Looking for some advice/input on this setup for my first park flyer

- Global Wattage Mini Blue Max ARF 40.5" <mostly foam> http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0001P?&I=LXGDW9
-comes with 370 motor
- GWS Flight Pack: ICS-300 speed control, R-6N II receiver with 3 Naro servos. close to http://www.rcmodels.com/rc-gws-2090.html
- GWS crystal
- Fromeco Relion 2400mAh Li Ion battery http://www.fromeco.org/Shop/aRelion%20Batteries.htm
- Duratrax ICE charger http://www.duratrax.com/pdf/dtxp4170-manual.pdf
- Futaba 6EXA Tx

Does anyone see any problem with this setup? Is it a decent choice for a beginner?

I already have the Tx, flight pack and crystal and verified that they all work.

I hear that this is a great plane and looks like you've got a decent package.

If you are going to be self taught, which I will not recommend, go with the EasyStar from Hobby Lobby. Although it's not built to be a 4 channel plane, it is MUCH easier to assemble and be converted to ailerons without much problem. It is really a very stable flyer and one I have given to newbies with minimal instructions and they have been able to fly it once it's in the air. I just sit on the side and yell "Right!!!! LEFT!!!!" when necessary :-)

I'm worried about he batter. Is a Li Ion supposed to be more for a RX? Should I just stick with a Li Poly?

And a ? about discharge. Should I go with a High Discharge (5C) 2000mAh Kokom like KOK2000HC-2S-DNS or super high discharge? And do I need to worry about a regulator?

FMAdirect.com has a nice package with battery, switch, regulator and motor LPS1500-3S-M but I don't need a motor.

Bill - forget the ICS300 and go for the ICS480, this will make it more versatile later on when you start to buy something that flies faster (drawing more amps), nevertheless the ICS300 is fine.

The GWS receiver works well and so do their servos. Do you really need 2,400 mAh? For that sort of a park flyer you want to keep it light, try for a 1,350 mAh or even just 1,500 mAh. The weight savings is great. Please do not go for 3S as most 370 motors will not last long with 3S.

The charger seems decent, try also to look at the Triton or Tahmazo.

As for High Discharge rates ... 5C is NOT high ... its should be 15C. 10C is just average. With EP you will need to calculate AMPS as if not you will burn your ESC or kill your batteries. Gears ratios and prop sizes are important but not that bad for your park flyer. Example:

If your set up will draw 15A then your ESC needs to handle 15A min for constant draw. This is stating the obvious. As for the battery ... if it is a 1,500mAh with a 5C rate then its NOT sufficient for the 15A as 1,500 mAh with 5C only gives you 7.5 amps draw on the battery, using this battery will kill it as the battery cannot keep up. But something like 3,000 mAh 5C can give you the 15A that you need or perhaps a 1,350 15C battery.

Li-ion batteries work fine for your park flyer but their discharge rate is generally not as high as Li-ion. I use Li-ion for my slower planes and li-poly for my higher draw planes.

No regulator required ... the ESC sorts it all out.

Some tricks ... try if you can to solder the ESC to the motor, direct and DO NOT use the connectors, this will give you more oooomph. As for your battery connectors try to use a Deans plug and not the smaller JST connectors. This will benefit you in the long run like getting the ICS480. It allows the amps to be drawn with more efficiency.

Bill-

Why did we spend all this time trying to get your GLOW plane started if you are just going to go electric. Just kidding. My only thoughts are on the charger issue. I know nothing about Duratrax chargers other than that Duratrax is generally known for cars. I know no reason why it wouldn't work. I just got a Great Planes Triton charger which is also a computerized charger for all types of battery. I am very pleased with it so far. Everyone I know thinks it is a great charger as well.

-Scott

Ha! Yea, I know. You see, I like to keep busy. I am into trucks too. I'm thinking of the ICE simply because it has better display, everything else seems identical to the Triton for my purposes. Can you run these chargers off a field battery? That's my plan anyway. As for the glow...the foot of snow and 3 days of freezing drizzle has put a damper on things. I'm fascinated with these slow sticks, so I figure I'll give it a whirl until the weather clears up. I have more confidence in learning to fly a couple piece of foam on a stick for some reason

This Li Poly thing has really got me baffled. I'm not sure what the current draw of a 370 motor is (10A maybe?), the rx documentation shows a 7mA draw for that. The Wattage kit requires a 10A ESC, and the ICS-300 shows Con/Max of 8/15 A, so I think that's a good match. It seems that an 8C 1500mAh would work just based on the average ratings I've been seeing as I surf around...I just need to fit it in the fuselage.

I don't know what 3S means, from tIANci's post. Does that mean 3 cell(11.1v) vs. the 7.4v 2-cell I'm looking for?

Bill - lingo is like this 3S means 3 cells in SERIES, 2P means 2 cells PARALLEL, hence 3S2P would be a 6 battery set up, 3 in SERIES 2 PARALLEL. Usually you need a software like MOTORCALC to calculate the set up (battery/prop/gearing). I think your park flyer will only be drawing about 6A-7A but go for the ICS480 please ...

I am not an electric expert by any means, so you probably want to check on the electric forum, but when I bought my Triton, I was told I would probably only get one or two charges off a field battery. Everyone at my field runs them off their car battery.

-Scott

With a new 12V gel cell you can get at the most about 8 charges only. Best to just use your car battery. As for charging at home you need not buy a nice RC transformer, go get the transformer off an old PC, make sure you get someone who KNOWS how to hook it up for you. It should be rated for nothing less than 12A. This is much cheaper than the nice RC transformers and its totally stable.

tIANci... where do you get your transformers hooked up? I know a place in Atria, PJ which does it. How much would it cost? I am getting pretty tired of having to charge my sealed lead acid battery to power my charger to charge my nicd, nimh and lipos.

I even tried hooking up a power supply from an old pc but I guess I got the wiring wrong. I blew out one phase off the fuse in my house Thank God I didn't get fried along with it. There are so many wires that come out of the PC's power supply and it's usually switched on by a button on the PC case and the Power supply is usually hooked to the mother board for that to happen. So I wish someone will tell me which wires are good to connect to a physical switch without the use of a pc case & motherboard. The problem is.. there are too many different types of power supplies around.