sjchmura

So I have been pooring through the forums and - to be honest - so daunting.

Are there good links to smaller threads or to www sites with upgrade suggestions

For example, best bang for the buck for $20

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Welcome, come over to the "Way past the limits" Stryker forum, we've been there and done that when it comes to Stryker hop ups. Ask away and we'll help you any way we can.
Couple of tips, 2 freebies, water break in the motor, and retime it. Will last longer and pull harder=more speed.
Try www.batteryspace.com, they have 2 8.4 volt 1100 mah packs for $19.99, we've used them and they work well.

sjchmura

THanks!!!! I will

What about the 9.6V ones on the same site????

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

will work too, but motor life will suffer.

Bullwhip

How about a link to the way past the limits Stryker Forum!



Tom

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

It's right here in the park flyer's section. "F27Stryker,Way past the limits"

Bullwhip

Thanks for the information on the existing thread. I read the post indicating a seperate "Forum".

Tom

critterhunter

Hey Glacier Girl, how about doing us all a favor and posting a CONDENSED list of non-standard parts for the Stryker. I may go brushless within a few weeks here and don't want to have to wade through the "Way Past The Limits" Phonebook in order to find out what I need. What I'd like to know is what has everybody agreed on as the cheapest yet best brushless setup with the following parts:

Radio: I need something cheap yet good with future expansion. Probably a cheap computer radio.

RX and ESC: Something 3 or more channel that will handle brushless and can be used with Nimhs or Lipos.

Servos: Something strong that won't break the bank.

Brushless Motor: Again, I want something cheap yet fast.

Props: Whatever works best with the above motor.

Lipos: Best price where and in what configuration?

I've never ventured into "standard" electronics so I don't know much about this. I don't want to spend a fortune but I don't want junk that won't last either. Performance, low price, and upgrade ability are my primary concerns. A price listing with the parts and where to find them would be helpful. I'll use my Nimhs for now but plan to go lipo afterwards. I'm still having a ball with the stock Stryker and have yet to "push it to it's limits" in stunts, but I can now see the need for more speed coming on quick. I want to climb this thing verticle out of sight. Still plan to keep my stock Stryker setup for combat module fun and flight in smaller areas.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

critterhunter,
Tx is up to you, but I'm happy with my Futaba 6xea, is pcm and ppm, 6 model memory.
Hands down best other set up is Hitec 555 rx, take off the case for weight reduction.
Servos, Hitec 81's, until you go ballistic then go to the Hitec 81MG's (metal gears)
As for cheap fast set up I would suggest the Bp21 and esc special from Balsa Products.
Agcatsbest and Cadetman, can give you tips on which prop and pack to get.
As for packs, I love the PolyQuests, I do have a contact at PQ.[8D]
PM me and I'll give you the contact info.
When your no longer satisfied with this set up, holler, and I'll give you the Mega set up to try.[X(]

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

One other thing on hopping up your Stryker, we the so called "Elders" of the Stryker, decided way back when, that we will teach you the SAFE way to fly before teaching you the fast way.
We'd rather you learn to be safe before turning you loose with high powered birds.
You need to remember a 2 pound bird at 50mph stock and 100+ souped up, can do a lot of damage if it hits something. And we don't want the blame or unhappiness involved when something goes wrong........And it will. We speak of Mr Murphy a lot, he's the gremlin that lives to hassle us all. Murphy's rule: Even if it can't go wrong, it will.
He will slam you silly when your not prepared, and someone will get hurt.
But with the proper guidance you will be able to handle most of what Murphy throws at you.
Most, but not all.
FLy fast, but fly safe.

mrfixit54016

Download the .pdf document for an upgrade guide.

critterhunter

Good info by all, thanks. I want a brushless motor in the $40 to $80 range. What I really want to know is what everybody tends to agree on for a motor, prop, RX, ESC, and radio that performs very well yet won't break the bank. I don't need to go 100mph but 50 to 90 or so would be nice. I'm also a novice at standard parts so I need to know if I need a V tail mixer or does the TX have it that you guys recommend built in. Also, what about low and high rates and how to set these up. I fly in high rates all the time now so low isn't really needed. Info people!

