SmartFly or Power Box?, Fromeco or Duralite?

[juliod]

Hello, What do you prefer, a smartfly EQ10 or a Power Box?
and the batteries, Fromeco or Duralite?
I'll construct a 40% plane and I would like to know what kind of batteries and Power Expander are better.

[tec]

	Quote: Originally Posted by juliod
	Hello, What do you prefer, a smartfly EQ10 or a Power Box? and the batteries, Fromeco or Duralite? I'll construct a 40% plane and I would like to know what kind of batteries and Power Expander are better.

All the gear you listed is top end stuff, What do you like better? Ford, Chevy or Dodge?

[Extra260]

Smartfly is less expensive and much easier to opperate. I have an eq-10 in my 40% and it was super easy to get the servos matched. I have all of the smartfly stuff, it is the best. Also get the turbo reg for power and fromeco 5600 batts.

[rduley]

	Quote: Originally Posted by juliod
	Hello, What do you prefer, a smartfly EQ10 or a Power Box? and the batteries, Fromeco or Duralite? I'll construct a 40% plane and I would like to know what kind of batteries and Power Expander are better.

I just re-did a 40%er with Fromeco 5200's(li-ion) and the Smartfly EQ10 and the Turboreg. Nice stuff and great customer service from both. If you go with smartfly, buy one of the package deals from their website to save some jack.

rob

[rdgood]

OK,
This is my two cents..

I wouldn't touch Duralite's with a ten foot pole! IMHO!!

I have had flawless success with 5 giant scale models. Excellent customer support from both Mike and Kurt.

The same goes for Smartfly Equalizers and EQII's. Their circuits work and I helped many folks install Smartfly and Fromeco equipment.

That's about all I have to say about that..


Ronster

[exeter_acres]

Fromeco battery to a switch, through a Fromeco regulator....into the RX... and that is it

[tkilwein]

Here is where I put my money.
I modified the Fromeco regs a bit with my custom heatsinks.

[fastford]

Fromeco all they way no better customer support in this hobby. PERIOD....

[KAMELLO]

	Quote: Originally Posted by tkilwein
	Here is where I put my money. I modified the Fromeco regs a bit with my custom heatsinks.

thats crazy !

[martin18152]

I have the PowerBox 40/24Champion, If that’s what you are considering, and it works fine, however you need a programmer module to set up the servos sync, it was an extra 60 bucks. The power box teamed up with the duralite batteries gives you battery health status lights. The power box is supposed to pull a shorted wire or servo out of the circuit, and keep you from wasting your batteries on a short or jammed servo, I don’t know if the smart fly has that ability. Even though the power box duralite was designed for duralite batteries, I use fromeco batteries because they are a better value, and the status lights still give you a conservative health status. The power box gives you a dual electronic failsafe switch. You can check the health of a single battery operating the controls , or both batteries operating the controls, and if any wires come lose from the switch, or the switch fails, the unit will default to the on position. The smart fly uses a simple single mechanical switch; however, has the same failsafe properties.

I also have the smart fly EQ10, I like it for two reasons, it’s a value, half the price of the PowerBox, and you can sync up servo banks on all the channels using on -board programming, where the power box has three sync servo banks; however, it has enough banks for any 40% plus plane. In my opinion, the smart fly programming is a little more involved than the power box , but still fairly easy. The interesting thing about the smart fly EQ10, is its power source is flexible, similar to the PowerBox, which means you can attach two Li, or NiMH, or NiMH with out a regulator. You can also attach a regulator, and I actually have a turbo regulator connected to mine, but I’m not sure why, I may take it off if I find no advantage. Look on the smart fly site, and you will see all the connection combinations.

In the final analyses, I would say pick the Smart fly EQ10 based on a value to function quotient. If money is no object, I would go with PowerBox Royal, it has all the EQ10 options and more. When I bought my PowerBox Champion, there were no other products out there to compare. My PowerBox has been operating for over 3 years in a 3.3M Comp Arf Yak, on the other hand I just installed the EQ10 in my 42% AW Extra, and haven’t got a chance to fly it, so my operational use of the EQ10 is limited. So far, all I have done is set up the plane; however I found it very easy to program and set up, the fact that you can sync up on any of EQ10’s multiple servo banks, makes it breeze to set your plane up any way you want.

[madmax]

Julio, welcome to FlyingGiants sir!

Guys, the product war stuff has been out of control lately, please keep responses civil, friendly, and on topic.

Thanks fellas, MD

[BOSSIER_ROB]

At the time of purchase, I was unfamiliar with Smartfly products. I read all the hoohaa about the Duralite Powerboxes and decided on the SC-12. The thing I liked was the $60 programmer versus the $120 programmer from HiTech required to match servos since I used 5955's all the way around. I was able to match all of my servos easily and perfectly on the first try. I will also add that this was my first large airframe(35%) and had zero experience with all of the power expanders. So far, I am the only one at my local club using a Duralite brand expander and batteries. Everyone else uses Smartfly products. I do not regret buying the SC-12 and plan to put one in my new 42% extra since I'm already familiar with the set up and I have not had one single problem or hickup with it. I do see were you could save some cash on the Smartfly and they now have expanders with the same capabilities and I have not seen nor heard anything negative about them. I think either way you go, you've made a great buy. It's just as someone else stated. It's personal preference. The bottom line is, which sticker will look better on your airplane's covering? Duralite or Smartfly? I like the Duralite! lol