RE: Are 2 Batteries worth it?
When I bought my first radio nearly 5 years ago (dx7) it came with a 4 cell nimh battery, not sure what it's capacity was, but i'm guessing 1200mah. I would get 3 x 10 minute flights on a plane with 4 servos before the battery checker reported it was getting to the lower side of safe. After advice from others, I switched to using 5 cell eneloop packs with 2000mah. Now I can get 10 flights and still have plenty in reserve. The only difference in the weight is the weight of a single AA cell, a tiny price to pay for peace of mind that I have plenty of battery.
Posted on: 9/6/2012 6:14 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11220123

RE: Why don't we have more 4 stroke gassers?
I've got a saito FG14, 4 stroke petrol / gasoline. It's a great motor. Uses about a quarter of the fuel as a methanol /nitro Saito, it still has premix with oil (at 20:1 ratio) which means it doesn't need a wet sump. I've also got a saito FG20, but haven't done much more than run it in yet.
Posted on: 7/13/2012 1:55 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11154126

RE: have to share room with WIFE..........
[quote]Haven't you ever heard of WIFE engines??? Wide Intake Fat Exhaust.[/quote] Rolling on the floor with that one!
Posted on: 6/8/2012 10:43 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11111995

RE: Help building first plane
Flying wings aren't the "traditional" trainers but they can be used quite ok for a first plane. The launching is tricky but I know of of schools that have rc programs that use a flying wing. Yes, they are problematic with orientation but if you don't fly too far away, that isn't a huge issue. However, a beginner stopping themselves from flying too far away could be an issue ;-) Often flying wings are made of EPP or EPO foam which is quite crash survivable which is a big advantage in a trainer.
Posted on: 6/5/2012 9:42 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11108210

RE: Post your favorite quotes
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent
Posted on: 5/25/2012 1:29 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Off Topic Forum - Cars, Trucks, Buggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11094588

RE: Post your favorite quotes
Great thread... "Don't force it, get a bigger hammer!" It is always better to have no ideas than false ones; to believe nothing, than to believe what is wrong. -Thomas Jefferson, (letter to Rev. James Madison, July 19, 1788)
Posted on: 5/24/2012 8:18 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Off Topic Forum - Cars, Trucks, Buggies and more"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11093009

RE: I tried to warn him
[quote]there's all the reason in the world for the name calling and putting them down. If ya screw up you get drilled for it.[/quote] So, if they'd fluked the trim on the plane and pulled it off that would have been fine, even though just as risky? Don't think so. Can't see any reason to put these guys down. Lots of people have learned to fly without using a club or a trainer and have done so successfully. Some have also failed miserably and it's hurt our hobby. Best thing, in my opinion, is to point out the risk and explain that many have minimized the risk by using a club and club trainer. In this case, no one got hurt, and that does count for something. It doesn't suddenly make it "responsible", but it keeps it in context.
Posted on: 4/16/2012 9:43 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11045179

RE: How did you spend Sat. 03-17-12?
I'm based in Queensland, Australia, so I was able to bring in the Saturday a fair bit earlier than the pilots in the U.S. I got down to the flying field at around 9am and was there till about 2pm. In that time I managed a total of 8 flights. 3 were with a Great Plains big stik 40 that has a Saito FG14b motor. 3 were with a Seagull 40 low wing plane that has an ASP .61 4 stroke motor. 2 were with a friends e-flight sbach. The first flight was fun in that my plane was held up from taking off by the appearance of a large group of Kangaroos bounding across the runway. I haven't flown a lot recently and wasn't too pleased with my first couple of flights. My landings in particular were quite bouncy. But the later flights were some of the best I've had in a long time. I walked off the flying field with a big smile from ear to ear. Then it was off to the local Irish pub for a few pints of Guiness and Kilkennys. Life is good, especially on St Patrick's day!
Posted on: 3/19/2012 1:38 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "AMA Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11007252

RE: Spektrum vs. Futaba?
I've heard many complaints at the flying field post crash that the radio was to blame, yet in a number of those case I was watching the crash and saw what I believe was clear pilot error. So, it's not reliable to listen to every complaint about radio problems. I had a crash recently where I suspected radio as I heard the engine drop back to idle (fail safe kicking in) and had no control whatsoever. So, why should you believe my tale of radio woes? Because you can test this yourself with your spektrum (or other) transmitter. My crash was caused because I had my 2.4ghz antenna folded over to the left, parallel with the ground and when my plane came around to where the top of the antenna was pointing directly at the plane, I lost signal. Test it yourself when you next do a range test. Point the antenna directly at the plane and walk away holding the bind / range test button till you lose control of the plane. Then reorient your antenna so that it is pointing to the sky and the side of the top shaft is effectively pointing to your plane and you'll get control back. Here's an article that talks about it as well. http://edrcc.com/?p=281 I was quite amazed when I had this problem in that I'd been flying with my DX7 for over 3 years and never had a crash that I could blame on radio and then seemingly out of the blue, it happened.
Posted on: 2/23/2012 1:53 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10972611