Where we fly is private property. The field we fly in is huge and surrounded by woods with no houses or other objects to crash into. This is the only place I plan to fly a brushless Stryker. The stock Stryker will be used for combat module fun (which are going to start doing this week as we are getting good enough with the planes now) and for flying in smaller areas such as ballfields. I know what you mean about being safe. The other day I was flying at a ballfield and the wind was strong. The full throttle went off indicating the battery was getting low so I brought her up to half throttle and swung her around for a landing into the wind. She was coming in nice and soft for a perfect landing when three kids came from nowhere and ran right out in front of me for a better look where I planned to land her. I broke into a panic and yelled (while trying my best not to swear) to get back behind me. The plane landed fine and I managed to keep her floating to almost a stall until the kids got back. Needless to say I wasn't very happy and had to warn these kids to never do that again.

mrfixit54016

Glacier mentioned the Balsaproducts BP21 already. It is $55 with the ESC. Get a radio with mixing so you don't need a seperate V-tail mixer. Don't worry about set-up, it is usually pretty simple if you read the instruction book for the transmitter you chose.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

critter,
BP21 and Esc package
Hitec 555 rx
Hitec 81 servos
APC7x6
Polyquest 3s3100 pack
Tx is your choice. Most of the good ones like Futaba, JR, Hitec, all make a reasonable unit the will mix for elevon set up.

BUT as I said before, think ahead, buy something you can continue to use as you move on.
Don't limit yourself to 3 or 4 channels now and not be able to use it later.

critterhunter

I'm going to print out your suggestions and read it over carefuly but please bear with me on this. I just came home from the hobby shop with suggestions for a brushless Stryker. These are all parts they stock so I'm sure there are better (& cheaper) items out there which I need advice on. I'm also sure I can probably get the following items off the net cheaper. I don't feel guilty about this as I've already made them a small fortune in Parkzone/Hobbyzone planes and parts I've bought there. Here's the list and please give the pros, cons, complaints, etc. Best price where on the net, better items at a lower cost, etc.

Servos: Hitec HS-55 ($17.99 x 2)

V-Tail Mixer GWS (JR) $15 (Not needed with a good radio I'm probably getting.)

Radio: JR Sport SX600 Computerized TX $99 (I was told this radio is new and coming in this week. It features dual rates, V-Tail Mixing, Non-Micro servos that I can't use for the Stryker, and a TX battery pack. Opinions on this radio as they said it is a price break through with the same features of radios near $200? Do I have the features like dual rates and v-tail mixing right?)

Speed Control: Castle Creations Phoenix 25amp Brushless, programmable with Nimhs/Lipos. $68 (Is this overkill/underkill amp wise? Price also seems high.)

Brushless Motor: E-Flite Park400 Outrunner EFLM1300. $60 (They said it will work with the stock Stryker motor mount. Comes with prop adapter and they said the stock prop works great with it. Suggestions on a better/cheaper motor and/or better prop?)

I'll be running those batteryspace.com 1100ma 7 cells in her for now but may move to lipos after the bugs are worked out. I'm sorry to be a pain for details but I'm a novice at standard hardware and I don't want to buy the wrong thing. Remember, lowest price with the best performance without going crazy...and the cheapest source. Too hard standards to meet but I'm sure you guys are up to it. :') Thanks again.

critterhunter

Oops, forgot to mention that the radio comes with an RX but I don't know anything about it or even how many channels the JR Sport SX600 is. Knew I forgot to ask something while up there. Anybody know what RX it comes with and if it's good enough compared to the Hitec 555 RX?

critterhunter

OK, did some searching on the web for the parts you mentioned. That BP21 from Balsa Products looks like a winner at $55 including ESC. However, which amp ESC should I get with it and why? In other words, any purpose to buying the higher amp ESC. I see the two BP ESCs listed under the combo buy at the lowest price with the BP21 but am not sure which to get. Are these ESCs lipo/nimh compatible and what other features do they have that are beneficial to the Stryker? Also, can you be more specific about which prop to use with it...brand name, etc? I can't find the JR SX600 TX anywhere on the web so it must be new. The LHS store said it'd be in this week. Really what I need is the cheapest computer radio out there that will do high/low rates and V tail mixing. Also, are there package deals where I can buy the TX, Hitec 555 RX, and the Hitec 81MG servos? I think Balsa Products might put together special packages like this for a cheaper price? Would rather order all parts from one dealer and save on shipping. Questions, questions...

