The eLogger V3 from Eagle Tree Systems is an in-flight data logger which continuously records volts, amps, watts, and milliamp-hours to enable pilots to analyze the performance of their electric power systems. In addition, it supports a wide variety of optional sensors to record altitude, airspeed, component temperatures, RPM, and more.
Specifications
Dimensions
2.25%26quot; x 1%26quot; x 0.5%26quot;
Weight
0.7 ounces (20 grams)
Voltage
5 to 70V
Amperage
Up to 100 amps
Temperature
0 to 424F
RPM
100 to 50,000
Street Price
$70 for the eLogger, $40 for the PowerPanel, $15 for the brushless RPM sensor, $10 each for either temperature sensor, $30 for the altimeter
The eLogger is a small device which continuously records these values to its internal memory. Once back on the ground, these log files can be downloaded to a computer for graphing and analysis. The device can also be used to display live values for all of its sensors, which means it doubles as a wattmeter on the bench.
Eagle Tree Systems provided me with the eLogger, a PowerPanel LCD display, two different temperature sensors, and an RPM sensor for brushless motors. All of these can be connected simultaneously, and still have room for a third temperature sensor and either a second RPM sensor or a throttle sensor. In addition, there is an altimeter, an airspeed sensor, a servo current meter, and a GPS module available. The variety of sensors and the ability to use so many of them at the same time is one of the major strengths of this product. The eLogger competes with the Oracle Data Recorder from Medusa Research and the eFlightWatt Data Logger from Mile High Wings .
To start with, I decided to test the eLogger as a wattmeter, by connecting the PowerPanel LCD and hooking it up between the ESC and battery in my Kadet EP-42. The logger I requested has integrated Dean's Ultra connectors, but another version is available with leads if you prefer a different connector. I found that installing the eLogger first made it difficult to connect the battery - I'm used to the ESC wire's flexibility helping to align the Dean's connectors. An easy solution is to put Velcro on the back of the logger, keep it unattached until the battery is connected, and then secure it in the fuselage.
The factory settings showed volts, amps, milliamp hours, and temperature on the LCD, which was good enough for a bench test. Everything worked fine for a few minutes, but then I noticed the PowerPanel display was corrupted. I reset the power and got a message to configure the LCD. It turns out that I had hit a bug in the software which had already been fixed. A newer version of the firmware was sitting on the CD-ROM that came with the logger, but of course I had skipped it (and the manual) in my excitement to try it out.
A short firmware update later I was back in business. Eagle Tree tell me that all new eLoggers going out the door already have the fix. Bugs are a fact of life, and I'm happy to see that they are responsive to fixing problems, and that the logger can be updated at home with the included USB cable. My advice is to hook a new eLogger up to a PC first thing in order to configure it and check for the latest software.
Besides acting as a simple wattmeter, all of the attached sensors can display their live values on the PowerPanel, which is very configurable. From the PC software, you can choose which parameters are displayed and where, give them customized three letter names, and set up multiple pages of information. For example, eight parameters can be spread over two pages, which alternate every two seconds.
Even better, there's an option to show the maximum values attained since power on when the current is zero. This is useful both on the bench to check peak amps, as well as at the field after a flight. The latter is particularly useful if you want to try out different props but not bring a laptop out to your flying site. On larger models the LCD could be mounted in the fuselage or under the canopy to make it visible. For smaller planes or helis, the PowerPanel is best kept on the ground, and connected when needed.
The desktop software can be used in live mode, where all parameters are displayed in real time on large readouts, and optionally recorded. There's even a live mode for the graphing feature, which is extremely cool (although perhaps less useful than the gauges and digital displays).
Next I moved on to recording in-flight data. The Data Recorder application is used to configure the logger's behavior, which is retained in the absence of power. You have a choice of which parameters to record, and how often to log them (from 1 to 10 samples per second). These choices affect the total logging time available, as does the data compression used internally. Eagle Tree state a minimum of 45 minutes of recording time. I set up the logger to record volts, amps, RPM, and one temperature value, sampling 4 times per second. In this configuration I'd estimate 2.5 hours of data can be stored.
There are three different RPM sensors available for this system. The first is a magnetic unit which requires the installation of a sensor and one or two magnets on a spinning surface. The second is an optical sensor which reads alternating light and dark areas on the back of the spinner or other moving part. Both of these are somewhat permanent setups, and are better suited to larger planes.
The third RPM option, and the unit I requested, is an electrical sensor designed specifically for brushless motors. It has the easiest installation procedure of the three, which consists of stripping a quarter inch of wire and attaching it to any of the three wires between the motor and ESC. I found it was easy to stick the sensor wire into the female 3.5mm bullet connector on the ESC, then reconnect the male side. Back on the PC, a configuration screen asks for the number of poles in the motor and the gearbox ratio, if one is used. The second setting is also used to indicate the ratio of the main gear to the pinion in a helicopter. One nice feature is the ability to see motor speed and prop/head speed at the same time.
I tried two temperature sensors as well. One is a loop, which was easy to slip around a LiPo pack, but I found that it did not cinch tight enough, so I added a piece of tape. The other sensor is designed to be taped down, and can be used interchangeably. Both are appropriate for measuring the temperature of inrunner motors, ESCs, and batteries. I couldn't think of a good solution for an outrunner motor though, since the spinning can is bound to be hotter than the non-rotating base.
Before flying with the eLogger, I wanted to compare the static amp draw of my Reactor with two different props. I ran full throttle with the stock 10x4.5SF, then changed over to an 11x4.7SF and ran the motor again. I downloaded the log files to my laptop, which showed two sessions. Each time the power is connected to the logger a new session is created, which is convenient. As seen here, you can examine these sessions individually or see them all at once. Using the default graph, I was able to verify that the current increased from 17.5A to 19.2A - just under the 20A sustained the RimFire motor is rated for. This gave me the confidence to use the bigger prop.
With the logger wrapped in foam at the rear of the compartment, I slid my battery forward a bit more than usual to get the center of gravity right. I flew a variety of maneuvers and didn't notice any effect on performance from the extra weight. Between the bench test and the flight, I had about 16 minutes of data in memory which was reported as 10% capacity used. It took about 5 seconds to download over USB, and saved to disk as a 448K file. This FDR file format is just a big text file, which means it can be examined or modified with any text editor. Most users will never do this, but it's nice to know the data is not locked away in a proprietary format.
The graphing feature is really the heart of the Data Recorder app, and it revealed a couple things about the flight right away. The first is that the larger prop only peaked at 16.75 amps in the air, and seemed to average around 10A. The average reported in the legend takes into account the idle time before and after the flight, so it's a little low. But second is the temperature curve of the LiPo pack. Not only did it climb steadily in the air, it continued to get hotter for another minute back on the ground. This confirmed my suspicion that I needed a larger air intake in the cowl for cooling.
Back on the bench I used a Dremel tool to open up the hole in the fiberglass cowl. On my next flight the weather was about 10 degrees warmer, but the difference in the curve was significant. Not only did the peak battery temperature drop from 66 to 58 degrees, the increased ventilation let the battery stabilize and even cool a bit as I drew fewer amps around the six minute mark. I would not have known about this problem or have been sure of the solution without the eLogger.
Since the logger itself has no buttons or controls, the PC application is used both for setup and flight analysis. The main screen can be configured to show whatever parameters you like, and many like RPM can be shown as both a gauge and a digital readout. These configurations can be saved for different models. One thing I found confusing was that these models do not also save and restore the configuration of the logger itself, for example which parameters to record in the air, or how many poles the brushless motor has. It would be nice to save the complete configuration of the eLogger in these model profiles, and have the LCD briefly display the name of the model it is programmed for on power on.
If the default graph options are not to your liking, there is an incredibly powerful settings window which allows you to change almost every aspect, from colors to line thickness to axis labels. I really appreciated that one axis can be made logarithmic, which is useful for showing large values like watts and RPM at the same time. Although the controls aren't obvious, the graph can also be zoomed in and panned around with the mouse. Because you can spend a lot of time configuring a graph to look just right, I'd like a way to save all of these settings as a preset. That would be useful to jump between one graph of just amps and temperature, and another of all settings simultaneously.
Later in my testing I tried the altimeter sensor. This has an unusual calibration routine, which consists of putting it in the fridge for five minutes, then connecting a battery as it comes up to room temperature. The altimeter connects to the LCD port on the logger, but allows the PowerPanel to be daisy chained, so both add-ons can be used simultaneously. The airspeed and servo current sensors (not tested) can also be chained together in this fashion, which is a great feature.
I installed the altimeter along with both temperature sensors in a Great Planes Spectra two meter electric glider. By disconnecting the bullet connectors between the brushed motor and the ESC, it was easy to slip the loop sensor around the motor can. I used scotch tape to attach the other temperature sensor to the battery, and tucked the altimeter into a small free compartment. It was a tight fit to get the canopy back on, but it worked. I might have had more room by placing the eLogger in the battery compartment, but would not have been able to reach the motor. Eagle Tree seem to have thought of this, and offer an inexpensive 12 inch extension cable for the temperature and RPM sensors.
After the flight, I downloaded the log to find a few surprises. First, that 600-size brushed motor hit 40 amps when I tested it at full throttle on the ground. Note to self: throw that piece of junk out and go brushless. The second was a reported maximum altitude of almost 3100 feet! Looking at the graph this was obviously a bad data spike. I tried to use the Set Minimum and Maximum Parameter Values command to eliminate this spike, but it had no effect on the graph. It appears this feature only affects the logger as it is recording.
So, how to fix this spike? As I mentioned earlier, the FDR log files are just plain text, so I made a copy and found the bad data by hand. Just changing these 1.5 seconds of data resulted in a much better graph, and correctly showed the max altitude as 240 feet. The climbs are interesting to watch: the amps (in purple) come up first, followed by the altitude (in turquoise), then gradually the battery temperature (in brown) and the motor temperature (in yellow). One thing this graph shows is that the motor heats faster than the battery, but also cools quicker as it has better cooling.
Later I browsed the Eagle Tree site and found a list of all changes to the software , something I strongly encourage companies to provide. And wouldn't you know it, a newer version was already out with a fix for altitude spikes. The new software also improves the appearance of the graphs with a white background and logo. The eLogger software is being improved constantly, which is a tribute to Eagle Tree. They also host a forum and respond to questions on RCGroups , which is a great way to provide support and share answers with many people simultaneously.
Can you fly electric without a logger? Sure - and you can practice biology without a microscope, but you won't really know what's going on. As a sport flyer I have found the eLogger very helpful for setting up new models and making changes to existing ones. It's particularly effective at detecting excessive current and cooling problems. This is a very well thought out, expandable logger which doubles as a wattmeter, and is very reasonably priced. Highly recommended.
To learn more about the eLogger, visit the product page on the Eagle Tree Systems website .
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
How to go really fast Interview with Tony Lovering
Forget about squeezing a little more power from your engine, filing the ports or any of that nonsense. There have been some quite extreme RC machines before now and none more so than Tony Loverings 3 engine monster.
He managed to squeeze 3 engines onto an 1/8th scale on-road Kyosho Evolva (I think 2 chassis and a hacksaw were involved) and flew from the UK to last year to compete in the world fastest RC competition at the California Speedway in Fontana on the 28th of July. He picked up the trophy for the fastest nitro RC car with a speed of 88 MPH, but has since gone as fast as 103 MPH in speed trials in the UK.
Zero RC: How did you get into speed trials?
Tony Lovering: I got into the worlds fastest RC car after watching a film called The Worlds fastest Indian. Its about a guy called Burt Munro from New Zealand, who built a motorbike and took it to the Speed Week held every year at Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA. He manages 206 mph. After watching the film I thought I would build an RC car to beat the land speed record. I found out later there was an event in the USA for the fastest RC car so after building the car I went to the event at the California Speedway in Fontana near Los Angeles. I managed 88 mph and that was a record for a car powered by an IC (internal combustion) engine.
ZeroRC: What are the plans for this year?
Tony Lovering: The car I used last year is a 3 engines stretched 1/8th RC car but it had a vital flaw. It got stuck in 1st gear. This year I will be building a new car with special engines and a special gearbox called a Constant Variable Transmission. Its being built in Canada by CVTech-RD. Hopefully we will try to beat 150 mph this year.
The world record for any car is held by Nic Case with 134.4 mph with his electric car. There are classes for standard kit cars and if anybody is thinking of having a go then Tony suggests you enter the kit class. Its apparently very simple to get a kit car and convert it to go fast.
This years world championships are to be held on September 20th-21st 2008.
Links:
More pictures from last years event
Tony on BBC TV
Tony's destructive 88MPH run on youtube
Tony's personal blog
Pictures used with kind permission from Tony Lovering.
He managed to squeeze 3 engines onto an 1/8th scale on-road Kyosho Evolva (I think 2 chassis and a hacksaw were involved) and flew from the UK to last year to compete in the world fastest RC competition at the California Speedway in Fontana on the 28th of July. He picked up the trophy for the fastest nitro RC car with a speed of 88 MPH, but has since gone as fast as 103 MPH in speed trials in the UK.
Zero RC: How did you get into speed trials?
Tony Lovering: I got into the worlds fastest RC car after watching a film called The Worlds fastest Indian. Its about a guy called Burt Munro from New Zealand, who built a motorbike and took it to the Speed Week held every year at Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA. He manages 206 mph. After watching the film I thought I would build an RC car to beat the land speed record. I found out later there was an event in the USA for the fastest RC car so after building the car I went to the event at the California Speedway in Fontana near Los Angeles. I managed 88 mph and that was a record for a car powered by an IC (internal combustion) engine.
ZeroRC: What are the plans for this year?
Tony Lovering: The car I used last year is a 3 engines stretched 1/8th RC car but it had a vital flaw. It got stuck in 1st gear. This year I will be building a new car with special engines and a special gearbox called a Constant Variable Transmission. Its being built in Canada by CVTech-RD. Hopefully we will try to beat 150 mph this year.
The world record for any car is held by Nic Case with 134.4 mph with his electric car. There are classes for standard kit cars and if anybody is thinking of having a go then Tony suggests you enter the kit class. Its apparently very simple to get a kit car and convert it to go fast.
This years world championships are to be held on September 20th-21st 2008.
Links:
More pictures from last years event
Tony on BBC TV
Tony's destructive 88MPH run on youtube
Tony's personal blog
Pictures used with kind permission from Tony Lovering.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Radio Controlled X-Wing from Star Wars
Last week, Daniel posted some info about a custom built, 21 foot long radio controlled X-Wing built by the Tripoli San Diego rocket club.
Just last week they took the X-Wing for its first (and last) flight in Plaster City, CA. Jeff Hoy posted a link in the comments to this YouTube video of the flight with a short interview with Andy Woerner about how the X-Wing was put together, and what he expected was going to happen.
Have you seen any other out of the ordinary, ambitious radio controlled vehicles? Post a comment and let us know, or better yet, contact us to become a writer and get paid to do it.
Just last week they took the X-Wing for its first (and last) flight in Plaster City, CA. Jeff Hoy posted a link in the comments to this YouTube video of the flight with a short interview with Andy Woerner about how the X-Wing was put together, and what he expected was going to happen.
Have you seen any other out of the ordinary, ambitious radio controlled vehicles? Post a comment and let us know, or better yet, contact us to become a writer and get paid to do it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
How To Build A Servo LED Driver
One way to get into night flying is to fill a plane with LEDs. You can do that by connecting them directly to the motor battery, or to a dedicated second pack, but neither approach gives you any control. Here's how to reuse an old servo to drive your LEDs, with either on/off or variable brightness from the transmitter.
1. Start with a standard size servo, perhaps one with stripped gears or a dead motor. Smaller servos will work, but won't be able to drive as many LEDs as they're designed for less current.
2. Remove the servo horn, and then remove the main screws which hold the case together. On some servos you may need to cut a factory sticker which is holding everything together.
3. Remove the top case and the gears. You might be able to put the finished LED driver back in the servo case, but to save weight I tossed it.
4. Remove the amplifier board from the servo case. I needed to apply pressure on the motor and the potentiometer from above as shown here.
5. Once the components are free, it's not a bad idea to plug them into a receiver and make sure the motor spins. You could also try an LED across the motor terminals.
