MAKO Trouble shooting 101

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phyrephish
King Tiger Commander
King Tiger Commander
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MAKO Trouble shooting 101

Post by phyrephish » Fri Aug 31, 2018 10:18 pm

MAKO (all versions) Troubleshooting 101

1. The main gun does not fire, I have no sound.

If your main gun does not fire that probably mean that you have not got a microswitch connected. Do you have a microswitch connected? Remove the MAKO from your system and try again. If you still have no cannon sound then it is because you have removed the microswitch input from the MFU OR it is no longer being triggered by the action of the airsoft/recoil system. When you use the radio to fire the cannon the radio signal itself DOES NOT activate anything other than the airsoft/recoil motor. The movement of the airsoft/recoil unit will eventually trigger the small microswitch at the back of the unit. It is this closure to V0 (GND) of the microswitch that triggers the sound and flash of the main cannon. Please review the video series “Understanding Your Heng Long /Taigen MFU” on the RCTA YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... gxPWQ1921Q_

MAKO 2018 features a microswitch replicator circuit which you can use to provide this trigger signal. NOTE: THIS IS A BETA FEATURE and has not had the years of testing that all the rest of MAKO has had. It is not 100% guaranteed. For connection details of this circuit see Step 6 here:

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=76

NOTE: Connection points on the Heng Long and Taigen MFUs are DIFFERENT.

For MAKOs prior to the 2018 version you MUST replace the microswitch and ensure that it works OR follow this guide for a better triggering mechanism

http://rctanksaustralia.com/forum/viewt ... f=82&t=800


2. Main gun fires but MAKO does not shoot.

Assuming that all of your connections are correct and MAKO is not firing an IR signal there are 3 most likely reasons. Usually you can check the IR signal by viewing the IR LED with your mobile phone camera.
1. There is a broken connection on the white signal wire. Check the JST cable and that the crimps are secure inside the connector.

2. Your IR emitter is blown or connected in reverse. Check.

IF you are using a Taigen MFU or new 2.4 gHz Heng Long MFU and a MAKO earlier than 2018 then it may be possible that:

3. The MAKO is resetting each time you fire. This is a common problem with these MFUs and MAKO prior to 2018. To see if your MAKO is resetting when you fire connect a BlueRing and watch the indicator LEDs. If almost immediately after you fire the LEDs come on and go through the startup procedure your MAKO has reset. This is easily fixed by putting a 1K resistor inline on the white signal wire of the supplied MAKO 5 way cable.

(white wire)--------/\/\/\1K/\/\/-------(white wire)

MAKO 2018 has this resistor included on the PCB. If a MAKO 2018 is resetting then re-check your connections.

3. MAKO fires but cannot hit other tanks.

If you have confirmed that MAKO is sending out IR by looking at the emitter with your phone camera then check the IR Battle system on your OTHER tanks. If you are sure your other tanks are 100% IR functional then you may need to upgrade your MAKO firmware. Taigen HAVE changed their IR signal and it is well know that the Taigen V.2 units are not even compatible with Taigen V.1. There has also been improvements to the Heng Long IR. The latest version of MAKO firmware (2019) can be found here:

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=67

NOTE: IF YOU PURCHASED A MAKO IN LATE 2018 or 2019 THEN YOU DO NOT NEED TO UPDATE ANYTHING.
This link MAY change to a dedicated MAKO firmware topic so PLEASE also check the MAKO index

viewforum.php?f=31

Instructions on updating your MAKO firmware can be found here:

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=71

NOTE: (Again) All MAKO shipped from August 2018 will be compatible with Taigen and Heng Long MFU’s up to V.3

4. MAKO can not be hit by other tanks.

First check that your connection to your battle unit/IR mushroom is secure. Check that the receiver is working using a SONY TV remote (or a universal remote set to a Sony TV code). A Sony remote is the best way to check IR reception. Again having a BlueRing connected is essential to any trouble shooting. When MAKO is on press “0”. This activates an info request and the LEDs on BlueRing/Piranha will come on and stay on while the IR battle info is sent out by MAKO. If the LEDs do not come on and you are 100% certain your remote is sending the correct Sony code then there is an issue with your IR receiver or connection to it. You can also check the IR receiver by pressing the repeat button on the remote. This will register on MAKO as an IR hit and you should hear an explosion. If the LEDs come on and/or you have an explosion with your Sony remote BUT your tank still does not get hit by other tanks then:
1. Check that your other tanks are outputting IR. If they are then...
2. You may need to update the MAKO firmware for the reasons in 3. above.

5. The servo recoil is not working.

The servo recoil action program on MAKO is fixed and only operates in 1 way. This how all fixed servo programs will work. When viewed from above the servo itself the program on MAKO has the servo turn clockwise for the recoil action and then anti-clockwise for the return to fire position. If you have purchased an after market unit it may require the servo to operate in the opposite direction. To fix this you must purchase a servo reverser or replace your bought unit with one you can 3D print for free from these designs in our webstore

http://rctanksaustralia.com/store/index ... Path=13_14

REFERENCE VIDEOS:

MAKO StartUp Procedure:
To help users new to MAKO this video demonstrates the correct startup procedure for MAKO with Medium Battle Tank setting.
When first powered on any indicator LEDs attached to MAKO will blink once or twice depending on the MAKO firmware version.
The LEDs will then stay on for about 5 seconds to indicate MAKO has entered "Programming Period". All MAKO shipped default to medium battle tank. Unless the default has been changed upon completion of Program Period the LEDs will blink 3 times to indicate battle tank and then 6 times for medium weight class.
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