Hi,
I understand your wanting to keep things simple. But I look at it this way. If you get a bad capacitor (and it does happen a lot, especially high voltage caps) then the ignition could start causing a tremendous amount of noise I know the IBEC cannot filter out and there goes your plane. Or you could get an arc from your ignition modules high voltage section back to the battery side and then you have your receiver running off 800V. Sorry, for the price of a battery I value my plane and my customers' planes more than that.

Originally Posted by boucher0331

To rrritchey

Just my 2 cents.
I like your products and use them as much as i can!!! Also thank you for all the times i got great service and help from Smart-fly over the years.

-I use an IBEC on every thing from 30cc to my 170cc raven and would like to use a quality product from smartfly, but am forced to use Powerbox Spark switch on 100cc and up. I do use the TBM IBEC and RCEXL IBEC on smaller gas Planes.
It's not as much about the weight but rather on keeping it simple and less things to go wrong. Think about it. From the batt (LIPO) to a power switch, then to a REG, then to a kill switch and finally to the receiver and ignition moduale. Have fun trouble shooting that at the field it one fails on on you. NO THANKS I'll take an IBEC any day over all that and save some money and keep it simple.

-I would also like to see end loading systems from you to keep installs neater and have a LCD meters/read out. It's Nice to push a button and have critical info at you fingers like voltage,amp draw,batt status. for peace on mind.

Keep up the great work.

Hi,
Hmmm, did you hear about all the Fisker owners that got stranded because their battery packs failed? Even Tesla is having some issues. What about the 787? There are no shortage of examples out there that lithium batteries are not very reliable in the long run.

Originally Posted by pawnshopmike

I understand Mr. Ritchey's concern with IBEC. But if today's smarts cars with all their electronic wizzardy function just fine on one battery, surely our toy airplanes can fly on one battery?

I plan to purchase two of your products this year. And I wish you and your company the best. You exchanged a EQ 10 for me at Joe Nall, with no fuss 100% no BS gareentee. And won my loyality for ever. Smart Fly will be in all my GS planes. RUTNBUC

Oh , I think your products are competively priced as well. Power Box pricing seems like gouging to me.

Bob, I use your products in my jets and there are a few things that I'd like to see... it all relates to monitoring and seeing data from my system.

1.) A digital readout with battery voltage and consumption
2.) Ability to see amp load for set-up as well as spikes during a flight
3.) Integration of telemetry
4.) Integrated stabilization system/gyro

As it stands, I can do all of these things with separate components from different companies, but I prefer to have an integrated solution or buy from one manufacturer.

Hi,
Working on 1 and 2 and they are kind of what has slowed down the new units. Making a general purpose expansion bus to handle multiple display types and add-ons. For telemetry, I know I can do S.Bus2 but not sure about the Spektrum stuff, they want to license it. Might be able to piggy back on the PowerBox special format on their bus.

Originally Posted by dubd

Bob, I use your products in my jets and there are a few things that I'd like to see... it all relates to monitoring and seeing data from my system.

1.) A digital readout with battery voltage and consumption
2.) Ability to see amp load for set-up as well as spikes during a flight
3.) Integration of telemetry
4.) Integrated stabilization system/gyro

As it stands, I can do all of these things with separate components from different companies, but I prefer to have an integrated solution or buy from one manufacturer.

Awesome! There seems to be a bit of interest in #4 in the jet world. Perhaps a partnership with Eagle Tree? I just purchased their Guardian for my F-14 and now have to figure out how to get it to work with a EQ10 because of all the mixing of control surfaces.

I think you could do an IBEC that you could stand behind. Think hipot transformers and local oscillaters and MOVs etc.. It would be pricey, and wouldn't be small or very light. But based on the comments here there is a good chance there is a market for it. Couldn't tell you if the market is large enough to chase. If you did a first order sizing and pricing estimate, this blog (or a forum on the same subject) might be enough market research to tell whether more effort was justified. I run an ignition battery with your optical cutoff and am quite happy with the result, so I wouldn't be part of the market.

Hi,
Sorry, I have talked to Mike at Fromeco and he thinks the same thing. There is no way to make one of these completely safe. I guess if I loose the business I will just loose it. I am not going to explain to someone that the ignition module fried the IBEC and it got back into the receiver.

Originally Posted by CatalinaWOW

I think you could do an IBEC that you could stand behind. Think hipot transformers and local oscillaters and MOVs etc.. It would be pricey, and wouldn't be small or very light. But based on the comments here there is a good chance there is a market for it. Couldn't tell you if the market is large enough to chase. If you did a first order sizing and pricing estimate, this blog (or a forum on the same subject) might be enough market research to tell whether more effort was justified. I run an ignition battery with your optical cutoff and am quite happy with the result, so I wouldn't be part of the market.

People now days just want cheap and easy.Gone are the days of quality and reliability that we they were happy to pay for. I commend RR for not lowering to the cheap and easy.He builds a quality product that lasts a lifetime which is a dual edge sword for his business. I wish you luck with trying to maintain a profit with the new world business plan.

I won't argue with your business decisions. I'm sure you get blamed for enough fried receivers without even being involved with the ignition circuit.

How many people have lost a plane to an IBEC? Id like to know.

Not me.Been flying the Tech-Aero ibec's for several years now.Never had one go bad,never had a dead stick from one,and certainly never fried my rx. I would think if they can build a dependable ibec,Smart Fly could build one he could stand behind,but it is his decision.

I use the tech aero ones too. Not even a glitch.

Maybe a lighting system/controller.

As far as electronic on a gs plane, list them and figure a way make em better, more user friendly, or more dependable/
Ignitions, switches, regulators, batteirs, servo leads, filters,rx's , electric retracks,telemetry,lights,servos,smoke pumps.. Thats a idea smoke pumps , with over the top adjustablity and programabilty. Cause Skywriters are nice program wise but the pump itself sucs azz.