6. Desolder the motor from the circuit board. It may be attached directly or by wires. If there are wires and they're long enough to be useful, just snip them at the motor and skip step 8.
7. Cut off the potentiometer, making sure to note the resistance. This pot is labeled 5K ohms.
8. If necessary, solder red and black wires to the motor terminals. These will be connected to the LEDs.
9. Make a W shape from two resistors as shown. I chose a 2.2K and a 4.7K resistor to simulate the pot being set to one side. If you use unequal resistors, try them both ways with an LED attached to see which gives the right polarity matching the red and black leads.
10. Solder the resistors onto the three posts from the pot. The twisted middle wire must go to the center post.
And there you go! Shown here is a 3S LiPo pack connected to a 25 amp brushless ESC, plugged into channel three as normal. The LED driver is connected to channel 6, which corresponds to the flaps knob on my Futaba 7C . Because the resistors are unequal, I had to reverse the channel and then set up the end points by trial and error. The result is the LEDs are completely off when the knob is fully counter-clockwise, and they come up to full brightness as the knob reaches 12 o'clock.
Alternatively, you could use two equal resistors, each about half the resistance of the original pot. In that case, the LEDs would be off at 12 o'clock, and could be setup to hit full brightness at the fully clockwise position. Either way, use a voltmeter to determine how many volts the circuit is putting out, and then calculate the resistors for your LEDs accordingly.
To finish up, I'd recommend covering the LED driver in shrink wrap for protection. I'd also install a micro Dean's connector or similar to the LED leads for ease of installation. Finally, remember that this driver is powered by the receiver, so you may want to use a separate BEC which can handle the current. The built-in BEC found in many ESCs cannot handle more than four servos when stepping down from 11 volts.
1. Start with a standard size servo, perhaps one with stripped gears or a dead motor. Smaller servos will work, but won't be able to drive as many LEDs as they're designed for less current.
2. Remove the servo horn, and then remove the main screws which hold the case together. On some servos you may need to cut a factory sticker which is holding everything together.
3. Remove the top case and the gears. You might be able to put the finished LED driver back in the servo case, but to save weight I tossed it.
4. Remove the amplifier board from the servo case. I needed to apply pressure on the motor and the potentiometer from above as shown here.
5. Once the components are free, it's not a bad idea to plug them into a receiver and make sure the motor spins. You could also try an LED across the motor terminals.
6. Desolder the motor from the circuit board. It may be attached directly or by wires. If there are wires and they're long enough to be useful, just snip them at the motor and skip step 8.
7. Cut off the potentiometer, making sure to note the resistance. This pot is labeled 5K ohms.
8. If necessary, solder red and black wires to the motor terminals. These will be connected to the LEDs.
9. Make a W shape from two resistors as shown. I chose a 2.2K and a 4.7K resistor to simulate the pot being set to one side. If you use unequal resistors, try them both ways with an LED attached to see which gives the right polarity matching the red and black leads.
10. Solder the resistors onto the three posts from the pot. The twisted middle wire must go to the center post.
And there you go! Shown here is a 3S LiPo pack connected to a 25 amp brushless ESC, plugged into channel three as normal. The LED driver is connected to channel 6, which corresponds to the flaps knob on my Futaba 7C . Because the resistors are unequal, I had to reverse the channel and then set up the end points by trial and error. The result is the LEDs are completely off when the knob is fully counter-clockwise, and they come up to full brightness as the knob reaches 12 o'clock.
Alternatively, you could use two equal resistors, each about half the resistance of the original pot. In that case, the LEDs would be off at 12 o'clock, and could be setup to hit full brightness at the fully clockwise position. Either way, use a voltmeter to determine how many volts the circuit is putting out, and then calculate the resistors for your LEDs accordingly.
To finish up, I'd recommend covering the LED driver in shrink wrap for protection. I'd also install a micro Dean's connector or similar to the LED leads for ease of installation. Finally, remember that this driver is powered by the receiver, so you may want to use a separate BEC which can handle the current. The built-in BEC found in many ESCs cannot handle more than four servos when stepping down from 11 volts.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
E-flite Blade Micro-CX Coaxial Helicopter Announced
E-flite has announced the Blade Micro-CX helicopter, an indoor coaxial model with a main rotor diameter of only 7.5 inches. The MCX features two coreless motors which are powered by a single cell, 110 mAh LiPo battery. It operates using Spektrum's 2.4 GHz spread spectrum technology, and will be available ready-to-fly with a transmitter for $129 , or in a bind-and-fly configuration, with everything except the transmitter for $99 . Both versions offer proportional, four channel control and should be capable of all the same maneuvers as the larger Blade CX2. Horizon Hobby's web site indicates late September availability for both.
Our take: Indoor coaxial helicopters are a lot of fun and dramatically easier to fly than conventional tail rotor models. When we r eviewed the E-sky Lama V4 , a Blade CX2 competitor, we found it could easily be flown in a basement or large family room. With its smaller size, the MCX may open up even more places to fly.
Based on its size, expect this model to be indoor-only, as even the 12 inch diameter coaxials can't stand up to a breeze. Kudos to E-flite for making the new heli compatible with all of the Spektrum transmitters, the CX2 unit, as well as the E-flite transmitter bundled with their recent Vapor model . No word yet on how tough these little helis will be. In all likelihood, some spare sets of blades and possibly extra landing gear will be all you need. At one ounce (28 grams) ready to fly, it'll be hard to damage itself too badly. No doubt the MCX will be appearing under a lot of Christmas trees this year.
Our take: Indoor coaxial helicopters are a lot of fun and dramatically easier to fly than conventional tail rotor models. When we r eviewed the E-sky Lama V4 , a Blade CX2 competitor, we found it could easily be flown in a basement or large family room. With its smaller size, the MCX may open up even more places to fly.
Based on its size, expect this model to be indoor-only, as even the 12 inch diameter coaxials can't stand up to a breeze. Kudos to E-flite for making the new heli compatible with all of the Spektrum transmitters, the CX2 unit, as well as the E-flite transmitter bundled with their recent Vapor model . No word yet on how tough these little helis will be. In all likelihood, some spare sets of blades and possibly extra landing gear will be all you need. At one ounce (28 grams) ready to fly, it'll be hard to damage itself too badly. No doubt the MCX will be appearing under a lot of Christmas trees this year.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Attending A Radio Control Show
If you've never been to a radio control show, you're missing out. There are a number of annual shows like the NEAT Fair in New York and SEFF in Georgia which have an enormous variety of models, vendors, and activities, and give any AMA-registered pilot the opportunity to fly too. You can buy DVDs of last year's NEAT FAir or SEFF 2008 from SKS Video Productions to get a taste of what it's like to go. There are also conventions to attend like the WRAM Show , which is all about shopping instead of flying.
In July Zero RC will be attending the SCCMAS Airshow in Santa Clara, California. If you live in the area, come check it out!
In July Zero RC will be attending the SCCMAS Airshow in Santa Clara, California. If you live in the area, come check it out!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Two New Electric ARFs
Fliton has announced an elegant looking 50" wingspan electric pattern plane called the Element 30 F3A . Like most acrobatic electrics it's designed for brushless power and LiPo batteries, and retails for $179 USD. From the manufacturer's site:
An airfoiled rudder and elevators also provide excellent wind resistence, while presenting the aircraft like its bigger predecessors. The Element also features a fully built-up hatch (not plastic) for more structural integrity. Our thorough testing has lead us to believe, beyond a doubt, that this is the best parkflyer pattern ship available in today's market. Another interesting plane is the Airfoilz Extra 260 Hybrid , a 40" foam model with a street price of $59. It's somewhat unusual in that the structure is made of balsa and plywood with a foam skin. This compact 3D plane has huge control surfaces for maneuverability and looks like fun for advanced pilots.
An airfoiled rudder and elevators also provide excellent wind resistence, while presenting the aircraft like its bigger predecessors. The Element also features a fully built-up hatch (not plastic) for more structural integrity. Our thorough testing has lead us to believe, beyond a doubt, that this is the best parkflyer pattern ship available in today's market. Another interesting plane is the Airfoilz Extra 260 Hybrid , a 40" foam model with a street price of $59. It's somewhat unusual in that the structure is made of balsa and plywood with a foam skin. This compact 3D plane has huge control surfaces for maneuverability and looks like fun for advanced pilots.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Holiday Destination Dubai
Dubai is such a dynamic city. Over the past five years, it has significantly transformed. With the number of housing projects underway, the face of the city has changed. Not only Burj Al Arab iconic structure, Palm Island has also placed Dubai on the world map. Dubai is a paradise for buyers. You have a brand name in the world and available in Dubai. Places like Mall of the Emirates and offers Burjuman major brands under one roof.
We finally have a factory Outlet Mall, called Dubai Outlet Mall on the road to Al Ain. The city is developing on festivals such as Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer surprises. There are some genuine deals available at the store. If you have money, Dubai is the place to be. To go on helicopter rides to see the city, hiring a yacht for the night, desert safari through the dunes viewing the city from the sky Bar Burj al Arab, it has everything. Nightlife here has reached international standards with countries such as Trilogy, about 360 degrees, Chi lounge and peppermint club.
With so many expatriates living in the city, it is possible to obtain the authentic cuisine from different regions. We must try the local food and Arabic when Shwarma here. There are good options outdoors during the winter season. Since the winter season here is short-lived and how pleasant for most Europeans, all outdoor places are packed during this period. Restauarants by the beach (Barasti), Creek (QD) or even with the advice of Sheikh Zayed Road (Teatro) are numerous. If the visit Dubai, we must try to go in the winter season and make the best .... To find the ideal accommodation for your stay in Dubai, use our search engine housing. All accommodation categories listed in this site will provide full information such as rates, contact information and facilities.
We finally have a factory Outlet Mall, called Dubai Outlet Mall on the road to Al Ain. The city is developing on festivals such as Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer surprises. There are some genuine deals available at the store. If you have money, Dubai is the place to be. To go on helicopter rides to see the city, hiring a yacht for the night, desert safari through the dunes viewing the city from the sky Bar Burj al Arab, it has everything. Nightlife here has reached international standards with countries such as Trilogy, about 360 degrees, Chi lounge and peppermint club.
With so many expatriates living in the city, it is possible to obtain the authentic cuisine from different regions. We must try the local food and Arabic when Shwarma here. There are good options outdoors during the winter season. Since the winter season here is short-lived and how pleasant for most Europeans, all outdoor places are packed during this period. Restauarants by the beach (Barasti), Creek (QD) or even with the advice of Sheikh Zayed Road (Teatro) are numerous. If the visit Dubai, we must try to go in the winter season and make the best .... To find the ideal accommodation for your stay in Dubai, use our search engine housing. All accommodation categories listed in this site will provide full information such as rates, contact information and facilities.
Fear of Flying
Flying est une belle expérience mais il ya beaucoup de personnes qui sont vraiment peur et ne sont pas en mesure de profiter de cette belle expérience. La peur de voler mai être générés en raison de nombreuses raisons. Il s'agit notamment de peur de l'avion, planeur ou un hélicoptère et il s'attend à tomber en panne. Peur de l'avion pourrait même être engagée en raison de craintes liées. Cela est très vrai si l'on a peur des hauteurs parce que vous ne pourrez pas profiter de vol. Il existe aussi de nombreuses raisons scientifiques pour le même type de crainte, mais la principale raison est la peur des hauteurs ou de la phobie de ne pas être stable dans l'air. Il est également possible que l'un mai se sentir malade et de vertige lorsque l'avion. Beaucoup de gens terres vomissements ou même obtenir l'air malade, même lorsqu'ils voyagent par un avion d'une destination à l'autre. Cette mai crée pas de problème car il ya de nombreux autres moyens de transport disponibles pour voyager, mais si l'on a un emploi dans lequel circule sur une base régulière est une exigence de mai, il est difficile de trouver un équilibre. Cette phobie ou peur de l'avion est purement un aspect psychologique et cette phobie peut être traitée facilement. Cette mai prendre plus de temps pour différentes personnes en fonction de divers facteurs psychologiques et sociaux. La science a déterminé que cette psychologique peur de l'avion est liée en grande partie à d'autres phobies. Cela comprend l'étouffement dans l'avion, le sentiment de la mort, et ainsi de suite. Cette mai irréel à son nombreux qui n'ont pas cette crainte, mais à ceux qui ont cette crainte mai il être un sujet très grave pour discuter sur. Il existe de nombreuses façons d'obtenir plus de cette condition. Vous pouvez embrasser tout le concept de vol, l'adhésion à un aéro-club peut vous aider. Cependant, vous mai ne pas être en mesure de commencer jusqu'à ce que vous pouvez traiter avec elle dans votre esprit. Si l'on a peur ou est tellement peur que l'on ne veulent même pas d'essayer ensuite de vol pour ces personnes à aider à surmonter la peur de voler ici est une simple étape. Tous on doit faire, c'est de passer un MP3 pour l'hypnothérapie et s'asseoir à la maison des loisirs et de comprendre et de faire ce que le disque compact une demande et d'effectuer ensuite un mai faciles à surmonter la peur de l'avion. Pour obtenir ce disque compact il ne faut pas aller à un psychiatre, un ensemble doit faire est de se connecter à l'Internet, ce qui est très facile. Téléchargez le contenu et l'un doit être en mesure de résoudre le problème très facilement. Hypnothérapie, de peur de prendre l'avion peut vous aider à surmonter cette peur et il y aura bientôt un moment où vous serez capable de voler comme vous le s’il vous plaît. La grande chose au sujet de ces sessions est que vous allez bientôt être forte mentalement et prêts à prendre le vol suivant. Ne laissez pas vous faire peur retenir parce que votre force intérieure peut vous aider à conquérir les plus hautes montagnes afin voler aujourd'hui. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur la peur de voler et de surmonter la peur de voler, pourquoi ne pas visiter les sites.
Australia offshore oil
If you are able to meet these requirements, then you can begin to look for a suitable position. For unskilled workers, most look to gain a position as a roustabout. A roustabout is the industry term for a general labourer. For skilled workers, there are numerous positions in a number of different departments that an oil rig requires. Some skilled positions that skilled workers may be interested in applying include such positions as drillers, electricians, mechanics, cooks and engineering positions. Once someone has secured Australia offshore oil rig jobs, most workers are flown to and from the oil rig by a helicopter. Most workers are employed on a roster that will vary depending on what company you gain employment with. Most companies realise workers families commitment and ensure that the rosters reflect this. Some rosters include 2 weeks on and 1 week off or 14 days on and 14 days off. Whilst working on the rig, you will be required to both work and live in close confines to other workers. You must be able to get along well with other workers. Due to the dangerous nature of working on an Australia oil rig, safety is of utmost importance and all employees must have a good attitude to safety. On arrival to the rig, you will be given a safety induction to ensure that you know what to do in an emergency. The rig also employs fire-fighters and medical staff in case of an emergency and all workers on the rig are trained in this area also. While you are working on the rig, your living requirements such as food, accommodation and laundry will be catered for. The food that is provided to workers is usually of high quality and is available at number of different times during the day and night. The rigs also provides other facilities for workers such as satellite telephones to keep in contact with family and they may also provide facilities such as pool tables for entertainment when not required for work on the rig. During your time in Australia offshore oil rig jobs, most workers are required to work 12 hour shifts. Most workers are required to work both day and night shifts so you need to be able to work night shifts. Once some workers have completed their shifts, they may be classed as on-call and must to go to the rig floor if there services are required. Once a worker has completed their roster, they are then flown from the rig in a helicopter. Holding Australia offshore oil rig jobs is not for the faint-hearted. You are required to work long hours in often difficult conditions. However you are rewarded with a good income and great comradeship amongst fellow rig workers. If you feel that this is the industry for you, it is important to obtain the correct advice to ensure that you meet all the requirements for gaining employment on an Australian offshore oil rig. It is also important to obtain good and honest career advice about working in the oil industry that is specific to you.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Helicopter Sales
Several popular helicopters have gone on sale or had price reductions lately. The first is the Heli-Max MX450XS pictured at left, which is now $150 USD for the ARF. This 3D capable heli has an all-metal head, and a mixture of aluminum and carbon fiber on the body. Slightly less expensive is the Heli-Max MX400 Pro EP , which includes a brushless motor and ESC for $99 USD. These are both incredible values and much cheaper than they had been selling for.
