RE: Dual Batteries
nubrnchld - You can do as you say and it'll work just fine - you are effectively connecting the packs in parallel, so the voltage stays at 6.6V. Some would argue that you need to have some form of protection between each pack and the receiver - this guards against a shorted cell dragging everything down. It can be something as simple as a diode in each line, or one of the more sophisticated battery backer devices. There are others who would argue that such a device is not necessary and only serves to add extra complication and weight - the choice is yours!
Posted on: 9/11/2012 4:32 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11224778

RE: Eagle Tree Guardian
John - I've just received a Guardian unit, but haven't yet had a chance to try it. so can't help much with a usage report. It's not going in a twin, but an aerobatic model, where I'm hoping it will come to my rescue if needed. I don't think you actually NEED a Guardian for a twin though, I've found previous threads where people have just used a helicopter tail gyro to sense the yaw and give the correct rudder input, though I'm sure some stabilisation in roll would help, too. Frankly, there's really only one way to find out for sure - try one and see! Be sure to report back and let us know, won't you?
Posted on: 9/3/2012 5:08 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11215410

RE: Charging and balancing Life Batt with taking plane apart at Field?
I have three larger models that have A123 packs permanently fitted. What I do is fast charge on the field without balancing. After the last flight of the day, I balance charge the packs at home. After more than two years of this treatment, I have none that are out of balance by more than a couple of millivolts.
Posted on: 8/5/2012 2:07 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11181392

RE: Best charger for A123 LiFe packs
Goldenduff - if you're serious about measuring the IR of your batteries, you can do no better than one of Wayne Giles' [link]http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1323465&highlight=wayn[/link] ESR/IR meters. They are reasonably priced and very accurate. If you care to read his thread, you'll find that IR is heavily dependent on cell temperature, so you need to ensure you are doing your measurements at a consistent temperature, something which isn't so easy with a charger.
Posted on: 6/17/2012 2:26 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11120894

RE: Equalizing lead battery with Turnigy charger?
What charger do you normally use for these batteries? Chances are that it has a 'float' function at the end of a charge and this will help balance out any cell differences.
Posted on: 6/13/2012 1:24 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11116462

RE: Where to buy a scale 4 blade prop ?
Solo props sell blades and hubs - might be able to fit their blades to your hub? http://www.soloprops.com
Posted on: 6/8/2012 3:15 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11110958

RE: Astro Flight 112 Charger False Peaks
I'm afraid that false peaks are a characteristic of the NimH chemistry. There are some chargers which allow you to disable the peak detection for a set period after starting the charge, though this can cause other problems if not used carefully. I'm afraid the Astro doesn't have this feature.
Posted on: 6/8/2012 2:19 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11110942

RE: Multi engine wiring... how to?
Ah! You're referring to 'disabling' the BEC circuit in the ESC's. Most ESC manufacturers recommend that only one BEC is used to power the receiver and servos, so if you're using four ESC's with BEC, then you need to disable three of them by disconnecting the RED wire at the plug. No need to cut the wire - either remove it from the plastic shell and tape/shrink sleeve the contact, or use a short extension lead that doesn't have the red wire at all. I'm not sure how large this model you're planning is going to be, but I'm guessing around 100" to 120"? If that's the case, then I'd prefer to use Opto ESC's (No BEC) and then use either a receiver battery or a separate switching BEC for receiver power.
Posted on: 6/5/2012 4:01 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11106976

RE: Multi engine wiring... how to?
The ideal setup for four-engined electrics is probably to have them paired as inners and outers. This way, if you get one failure, you can kill that pair and still have the remaining pair for landing. It is possible to set up transmitter mxing to achieve this, but you'd need to work out how to do that with your own radio. The simpler alternative is just to common up all four ESC's into the one channel on your receiver. Frankly, this is probably how most would do it anyway, as electrics are so reliable these days that a failure is not very likely. Gordon
Posted on: 6/3/2012 5:18 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11104552

RE: WW1 Fighters
Here's my 1/3 Pup.
Posted on: 6/1/2012 10:35 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11102607

RE: 50cc to Electric
I have no direct experience of that particular Turnigy motor, but you can reckon on being alone if you ever had a problem with it. Both Hacker and Plettenberg have reputations to uphold and will take care of their customers. The Turnigy probably also loses out on efficiency, too, but it is cheap!
Posted on: 5/21/2012 10:59 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Glow to Electric Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11088968

