Forum

LATEST SMOKER, E-CIG ELEMENT

Re - (it's actually quite addictive)" very funny. Don't worry about power cuts Martin, I have truckloads of LiPos, (you're thinking what if they go flat in a power cut ?) well, there's always the car to plug the LiPo into, (or to pinch 12v from)😊😁😂, not to mention a 900w generator if all else fails! (used that quite often in long power cuts so I can have lights and TV going, - run a cord from gen in my garden shed😀, handy item! Failing even that, I'll just burn a tree in the back yard, - lovely smoke (best Windsor Davies voice)😂 JB

4 years ago by jbkiwi

Forum

Fast attack craft

".....it seemed to generalise without mentioning the the decisive parameters involved, including cost difference!..." Um. Tricky to cover everything, in a 4 sentence comment! There seems to be a grave shortage of balanced advice in all aspects of modern life - though no shortage of advice per se at all! In a field where technological change is proceeding it is even harder to gather a useful view. Comparisons which were true one year are incorrect the next, and I suggest that it would be very useful to update any advice on the board which covers batteries.... Luckily there is one reasonably independent place we can go for a balanced view - the market. Although it is not perfectly unbiased, we can deduce that if some battery technologies are surviving in that marketplace there must be a demand for them, and hence that these technologies are likely to be the best available ones for some specific task. We only need to determine what that is. As a quick example, if you look at a major UK battery supplier to the model hobby - Component Shop - you will find available: NiMH - both standard and low self-discharge LiPo LiFe Lead Acid (sealed) Alkaline (probably Manganese) Silver Oxide All of these will be the 'best choice' for some application. Our interest is probably mainly with the first four. There are many battery features to take into account. The energy capacity that the battery contains is one common figure, usually measured in amp-hours, but most people do not realise that that is only correct for a particular delivery rate. To make a motor go fast you need a battery with a high current delivery rate - able to put out a lot of amps over a short time. Dry batteries, for instance, do not usually have a high delivery rate - hence the poor performance available to us in the 1960s! My top-of-my-head generalisations are below, though I am sure exceptions can be found in all cases! 'Robust' refers to a mix of physical strength and resistance to misuse, such as over-charging or excessive drain. I will try to use the words 'capacity' for the amount of energy stored in a battery, and 'delivery' for the maximum rate at which that energy can be released... SLA Very robust. Cheapest for high amp-hour capacity at 6 and 12V. Can do high delivery as well, Very heavy. Use for displacement boats, where the ballast weight is a positive benefit. Can do heavy discharge as well, but many small SLAs are designed for emergency equipment use, and expect to support a light discharge over 10-20 hours. NiMH Fairly robust. Quite cheap for medium amp-hour delivery, and reasonable capacity. Low self-discharge costs are dropping and that technology seems to be expanding in the market, though they tend to be low amp delivery types. Some types can compete with Lipos for high amp delivery in the 30-40A range. Fairly heavy. Make sure that you buy a high-delivery type if that's what you need for motors. Low self-discharge types are good for emergency flashlights and RC transmitter/receivers... LiPo - Less robust. Best current choice for high amp delivery with low weight. Only readily-available type offering current delivery in the 100+ Amps range. Light, and available in very small sizes. More expensive than NiMH, high capacity very much more, and you need a special , though these can be quite cheap nowadays. You should really be using a optimised to your battery type anyway. Remember that each LiPo cell is 3-4V, not 1.2V... LiFE - Similar to LiPo, but more robust. Slightly lower voltage, but very flat volt delivery. Typical current delivery in the 30A range rather than 100+. More expensive than LiPo at the moment, but may displace them eventually. LiPos are essential if you are using a very high consumption motor - perhaps a racing boat? But when using such currents you usually require cooling systems and quite a specialist drive train. Brushless motors can take high currents, so LiPos are often associated with them, but you can use any battery with any motor if you want - just so long at it delivers the amps! There is no reason why you should not use brushless with SLAs, or LiPos on a low-drain application - though a LiPo may be more expensive than you need for that... NiMH are perfectly capable of making a boat plane - IF you ensure that the max amp delivery is adequate. You can, for instance, buy NiMh batteries designed for wireless phones with max output 500mA or less - these will disappoint you if you try to use them for motor power! A handy rule of thumb for estimating optimum battery discharge is to look at the capacity in Amp-hours. A low-drain battery is probably designed to put that out over 20 hours, so divide the Ah by 20 to get an estimate of optimum current draw. A high-drain battery is usually designed to output over 1 hour - so divide the Ah by 1 to get optimum amps. That's only a generality, of course, and the battery spec sheet is the definitive place to look... "...more likely that HE had shares in a LiPo company to be able to afford them back then..." When it comes to electrical equipment I do have connections. 😊 If you think LiPos were expensive in the 2000s, you should try buying NiCad pen cells in the 1960s. Probably the most unusual battery I have used was a pack of saline/manganese oxide cells from ex-RAF life jackets, where the battery was open to the water underneath the boat and you could speed it up by scattering salt in front of it....

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Forum

Fast attack craft

Any battery when abused causes problems - even good old Ni-cads - there were a few pictures of exploded boats in MB magazine - one a Sun tug split in half when the owner tried to fast charge non fast charge Ni-cads. I had a melt down with two dissimilar Ni-cad packs using a Graupner servo type switch speed controller - the smaller pack burst into flame - fortunately on a test rig. Possibly what is different about Lipos is they take far less abuse than the other types - so if you are careless with your batteries it would probably be safer to avoid them... Has anyone any knowledge of the Lipo's which look like double sized AA batteries ? I have 4 and a - not sure how to use them ........

5 years ago by redpmg

Forum

Fast attack craft

"I would use brushless, but avoid Lipos in less there was a good reason for them. NiMh are fairly forgiving of neglect - they can be left for months, charged and run. Lipos need looking after, otherwise they swell and might go bang. And boats are happy enough with the extra weight.. . " 👎 Sorry Dodgy, Usually you post useable info, but in this case I have to vehemently disagree! And I would like to put the record straight before you lead our novice members to potential disaster, or at least an expensive disappointment! 1. "NiMh are fairly forgiving of neglect - they can be left for months, charged and run." WRONG! NiMh cells lose about 1% of their charge per day! Cheaper ones with a higher internal resistance even more☹️ Which means that after about three to three and a half months they will go into deep discharge from which they can not recover. I.e. buy new batteries! The rate of such self discharge of course depends on the quality (hence price 🤔) of the battery in the first place. The higher the internal resistance (cheap battery☹️) the faster the self discharge rate. Probably the best ones to go for are those advertised as Racing Packs. With luck they will have a lower internal resistance, otherwise they'd be useless for high speed high current racing motors!! "they can be left for months, charged and run" Hmmm! Maybe, if you're lucky, but they won't then ever run for so long as when they were new, or properly looked after, i.e. recycled/recharged every 2 or 3 months. At best you might be able to regenerate them somewhat by going through about 10 cycles of discharge and charge to recondition them. But if they have been too long in deep discharge even this won't work, the chemical deterioration is no longer reversible. Remember also the Memory Effect of NiMh chemistry batteries. If you fully recharge an NiMh battery before it is fully discharged it has an irritating habit of "remembering" the state of charge when you started charging and will not accept any more! Which means that the the total capacity of the battery is prematurely reduced each time this happens☹️ 2. "Lipos need looking after, otherwise they swell and might go bang." This I can only regard as pure scaremongering! I'm not usually so scathing in my remarks but in this instance I fear it is justified! Sure LiPos can be dangerous, but so can any battery of any chemistry! Seriously overcharge a "so called" Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery it can vent hydrogen gas. One spark in an unventilated room and you can re-enact the the Zeppelin disaster at Lakehurst. Unlikely these days I'll grant you, cos you'd have to stick a lot of amps in for a long time! The advantages of LiPos over NiMh, apart from the lower weight per energy/power available is that their self discharge rate is almost negligible, and their inherent internal resistance is much lower, given that you don't buy the cheapest No Name on offer! If you intend to store (not use) a LiPo for an extended period cycle it and give it a "Storage charge" of 30% and you can leave it so for several months. During which time your NiMh battery will probably self discharge itself into destruction. Modern LiPos will only swell and explode if you seriously maltreat them; - subject them to excessive heat, - leave them on a manual (not programmable for LiPos) for too long, - charge them at too high a current, Ignore all those labels with 10C or 20C charge rates! That's just marketing blurb to get you to overstress your batteries so you have to buy new ones sooner. NEVER charge at more than 1Amp if you want to get several years of life from your expensive battery. - charge without using a cell balancer, - draw excessive current from them under load. Stick to the rules and LiPos are no problem at at all. That is my experience from three years of using them. Oh! And not all boats are tolerant of the extra weight (of an NiMh presumably), for many smaller boats (Plastic Magic conversions for example) LiPos are the only viable solution. They now make the previously impossible possible 😊 Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Problem with Skysport 4 transmitter TV4F

