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Looking for a fix to the DREADED RED TAIL LIGHT.

John Hennessy

Premium Pilot
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Hi Fellow Members,
I have been given a H 480 for parts and it has the Solid RED TAIL LIGHT and won't turn off except for taking the battery out. I have watched the YouTube videos by Richard Gilmore ,but the link for the firmware does not work any more and this bird is like brand new and looks too good to break down for spare parts. Please be patient with the dinosaur of computers, but will follow all instructions to the letter. Any help would be appreciated and thanks ahead of all the help.
Johnno Hennessy.
Keep flying on the green side of the grass.
 
Can you provide the link to the video itself, or add more description to the problem you are having?
This sounds interesting, but not enough info to start looking into it.
 
Hi WTFD Project,
I think that it is call a bricked drone and it is one of Richard Gilmore s videos from a couple of years ago and the link for the firmware is there. But as stated it does not contain any files any more on the drop box link. I will have a look on you tube and get the correct name. Just some info the drone can only be turned off by removing the battery , but when replaced the rear led light stays red and there is no start up chimes or sounds from the 480 . He calls it bricked as that is what it is now. I will be back soon . Johnno Hennessy.
 
Back again , this is the video by Richard Gilmore , Yuneec Typhoon H De-Bricked firmware v3.0 Autopilot problem solved. It is Nov 2016 . This is what has happened to this thing and my tail light is solid RED and I need to know how to flash the firmware. Thanks for your interest and in the morning I will try to take a short video of it and put it on here for you to see ,but you will see it on the Gilmore video. It is too good to just break down for parts. Johnno Hennessy.
 
I need to make something clear. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Most times, I do, but not this time. Please understand this before putting too much faith in the things I present here.
With that said, here are a couple things I see:
1.) The symptoms in the Richard Gilmore video do not match your symptoms exactly. That is a flag. Different symptoms usually mean different issues, so there is a chance we are reacting to the wrong issue. Your red light hints at a hardware problem, and if so, firmware is not going to fix it.
2.) Not sure if Typhoon H will let you downgrade to an earlier firmware. I would advise reflashing the current firmware first.
3.) The link to the firmware thread below leads, in turn, to an EU website. Not at all sure it is the same as US version. This sounds RISKY.
4.) The following files were provided by other members. I have confidence in the written guidance, due to it's source, @Steve Carr . The older firmware was in another thread. I assume it's the actual firmware, but it's been around awhile. And, again, it is from an EU website.
5.) Whatever firmware you use, don't try to load it in the normal fashion. Use the GUI to reflash directly, as explained by the text file.
6.) Believe the opening statement above.

Firmware 3.01 screwed up H!! Help!
 

Attachments

  • Recovery for the H.txt
    841 bytes · Views: 11
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the link for the firmware does not work any more
The instruction provided above by @WTFDproject are correct. You cannot use the older 1.28 file version. You must use 1.35. I will send you a link in a message. If reflashing the FC doesn't fix the issue you may need to replace the Flight Controller. If you have another H you could swap out the FC and see if the problem is fixed.
 
Thank you both for the information and now this gives me a full Saturday now. Again thank you very much for the info. Johnno Hennessy.
 
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Well both of you gave fantastic instructions to follow and I flashed it successfully (it tells you in the GUI) but it still burns bright and red and remove the battery to turn off. I went further and shaped flight controllers with a spare that works perfectly, that did not fix it . To check flight controllers I then used the supposed Brick one in my spare and it works perfectly. Tomorrow I will swap out the tail light and it's computer board just to check and the if no good I will swap out the mother control board. I have to find out what is causing it . Again thanks heaps for your knowledge and instructions. Johnno Hennessy.
 
Well both of you gave fantastic instructions to follow and I flashed it successfully (it tells you in the GUI) but it still burns bright and red and remove the battery to turn off. I went further and shaped flight controllers with a spare that works perfectly, that did not fix it . To check flight controllers I then used the supposed Brick one in my spare and it works perfectly. Tomorrow I will swap out the tail light and it's computer board just to check and the if no good I will swap out the mother control board. I have to find out what is causing it . Again thanks heaps for your knowledge and instructions. Johnno Hennessy.

