Posts: 5 Threads: 2 Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts Likes Given: 0 Joined: Sep 2017 Reputation: 0 hi, I'm new to the hobby of building quads so please be gentle. I used a kombini fc and checked all my connections with a multimeter. no shorts! yet when I plug in the usb it showes no green light or any sign of connecting to the computer (betaflight). is it me or the kombini? please help Claus • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 Check with another USB cable. If you are still not even getting any light, then likely your FC was DOA. • Posts: 5 Threads: 2 Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts Likes Given: 0 Joined: Sep 2017 Reputation: 0 (27-Sep-2017, 12:48 AM)voodoo614 Wrote: Check with another USB cable. If you are still not even getting any light, then likely your FC was DOA. Thank you for your reply. You are voicing what i thought. • Posts: 2,286 Threads: 38 Likes Received: 1,527 in 995 posts Likes Given: 1,881 Joined: Apr 2016 Reputation: 72 It sounds like you've already soldered your Kombini. Sadly, this will make it hard to get a replacement. The first thing I do when I receive a new flight controller is plug in the USB connection and make sure I can connect to it with the configurator and see that the gyro works. If there's a problem, getting a replacement is not an issue. • Posts: 1,590 Threads: 89 Likes Received: 1,283 in 768 posts Likes Given: 1,274 Joined: Jan 2017 Reputation: 31 (27-Sep-2017, 07:20 AM)unseen Wrote: It sounds like you've already soldered your Kombini. Sadly, this will make it hard to get a replacement. While I've had my share of problems getting support in this hobby... I would think that soldering the board would be a bad excuse for not providing warranty services considering that this product is designed to be soldered to other components. That is assuming that there even was any expressed warranty. I'd still try to see if whomever you bought it from would let you return it! I hear that banggood can be OK with returns if you provide pictures and or videos... and I know that amazon typically is pretty good with returns as well. carl.vegas Current Quads: Operational: Diatone GT2 200 In need of repair: Bumble Bee, tehStein, Slightly modified Vortex 250 • Posts: 2,286 Threads: 38 Likes Received: 1,527 in 995 posts Likes Given: 1,881 Joined: Apr 2016 Reputation: 72 Quite a few sites say "If you solder it, you've bought it". Depending on the fault, poor soldering can be the cause, so to an extent, I understand why some say this. • Posts: 1,590 Threads: 89 Likes Received: 1,283 in 768 posts Likes Given: 1,274 Joined: Jan 2017 Reputation: 31 Sounds a lot like PC companies saying that opening a case voided the warrantee in the 90s. It's a way to cop out of quality defects. carl.vegas Current Quads: Operational: Diatone GT2 200 In need of repair: Bumble Bee, tehStein, Slightly modified Vortex 250 • Posts: 1,504 Threads: 83 Likes Received: 944 in 654 posts Likes Given: 2,142 Joined: Sep 2016 Reputation: 24 (27-Sep-2017, 03:58 PM)Carl.Vegas Wrote: Sounds a lot like PC companies saying that opening a case voided the warrantee in the 90s. It's a way to cop out of quality defects. I bought a PC 4 years ago advertised with a 450W PSU, opened it after a year to upgrade the GPU (voiding my 2 year warranty) and found that it had a 250W PSU not the 450W that was advertised. The model number of the PSU was something...450W, but the spec sheet said nothing about 'peak output' only 250W. The retailer replaced it with a 450W and said that, in future they would be more stringent with checking what their suppliers actually provide. Windless fields and smokeless builds • Posts: 5 Threads: 2 Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts Likes Given: 0 Joined: Sep 2017 Reputation: 0 (27-Sep-2017, 07:20 AM)unseen Wrote: It sounds like you've already soldered your Kombini. Sadly, this will make it hard to get a replacement. The first thing I do when I receive a new flight controller is plug in the USB connection and make sure I can connect to it with the configurator and see that the gyro works. If there's a problem, getting a replacement is not an issue. I did. Lesson learned. I sent a message to atmospheric adventures and will see. BTW they have the best prices. • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 I have not had too much trouble with any of the vendors I buy from. I bought an Omnibus F3 AIO. Everything flashed. it worked when connected to the computer. When I tried to calibrate the ESCs (what is ESC calibration? that is so yesterday), the motor would spin under USB power. In my case, there is no way you can figure out that the FC was defective without soldering. I have to give credit to most of the vendors are pretty good about returns or replacement. I also wonder the percentage of defects is user errors. • Posts: 1,590 Threads: 89 Likes Received: 1,283 in 768 posts Likes Given: 1,274 Joined: Jan 2017 Reputation: 31 27-Sep-2017, 05:51 PM (This post was last modified: 27-Sep-2017, 05:54 PM by Carl.Vegas.) (27-Sep-2017, 05:43 PM)voodoo614 Wrote: I also wonder the percentage of defects is user errors. Not to turn this into too much of a rant about defects (too late... although maybe I can get away with it because I work in QA in my professional life?) Damage to a product is not necessarily a "defect" per se, unless that damage was caused by a failure of the product to work as designed / advertised. If it's user error it's usually just "damaged goods". Of course companies have to watch out for damaged goods being returned as defective products. In a case like the one that the OP has it's unlikely that wiring up the quad is going to blow just the USB connection... which actually brings me to a question to help troubleshoot: What happens when you power up the quad with a LiPo? If it powers up with a LiPo, and the motors play the ESC tones... then that's very likely a defect @ the USB connector... To use action taken on a product as an excuse not to make defects right is just lazy customer service and shouldn't be accepted by consumers unless they decide that the effort put into resolving the issue isn't worth the return, or unless the manufacturer clearly states that the product is sold as-is (which is rare for new products). carl.vegas Current Quads: Operational: Diatone GT2 200 In need of repair: Bumble Bee, tehStein, Slightly modified Vortex 250 • Posts: 2,286 Threads: 38 Likes Received: 1,527 in 995 posts Likes Given: 1,881 Joined: Apr 2016 Reputation: 72 I think most vendors are pretty good, especially if you have some history with them and they can see that you're not a chancer. Still, having seen some of the soldering nightmares that you can find on various forums, there's certainly an element of truth in saying that some hardware failures are caused by incompetent soldering and it's hardly fair to expect the vendor to take the cost of replacement when the user caused the problem. If a vendor does so as a matter of course, the costs tend to get passed on to their customers. As someone who can solder and who inspects everything very carefully before applying power, I don't see why I should pay to subsidise the customers who obviously have no idea what they are doing. |