CGRetired
Posts: 4223
Joined: 9/14/2004
From: Galloway,
NJ, USA
Status: offline
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I have been preaching about the use of voltwatch for quite some time now. Each time it comes up, I usually discuss reasons why. I will reiterate one, and it is just what you brought up. I check my voltwatch before and after each flight. That way, I know going in what the battery voltage is. I am not saying that this cannot be done with an ESV, no quite the contrary. What I am saying is that I check mine before and after each flight, that's all. How an RC'er would do this is totally up to that person. But I highly recommend this practice.
In my case, though, I do have voltwatch on my planes, so it's easy just to glance down, wiggle the transmitter sticks, and watch the reaction on the voltwatch. If it's in the mid green area, and stays in the green with wags of the stick, then I am ok for another flight. If it goes into the red, I recharge.
You can get the same thing from an ESV, by the way. I just prefer the convenience of the voltwatch. And I can see what's going on all the time (on the ground, obviously).
I have a Great Planes Venus II pattery plane. It has an OS 1.20 AX engine, the DX7 radio system, and a pair of 1200 mah NiMH batteries on board. Each battery is plugged into a separate channel port on the RX and each has it's own switch. The way I check the voltage is to operate one switch to on, check the voltwatch (wag the sticks), then turn it off. Then I turn the second one on and do the same thing. If either one shows signs of needing recharge, I recharge both.
I saved my Venus this way one day. I flew three flights, and, after the third flight, I put the plane on the bench in the pits. I checked battery 1, it showed well in the green, with no excursions into the yellow. Good battery. I turned it off and turned the second one on. It was in the red. I cycled it, and it was STILL in the red. So, I grabbed my ESV and checked it that way. It read 1.1 volts, flashed, then went blank. What's going on here? So, I borrowed an ESV from one of the other flyers and checked it again. Same thing. Whoa!!
I removed that battery and put a spare in (Yeah, I keep spare batteries with me when flying), and put both on the charger to equalize them both.
I checked the battery that I took out, and it had a dead cell!!! Two + flights and it was fine. It checked good before the third flight (or I would not have flown) but failed in flight. Probably due to vibration, I don't know, all I know is that it failed.
Saved that plane with voltwatch and ESV.
So, yep, I use voltwatch.
One more quick point. I have also preached, in numerous posts, about the benefits of using the voltwatch for initial assembly of RTF's, ARF's and kit building. You can immediately tell if you have a binding linkage for any control using voltwatch and fix it right then. Binds can also happen after the initial build. If you bump the rudder, or elevator in transit, you could have chipped or broken a tooth on the gears in the servo. This could bind up during operation and you will see that using voltwatch by a jump in the LED's during the stick wagging prior to flight.
CGr.
< Message edited by CGRetired -- 3/17/2008 11:36:37 AM >
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Skylark 70 - OS 75 AX; Venus II - OS 1.20 AX; Tiger 120 - OS 1.20 AX; Protege - OS .75 AX. Airtronics - Spektrum. AMA 705964. Semper Paratus!
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Beginners >> RE: Voltwatch, you all use 'em? 
RE: Voltwatch, you all use 'em? - 
and get one. 