Moving up a little, the Poseidon from Gazaur just dropped from $400 USD to $200. This very distinctive looking heli has an all-metal head and a textured fiberglass frame. It's a direct competitor to the popular Align T-Rex 450 series, and is very compelling at this lower price. Also available is the Gazaur Mars , which shares the mechanics but has a different canopy, frame, and tail gear ratio. Happy hovering!
Moving up a little, the Poseidon from Gazaur just dropped from $400 USD to $200. This very distinctive looking heli has an all-metal head and a textured fiberglass frame. It's a direct competitor to the popular Align T-Rex 450 series, and is very compelling at this lower price. Also available is the Gazaur Mars , which shares the mechanics but has a different canopy, frame, and tail gear ratio. Happy hovering!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
All Things That Fly Podcast
I've been listening to a great RC podcast called All Things That Fly . It started out as Inside Heli, and has now broadened in scope to include fixed wing aircraft. The show has a lot of good technical information especially for beginner and intermediate pilots. They also do guest interviews with various people in the industry. Check it out!
Friday, July 18, 2008
LiPo Balance Connector Compatibility
Perhaps the main problem with Lithium-Polymer batteries (other than their tendency to explode when damaged) is the lack of a standard for their balance connectors. This limits which chargers and balancers you can use with a given pack. To address this, Evan at RC Accessory has put together a great list of which brands comply with the four different variations out there in the wild. Check out his Balance Tap Configuration Guide for the details, and remember that some brands using identical connectors have the polarity reversed. Good grief!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Align T-Rex 450S Build Notes
The Align T-Rex 450 series is perhaps the best known of the mini-size electric helicopters. Many reviews are available online, including this thorough one at T-Rex Tuning . In this article I'm going to sum up the positive and negative experiences I had building the 450S aluminum kit, and include a list of tips to help you out.
Pluses: The kit includes three hex wrenches, two screwdrivers, two kinds of thread locker, a bag of tie wraps to secure all the wiring, and an antenna tube for FM receivers.
The ESC has a ferrite ring already installed on the receiver lead, no need to buy one separately.
The brushless motor comes with two pinion gears, a 12T and a 13T. If you're new to collective pitch helis like I am, go with the 12T for now.
The most complex parts of the head and tail assemblies are already built, even in the S kit (not just in the 450SA ARF).
The manual shows all the parts and steps for the factory-assembled components, which is handy if you need to repair or replace them.
Align includes a bag of spare parts consisting of extra screws, bolts, nuts, ball links, etc., although they label the bag "screw parts".
Minuses: The screws for the ball links are too short. On my Hitec HS-65MG head servos, the screws just barely emerge far enough through the servo horns to get the nut on. In the case of my Futaba 9650 tail servo, the screw was completely unusable, and I had to replace it with hardware I had on hand.
The screw holes in the frame are too close together for the HS-65's. I used a rotary tool to elongate these holes into ovals, which allowed the screws to go in straight without stressing the servo case.
You have to solder all six bullet connectors and the power input connector on the ESC. In addition, the bullet connectors are incredibly stiff to put together. Use a pair of pliers to compress the male bullet and force it into the other side.
Some parts of the manual only have diagrams instead of numbered, written instructions, so it's easy to miss adding a small part. Even worse, some steps like bolting the main gear to the main shaft are not shown at all.
The tie wrap cutouts in the frame are positioned too close to the head servos, and could cause interference with the ball links.
The plastic tail servo mounts are fairly short and only have one screw each to hold the servo. I used them, but you might want to consider an aftermarket replacement.
Tips: Download and watch the Finless Bob instructional videos from HeliFreak, they are incredibly useful and free. You will have to register with the site, but it's worth it.
Although the kit includes hex wrenches, a 1.5mm hex driver with a real grip (like a screwdriver) will make life much easier.
Buy a good pair of ball link pliers. You could do without them, but it'll be much more frustrating.
Take the time to do things right. If something isn't moving smoothly it could affect flight control or burn out a servo, so take it apart and adjust it.
If you're thinking of moving to 2.4 GHz, go for it. Dealing with the long FM antenna is a pain and it doesn't look as good.
Make sure to check the front-to-back CG. Especially with the large 9650 tail servo, it's very easy to end up tail heavy. Put the battery and ESC as far forward in the nose as possible to offset it.
Install tie wraps in the frame before putting any servos in, and keep them open until all of your gear is installed, including the ESC.
If using an FM receiver, cut two holes off a servo horn and run the antenna through them, sliding this piece almost up to the receiver. Then run the antenna through a hole in the frame which is smaller than the servo horn piece. This will prevent any strain on the antenna from yanking on the receiver.
Make sure to keep one wire between the motor and ESC disconnected while setting up the radio to prevent the blades from spinning up accidentally.
Pluses: The kit includes three hex wrenches, two screwdrivers, two kinds of thread locker, a bag of tie wraps to secure all the wiring, and an antenna tube for FM receivers.
The ESC has a ferrite ring already installed on the receiver lead, no need to buy one separately.
The brushless motor comes with two pinion gears, a 12T and a 13T. If you're new to collective pitch helis like I am, go with the 12T for now.
The most complex parts of the head and tail assemblies are already built, even in the S kit (not just in the 450SA ARF).
The manual shows all the parts and steps for the factory-assembled components, which is handy if you need to repair or replace them.
Align includes a bag of spare parts consisting of extra screws, bolts, nuts, ball links, etc., although they label the bag "screw parts".
Minuses: The screws for the ball links are too short. On my Hitec HS-65MG head servos, the screws just barely emerge far enough through the servo horns to get the nut on. In the case of my Futaba 9650 tail servo, the screw was completely unusable, and I had to replace it with hardware I had on hand.
The screw holes in the frame are too close together for the HS-65's. I used a rotary tool to elongate these holes into ovals, which allowed the screws to go in straight without stressing the servo case.
You have to solder all six bullet connectors and the power input connector on the ESC. In addition, the bullet connectors are incredibly stiff to put together. Use a pair of pliers to compress the male bullet and force it into the other side.
Some parts of the manual only have diagrams instead of numbered, written instructions, so it's easy to miss adding a small part. Even worse, some steps like bolting the main gear to the main shaft are not shown at all.
The tie wrap cutouts in the frame are positioned too close to the head servos, and could cause interference with the ball links.
The plastic tail servo mounts are fairly short and only have one screw each to hold the servo. I used them, but you might want to consider an aftermarket replacement.
Tips: Download and watch the Finless Bob instructional videos from HeliFreak, they are incredibly useful and free. You will have to register with the site, but it's worth it.
Although the kit includes hex wrenches, a 1.5mm hex driver with a real grip (like a screwdriver) will make life much easier.
Buy a good pair of ball link pliers. You could do without them, but it'll be much more frustrating.
Take the time to do things right. If something isn't moving smoothly it could affect flight control or burn out a servo, so take it apart and adjust it.
If you're thinking of moving to 2.4 GHz, go for it. Dealing with the long FM antenna is a pain and it doesn't look as good.
Make sure to check the front-to-back CG. Especially with the large 9650 tail servo, it's very easy to end up tail heavy. Put the battery and ESC as far forward in the nose as possible to offset it.
Install tie wraps in the frame before putting any servos in, and keep them open until all of your gear is installed, including the ESC.
If using an FM receiver, cut two holes off a servo horn and run the antenna through them, sliding this piece almost up to the receiver. Then run the antenna through a hole in the frame which is smaller than the servo horn piece. This will prevent any strain on the antenna from yanking on the receiver.
Make sure to keep one wire between the motor and ESC disconnected while setting up the radio to prevent the blades from spinning up accidentally.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
FMA Direct Cellpro 10s Charger Review
The FMA Direct Cellpro 10s is a balancing lithium battery charger, capable of charging a single battery up to 10 cells, or two batteries simultaneously up to 5 cells, with power up to 10 amps. It can handle lithium polymer, lithium ion, and the M1 lithium cells from A123 Systems. Let's dig in and put it through its paces.
Specifications Chemistry
Lithium polymer, lithium ion, lithium manganese, and A123 M1 Pack capacity
100 mAh to 65 Ah
Input voltage
10 to 16V DC, reverse polarity protected
Input current
Up to 25A, can be limited between 1A to 25A
Charge rate
Up to 10A (300 watts)
Dimensions
6 5/8 x 3 3/8 x 1 5/8 inches
Street Price
$189 USD
FMA Direct was kind enough to provide a sample unit for review. The charger comes with 4mm bullet connectors on the power input leads, as well as alligator clips, which can be used to connect a car battery or other power source. Also included are two 5s-to-4s converters that let the 10s work with any generation of Cellpro batteries. Finally there is a plug blocker which can be installed across the main charging terminals, allowing charging through the balancing ports only (up to 4 amps). Five dollars extra buys two sets of 4mm charging leads without connectors, so you can solder Dean's ultra connectors, PowerPoles, or whatever you prefer for charging at above 4 amps.
It's hardly news that the state of balancing connectors in this hobby is a mess. It seems that every major manufacturer of batteries has its own balancing tap, and a few even share connectors but differ by polarity. Fortunately FMA has taken a comprehensive approach by offering optional adaptors for all the major connectors in use. I evaluated two adaptors: one board has both PolyQuest and ThunderPower connectors up to five cells, the other has Align/ElectriFly and Kokam up to four cells. Since beginning the review, FMA has introduced new adaptor boards which handle 2 to 6 cells each. There's a lot of flexibility to this system, and you'll have no trouble connecting up your collection of batteries.
The charger itself is smaller than I expected, given its power rating. The construction is very solid with metal heatsinks along the sides. The top has a large, backlit LCD display, and cooling holes for the fan, which only runs when needed. I found the manual clearly written and easy to understand, with a lot of detail about different connection possibilities and error codes.
Like FMA's Cellpro 4s , control is simple. There are two buttons on the right side which control all functions. The Mode button is used three ways: short presses cycle through the six presets from the main screen, or change values in the other screens. A long press enters the menu mode, where continuing to hold the button gives a choice of battery chemistry, charge rate, and exit to the main screen. Lastly, a quick double press on the Mode button changes the charge rate in whole amps, rather than tenths of an amp. The second button, labeled Start/Stop, does just that.
While this style of programming works, it is a little unintuitive, and I sometimes made mistakes. Given that the hardware only has two physical buttons, I would have preferred a more traditional arrangement, where Mode (button one) is only used to change between screens. Then the Start/Stop (button two) could be renamed to Set, and used to change values, changing them faster if held down. This is just a personal preference, and not a serious issue. I got used to the interface quickly and it's now second nature.
One thing I applaud is the user-upgradable firmware. Although the required USB interface is optional, new versions can be flashed at home, for free. The Windows-only software checks online for the latest versions, and describes the changes in each, another nice touch. The update takes a couple minutes and was reliable in my experience.
The PC application has a number of other functions, like displaying individual cell voltages live, and a graphing mode while charging which is very cool. You can also configure and name your presets, which is fast and easy using the keyboard. Lastly, there are a number of settings which are not available from the charger front panel. In particular, the ability to limit the amp draw on the power supply is very useful and could prevent damaging your power source. I wish this setting could be set on the charger itself, or that the $20 USB interface was included in the purchase price.
I tried a variety of LiPo packs with the charger, from 2S 300 mAh packs up to the biggest I had on hand, 3S 2100 mAh. Because these packs are relatively small, I installed the plug blocker across the main terminals and charged entirely through the balance connectors. I find this very convenient as there's less to connect and fewer wires in the way. You can either set the amps manually or select 1C, 2C, or 3C charging (if your batteries can handle these higher rates). Since the Cellpro 10s detects the number of cells automatically, using 1C mode is dead-simple - it just does the right thing with no fiddling.
If you need to charge at 4 to 10 amps, connect both the main leads and balancing taps for each cell. As a safety feature, the Cellpro 10s will not charge without the balancing connectors hooked up. Although that makes perfect sense for LiPo packs, it is a drawback for A123 users who either use solderless end-to-end packs or didn't bother to add a balancing tap to their brick packs. There are mixed opinions on whether M1 cells require balancing, and FMA has taken the cautious route here.
Initially I tried the Cellpro 10s using a computer power supply with banana plugs added to the 12V rails. However it was not able to maintain 12 volts during a charging cycle, and when the charger detected the insufficient voltage it halted the charge. I don't think the Cellpro is particularly picky about power supplies, but a switching unit between 12 and 15 volts is best.
To work around this problem, FMA sent me their top-of-the-line power supply . This serious looking piece of hardware delivers up to 28 amps at 13.8 volts on its main terminals, and can simultaneously supply 7 amps to a cigarette lighter jack and a pair of clips for bare wires on the rear panel. It has a quiet fan which runs all the time, and in all my testing it never even got warm. I'm very impressed with its quality of this unit. FMA offers this power supply separately or in a bundle with the 10s if you don't own a suitable source of DC power.
They also sell a 5 amp supply which would be adequate if you only use small park flyer packs. In my testing, I was able to charge two 3s 1500 mAh packs at the same time, drawing 4 amps from the power supply. Consider this a way to squeeze by on a budget though, as you won't be able to really let the 10s shine. Any larger than 1500 mAh and I recommend a more powerful 12V source.
As I mentioned, the 10s can handle all three popular lithium variants. It does this by changing the cutoff voltage appropriately: 4.2V per cell for LiPo, 4.1V per cell for LiIon, and 3.6V per cell for A123. If you charge two packs at once they must be of the same chemistry. The 10s does not charge NiCD or NiMH batteries, which doesn't bother me a bit, since I haven't used either in a couple years. In fact, I planned to try a safety check to make sure the 10s wouldn't start a charge when connected to a NiMH pack, and couldn't even find one in my workshop.
The 10s is essentially two chargers in one when used with packs up to five cells. I found it convenient to put a couple 3s 2100 mAh packs through my T-Rex and charge them together in under an hour. You need to start and stop both packs at the same time, but I didn't find this to be an issue. The only possible drawback involves charging two batteries of very different capacities, whether they are of different sizes, or the same size packs depleted to different levels. Once one battery is done, the charger will slow down to 1A to complete the other.
Pictured are the various information screens the 10s offers during a charge. When charging a total of more than four cells, the display alternates automatically within the individual cell voltages screen.
One question that's come up on the forums is whether to buy the 10s or two Cellpro 4s chargers. This is largely a matter of personal preference. If you can't see ever going beyond 4s packs, the two independent chargers are a bit cheaper. On the other hand, the 10s has more features and more room to grow. Helicopter pilots in particular often want to step up from their 450 sized models into something bigger, and that typically means at least 5s or 6s LiPos, or up to 10 cell A123 batteries.
Specifications Chemistry
Lithium polymer, lithium ion, lithium manganese, and A123 M1 Pack capacity
100 mAh to 65 Ah
Input voltage
10 to 16V DC, reverse polarity protected
Input current
Up to 25A, can be limited between 1A to 25A
Charge rate
Up to 10A (300 watts)
Dimensions
6 5/8 x 3 3/8 x 1 5/8 inches
Street Price
$189 USD
FMA Direct was kind enough to provide a sample unit for review. The charger comes with 4mm bullet connectors on the power input leads, as well as alligator clips, which can be used to connect a car battery or other power source. Also included are two 5s-to-4s converters that let the 10s work with any generation of Cellpro batteries. Finally there is a plug blocker which can be installed across the main charging terminals, allowing charging through the balancing ports only (up to 4 amps). Five dollars extra buys two sets of 4mm charging leads without connectors, so you can solder Dean's ultra connectors, PowerPoles, or whatever you prefer for charging at above 4 amps.
It's hardly news that the state of balancing connectors in this hobby is a mess. It seems that every major manufacturer of batteries has its own balancing tap, and a few even share connectors but differ by polarity. Fortunately FMA has taken a comprehensive approach by offering optional adaptors for all the major connectors in use. I evaluated two adaptors: one board has both PolyQuest and ThunderPower connectors up to five cells, the other has Align/ElectriFly and Kokam up to four cells. Since beginning the review, FMA has introduced new adaptor boards which handle 2 to 6 cells each. There's a lot of flexibility to this system, and you'll have no trouble connecting up your collection of batteries.