RE: Do you remember being a beginner???
I remember it well. Flew control line as a teen and into my early 20s. It was hard work in those days with no ARFs. Marriage, kids and career got in the way of going to RC, something I always dreamed about. For my 50th, my wife bought me a full RC Trainer, radio and all the bits. It was a World Models high wing Skyraider. I joined a local flying club and thanks to the help and patience of several club members learned to fly with the Skyraider. Powered by a OS Max .46 AX. While i expected learning to fly to be harder than control line, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. It's nearly 4 years since those early days for me and most weekends I get out for half a dozen flights or so as well as a few morning flights with smaller foamies / park flyers at a sporting ground near where I live. Any time we have new comers to the club's field, I go out of my way to say hello to them and make them feel welcome. The RC community is a great group of people to be around. My first radio was / is a spektrum DX7 and when I got it I figured 20 saved models was well and truly enough. I was wrong. I'm now out of any spare slots in my receiver for new planes. Mostly I fly 40 sized low wing planes but have a few 60 sized as well as gliders and helis. Life is good
Posted on: 2/19/2012 1:11 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10966243

RE: glow engines...whats the difference?
My 2 and 4 stroke airplane engines are reliable and rarely require adjustment.
Posted on: 1/15/2012 7:08 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10909670

RE: Does Giving away planes Have a Reward?
I give with no strings attached, but if someone sold my gift without consulting me, I'd think twice before I gave them something else.
Posted on: 1/15/2012 7:06 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10909667

RE: Does Giving away planes Have a Reward?
I've given away and received plenty of free stuff. It's great for the hobby, my friendships and for my local club. I' say those who've had a negative experience with giving stuff away are in the minority.
Posted on: 1/14/2012 10:28 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10909330

RE: The Perfect RC Wife
Awesome!
Posted on: 1/14/2012 10:23 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10909325

RE: Gas RC was a mistake !!!!
[quote]I would encourage you to join a club. It's not wise to fly alone unless it's a Vapor or other tiny aircraft, and the camaraderie is really great. My best buddies are RCers! [/quote] Well put. I've been in a club for nearly 4 years now. I have a really good time whenever I go to the club, often times a really great time. To get the most of out a club, don't go there as a know-it-all. Be sociable, flexible and positive. You'll get out of it exactly what you put into it. I've visited many clubs in my area and the vibe of some clubs is different to others. Some are quite officious and love their rules. Others are full of cowboys and some dangerous stuff goes on. I prefer somewhere in the middle but even if either of the extremes was my only choice, I'd still go to a club. The camaraderie is second to none and I always learn things from others, even from the newbies.
Posted on: 1/8/2012 11:11 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10899163

RE: Gas RC was a mistake !!!!
I learned to fly with the help of an old timer at our club. He never taught me how to use the rudder in the air, but I still learned a lot from him. I also trained under several other guys at the club and from each of them I picked up some good stuff. Interestingly, some of the advice directly contradicted the advice given by other guys at the club. Don't completely write off a trainer as incompetent just because they don't teach the rudder. These guys are doing it for the love of the hobby and are doing it for free. Learn what you can from each of them and let the occasional bit of bad advice or bad interpersonal skills be like water off a duck's back.
Posted on: 1/8/2012 1:00 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10898221

RE: the state of diesel today
[quote]ORIGINAL: AMB TONYOB`sounds like as case of ''we have always done it this way'' and resistant to change or try a new approach, ditto here in the USA too martin [/quote] I'd say it's more a case of no real incentive / reward in changing. True diesel is cool, but if it's going to cost more money and be harder to obtain, where's the incentive to change
Posted on: 1/4/2012 5:56 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Everything Diesel"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10892045

RE: the state of diesel today
It's a shame that diesel fuel is so expensive here in Australia. Our club has had to implement noise restrictions after complaints from nearby residents. The quieter running of the diesels would be a significant advantage but many members just get their fuel from a local hobby shop and are unlikely to be interested in diesel.
Posted on: 1/4/2012 3:23 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Everything Diesel"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10891791

RE: the state of diesel today
Availability of ether, and the cost of it, is a significant barrier. Thankfully one of the fuel distributors here in Queensland has started stocking ether recently. Several years ago when I checked out ether availability I hit a brick wall.
Posted on: 1/4/2012 9:56 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Everything Diesel"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10891339

