I figured 84 stitches later anything is better than nothing. There have been plenty of times I have bumped the throttle or snagged it with the neck strap where this would prevent a problem. Nice idea!

[pilotpete2]

That's interesting that the throttle kill on the DX6i will give you a throttle lock function. Normally a true throttle kill on a computer radio will not work for this purpose, as the throttle kill function only works below about 20% stick position. This is so it doesn't become a "dead stick" switch or button
Pete

[Phil Alvirez]

Pushing the throttle lock button on my DX6i the motor does not stop.
But, if i do it with my old DX6, it does stop.
So, for my radios, it works with the DX6, but not with the DX6i
Any idea why?
Thanks.
Phil

[MustangMan]

Originally Posted by Phil Alvirez

Pushing the throttle lock button on my DX6i the motor does not stop.
But, if i do it with my old DX6, it does stop.
So, for my radios, it works with the DX6, but not with the DX6i
Any idea why?
Thanks.
Phil

I had the "Throttle Cut" button stop working on a DX6i and discovered that the little plastic pin that the button sits on was just a little too short. When I pushed, the button would sit down on the front of the case before pushing the pin in far enough to activate the switch. I pulled the button off, dropped a tiny bit of plastic into the hole in the back of the button, and pressed the button back on. Mine has worked fine since.

[Phil Alvirez]

MustangMan, thanks a lot. I'll try it right now and will tell you how it went.
That's fast help!

[Phil Alvirez]

Originally Posted by Phil Alvirez

MustangMan, thanks a lot. I'll try it right now and will tell you how it went.
That's fast help!

OK, so i opened the tx and checked the switch. I pushed it directly with my finger and checked with a multimeter: pushing it stops flow of current, and releasing it it flows, but the motor still keeps running.
any more ideas?
Thanks.
Phil

[Phil Alvirez]

I tested several of my models, trying to see what is this all about throttle lock (tl).
1.-With the DX6, (not 'i'), the ones that are programmed for throttle lock, from the helicopter program, when running at below 20% throttle and pressing the button, the motor stops.
2.-The same, that are programmed for tl, when the motor is running faster than 20% throttle, when pushing the button, the motor does not stop, does not even reduce its speed.
3.-The planes that are not programmed for throttle lock, when pushing the switch, keep running at same speed. It does not affect them.
For the DX6i, i still don't know how to program the throttle lock, so i have no information about how they react to pushing the button at several %s of throttle, but i guess it will be the same as with the DX6.
I would like to learn the details on how to program the DX6i for throttle lock. Anyone?
Thanks.
Phil

[dumo01]

This does not seem to be the straight forward mod I thought it would be when I installed the flip switch in my DX6i (post #5). Since doing that I have a couple planes that work exactly as expected (throttle works normally with switch set to armed, motor is off with no throttle response with switch set to disarm), a couple that work as expected as long as the transmitter stays on, but do not go to failsafe throttle with the transmitter turned off ( or I assume but have not tried, if I should lose transmitter receiver lock for some other reason) and one, the Micro P51 that flipping the switch does not seem to have any effect at all, but all else works as expected. I have not had or taken perhaps, the time to sit down with all in a row and try to figure out the common thread. My guess is that the receivers do not have all exactly the same behaviors, or I am not doing exactly the same thing with the low end of the throttle response curve. I have an AR500, 2 x AR6100E, AR6200 and the AR4100 I think in the P51. I think that the way this should work is to do the final bind to set failsafes with the cut switch in the armed position throttle set to 0%. Will set that as a project for my next rain day.

[Phil Alvirez]

Originally Posted by Daylight99

If you have a DX6i radio you have by now noticed the "Throttle Cut" button. I wanted to be able to turn off the motor without pushing the button and holding it so I went to my local Radio Shack and bought a SPST micro toggle switch. I opened the transmitter case and removed the two screws that hold the button switch in place, then I cut the two plastic screw mounts away. What is left after removing the button is a nice clean hole that the micro switch fits into perfectly. Just install the switch and solder the two wires from the switch button to the micro toggle, then put the case back together. Now once you activate the throttle cut function you will have a positive "on-off" control of the motor.

I did all this in less than 15 min.

Hi: Could you please provide details on how you connected the wires? There are 4 wires soldered to the push button, but the SPST switch has only 2 tags. Where do the 4 wires go? Thanks.
Phil