The charger itself is smaller than I expected, given its power rating. The construction is very solid with metal heatsinks along the sides. The top has a large, backlit LCD display, and cooling holes for the fan, which only runs when needed. I found the manual clearly written and easy to understand, with a lot of detail about different connection possibilities and error codes.
Like FMA's Cellpro 4s , control is simple. There are two buttons on the right side which control all functions. The Mode button is used three ways: short presses cycle through the six presets from the main screen, or change values in the other screens. A long press enters the menu mode, where continuing to hold the button gives a choice of battery chemistry, charge rate, and exit to the main screen. Lastly, a quick double press on the Mode button changes the charge rate in whole amps, rather than tenths of an amp. The second button, labeled Start/Stop, does just that.
While this style of programming works, it is a little unintuitive, and I sometimes made mistakes. Given that the hardware only has two physical buttons, I would have preferred a more traditional arrangement, where Mode (button one) is only used to change between screens. Then the Start/Stop (button two) could be renamed to Set, and used to change values, changing them faster if held down. This is just a personal preference, and not a serious issue. I got used to the interface quickly and it's now second nature.
One thing I applaud is the user-upgradable firmware. Although the required USB interface is optional, new versions can be flashed at home, for free. The Windows-only software checks online for the latest versions, and describes the changes in each, another nice touch. The update takes a couple minutes and was reliable in my experience.
The PC application has a number of other functions, like displaying individual cell voltages live, and a graphing mode while charging which is very cool. You can also configure and name your presets, which is fast and easy using the keyboard. Lastly, there are a number of settings which are not available from the charger front panel. In particular, the ability to limit the amp draw on the power supply is very useful and could prevent damaging your power source. I wish this setting could be set on the charger itself, or that the $20 USB interface was included in the purchase price.
I tried a variety of LiPo packs with the charger, from 2S 300 mAh packs up to the biggest I had on hand, 3S 2100 mAh. Because these packs are relatively small, I installed the plug blocker across the main terminals and charged entirely through the balance connectors. I find this very convenient as there's less to connect and fewer wires in the way. You can either set the amps manually or select 1C, 2C, or 3C charging (if your batteries can handle these higher rates). Since the Cellpro 10s detects the number of cells automatically, using 1C mode is dead-simple - it just does the right thing with no fiddling.
If you need to charge at 4 to 10 amps, connect both the main leads and balancing taps for each cell. As a safety feature, the Cellpro 10s will not charge without the balancing connectors hooked up. Although that makes perfect sense for LiPo packs, it is a drawback for A123 users who either use solderless end-to-end packs or didn't bother to add a balancing tap to their brick packs. There are mixed opinions on whether M1 cells require balancing, and FMA has taken the cautious route here.
Initially I tried the Cellpro 10s using a computer power supply with banana plugs added to the 12V rails. However it was not able to maintain 12 volts during a charging cycle, and when the charger detected the insufficient voltage it halted the charge. I don't think the Cellpro is particularly picky about power supplies, but a switching unit between 12 and 15 volts is best.
To work around this problem, FMA sent me their top-of-the-line power supply . This serious looking piece of hardware delivers up to 28 amps at 13.8 volts on its main terminals, and can simultaneously supply 7 amps to a cigarette lighter jack and a pair of clips for bare wires on the rear panel. It has a quiet fan which runs all the time, and in all my testing it never even got warm. I'm very impressed with its quality of this unit. FMA offers this power supply separately or in a bundle with the 10s if you don't own a suitable source of DC power.
They also sell a 5 amp supply which would be adequate if you only use small park flyer packs. In my testing, I was able to charge two 3s 1500 mAh packs at the same time, drawing 4 amps from the power supply. Consider this a way to squeeze by on a budget though, as you won't be able to really let the 10s shine. Any larger than 1500 mAh and I recommend a more powerful 12V source.
As I mentioned, the 10s can handle all three popular lithium variants. It does this by changing the cutoff voltage appropriately: 4.2V per cell for LiPo, 4.1V per cell for LiIon, and 3.6V per cell for A123. If you charge two packs at once they must be of the same chemistry. The 10s does not charge NiCD or NiMH batteries, which doesn't bother me a bit, since I haven't used either in a couple years. In fact, I planned to try a safety check to make sure the 10s wouldn't start a charge when connected to a NiMH pack, and couldn't even find one in my workshop.
The 10s is essentially two chargers in one when used with packs up to five cells. I found it convenient to put a couple 3s 2100 mAh packs through my T-Rex and charge them together in under an hour. You need to start and stop both packs at the same time, but I didn't find this to be an issue. The only possible drawback involves charging two batteries of very different capacities, whether they are of different sizes, or the same size packs depleted to different levels. Once one battery is done, the charger will slow down to 1A to complete the other.
Pictured are the various information screens the 10s offers during a charge. When charging a total of more than four cells, the display alternates automatically within the individual cell voltages screen.
One question that's come up on the forums is whether to buy the 10s or two Cellpro 4s chargers. This is largely a matter of personal preference. If you can't see ever going beyond 4s packs, the two independent chargers are a bit cheaper. On the other hand, the 10s has more features and more room to grow. Helicopter pilots in particular often want to step up from their 450 sized models into something bigger, and that typically means at least 5s or 6s LiPos, or up to 10 cell A123 batteries.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
ElectriFly Yak 55 Follow Up
In my original review , I described building the ElectriFly Yak 55 ARF, a flexible and durable ARF from Great Planes. So how has it held up over time?
The truth is, I have punished this plane quite a bit. It has survived countless hard landings, and has the hot glue repair seams to prove it. I've gone through four of the plastic spur gears, which get chewed up easily by the metal pinion gear. And the original foam nose has long since disintegrated. I bought spares, but it seemed that each crash pushed the stick mount a little more into the body, to the point where the propeller wouldn't clear the cowl. It was simpler to leave it off. I made at least two major mistakes with this plane. The first was flying it with an older, non-computer radio, where I could only reduce the control surface throws mechanically at the servos. This still left the plane way too volatile for me to learn on, and resulted in more crashes than necessary. Since moving over to a Futaba 7C with dual rates and expo, I've found it significantly easier to control. This is still not a beginner plane though - it's small, fast, and easy to lose your orientation. I wish the bottom had more distinctive coloring from the top. The second mistake was using such a heavy battery. I started with an 11 volt 1500 mah LiPo pack, which at 4.4 ounces did serious damage to the fuselage in crashes. The firewall completely shattered, and the floor of the fuselage (which is actually the top of the one-pice wing) crumpled. If you're sticking with the stock motor and gearbox, I'd start with a 3S, 950 mah battery instead. It may be tricky to get the center of gravity right, so try moving the receiver and ESC as far forward as possible. Another good idea is to put a spongy piece of foam behind the firewall, which will protect it and the battery in a nose-first crash.
My solution to the weight problem, and something I wanted to try anyway, was to upgrade to a brushless motor. I happened to have an ElectriFly RimFire 28-30-1450 outrunner on hand, which turns faster than I need, but actually worked out great. I found I was able to switch to a 7.4v 1500 mah battery, which both saved weight and slowed down the motor. Having temporarily run out of the original 11x47 props, I downgraded to a 10x4.5 with good results. Thrown from underneath with full throttle, this plane takes off fast! The tricky part was how to mount the motor, given that ElectriFly doesn't make a stick mount for outrunners. By complete luck, it turns out the plastic housing for the factory motor/gearbox can be used. The two tabs which held the brushed motor line up with two of the RimFire's mounting holes. The third happens to line up with the tube used for the spur gear shaft. It just took a few seconds with a hobby knife to pare down the lip on the mount, and then fitting an extra long screw to run through the tube. The motor now sits flush with the old mount, and is mounted backwards for use with a prop saver. I used hot glue to attach the mount to the plywood stick, as well as the original side screw. The result is more power than the factory setup, with much less weight. An added bonus is that the propeller turns freely now, which makes it even less likely to break on landing. The geared, brushed setup left the prop quite stiff, even without power (I didn't have the ESC programmed for brake accidentally). This added to the stress on the motor mount, which needed to be periodically reglued. After several months of punishment, my Yak 55 had reached the point of barely flying anymore. I thought the last straw was getting stuck in a low tree, which took a direct shot with a football to retrieve. The tail had split again, and the bottom was starting to fall apart. I put the plane aside for a few weeks, then gave it one more shot. After an hour with the glue gun I was able to get it flight ready again, if barely. One more flying session though and the whole front was completely demolished. The bad news is I'm going to have to retire this plane. The good news is that I'm buying another one and starting over with brushless power from day one. I'm also going to reinforce the tail with carbon rods from the old body to stiffen it. Knowing the weak points should help make the new one last, and using the smaller battery will make a big difference. I cant wait to get the new plane up in the air. The Yak is dead - long live the Yak!
The truth is, I have punished this plane quite a bit. It has survived countless hard landings, and has the hot glue repair seams to prove it. I've gone through four of the plastic spur gears, which get chewed up easily by the metal pinion gear. And the original foam nose has long since disintegrated. I bought spares, but it seemed that each crash pushed the stick mount a little more into the body, to the point where the propeller wouldn't clear the cowl. It was simpler to leave it off. I made at least two major mistakes with this plane. The first was flying it with an older, non-computer radio, where I could only reduce the control surface throws mechanically at the servos. This still left the plane way too volatile for me to learn on, and resulted in more crashes than necessary. Since moving over to a Futaba 7C with dual rates and expo, I've found it significantly easier to control. This is still not a beginner plane though - it's small, fast, and easy to lose your orientation. I wish the bottom had more distinctive coloring from the top. The second mistake was using such a heavy battery. I started with an 11 volt 1500 mah LiPo pack, which at 4.4 ounces did serious damage to the fuselage in crashes. The firewall completely shattered, and the floor of the fuselage (which is actually the top of the one-pice wing) crumpled. If you're sticking with the stock motor and gearbox, I'd start with a 3S, 950 mah battery instead. It may be tricky to get the center of gravity right, so try moving the receiver and ESC as far forward as possible. Another good idea is to put a spongy piece of foam behind the firewall, which will protect it and the battery in a nose-first crash.
My solution to the weight problem, and something I wanted to try anyway, was to upgrade to a brushless motor. I happened to have an ElectriFly RimFire 28-30-1450 outrunner on hand, which turns faster than I need, but actually worked out great. I found I was able to switch to a 7.4v 1500 mah battery, which both saved weight and slowed down the motor. Having temporarily run out of the original 11x47 props, I downgraded to a 10x4.5 with good results. Thrown from underneath with full throttle, this plane takes off fast! The tricky part was how to mount the motor, given that ElectriFly doesn't make a stick mount for outrunners. By complete luck, it turns out the plastic housing for the factory motor/gearbox can be used. The two tabs which held the brushed motor line up with two of the RimFire's mounting holes. The third happens to line up with the tube used for the spur gear shaft. It just took a few seconds with a hobby knife to pare down the lip on the mount, and then fitting an extra long screw to run through the tube. The motor now sits flush with the old mount, and is mounted backwards for use with a prop saver. I used hot glue to attach the mount to the plywood stick, as well as the original side screw. The result is more power than the factory setup, with much less weight. An added bonus is that the propeller turns freely now, which makes it even less likely to break on landing. The geared, brushed setup left the prop quite stiff, even without power (I didn't have the ESC programmed for brake accidentally). This added to the stress on the motor mount, which needed to be periodically reglued. After several months of punishment, my Yak 55 had reached the point of barely flying anymore. I thought the last straw was getting stuck in a low tree, which took a direct shot with a football to retrieve. The tail had split again, and the bottom was starting to fall apart. I put the plane aside for a few weeks, then gave it one more shot. After an hour with the glue gun I was able to get it flight ready again, if barely. One more flying session though and the whole front was completely demolished. The bad news is I'm going to have to retire this plane. The good news is that I'm buying another one and starting over with brushless power from day one. I'm also going to reinforce the tail with carbon rods from the old body to stiffen it. Knowing the weak points should help make the new one last, and using the smaller battery will make a big difference. I cant wait to get the new plane up in the air. The Yak is dead - long live the Yak!
Esky Lama V4 Helicopter Review
The Esky Lama V4 is an inexpensive indoor electric helicopter. For less than $100 USD online, you get a completely assembled and ready-to-fly helicopter, four channel transmitter, LiPo battery, charger, and a spare set of blades. The Lama does not come with training gear or an instructional video like similar models from Tower Hobbies and Horizon Hobbies, but it only costs half as much.
The first thing you'll notice is the two main 13" rotors, each of which has its own 180-sized motor. This coaxial design cancels out the torque of the blades without the need for a tail rotor. This supposedly makes the helicopter more stable and easier to fly for beginners. Turning the nose left and right (i.e. yaw) is accomplished by changing the relative speeds of the top and bottom rotors. While this works quite well, there is a drawback in that turning changes your total downward thrust, so moving the rudder stick can change your altitude. Forward/backward motion as well as left/right roll are determined by two servos which tilt the swashplate. The stock battery is a 7.4V, 800 mah LiPo pack which is good for about 10 minutes of flight. It takes about an hour to charge with the supplied charger/balancer. I was happy to see that this two cell pack has a balancing connector for charging, rather than using the main discharge lead and potentially leaving the cells uneven.
The transmitter is a very basic four channel FM model. It has mechanical trims, servo reverse switches, and a trainer jack on the back. It's serviceable but cheaply made - the battery compartment cover on mine barely stays on. Unfortunately the throttle stick is ratcheted instead of moving smoothly for fine throttle control. See our tutorial for how to remove the ratchet . The good news is that this is a standard 72 MHz setup, so you should be able to swap the receiver crystal and use your own transmitter on your preferred frequency. Flying for the first time was straight forward. There's no assembly involved at all - just charge the battery. It wasn't clear whether the factory had trimmed the controls, so I set them all to neutral and turned on the transmitter. After plugging in the battery, the gyroscope took a few seconds to stabilize, and then lit up solid green. It's important to bring the throttle up slowly to avoid stripping the gears. I was happy to see the Lama come up off the floor easily and seem to be pretty stable. Rather than taking a chance, I took note of which way it was drifting, then landed and adjusted the trims. After a few tries, I was able to get it pretty well dialed in, with the exception of yaw. I found that even with the rudder trimmed fully to the right, the heli would still turn slowly to the left and needed constant correction. An open basement with seven foot ceilings was enough space to learn how to fly, but more height would have been better. Spending a few hours on a simulator before the first flight also helped a lot in terms of orientation and anticipating what the controls would do. It only took a couple months to go from a first-time heli pilot to having a good feel for what the Lama V4 can do. It can easily fly tight circles forwards and backwards indoors, and it's maneuverable enough to land on a small table top. Forward flight seems somewhat limited, but it does move backward pretty well. In very calm weather the Lama can be flown outside, but even a slight breeze will make it impossible to hover even with full cyclic. If you're feeling adventurous, you can lengthen the servo arms in order to give the swashplate a bigger range of motion, but you'll need to upgrade to a longer main shaft to further separate the top and bottom blades. Flying the Lama V4 is really addictive. It's a very easy helicopter to learn on, and it's remarkably tough. It's endured more crashes than I can count, and the only things that have broken are the rotor blades and one side of the landing gear. The flybar has a resilient design which causes it to pop out undamaged in a crash, which is a great feature. It's important when reattaching it to make sure that the upper blades pivot freely, which largely determines how stably the heli will hover. The black plastic blades that come with the helicopter are pretty fragile, cracking and splitting after a few crashes. The Lama will still fly with some imperfections in the blades, but this tends to create vibration throughout the body. I decided to try the Xtreme replacement blades which are popular on RC Groups . These white blades have proven dramatically better in terms of toughness, and don't show any signs of damage after repeated crashes. Several times I've experienced blade clashes, where the top and bottom rotors touch during aggressive flying, but the blades were unharmed. These are well worth the money ($8-10 for the entire set) and should be your first upgrade. I also bought the "indestructible" landing gear for the Blade CX which fit the Lama without modifications. They happened to arrive the day I broke the right factory skid. The new ones are visibly thicker than the standard ones, and so far have held up without any problems. There are many other upgrade parts available, including aluminum replacements for most of the head. It's not clear whether these improve flight performance, and a complete set costs as much as the helicopter itself. Overall I'm very impressed with the Esky Lama V4. This four channel helicopter is a huge step up over the two and three channel toys out there, and is not much more expensive. When properly set up, it can hold its own with similar models from Blade and Heli-Max that cost more. The Lama is a huge amount of fun and is easy enough for someone with only airplane experience to fly.