Hi John, " Due to the fact that we don't charge these often, is this one of the reasons that the cells are prone to deteriorating?" Fraid so John 🤔 I'm sure we have all had this problem some time or other. Not sure what you mean by 'slow drain' but I'm assuming that your TX batteries are NiMh. NiMh batteries have an irritating habit of self discharging at a rate of about 1% of capacity per day. So if we ignore them for 3 months or so they will go flat or even into so called Deep Discharge with cell voltages of 1V or less. At this point chemical changes take place which are irreversible and create a higher resistance in the cell. The chemical change prevents it from taking charge properly and what it does take is quickly dissipated in the increased cell internal resistance when placed under load. So the cell voltage collapses ☹️ NiMh cells should not be discharged below 1.1V. If they haven't been used for a while it is recommended to cycle them through 2 or 3 discharge-charge cycles to 'recondition' them. This helps to reduce the infamous Memory Effect as well. This procedure is also recommended to condition new batteries. Any half decent modern should include this cycling function. Glad to hear things seem to be working now 👍 Look forward to the Sunday trials report. Cheers, Doug 👍

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Turnigy A-6-10 200W Balance & dis

Help needed please, I’m not an electrics man I purchased this and two battery packs about 6 months ago and It’s been in the box ever since. And I am now getting round to sorting the electrics on my crash tender. however reading the forum article on “Batteries in a DX5e” I am now concerned that the batteries are in trouble. I Have the manual but to honest I can’t make any sense of the particular situation I have eg I have checked the output voltage on each battery not under any load and they both read 9.5v. What do I do next – discharge - charge – for how long etc Thanks⚡

5 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Turnigy A-6-10 200W Balance & dis

Thanks Doug most helpful, Ill get on with the dis-ch/ch process. Not sure I can justify the expense of that at the moment. again many thanks

5 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Turnigy A-6-10 200W Balance & dis

Hi Michael, I had to make up adaptor leads as well for my bigger NiMhs; one for Tamiya and one for XT60s. The third pin on the socket has no connection. The manufacturer of these gizmos seems to assume that they will only be used for RX batteries!🤔 "These batteries will be used in parallel so can they go through this discharge/charge process linked together? " If you mean all connected in parallel - I'm afraid not🤔 The controller would get awfully confused! As it has to be able to read the individual pack voltages in order to control the process and know when to stop discharging and start charging. To cycle both batteries simultaneously you need a two port . Something like the one in attached pic. I also recently acquired a Graupner Polaron EX two port . https://www.graupner.com/Polaron-EX--red/S2011.R/ More expensive (a lot!) but it can also do a lot more for your battery management. You can programme and store several different types and capacities of batteries; SLA, NiMh, LiPo, LiFe etc and set all necessary parameters; number of cycles, discharge current, charge current, stop criteria, timer etc. A selectable tabular or graphic display shows you how the cycle is progressing and the status of the battery. It will also tell you the internal resistance of the battery to give you an idea of it's quality and suitability for high current applications😉 Does LiPos and SLAs as well. I just bought the two port DC only version without mains input cos I already had a 13.8V 17A supply kicking about doin' nowt! You can also hang the on a 12V SLa or car battery. As I have a considerable number of LiPos and NiMhs for various purposes, and having had sad and costly experiences in the past with failed batteries, I considered it a reasonable investment to get the most out of my batteries! Cheers, Doug

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Turnigy A-6-10 200W Balance & dis

Hi Mike, 1. You don't need that adapter, aka Balancer Board. Primarily for LiPo batteries so that the can measure individual cell voltages and adjust them accordingly so that they are all the same +/- 100mV or so. So called balancing. Unless you have a rare breed of NiMh with a balancer cable attached you don't need this. 2. 9.5V for an 8 cell NiMh (nominal 9.6) sounds good for new batteries. Nevertheless, I recommend you get a capacity meter, see pic lower battery is a new 4.8V NiMh, upper a LiPo, which will tell you the 'true' state of the battery. For a new, unused NiMh I would expect a capacity of around 40%. Consensus says new NiMh packs should be cycled 3 or 4 times through a discharge / charge cycle to condition them for use and minimise the dreaded 'Memory Effect'. Set the discharge current to no more than 1Amp, charge current 0.5A (500mA) and charge for 11 hours for your 5000mAh packs. The should take care or the timing. It should also gradually reduce the charge current as the battery approaches full charge. The should detect Full Charge by a process known as Delta Peak; when fully charged the battery reaches a Peak voltage. If you continue charging the battery becomes 'overcharged' and the voltage dips slightly, the Delta in the Peak voltage😉. A good should detect this and switch off. Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Batteries in a DX5e

"And as for printing I only this last weekend got one from Lidls! First one in ages" Yer wot??? Retires scratching head! PS Glad you finally got the Vincent castings sorted. Look forward to pics of the result. Depending on how long you left the NiMhs, and their charge state at the start, you may be able to salvage them. Maybe not all with full capacity but something! Stick 'em on the and see what happens😉 Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Batteries in a DX5e

