RE: Wiring up two batteries? (Ni-Cd)
LOL! We are here to help :) You, or anyone for that matter, can do whatever your heart desires! The diagram I made is basic and complete other than one of the switches may be substituted with a standard harness switch. In any case, make sure you can separate the grounds for charging and the switch(es) are readily accessible. Even experienced electricians and engineers draw out simple wiring diagrams. Make life easier - it's complicated enough. If you have trouble following a (+) or (-) line, use colored pens. Removal of doubt leads to certainty. (Fewer crashes and fewer burn holes in carpets, benches, etc.) Oh yeah, one more thing. The charge ports must be on the battery side of the switch as shown, unless you really wanted to complicate things and only use one charge port. If you only use one charge port, which would have to be in-line with the receiver feed, you would need another switch between the single charge port and receiver to shut it off. See? Too complicated and you still need four devices.
Posted on: 11/4/2009 2:57 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9227981

RE: My NiMH exploded in my room, small fire resulted
Hehehe. Reminds me of "Lincoln Fuses" used in the old screw-type fuse holders! "My fuse kept on blowing so I put a bigger one in!" Hehehe! It sounds like that fuse is for the Line side of the charger not the Load side. Also sounds like the peak-detection wasn't working and the charger just kept forcing charge into the battery. Ouch. Sorry for your mishap.
Posted on: 11/4/2009 2:23 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9227915

RE: Did i ruin my batteries?
No harm done. Actually, it is a good idea to do a form charge/cycle once a season to balance the cells. I have revived a pack or two doing this.
Posted on: 11/2/2009 8:35 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9223717

RE: Wiring up two batteries? (Ni-Cd)
Well, its supposed to be a free country. Remember the saying: Keep It Simple Stupid? You will still have two switches except one is hidden inside the fuse. You will not easily be able to field charge both of them without partial dis-assembly of the aircraft. Trust me on this one. You are better off keeping all switches readily accessible. You won't see them when the plane is flying. I'm liking the idea of the 3P,1T switch though. (I think I meant a 3 pole, single throw... sorry, my mind is on a great many things.)
Posted on: 11/2/2009 8:16 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9223669

RE: Help with new 2000 NIMH issue
10 cycles to come up to par? I don't think so. At most 4 or 5. If the battery pack does not reach at least 80% capacity after 4 or 5 cycles its junk or labeled wrong. Tcat1000, 1500 maH is only 75% of rated capacity. Send it back.
Posted on: 11/2/2009 7:57 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9223617

RE: Wiring up two batteries? (Ni-Cd)
Then you will need a 3-pole, triple-throw switch at a minimum [i]and[/i] two charging jacks. Do you understand the need for separating (isolating at least one) the grounds?
Posted on: 11/2/2009 7:36 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9223549

RE: Wiring up two batteries? (Ni-Cd)
I posted this diagram a couple weeks ago. This should help. The BEC/Regulator is for 5 cell or more packs. This is part of the dialog: "...There is no real difference in wiring them parallel other than red-red and black-black after the ground isolating, double pole, single throw, switches. If you do not isolate the grounds you may have problems with peak detection when charging. When I have a few more minutes I'll post a wiring diagram of what I'm trying to tell you. In essence, you will have two switches and two charging ports. Unless you can take apart a standard switch harness and make it a double pole single throw instead of a single pole, single throw (which is what they usually come as), they, will not work."
Posted on: 11/2/2009 7:13 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9223502

RE: Painting ARF - Surfaces with Clear Coat
Vasoline and a toothpick works. A light coat is all that is necessary. I think it is even listed in the CA hinge instructions but for a different reason. Slipping a piece of wax paper between the flying surface and the control surface should work to prevent the gap from being filled. Just make sure the waxy side is facing the appropriate surface. I've painted ARF stuff before with OK results. All it really does is add weight. ARF covering (at least in the past), usually requires occasional re-shrinking and painting or clearcoating will significantly hamper this ability. Why do you want to clear coat? Protecting decals or graphics?
Posted on: 10/18/2009 6:08 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9183394

RE: Stuck Carbs
Be careful when using acetone, mineral spirits, naptha, gumout, etc. as it WILL dissolve or ruin any rubber o-rings/parts. Some plastics do not like these solvents either. Just a warning.
Posted on: 10/18/2009 5:56 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9183365