The first thing you'll notice is the two main 13" rotors, each of which has its own 180-sized motor. This coaxial design cancels out the torque of the blades without the need for a tail rotor. This supposedly makes the helicopter more stable and easier to fly for beginners. Turning the nose left and right (i.e. yaw) is accomplished by changing the relative speeds of the top and bottom rotors. While this works quite well, there is a drawback in that turning changes your total downward thrust, so moving the rudder stick can change your altitude. Forward/backward motion as well as left/right roll are determined by two servos which tilt the swashplate. The stock battery is a 7.4V, 800 mah LiPo pack which is good for about 10 minutes of flight. It takes about an hour to charge with the supplied charger/balancer. I was happy to see that this two cell pack has a balancing connector for charging, rather than using the main discharge lead and potentially leaving the cells uneven.
The transmitter is a very basic four channel FM model. It has mechanical trims, servo reverse switches, and a trainer jack on the back. It's serviceable but cheaply made - the battery compartment cover on mine barely stays on. Unfortunately the throttle stick is ratcheted instead of moving smoothly for fine throttle control. See our tutorial for how to remove the ratchet . The good news is that this is a standard 72 MHz setup, so you should be able to swap the receiver crystal and use your own transmitter on your preferred frequency. Flying for the first time was straight forward. There's no assembly involved at all - just charge the battery. It wasn't clear whether the factory had trimmed the controls, so I set them all to neutral and turned on the transmitter. After plugging in the battery, the gyroscope took a few seconds to stabilize, and then lit up solid green. It's important to bring the throttle up slowly to avoid stripping the gears. I was happy to see the Lama come up off the floor easily and seem to be pretty stable. Rather than taking a chance, I took note of which way it was drifting, then landed and adjusted the trims. After a few tries, I was able to get it pretty well dialed in, with the exception of yaw. I found that even with the rudder trimmed fully to the right, the heli would still turn slowly to the left and needed constant correction. An open basement with seven foot ceilings was enough space to learn how to fly, but more height would have been better. Spending a few hours on a simulator before the first flight also helped a lot in terms of orientation and anticipating what the controls would do. It only took a couple months to go from a first-time heli pilot to having a good feel for what the Lama V4 can do. It can easily fly tight circles forwards and backwards indoors, and it's maneuverable enough to land on a small table top. Forward flight seems somewhat limited, but it does move backward pretty well. In very calm weather the Lama can be flown outside, but even a slight breeze will make it impossible to hover even with full cyclic. If you're feeling adventurous, you can lengthen the servo arms in order to give the swashplate a bigger range of motion, but you'll need to upgrade to a longer main shaft to further separate the top and bottom blades. Flying the Lama V4 is really addictive. It's a very easy helicopter to learn on, and it's remarkably tough. It's endured more crashes than I can count, and the only things that have broken are the rotor blades and one side of the landing gear. The flybar has a resilient design which causes it to pop out undamaged in a crash, which is a great feature. It's important when reattaching it to make sure that the upper blades pivot freely, which largely determines how stably the heli will hover. The black plastic blades that come with the helicopter are pretty fragile, cracking and splitting after a few crashes. The Lama will still fly with some imperfections in the blades, but this tends to create vibration throughout the body. I decided to try the Xtreme replacement blades which are popular on RC Groups . These white blades have proven dramatically better in terms of toughness, and don't show any signs of damage after repeated crashes. Several times I've experienced blade clashes, where the top and bottom rotors touch during aggressive flying, but the blades were unharmed. These are well worth the money ($8-10 for the entire set) and should be your first upgrade. I also bought the "indestructible" landing gear for the Blade CX which fit the Lama without modifications. They happened to arrive the day I broke the right factory skid. The new ones are visibly thicker than the standard ones, and so far have held up without any problems. There are many other upgrade parts available, including aluminum replacements for most of the head. It's not clear whether these improve flight performance, and a complete set costs as much as the helicopter itself. Overall I'm very impressed with the Esky Lama V4. This four channel helicopter is a huge step up over the two and three channel toys out there, and is not much more expensive. When properly set up, it can hold its own with similar models from Blade and Heli-Max that cost more. The Lama is a huge amount of fun and is easy enough for someone with only airplane experience to fly.
HPI Pro-D vs Tamiya TA03F
HPI have finally got the drop on their main drift rivals Yokomo, and come out with a revolutionary drifting car the HPI Pro-D. With a carbon main chassis, carbon upper deck and orange anodised aluminium bulkheads, it's a very slick design. Only one question remains...
The HPI Pro-D
Why has it taken this long for a manufacturer to come out with this kind of chassis not one that's a re-hash of another model, but a specific drift chassis? Tamiya, by shear fluke, have already created the perfect drifting chassis, and discontinued it before people even realised that you could drift RC cars namely the Tamiya TA03F. Since the TA03F is no longer supported by Tamiya, parts and chassis are nigh on impossible to get hold of, so some competitive drift series have created rules specifically to ban this car.
So what made the TA03F so great at drifting? Well, good drifting is all about weightgood distribution. You'll find most drifters will add a lot of weight to the front bumper so that the front tires will be pushed down and grip more than the rear, and also to give a point for the rear of the car to swing around. The TA03F was created with equal weight distribution to the left and right in mind, so the motor was moved to the front of the car to avoid the drive belts. This in turn provided the necessary weight sitting on the front wheels. Perfect left and right weight distribution also means the battery must be placed across the chassis, rather than along side the centre line.Takealook:
The tamiya TA03F
So what of this revolutionary Pro-D chassis of HPI? The HPI Pro-D has the battery placed across the chassis. Moreover, the Pro-D is not belt driven, but shaft driven, which gives the driver a much more direct feel and much sharperthrottle response. To move the motor closer to the centre line, the shaft has been moved off centre. Thisimprovesthebalaceasthemotoris not so off-set. And what about looks? The HPI Pro-D looks fantastic. Drift not only requires skill, but shock and awe bling. The Tamiya TA03F, with is black plastic everywhere, is a sore loser in this department.
Our verdict: Currently this is only available in Japan, and at a price of 52000 yen (about $450) for just the chassis kit - only hardcore drifters need apply. Although this isn't overpriced considering the specification, the now obsolete TA03 will perform just as well, and these can be picked up reasonably cheaply on ebay. If any of you have a cousin or a brother with an old RC kicking about in the loft, go and have a look, it might just be one of these gems.
Links:
HPIPro-D
TA03atTamiyaUSA
D1RC
TA03Resourcepage
The HPI Pro-D
Why has it taken this long for a manufacturer to come out with this kind of chassis not one that's a re-hash of another model, but a specific drift chassis? Tamiya, by shear fluke, have already created the perfect drifting chassis, and discontinued it before people even realised that you could drift RC cars namely the Tamiya TA03F. Since the TA03F is no longer supported by Tamiya, parts and chassis are nigh on impossible to get hold of, so some competitive drift series have created rules specifically to ban this car.
So what made the TA03F so great at drifting? Well, good drifting is all about weightgood distribution. You'll find most drifters will add a lot of weight to the front bumper so that the front tires will be pushed down and grip more than the rear, and also to give a point for the rear of the car to swing around. The TA03F was created with equal weight distribution to the left and right in mind, so the motor was moved to the front of the car to avoid the drive belts. This in turn provided the necessary weight sitting on the front wheels. Perfect left and right weight distribution also means the battery must be placed across the chassis, rather than along side the centre line.Takealook:
The tamiya TA03F
So what of this revolutionary Pro-D chassis of HPI? The HPI Pro-D has the battery placed across the chassis. Moreover, the Pro-D is not belt driven, but shaft driven, which gives the driver a much more direct feel and much sharperthrottle response. To move the motor closer to the centre line, the shaft has been moved off centre. Thisimprovesthebalaceasthemotoris not so off-set. And what about looks? The HPI Pro-D looks fantastic. Drift not only requires skill, but shock and awe bling. The Tamiya TA03F, with is black plastic everywhere, is a sore loser in this department.
Our verdict: Currently this is only available in Japan, and at a price of 52000 yen (about $450) for just the chassis kit - only hardcore drifters need apply. Although this isn't overpriced considering the specification, the now obsolete TA03 will perform just as well, and these can be picked up reasonably cheaply on ebay. If any of you have a cousin or a brother with an old RC kicking about in the loft, go and have a look, it might just be one of these gems.
Links:
HPIPro-D
TA03atTamiyaUSA
D1RC
TA03Resourcepage
Friday, April 11, 2008
RC Drinks Cooler Overview
Lazy boy chairs now have an official buddy: the RC drinks cooler. An invention that would make Al Bundy proud takes a very simple idea and makes it extremely fun. It is a cooler on wheels, and even the bottle top shaped remote doesn't hide the fact that it is a very quirky product. It operates from up to 30 ft. away, and the four sure grip wheels can cover most areas.
This is great for small parties or big parties, if you get more than one. It might not have the wit of a sarcastic butler, but will get by on the coolness factor alone. With ice it will hold up to twelve bottles or ten cans, and if your kid decides to play with it I can guesstimate about 20 Capri Suns. Give or take. This won't win any award anytime soon, but it is the type of product that you see on T.V. that is so out there, that you have to have it.
The R/C drinks cooler requires 6x C batteries, and the remote control needs 1x 9v. Honestly I didn't even know 9v still existed, call me out of date if you want. The requirements are pretty modest, and so is the price-you're looking at a good 39.95 . Considering the stuff you'll probably have it doing besides hauling your drinks around, it is a safe investment.
At the present moment www.firebox.com is out of stock, for the unlucky U.S. and U.K. buyers. But preorders are available for the U.K. section of the site, but I have no idea for how long. Don't let such a great summer deal pass you up.
This is great for small parties or big parties, if you get more than one. It might not have the wit of a sarcastic butler, but will get by on the coolness factor alone. With ice it will hold up to twelve bottles or ten cans, and if your kid decides to play with it I can guesstimate about 20 Capri Suns. Give or take. This won't win any award anytime soon, but it is the type of product that you see on T.V. that is so out there, that you have to have it.
The R/C drinks cooler requires 6x C batteries, and the remote control needs 1x 9v. Honestly I didn't even know 9v still existed, call me out of date if you want. The requirements are pretty modest, and so is the price-you're looking at a good 39.95 . Considering the stuff you'll probably have it doing besides hauling your drinks around, it is a safe investment.
At the present moment www.firebox.com is out of stock, for the unlucky U.S. and U.K. buyers. But preorders are available for the U.K. section of the site, but I have no idea for how long. Don't let such a great summer deal pass you up.
SCCMAS 2008 Show Report
The Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark (SCCMAS) airshow was held July 12th and 13th in Morgan Hill, California. This free annual show spans a wide range of radio control flight, from gliders to gas powered acrobats, and helicopters to turbine powered jets. It's a great chance for existing pilots and those new to the hobby to see a little of everything that RC has to offer in the air. Keep reading to see these planes and helis in action.
The club's field is located south of San Jose, with the runway parallel to highway 101. Although there weren't any vendors selling products at the show, there was a raffle with a good assortment of prizes, and hot food and drinks available all day. Century Helicopters also had a display of a variety of their larger models.
The SCCMAS show is designed for spectators, with a fixed program between roughly 10am and 3pm each day, with open flight before and after. Having a structured schedule allows the club to show off a range of models, mostly one at a time, and let the crowd focus on the featured pilots.
The morning had a variety of planes in the air including EDF jets and gliders. Reggie Dell Aquila flew his 110 inch wingspan Sig Rascal like he stole it. I have never seen anyone fly what is basically a large trainer like this, including some very adventurous knife edge flying.
Later there were a couple of impressive control line demonstrations. I admit I never understood the attraction of CL until seeing it in person, especially at 100 mph. These planes change direction incredibly fast and take a lot of skill to fly.
The warbirds segment had up to four aircraft in the air at a time. Chris Luvara demonstrated the lowest passes of the day which his beautiful Corsair. There were a number of other great scale planes out there including a Curtiss P-6E Hawk, and an assortment of bombers.
A Pitts Python piloted by Dantley Davis warmed up the crowd with acrobatics which hinted at the wild finale to come. There was also a pylon race demonstrating how hard it is to fly fast and precisely at the same time.
Without a question, the big draw of the show is the jets. These kerosene burning turbine planes can top 200 mph and easily cost up to ten thousand dollars. They all featured retractable landing gear and vibrant color schemes. Some had smoke systems which made the performances even more enjoyable.
Jim Mongiello led off with his red and white A4 jet:
One of my favorites was Russ Giordano's CompositeARF Flash jet:
This Blue Angels F-18 is a Jet Legend kit flown by Rafael Villeda:
There were also three Tam Jets F-16s which flew at the show, including one which lost an elevator in flight and crashed. Thankfully the plane was headed parallel to the crowd at the time, and went down harmlessly off the field. By shutting the turbine down as soon as he lost control, the pilot prevented the kerosene from igniting. The result was a nasty wreck but thankfully no fire or injury.
At noon the club opened up the flight line to let the crowd get up close and personal with the aircraft. In addition to checking out the models on the ground, there were three stations where experienced pilots offered anyone the chance to take the sticks and fly with a buddy box. The left-most station had a Century Predator helicopter while the other two had fixed-wing aircraft to try out. I applaud SCCMAS for bringing new pilots into the hobby this way.
There were a few novelty planes flown during the show, including the famous flying lawnmower. Reggie (the Rascal pilot) came back out to show off his flying stop sign, which was fully acrobatic and overpowered, the way he seems to like it. He also performed one half of a Snoopy and the Baron dogfight featuring a flying dog house, which he told me later was quite a task to land.
Although planes dominated the show, 17 year old Brian Linderman put on a great display with his nitro powered Freestyle helicopter. He flew a full 3D performance and kept it low and in control - well done Brian!
The last two performers of the day surpassed even the jets in my opinion. Mike Conrardy flew an incredible demo with his huge Ultimate Bipe, starting off his routine at high altitude and diving with the smoke on. This thing hovered, tumbled, climbed, and did it all.
Finally, Greg Milosevich closed the show with his 39 pound Yak, featuring a 170cc 3W gas engine. In addition to the amazing airbrushed paint job, this plane was packing some serious hardware. Note the three servos per aileron, and four servos total on the elevator. All of this added up to some fantastic acrobatics.
The SCCMAS show was a lot of fun to attend, with a wide variety of aircraft to watch. If you live in northern California I recommend coming out and spending a day at the show. Thanks to Xavier Ducrohet for loaning me camera equipment and Chris Luvara for his help identifying the planes and pilots.
The club's field is located south of San Jose, with the runway parallel to highway 101. Although there weren't any vendors selling products at the show, there was a raffle with a good assortment of prizes, and hot food and drinks available all day. Century Helicopters also had a display of a variety of their larger models.
The SCCMAS show is designed for spectators, with a fixed program between roughly 10am and 3pm each day, with open flight before and after. Having a structured schedule allows the club to show off a range of models, mostly one at a time, and let the crowd focus on the featured pilots.
The morning had a variety of planes in the air including EDF jets and gliders. Reggie Dell Aquila flew his 110 inch wingspan Sig Rascal like he stole it. I have never seen anyone fly what is basically a large trainer like this, including some very adventurous knife edge flying.
Later there were a couple of impressive control line demonstrations. I admit I never understood the attraction of CL until seeing it in person, especially at 100 mph. These planes change direction incredibly fast and take a lot of skill to fly.
The warbirds segment had up to four aircraft in the air at a time. Chris Luvara demonstrated the lowest passes of the day which his beautiful Corsair. There were a number of other great scale planes out there including a Curtiss P-6E Hawk, and an assortment of bombers.
A Pitts Python piloted by Dantley Davis warmed up the crowd with acrobatics which hinted at the wild finale to come. There was also a pylon race demonstrating how hard it is to fly fast and precisely at the same time.
