jchumley

My Feedback: (1)

I seem to be making just about every mistake you can make here lately as far as RC is concerned. Las night, I was putting a new JR connector on a receiver battery pack and I learned 2 lessons.

1. Drain the battery before adding connectors.

2. Cut the wires one at a time.

I was evening up the wires with a wire cutter and cut them all at the same time. Probably no big deal except for some reason they wouldnt cut all the way through. I think one of them was too close to the pivot and was blocking the jaws. Anyway, the cutters closed the circuit and as I squeezed harder and harder, the wires quickly heated up and melted. THey cut through the shrink wrap around the battery. I finally cut hrough one of the wires near the root to break the circuit.

Please tell me I am not the only one to do this.

Jeff

Jim_McIntyre

You're in good company.

I did something similar when I was running an ignition pack connection through the firewall in a 1/3 scale CAP.

Kaos Rulz

........it reminds me of the gentleman I saw purchasing two sub-C 1400's and put them both in the same pants pocket. :stupid: He collected his change (went into the same pocket) and proceeded out the door. As soon as he got out the door, he felt a VERY warm sensation in his pants pocket, looked down to see his pants on fire. Yup, he stripped right there in public. A combination of his car keys and change shorted out his batteries creating the heat/fire.
He was lucky enough to put the fire out by stepping on the pants as they were dressed around his ankles. He then pulled his pants back up (with as much dignity as he could) and proceeded to his car without saying a word.
I don't know who he was, nor have I seen him since, but it taught me a lesson. KEEP THEM BATTERIES AND WIRES SEPARATED.
In retrospect, he was very fortunate that the batteries didn't short out in his pants while he was driving. OUCH!!!

RedWing

My Feedback: (4)

Your battery glow igniter will heat up also if you put in your pocket with any metal in the same pocket.
No I haven't done it myself, but a club member has.

Bill

SaviCatses

hmm, I just started flying this year... thanks for the warning! I could have become another victim I've kept the glow starter in my jacket pocket once or twice when it was still cold out (I also didn't have a field box then).

I'll remember this!

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Yes it will! I usually put my glow igniter in my pocket after starting the engine, and one time I didn't think about what else was in the pocket. (Car keys.)

I was lucky. As soon as I felt a bit of heat I knew! I pull it out without any "personal" damage.

But I haven't melted my battery pack wires, yet.
Dennis-

causeitflies

Lately