RE: 2 Batteries, 2 Switches & 1 Regulator?
Here is a simple diagram showing separate switches and charge jacks. It may be possible to substitute one of the switch/charge jack assemblies with a standard switch harness that has a built in charge jack. I don't know how microprocessor controlled chargers react to BEC/regulators.
Posted on: 10/17/2009 8:17 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9181287

RE: 2 Batteries, 2 Switches & 1 Regulator?
Vasek, Here is a link: http://www.castlecreations.com/products/ccbec_diagrams/ccbec_multicell.html The diagram here shows two LiPoly cells wired in series. There is no real difference in wiring them parallel other than red-red and black-black [b][i]after[/i][/b] the ground isolating, double pole, single throw, switches. If you do not isolate the grounds you may have problems with peak detection when charging. When I have a few more minutes I'll post a wiring diagram of what I'm trying to tell you. In essence, you will have two switches and two charging ports. Unless you can take apart a standard switch harness and make it a double pole single throw instead of a single pole, single throw (which is what they usually come as), they, will not work.
Posted on: 10/17/2009 12:09 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9180378

RE: Microsens glow question
Good question. Try sending them an email.
Posted on: 10/16/2009 12:32 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9178064

RE: 2 Batteries, 2 Switches & 1 Regulator?
There are links on Castle's site that say what you propose to do is perfectly acceptable. There are different ways to look at what and why you plan of doing this. Having redundant receiver packs significantly reduces the chance of a switch/harness or pack catastrophic failure. That is great if the extra weight is not an issue and there is fuse volume to readily accept the additional hardware. Running both packs/switch harnesses through one BEC/regulator adds another funneling failure point which increases the total probability of failure from just having two power sources. Statistical probability was a long time ago and not my specialty! LOL! I kinda agree with the other posters though, why bother? 6V is just fine! You will have faster servo transit time and greater torque at the cost of more current draw. With redundant packs you should be just fine at 6V. Can you tell us more about the # of servos, aircraft type, proposed flying style, etc?
Posted on: 10/16/2009 11:49 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9177960

RE: Glow Engine Hard Information
Seamus Very nicely done! Excellent! I locked the top row after downloading so that it would always be there when scrolling. Aside from the other requests, I'd like to see the rest of the Thunder Tiger line-up as well. Thank you for your time and effort! By the way, what type of flying are you planning on doing with the Ultimate? Do you have a 2 or 4 stroke preference? Jeff
Posted on: 10/15/2009 2:33 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9174591

RE: Older Hobbico charger?????
Mason, a charger that is designed for NICD charging has a different change in voltage (delta V) cutoff than one designed for NIMH. The voltage drop off for NICD cells is more abrupt (the change in voltage after reaching peak with respect to time) than it is for NIMH. If you charge a NIMH pack/cell with a charger designed for NICD you can, and may very do so, damage the pack by over charging. It depends on the delta V cutoff of the NICD charger as to whether or not it may be safe to charge NIMH. The delta V cutoff for NICDs is usually somewhere around 15mV whereas it is only around 7mV for NIMH. This means that the amount of 'overcharging' a NIMH pack would be subjected to is much greater than it should be. Overcharging NIMH packs/cells causes excessive heat buildup and leads to premature failure. You will not damage the charger by charging NIMH cells. If you decide to use it make sure you can touch the NIMH cells to check the temperature. As they begin to reach their peak they will begin to heat up. When the cells get warm, stop charging. There is no modification you can make to the charger to make it NIMH compatible unless you can dissect it at the component level and determine the method it uses to sense the Delta V. Hope this helps. Jeff
Posted on: 10/15/2009 12:30 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9174425

RE: 0S8 Alternative?
K&B standard long plugs are great, long lasting, plugs. They come in a variety of heat ranges. I use them exclusively in my 2 strokes. The last time I bought plugs I think they were around 4$ each (that was a while ago though). There is only one OS product I buy and that is the type F plug for my 4 strokes. Ten bucks a plug? Hehehehe.
Posted on: 9/27/2009 9:36 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9128512

RE: Opinions on Thunder Tiger F-91S
I too have an older model 91. It took about a gallon to break in and still has a little bit more to go. I haven't run it in a few years due to a return trip to college and resulting job out of town. Definitely use an OS F plug. Don't be surprised if it has more compression than a 2 stroke - mine still does. With the older models (since I have no actual experience with the newer ones) it is imperative to run them so rich at full throttle during break in that the RPMs stay around 5K. They will turn the crap out of any prop under 14 in. Some people have had good luck with 14 in props, others haven't. With 14 in and greater props I got burps, backfires, hiccups, and I think a fart or two. Maybe that was me... Not sure as it was a while ago. All of the reports have said it will turn props faster than the OS counterpart but does take longer to break in. Great engine. Service is spotty at best if you need replacement parts.
Posted on: 9/25/2009 3:04 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9123469

