Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

Not trying to pick a fight and I am so busy that I probably will not respond to this. I just am trying to share my personal experiances on equipment and setups that I pay for with my own money.

So with that said, add yet another year to me flying with 2 cell Li batteries and no regulators. I have been doing this for so long, I cannot remember exactly how long, either 7, 8 or 9 years. I just do not have enough time to go back and search for when I started this from simple tests in my garage.

BTW, I switched to Li-poly as soon as they came out. Usually 900 to 1200mah (single to twin) for ign and 2200mah for rx (20% to 35%) Will go to (2) 2200mah for the 40%

The entire time I have been using Futaba PMC gear with Hitec digi servos. But as of now for this year, I have gone JR on 2.4. The voltage rating on the JR receiver is 4.8v to 9.5v and the tests that I have done are extrememly positive, or uneventful, matters how you want to look at it.

I have done this on small stuff up to 35%, I will be doing my first 40% at the end of this year or next year. With that said, I can see a powerbox for a 40%, but might try one of the new JR/Spektrum high current receivers with 2 battery leads for the big plane.

Big thing I have learned is that you need to use digi servos, because this makes analog servos hot and angery for some reason.

While doing this, I have never lost a plane to electrical issues, just dumb thumbs.

I have also never fried a servo or a receiver. In fact, many of the componets that I still use today are those original receivers and servo's that I started this with, I have only had to replace the gears a few times because of slop. I have mainly used 56, 57 and 59 series Hitec digi's

BTW, I started all of this after losing a plane due to a regulator failing.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Welcome home.

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

kewl

Silvanskii

My Feedback: (17)

YOU'RE CRAZY YOU'RE GOING TO KILL SOMEONE!

Yea I'm going to get some 2.4's in my 40% and take out the regs in it when I get back to...

11.66 days!

Hammbone

My Feedback: (309)

O.K., but there's really no reason to risk this now that we have the A123 batteries. You can use them without regulators and have a much more acceptable 6.6v.

Jim

octanehuffer

Seems to me that I remember Hitec rating their servos for up to 18v. At least that was the spec I had seen on some servos I was using. I wonder what my Futaba recievers are rated for. I know its not 6v. I would like to not have to worry about the regulators either and ditch them, but the current trend was to use them. I dont use them when building and centering/trimming servos, but install the regs before flying.

BTerry

My Feedback: (8)

The 2.4 Spektrum receivers will never need regulators on a 2S lithium battery of any chemistry. They are rated for 30A @ 9.5V.
Some servos can't handle the high voltage (Futaba high-speed tail rotor servos for example).

Personally I don't like the thought of losing a percentage of my available power/capacity to directly to heat through a linear regulator...

Flyfalcons

Plus you have no recourse if you do fry your servos and try to get them serviced. I do know someone who fried his servos because he didn't use regulators - Futaba Rx, Hitec digi servos. Why take the risk.

Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

I will say this, hitec 5995's @ 8.2V's are amazing!!! KEEP YOUR FINGERS OUT OF THE WAY!!! Or you will lose one!

BTerry

My Feedback: (8)

Yes, when using the higher voltage one must be extra careful when setting up the servos to ensure the control surfaces don't bind, ever. A123 batteries especially! They will ignite servo wires and destroy any circuit board. Ever see a small circuit board that took a full shot of 1200W?

For that matter, have you ever seen a regulator fail? I have and it was ugly.

as722

My Feedback: (1)

Why is 6.6 volts more acceptable ?

Thanks
Albert

Hammbone

My Feedback: (309)

Because it falls within the manufacturers recommended operating range for most servos.

I can never figure out why some people think they know more about a product than the manufacturer does.

Jim

frieshoo

My Feedback: (20)

My college kids have been using Hitec 5995's on 12v for about 2 years. They use the servos in robot, and UAV projects. They use 2.4 RX's.

Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

That is true, for at least 7 years I have not been following the manufacturer guidelines. But also, the manufacturer's have been making a huge amount of money off selling you periphal things such as power boxes, regulators and the like.

So would it be in their best interest to tell you that the system would work at higher voltages and that you did not have to buy any more stuff???

Or tell you that you have to limit everything and buy tons of extra things.

Who's interest are the people selling things looking out for??? For you or them???