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Critter,
The 55 servos will hold up for a while, but you would be better off with the 81s.
They will squeeze in for a tight fit, the 55's you will have to glue in.
A V tail is similar to elevons like the Stryker uses, same basic principle. I fly my Slo V and my Stryker off my Tx, just takes a little playing around with the settings to make it work, not hard at all.
The Castle is the Rolls Royce of Esc's in my opinion, especially if you get the PC cable to program it. SO easy to change settings, just plug it into your Pc and go in and change what you need to, plus you can upgrade the Esc when ever Castle comes up with something new.
And service is great, no matter how bad you trash one, for $30.00 they will rebuild or replace it. I put one through a prop, they replaced it in 4 days.
As for the Bp combos, go with the biggest esc they offer, the bigger the esc the more it will handle heat better, it won't be working hard at all. Plus you can use it for something else when the time comes to move on. Cadetman or Agcatsbest could better answer your questions on battery compatibility, and exactly which prop to use.
The price on the Tx is outstanding, even more so if it comes with an Rx and servos.
I looked too, couldn't find anything on it. So my opinion is neither yea or nea, not enough info to judge it.

mrfixit54016

Critter,

I agree with Glacier.

One more note is that the Park 400 motor I believe is for a gearbox set-up. I don't think it has the grunt for direct drive like most of us use on the Stryker. The BP21 with the 18 amp ESC for $55 is less than the Park 400 motor alone. Try the BP21 combo, and then later if you need to upgrade, Glacier is right, the Castle ESC's are awesome. I run a Pheonix 35 in my Stryker and I have the USB cable to program it.

The 7 cell batteries withe the brushless motor will probably feel pretty weak. I would say you need at least 8 or 9 cells to get better than stock performance. I ran 10 cell Nimh packs with mine before I went to the PolyQuest Lipo packs.

The computer radios usually have multi- model memory. This allows you to adjust all your settings for one plane, and then name that program. Then, if you buy another airplane, you can adjust all the setting for that model, and then give it another name. So when you get to the field, and turn on your transmitter, the screen will show the two names, and you just select the one you want to fly. All your servo settings and stuff are ready to go!

Find out how many models can be entered into memory, and how many channels it has. It should have 4 or more channels and 4+ model memory to really be considered as a good investment for the future. The price sounds incredible actually.

critterhunter

OK, after a bit more research on the parts you guys suggested I'm starting to narrow down my options but this also provides me with more questions...

On the BP21: I have those batteryspace.com 1100ma 7 cell packs. How well will it perform with these packs? In other words, will it just give me slightly better than stock performance or what? Now, I can always order three or four more of those packs and pull some cells out of one and make some 8 to 10 cell packs. What will the performance be at 8 cells, 9 cells, and 10 cells? I'm just trying to figure out my best options here or perhaps just go lipo as I also use my 7 cell packs for the Challenger so I don't want to butcher a bunch and leave the Challenger high and dry. Still, I feel safer (and better in the pocket book) with Nimhs.

Other related questions on this topic...What is it going to take to make this motor go verticle with pretty much unlimited climb pack wise? Also, I know brushless motors are more effecient than brushed motors so will this equal more flight time on the same pack versus the brushed stock motor, or will the higher horse power of the BP21 make for less flight time? Finaly, what is the most I can expect out of the BP21 performance wise and speed wise under the best battery and flight conditions? If it won't do verticle and the speed isn't much above stock then I'd like to step up to the next (?) motor out there. I read somewhere that the BP21 is not a big enough motor for the Stryker but can't seem to find the thread again. Will the BP21 mount on the stock motor mount or does it involve a lot of work?

The BP Speed Control: I see no mention in the stats regarding Nimhs...only a listing for lipos. Is this speed control (the lower amp one...I think it's 15 amps) not Nimh compatible? What about the higher amp version?

Lipos: Price and configuration as well as a cheap charger. I've heard there is a "dongle" that goes between you're Nimh charger (I have the Piranha Digital Peak Charger) and the lipo that is real cheap and allows lipo charging. Worth the price or what should I buy?

Props: Which props work best with what battery combination on the BP21?

Radios: I don't really need a computer radio provided that something cheaper out there can do dual rates and V-Tail all in the TX. Anybody? Again, I'd rather buy something as a flight pack with the Hitec 81MG servos, a decent receiver, and as you said at least a 4 channel TX/RX.

I know, I'm big on details but like I said I need to be walked through this crap so I don't make a big mistake.

mrfixit54016

I think you can see cadetman's video of his BP21 stryker here:

http://savefile.com/filehost/files.php?fid=7837522

My radio is NOT computerized, but it does have dual rates and mixing. I would love to own a computerized radio now that I have more than one model airplane.

