Newbie question: Pros and Cons for Safety Flip cover for Motor Start/Stop button?

[Barton]

I recently saw a YouTube video about installing a safety flip cover for the motor start/stop button on the ST16. Based upon what I have read, owners of the Typhoon H that like to land using this button to kill the motors would probably argue against the cover. BUT based on @Ty Pilot 's first impression comments for the H+/ST16S, using the motor kill switch when landing the H+ is probably a very bad idea.

So, my question is whether the kill button has ever been accidentally hit causing an H to fall out of the sky? Is there a need for additional protection for this switch? The cost of a safety flip cover is only about $7 so the cost is not why I'm asking the question. I'm curious if there would be a situation where gaining a slightly quicker access to the button would offset inadvertently/carelessly killing the motors? I'm assuming this is a very low probability/risk situation but wouldn't hurt to ask.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

The only situation I can think of, would be if you are pushing the button to kill the motors quickly... say in the case of when the motors don't idle down on touchdown and the H is starting to do that pre-tipover dance...

 

[rdonson]

I’ve been in situations where I’ve had to add some right stick to get the H over my landing spot to stop drift. If unstopped that will lead to a tip over and at least one broken prop.

Several times I’ve used the red button to reduce altitude from 8’ down to the ground by tapping it judiciously before its on the ground and I can keep it pressed down to stop the motors.

Not ideal, I know and when I can I will elevate and give it ago again. That’s not always possible though.

 

[Racepro60]

I really think the cover is installed for the cosmetic cool factor, if one were to install a cover on any switch it maybe should be the angle/return to home as it seems many people bump this without realizing it.

 

[NorWiscPilot]

I’ve been in situations where I’ve had to add some right stick to get the H over my landing spot to stop drift. If unstopped that will lead to a tip over and at least one broken prop.

Several times I’ve used the red button to reduce altitude from 8’ down to the ground by tapping it judiciously before its on the ground and I can keep it pressed down to stop the motors.

Not ideal, I know and when I can I will elevate and give it ago again. That’s not always possible though.

Ron,

But on the Plus, did Patrick (Ty Pilot) say the red button is an immediate kill, rendering the “red button bump” landing a no-no?

A cover for the ST16s sounds like a good idea for the above reason. Maybe not so much for the ST16 (H480).

Just thinking out loud.

Jeff

P.S. considering this discussion is posted in the Plus section, differentiation is critical.

 

[rdonson]

Jeff, you're absolutely correct.

I also think its early days for the H Plus and a number of things may change with firmware updates over the next 3-6 months.

 

[PatR]

A cover is not needed. All the flight and camera controls are located in areas separate from the arming button. There are no other controls aside from the arming button of the left top side of the controller. The only reason to place your fingers there is to intentionally access that button.

I can’t think of any reason to fly the aircraft with our hands wrapped over the top of the controller. Anyone that tries to fly an aircraft before they learned where the controls are and what they do is trying to run before they learned how to crawl. They will crash with or without an arming restrictor.

 

[NorWiscPilot]

A cover is not needed. All the flight and camera controls are located in areas separate from the arming button. There are no other controls aside from the arming button of the left top side of the controller. The only reason to place your fingers there is to intentionally access that button.

I can’t think of any reason to fly the aircraft with our hands wrapped over the top of the controller. Anyone that tries to fly an aircraft before they learned where the controls are and what they do is trying to run before they learned how to crawl. They will crash with or without an arming restrictor.

Fair enough and a very valid point, Sir Pat!

Nonetheless... while it pains me to relay this, I heard of one pilot who had his finger on the red button and may have even pressed it, without even realizing said finger was there, let alone intending to press it.

Fortunately, the pilot in question was saved the embarrassment as well as the "agony of defeat" as the inadvertent brain-cramp induced muscle twitch did not result in any totally blameless reaction by the aircraft to which control signals were being sent by the ST16 in those hands of the shuddering human.

Just sayin'. Things can happen.

Jeff

P.S. Reminds me of the scene in Apollo 13 where Kevin Bacon put a note over the lunar module separation button, knowing his fellow astronauts would be goners if he had his own brain cramp!

