evdreamer

Glenn,

I checked out Mark's link and that is a cool robotic arm.

School is cancelled for tomorrow due to weather.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Yeah, the arm worked out well, I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be a nice little project, and the quality was a lot better than I was expecting.

I'm sure you are just devastated that your first day at school is cancelled...

Have a happy first day off!

Glenn

jroo

This picture rules!

jroo

Yesterday I picked up some 1/16" collars from my hobby store. I've read on the HeliFreak forums that these can be used as flybar weights for the 250. It works great! It really makes the 250 more docile for a new pilot.

Also I have been flying on Phoenix alot. Last night I tried the Balloon Pop challenge. It really helps in orientation training. You find youself flying in all types of orientations rather than just practicing circuits/3d.

JPEE

James, what happend to your cool pictures of heli's and hummer like vehicle?

JPEE

jroo

Now try.

JPEE

Jreue, they are back! Thanks, those are so cool, talk about scale!

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

Nick,

I see you delayed your first day...its inevitable you know. Hope you made the best of your day off.

Glenn,

Where I'm living 3 or 4 inches would be a huge deal, heck flurries would be major!

JPEE,

Glad I was able to help you on the AUX/Gear issue...I can imagine going from different heli's/radio's its easy to miss.

Thanks for the rundown on the nano batteries...decided to go for the regular Turnigy's since I haven't had any problems with them in the past. Besides I don't really have that powerful of a charger/powersupply that can charge at those rates so I'll keep my charge rates at 1.5C...I don't fly that often that I need to charge in 15 minutes.

James,

Did you get your ceiling fan issue solved? Those are some nice action photo's...almost does look scale.

Has been raining all day and I've been trying to kick this bit of a cold I have so not too much going on. Looking forward to later this week when we have warmer temps and I'm feeling better.

Mark

choppersrule

Mark,

I think JPEE's rundown was more directed to the charging system(s), rather than the batteries themselves. The nano-batteries have the capibility to be charged at a much higher rate than normal lipos, but not a requirement. You still have the ability to charge them at 1C or 2C, depending on the charger that you currently have.

Here's the specs on a Nano-Battery:

The nano-core technology in lithium ion batteries is the application of nanometer conductive additives.
1) The nanometer conductive additives form ultrastrong electron-conducting networks in the electrodes which can increase electronic conductivity.
2) These additives create a superstrong ability for imbibition in the carrier liquid to supply more ion channels. This improves the ability of ion transmission and ion diffusion.
Through improving electronic conductivity and ion transmission, the impedance is reduced and the polarization of high rate discharge decreases greatly.
Advantages over traditional Lipo batteries;
-Power density reaches 7.5 kw/kg.
-Less Voltage sag during high rate discharge, giving more power under load.
-Internal impedance can reach as low as 1.2mΩ compared to that of 3mΩ of a standard Lipoly.
Greater thermal control, pack usually doesnt exceed 60degC
-Thickness swelling during heavy load doesnt exceed 5%, compared to 15% of a normal Lipoly during heavy load.
-Higher capacity during heavy discharge. More than 90% at 100% C rate.
-Fast charge capable, up to 15C on some batteries.
-Longer Cycle Life, almost double that of standard lipoly technology.

Dave

JPEE

Hey Guy's

Like you all there's not much going on here either. High winds and you don't even want to be outside, and of course the kicker is the roofs and lawns were white and frozen this morning, before the wind of course.

I have just been out in the shop throwing stuff out trying to make room out there as well heli/plane stuff I don't use anymore. Just doing a good old house cleaning. In fact, I just charged a 2S pack and took my old CX2 for spin while there going through stuff. While flying around the shop I looked at the 600 in back ground and then back to the CX2 and asked, is this "really" where I started? Where have the last couple of years gone?



Dave your right, I did not touch on the battery itself, but as you said, rather on the charging capabilties. The other post I got involved on this subject was with guys touting the 5C charging abilities. I did not want some of the less informed go buy these packs because they might have a 10 amp charger and just think, plug her in a let her go, it won't happen.

Thanks for stopping by, we miss you!

jroo

ANyone playing Phoenix tonight.

I have multiplayer channel up entitled 'RCUniverse Fun Fly' if you want to join

JPEE

Sorry Jreue, I have the G4.5 Real Flight.

choppersrule

JPEE,

Sounds like you may be reminiscing a bit with the CX2. I sold many helis over the years, and now down to two. A 450 and a 500. There's days I look back on the good old CX and Blade CP days a few years back. I still think about getting another coaxial, just for fun.

What ever happened to Global Warming? It cycles every 2 million years. LMAO!

Dave

evdreamer

Glenn,

I had a pretty good day. My second day of school was also cancelled due to the extra snow today. I got my third revision battery management circuit board today. I finished assembling my first one and will test it out tomorrow.

Mark,

I hope you get better soon.

James,

That is good the flybar weights are helping out on the 250.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Sounds cool on your new revision boards, and the progress on the first one. Hope it turns out well...keep us posted as always...

I guess that's cool that you got another day off, I just hope they don't pile up too much work on you for the missed time...

I have been super lucky here this year, the snow keeps missing us and going up north to NYC and Boston...which is just fine with me...

Hope your day at school tomorrow goes well...

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

I am having some problems with my new boards. It isn't communicating with my LCD chip. I have put the same chip in my old board and it communicates with the LCD chip just fine. The communication circuit in my new boards is the same one that's in my old boards, so I am having a hard time finding the problem. I see a signal coming from my LCD chip and going into my main chip, but a signal isn't coming out of my main chip. If it was a code problem it wouldn't work in my old boards. The rest of the circuits seem to be working just fine.

That is good you keep missing all the snow.

