Search for Replacement 9x Potentiometers!

[Daedalus66]

Regarding sanding the pot element, note that in the video the abrasive used is 1500 grit wet or dry paper. This is ultra fine. By contrast, the grit on a nail sanding board is probably about 150 -- 10 times coarser!

I'm leery about using ever the finest of abrasive on a carbon film pot, but might give it a try. However, under no circumstances should anything but the very finest grit be used.

[volumax]

Yes but this is what I had and I basically laid the nail sanding board on it I tried removing anything but the air touching the carbon

[ShowMaster]

I think the conductive car glass heater repair paint is the fix. I have no clue why the person in the video would remove the pot Lube and then remove the surface even with ultra fine sand paper? The pot Lubes purpose is to keep the wiper contact from being worn down or the pot element from having the surface scratched or grooved by the wiper.
The conductive paint or a eyelet re-crimp is the real fix. The paint should not be allowed to migrate very far onto the carbon and has been used in past posts over the years. Use carefully.

[volumax]

I guess he did it to "clean" the pot but at the end he re-lubes it.

[ShowMaster]

I missed the ending so ok on adding more pot lube. I'm just not sure about the sanding since the open end connection is the main common failure.

[volumax]

ok so I just opened up my aileron pot again and recrimped what I understood were the eyelet and now my aileron is working better than my elevator pot haha

[bob195558]

Hi volumax,

Where the highest percentage cause of 9x Potentiometer failure is at the eyelet connection to the black carbon element surface.
I would do the eyelet re-crimp with the small nose pliers first.
And if you acquire the CAIG CircuitWrite Pen Silver Ink,
(it uses real sliver in its ink and sliver has the least electrical resistance so is the best conductive circuit ink to use, see Radio Shack)
it is good to apply the sliver ink to the top of the eyelet and down onto the black carbon resistance element surface.
Be careful not to go down the length of the carbon resistance surface to far because you do not want the sliders making contact with the conductive sliver ink.

Note: When the 9x Potentiometer is installed into the 9x Gimbal the travel of the inside sliders is 55 degrees which is 27.5 degrees from Center Stick.
Using the CAIG CircuitWrite Pen Silver Ink will also help to make the 9x Potentiometer more reliable when flying.

ShowMaster has work a lot with repairing 9x Potentiometer and his counsel is very reliable in my opinion.

If possible I would not mess with the sliders and the black carbon element surface and the lubricant on them.
Carefully degrease the area where you would apply the CAIG CircuitWrite Pen Silver Ink before applying.


The Video (How to Repair a Pot on a Turnigy 9X Transmitter) on page 6 has some procedures which caused me to feel uncomfortable.
Be very, very careful when handling your 9x Potentiometer. You can only repair it so many times before it becomes to damage, to be repaired anymore.

When watching the (How to Repair a Pot on a Turnigy 9X Transmitter) video I became Very Surprised
when the gentleman produced his large knife to bend the three retainer taps up.
He did this very quickly and easily so that it greatly impressed me with his eye-hand surgical ability
to which caused me to have a question: can he do this same procedure with an even bigger knife.
I wish I had the same eye-hand surgical ability which he is able.

Bob

[volumax]

Hi Bob thanks for your comment, I have managed to fix the aileron pot, its working great, now the question is, what to do with the taranis gimbals I purchased to replace the 9x gimbals which I bought because I didnt feel like this pot could be reliable again, but after flying in the sim for about an hr it hasnt shown any bad tendencies.

When I saw the video and got to the point of the knife I was really frightened when it slipped almost into his hand. I thought to my self this man is not too experienced with knives lol.

[volumax]

This is the conductive paint I bought on ebay, 0.2ml for 4.50 usd shipped.

[ShowMaster]

Glad your pots working and you kept working on it without giving up!

Please tell us the final steps you took. Even though you've probably answered in in other posts, I like to have them in one final post for the next person to try.
I assume you applied the conductive paint on the eyelet ends as a final fix?
As for the Taranis stick spares. If their the new versions offer them up for resale. Many first Tarnanis owners may still want to replace theirs if they have issues and no local warranty.

For others reading this with pot issues.
About the video, when I saw that big knife being used to pry on the pot shell I decided he's not a brain surgeon by trade.
As for taking the shine off of the element. The pot lube probably coated the element and made it shinny. The pressure of the wiper should press through that film and make contact. Its job.
The only time to sand or scuff up the element surface would be because of a pit or grove. Sanding/smoothing this area may help but taking any carbon coating off risks a value change. Also it's a thin coating to begin with.

[volumax]

I didnt get to use the conductive paint I simply wiped the pot "clean" with paper towel and re-crimped the eyelets like you said. I didnt use the conductive paint because I fixed the pot last night and the paint was delivered today.

[ShowMaster]

Great! The re-crimp worked for you.
It's been very successful for me.
It's the most cost effective fix if you are careful.
Happy flying.

[volumax]

Thanks for the help ShowMaster. Have you had a pot that fails again after fixing it this way?

[ShowMaster]

Not so far after a year on some. Just don't push on the pot PC boards if you work on your radio. For many that's what damages it the first place, er9x mods. The conductive paint of course makes a better bonding of the pot wire, eyelet, and pot element. Too bad the paint wasn't used anymore.

[volumax]

Hey ShowMaster, I put the right taranis gimbal on and when I try to power on the radio only the LED turns on, no screen, just my green led is on. Any ideas?

[jhsa]

You might have a short somewhere? Or the gimbal might be drawing to much current from the voltage regulator?

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

[Kilrah]

Be careful, the pots in the Taranis are not "dumb" pots but include an amplifier circuitry. Polarity needs to be correct.

[volumax]

How can I figure out the issue, this is sad I reallly like these gimbals

[jhsa]

you need to check where is the positive and ground connections.. if you reverse them you can destroy the amplifier circuit on the gimbals

João

[volumax]

It has brown orange and red wires. The original gimbal has black white and red, I connected brown with black, orange with white, red with red.

[Kilrah]

The 9X uses "creative" coloring... black is + and red is -.

[volumax]

ok so I will switch them around, crossing fingers

[volumax]

Ok so I got it ON by switching the brown and red, now like Rob had said, Ailerons are reversed

[jhsa]

you don't have to keep posting on both threads. we are all reading it twice )

João

[volumax]

Hahaha I didnt know sorry

[jhsa]

most of us read all the posts. there's an "view unread posts" option at the top of the page

And it's the double of the work for you too

Anyway, good that you sorted the gimbals and didn't blow anything up.

[volumax]

yea now I gotta fly with sticks inverted until a solution pops up haha

[jhsa]

it should not be a big deal. you can invert the direction in the software..
limits menu..
Maybe the devs program an option for "frsky gimbals" in the general settings menu (er9x), or a compile option (opentx).
João

[Kilrah]

Rob has implemented the option in openTx for sky9x as that's what he has. Nobody tried them on stock board yet AFAIK, so the option hasn't been implemented yet either.

[kaos]

good to know Taranis gimbal is a direct replacement for T9x. Is there a difference with Taranis gimbal as throttle specific? or the gimbal can be adjusted either as a throttle or a cyclic?