ORIGINAL: aresti2004
And before peole get started, these power box things are another solution to a problem that does not exist. Once again, people are off to the races without getting the basic data required to understand if a problem even exists before they come up with a solution for it.
I know you're not specifically talking about me when you say "before people get started".........
But let me say this, I chose a Duralite Powerbox for several
cumulative reasons not one overwhelming selling feature. The PB is not the be all end all of battery and switch problems but I was tired of haveing $13 switches (Futaba and JR brand) be the cause of complete airplane losses, other than the times when I just flew the plane into the ground.
Here are the reasons I chose the Powerbox....
1. battery redundancy.
2. voltage regulation for each battery pack.
3. switching done electronically and not dependent on an actual plastic switch. ANY failure of the switch, the switching fails in the open position.......theoretically......
4. complete isolation of the servos and leads from the receiver through ferrite chokes.
5. servo signal amplification
6. servo end point and center point programming.
7. voltage monitoring visible ON the aircraft, no pulling out a battery meter and plugging in to read the batts voltage level. Average and lowest voltage seen during the last flight is visible at the touch of a button.
I know ALL of these features are available from other companies. I felt however that having all of them in one unit, designed to work together was safer than having a hodgepodge of different products from different companies wire bundled together in the fuse of my plane. Sure if any 1 function of the PB fails it MAY all fail, but that's no different from the hodgepodge. I'm losing the mess of different colored bundled wires, and about 15 extra connections.
So for me yes the PB IS a solution to a problem that does most certainly exsist, at least in my mind.
Long story short, it can all fail, even the PB! I've made a conscious decision to trust Duralite and the Powerbox system with all those functions. Things in the past I've tried have failed, and things I've tried in the past have worked, I'm betting a >$4500 Comp ARF 2.6 Extra that the PB system works.
That's all any of us can hope for no matter what or who's equipment we choose to use in our planes.
It's all a crapshoot.