CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

If You're interested, here's an upgrade I love!

If You want to conserve weight; use the stock tray, although strength will be somewhat comprimised in a wreck.
My video shows what was a grossly overweight aluminum battery tray upgrade chopped to do what I want without adding much weight at all. My heli showed a weight gain of maybe 2 Grams after the mod.

It provides:

VERY quick battery changes
Allows You to use puffy, or slightly non stock sized batteries
Looks very clean.

Hope You enjoy it.

http://rcuvideos.com/item/TRSWNCNYHLSN8RZX

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Good mod and explaination! I've done something somewhat similar, but i have the Xtreme gear underneath where the battery lies in.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

As long as we are playing, here's my battery holder. It is not elegant nor as techie as Goldslinger's. (nice job Gold) I could make things look better with a spritz of paint and it would certainly be more photogenic. But it probably wouldn't work any better than it does now.

The photos pretty well tell the story. The heart of the holder is the velcro strap. Most Velcro is heavy and aggressive, but these straps are sold to be used as wire ties so they are far less aggressive and lighter weight The Velcro has always had adequate grip for the job, and I never have to wonder if I'm going to pull the heli apart trying to separate the Velcro portions.
A strap is 8" x 1/2" (20cm x 13mm) and weighs 0.8g. The straps are double sided with the barnacles are on one side and the fuzz on the other- so they stick to themselves with one wrap. The strap is longer than required unless you are mounting a Die-Hard battery.
I cut one strap to length and CA'd it to the frame so it is one less loose part to fight with. After positioning the battery for balance, I wrapped the strap around the battery and marked the spot where the strap crosses the battery. Then I epoxied the cut-off piece of Velcro to the battery in that spot with the barnacle side exposed. The Velcro strap grips the battery and itself for excellent retention and easy release. The epoxied pad positions each battery in the correct location for that particular battery.

Not elegant but very effective. The tray with the strap weighs 4.9g. And it accommodates any battery I've seen.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

That's a good mod. solo. The advantage is letting One experiment with different power packs.

I like it !

Shufflez,

That sounds like a good set up; do You have a pic or 2? Maybe I can improve on My tutorial. I'm always willing to start over or edit, etc.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Great stuff Goldslinger! Now you have me thinking of doing that very thing! I'm going to do it the stocker vs. the CNC tray.
Keep those video tutorials coming....great stuff!

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Thanks, Shane.

I'm not even going to pretend that it is an original idea; I just thought of doing it to the CNC tray. The stock will do just fine and be lighter.

Gary

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

I gotta get some squirty paint. My plastic stuff is all black. Your stuff is all pretty. At least I could make mine look a little better! I'll make sure not to use lead based paint so I don't get recalled.
And besides that, lead is heavy.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

I did something similar to velcro but with rubber bands. It is not as quick to put the battery in, but it does the job. I just wrapped them around the battery tray.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Very innovative, evdreamer.

I forgot to mention that i did away with the 'stop' (gets cut off with the cage part) so as to be able to adjust the C/G forward or aft for my camera or outside flying, etc., but it can work against your trim as well, if You don't get the battery in the same way each time.

It's pretty easy to get it in the same way each time, though. I just align the rear of the battery with the rear of the holder.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

There ya go! Simple elegance.

With my temperament, rubber bands don't work. If it fights me twice, it's outa here. I put rubber bands right up there with pneumatic door closers. Most people use rubber bands and door closers just fine. Perhaps I'm too far outside the box, but I like it here in la-la land.


Hey, it's your helicopter and it works for you. It weighs nothing. It's dead reliable unless you live in a severe ozone area. A friend with a really big degree - doctorate of something or other - uses rubber bands too. What more could you ask?

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

We all have our ways of aligning the battery.
There is a parting line between sections of our stove top. I align the skids of the heli with that parting line, then measure 11 feet 4 1/4 inches from the microwave to the back of the battery. Works every time.
Maybe I'll hold your way in reserve in case I'm not home or something. It beats having to take the stove and microwave with me.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

I do have to add that I used the stock tray and rubber bands until I quit using the aft body section. There's no way to get a battery, velcro and fingers all in that opening.
And I do miss the aft body. I like the look of a full bodied helicopter.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

I hear ya.