I wish it had worked. But at least the information you provided will be available in the future when this happens to someone else. I have no doubt you are going to find the answer. When you do, that would also be an important contribution to the Typhoon H puzzle, and the Forum in general. I will be away most of today, but will be here later this evening if you need anything. Lots of other folks are around. Good luck.
 
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Thanks WTFDProject,
The help on here from fellow members is overwhelming and proves what a wonderful information tool we have for use when we are simply STUMPED or RED LIGHTED not YELLOW or RED CARDED. Now if it was a RED LIGHT DISTRICT I may know what to do . Like I said I will swap out the light and it's computer board attached to it only and see the result, if that fails it looks like a main board refurbishment. I have the grand son & daughter today and tomorrow , so for all our sakes I will leave this till Tuesday (no little fingers to loose things, poppy looses enough by himself) so until then thank you all very much. I will take a small video of this and put it on here for information. Keep it short. Johnno Hennessy.
 
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Hi Steve, PatR, and WTFDPROJECT, also Thomas
And all those that helped and I tried the switch out of the led light board to no avail then tried what Steve suggested and that was hold my finger on the start button before and during putting the battery in. Well if I hold it for upto about a 1/2 or more the tail light starts a rapid blue flash but the on off switch will turn it off, but inside there are still some small lights that stay on until I take out the battery.
Then I tried what you suggested Steve and that was to run the GUI in with Windows 7 or 8 but not 10 . I did that and really flashed the firmware and tried to bind it , after 4 attempts it first ally went into big deal mode and I hooked it up to the st16 and then slipped on the camera and tried to bind it all to no avail, then it would not turn off without taking the battery out. I has got me stumped, I think that it is a new main board coming up as the solution. I still now put the battery in with my first gergina on the button and after a while it starts the blue flashing and nothing else. I think that blue flashing is ESC'S trouble and that is a main board. Johnno Hennessy.
 
Hi Steve , PatR, and Thomas,
I have not been able to put my whole concerted effort into this problem, ( grand kids walking germ factory this time of the year and sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies). I think that it is a new main board for this thing , I will think for while to see if it may be something else. But doubt it. Here is a short video of the problem. Hopefully it works. Johnno Hennessy.
 
I hope this is the video. If not I will have to go back and learn how post it again. Johnno Hennessy.
 
Sorry, forgotten how to send video. Now this is some stills of the two colours. The red light is just the battery inserted and no startup button used, the light is red at rear flashing, lights inside at rear are the radio module and the small one deep inside is the light on the TX module. The second photo I held the start button down and them put the battery in and kept it there until it started flashing blue at which time the lights on top of the flight controler came on as well as the others. This also allowed me to turn of the blue light with the main switch but that was all that I could achieve. Johnno Hennessy. 20190721_171332.jpg20190721_171125.jpg20190721_171332.jpg20190721_171125.jpg
 
For me this sounds like one or more of the 4 MOSFETs of the power switsch is burnt or something withe driver is wrong. It should be possible to boot up the system if you longer press the power button until the melody comes.

The MOSFETs are here on the bottom side of the mainboard:
Mainboard_back_conn.JPG

You should check:
- cable and plugs to power switch,
- foreign object/substance (impurity) on the board, especially in the area of the power MOSFETs and the driver in the area of the power switch plug and the power switch itself.
- does it happen too if the power switch cable is unplugged (now when I'm thinking this should be the first action to try)?

br HE
 
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Hi h-elsner,
Thank you for your time, 1) it continues to be red when the power switch cable has been disconnected from the board.
2) I have now left my finger on the switch with it all connected and it is still flashing blue ( 5 minutes finger on switch).
3) my next is to take off main board and check for the items that you have listed, I will get back on here when I have completed this . ( 2 days )
Thank you for your input and I will relay the results. Johnno Hennessy.
 
I have now swapped out a new main switch and the situition remains the same. I thought to do this as it was simple and we have the result. Johnno Hennessy.
 
I have now swapped out a new main switch and the situition remains the same. I thought to do this as it was simple and we have the result. Johnno Hennessy.
I admire your perseverance, for me it would of been stripped down for spares by now, I hope you find a solution soon.
 
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Hi Mrgs1,
I hope so too, but if you don't find out what is causing it you don't know which parts you can use. I think that it will be a main board swap out. Thanks for following Mrgs1, it will be interesting to say the least,for the cause anyway. Johnno Hennessy.
 
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