Ignition battery
10-13-2014, 12:58 PM
#1
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Ignition battery
Can your elec ignition and your rx share a battery? Dont think the ign uses much power but was afraid of noise frequencies interfering with thethe signal from thethe trans. Will ita work?f
10-13-2014, 01:14 PM
#2
Lots of guys are doing just this. Some use just a simple diode in line to reduce voltage, some just a regulator. Some and myself included use an IBEC. The one I suggest is made by Tech Aero. This unit allows you to shut down the voltage via TX and has noise suppression filters. Even comes with a very bright LED that gets mounted where it is visible so you can see when your ignition has voltage.
10-13-2014, 01:14 PM
#3
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I believe in separate batteries for ignition and rx, with no sharing.
Thinking everybody will most likely agree with me. Well, not everybody, but maybe about 99.9%............. LOL...........
10-13-2014, 03:14 PM
#6
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Lots of guys are doing just this. Some use just a simple diode in line to reduce voltage, some just a regulator. Some and myself included use an IBEC. The one I suggest is made by Tech Aero. This unit allows you to shut down the voltage via TX and has noise suppression filters. Even comes with a very bright LED that gets mounted where it is visible so you can see when your ignition has voltage.
10-13-2014, 04:30 PM
#7
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I use one battery, and have for quite a while now. I don't use an IBEC either, as everything I'm flying can handle the 6.6v coming from the LiFe/A123 battery packs I use as is, without stepping it down. There's no voltage regulation necessary to eliminate the second battery...
I use an Rcexl opto switch, as do many others. The fact it's made by the same people that make the majority of ign. modules shouldn't be ignored.
There's nothing unusual about this set up. A LOT of guys are flying it...
I use an Rcexl opto switch, as do many others. The fact it's made by the same people that make the majority of ign. modules shouldn't be ignored.
There's nothing unusual about this set up. A LOT of guys are flying it...
10-14-2014, 10:40 AM
#8
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Granpooba,
I think the Rutland gang is in a rut
Those of us who fly gas over here in the North East Kingdom area of Vermont all use IBEC's, that is all four of us
!
You have a beautiful field there in Rutland
Pete
I think the Rutland gang is in a rut
Those of us who fly gas over here in the North East Kingdom area of Vermont all use IBEC's, that is all four of us
!You have a beautiful field there in Rutland
Pete
10-14-2014, 02:25 PM
#10
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+1 on the IBEC.........been using them on all 5 gas planes now for years with no problems at all.........that does not mean it won't/can't bite me in the future, but for now I am thinking the IBEC is just as reliable as adding another switch and battery.
10-14-2014, 06:05 PM
#12
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Yes, in larger models two batteries are a good idea for redundancy, so if i do it use two batteries they both feed the reciever and ignition.
With the classic two battery setup, one for ignition and one for receiver you have no redundancy for your reciever, and worst case if the reciever battery or switch fails open you have an uncontrolled model with the engine still running. In the single battery and IBEC setup if you have a battery or switch failure the engine at least quits. With dual batteries and switches and IBEC you have a safer setup in my opinion
Pete
With the classic two battery setup, one for ignition and one for receiver you have no redundancy for your reciever, and worst case if the reciever battery or switch fails open you have an uncontrolled model with the engine still running. In the single battery and IBEC setup if you have a battery or switch failure the engine at least quits. With dual batteries and switches and IBEC you have a safer setup in my opinion
Pete
10-15-2014, 08:04 AM
#13
10-15-2014, 09:00 AM
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I used 2 batteries but was burning up ignition modules with the 7.2 v A123 batteries. Started using the RcXel IBEC and have had zero problems. But I only switched over a couple of months ago.
Syssa Aircraft has one that reduces the voltage to the ignition down to 5.1v. The voltage to the receiver is not affected. I use 2300 mah A123 batteries. The IBEC eliminates several points of potential failure, the weight and expense of a separate battery pack, and the hassle of maintaining and charging 2 batteries.
Syssa Aircraft has one that reduces the voltage to the ignition down to 5.1v. The voltage to the receiver is not affected. I use 2300 mah A123 batteries. The IBEC eliminates several points of potential failure, the weight and expense of a separate battery pack, and the hassle of maintaining and charging 2 batteries.
10-15-2014, 09:21 AM
#15
My Feedback: (19)
I used 2 batteries but was burning up ignition modules with the 7.2 v A123 batteries. Started using the RcXel IBEC and have had zero problems. But I only switched over a couple of months ago.