Without a question, the big draw of the show is the jets. These kerosene burning turbine planes can top 200 mph and easily cost up to ten thousand dollars. They all featured retractable landing gear and vibrant color schemes. Some had smoke systems which made the performances even more enjoyable.
Jim Mongiello led off with his red and white A4 jet:
One of my favorites was Russ Giordano's CompositeARF Flash jet:
This Blue Angels F-18 is a Jet Legend kit flown by Rafael Villeda:
There were also three Tam Jets F-16s which flew at the show, including one which lost an elevator in flight and crashed. Thankfully the plane was headed parallel to the crowd at the time, and went down harmlessly off the field. By shutting the turbine down as soon as he lost control, the pilot prevented the kerosene from igniting. The result was a nasty wreck but thankfully no fire or injury.
At noon the club opened up the flight line to let the crowd get up close and personal with the aircraft. In addition to checking out the models on the ground, there were three stations where experienced pilots offered anyone the chance to take the sticks and fly with a buddy box. The left-most station had a Century Predator helicopter while the other two had fixed-wing aircraft to try out. I applaud SCCMAS for bringing new pilots into the hobby this way.
There were a few novelty planes flown during the show, including the famous flying lawnmower. Reggie (the Rascal pilot) came back out to show off his flying stop sign, which was fully acrobatic and overpowered, the way he seems to like it. He also performed one half of a Snoopy and the Baron dogfight featuring a flying dog house, which he told me later was quite a task to land.
Although planes dominated the show, 17 year old Brian Linderman put on a great display with his nitro powered Freestyle helicopter. He flew a full 3D performance and kept it low and in control - well done Brian!
The last two performers of the day surpassed even the jets in my opinion. Mike Conrardy flew an incredible demo with his huge Ultimate Bipe, starting off his routine at high altitude and diving with the smoke on. This thing hovered, tumbled, climbed, and did it all.
Finally, Greg Milosevich closed the show with his 39 pound Yak, featuring a 170cc 3W gas engine. In addition to the amazing airbrushed paint job, this plane was packing some serious hardware. Note the three servos per aileron, and four servos total on the elevator. All of this added up to some fantastic acrobatics.
The SCCMAS show was a lot of fun to attend, with a wide variety of aircraft to watch. If you live in northern California I recommend coming out and spending a day at the show. Thanks to Xavier Ducrohet for loaning me camera equipment and Chris Luvara for his help identifying the planes and pilots.
RC Drinks Cooler Overview
Lazy boy chairs now have an official buddy: the RC drinks cooler. An invention that would make Al Bundy proud takes a very simple idea and makes it extremely fun. It is a cooler on wheels, and even the bottle top shaped remote doesn't hide the fact that it is a very quirky product. It operates from up to 30 ft. away, and the four sure grip wheels can cover most areas.
This is great for small parties or big parties, if you get more than one. It might not have the wit of a sarcastic butler, but will get by on the coolness factor alone. With ice it will hold up to twelve bottles or ten cans, and if your kid decides to play with it I can guesstimate about 20 Capri Suns. Give or take. This won't win any award anytime soon, but it is the type of product that you see on T.V. that is so out there, that you have to have it.
The R/C drinks cooler requires 6x C batteries, and the remote control needs 1x 9v. Honestly I didn't even know 9v still existed, call me out of date if you want. The requirements are pretty modest, and so is the price-you're looking at a good 39.95 . Considering the stuff you'll probably have it doing besides hauling your drinks around, it is a safe investment.
At the present moment www.firebox.com is out of stock, for the unlucky U.S. and U.K. buyers. But preorders are available for the U.K. section of the site, but I have no idea for how long. Don't let such a great summer deal pass you up.
This is great for small parties or big parties, if you get more than one. It might not have the wit of a sarcastic butler, but will get by on the coolness factor alone. With ice it will hold up to twelve bottles or ten cans, and if your kid decides to play with it I can guesstimate about 20 Capri Suns. Give or take. This won't win any award anytime soon, but it is the type of product that you see on T.V. that is so out there, that you have to have it.
The R/C drinks cooler requires 6x C batteries, and the remote control needs 1x 9v. Honestly I didn't even know 9v still existed, call me out of date if you want. The requirements are pretty modest, and so is the price-you're looking at a good 39.95 . Considering the stuff you'll probably have it doing besides hauling your drinks around, it is a safe investment.
At the present moment www.firebox.com is out of stock, for the unlucky U.S. and U.K. buyers. But preorders are available for the U.K. section of the site, but I have no idea for how long. Don't let such a great summer deal pass you up.
SCCMAS 2008 Show Report
The Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark (SCCMAS) airshow was held July 12th and 13th in Morgan Hill, California. This free annual show spans a wide range of radio control flight, from gliders to gas powered acrobats, and helicopters to turbine powered jets. It's a great chance for existing pilots and those new to the hobby to see a little of everything that RC has to offer in the air. Keep reading to see these planes and helis in action.
The club's field is located south of San Jose, with the runway parallel to highway 101. Although there weren't any vendors selling products at the show, there was a raffle with a good assortment of prizes, and hot food and drinks available all day. Century Helicopters also had a display of a variety of their larger models.
The SCCMAS show is designed for spectators, with a fixed program between roughly 10am and 3pm each day, with open flight before and after. Having a structured schedule allows the club to show off a range of models, mostly one at a time, and let the crowd focus on the featured pilots.
The morning had a variety of planes in the air including EDF jets and gliders. Reggie Dell Aquila flew his 110 inch wingspan Sig Rascal like he stole it. I have never seen anyone fly what is basically a large trainer like this, including some very adventurous knife edge flying.
Later there were a couple of impressive control line demonstrations. I admit I never understood the attraction of CL until seeing it in person, especially at 100 mph. These planes change direction incredibly fast and take a lot of skill to fly.
The warbirds segment had up to four aircraft in the air at a time. Chris Luvara demonstrated the lowest passes of the day which his beautiful Corsair. There were a number of other great scale planes out there including a Curtiss P-6E Hawk, and an assortment of bombers.
A Pitts Python piloted by Dantley Davis warmed up the crowd with acrobatics which hinted at the wild finale to come. There was also a pylon race demonstrating how hard it is to fly fast and precisely at the same time.
Without a question, the big draw of the show is the jets. These kerosene burning turbine planes can top 200 mph and easily cost up to ten thousand dollars. They all featured retractable landing gear and vibrant color schemes. Some had smoke systems which made the performances even more enjoyable.
Jim Mongiello led off with his red and white A4 jet:
One of my favorites was Russ Giordano's CompositeARF Flash jet:
This Blue Angels F-18 is a Jet Legend kit flown by Rafael Villeda:
There were also three Tam Jets F-16s which flew at the show, including one which lost an elevator in flight and crashed. Thankfully the plane was headed parallel to the crowd at the time, and went down harmlessly off the field. By shutting the turbine down as soon as he lost control, the pilot prevented the kerosene from igniting. The result was a nasty wreck but thankfully no fire or injury.
At noon the club opened up the flight line to let the crowd get up close and personal with the aircraft. In addition to checking out the models on the ground, there were three stations where experienced pilots offered anyone the chance to take the sticks and fly with a buddy box. The left-most station had a Century Predator helicopter while the other two had fixed-wing aircraft to try out. I applaud SCCMAS for bringing new pilots into the hobby this way.
There were a few novelty planes flown during the show, including the famous flying lawnmower. Reggie (the Rascal pilot) came back out to show off his flying stop sign, which was fully acrobatic and overpowered, the way he seems to like it. He also performed one half of a Snoopy and the Baron dogfight featuring a flying dog house, which he told me later was quite a task to land.
Although planes dominated the show, 17 year old Brian Linderman put on a great display with his nitro powered Freestyle helicopter. He flew a full 3D performance and kept it low and in control - well done Brian!
The last two performers of the day surpassed even the jets in my opinion. Mike Conrardy flew an incredible demo with his huge Ultimate Bipe, starting off his routine at high altitude and diving with the smoke on. This thing hovered, tumbled, climbed, and did it all.
Finally, Greg Milosevich closed the show with his 39 pound Yak, featuring a 170cc 3W gas engine. In addition to the amazing airbrushed paint job, this plane was packing some serious hardware. Note the three servos per aileron, and four servos total on the elevator. All of this added up to some fantastic acrobatics.
The SCCMAS show was a lot of fun to attend, with a wide variety of aircraft to watch. If you live in northern California I recommend coming out and spending a day at the show. Thanks to Xavier Ducrohet for loaning me camera equipment and Chris Luvara for his help identifying the planes and pilots.
The club's field is located south of San Jose, with the runway parallel to highway 101. Although there weren't any vendors selling products at the show, there was a raffle with a good assortment of prizes, and hot food and drinks available all day. Century Helicopters also had a display of a variety of their larger models.
The SCCMAS show is designed for spectators, with a fixed program between roughly 10am and 3pm each day, with open flight before and after. Having a structured schedule allows the club to show off a range of models, mostly one at a time, and let the crowd focus on the featured pilots.
The morning had a variety of planes in the air including EDF jets and gliders. Reggie Dell Aquila flew his 110 inch wingspan Sig Rascal like he stole it. I have never seen anyone fly what is basically a large trainer like this, including some very adventurous knife edge flying.
Later there were a couple of impressive control line demonstrations. I admit I never understood the attraction of CL until seeing it in person, especially at 100 mph. These planes change direction incredibly fast and take a lot of skill to fly.
The warbirds segment had up to four aircraft in the air at a time. Chris Luvara demonstrated the lowest passes of the day which his beautiful Corsair. There were a number of other great scale planes out there including a Curtiss P-6E Hawk, and an assortment of bombers.
A Pitts Python piloted by Dantley Davis warmed up the crowd with acrobatics which hinted at the wild finale to come. There was also a pylon race demonstrating how hard it is to fly fast and precisely at the same time.
Without a question, the big draw of the show is the jets. These kerosene burning turbine planes can top 200 mph and easily cost up to ten thousand dollars. They all featured retractable landing gear and vibrant color schemes. Some had smoke systems which made the performances even more enjoyable.
Jim Mongiello led off with his red and white A4 jet:
One of my favorites was Russ Giordano's CompositeARF Flash jet:
This Blue Angels F-18 is a Jet Legend kit flown by Rafael Villeda:
There were also three Tam Jets F-16s which flew at the show, including one which lost an elevator in flight and crashed. Thankfully the plane was headed parallel to the crowd at the time, and went down harmlessly off the field. By shutting the turbine down as soon as he lost control, the pilot prevented the kerosene from igniting. The result was a nasty wreck but thankfully no fire or injury.
At noon the club opened up the flight line to let the crowd get up close and personal with the aircraft. In addition to checking out the models on the ground, there were three stations where experienced pilots offered anyone the chance to take the sticks and fly with a buddy box. The left-most station had a Century Predator helicopter while the other two had fixed-wing aircraft to try out. I applaud SCCMAS for bringing new pilots into the hobby this way.
There were a few novelty planes flown during the show, including the famous flying lawnmower. Reggie (the Rascal pilot) came back out to show off his flying stop sign, which was fully acrobatic and overpowered, the way he seems to like it. He also performed one half of a Snoopy and the Baron dogfight featuring a flying dog house, which he told me later was quite a task to land.
Although planes dominated the show, 17 year old Brian Linderman put on a great display with his nitro powered Freestyle helicopter. He flew a full 3D performance and kept it low and in control - well done Brian!
The last two performers of the day surpassed even the jets in my opinion. Mike Conrardy flew an incredible demo with his huge Ultimate Bipe, starting off his routine at high altitude and diving with the smoke on. This thing hovered, tumbled, climbed, and did it all.
Finally, Greg Milosevich closed the show with his 39 pound Yak, featuring a 170cc 3W gas engine. In addition to the amazing airbrushed paint job, this plane was packing some serious hardware. Note the three servos per aileron, and four servos total on the elevator. All of this added up to some fantastic acrobatics.
The SCCMAS show was a lot of fun to attend, with a wide variety of aircraft to watch. If you live in northern California I recommend coming out and spending a day at the show. Thanks to Xavier Ducrohet for loaning me camera equipment and Chris Luvara for his help identifying the planes and pilots.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Aircraft And Helicopter Calculators
One of the tricky parts of electric flight is choosing the right components for a new plane or helicopter. How do you know which motor to pair with which speed controller? What size propeller will give enough thrust without drawing too many amps? And what battery is going to be up to the task?
The problem of matching all of the pieces is further complicated by the fact that there is no one right answer for a particular plane. The electronics that are right for you may not provide enough power for a more advanced pilot, or may not fit in someone else's budget. Maybe you already own a motor and need to build a system around it. What to do? Fortunately there a number of calculators out there which will help you run the numbers and try out different combinations. Most of them are free and run in a web browser, while a few run on your PC. A good place to start is P-CALC by Diversity Model Aircraft. It has a very large collection of motors already programmed in. You can also specify a custom motor if you wish. There aren't too many options, so it shouldn't be overwhelming for new users.
Another powerful airplane calculator is the Motor & Prop Calculator by Adam One. It displays Imperial and metric units simultaneously, and one updates when you change the other. You can even enter temperature, altitude, and barometric pressure if you want to see what effect they have. The only thing which doesn't seem to work is the graphing feature, which I tried on Safari and Firefox. Perhaps it only works in Internet Explorer, or not at all. Not to be outdone, a well-named site called Flies Like A Beagle has two airplane calculators available. Click on Software in the left column, and then try WebOCalc and PowerCalc at the top. Both are available while you're online in a browser, or can be downloaded and run offline in your browser. Either way you get the same programs, and they can be run on any computer. I like the WebOCalc feature which tells you how a particular setup will fly in plain English, from "mild trainer" to "outstanding 3D". That leads me to MotoCalc , perhaps the mother of all flight calculators. This is a commercial application priced at $39 USD, with a free 30 day trial. The list of features is a mile long, including setup comparisons, graphing, and an export to spreadsheet function. MotoCalc is a desktop app for Windows, and doesn't have a Macintosh version. It has a long history and receives constant updates, including its data files (specs for motors, ESCs, etc.), which are the most complete of any tool here by a large margin. Lastly, Dark Horse RC has an impressive Helicopter Power & Setup Calculator available for free. You can enter values by hand or use the buttons at the bottom to drop in preset values for some of the most popular helis. If that's not enough, you can also try the beta version of his Advanced Calculator , which offers many more choices and controls. Flight calculators are very helpful tools, and there are lots to choose from. Remember that these programs can only come up with estimates, so don't count on drawing exactly 24.5 amps on your 25 amp speed control, just because the software told you to. However they are very useful to try out different combinations of gear without buying the equipment first.
The problem of matching all of the pieces is further complicated by the fact that there is no one right answer for a particular plane. The electronics that are right for you may not provide enough power for a more advanced pilot, or may not fit in someone else's budget. Maybe you already own a motor and need to build a system around it. What to do? Fortunately there a number of calculators out there which will help you run the numbers and try out different combinations. Most of them are free and run in a web browser, while a few run on your PC. A good place to start is P-CALC by Diversity Model Aircraft. It has a very large collection of motors already programmed in. You can also specify a custom motor if you wish. There aren't too many options, so it shouldn't be overwhelming for new users.
Another powerful airplane calculator is the Motor & Prop Calculator by Adam One. It displays Imperial and metric units simultaneously, and one updates when you change the other. You can even enter temperature, altitude, and barometric pressure if you want to see what effect they have. The only thing which doesn't seem to work is the graphing feature, which I tried on Safari and Firefox. Perhaps it only works in Internet Explorer, or not at all. Not to be outdone, a well-named site called Flies Like A Beagle has two airplane calculators available. Click on Software in the left column, and then try WebOCalc and PowerCalc at the top. Both are available while you're online in a browser, or can be downloaded and run offline in your browser. Either way you get the same programs, and they can be run on any computer. I like the WebOCalc feature which tells you how a particular setup will fly in plain English, from "mild trainer" to "outstanding 3D". That leads me to MotoCalc , perhaps the mother of all flight calculators. This is a commercial application priced at $39 USD, with a free 30 day trial. The list of features is a mile long, including setup comparisons, graphing, and an export to spreadsheet function. MotoCalc is a desktop app for Windows, and doesn't have a Macintosh version. It has a long history and receives constant updates, including its data files (specs for motors, ESCs, etc.), which are the most complete of any tool here by a large margin. Lastly, Dark Horse RC has an impressive Helicopter Power & Setup Calculator available for free. You can enter values by hand or use the buttons at the bottom to drop in preset values for some of the most popular helis. If that's not enough, you can also try the beta version of his Advanced Calculator , which offers many more choices and controls. Flight calculators are very helpful tools, and there are lots to choose from. Remember that these programs can only come up with estimates, so don't count on drawing exactly 24.5 amps on your 25 amp speed control, just because the software told you to. However they are very useful to try out different combinations of gear without buying the equipment first.