Hi Martin, 37% residual charge for a LiPo is fine 👍 I use 30% as a bottom limit. "I didn't know about the charge rate so left it at 0.2A. It's a 2200 3S" 200mA is always a good safe starting point.👍 Yep, you're dead right 👍 11 hours charge is correct, assuming that the battery was dead flat at the start. Which it obviously wasn't (37% charge left). But the should recognise that and adjust the time accordingly. 500mA is also safe, but NEVER more than 1A. You may see 'Fast charge' LiPos advertised as 10C, 20C or even more. Meaning charging at 10 or 20 times the capacity in AH as Amps. So for your battery that would mean a charge current of 22 or 44A 😮💥 At the very least the battery would get very hot, may 'puff out', which drastically shortens it's useful life, or at worst cause it to explode💥🔥 Similarly advertised discharge rates I've seen of up to 50C are nonsense. Consider a 5000mAH battery = 5Ah. I.e. it can provide 5A for one hour (theoretically 'in this the most perfect of all possible worlds'😁) A discharge rate of 50C would mean 50*5 = 250A😮 The theoretical discharge time (before the battery departs for Valhalla) would be 5/250 hours. = 72 seconds. After that buy a new battery☹️, and model if it burst into flames.☹️ So where does that getcha? Thus it becomes obvious that such figures are nothing more than marketing gimmicks. Buyer beware! The NiMHs are a bit more critical as far as maintenance is concerned. As I'm sure I mentioned before, they have a self-discharge rate of around 1% per day. So if you leave an NiMH battery alone for 3 months it has very likely joined the Dodos. At the very least it will never be able to take a full charge again, due to irreversible chemical changes. So called 'Deep discharge'. Here endeth the epistle to the Wisbech Luddites for tonight 😁 BTW: thought you were going to print all this out the last time we discussed it, as reminder for the winter maintenance? Considering the prices of batteries it's worth a little effort to keep 'em happy. Cheers, Doug 😎 Thinks! This is all stuff I was considering adding to the 'How Tos' on batteries, when I can get A Round Tuit! BTW: apropos capacity! Look for batteries which are marked with an IEC standard against which the quoted capacity has been measured. Otherwise it's a bit of a Pig in Poke business. Don't just buy the cheapest on offer, you'll most likely be disappointed. Go for the lowest offer available for a well known manufacturer who also provides specs and the standards adhered to. I know almost all batteries seem to be made in China these days. But many are also made there for well known western brand names to strict specifications. Cheapo 'No Names'? Who knows?

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Batteries in a DX5e

Check on Hobby king, they may have a low discharge LiPo pack or a LiFe pack specially made to go straight in (might have to remove the springs to fit it). Slightly lower voltage but they will keep a steady voltage in the safe range for months of use (depending on use) They leave individual cells for dead. If the switch gives the slightest hint of a glitch change it for the best quality one you can find, (ie , if you ever have to switch the radio on-off-on a couple of times to get it going, change the switch!) You might investigate using a 1700 Mah LiFe 6.6v receiver pack with a UBEC set to 5v (the type with voltage jumper plugs) if you could fit it in. Had a quick look and you don't have a lot of choice. Perhaps you could buy 4 NiMh solder tab 2000 mAh batteries and make your own pack to fit (you'll need the correct )

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Forum

Help and advice please

I run sailboats all the time. For the battery pack you can use a 6v hump pack. Here is one with a . (you dont need the switch)( I'm in the US so I dont use the UK Ebay site much. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Modelsport-UK-6v-Receiver-Battery-and--Pack-Hump-Pack-MSRXNP/253828164657?hash=item3b19566c31:g:s88AAOSwAlJbfoYD For the transmitter, there are 2 ways to go. 1st is to use the existing older frequency receiver that you have and try to find a compatible transmitter, or just get a new transmitter and receiver combo.

5 years ago by tgilchristjr

Forum

Help me please

yes I have a the radio set is what I use for my nitro helicopter but thought I would have to go 2.4 ghz the motor is a Johnson 600 3v-12v DC Operating specifications: 4.8V - 1.4A - 9200 RPM 6V - 1.5A - 11,500 RPM 7.2V - 1.7A - 13,800 RPM 9V - 1.9A - 17250 RPM 12V - 2.3A - 23,000 RPM the motor is capable of high torque output but the current can easily exceed 40A-50A under load and could hit 80A if stalled at 12V.Ensure that stall situations are prevented by using either a fuse or current limiter in series with the motor. what would be good is what you need is this speed controller this for the leds ect but I will get there in the end PS THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

5 years ago by m02is500

Forum

Help me please

So you already have an appropriate motor installed. All you then need is a radio (Tx and Rx), a servo, a speed controller and a radio-switch if you want to add switchable lights. Oh, and a battery. You will need a radio because 35mhz is an aircraft band. Boats can use 27mhz, 40mhz (both old technologies now) or 2.4ghz. I would strongly recommend 2.4ghz - it's cheap and has lots of advantages. You can get a set for less than £50 - I have seen them for less than £20! But get one with more than 2 channels if you want to do extra light switching. The hull is a displacement one - I suggest a standard 7.2v NiMh battery pack (though I don't know your motor voltage?). Do you have a ?

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Response

Sea Trials and mods.

Wow Robbob, I have just seen the video of your Crash Tender. She is amazing. Looks great on the water. I just love the way these hulls sit on the water. Virtually no roll at all, it's as if they are glued to the waters surface. The Aerokits Crash Tender was my very first boat back int 1959, it was my 9th birthday present and my father and I started to a build. But he wasn't happy about building the original kit straight outright. As our first ever build, he brought home broken down tea chests and orange boxes and he got me to draw round all the parts and he went on to cut each piece out with a nice new fretsaw. So as the first one went together and it seemed to go well then the Aerokits one followed on. He then bought me a ED Hunter 3.46cc Diesel engine for my Christmas present that year. I say he I should say my parents both bought them for me. Sadly I never got to have radio control in it. I was weird as we went on to build another five in all. One was given to my younger brother, his had a Taycol Standard in it, and I had the job of taking the accumulator to the local model shop to have it charged up as we never had a for it. I think they used to charge something like a shilling each time it was done. The other five that we built he actually gave away to friends and one even went to the milkman. I still have a 34 and a 46 inch still new in boxes. The 34" is an original that Was Released in 1994 by Aerokits on the 50th Anniversary and the 46" is a VMW kit. I have a 46" to refurbish and have scaled one down and built a 28" in Balsa wood. As well as a 46" PT 109 with a 26cc in her that also sits on the water the same way. Sorry to waffle on it just brings back old memories. I'll leave it there. I just love your Build such detail.

5 years ago by BOATSHED

Response

HMS BRAVE BORDERER

Doug, you are probably correct and good thought regarding the polarised caps , but I was just thinking that if the battery input was going through a fuse system as it appears in Rowens photos (difficult to see) it may have caused a slight problem. I have seen mentions of up to 12" between batt and ESC being no problem at lower Amps. You might notice that one of the inputs was from a guy from Castle Creations (USA) which I thought would give a bit of weight to the information. I have always gone with the ESC manufacturers suggestions regarding wire length and have never had a problem in boats or planes (mainly in planes,-18 most 'converted' to electric from IC -3 capable of pulling 1200W) it's great to be able to chuck ideas and info around, as we can all pick something out of it all which will solve a problem, or perhaps stop us from toasting an electronic component or whatever. BTW, I saw somewhere that extending the wires could cause stuttering and that was one other reason for mentioning the info, as I know Rowen's had a problem with that. I'm sure it will be ok as is,- if its working fine, and it's not going to be run flat out every day it will probably last for years. Probably me thinking on the cautious side as my personal approach to building is to use the K.I.S.S method (may not be the flashest but usually keeps me out of trouble) Regarding the quality of ESCs, you will find that many have the same internal bits just with different cases and colours, (same with s) HK is bad for this. Many I have seen use an Atmega chip and you can tell differences by the programming method (some you have to do 1 step and disconnect power before the next step, others just with stick forward center back center etc. Most boards are made in China (Castle Creations and a few others being exceptions) and what you get depends on the quality of assembly/soldering etc in the plant they are made in (if you want to see how many of these items are made in China check out Made in China.com and search ESCs for example. I have cheap ESCs I've used in my planes for years with no probs which look like the HK Red Brick ESCs (except blue) and they are better than the TGY branded ones at 3x the price, and really let the power through !. Even CC have apparently made boards for HK with different cases as have Hobbywing. it's really a case of "you pays ya money and ya takes ya chances". in saying that you are pretty safe with Hobbywing, Tamya, SkyRc, or Castle Creations (USA) but there are other better non China ones around but a a much bigger price. Hope we aren't overloading you Rowen, you might have to get into the 'anti-freeze' to soothe the brain in that cold weather. Another site for you to check out which I have found to be very good, with prices to match HK is RCEcho.com (Hong Kong) Have bought most of my aircraft ESCs from them (around 28 from 30A-120A with no probs)