Syssa Aircraft has one that reduces the voltage to the ignition down to 5.1v. The voltage to the receiver is not affected. I use 2300 mah A123 batteries. The IBEC eliminates several points of potential failure, the weight and expense of a separate battery pack, and the hassle of maintaining and charging 2 batteries.
Syssa Aircraft has one that reduces the voltage to the ignition down to 5.1v. The voltage to the receiver is not affected. I use 2300 mah A123 batteries. The IBEC eliminates several points of potential failure, the weight and expense of a separate battery pack, and the hassle of maintaining and charging 2 batteries.
10-15-2014, 11:49 AM
#17
My Feedback: (48)
Using the KISS method here. 1 2500 A123, 2 leads, 1 lead to the RCVR through a switch, the other lead to ignition through a Rcexl opto switch controled by the RCVR. Been using it for a couple years now and at least 100 flights. No fuss, no muss, no problems, not even a hint of interference. Battle tested to the max on a high performance profile.
10-15-2014, 12:32 PM
#18
My Feedback: (2)
Truckracer-
The directions that come with the Rcexl opto switch show how it can be converted to eliminate the need for a separate battery lead. Direction .pdf included, chinglish terrible, go to the bottom of the directions and look at the before and after pics. Basically, all it does is switch it over so it's powered by the same lead that's used to turn it on and off. There's other ways of doing the same thing pretty easily as well.
Also, Valley View sells the Rcexl switches with a BEC. I don't know if they are doing that same mod in house, having them done, or have found a source for them.
The directions that come with the Rcexl opto switch show how it can be converted to eliminate the need for a separate battery lead. Direction .pdf included, chinglish terrible, go to the bottom of the directions and look at the before and after pics. Basically, all it does is switch it over so it's powered by the same lead that's used to turn it on and off. There's other ways of doing the same thing pretty easily as well.
Also, Valley View sells the Rcexl switches with a BEC. I don't know if they are doing that same mod in house, having them done, or have found a source for them.
Last edited by ahicks; 10-15-2014 at 12:34 PM.
10-15-2014, 02:37 PM
#19
My Feedback: (19)
Truckracer-
The directions that come with the Rcexl opto switch show how it can be converted to eliminate the need for a separate battery lead. Direction .pdf included, chinglish terrible, go to the bottom of the directions and look at the before and after pics. Basically, all it does is switch it over so it's powered by the same lead that's used to turn it on and off. There's other ways of doing the same thing pretty easily as well.
Also, Valley View sells the Rcexl switches with a BEC. I don't know if they are doing that same mod in house, having them done, or have found a source for them.
The directions that come with the Rcexl opto switch show how it can be converted to eliminate the need for a separate battery lead. Direction .pdf included, chinglish terrible, go to the bottom of the directions and look at the before and after pics. Basically, all it does is switch it over so it's powered by the same lead that's used to turn it on and off. There's other ways of doing the same thing pretty easily as well.
Also, Valley View sells the Rcexl switches with a BEC. I don't know if they are doing that same mod in house, having them done, or have found a source for them.
I've stayed with the Tech Aero unit though. It was a hard sell for me to try the first one as I was a serious "separate battery" sort of guy coming from the old school days. I only tried the TA then because the success stories were so "glowing with praise" and hardly a real failure in sight. I also liked the voltage regulation, overcurrent protection, isolation and filtering the TA unit provides. Will probably stick with these units until something better comes along.
10-15-2014, 05:29 PM
#21
+ 1 on the Tech Aero IBEC, I got my first one on my Citabria build, so far I'm happy with it, my other gasser the Gee Bee Y 27% is build the old ways ( two battts, two switches + a batt sear thing for the receiver, separated batt and switch for the ing, opt kill switch, and everthing separaded about 20") that is for my first gas aiplane, for my second gas airplane the Citabria I decided to go the simple and newer way to set up a gas airplane.
Thanks speedracerntrixier for recomending the unit.
Thanks speedracerntrixier for recomending the unit.
Last edited by CARS II; 10-15-2014 at 05:37 PM.
10-16-2014, 07:04 AM
#23
Being new to gas, I never experienced any of the legacy NiCd or NiMH cell failing issues and am very comfortable with LiPo and LiFe reliability so I didn't think twice about combining power source for both receiver and ignition. I use the TechAero Ultra IBEC in all my gas planes, powered by LiFe packs. In 2 planes, I have the Spektrum PowerSafe receiver which supports dual power sources for both redundancy and the added benefit of extending the run time via parallel operation. Works great!