 

[PatR]

There are a few people that have tried to switch off their car engine on a long down hill to increase gas mileage and accidentally turned the key to the off and locked position too[emoji44]. I don’t believe there is anything that can truly protect people from themselves[emoji6]

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

 

[rdonson]

There are a few people that have tried to switch off their car engine on a long down hill to increase gas mileage and accidentally turned the key to the off and locked position too[emoji44]. I don’t believe there is anything that can truly protect people from themselves[emoji6]

Its hard to fix stupid.

 

[PatR]

There will always be that...

 

[Barton]

A big thank you to all that responded to my question! It appears to me that the good news is that accidental activation of the kill button is a rare occurrence, or one not openly discussed between H pilots. Thus, the decision to add a safety cap is motivated more by each pilot's personal level of risk avoidance than by a known, present danger. Obviously, at least one person felt the cap was useful enough to go to the effort to make a YouTube video about installing the safety cap.

Regarding @Racepro60 's comment regarding protecting the flight mode switch (sport/angle/RTL) - not being an experienced pilot I don't have a fact-based opinion on this. My gut-level opinion is that in most cases, the pilot should be able to recover from an inadvertent bump to this switch. On a practical side, I have not found a safety cap that will work for this three position switch. All the safety caps I have seen to date are intended to be used on a toggle switch and the safety cap forces the switch to be in a defined position when closed (the caps also work for a short push-button switch like the motor start/stop button). The only way these safety caps could work on the ST16S would be to drill/grind away some of the inner plastic of the safety cap.

 

[rdonson]

I did buy some red switch covers over a year or so ago. I had accidently switched to Smart Mode from Angle a couple of times thanks to my fat fingers. However as I progressed I didn’t do it again as I’d learned to be more careful so I never went through putting the switch cover on.

Now with @Ty Pilot ‘s ST16 tray I’m even less likely to hit a switch accidently.

 

[Barton]

I did buy some red switch covers over a year or so ago. I had accidently switched to Smart Mode from Angle a couple of times thanks to my fat fingers. However as I progressed I didn’t do it again as I’d learned to be more careful so I never went through putting the switch cover on.

Now with @Ty Pilot ‘s ST16 tray I’m even less likely to hit a switch accidently.

Ron, were the switch covers you purchased usable on a three position switch? If so, where did you find them. All the switch caps I have seen have a slanting area inside the switch cap that forces the switch to be switched away from the hinged side of the cap (hope that made sense...). Thanks.

 

[rdonson]

@Barton

I found these on Amazon

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B016VR3HZK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not sure how well they’ll work as I didn’t install them. My thought was to use an adhesive that would allow me to remove them if I wanted to.

 

[Barton]

@Barton

I found these on Amazon

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B016VR3HZK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not sure how well they’ll work as I didn’t install them. My thought was to use an adhesive that would allow me to remove them if I wanted to.

Ron, Thanks for the link! These are the same 'toggle switch' safety caps that I mentioned that DO NOT work with three position switches like the flight mode switch. To make these switches work, the sloping plastic plate inside the switch cap must be cut away to allow clearance for the three position switch. If these switches were used as-is on the flight mode switch, when closed the flight mode would always be RTL.

 

[Emisis]

Its hard to fix stupid.

A hard hit with a 2x4 can stun it for a bit though.................

 

[rdonson]

Ron, Thanks for the link! These are the same 'toggle switch' safety caps that I mentioned that DO NOT work with three position switches like the flight mode switch. To make these switches work, the sloping plastic plate inside the switch cap must be cut away to allow clearance for the three position switch. If these switches were used as-is on the flight mode switch, when closed the flight mode would always be RTL.

Perhaps that’s why I never installed them.

 

[Barton]

The purpose of this post is to provide closure (for me) on the safety caps for the motor start and flight mode switches.

I purchased a couple of safety caps to get a 'hands on' experience. After visual inspection the following is clear to me:

1. The safety cap will not work on the three position flight mode switch. Besides the sloping plastic plate that I mentioned in previous posts, there is also a spring behind the plate that is used to keep the cap forced closed or forced open. Even if the plate were removed the spring would cause physical interference with the three position flight mode switch.
2. There is minor physical interference between the safety cap and the motor start/stop button. Without installing the safety cap, it is not clear whether the push button would operate properly and it is very possible that removal of some of the plastic plate might be required.

Given that there is no clear necessity for the switch safety caps, my conclusion, based on the above, is that my ST16S will remain 'factory stock' with no safety caps.