Futaba T8FG: how to kill it irrepairably
I could manage it
I'm an old Futaba user, and I have never tought, I will blame myself because of it once. It happened to me, I've lost a transmitter from a day to another one due to a silly error.
Sadly, the problem is in the transmitter and in its software. And I've checked it after all, this is a typical problem in it, it happens on the same way to everybody. Simply, I just disconnected the simulator, and I could not use the transmitter anymore. I've done it in switched off state, it was a mistake.
Previous models of Futaba transmitters work when they are switched on. This is also true, when the simulator is connected, or the trainer lead is plugged in, the transmitter switched of does nothing. But the T8 series wake up, when a cable gets connected and they remain on, whilst the cable is plugged in. This is also true, when the main switch is off - it has no effect. But when disconnecting the cable, the transmitter switched off shuts immediately - like with dead battery. But these two things can damage the memory. When it gets switched on next time, the following message appears on the display:
From that moment, no way to get out. Few of us tell upgrading the software can help (in some cases). Only an SD card is necessary.
Okay, but where to buy an appropriate SD card?
This transmitter of Futaba supports the SD card up to 2GB, and not all of them are working with it, therefore it's better to choose 1GB. Good luck to find one in 2019. No matter, I could buy one finally for twice as much as a 16GB.
Good news, even this transmitter can format the SD card - if it can handle that. But if anything is stored on it, the formatting will not success, so empty it. Futaba uses its own file system, which is kept in one file on a FAT16 file system (that's why the size limit is 2GB). Format the SD Card with PC to FAT16, then insert it into the transmitter.
Then cou can upgrade the software as it's described by Futaba. After all, you will see, it was successful or not. In my case, the second happened. Only remaining option to send it to Futaba getting fixed. And a loooong waiting and even more money.
Final lesson: before you plug the simulator in, switch the transmitter on and keep it on whilst any cable is connected. Only the main switch shuts the transmitter down appropriately, disconnecting the cable doesn't.