The cut-off for Lipos will still work for NiMh. It is just a voltage level that it senses. Get the 18 amp ESC if you order the BP21.

The BP21 needs a scratch built motor mount. Cadetman used thin ply for his, and I believe my aluminum mount idea would work as well.

You can make your own packs, that is what I did. Going Lipo is a smart move, but invest in a Lipo specific charger for safetys sake.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Critter,
Holy crap, that's a lot to answer.
I shall do my best to answer what I know.
On 7 cells performance will be about same as stock. Going to an 8,9, or 10 cell will really boost performance, but also add weight. Lipos seem to bring these motors alive, probably due to holding volts at a steady setting and their lighter weight.
If the fear of Lipos is there, stay with the regular packs.
Cadetman's bird does quite well, remember the vids. But again that's on 3 cell lipo.
And yes you will have to build your own mount.
As for the lipo convertor for your charger, it's too new to make a call on it. If it works, great, if not oooops! I try and stick with proven equipment, I use the Astro 109. Around $100.00
Props like I said I'm not sure, try Cadetman or Agcatsbest on that one.

Lastly, LISTEN WELL, do not waste money on cheap, just to get it fast. I know it's hard but save your money and buy a good quality TX, and go with a computer model. Later you willl be so much happier. You can do so much more with a computer radio.
Plan for the future when buying the big stuff, and you may never have to replace it.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

OK that was 2 posts from 2 different elders pretty much telling you the same thing.
What more do you need? You're between me and MrFixIt, either of us will be happy to come over to oHIo and slap you around if you like.

critterhunter

No need to slap, I'll pay more attention. :') Yes, you guys have been more than helpful and I thank you. The options have narrowed and that's a good thing as I now have less questions. The BP21 motor and 18amp speed control sounds like what I'll buy. I don't want to break any speed records but I want something that will go verticle unlimited or almost unlimited anyway. I'm guessing this motor will do that provided I feed her the right diet of batteries? So, that eliminates the motor. The speed control, as said, appears to only list lipo stats. However, as you said, it just means the low voltage cutoff will happen a bit sooner on a Nimh when it hits the lipo voltage limit. Still not positive it only programs for Lipos and am probably wrong about this as I can't imagine a speed controller not having Nimh settings as well. That takes care of the speed control.

Onto the servos...I'm tossing that up between the 81s or 81MGs at this time. Better off with the MGs or can the regular 81s handle some extreme speed?

Lipos...Still wondering what the best price/amp hour combination will be from which source, but that's something that will come with a bit more reading on the forums. Probably use what you recommended but I'm going to see if there are cheaper lipos with the same ratings out there.

Lipo Charger...same situation as above.

Radio...this is my main reason why I haven't bought yet. There is an overwhelming amount of radios out there. I plan to wait until this new radio hits the LHS and then make my decision then. If it isn't what I want, or not the price the guy said it should sell for, I'm going to look for a non-computer radio with dual rates and mixing. Any winners to suggest?

RX...From all I've read the Hitec 555 is the best on the market for the price. Still, if I can buy a radio/RX/servo packing for cheap I'll opt for that. I think balsa products will customize a TX/RX/servo package to your liking at a good price and will probably do that when I order the BP21/ESC.

Props...Anybody know if Balsa Products sells the props I'll need for various battery combintations? I'll probably buy a lipo prop, a 7 cell prop (stryker prop good enough?), and an 8 and 9 cell nimh prop. Cadetman?

Still wonder what speed the BP21 will do using the 8,9,10 cell nimhs and a lipo? Thanks again for all the advice. Soon enough I'll be learning all over again.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Critter,
If you are going to spring for 81's go MG. They are bullet proof, and your done, no need to worry about upgrading them. I put reg 81's in T/A1. Last night I was hammering it through the sky(bad day at work, I wonder if I can claim this as therapy), and I kept getting a flutter on the right wing. Yep sure enough, I managed to strip a gear in the servo. Tonight will be transplanting MG's in her.

Though I love the PolyQuest packs, I've been hearing good things on the Dymonds, and they are cheap too.

On your Rx, check the range on it, I was using Futaba 4 channels cause they were smaller and lighter then the Hitecs, only problem was they have a range under 1000 feet. Not good in a bird that will cover that distance in the blink of an eye. If memory serves me, the Hitec is good for a mile.

Edit: p.s. It's always good to read ALL the fine print when you buy something. If I had followed this I would not have trashed a few birds when they got out of range of the Rx.[:@]