Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not?  
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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros >> Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not?
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Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 7/29/2003 2:24:01 AM   
NeoGenesis



Posts: 908
Joined: 1/22/2003
From: Findlay, OH, USA
Status: offline 		Is it ok to run the new Airtronics systems at 6.0 volt? I've been told by a fellow member that it was not ok and just wanted to verify.



Thanks for the help.


Neo
       Post #: 1

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/30/2003 7:25:50 PM   
Extra_230-RCU



Posts: 354
Joined: 9/24/2002
From: Hays, KS, USA
Status: offline 		This is true. A 4.8 volt receiver battery has to have a minimum of 4.8 volts to have safe flying qualities.

A 6.0 volt receiver battery pack has to have at least 6.0 volts of juice otherwise the plane will glitch.

A transmitter battery, which are 9.6 volts must be at least 9.6 volts to be flyable. Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble. It's okay to program a plane with 6.0 volts, but I sure has heck would NOT go flying on 6.0 volts. Be Smart. Fly Safe. Be Happy. Thanks.
Clint

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       Post #: 2

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/30/2003 10:44:13 PM   
outssider


 

Posts: 1139
Joined: 1/18/2002
Status: offline 		if you call and talk to airtronics service department, they will say that all their equipment will work great on 6v.....i have used 6v on several planes for several years with no volt reduction at all..... they are all working great......

(in reply to NeoGenesis)
       Post #: 3

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 1:12:07 AM   
Thud_Driver



Posts: 1015
Joined: 12/29/2001
From: Victorville, CA,
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Extra_230
A 6.0 volt receiver battery pack has to have at least 6.0 volts of juice otherwise the plane will glitch.[/QUOTE]

I don't have a clue what this means as your Airtronics receiver will work fine on a 6 volt battery all the way down to around 4 volts or less. In fact one of the prime reasons to use such a battery is to have excellent margin if a cell fails. I asked Jack Albrecht at Airtronics several years ago about 6v systems and he said no problem. And you don't need regulators. That's been my experience too although some other brands tend to be jumpy until the voltage drops off a bit. And, sorry so say, I've had cells go dead in flight on a 4.8v system and flew successfully on 3 cells at 3.6v with Airtronics FM receivers. Not good, but the equipment didn't glitch or fall apart.

(in reply to NeoGenesis)
       Post #: 4

?!?! - 8/31/2003 1:36:32 AM   
mr_matt



Posts: 6865
Joined: 12/7/2001
From: Oak Park, CA,
Status: online 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Extra_230
This is true. A 4.8 volt receiver battery has to have a minimum of 4.8 volts to have safe flying qualities.

A 6.0 volt receiver battery pack has to have at least 6.0 volts of juice otherwise the plane will glitch.

A transmitter battery, which are 9.6 volts must be at least 9.6 volts to be flyable. Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble. It's okay to program a plane with 6.0 volts, but I sure has heck would NOT go flying on 6.0 volts. Be Smart. Fly Safe. Be Happy. Thanks.
Clint [/QUOTE]

Any more pearls there Clint? :-)

Seriously this is all incorrect.

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JetCat rep

(in reply to NeoGenesis)
       Post #: 5

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 1:56:10 AM   
Extra_230-RCU



Posts: 354
Joined: 9/24/2002
From: Hays, KS, USA
Status: offline 		Really, it isn't. Believe me. I've lost airplanes because the battery got a little below 4.8 volts, thus reducing the range and resulting in a crash. I don't know what the heck you guys think is going on, but I'm speaking from 4 years of experience. I've learned and I check and cycle my batteries often. I think I'm pretty sure about what I'm talking about. But do what you guys want. They're your airplanes. I'm just trying to help. Why attack me????
Clint

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       Post #: 6

Low Volts - 8/31/2003 2:27:11 AM   
Thud_Driver



Posts: 1015
Joined: 12/29/2001
From: Victorville, CA,
Status: offline 		Don't think anybody's making an attack here, it's just that equipment shouldn't be failing just because the battery is slightly below 4.8 volts. It's been awhile, but if I remember correctly, Airtonics receivers are voltage regulated internally to around 3v(???? somebody give correct number) at least for FM. So other than current (amps) requirements for the servo's, the receiver shouldn't fail. On my Vanguard 6 ch PCM system, which has both Tx & Rx low voltage alarms, the Tx is set for 9.5 volts and sets a beeper, and the receiver is set to 4.1 volts and flips the throttle to idle momentarily every 30 sec. So with these settings, they expect you can still execute a safe landing with remaining power. OTOH my Stylus is set to 9.5v for Tx and 4.7v for Rx (but works down to ~4.4v or lower according to Airtonics). I've been flying Airtronics exculsively since 1984 and R/C since 1960. After a crash, even batteries with little energy in them will give a high voltage reading without a load. Are you sure your system really failed at near 4.8volts??