RE: Is combat dead?
[quote]ORIGINAL: ctshepherd Was digging around in the shop and came across this... think I will put it together and shake the combat rust off. I even have a couple of spare wings laying around for it. [/quote] That looks cool. What is it? You got links to where I can get plans for that?
Posted on: 12/23/2011 9:28 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Combat"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10873947

RE: Is combat dead?
[quote]I personally will be CD-ing 2 of the contests ...[/quote] Do you have links to any youtube videos of similar contests? Would love to see it. Thanks to the answers to my previous question, I've already got a local club member interested in building a spad-gnat. Any other planes or plans to suggest? I'm all ears.
Posted on: 12/22/2011 1:41 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Combat"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10871072

RE: Is combat dead?
[quote]ORIGINAL: combatpigg Really slow paced, low impact classes were never developed for the AMA rulebook. Keep the planes to 14 ozs or less with wing areas around 300 sq inches and just enough power to manuever at will but keep the speed limited to about 35 mph. I've flown this formula over the years locally and you can fly all day with the same planes if you bring clear packing tape and CA glue for random repairs. A good day at the field for just 2 combateers is typically 12 matches that last 15 minutes each. [/quote] Can you suggest any existing plans or planes that have worked well for you using this criteria? I've been trying to get some combat going at my local field for some time and figure if I build a couple of planes and just show up with them, I'm sure to get a combatant.
Posted on: 12/20/2011 12:46 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Combat"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10868479

RE: Psychology of RC flying
I ride motorbikes as well as flying radio control planes. One of my favourite rides is where I have a set of med to fast sweeping turns, it's a great feeling to power through those turns. I get the same feeling when I take off my rc plane and bank to the left or to the right at the end of the takeoff circuit. The smells also affect me. It's always great to smell the castor oil in the glow fuel mix. Recently I started flying a petrol model, the smell of that plane on take off reminds me of the smells when I have gone to the MotoGP championship races. I don't think I want to talk about the psychology of the pain of a crash!
Posted on: 12/6/2011 12:59 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10845538

RE: all i want for christmas is...
[quote]Nice bottle of Whisky and a good root[/quote] Bunging on my strongest possible American accent: "Hey, we don't know what a root is, but we are certainly rooting for you!"
Posted on: 11/29/2011 12:52 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10834875

RE: ARF's ruined my hobby
[quote]Happy Flying! Loopman[/quote] Well said!
Posted on: 11/28/2011 10:24 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10834006

RE: What do ugly women and ARF's have in common?
[quote]I once ditched a woman to put her out of MY misery[/quote] Love it! I've done the same thing as well. Actually, I've had a great time with plenty of ARFs, a different sort of time to that I've had with my scratch builds, but a great time nonetheless. Reminds me of the saying, the worst beer I've had was wonderful. The worst ARF I've had wasn't quite as good as that but still nice.
Posted on: 11/28/2011 1:24 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10832427

RE: I remember when.......
[quote]taxing my plane back to my feet the other day and the joy of the ride home knowing we were going flying again real soon[/quote] That's what it's all about. I have that memory all the time.
Posted on: 11/15/2011 12:20 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10813484

RE: I remember when.......
I remember when no one cared if we flew without mufflers too I remember tissue and dope I remember how easy the Cox .049 was to start especially compared to the diesel engines that ran on kerosene and ether I remember the fight between two friends of mine who flew combat, the fight was because one of them missed the streamer and his prop chewed up half the other guys fuselage I remember (recently) having my first ever RC mid air collision, my best friend at the field saw me taxiing, said he'd come up too to "tag me" and accidentally we did collide. Oh well, his plane was confetti and mine flew on just fine.
Posted on: 11/14/2011 12:51 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10811837

RE: I remember when.......
I remember when there was no rcuniverse.com I remember flying cox .049 control line I remember building my first big control line I remember how much harder radio control was compared to control line I remember walking off the field many times with a grin from ear to ear I remember guys I used to fly with
Posted on: 11/13/2011 11:17 AM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10810019

RE: Which oil to use for my Saito FG series engine
So far my FG14 has run just fine. I broke it in on the bench according to the manual, ended up giving it a total of about 2 hours running time on the bench. In the air it's had about 10 flights, each about 10 minutes or so. At wide open throttle it occasionally makes a stuttering, but otherwise fine. The fuel tank is at the height of the carby and very close to the motor. The FG20 I've only broken in, and it's been ok, but not idling as good as the FG14. I did fiddle with the idle mixture on the FG20 and since my test bench doesn't have a servo for the throttle, just a piece of restrained wire, I've not tried to get the idle going yet. It also doesn't run quite as well at WOT as the FG14, again, I suspect the idle mixture is interfering. So, 2 of these motors, and a good thumbs up on them from me.
Posted on: 10/24/2011 7:08 PM by Author "tonyob" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10781015