Very Good Point Matt...
I understand the concept of what you are saying... The ratings on ESC seem pretty simple most come with a stated limit 10, 25 ect.
But what about batteries...how do you figure out the limit on the batteries?
I am currently using a 8 cell 1100mah Nicad battery to fly my bird-E-dog...has been working okay...not what I'd call anywhere near overpowered.. won't ROG...strictly handlaunch getting 5- 8 minute flights or so... but the battery is pretty hot when I'm done.
I just ordered a GP Electrfly 8 cell 9.6 volt 1100mah nimh pack...I'm assuming this pack will work also? First thing I noticed is the wire are a whole lot thinner? Is this really going to work? How do I know if I'm okay? [sm=drowning.gif] (I mean before I see smoke and flames????)
As someone suggested I could spend the money on Lipos and brushless motors rather than a meter...can't figure out what ones to get.
I would hope to be able to such eqipment in other airplanes too... but I get the impression that as soon as you change one variable...prop, gearbox, motor or battery.. everyting changes[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]
ORIGINAL: Matt Kirsch
Having the meter is only useful if you learn how to make use of it, though.
The meter is useful for checking that you aren't exceeding the ratings of ANY piece in the system. That means battery, ESC, and motor. Knowing that your system is drawing 37.6 Amps does you no good if you don't realize that the battery is only rated for 25 Amps peak, or the ESC is only good for 30 Amps...
The meter is also useful for finding problems. In a 30 second run, you can watch to see what the voltage does. If you see it dropping dramatically, you know that there's a problem. Either the battery has been damaged, or you're exceeding its rated capacity.