6 years ago by jbkiwi

Blog

Vintage Model Works 46'' RAF Crash Tender

Here's the history bit so pay attention... Many years ago as a boy in the fifth year of my north London secondary school, circa 1971, our woodwork class was given the option to make something of our own choice. Having mastered the majority of joints, wood turning, finishing techniques and the making of table lamps, stools and bookshelves etc. this seemed a good idea, so myself and a fellow classmate and model making chum asked if we could construct a model boat. The teacher, on hearing that it was to be from a kit and not from scratch was a little surprised but agreed. So my friend and I jointly invested about 20 quid in an Aerokits 34.5 inch RAF Crash Tender from Blunts' model shop in Mill Hill (long since gone like many others) and we set about construction during lesson time and sometimes at break times. I recall we used "Cascamite" to glue it all together on the advice of the woodwork teacher because neither 'Scotch' glue nor PVA was suited to marine construction. Good progress was made over the course of our last year at school but it was never fully completed, only requiring painting, running gear and detailing. My friend decided that he needed to withdraw from the project as he was enrolling in a college away from home to study for a career in the merchant navy and I agreed to buy out his share and continue with the project. And so it was that I carried on with the painting and installing the running gear which consisted of a 1.5 cc marine diesel engine, water pickup, prop shaft and rudder and a MacGregor radio system with a stick for steering and a single button for speed control. The engine and radio came from Michael's Models in Finchley (also long gone) for £20 as my elder brother, who had started a Saturday job there, was able to get a staff discount for me. The diesel engine was noisy and smelly and a pig to start with a leather thong around the flywheel and I decided to abandon this means of propulsion (I foolishly ran it for slightly too long 'dry' and melted the soldering around the brass water jacket!). By now I had graduated from my part time job in Woolies to an engineering apprentice with Post Office Telephones and my new income of 20 quid per week could support my modelling and electronics hobbies after my contribution to the household for my keep. So off to the model shop to buy a Taycol Supermarine electric motor, two 12v volt lead acid batteries and a suitable . The diesel came out and was sold on Exchange & Mart and the mount and coupling re-made to accommodate the new Taycol motor. What an improvement that was! I can't remember now what speed controller or servo I used but whatever it was did the job, and it went like the clappers on Friary Park boating lake (also long since gone) even though the radio control system was a bit crude with the non-proportional steering and 'blip' throttle control. The boating took a back seat when I acquired my driving licence and my first car (a rusty old Cortina Mk 1) and I also got involved in sound recording for radio. I decided to sell the boat and bits for £60 through Exchange & Mart and bought an Akai 4000DS tape recorder and a 'Chilton' audio mixer, built a home studio and along with a good mate of mine started making radio commercials for the new commercial radio stations including London's Capital Radio. We even won a 'Campaign' advertising award for one of our efforts! And so after several years as a 'phone engineer I moved into professional recording for A/V and broadcast and then into TV production. Fast forward to today. Semi-retired with grand kids and with more free time on my hands I still had an interest in model making so in Jan 2016 went to the Model Engineer exhibition at nearby 'Ally Pally'. It was there that I saw an RAF crash tender just like the one I built all those years ago and got into conversation with the chap on the stand. This re-ignited my model making interests and I researched the hobby and that model in particular.

8 years ago by robbob

Forum

Brushless motors (again)

Again, as not wanting to nick someone else's thread. Huntsman 31 currently has a geared (belt) brushed motor which was probably quite a good spec. many years ago. I don't remember how quick it was but having watched brushless boats running this morning in Southsea I have decided now is the time for change before I start painting. I've been reading various threads and gleaned some info but it is still a minefield. Whilst this boat (original) is twin screw I am not yet ready to go that far so will stay single screw. A thread suggested 3639 -1100KV which is fine as a spec. but there are a zillion different makes and models for that spec. Cornwall models seem to offer 6 or 8 so I am looking for more specific advise for make and model of each piece of the power system...motor, ESC, battery, . I'm not going to say 'money no object' just that I don't 'need' to buy bottom spec. I suspect there will be as many different suggestions as 'Cornwall' have motor makes but something good will come out of it. Many thanks Steve

6 years ago by steve-d

Forum

RC....mixers? And other unknowns..

Ok... Currently trying to build a Itaieri Schnellboot, ...but am questioning if what little I think I know to be correct/ workable... I have amassed the following : 3- Hobbyking ST3007 1100KV brushless motors each direct drive to 32mm plastic props.... (2 right hand drive and 1 left hand drive props... swapped over leads on on motor to get it to run as yet untested the left hand prop) 3- Turnigy nano tech 3s 3000mh 25-50C Lipo ( Have got a balance and board , flame proof charge bag , battery voltage check/ alarm units, and will check and charge them await the only local help I have in RC / lips battery a helicopter flyer who has no experience with RC boats ) I just read the post on WTail mixer and wonder if I need that or if my current unkowning idea to just connect all 3 ESC ‘s together to one channel on the radio , again was give Eflite Blade SR HP6DSM 2.4GHz to try out ,Will this unit work or do I need something else , currently will/ can use all 6 channels but would / could use more if I had them ... last time I had anything to do with RC was a a kid/ teen and back then you had ground radios and flight radios and the two should not be mixed .. Ok please advise , how far off am I or am I still within range of keeping it simple ? Thanks All Bill

6 years ago by BW3

Forum

Margaret's health

Hi John, Yes, two or three times actually. I wanted to know the current the is rated for. Should be on a label or embossed on the case somewhere. Given that the calculation is easy. V=I*R --> R=V/I Given an initial charging voltage of approx 7.4 +10% = 8.14V and a charge current of 0.5A; V=15-8.14 --> 6.86 R=6.86/0.5 --> 13.72Ω so you need a 12 or 15Ω resistor. P=I*V = 0.5*6.86 --> 3.43W. So you need at least a 5W resistor. A ceramic resistor if there is enough space. Alles klar Herr Kommissar? 😉 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Hobby King receiver clones

Colin, I first entered the world of proportional RC with a set called a Mini-Hex, in 1971. I bought it from the model shop in the arcade in Exeter. it cost a bloody fortune! 2 Function, essentially a copy of the Kraft set, but made in Belvedere, Kent. I still have it and as far and I know it still works, except the old DEAC battery pack is defunct, of course. it even came with it's own metal cased . Green frequency only, can't be changed! Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Launch ELAINE,

Hi Colin, As discussed on the phone; 2V grid bias, 90V anode supply! In those days they had 90V dry batteries, they musta run it 'sumow'! 😁 Don't give up so easy! Nowadays how about a 24S LiPo? Or even Martin's 'big box' solution. http://www.batterysupports.com/lion-lipo-nbsp-88v-nbsp-24s-c-32_62.html 24V s / balancers won't be cheap though🤔 2V is no sweat; 2V SLA, a la Glow Plug starter. How big is the boat an' how much weight can she carry? My first car radio was an ancient Echo valve job, with an inductive inverter bolted under the dash to produce the 90-100v for the bottles. Took me ages to find a way to mount it so it didn't make the whole dash hum like a swarm of bees😲 Later there was briefly a generation of 'low voltage' valves. Soon superseded by transistors from 1948 on. (And NO I'm not pre '48 vintage, well not quite!😉) Looking forward to your progress reports. Would really love to witness one of your displays. Please keep me posted about dates. All the best to you both, Cheers, Doug 😎 PS building a transmitter to match won't be easy. A TX on the right frequency is relatively easy, the tricky bit is the 'modulation' for the control functions! Hats off to your guy 'up the road' if he manages it! I'd really really love to see THAT!