You could join the Airtronics user's group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AirtronicsUsersGroup/

(in reply to NeoGenesis)
       Post #: 7

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 2:35:17 AM   
Extra_230-RCU



Posts: 354
Joined: 9/24/2002
From: Hays, KS, USA
Status: offline 		Yes. I always check the batteries if they've been glitching or if they crashed. About 3/4 times the batteries were always low.
Clint

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       Post #: 8

Attack? - 8/31/2003 2:47:45 AM   
mr_matt



Posts: 6865
Joined: 12/7/2001
From: Oak Park, CA,
Status: online 		You got a pretty thin skin Clint. I even used a smiley.

Anyway a newbie should get good info.

Referring only to nicads: The nominal cell voltage is 1.2 volts. So a 4 cell pack is still fine at 4.8, I usually would take a flight at 4.75. Some go even lower.

As for 6V I have never heard of a 6 v receiver. Most people are running 5 cell packs (5 cells at 1.2 (nominal) yields the 6 volts) into a "normal" receiver

This is the 6 volts the original poster was referring to. Using a run of the mill receiver on 6 volts. I usually run these down to about 5.94 for the last flight.

Same drill with TX batteries. I take a 9.6 V (nominal) to about 9.5, maybe 9.4 v before charging.

And don't worry, I do run my planes on what I want :-)

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Matt
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(in reply to NeoGenesis)
       Post #: 9

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 2:58:09 AM   
Extra_230-RCU



Posts: 354
Joined: 9/24/2002
From: Hays, KS, USA
Status: offline 		Whatever do what you want. I'm not helping you guys out anymore. If you go below the recommended voltage, 4.8, 6.0, 9.6, you're just asking for trouble. I don't care what you guys do. I'll do my thing and stay safe and you can take risks that shouldn't be taken. I could care less. They're your planes. I'll take care of mine and you can do whatever you want with yours. I'm not going to take a bustrip all the way over to your area just to prove you honyocks wrong. Thanks everybody and have a good winter season for building.
Clint

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       Post #: 10

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 3:58:42 AM   
blkbird68


 

Posts: 639
Joined: 4/4/2002
From: Henderson, KY, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Whatever do what you want. I'm not helping you guys out anymore. If you go below the recommended voltage, 4.8, 6.0, 9.6, you're just asking for trouble. I don't care what you guys do. I'll do my thing and stay safe and you can take risks that shouldn't be taken. I could care less. They're your planes. I'll take care of mine and you can do whatever you want with yours. I'm not going to take a bustrip all the way over to your area just to prove you honyocks wrong. Thanks everybody and have a good winter season for building. [/QUOTE]

No risks involved...and airtronics RX regulates the voltage down to 3.4V to run its internals...at least that is what the 2 rx's just showed that I took the case off and checked because like thud driver I couldn't remember what the internal regulator was set at.

And my Stylus regulates the voltage to 8V, again this is measurements just taken in the last 30 min using fully charged packs.

Will it help you any if I tell you that I have 17 years experience in RC and a degree in power distribution and communication electronics????

PS I am closer to KS than those guys in CA so it would be a shorter bustrip for you.

...and NeoGenesis, Mr Matt and Thud Driver are correct. Airtronics equipment is very happy on 6V or 4.8. Several Airtronics servos are actually intended to be run on 6V although they will be fine on 4.8 (this info. came from Brain Tucker at Airtronics)

< Message edited by blkbird68 -- Aug 30 2003 11:07PM >

(in reply to NeoGenesis)
       Post #: 11

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 6:36:39 AM   
strato911



Posts: 1479
Joined: 9/17/2002
From: Winnipeg, MB, CANADA
Status: offline 		As far as I know, ALL receivers have regulators to protect the circuitry from excessive voltage (13 years experience, plus a background in electronics). This does not regulate the voltage to the servos though, and some servos don't like 5-cell packs fresh off the charger (seen as jittering servos).


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       Post #: 12

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 6:57:56 AM   
mr_matt



Posts: 6865
Joined: 12/7/2001
From: Oak Park, CA,
Status: online 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Extra_230
I'm not helping you guys out anymore. [/QUOTE]

Don't worry you were not helping to begin with.

I learned a long time ago to admit when I am wrong.

And I am not sure but I doubt that "honyocks " is a term of endearment, so you have personally attacked myself and my fellow modelers that understand how batteries work..

For shame ! :-) smilie!

_____________________________

Matt
JetCat rep

(in reply to NeoGenesis)
       Post #: 13

Airtronics at 6.0 Volt? Ok or not? - 8/31/2003 7:16:49 AM   
Extra_230-RCU



Posts: 354
Joined: 9/24/2002
From: Hays, KS, USA
Status: offline 		Okay. So receivers have regulators. But if you go below 4.8 volts, how are you going to know when you get to "your" bottom number, like at 3.8 volts or something. Some batteries have a tendency to just drop like an egg. True?? Yes. Of course it is.
Clint

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(in reply to NeoGenesis)