RE: need a 10+ amp battery power draw pack.
Given the size of the aircraft and the number and type of servos, I'm going to agree with rcairflr - for the most part. Yes, a 2700 mAh pack will do just fine provided none of the servos are binding and you're not doing extreme flying requiring 100% from the four control surface servos (5 if you split the elevator). Should easily last around 5 flights under these conditions. (An 800 mAh pack powered 4 control surface servos in a 40 sized craft with the occasional high stress maneuver for 4-5 flights.) Now, if you know you are going to be stressing 2 or more of the servos frequently or want to fly all day without recharging then I would put another switch harness and pack in the belly of that large fuse. The packs don't have to be enormous. Their capacities will be additive. Don't have an extra channel? Put an HD Y harness in the battery slot and plug the additional switch harness into that. Let us know what you do and how it works.
Posted on: 9/22/2009 1:55 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9115460

RE: Drilled prop washer for OS/ASP/Magnum 160 TWIN
Hmmm. I have used hardened steel washers from the hardware store when prop washers have disappeared. Good luck drilling holes in a hardened steel washer though... If you're in a hurry or can't find an appropriate washer you could try making one from a heavy gauge standard washer from the store. It might work. If you go this route you may want to place a smaller hardened steel washer over top of the standard one that just fits inside the M3 screw diameter to help maintain integrity.
Posted on: 9/22/2009 5:25 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9114596

RE: NiMH Battery issues
Do a little reading here: http://www.hangtimes.com/redsbatteryclinic.html Your cells are probably just reaching the end of their cycle life. Think of cells as a finite source or disposable aspect of the hobby. As glow fuel users use up the fuel in a gallon jug another must be purchased. Its the same with battery cells. If you like, you can try to stabilize the packs by charging them at around 1/2C from a depleted state then trickle charging at ~1/10C for 10 to 12 hrs. Discharge on a discharger and write down the available capacity (if you have one). Complete the process again. Check your results. If your cells are delivering %80 or less its time to get more.
Posted on: 9/22/2009 5:06 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9114583

RE: need a 10+ amp battery power draw pack.
It is possible to power your receiver with a simple, light, 1100 mAh pack while powering your servos with separate packs. For instance the elevator and rudder can be powered with a 5000 mAh pack and the ailerons and throttle with another. There are devices designed specifically for the situation you have found yourself in. Probably the easiest thing to do is plug another switch harness and pack into a spare channel on your receiver. The packs don't need to be the same capacity but do need to be the same nominal voltage. Another option is to use two receivers. What type of aircraft are you working with?
Posted on: 9/19/2009 9:59 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9108669

RE: how do I find the battery capacity?
Ten amps is way to much current. Charge at a rate that does not overheat the cells during charging. Heat is one of the biggest threats to rechargeables so avoid it. Check the settings of your charger. Linear mode should be constant current. If it blasting out that much current with other packs then the charger is probably bad or you are doing something wrong. Sorry.
Posted on: 9/18/2009 10:28 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9105421

RE: How to insulate binding post(banana jacks)
Mounting them according to the instructions, as Rodney suggested, should be fine. However, through a fair amount of use, I wouldn't trust them unless I was sure they were secure. You could: Apply some heat shrink to the area that may come in contact with surface they are mounted to, apply liquid electrical tape to said area, cut a section out of the mounting area and bolt/screw on a piece of circuit board, fiberglass sheet, aircraft ply or plastic. The plastic can come from a piece of old shelving, bottom of a laundry basket, tupperware container, etc.
Posted on: 9/18/2009 9:58 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9105364

RE: Thunder Tiger 75 Four Stroke?
estradajae, do you have pics of the same areas after poking a hole in the main bearing seal? I'd be willing to bet the oil residue is much less dark. Once the engine is well broken in the oil should lighten up anyway. I'm not at all thrilled with dark oil. The oil that comes out of my 54's front mounted vent is pretty clear and the cam unit does not have dark oil in it. I just checked with one supplier and longer than standard #76 bits are not available to the best of his knowledge. A pin vise might work.
Posted on: 9/15/2009 2:47 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9097870