It took Me a long time to go 'boom,' the main reason for being outdoor flight, and weight reduction (which I've long abandoned with all the aluminum); now I can't go back and add even more weight with the stock body.

I don't miss how fragile it is, however. I spent awhile gluing lights all over, until my Daughter cut the thing in half with a bladerunner heli She was learning to fly.

Gary

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Well I've just finished my battery tray mod....all velcro now from the stock beast. Sure wish I had an accurate scale to see what the difference is.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

better pad the ceiling

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

LOL not quite that good but I've got my hands free hover back. Was brave enough to set the tx down and walk underneath it :)
to quote Forrest....Stupid is as Stupid does :)

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

All's well that ends well. So, you're happy now?

Oh, crap - I just remembered that I changed all of the clocks here except the alarm clock.
Gotta git!
But I'll be back

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Truth be known I'm so happy with this CX2 after the Xtreme upgrades and all the modding and tweaking that I would be brave enough to say....it's perfect. Need a new canopy for cosmetic reasons but other than that it flies great. Now that I have blades that don't break when you look at them wrong I'm trying things I would have never tried before! Funny part is it's just so stable and so easy to fly that I can do alot of things I had only seen videos of. I'm just having more fun than one man should have by himself!

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

That's really cool, Stump.

I'm happy for You. Now, finally, You see what I am all jazzed about. It's freedom from the shackles of blade inventory.

It's better flight characteristics, and on, and on, and on. . . ;)

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Call me crazy but I like the stock battery tray.

Gary,
That was an outstanding tutorial. You are now required to do one for all of the mods discussed on this forum. Thank you in advance. ;)

A little OT, but back to the Xtreme stuff.
How can we determine/quantify whether the grips and blades really do have more lift?
I'm interested for obvious reasons...gasp, gasp, deep breath, OK I'm good.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

Thank You, Wolf,

I'm not certain; it's just the 'feel' of it, You know. You fly a hundred sorties with the stocks, install these and whamo! You notice it.

That's about as Scientific as I'm probably going to take it; for now as I'm enjoying flying more and repairing less; which is the main reason for going over.

I really do think they have more lift, though. ;)

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

That's good enough for me, ;);) nudge, nudge, know what I mean.

I guess I will have to consider that.
Although I still need to get the Xtreme motors, so that will be my next upgrade.

I would just love to get more lift up here. Just seems like I have a lot of unused battery left, can't get below 7.5-7.7 volts and short flight times because there is just not enough lift at this altitude.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

I'll back up what Gary said....these Xtreme blades have more lift. Once you have this thing tuned right in there is a huge difference, it's almost night and day. I will say though you will need a higher C rated lipo to really see the difference. I'm not 100% sure what totally changed in my bird but after balancing the pots and getting everything inline my average flight time with the DN lipos is 12 to 13 minutes. Stockers 8 to 9 minutes. Handles like a different heli, it's just that much better. You will have to fly it to believe it. Too bad Gary and I aren't closer for you to try it out!

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

stump,

Can you get to the top of one of those mountains you can see?
I really need an altitude test.

Hurry up before the snow gets too deep.

BTW, I flew at my Dad's house when my CX2 was mostly stock...these things fly at 9,000 ft. too!
But not for that long, I think close to 2 minutes less flight time.

RE: CX, CX-2 BATTERY TRAY MOD. W/ Video Tutorial
 

LOL! Guess I could always make a weekend trip to Banff or something :) But that's only 4537 Feet.....hmmm well I could go skiing up at Sunshine village....top of the mountain there is 8650 feet. But I haven't skied in 20 years....guess I could take my son and teach him....just scared if wiped out up there my poor CX2 would get crushed! How funny would that be though....going skiing...nope just getting to the top of the mountain to do some altitude tests with my RC heli! I'm sure I would get some strange looks from people coming off the ski lift!