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

SLA Batteries!

I have checked the batteries. They are OK! Their polarities are +_+, -_-. I have also checked the . It's polarity is OK as well! I suspect the ESC! it's a PNP ESC!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Forum

1.5v AA Li-Fe/Li-ion/Li-po batteries

Hi all, has anyone any experience of using these new 1.5v batteries? There are some that appear ‘normal’ in terms of charging, and a new breed of batteries with a micro usb slot in the top, needing a special usb . Any info appreciated before I order some! Thanks, Eric

6 years ago by EricMB

Forum

1.5v AA Li-Fe/Li-ion/Li-po batteries

needs to be any suitable WALL WART IIRCC👍

6 years ago by onetenor

Forum

1.5v AA Li-Fe/Li-ion/Li-po batteries

Hi John, Yep, I heard that too. Don't see any real advantage though. Button cells are cheap enough (keep 'em in the fridge to hold their capacity longer) and it's a lot of faffing about and ANOTHER !😲 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Graupner Jumbo 540 motors

hi Will, I agree with replacing the SLA. if you don't want to go LiPo cos of s etc etc how about a 5 cell 6V NiMh? much lighter than the SLA For the ESC switch to the Mtroniks Viper Marine Micro 10. That handles motors up to 550 can size, 10A motor limit, and runs off 4.8 to 12V 👍👍 I use these very happily on ships running 2 or 4 540s. A destroyer and a cruiser. Both about 54". http://www.mtroniks.net/prod/Boat-Speed-Controls/Viper-micro-Marine-10.htm You can get 'em about 5 quid cheaper here https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/Mtroniks-marine-Speed-Controllers.html There are also 15 and 20A versions if you want to run both motors off one ESC 😉 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Graupner Jumbo 540 motors

I think it would be worth the risk of running the DC Motors at 7.2v (NiMh) or second choise 7.4v (Lipo) and get rid of the 6v lead acid battery. The chance of damaging the motor is limited, the battery packs will be lighter than an equivalent lead acid, but will need to by a as well. Always put a fuse in line rated 5 amps below that of the ESC. Or buy two higher voltage motor? only £6.99 each plus P&P link copy and paste into browser address:- https://howesmodels.co.uk/product/graupner-speed-600-8-4v-motor/

6 years ago by CB90

Forum

ESC info...

I was looking at that one! But as for the programming card...Gawd knows. I wouldn't know where to begin! Right now I'm bloody panicking as I can't find the Supermarine motor for the Crash Tender! I thought it was in the old motor drawer, but it ain't. I'm crossing fingers it's in a box in the loft. My son-in-law will have to go up there when the weather cools. Even he doesn't deserve the temperatures up there! Got my watt meter today, so that's now in a box with the condition meter and multi-meter, oh and the chenglish and its power pack. BL motor and CNC 32mm prop still on the slow boat. So the ESC will be the last of the clobber for a while. By the time I have it all together it'll be Winter and all put away again! Thanks again, Doug. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Air screw driven hydro

Don't do it! Use a river or a public lake. We HAVE to middle finger the arseoles who would have us using electrics as a matter of course. Rivers and canals can be used with ease as the real thing is already dirtying up the water, which, of course, the wild life are well used to. As an air boat would never be used that much anyway, keep it for when you travel to a river. Keep the electrickery for the Jobswuffs. AM 15 is a great little motor. I used to have one. Alweays started easily. Trouble is these days the fuel ain't exactly cheap, but then, neither is a brushless motor, Li-Pos, special , watt meter, battery condition meter, special wires and connectors, and of course special ESC which will almost certainly burn out like they all seem to eventually. Failing that put it on the shelf and await interested questions! Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Which battery?

I tend to use LiPo's but they can be temperamental and need the correct . They are smaller and lighter than NiMH and give you a much greater output. NiMH are similar in size to LiPo but are heavier and will not have the same sort of power available. Lead acid are the easiest to use in terms of charging but are much heavier and larger then the other 2 types but tend to be cheaper. Lead acid are a good option if you need the ballast or are not limited on physical size. Cost is also a consideration a good quality can be an hefty investment but will serve you well and if you buy the correct type will charge/discharge any battery type that you have. I have heard horror stories about LiPo's bursting into flames, which my son did with his RC car. this was down to him not understanding this type of battery. I have not had good results in terms of endurance with NiMh but Lipo's if correctly selected will last much longer, a word of warning here though, they will stop working suddenly with no indication like running slow etc so if using LiPo's you will, need an alarm on each battery. Lead acid is much easier to in terms of Voltage either 6 or 12v with real problems when connecting them in series or parallel for use or charging, a little harder with the other two types but not impossible. This has probably confused you even more but I am sure you will come the correct battery. I have to confess I have an interest in this build as I intend it to be my next project👍

6 years ago by marlina2

Forum

Inspiration for beautiful boat builders ;-)

Doug, I think compared with how it was relatively recently, there are, for argument's sakes almost no real scratchbuilders any more. I mean take, or preferably make a drawing and, using stock materials, make a model of something for which there are no kits. And there, the grain of truth is already branching out into a full tree. And that ain't gonna get any better when your own grandchildren, who have grown up watching you make stuff still can't conceive of working at a bench to make something they want, because they can't use their 'phone. I feel sorry for them on one hand and on the other I don't give a shit because I won't be around to see their despair when the power runs out and they wish they'd listened. My two twin granddaughters believe that a portable will always be able to charge their 'phones, wherever they are. Common sense has not even taught them to question where IT gets its power. OK, their education so far has been woeful and finally is improving now they've changed schools, but really, should that be necessary in the modern age? But that's a different topic altogether. On a better note, I have finally heard from someone local who wants to meet up for a coffee and a natter to discuss running model boats on the local river, a calm and canalised thing with almost no flow and a bridge to get both sides. Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Longer run time

Your question does not have simple answers have you used a watt meter to see the current your motor is drawing at full throttle? With any installation its a good idea to do that test since its a good way to match motor and prop. LiPo batteries have a better current delivery than lead acid BUT you do need to be careful about end voltages so as not to damage the battery. Many ESC have a voltage cut off built in to protect LiPo batteries it may be your hitting that limit with your lead acid battery. The simplest solution to your problem is to look at the Amp/hour rating of your existing battery and get something with a higher rating. Going LiPo can give a much higher rating with a LOT less weight. The downside being the need for a special and the need to be careful about storage and end point voltages. As to putting 2 batteries in series to get a higher voltage yes you can BUT increasing the voltage to a brushless motor requires you match the prop to the new voltage running on the existing prop will probably cook the motor. How hot is your brushless running now? Outrunners generally can swing a bigger prop than inrunners.