Aircraft And Helicopter Calculators
One of the tricky parts of electric flight is choosing the right components for a new plane or helicopter. How do you know which motor to pair with which speed controller? What size propeller will give enough thrust without drawing too many amps? And what battery is going to be up to the task?
The problem of matching all of the pieces is further complicated by the fact that there is no one right answer for a particular plane. The electronics that are right for you may not provide enough power for a more advanced pilot, or may not fit in someone else's budget. Maybe you already own a motor and need to build a system around it. What to do? Fortunately there a number of calculators out there which will help you run the numbers and try out different combinations. Most of them are free and run in a web browser, while a few run on your PC. A good place to start is P-CALC by Diversity Model Aircraft. It has a very large collection of motors already programmed in. You can also specify a custom motor if you wish. There aren't too many options, so it shouldn't be overwhelming for new users.
Another powerful airplane calculator is the Motor & Prop Calculator by Adam One. It displays Imperial and metric units simultaneously, and one updates when you change the other. You can even enter temperature, altitude, and barometric pressure if you want to see what effect they have. The only thing which doesn't seem to work is the graphing feature, which I tried on Safari and Firefox. Perhaps it only works in Internet Explorer, or not at all. Not to be outdone, a well-named site called Flies Like A Beagle has two airplane calculators available. Click on Software in the left column, and then try WebOCalc and PowerCalc at the top. Both are available while you're online in a browser, or can be downloaded and run offline in your browser. Either way you get the same programs, and they can be run on any computer. I like the WebOCalc feature which tells you how a particular setup will fly in plain English, from "mild trainer" to "outstanding 3D". That leads me to MotoCalc , perhaps the mother of all flight calculators. This is a commercial application priced at $39 USD, with a free 30 day trial. The list of features is a mile long, including setup comparisons, graphing, and an export to spreadsheet function. MotoCalc is a desktop app for Windows, and doesn't have a Macintosh version. It has a long history and receives constant updates, including its data files (specs for motors, ESCs, etc.), which are the most complete of any tool here by a large margin. Lastly, Dark Horse RC has an impressive Helicopter Power & Setup Calculator available for free. You can enter values by hand or use the buttons at the bottom to drop in preset values for some of the most popular helis. If that's not enough, you can also try the beta version of his Advanced Calculator , which offers many more choices and controls. Flight calculators are very helpful tools, and there are lots to choose from. Remember that these programs can only come up with estimates, so don't count on drawing exactly 24.5 amps on your 25 amp speed control, just because the software told you to. However they are very useful to try out different combinations of gear without buying the equipment first.
The problem of matching all of the pieces is further complicated by the fact that there is no one right answer for a particular plane. The electronics that are right for you may not provide enough power for a more advanced pilot, or may not fit in someone else's budget. Maybe you already own a motor and need to build a system around it. What to do? Fortunately there a number of calculators out there which will help you run the numbers and try out different combinations. Most of them are free and run in a web browser, while a few run on your PC. A good place to start is P-CALC by Diversity Model Aircraft. It has a very large collection of motors already programmed in. You can also specify a custom motor if you wish. There aren't too many options, so it shouldn't be overwhelming for new users.
Another powerful airplane calculator is the Motor & Prop Calculator by Adam One. It displays Imperial and metric units simultaneously, and one updates when you change the other. You can even enter temperature, altitude, and barometric pressure if you want to see what effect they have. The only thing which doesn't seem to work is the graphing feature, which I tried on Safari and Firefox. Perhaps it only works in Internet Explorer, or not at all. Not to be outdone, a well-named site called Flies Like A Beagle has two airplane calculators available. Click on Software in the left column, and then try WebOCalc and PowerCalc at the top. Both are available while you're online in a browser, or can be downloaded and run offline in your browser. Either way you get the same programs, and they can be run on any computer. I like the WebOCalc feature which tells you how a particular setup will fly in plain English, from "mild trainer" to "outstanding 3D". That leads me to MotoCalc , perhaps the mother of all flight calculators. This is a commercial application priced at $39 USD, with a free 30 day trial. The list of features is a mile long, including setup comparisons, graphing, and an export to spreadsheet function. MotoCalc is a desktop app for Windows, and doesn't have a Macintosh version. It has a long history and receives constant updates, including its data files (specs for motors, ESCs, etc.), which are the most complete of any tool here by a large margin. Lastly, Dark Horse RC has an impressive Helicopter Power & Setup Calculator available for free. You can enter values by hand or use the buttons at the bottom to drop in preset values for some of the most popular helis. If that's not enough, you can also try the beta version of his Advanced Calculator , which offers many more choices and controls. Flight calculators are very helpful tools, and there are lots to choose from. Remember that these programs can only come up with estimates, so don't count on drawing exactly 24.5 amps on your 25 amp speed control, just because the software told you to. However they are very useful to try out different combinations of gear without buying the equipment first.
Top Flite B-25J Mitchell ARF Overview
I'll never admit to being lazy, so my reasoning for steering clear of most ARF models is due to taste. One look at the B-25J Mitchell ARF from Top Flite , however, makes me into a stressed riddled perfectionist. There are certain things in life that when you have them, you become the center of attention, the big shot. Like getting a 60 inch HD T.V. with over 3,000 worldwide channels.
The B-25J is an ARF model that will make everyone in the field you're flying in look like amateurs. Top Flite never skips over detail, and the B-25J is painstakingly done to perfection. They somehow managed to make it as authentic as possible, without getting in the way of the RC spec expectations. The plane is huge at about 17 lbs. with a length of 70.5 inches, and is backed by a lengthy 50 hours of assembly. Depending on your level, this assembly can range from easy to hair pulling.
Great care went into this, and with all the problems that come with twin engine models, they addressed most of them without too much user interaction needed. Both nacelles are built from laser-cut plywood, which means you should be able to fly with confidence. I also love all the extras they provided like functioning doors, ability to switch out the engines (.40s or 4 stroke .70s), and easy disassembly for transportation or storage.
The manual reads like a Stephen King novel, and may frighten little kids. This project requires extra purchases, but that is a minor problem to what seems to be a great plane. This is definitely one of the most incredible replicas to look at. It won't be long before men buy B-25J to cope with their midlife crisis in place of a new car.
The B-25J is an ARF model that will make everyone in the field you're flying in look like amateurs. Top Flite never skips over detail, and the B-25J is painstakingly done to perfection. They somehow managed to make it as authentic as possible, without getting in the way of the RC spec expectations. The plane is huge at about 17 lbs. with a length of 70.5 inches, and is backed by a lengthy 50 hours of assembly. Depending on your level, this assembly can range from easy to hair pulling.
Great care went into this, and with all the problems that come with twin engine models, they addressed most of them without too much user interaction needed. Both nacelles are built from laser-cut plywood, which means you should be able to fly with confidence. I also love all the extras they provided like functioning doors, ability to switch out the engines (.40s or 4 stroke .70s), and easy disassembly for transportation or storage.
The manual reads like a Stephen King novel, and may frighten little kids. This project requires extra purchases, but that is a minor problem to what seems to be a great plane. This is definitely one of the most incredible replicas to look at. It won't be long before men buy B-25J to cope with their midlife crisis in place of a new car.
New Sensors From Eagle Tree Systems Announced
Eagle Tree Systems has announced two new sensors in their line of data logger products. What makes these unusual is that they can be used either with a logger like the eLogger V3 or stand-alone, using the built-in LED display. For convenience the sensors can be powered by a spare receiver channel or a second battery.
Airspeed Sensor Features:
World's lowest cost Airspeed Sensor ($42.99 USD MSRP)
Measures from approximately 2 MPH to 350 MPH
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Includes Pitot Tube
Accessible static port
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Metric or English units
Altimeter Features:
World's lowest cost Altimeter ($37.99 USD MSRP!)
Aproximately 3 foot (1 meter) resolution
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Accessible static port
Metric or English units
The units are expected to ship in August. More information can be found on the Eagle Tree Systems website .
Airspeed Sensor Features:
World's lowest cost Airspeed Sensor ($42.99 USD MSRP)
Measures from approximately 2 MPH to 350 MPH
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Includes Pitot Tube
Accessible static port
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Metric or English units
Altimeter Features:
World's lowest cost Altimeter ($37.99 USD MSRP!)
Aproximately 3 foot (1 meter) resolution
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Accessible static port
Metric or English units
The units are expected to ship in August. More information can be found on the Eagle Tree Systems website .
Top Flite B-25J Mitchell ARF Overview
I'll never admit to being lazy, so my reasoning for steering clear of most ARF models is due to taste. One look at the B-25J Mitchell ARF from Top Flite , however, makes me into a stressed riddled perfectionist. There are certain things in life that when you have them, you become the center of attention, the big shot. Like getting a 60 inch HD T.V. with over 3,000 worldwide channels.
The B-25J is an ARF model that will make everyone in the field you're flying in look like amateurs. Top Flite never skips over detail, and the B-25J is painstakingly done to perfection. They somehow managed to make it as authentic as possible, without getting in the way of the RC spec expectations. The plane is huge at about 17 lbs. with a length of 70.5 inches, and is backed by a lengthy 50 hours of assembly. Depending on your level, this assembly can range from easy to hair pulling.
Great care went into this, and with all the problems that come with twin engine models, they addressed most of them without too much user interaction needed. Both nacelles are built from laser-cut plywood, which means you should be able to fly with confidence. I also love all the extras they provided like functioning doors, ability to switch out the engines (.40s or 4 stroke .70s), and easy disassembly for transportation or storage.
The manual reads like a Stephen King novel, and may frighten little kids. This project requires extra purchases, but that is a minor problem to what seems to be a great plane. This is definitely one of the most incredible replicas to look at. It won't be long before men buy B-25J to cope with their midlife crisis in place of a new car.
The B-25J is an ARF model that will make everyone in the field you're flying in look like amateurs. Top Flite never skips over detail, and the B-25J is painstakingly done to perfection. They somehow managed to make it as authentic as possible, without getting in the way of the RC spec expectations. The plane is huge at about 17 lbs. with a length of 70.5 inches, and is backed by a lengthy 50 hours of assembly. Depending on your level, this assembly can range from easy to hair pulling.
Great care went into this, and with all the problems that come with twin engine models, they addressed most of them without too much user interaction needed. Both nacelles are built from laser-cut plywood, which means you should be able to fly with confidence. I also love all the extras they provided like functioning doors, ability to switch out the engines (.40s or 4 stroke .70s), and easy disassembly for transportation or storage.
The manual reads like a Stephen King novel, and may frighten little kids. This project requires extra purchases, but that is a minor problem to what seems to be a great plane. This is definitely one of the most incredible replicas to look at. It won't be long before men buy B-25J to cope with their midlife crisis in place of a new car.
New Sensors From Eagle Tree Systems Announced
Eagle Tree Systems has announced two new sensors in their line of data logger products. What makes these unusual is that they can be used either with a logger like the eLogger V3 or stand-alone, using the built-in LED display. For convenience the sensors can be powered by a spare receiver channel or a second battery.
Airspeed Sensor Features:
World's lowest cost Airspeed Sensor ($42.99 USD MSRP)
Measures from approximately 2 MPH to 350 MPH
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Includes Pitot Tube
Accessible static port
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Metric or English units
Altimeter Features:
World's lowest cost Altimeter ($37.99 USD MSRP!)
Aproximately 3 foot (1 meter) resolution
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Accessible static port
Metric or English units
The units are expected to ship in August. More information can be found on the Eagle Tree Systems website .
Airspeed Sensor Features:
World's lowest cost Airspeed Sensor ($42.99 USD MSRP)
Measures from approximately 2 MPH to 350 MPH
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Includes Pitot Tube
Accessible static port
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Metric or English units
Altimeter Features:
World's lowest cost Altimeter ($37.99 USD MSRP!)
Aproximately 3 foot (1 meter) resolution
Weight 4 grams (0.15 oz)
Precalibrated no user calibration required
Accessible static port
Metric or English units
The units are expected to ship in August. More information can be found on the Eagle Tree Systems website .
Friday, March 7, 2008
Futaba 7C Radio Review
Radio control transmitters have gotten extremely powerful, affordable, and ubiquitous. Even entry level radios come with small LCD screens, a few model memories, and functions like exponential. Feeling that it was time to upgrade, I decided to jump in somewhere in the middle of the price and feature spectrum.
The Futaba 7CAF is the airplane version of their seven channel computer transmitter. It comes bundled with an 8 channel R168DF FM receiver and four S3151 digital standard servos . Other packages are available for helicopter flyers, those who prefer PCM receivers, and a slightly less expensive version with analog servos. The radio comes well packed and includes a variety of accessories, such as transmitter and receiver batteries, a wall charger, servo hardware, a switch harness, a frequency flag, and a neck strap. There is also a fairly large manual which includes lots of programming scenarios and how you go about entering them. This is really worth reading - some features of the radio are not obvious without it, as described later. The 7C can store setups for 10 different models, with a six letter name for each. Although the version I bought has a ratcheted throttle stick, it does contain full helicopter programming. If you fly both, get the heli version. There is a fairly large 72x32 LCD which presents a lot of information at once, without moving between screens. The dial at the right is also a button, so changing settings involves scrolling to the right page, then pushing to select it. The two buttons next to the dial move between values on a page. Compared to the less expensive 6EXAS , the 7C interface is a huge step up.
To test out the programming features, I set up the radio for my ElectriFly Yak-55 . One of the compelling reasons to stick with FM instead of jumping to 2.4 GHz radios was compatibility with my existing micro receivers. I dialed in the name and then checked my servos for reverse. To my surprise, the throttle channel to my electronic speed control was inverted, and thankfully the startup safety kept the prop from spinning. Apparently all electric models will need to reverse channel 3, so watch out for this. Since my endpoints were fine at 100%, the next step was to set up dual rates and exponential. The default is to have a dedicated switch for aileron, elevator, and rudder dual rates, but I prefer to have them all tied to one toggle, which is easy to change. To program, choose which control surface you want to affect, and assign it a switch. Move that switch to the low position, and set range of movement as a percentage. I started with 50% for elevator, then set the exponential for -15%, which makes the stick less sensitive around the center. Then I flipped the switch to high and set up 100% movement and -30% expo. I set up rudder the same, and made the low rates for ailerons 40% travel, since the Yak rolls quickly. The throttle channel also offers exponential, which helps spread out motor speed over the range of the stick. The last remaining feature I set up was a model-specific timer. I guessed I could get around eight minutes on a LiPo pack, so I set up a countdown timer. This feature is very flexible, because it lets you start and stop the timer based on a switch or stick position. I chose to tie the timer to the throttle stick, which is the most common scenario. The UI here was confusing, and reading the manual revealed a hidden feature: move the throttle stick to a position, then press and hold the dial button for one second. The result is that the timer will start and stop relative to that position, rather than the bottom of the range. Nice. Flying with the Futaba 7C felt good. By assigning dual rates for all three surfaces to the top-left switch, I was able to toggle this mode without taking my hands off the all-important right stick. If you haven%26#39;t flown with dual rates and expo before, it%26#39;s amazing how these features can tame a twitchy model like the Yak. The stick tension is adjustable by removing the back cover of the radio, but the factory settings were fine for me. I found the transmitter comfortable to hold while flying with my thumbs, and it was manageable with a pinch grip. Over the next few weeks I added five more planes to the radio%26#39;s memory. To save some time, I programmed one of the blank memories to initial settings that I liked, then copied it to all the other blank spots. Most planes only needed some trim and servo reverse settings after starting with this template. Although none required more advanced features like flaps or unusual tail configurations, I like knowing the radio can handle these setups. I also used the 7C extensively with the Mile High Wings USB Interface and a variety of simulators, where it performed well. There are three drawbacks to this radio, which may or may not affect you. The first is that Futaba does not offer a package with micro servos, or one without any servos. With the large number of park flyers and smaller electric planes out there, this is pretty surprising. I ended up putting the standard-sized digital servos up on the shelf, which is a shame. The second issue is the inability to use this radio properly with planes that have two elevator servos . Although you can set up a mix to operate them together, the digital trims will only affect the first servo, causing roll in flight. This was not a problem for me, but fans of larger planes should consider the 9C model instead for this reason alone. And finally, the 7C comes with NiCD batteries. This seems a little outdated at a time when us electric flyers are moving to lithium and getting rid of our NiMH packs. What this means in practical terms is that the transmitter will not hold an extended charge, so you%26#39;ll want to plug in the night before you fly. It%26#39;s a minor point, but at this price it would have been nice to see a NiMH pack for the transmitter. Overall I%26#39;m very happy with this radio. The features and ergonomics are very good, and it%26#39;s a good value at $250 USD street price. If you%26#39;re ready for a second radio, don%26#39;t look any lower in the line than this. In fact, the 7C is a very reasonable first radio for a new modeler who%26#39;s looking to jump right in. For someone with a little more budget, Futaba is releasing a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum version of the 7C this summer for a street price of $350 USD. No word yet on whether it%26#39;ll support dual elevator servos correctly. To learn more or read the manual, check out Futaba%26#39;s 7C site .
