wvaneck
Posts: 17
Joined: 12/30/2003
From: Calgary,
AB, CANADA
Status: offline
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Hi All,
Don't take this wrong, these are just my thoughts on the subject.
When I started flying 22 years ago (Europe) there were no advanced chargers available, at least not for the budget I had as a 15 year old kid. I just bought a charger that that 50, 250 and a 500 mh charge ports and you had to put your alarm to not let it overcharge your batteries.
Once a year you borrowed a home made battery checker to check the condition of your batteries, life was good at that time. I don't know if the planes that went down then were because of pilot error (although I doubt it), radio failure or battery problems.
I have been away from the sport for about 8 years, and when I came back last year I got really frustrated with the hobby shops as they did not have my trusted 3-port-charge-all chargers. In stead I bought a hobbico accucycle thing, because that was the charger to buy within my budget and the type of batteries I am using. I still have no clue as to what is what, and what to do with charging the batteries. I read the manual of the charger, doesn't mean a thing to me. listening to the shop people, just sales talk, listing to a friend, damn bought the wrong stuff.
The whole point of my long story is this, Technology is moving our sport rapidly forward, there are new battery types with each its own characteristics, there are dozens of chargers with features up-to-the-whazoo but in the end it is all about the knowledge you NEED to have about your OWN equipment.
That means that, if you are like me and not an electric engineer, I need to start learning about how to properly treat my batteries, start learning about proper use of my chargers, learning what an ESV test is and apply it and so on.
If you don't feel comfortable charging & testing new batteries for your new $2000 plane, talk to a friend who does have the tools and knowledge and have him do some cycles for you. This way you know that the batteries you bought are good and that you are safe to go.
Although batteries and radio equipment are made by professionals, nothing warnants you from a "Monday morning" product but adding your own no-knowledge into the mix makes it only worse.
Like I said, this is just my two cents worth, meant to be placed in a general context. Not directed to the poor guy who lost his WB nor the makers of NoBS batteries.
God, I love this sport.
< Message edited by wvaneck -- 11/3/2004 9:03:17 PM >
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Printable Version
All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Batteries & Chargers >> Widebody 60 lost 
Widebody 60 lost - 
It was a great looking model! Do you think you'll build another WB60? What about the Epsilon? Any thought of the pros/cons of either?