RE: Thunder Tiger 75 Four Stroke?
Yep Greg, that was my concern as well. It may be possible with a dremel or a pin vise. I haven't tried it yet or looked into it further. It remains an option. Replacing the front bearing with a sealed bearing would rely on gases being able to pass through the cam unit to find an outlet at the push-rod tube ends, valve cover, or down the valve stems. Without an outlet, the gases will not effectively pass through to the front end.
Posted on: 9/15/2009 12:17 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9096516

RE: Thunder Tiger 75 Four Stroke?
This thread is most interesting. I have an older TT 91 and a 54 that both have the crank breather on the bottom of the case beneath the helical crank/cam gear as opposed to being on the backplate. On the 91 there is a very tiny passage drilled from the crank case (just above the main bearing seat at 12:00) through to the cam bearing housing. I'm not sure about the 54. To the best of my knowledge neither have shielded main bearings let alone sealed. With the vent forward of the main bearing, gases and subsequently oil, will get to the cam gear and front bearing. All is good and fine except the 91 has such little blow-by that nothing much at all comes out of the breather. I simply oil it now and then - no big deal. Being that the vent on the 75 is behind the main bearing would indicate no lube is getting to the front end. I agree: design oversight. Other than replacing bearings or altering them it may be possible to drill a .015 - .020" passage hole to the cam gear housing as is done on the 91. If the front bearing is not sealed, as stated in other posts, this could be an excellent lubricating means. I understand most people are reluctant to make such a modification but it may be possible to do fairly easily. Just thought I'd offer something different.
Posted on: 9/14/2009 11:04 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9096370

RE: Inverted installation for 2-Stroke engine
I have yet to encounter a problem mounting a 2-stroke inverted. Following the common-sense related rules such as removing any fuel line issues is a must regardless of engine orientation. A tip that saves some of the flooding issues is making sure the throttle is completely closed when the engine is not running. Often, little priming is necessary. Bench running an engine inverted for initial set-up is a wise decision. If you cannot mount the engine inverted in your test stand try rotating the entire stand while the engine is running (I have a stand-alone test stand so this is not difficult for me). The fuel tubing that comes with a new tank is of the 'thin-wall' type. Often, with smallish tanks, say up to around 12 oz., regular fuel tubing will not work effectively when used as a clunk line due to its rigidity. An easy way to secure fuel lines to nipples, clunks, etcetera, is to simply cut a piece of regular fuel tubing about an 1/8" (3mm) long and gently push it over the end of closed forceps or needle nose pliers. Carefully open the implement's jaws enough to gently nudge the end of the fuel tubing you wish to secure inside the open jaws. Pull the thin piece of tubing off the jaws and onto the fuel line. Attach line and push the sleeve into a position such that it secures the fuel line onto fitting. I don't have any pics with me but it works great and is... FREE.
Posted on: 9/14/2009 7:56 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9095826

RE: 4 stroke fuel in a 2 stroke
Downunder, Had I stated that the concentrations would change with respect to eachother, your response would be accurate. Proportionally, the other components would remain the same with respect to eachother. Be that as it may, my statements, as said, are correct. I suppose I could have qualified my statement by saying "..This will however slightly decrease the concentration of the other components with respect to the new total volume." I didn't feel it was necessary though. Simple math will provide adequate results. Picky, picky!! [:D] It is all good though! LOL
Posted on: 9/19/2008 4:33 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7970609

RE: Is it okay for bearings to make any noise?
Back to the point at hand... it IS perfectly normal for bearings to make a slight audible noise. The KIND of noise and the 'FEEL' of the noise are different issues and should be checked by someone who knows what to listen for. [quote]I think it's more noticable being installed in the plane. [/quote] That simply sounds like resonance. I have a 46 mounted in the nose of a WM P-51 that has an audible bearing. It has been like that for years. I think the cowl and reinforced firewall act like a drum. I also have a FOX 45 in a Dumas Swamp Buggy that has an audible bearing 'roll' when spinning the shaft. Neither of them are rough or 'lumpy' and spin perfectly smoothly. Just because a bearing can be 'heard' doesn't necessarily mean its bad.
Posted on: 9/15/2008 12:10 AM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7955136

RE: 4 stroke fuel in a 2 stroke
Sure you can. You may want to bring up the total oil content to 18-20%. Adding 5oz oil to a full gallon of 15% oil mix will bring the oil content up to 18.2%. This will however slightly decrease the concentration of the other components. For instance, if it were 15% Nitro before adding the 5 oz, it would be 14.44% Nitro afterwards.
Posted on: 9/14/2008 11:05 PM by Author "Jazzy" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7954954