The Futaba 7CAF is the airplane version of their seven channel computer transmitter. It comes bundled with an 8 channel R168DF FM receiver and four S3151 digital standard servos . Other packages are available for helicopter flyers, those who prefer PCM receivers, and a slightly less expensive version with analog servos. The radio comes well packed and includes a variety of accessories, such as transmitter and receiver batteries, a wall charger, servo hardware, a switch harness, a frequency flag, and a neck strap. There is also a fairly large manual which includes lots of programming scenarios and how you go about entering them. This is really worth reading - some features of the radio are not obvious without it, as described later. The 7C can store setups for 10 different models, with a six letter name for each. Although the version I bought has a ratcheted throttle stick, it does contain full helicopter programming. If you fly both, get the heli version. There is a fairly large 72x32 LCD which presents a lot of information at once, without moving between screens. The dial at the right is also a button, so changing settings involves scrolling to the right page, then pushing to select it. The two buttons next to the dial move between values on a page. Compared to the less expensive 6EXAS , the 7C interface is a huge step up.
To test out the programming features, I set up the radio for my ElectriFly Yak-55 . One of the compelling reasons to stick with FM instead of jumping to 2.4 GHz radios was compatibility with my existing micro receivers. I dialed in the name and then checked my servos for reverse. To my surprise, the throttle channel to my electronic speed control was inverted, and thankfully the startup safety kept the prop from spinning. Apparently all electric models will need to reverse channel 3, so watch out for this. Since my endpoints were fine at 100%, the next step was to set up dual rates and exponential. The default is to have a dedicated switch for aileron, elevator, and rudder dual rates, but I prefer to have them all tied to one toggle, which is easy to change. To program, choose which control surface you want to affect, and assign it a switch. Move that switch to the low position, and set range of movement as a percentage. I started with 50% for elevator, then set the exponential for -15%, which makes the stick less sensitive around the center. Then I flipped the switch to high and set up 100% movement and -30% expo. I set up rudder the same, and made the low rates for ailerons 40% travel, since the Yak rolls quickly. The throttle channel also offers exponential, which helps spread out motor speed over the range of the stick. The last remaining feature I set up was a model-specific timer. I guessed I could get around eight minutes on a LiPo pack, so I set up a countdown timer. This feature is very flexible, because it lets you start and stop the timer based on a switch or stick position. I chose to tie the timer to the throttle stick, which is the most common scenario. The UI here was confusing, and reading the manual revealed a hidden feature: move the throttle stick to a position, then press and hold the dial button for one second. The result is that the timer will start and stop relative to that position, rather than the bottom of the range. Nice. Flying with the Futaba 7C felt good. By assigning dual rates for all three surfaces to the top-left switch, I was able to toggle this mode without taking my hands off the all-important right stick. If you haven%26#39;t flown with dual rates and expo before, it%26#39;s amazing how these features can tame a twitchy model like the Yak. The stick tension is adjustable by removing the back cover of the radio, but the factory settings were fine for me. I found the transmitter comfortable to hold while flying with my thumbs, and it was manageable with a pinch grip. Over the next few weeks I added five more planes to the radio%26#39;s memory. To save some time, I programmed one of the blank memories to initial settings that I liked, then copied it to all the other blank spots. Most planes only needed some trim and servo reverse settings after starting with this template. Although none required more advanced features like flaps or unusual tail configurations, I like knowing the radio can handle these setups. I also used the 7C extensively with the Mile High Wings USB Interface and a variety of simulators, where it performed well. There are three drawbacks to this radio, which may or may not affect you. The first is that Futaba does not offer a package with micro servos, or one without any servos. With the large number of park flyers and smaller electric planes out there, this is pretty surprising. I ended up putting the standard-sized digital servos up on the shelf, which is a shame. The second issue is the inability to use this radio properly with planes that have two elevator servos . Although you can set up a mix to operate them together, the digital trims will only affect the first servo, causing roll in flight. This was not a problem for me, but fans of larger planes should consider the 9C model instead for this reason alone. And finally, the 7C comes with NiCD batteries. This seems a little outdated at a time when us electric flyers are moving to lithium and getting rid of our NiMH packs. What this means in practical terms is that the transmitter will not hold an extended charge, so you%26#39;ll want to plug in the night before you fly. It%26#39;s a minor point, but at this price it would have been nice to see a NiMH pack for the transmitter. Overall I%26#39;m very happy with this radio. The features and ergonomics are very good, and it%26#39;s a good value at $250 USD street price. If you%26#39;re ready for a second radio, don%26#39;t look any lower in the line than this. In fact, the 7C is a very reasonable first radio for a new modeler who%26#39;s looking to jump right in. For someone with a little more budget, Futaba is releasing a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum version of the 7C this summer for a street price of $350 USD. No word yet on whether it%26#39;ll support dual elevator servos correctly. To learn more or read the manual, check out Futaba%26#39;s 7C site .
Futaba 7C Radio Review
Radio control transmitters have gotten extremely powerful, affordable, and ubiquitous. Even entry level radios come with small LCD screens, a few model memories, and functions like exponential. Feeling that it was time to upgrade, I decided to jump in somewhere in the middle of the price and feature spectrum.
The Futaba 7CAF is the airplane version of their seven channel computer transmitter. It comes bundled with an 8 channel R168DF FM receiver and four S3151 digital standard servos . Other packages are available for helicopter flyers, those who prefer PCM receivers, and a slightly less expensive version with analog servos. The radio comes well packed and includes a variety of accessories, such as transmitter and receiver batteries, a wall charger, servo hardware, a switch harness, a frequency flag, and a neck strap. There is also a fairly large manual which includes lots of programming scenarios and how you go about entering them. This is really worth reading - some features of the radio are not obvious without it, as described later. The 7C can store setups for 10 different models, with a six letter name for each. Although the version I bought has a ratcheted throttle stick, it does contain full helicopter programming. If you fly both, get the heli version. There is a fairly large 72x32 LCD which presents a lot of information at once, without moving between screens. The dial at the right is also a button, so changing settings involves scrolling to the right page, then pushing to select it. The two buttons next to the dial move between values on a page. Compared to the less expensive 6EXAS , the 7C interface is a huge step up.
To test out the programming features, I set up the radio for my ElectriFly Yak-55 . One of the compelling reasons to stick with FM instead of jumping to 2.4 GHz radios was compatibility with my existing micro receivers. I dialed in the name and then checked my servos for reverse. To my surprise, the throttle channel to my electronic speed control was inverted, and thankfully the startup safety kept the prop from spinning. Apparently all electric models will need to reverse channel 3, so watch out for this. Since my endpoints were fine at 100%, the next step was to set up dual rates and exponential. The default is to have a dedicated switch for aileron, elevator, and rudder dual rates, but I prefer to have them all tied to one toggle, which is easy to change. To program, choose which control surface you want to affect, and assign it a switch. Move that switch to the low position, and set range of movement as a percentage. I started with 50% for elevator, then set the exponential for -15%, which makes the stick less sensitive around the center. Then I flipped the switch to high and set up 100% movement and -30% expo. I set up rudder the same, and made the low rates for ailerons 40% travel, since the Yak rolls quickly. The throttle channel also offers exponential, which helps spread out motor speed over the range of the stick. The last remaining feature I set up was a model-specific timer. I guessed I could get around eight minutes on a LiPo pack, so I set up a countdown timer. This feature is very flexible, because it lets you start and stop the timer based on a switch or stick position. I chose to tie the timer to the throttle stick, which is the most common scenario. The UI here was confusing, and reading the manual revealed a hidden feature: move the throttle stick to a position, then press and hold the dial button for one second. The result is that the timer will start and stop relative to that position, rather than the bottom of the range. Nice. Flying with the Futaba 7C felt good. By assigning dual rates for all three surfaces to the top-left switch, I was able to toggle this mode without taking my hands off the all-important right stick. If you haven%26#39;t flown with dual rates and expo before, it%26#39;s amazing how these features can tame a twitchy model like the Yak. The stick tension is adjustable by removing the back cover of the radio, but the factory settings were fine for me. I found the transmitter comfortable to hold while flying with my thumbs, and it was manageable with a pinch grip. Over the next few weeks I added five more planes to the radio%26#39;s memory. To save some time, I programmed one of the blank memories to initial settings that I liked, then copied it to all the other blank spots. Most planes only needed some trim and servo reverse settings after starting with this template. Although none required more advanced features like flaps or unusual tail configurations, I like knowing the radio can handle these setups. I also used the 7C extensively with the Mile High Wings USB Interface and a variety of simulators, where it performed well. There are three drawbacks to this radio, which may or may not affect you. The first is that Futaba does not offer a package with micro servos, or one without any servos. With the large number of park flyers and smaller electric planes out there, this is pretty surprising. I ended up putting the standard-sized digital servos up on the shelf, which is a shame. The second issue is the inability to use this radio properly with planes that have two elevator servos . Although you can set up a mix to operate them together, the digital trims will only affect the first servo, causing roll in flight. This was not a problem for me, but fans of larger planes should consider the 9C model instead for this reason alone. And finally, the 7C comes with NiCD batteries. This seems a little outdated at a time when us electric flyers are moving to lithium and getting rid of our NiMH packs. What this means in practical terms is that the transmitter will not hold an extended charge, so you%26#39;ll want to plug in the night before you fly. It%26#39;s a minor point, but at this price it would have been nice to see a NiMH pack for the transmitter. Overall I%26#39;m very happy with this radio. The features and ergonomics are very good, and it%26#39;s a good value at $250 USD street price. If you%26#39;re ready for a second radio, don%26#39;t look any lower in the line than this. In fact, the 7C is a very reasonable first radio for a new modeler who%26#39;s looking to jump right in. For someone with a little more budget, Futaba is releasing a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum version of the 7C this summer for a street price of $350 USD. No word yet on whether it%26#39;ll support dual elevator servos correctly. To learn more or read the manual, check out Futaba%26#39;s 7C site .
The Futaba 7CAF is the airplane version of their seven channel computer transmitter. It comes bundled with an 8 channel R168DF FM receiver and four S3151 digital standard servos . Other packages are available for helicopter flyers, those who prefer PCM receivers, and a slightly less expensive version with analog servos. The radio comes well packed and includes a variety of accessories, such as transmitter and receiver batteries, a wall charger, servo hardware, a switch harness, a frequency flag, and a neck strap. There is also a fairly large manual which includes lots of programming scenarios and how you go about entering them. This is really worth reading - some features of the radio are not obvious without it, as described later. The 7C can store setups for 10 different models, with a six letter name for each. Although the version I bought has a ratcheted throttle stick, it does contain full helicopter programming. If you fly both, get the heli version. There is a fairly large 72x32 LCD which presents a lot of information at once, without moving between screens. The dial at the right is also a button, so changing settings involves scrolling to the right page, then pushing to select it. The two buttons next to the dial move between values on a page. Compared to the less expensive 6EXAS , the 7C interface is a huge step up.
To test out the programming features, I set up the radio for my ElectriFly Yak-55 . One of the compelling reasons to stick with FM instead of jumping to 2.4 GHz radios was compatibility with my existing micro receivers. I dialed in the name and then checked my servos for reverse. To my surprise, the throttle channel to my electronic speed control was inverted, and thankfully the startup safety kept the prop from spinning. Apparently all electric models will need to reverse channel 3, so watch out for this. Since my endpoints were fine at 100%, the next step was to set up dual rates and exponential. The default is to have a dedicated switch for aileron, elevator, and rudder dual rates, but I prefer to have them all tied to one toggle, which is easy to change. To program, choose which control surface you want to affect, and assign it a switch. Move that switch to the low position, and set range of movement as a percentage. I started with 50% for elevator, then set the exponential for -15%, which makes the stick less sensitive around the center. Then I flipped the switch to high and set up 100% movement and -30% expo. I set up rudder the same, and made the low rates for ailerons 40% travel, since the Yak rolls quickly. The throttle channel also offers exponential, which helps spread out motor speed over the range of the stick. The last remaining feature I set up was a model-specific timer. I guessed I could get around eight minutes on a LiPo pack, so I set up a countdown timer. This feature is very flexible, because it lets you start and stop the timer based on a switch or stick position. I chose to tie the timer to the throttle stick, which is the most common scenario. The UI here was confusing, and reading the manual revealed a hidden feature: move the throttle stick to a position, then press and hold the dial button for one second. The result is that the timer will start and stop relative to that position, rather than the bottom of the range. Nice. Flying with the Futaba 7C felt good. By assigning dual rates for all three surfaces to the top-left switch, I was able to toggle this mode without taking my hands off the all-important right stick. If you haven%26#39;t flown with dual rates and expo before, it%26#39;s amazing how these features can tame a twitchy model like the Yak. The stick tension is adjustable by removing the back cover of the radio, but the factory settings were fine for me. I found the transmitter comfortable to hold while flying with my thumbs, and it was manageable with a pinch grip. Over the next few weeks I added five more planes to the radio%26#39;s memory. To save some time, I programmed one of the blank memories to initial settings that I liked, then copied it to all the other blank spots. Most planes only needed some trim and servo reverse settings after starting with this template. Although none required more advanced features like flaps or unusual tail configurations, I like knowing the radio can handle these setups. I also used the 7C extensively with the Mile High Wings USB Interface and a variety of simulators, where it performed well. There are three drawbacks to this radio, which may or may not affect you. The first is that Futaba does not offer a package with micro servos, or one without any servos. With the large number of park flyers and smaller electric planes out there, this is pretty surprising. I ended up putting the standard-sized digital servos up on the shelf, which is a shame. The second issue is the inability to use this radio properly with planes that have two elevator servos . Although you can set up a mix to operate them together, the digital trims will only affect the first servo, causing roll in flight. This was not a problem for me, but fans of larger planes should consider the 9C model instead for this reason alone. And finally, the 7C comes with NiCD batteries. This seems a little outdated at a time when us electric flyers are moving to lithium and getting rid of our NiMH packs. What this means in practical terms is that the transmitter will not hold an extended charge, so you%26#39;ll want to plug in the night before you fly. It%26#39;s a minor point, but at this price it would have been nice to see a NiMH pack for the transmitter. Overall I%26#39;m very happy with this radio. The features and ergonomics are very good, and it%26#39;s a good value at $250 USD street price. If you%26#39;re ready for a second radio, don%26#39;t look any lower in the line than this. In fact, the 7C is a very reasonable first radio for a new modeler who%26#39;s looking to jump right in. For someone with a little more budget, Futaba is releasing a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum version of the 7C this summer for a street price of $350 USD. No word yet on whether it%26#39;ll support dual elevator servos correctly. To learn more or read the manual, check out Futaba%26#39;s 7C site .
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