6 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Hi folks, I have just received the 5 cell battery pack for my yacht R/C gear, but it come with no words and music, so I don't know if it's charged or not and am worried about using it with RC gear in case being under charged is dangerous to the gear. I also have a brand new, never used imax B6 . Never used because I can't make head nor tail of the instructions. Can anyone help me with all this lecktrickery, please? Beyond 4 AAs in a wall wart I am completely green with battery charging. (BTW, why wall WART exactly?) Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Hi Martin, No need to get yer knickers in a twist 😲 With the NiMh just stick 'em on your iMax every 2 months and run 'em through a discharge / charge cycle. Otherwise in three months they'll probably be Dodo-like 🤔 NiMh batts lose about 1% charge per day. So, assuming fully charged to start with, they will die in about three months. They should not be discharged below 1.0V per cell or they most likely will not recover and will not take a charge anymore. Your TX LiPo you have no control over so just rely on the in the TX. Over winter just switch it on every month or so and check if the red LED lights. if it does stick it on charge until the green LED lights again. Your other LiPo you can give a Storage charge with the iMax. Check it with your Capacity Tester now and again. Storage charge will probably indicate 30 to 50%. if it's less than 30% put it on a Storage charge again. Voltage per cell should never be allowed to go below 3.0V MINIMUM. Start a Battery Diary!! Cheers, Doug 😎 Back to hull sanding for me 😡 P'ing down again today so no outdoor spraying🤔 Just discovered construction fault in my fish cutter😲 First hull planks were set flush with the keel bottom instead of leaving about 1/4" of keel showing 😭 To saw or not to saw ? That is the question!!

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

your IMAX will handle a single cell LiPO fine! so you can put the LiPO into its storage state if your not going to use the TX for an extended time. http://learn.trossenrobotics.com/arbotix/arbotix-external-hardware/11-lipo-battery-guide.html Some good data there on the care and feeding of LiPo batteries

6 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Hi Martin, sorry was distracted by primer/filling my PTB 😉 "Don't worry, BE happy" (Sing along now folks!) 😁 Haverlock is right, the TX will have the necessary electronics built in so should cut off when required. Keep an eye on it though and check the temp with your finger tips now and again. The USB connection is 5V and usually anywhere between 0.5 and 2Amps. The TX will just take what it needs, so Plug & Play away 👍 I don't expect it will take much more than an hour-anna-half to charge. What Haverlock forgot was that a 1S ain't got no balancer plug cos it's only got one cell! Use the TX to charge it. Don't get more charged up than usual 😁😉 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

If the charge lead plugs into the transmitter while the LiPO is still connected it probably has the needed electronics to limit the charge. Failing that you can charge the LiPO from your main just plug the LiPO lead into the balance port

6 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Hi, looks like you've already got the Tamiya connector on that one lead. Just put the 4mm plug on the red lead and you're good to go! If you only recently bought the NiMh batts they can't be dead yet. Half dead maybe 😁 Re charging: 1 what voltage and capacity is the battery? 2 what current does the supply? Look at the info on a label or embossed on the back. Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Right, thanks, Doug, I think I get that. I need to get a Tamiya female connector with 4mm plugs on tother end for the nimh packs, although they could be dead too by now. I didn't get a Spektrum combo as I knew I could get a perfectly good Rx. cheap and as ever I have to watch what I spend carefully. I didn't expect Greeno to flog me a dead 'un. So this time I bought FlySky and in order to get it for an amazing 20 quid, it turned out to be one of those pistol jobbies. I don't like the look of them, I must say. I couldn't think of anything worse than buggy racing, BUT that's what comes with a 20 quid spend. I might make a ship's wheel to go on the steering twiddler On the yacht the sails will be going out as the throttle goes forward and in when it's pulled back. Seems logical to me. Thanks for the info on the bits, but could you tell me how long to charge the LiPo in the Tx? There's nothing in the instructions about it as it must be a modern upgrade. The leaflet says put in 4 newly charged AAs! Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Evenin' Martin, OK- 1. Your NiMhs have Tamiya plugs. 2. Correct charge lead for those would be the one in your last pic. BUT; it puzzles me that it seems to have one 4mm plug, OK, and one 4mm socket?? if that IS the case; Why? Should have two plugs to go in the . Change it for one of your new 4mm plugs. 3. You can charge the LiPo with the lead second from right. The 'bricks' are 'T' or 'XT' connectors.They look like XT60. Common on LiPos. Select LiPo and 'Auto' on the and it will do the rest. Don't forget to plug in the little white Balancer plug so the knows what it is charging and can balance the cells. Guess the next question will be:- 'But the white plug is too big to fit the '! if so you need an adaptor! See pic. The adaptor is in the middle; 'XH Adaptor'. Plugs on batteries are XH, sockets on s the smaller EH. it's a conspiracy to force us to buy adaptor boards or cables 😡 However, if the LiPo hasn't been used or charged for years I don't hold out much hope for it 🤔 At the bottom of my pic you can see one of my capacity / cell voltage testers. Glad the FlySky package works. What does a Luddite learn from that? Buy TX and RX together as a so called 'Combo' and they come ready bound, saving a lot of F'ing and Blinding 😉 Was very surprised you bought a car pistol grip with trigger throttle. Might be OK for throttle (cars are usually 'digitally driven'; i.e. Flat Out or Stop!) But I wonder how you'll get on with that on a sail winch 😲 Bon chance mon ami 👍 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Right, gentlemen who know fings, here are shots of the wires I have. OK, I must have put the banana plugged wires in a box marked R/C Gear, I'm assuming, but the 's wires mainly have brick red flat contact -containing plugs. However, none of my battery packs have those, they have the white things with two small round pins in 'em, one socket square, one round. The newest pack for binding duties has a little black jobby that fits the Rxs. Pictures included of all relevance. I tried to charge an old(ish) lead acid after making up a lead, but the put up a "Connection Break" legend on its screen. I assume that means, That one's f****d, mate. Fair enough, I thought it might be. But i still haven't worked out a lead to charge those green wrapped old NiMhs. I HAVE charged them before, because I have had two attempts at flying the aircraft. it went round in circles and then took a slate off my daughter's roof, proving that aircraft models really DO need insurance! Anyway, enclosed are three pics. The shot of a Lipo is to show that I do have such things, but that dates way back and although not damaged or bulged hasn't been charged while I've had it. it was sent to me with 2 small outrunner brushless jobbies and a couple of brushed ESCs as a thankyou for sending plywood to a part of Britain that the PO won't go to with biggish parcels. Finally....I have today received my FlySky RC set and guess what? it all works, perfectly, out of the box. it's PRE-BOUND! Whoopee do! it musdt be an upgrade as it came with a small Li-Po battery pack for the Tx. and a charge lead from USB to Tx. body. That's all great, but how do I know how long to charge it for? it currently has what looks like a full charge on it, judging by the brightness of the LEDs. Getting used to a passable impression of my son's old Subaru front wheel and tyre (complete with vented disc and caliper behind!) will take a while. I am guessing that pushing the throttle trigger forward is like a brake on a car. I assume on a boat it would be reverse? The instructions are not in any way exhaustive! But hey...on a tatty old Futaba servo it all worked a treat. Here's the pics of wires. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

