E-Power for Dummies?
 

Can anyone recommend an ABC's of electric motors and DC power as it applies to E-Flight? I know H.Higley's book was recommended in another post but I am looking for somthing that has been written this decade. Also I have poured over the FAQ's here and found a few too many "BUZZ" ( no pun intended) words for my Peanut scale brain. I would appreciate any and all suggestions, make that any and MOST suggestions. Thanks
Mikel-T

RE: E-Power for Dummies?
 

Well, Harry Higley's book is pretty much the only published work specifically on the subject. The basics don't change. Series and parallel circuits, Volts and Amps, all that stuff stays the same. Problem is, the technology by which those basics are implemented changes literally every day. A book written now would have little value six months from now when it comes to press.

... and they're not "buzz words," they're technical terms! *grrrrr* ;) You can easily look them up using the search feature of this site, and you can expand your search to the Internet. Most of what you consider "buzz words" are simply brands and/or models of motors, ESCs (electronic speed controls), or batteries (e.g. Hacker B50, Mega 16/15/5, Astro 010, Sanyo CP2400). The rest are terms common to simple electronics (e.g. wire, Volts, Amps, Watts, series, parallel) which you can learn about by picking up a book on basic electronics at your local Borders. Buzz words are words like "synergy" and "paradigm shift" that don't really describe anything, but make you sound intelligent and seem like smart things to do at the time. Electric flight is always a smart thing to do, unless it's too windy :)

Electric flight is a dish best consumed in small portions, though. You will learn the most by following discussion forums like this one. If it gets overwhelming, take a break and do something else for a while. I always find that if you let the information sink in and settle for a while, it usually straightens itself out.

Hope to see you back here with questions about your first electric project soon!

RE: E-Power for Dummies?
 

Matt: Well said and thanks. Just FYI I just spent an hour in Barnes&Noble then surfed Amazon for a book that gives the basics. Well there is very little other than text books starting at $44bucks and they assume you are persuing a career in the electronics field. Why not humor me and go see for yourself how easy it ain't to pick one up at the local Borders. I look forward to my first E-Powered which is the Super Miss in a packaged format to get my feet wet. Thanks again, Mikel-T:D

RE: E-Power for Dummies?
 

The Ezone has a whole section devoted to exactly what you need. And it is up-to-date, unlike most hard-copy books. Try it, you'll like it. Dzl

RE: E-Power for Dummies?
 

DZL: Hey, Thanks for the heads up on Ezone, they do and I did!. Also in response to your tag line " What if it smells like fish......?" [:-]

RE: E-Power for Dummies?
 

Eau de diesel does NOT smell like fish. It is an acquired taste, however. :D Dzl