GL300 C controller not turning on unless plugged into Charger

[filmman]

I have an issue with my GL300C controller. It was working fine last week. I go to fly and the controller won't start. I charged it up and had 4 lights blinking. When I disconnect the charger the lights go off and it will not turn on. I am able to start it with the charger attached and connect to the P4. When I disconnect the charger the controller shuts off / no lights.

I've posted two videos showing the problem.
Video link
https://youtu.be/mRxCXpwiReI

Video link
https://youtu.be/_0oqNR1NRIo
Any suggestions on how to revive the controller?

 

[Alan Russel]

Thats definitely odd...you could try resetting the remote control, that involves opening up the back and unplugging the battery connection and reconnect the plug again.

 

[filmman]

Alan,
Thanks for the suggestion. I've opened the controller and disconnected the battery.
Still having the same issue.
Is there a way to reset the firmware?
Also, do you think it would correct the problem?
Thanks,
Filmman

 

[Phantomwolf]

I have an issue with my GL300C controller. It was working fine last week. I go to fly and the controller won't start. I charged it up and had 4 lights blinking. When I disconnect the charger the lights go off and it will not turn on. I am able to start it with the charger attached and connect to the P4. When I disconnect the charger the controller shuts off / no lights.

I've posted two videos showing the problem.
Video link
https://youtu.be/mRxCXpwiReI

Video link
https://youtu.be/_0oqNR1NRIo
Any suggestions on how to revive the controller?

It sounds like there is no power getting to the remote from the internal battery. This can be caused by a dead battery or a broken wire connecting the battery to the remote, or a bad connection between the wire and the circuit board or a break in the circuit board. If you have a voltmeter I would start by testing the voltage of the battery without the charger connected. Check it both at the battery and at the ends of the wire connecting the battery to the circuit board. If you have normal voltage reading at the battery but zero at the circuit board end of the wires, then chances are there is a break in the wiring. If you have zero volts on the battery, disconnect it from the circuit board and check it for short with an ohm meter. Be careful. Do not test it with an ohm meter if there is voltage across the battery. You could damage the ohm meter.

 

[Alan Russel]

Alan,
Thanks for the suggestion. I've opened the controller and disconnected the battery.
Still having the same issue.
Is there a way to reset the firmware?
Also, do you think it would correct the problem?
Thanks,
Filmman

Hi again filmman it is possible to downgrade the rc firmware, check out this video

 

[John Locke]

Is there a way to reset the firmware?
Also, do you think it would correct the problem?
Thanks,
Filmman

This isn't a firmware problem. It's a power problem.

 

[Alan Russel]

This isn't a firmware problem. It's a power problem.

Nothing to lose by trying to downgrading the rc firmware...could be any type of glitch?

 

[John Locke]

Nothing to lose by trying to downgrading the rc firmware...could be any type of glitch?

I would disagree. If you don't know what you're doing you can introduce more problems into the equation. It's a waste of time to find the root power problem IMO.

 

[filmman]

I contacted a friend of mine who suggested we re-flow the board. We re-flowed the board with his ZelFlow R04 at 200c for 10 min. Re-assembled the controller. It still has the same issue. Any other suggestions?

 

[John Locke]

It still has the same issue. Any other suggestions?

Did you complete the measurements suggested in post #4? If yes, can you post the results? Is the board getting power from the battery?

 

[Phantomwolf]

I hope you verified it is a single layer board before you re-flowed. If it is a multi-layer board you stand a very good chance of introducing more problems elsewhere on the board such as feed through connections opening up or shorting out. Good luck with that one. The suggestion I gave you is a logical one that will indicate where the problem probably is. It is also an easy safe procedure with minimal risk of causing more damage. I am a very experienced electronics technician having more than fifteen years in analog and digital electronics repairs in both the consumer and industrial electronics fields. I cannot offer any more advice than I already have.

 

[filmman]

Here is the results from my testing. See attached pics.
The battery is measuring 8.22 v and 8.31 v.
When connected to the controller nothing works.
I attached a 9v battery attached to the controller and it lit the controller,
but I got a red low battery beep.
Any ideas on why the battery doesn't work in the controller? Is there
something like firmware in the battery that could cause the issue?
Thanks,

 

[Phantomwolf]

Here is the results from my testing. See attached pics.
The battery is measuring 8.22 v and 8.31 v.
When connected to the controller nothing works.
I attached a 9v battery attached to the controller and it lit the controller,
but I got a red low battery beep.
Any ideas on why the battery doesn't work in the controller? Is there
something like firmware in the battery that could cause the issue?
Thanks,

Here is a link to a YouTube video of a fix that you and your friend with the re flow equipment might want to try.

 

[filmman]

Not sure if I should try this. My board doesn't look anything like this board.
Is he touching the left antenna lead to the left dot on the number 5 ribbon cable? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Phantomwolf]

Not sure if I should try this. My board doesn't look anything like this board.
Is he touching the left antenna lead to the left dot on the number 5 ribbon cable? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I wouldn't attempt to short anything. We have no idea what he is doing here. What I am suggesting is try reflowing the area around the chip in the video to see if that works. The trouble with some of these "instructional" videos is the instructor doesn't explain exactly what he/she is doing and that leaves a lot to guess at. Barring that, you may want to consider taking it to a qualified repair technician rather than spinning your wheels looking for a needle in a haystack, so to speak. One other question... did you check the battery voltage under load? Connect it to the controller and monitor the voltage while you attempt to turn the controller on. If the voltage drops then you have a battery that is not charged or is defective. Without parts to swap such as a known good and fully charged battery to try or another way to charge your own battery without your controller it is difficult to find the problem. It may be better to bite the bullet and send it out for repair.