RE: GY48V headklock gyro
I used a gyro on the rudder of a Cub several years ago - worked OK and helped a lot on takeoff. Two points - don't use a heading hold gyro and make sure you can switch it off after takeoff and in case of problems.
Posted on: 5/21/2012 9:09 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11088819

RE: New Updates! 1:1 scale Sopwith Pup and Fokker Triplane builds
I've been following this thread with great interest - that's a lovely aircraft being built there. My own 1/3 Pup build overtook yours a little earlier this year and it was maidened last Saturday. I'd share a photo if I could, but I keep getting errors when I try to upload one! Just about all it's lacking in detail is the strut mounted pitot/static head - I wonder if anyone has any dimensions they'd care to share?
Posted on: 5/17/2012 10:00 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11084477

RE: JetiDuplex vs. FASST vs. Hott : any suggestion ?
Here in the UK, Weatronic is regarded as a first class, high end, system which sees most use in the larger (over 20kg) models due to its built-in redundancy features. Whilst an excellent system, it is expensive and I can't justify that sort of expense for my everyday models. I've been using Jeti Duplex pretty much since it was first released and have never had a single 'moment' with it. As far as I'm concerned, it just works. If Esprit are now going to be the US distributor for Jeti and are getting it all properly approved, then it's certainly worth a look IMHO.
Posted on: 5/11/2012 7:08 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11076844

RE: mc22 to 2,4ghz?
top242 - I can highly recommend the Jeti conversions for the Graupner transmitters - I have one in my MC-24 and it's BRILLIANT!
Posted on: 3/30/2012 4:22 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11020842

RE: ECOMRC TigerMoth 1/4 Scale
Looks OK for an ARTF and could have some 'improvements' made easily if you wished. Where did you buy it from?
Posted on: 3/19/2012 10:53 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11007056

RE: scale turnbuckles - is there a need?
Teus, considering the amount of time that it must take you to make these turnbuckles, $40 for 10 is cheap! I'd happily pay up to $6 each for quality like that.
Posted on: 1/25/2012 5:11 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10926576

RE: CF landing gear issues
I think it will be quite strong enough as it is, but if you're worried, then why not bond on a reinforcing piece of sheet aluminium with some epoxy?
Posted on: 11/24/2011 6:26 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10826877

RE: Where to buy Xoar WW1 props?
FWIW, Xoar's Sabre style is probably the closest to scale that you're likely to find in their range - here's a pic of a genuine Pup with prop that's in the RAF Museum at Hendon.
Posted on: 11/18/2011 3:45 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10817695

RE: 1/3rd scale cub pilot needed
Premier Pilots has been saying 1/3 scale 'coming soon' on their website for a while now - might be worth an email or a call. The 1/4 scale one I have in my Aghusky is fairly light and about as good as they get, unless you want to splash out on one from Axel's. http://tinyurl.com/3pvpsve http://www.scalepilots.com/
Posted on: 8/20/2011 6:33 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10678590

RE: Battery wire problem (for new Brand)
I think you're splitting hairs. Yes, the wire is a bit on the thin side and silicon insulation would be nicer to have, but this probably helps to account for their lower cost. Either pay a bit more for a brand with wires that you do like, or change them.
Posted on: 8/2/2011 5:01 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Electric General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10650896

RE: Old Logo 20 convert from nicad to lipo
Firstly - a 4S pack is always a 4S pack and can't possibly be 33.6V. If you arrange as 4S2p, then the voltage will be 14.8V, but the capacity will be double that of one pack. If it's currently running on 10 Nicads, then that's a nominal 12 Volts, so 3S is too little and 4S is a bit too much. My personal choice would be to go with 4S and change the motor pinion to a smaller one, by one or two teeth, to cut the head speed down to what you want. That should be around 1600 rpm for the Logo 20. The only thing you'll have to be aware of is that the ESC won't be 'aware' of Lipo cutoff voltages, so land as soon as you notice power starting to flag and you should be OK. If you want something better than that, there are several low battery warning devices on the market which will light a big LED when the voltage gets too low.
Posted on: 7/2/2011 6:07 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "E-Flight Power Sources"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10602526