My way is cheap and works.

If I put together a 35% I buy six servo's, 2 li-poly batteries, 2 switches and some extentions. They can't make much money off of that.

Sorry if people have a problem with me not spending money, but then, I can buy 2 planes and have them both flying for the cost of one plane with all the extra stuff that they say you need.

Your money, so make your own decision. This was just a here is how I have done it for almost a decade.

Regards

Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

Let me rephrase my statement before anyone get on my case. If you tried to build a plane as light I as I do with my simple setup using all the gear that they say you need, you will be spending big bucks on composite everything to make it as light.

Thats why I say I can build two planes for the cost of one.

Regards

GoeKeli

My Feedback: (18)

Darrin, good to see you back here! Love your style.

joe

krayzc-RCU

My Feedback: (31)

great minds think alike i am with u on that deal...

altavillan

My Feedback: (1)

I guess this is what is meant by WC,BF and I should stop and stop now!

Flyfalcons

I don't think it's a matter of simple is better, but of how far out of the mfg's specs is acceptable. It is easy to set up a simple system while remaining closer to specs, but everyone's tolerance for how much they want to disregard mfg's instructions is different.

Jake Ruddy

My Feedback: (40)

This is great and all.. but the comment about peopel selling power boxes etc.. hitec isn't selling you those.. thats other companies.

Input like this is always great.. but there are some important details. I mean if you go to the field a couple times a month and fly 3 or 4 flights thats one thing.. but if you are there 2-3 times a week and fly 5-8 times each time its says a bit more.

Everyone has had different success with different things that doesnt work for other people... just too many variables. FLy what you are comfortable with and what works for you and keep doing it.


I mean there are engines out there that people swear by.. although under careful consideration those people have been flying the engine for 1 yr and have 3 gallons through it... I can do that in any given weekend if the weather is great and life doesnt get in the way.

Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

That is true about how much the a/c is used. I do deploy for 3 months at a time, but on my 3 months off, I fly 4 to 7 times a day, 7 days a week, depending on weather. Not afraid of the wind btw.

Sad part is I still suck at flying, but I am having fun and that is all that matters!

GTO
baby

Darrinc

My Feedback: (5)

Sorry, I have done pure research work for to many years to believe any of the manufactures claims on anything because we stretched it all to the n'th degree.

Hey guys, thanks for the cheers. I have not been on in a long time because I got so much strife for thinking outside the box.

Went I started this hobby I worked 3 jobs just to buy servo's, and by thinking out of the box, I have not only gotten to fly a lot of great airplanes and meet a lot of fantastic people, but this hobby has given me work in more amazing fields than I could ever imagine. Research to spaceships to UAV's, none of this would of happened with out this great hobby.

Ironically, I do not worry about money anymore and could easily buy all the stuff they say I need to, but I still fall back on thinking and experimenting to see what is really needed.

I guess that is what this post is all about.

Just to share a past experiance, the first thing I saw when I went to work on my first day at Scaled Composites was a sticker for a band, "Rage Against the Machine" They were everywhere.



I would just like to say that that was not a advertisment for a band, but a mindset that allowed this company to break every rule and do what no one else has done...



With that, see you all in a another few years to see where the mind is in this hobby is yet again

latta

GTO
(thats a mindset too. Fly Whatever You Have/Have Fun/Leave Your Negativity at the Door)

RTK

My Feedback: (1)

[sm=thumbup.gif]

Hammbone

My Feedback: (309)

If you want to take the risk of operating a product outside of the manufacturer's recommended operarting parameters, that's up to you.

My point was simply that if you're main goal is to not use regulators, you can now do it with the A123 batteries and not take the risk of the excess voltage. You can still obtain your goal of a simple system with no regulators, without taking the risk of having too much voltage in your system.

Jim

Flyfalcons

You left because people disagreed with your methods? Sounds pretty thin skinned. Anyway, it seems you're trying to make a fight out of nothing, really. No one is saying that your "simple" setup is inadequate, just that there may be a more appropriate method to use a simple setup without avoiding the risk associated with exceeding manufacturer's specs. That's all, really. I have a tough time believing an extra volt or two is really needed above today's power systems and batteries' ability to provide power, but if you enjoy doing your own thing just for the bragging rights then that's cool too.