Nick

evdreamer

Guys,

I finally got my new board communicating. I put a couple of parts from my old boards in and that fixed the problem. I am really happy with this board. The Voltage stays accurate once the balancer comes on and the balancer works a lot better than the old version I had. I am glad I designed this one to have a heat sink because I missed calculated how hot the MOSFET would get.

Nick

JPEE

Nick,

Glad you got through the board problem so fast. Congrats!!!!!!!!


I hope you can make it to school tomorrow too.


JPEE

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

Good morning guys,

Nick,

Did you have class this morning or got lucky again? Congrats on fixing the issue you were having with your board.

My cold seemed like one of those 24 hour things...glad that's over with.

Glenn,

Looks like we are having some cold weather again too...was 33 this morning. Glad your missing much of the snow hits this year.

Just wanted to share with you an obsession of mine other than heli's...and a strong factor in my wanting to move down to Florida...scuba diving. If anyone ever wanted to take it up don't hesitate...it really is worth it.

The video is a compilation of several dives that I did while living in South Carolina, and while the visibility isn't the greatest, you still get a general idea of the relaxing nature of it. BTW, I didn't mess with any of the marine life...they just don't like to be video'd.

And yes, that is a tuna with a huge chunk taken out of it...possibly a boat prop strike or close call with a predator. [X(]

Nice break from all the cold weather.

Well, here it is: http://vimeo.com/18705065

Mark

evdreamer

Guys,

Yeah, I had to go to school today. There was about 200 people in both of my classes today. The sidewalks were packed with students like my high school hall ways. It was one degree when I went to school this morning.[&o]

Here is my new board I was talking about.

Mark,

That is good you are feeling better.

Nick

rotarydoc

Hey guys,

Mark,

Glad your cold was short lived...everyone around me here at work is sick, it's probably just a matter of time...

That diving looks interesting...that's about as opposite as you can get from flying an RC heli in the air...lol...

Those barracuda look neat...how much danger do they present to divers? I know they have some nasty teeth...

Nick,

Sorry your classes are packed, and it was one degree...hope the walk from the garage to the building isn't too long in that weather.

Your board looks excellent...professional grade I may add...very nice work. I like the heat sink on the MOSFET, looks cool.

Glad you figured out the communication issue.

JPEE,

I'll try to get a video one of these days of the robotic arm. Maybe this weekend...

Glenn

JPEE

Hi Mark,

Great under water there Mr. Sea Hunt! Are you old enough know whow that was? [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyK9VmA_KL0]SEA HUNT[/link]

I have to tell you Mark that while watching your video I got a real CLOSTO feeling hearing the breathing though the scuba gear, kinda gave me with the willies. The video itself was great!

Glad your feeling better too.


Nick,

Your board looks very cool! Once that puppy is done and inside a box it will look professional (1) degree, I annot even phathom that is my wildest dreams[X(][X(][X(]


JPEE

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

Sorry JPEE,

Didn't know what SeaHunt was...even after watching the youtube vid.

Glenn,

Barracuda can be dangerous...just with any marine creature...they tell you don't wear anything shiney that could be mistaken as an injured fish...barracuda mainly attack wounded fish and floating scales from an injured fish could be mistaken by jewelry.

Guys,

Heli down today. []

More to follow as I get the pictures loaded. Needless to say the 500 carnage is good...

Mark

JPEE

OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please don't tell me that Mark[][][][][][][][][] We will wait for the pictures. But before I leave this topic, go to Xheli and get their EXI 500 frames they are only $29.00. I have gone through two sets of them! [link=http://www.xheli.com/exi-500-118.html]EXI FRAMES[/link]
Mark, here are the stock Align frames and their prices, YIKES $65.00. They also sell GF lower prices frames too. But as I said, in buying the EXI frames twice the only difference I found was the frame cut out had a few rough edges and you have to sand those anyway. [link=http://www.helidirect.com/align-main-frame-16mm-h50027a-trex500-p-16420.hdx]Align Main frames[/link]

I can't say I am waiting for your pictures anxiously, this whole thing kinda makes me sick to be honest. And please consider as many EXI parts that you can without suffering a loss of quality, ie: landing gear, tail fins, as an example.

JPEE

PS: Sea Hunt was show in the 50s. My Dad was a sculputer and model maker. He and his crew made all of the underwater stuff, rocks, coral, other objects that you see on the show when it was shot in a big tank on the movie lot.

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

Sorry for the wait...been a bit busy at work to do anything else...how dare work interfere with my crash report.

So here's what happened...

Went to go flying around 11 this morning since it was 28 F at my normal flying time (7am)...weather was in the mid 40's with clear blue skies. Practiced my loops mainly...small ones to increasingly larger ones. Was getting better at them with slowing things down at the top end and smoothing out the curve on the down side of it when I ran out of altitude on the down leg of my last one.

I had done this exact same thing twice on the sim...and ending in a crash as well (where's the darn real-life reset button ). I've also done this to an airplane several years ago, so it seems to be a recurrent problem of concentrating so hard not noticing the ground is much closer than anticipated.

In the pictures you'll see the first hit planted the landing gear into the sand and the ziptie release worked just as expected...letting the rest of the heli continue forward. The rest of the heli plowed at a nose in angle which ejected the canopy several yards away then caught the main blades and flybar and made a twisted mess of them. Looks like the boom got twisted on final impact.

I don't feel quite as bad as I thought since I was in total control all the way into the ground...wasn't like it was dump thumbs or mechanical failure. And JPEE, I am definitely going to be getting inexpensive replacement parts from XHeli...still have to go over the heli but have no issues with replacement clone parts. Don't feel like doing an Align $200 repair.

Mark