That's exactly what I would recommend Haverlock👍 I have such jigs for all the common plug / socket types I use. Also a small vice with rubber jaws 😉 Martin; surely you got at least one charging lead with the ? Post a pic of it please, also of your batteries so we can see what plugs they have. Reason for the big 'ole in 4mm plugs; they are intended for high currents so you need a thick wire! I also thought of the screw plugs. Only snag is that they are usually nickel or silver plated and they corrode so the connection is not so reliable. 'Gold don't do nuffink wiv nuffink' 😉 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Help, Doug!! I just bought a pack of gold plated 4mm plugs for my iMax . it didn't come with any! Leads for everything else, but no way of plugging them in unless they're LiPos, which I know nothing about. The plugs turned up today, BUT, the hole in the top is HUGE! How does one go about soldering a fiddly little wire into such a massive 'ole! They come with red and black heat shrink, but only for AFTER you get the battery wires into the plugs. I'm assuming I'll have an "other half" plug to plug the battery pack wire into, which I can then solder these mahusive plugs onto. Why is all this stuff so bloody difficult?! Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Evening, Doug, or is it morning? Just had a well earned rest having had the family round for Fathers' Day. Now catching up with the pootah. BTW, I had a garden full of blue and purple Lupins till the big breeze blew 'em all down recently. My star was a plant I didn't knowingly sew and that was an amazing mixture on the same stems of purple alternating with yellow. Gorgeous. Anyway, Kakos. Yes I have quite a few and as I was given 2 original little Marinecraft hulls, I have earmarked two of my mint, new in red boxes Kakos for those with little AAA 3-at-a- time flat packs which even have switches. I wish we could still get Ever-Ready or Vidor batteries. Remember them? Can get scans though and my Sea Urchin has a styrene home made AA flat case ready for the daughter to print me out an Ever Ready bell flat pack, just like yours. The brass contacts aren't a problem for an old metal basher like me. Your Sea Scout looks nice and I would say at 24" it would be about 1/16th to 1/12th. 24 feet would be a reasonable size for a sport fisherman or inshore cruiser. But in 1/16th scale at 32 feet I would say the style of the model and the use of the boat would be best represented by that combo. Just looking at some info on the FlySky Tx I've got coming (it's already been posted) and find it uses no fewer than 8 AA cells...12volts! Ye Gods, why? OK, I can get two packs of NiMhs, but then that wouldn't be 12 volts, would it? it would be 9.6Volts. Would it even work? So, on further checking, I notice that several people have gone for the LiPo path, which means a 4s at a more acceptable 11.1Volts. Now I also see that a few have gone for the LiFe option, which I much prefer the sound of as they are a lower fire risk and keep a charge in storage for ages. But they would only be 9.9Volts as LiFe cells are 3.3 volts each. Would 9.9 volts be enough I wonder for a nominally 12 volt Tx. I'm assuming that if people with no objection to NiMhs have been using those for the rechargeability, then the Tx will, in fact, accept 9.6Volts. So, logically, a 9.9Volt LiFe would be OK, do you agree? I'm thinking down the line a bit after I'm used to it. My Imax magic blue box of y caters for LiFe cells too. Steering teddies, et al, yeah, I can come up with some mechanical magic. My nickname with little gent, Lothar, at Wolfsburg was Mekanist (spelling), as I was always making little mechanisms for VW and SEAT cars. I made a rolling TV monitor that replaced the passenger airbag in the Passat CM2, which also had headrest TVs for back seat passengers and a wireless internet laptop built in to the rear seat central arm rest. A palm computer could come out of the dash using a mechanism that I designed and made and for which VW got a patent, with me as nominated inventor! Never made me a penny extra of course, but it was nice to know. I did a static model of a 1/12th scale Riva where, if you turned the model Cadillac (yes it is, really!) steering wheel, the rudders moved via a worm and wheel steering box and two home made Universal joints! Gawd knows why. I just thought it might win me some column inches in Classic Boat....Nah! You might find that 6" figures are more available for 1/12th scale boats than 4 1/2" figures for 1/16th, but I have to find or even make some for my Crash Tender. I look out for dollies at boot fairs and Sunday markets. I got a very square jawed geezer, 12" tall for my 1/6th scale Darby One Design and he fits, thanks to bendy bits. On your sports fisherman you need some arrogant bastard to be standing with one arm up on the screen and just the one on the wheel. Think Audi driver in a boat. Up yer arse or in yer way, but always thinking the sun shines out of his primary orifice. Keep my socks dry? I was bought a pair of Granddad socks by the two little horrors today along with a chocolate Marmite pot and a Smurfs do Pop CD, which they insisted I play during the barbie! They've done the Smurf wind up since they were old enough to crawl because they know I despise the Dutch ghouls Right, bedtime I suppose. Compost and Busy Lizzies tomorrow, she tells me. Yes, Ramona, my love.... Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Evenin' Martin, Oh dear oh dear oh dear! 😲 There is some good advice above, but maybe not optimally expressed for use by a Luddite! Sorry guys but this might be a relatively long post to separate the wheat from the chaff, explode a few myths and resolve this little conundrum of Martin's! One thing at a time! NUMBER1. THE RADIO- Dear Martin: Whatever possessed a self confessed Luddite and Scrooge like you to spring a large chunk of your hard earned pension on one of the most expensive and complex RC sets on the market in the first place???? I bought a Spektrum DX6 on impulse a few years ago while strolling around Conrad here in Munich. I've regretted it ever since. in retrospect it was way too expensive >600€, and complex. it is intended for the Fly Boys, as unfortunately most sets are these days. I have still not successfully programmed it to do what I want to do, instead of what it is pre-programmed to do for helis and fixed wing aircraft. Not even with it's own Spektrum RX, let alone a 'foreign' RX like Orange. So I have not yet risked it in a model. Definitely NOT my Catalina. Since then I have bought a Turnigy I6. Which does the same as the Spektrum, works fine with my Orange RX with giro for the Catalina😉, cost only 69€ (is now available for around 33 quid😡) and within a few hours I had it programmed and tested to do all I want in my destroyer and Sea Scout.👍 In short: the Spektrum is way way way Overkill for your yacht or Fire Float or similar, where you will only ever want rudder and sail servo / winch or rudder and speed control. So flog the Spektrum and get a nice simple (and cheap😉) 2 or 4 channel set. I can't imagine you ever wanting to start building special effects into your models so 2 (max 4) channels is all you will probably ever need. Stick your Spektrum on eBay, maybe you'll get at least a 100 quid for it. If you still want to go 2.4Gig get yourself a Turnigy i6 set with RX, 6 ch but cheap enough and I can help you directly with binding and programming from experience - I have a good English manual with no Chenglish gobbledygook. If not and you still have a working 27 or 40MHz FM set (40 would be better) use that. Where you sail, all alone, who's going to bother you or be bothered? BTW: Yes the Spektrum TX IS DSM2 and DSX compatible BUT you have to tell it what you want to use!!! Frankly I think trying that with a non-Spektrum RX is risky - especially first time out and for a novice Luddite😉 NUMBER 2. THE NiMh BATTERY- Voltage is not a reliable indication of battery charge / remaining capacity. After use a battery will recover slightly when at rest and the open terminal (off load) voltage will rise, often to the nominal voltage or slightly above. This is NO indicator of remaining charge as when a load is applied the voltage will drop again rapidly, the higher the current drawn the faster the voltage drops. if it goes below 1.0V per cell the battery will be permanently damaged and never regain it's original capacity. Haverlock is dead right about batteries losing charge when not used or regularly recharged. An NiMh batt loses charge at the rate of about 1% per day so after 3 months or so you can send it to the great recycling depot in the sky and buy a new one. Periodic cycling, discharge / charge prevents / minimises this - see care hints I posted above. And yes, NiMh do have that irritating Memory effect🤔 albeit not so pronounced as with NiCads. Lipos apparently not, but I ain't seen any evidence yet - the jury is still out! Sooo - ignore the 6.37V and run the batt through a discharge and full charge cycle. if your new NiMh batt has not yet been cycled and charged I would bet that it's present capacity is about 45%. See example below (and in attached pic) of one of my new 4.8V (nom) NiMh RX batts. NUMBER 3. THE CAPACITY CHECKER - "Glorified voltmeter" ? Where did the 6.37V reading come from if not from your 'new toy'? If it is showing volts it should also be showing capacity in %age. If you received the wrong thing it's not the "bloody electrics" but the bloody nit who packed and sent it that's at fault. Before you send it back check the below😉 Send me a photo of the Checker you have and with your battery plugged in so I can see what's happening on the display. Otherwise we are all poking about in the dark (Are we back to Jules and his friend Sandy😉😲) The link I sent you was for a checker exactly the same as mine except for the labelling! As you can see in my photo, properly connected it shows the terminal voltage and the remaining capacity (charge level) of the battery pack. Forget the Nixx (=2 Ni possibilities) display, that just means 'It ain't a LiXX' (3 Li- pissibolities). Attached photo shows a brand new 4 cell NiMh RX pack 4.8V (Nominal) connected to one of my Checkers. As you can see the voltage shown is 5.19V, according to the popular 'folklore' that would seem to indicate FULL charge. Unfortunately not🤔 Capacity indication is 45% which is normal for brand new batteries in storage and transit. Explanation thereof - see above! RE: " if it can do LiPos, why not the relatively simpler NiMhs?" a) the LiPo pack has a different chemistry and construction which requires different input circuitry on the checker, b) LiPos need balancing and are fitted with Balancer Plugs which connect to the multipin connectors on the checker. Each pin connects to one cell of the LiPo so that they can be monitored individually. LiPo s use this to balance the cells to within 0.01V (100mV) or less by adjusting the charge / discharge currents to each cell. The checkers use this to show you the individual cell voltages and charge states. A big difference, i.e.lower V and capacity, indicates cells with faults, e.g. higher internal resistance, or a discharged pack which needs charging and balancing. NiMh packs don't usually have this facility to measure individual cells. They are thus connected to a separate input on the checker which can then only show total pack terminal voltage and capacity. BTW: if you can get it passed 'THE Management' store your battery packs in the fridge😲 The 'coolth' slows down the rate of self discharge, which is a function of the battery internal resistance, which reduces slightly with reduced temperature😉 Enough for now, back to stripping my PTB for it's Midlife Refit! Cheers, Doug 😎 PS Martin: Just saw your post about another RX. Why the hell not buy a Spektrum designed Rx guaranteed to work with their TX? Or better still; flog the Spektrum and get a nice simple Turnigy set as above, also recommended by Ron, albeit the 9 ch version. All this frigging about with 'claimed compatible' bits and pieces just wastes money and time, fogs the issue and don't prove nutt'n!