RE: Advice on electric conversion of Brian Taylor 1/5 Spitfire
70 to 80 Watts per pound will give you a very anaemic Spitfire! In order to achieve scale-like performance, you need to be looking at around 120 Watts per pound, or more. Realistically, a 2000 Watt system is what you should be looking for. 10S Lipo, around 5000mAh (or more) and a motor that's going to give you a realistic pitch speed that's capable of handling that amount of power. The motor you mention should be OK and a 16 x 10 prop should give around 75mph pitch speed, which will be good enough to start with. An 80 to 100 Amp ESC should be fine, there's lots out there now, so the choice is yours. If you can get hold of one of the calc programs (Motocalc has a free trial) and play around with things for a while, it'll give you an idea of how things are going to work out.
Posted on: 6/15/2011 3:36 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10574924

RE: I cant make my mind up! Can you do it for me?
Here's my thoughts - The AMR Decathlon looks very nice, but I doubt those two 'accessories' are included in the price. [:)] I've drooled over those Severin models for a long time, I'd love the Storch, but I do wonder about the practicalities of repairs to the metal structure, should it ever become necessary. Gorgeous models though. The AT6's - The Petrausch one looks to be probably the least amount of work, the other two requiring a lot more building, if you like doing it. Personally, I'd shy away from an AT6, as I've seen a couple of them suffer badly from tip stalling and surprising their pilots. If you're not into warbirds or aerobatics, that rules out rather a lot - how about a nice 1/3 Tiger Moth? - LOADS of opportunity for detailing and there's hundreds of schemes to choose from.
Posted on: 11/8/2010 7:39 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10122228

RE: COCKPIT ACCESSORIES - HELP???
Propagteam's stuff has an excellent reputation - I've ordered directly from them recently, as InZpan seem to have lost the plot. Axel's pilots are probably some of the best there is - very popular with the large scale glider fraternity. Axel will respond, just give him time, as he's very busy.
Posted on: 10/31/2010 12:54 PM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10106444

RE: Flair Tiger Moth eletric?
I have been flying a 1/4 scale Tiger Moth for the past 5 years on electric power. It's not the Flair one, but an ARTF from a German shop. Mine weighs around 9kg and flies very realistically on a power system that develops 1500 Watts. Most flying is done on 1/2 throttle and I normally only use around 2/3 power for realistic-looking takeoffs. There's little point describing my power system, as it's now very old and out of date, but it's a Plettenberg motor, with a Modelair-Tech beltdrive. Prop is 20 x 10 and battery pack is 28 x Sanyo CP3600CR cells. Pack weight is around 2.5kg and you WILL need just about this much weight up front in order to achieve correct CG. Any more questions, just ask or PM me.
Posted on: 6/21/2010 1:34 PM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Glow to Electric Conversions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9817452

RE: XPS products – Extreme Link 2.4 GHz System
rcflyer777 - You have my full sympathy, but having already lost two models, you surely MUST have had doubts about the reliability of the radio system? Please don't think I'm criticising you here, but if the same had happened to me, I'd have installed that radio in one of my old, beaten up models to give it a thorough testing before I risked it again in a high value model. Also, I can't believe that you hadn't seen at least some of the criticism of XPS on the various forums? FWIW, I, too, was sucked in by XPS's original claims and bought into the system, but the most expensive model I've dared to risk it in has been one of my smaller electric helis. Even though the frequency hopping is now known to work, which must have helped the system's reliability, I simply can't help feeling there's a good reason that all the other 2.4g manufacturers are using two antennae. My XPS equipment will be up for sale shortly.
Posted on: 1/15/2009 5:26 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8360177

RE: Austar cessna 188 AG Husky Review
Dave - Your system sounds very promising, please do post how it works in flight. The only snag I can see is that you seem to be producing a jet of water and I'm wondering how visible that will be in flight. I'm still considering various options for my 188!
Posted on: 12/13/2008 11:43 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8241486

RE: Rhino and Ultra Stick 40 Conversion
There's plenty of favourable reports of them in the battery forum on RCGroups - take a look and do a search.
Posted on: 12/12/2008 11:12 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8238371

RE: Working on a new plane and I need to make louvers in the cowling
You mean like these? [:)]
Posted on: 12/9/2008 11:02 AM by Author "Gtarling" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8228290