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

as to charging and discharging a battery pack. if you leave an NiMH pack untouched for long enough it winds up DEAD, So if your not using a pack for any length of time you should cycle it every couple of months. if your using a pack regularly and just " topping up" the charge again its a good idea to cycle it occasionally to keep the capacity ( I know NiMH are not supposed to have the " memory" problems NiCads had but.......). Yes the senses the battery condition and stops when charged. However its good practice to never leave a running unattended and to touch the pack often to make sure its not cooking.

6 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

ok step 1) plug in your step 2 ) keep hitting the STOP button until you can see "Program select NiMH BATT" step 3) press start step 4) a status button until you see "NiMH CYCLE DCHG>CHG 1" connect up your battery pack and press start!

6 years ago by Haverlock

Forum

Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...

Mornin' Martin, my PTB problems will take a while to sort but I was anticipating a complete refit anyway. Soooo --- Basically Ron's right about the 👍 Press 'Batt Type' and then 'Dec' a few times until 'PROGRAM SELECT NiMh BATT (pic one) appears in the display. Press 'Enter' and pic two should appear. Press 'Dec' so that 'NiMH CHARGE Aut' appears in display. Seems the default current is set to 0.6A in this mode. Leave it at that. If not 0.6A use the INC/DEC button to adjust it to that. Press 'Start/Enter' for more than 3 seconds and away it'll go. Charge time depends on the capacity of the battery. Rule is Capacity (C) in Ah/Charge current (I)x1.4 hours. Example; a 2Ah (2000mAh) at 0.6A would need (2/0.6)x1.4 = 4.66r hours, or about 280 minutes. The should stop at the right time automatically. BUT: check the capacity of your new battery with your new toy first! If it has residual capacity significantly greater than about 30% and voltage of more than 1.1V it should be fully discharged down to 1.0V minimum first. There is a function in the to do this. Then charge it as above with the Auto mode at 0.6A. This is to help prevent the so called memory effect. Extract from imax manual page 9- "Some rechargeable batteries have a memory effect. if they are partly used and recharged before the whole charge is accomplished, they remember this and will only use that part of their capacity next time. This is a 'memory effect' it is said that NiCd and NiMH batteries are suffering from memory effect. NiCd has more memory effect than NiMH." Don't get too charged up😉 I envy you listening to 'The Navy Lark' 😲 A Sunday afternoon delight back then. Before or after 'Desert island Discs'? HMS Troutbridge, Capt. Poby "HENRY are you wearing odd socks?" - "No my love", Number One Sub Lieutenant (Leslie) Philips "Cor! Who threw that?", CPO (Bill) Pertwee, and "Bridge? Staaarboard Lookout Able an' when am I gonna be Leadin' Seaman Goldsteen (?) 'ere. I jus' thought you might like to know that we're 'eadin straight for the Admiral's Barge an' maybe you'd like to change course or summat"! Luvly stuff 😁 Cheers and good night from Munich, Doug 😎 PS: Well meant Haverlock but I wouldn't recommend fast charging for any battery chemistry, MAX 1A charge current for any battery, except perhaps a car battery but then Max 5A. it reduces the useful lifetime of the battery. Fast charge rates are more or less a marketing gimmick, it just means you CAN charge at higher rates without the battery exploding. Of course the manufacturers are very happy if you do do it and then have to buy new batteries more frequently because you've reduced their capacity and shortened their life. Most especially a brand new battery should NEVER be Fast charged. To get maximum life and capacity out of a new battery it should actually run through about 10 discharge / charge cycles to condition it for maximum output and minimum memory effect. Martin: check the label or packaging of your battery for 'Standard' and 'Fast' charge current! PPS: a fully charged 5 cell NiMh can be significantly above 6.0V. Up to ~6.5V, which is why I warned Martin to check the specs of his RX and any ESC. Some are rated for 5V only and go pop at 6V. That's why I only use 4 cell NiMh packs for my external RX supply. 1.2V per cell is only the nominal rating of an NiMh cell, fully or over charged they can go up to nearly 1.28V per cell.

6 years ago by RNinMunich