NW IMAC Competition Thread

[Major_Smackdown]

anyone heard of issues lately with power expanders - such as smartfly. Aron and I were planning to use the smartfly eq10 with the built in matching and such - but Aron talked to Don at Don's hobby shop and Don said airplanes were dropping like crazy and they all had power expanders - and made Aron nervous and talked him out of it. I still want to use an eq10 but not in order to cause any sort of crash - I'm in a bit of dis-belief - but maybe a show of hands with any real known issues rather than speculation would be better than just what I know.

?????

Don also had nice things to say about us here in NW IMAC.

[Scrima]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Major_Smackdown
	anyone heard of issues lately with power expanders - such as smartfly. Aron and I were planning to use the smartfly eq10 with the built in matching and such - but Aron talked to Don at Don's hobby shop and Don said airplanes were dropping like crazy and they all had power expanders - and made Aron nervous and talked him out of it. I still want to use an eq10 but not in order to cause any sort of crash - I'm in a bit of dis-belief - but maybe a show of hands with any real known issues rather than speculation would be better than just what I know. ????? Don also had nice things to say about us here in NW IMAC.

I've been using the EQ6T for 2 seasons so far and love it, absolutely zero issues.

[Major_Smackdown]

	Quote: Originally Posted by mirandapiorun
	I know... I know... But ugh... Dad is buyin me a 50cc cub. LOL! its gunna be pree cool! lol.. I know i've said this about like 20 billion katrillion times, but I'm really gunna try and get the courage to fly.......... infront of people.... lol

Whatever.

	Quote: Originally Posted by skagitrat
	Question here, do any of you use throttle curves to help smooth out the throttle response on your engine? My engine is almost at full throttle at a few clilcks above 1/2 stick movement. I've got equal travel on the servo arm both ways. So would you find your idle rpm then top end, split the difference and set 50% at that rpm on the throttle curve? Just want to find the right way to do this or if I have to do it at all. Thanks, Carl

Totally - don't feel afraid to tweak that curve all around to match your needs.

[Flyfalcons]

I wouldn't depend on Don for GS setup advice.

[Major_Smackdown]

Don gave my buddy a whole earful and then of course me being me - I said I can't hear all that nonsense and not say anything as hard as I tried to be quiet... so Aron is in the middle and that's not comfortable for him. I'm also not really comfortable setting up someones airplane in ways that I know aren't right - and I'm setting up Aron's airplane. I'm sure there is a lot of poor setups that "work" but like my old truck - it keeps driving but I know some things about it aren't "right". I do believe my truck is at least safe.

[Flyfalcons]

I think an issue was discovered if you plug the Smart-Fly into the Batt/Bind port on a JR 2.4 receiver.

[Major_Smackdown]

right, that's the one I heard of - I think 2 years ago - I knew there was something to that effect but I didn't remember exactly. No new problems then ?

[plowboy]

I've been using the EQ10 that Vince got at TAS with no issues at all. It makes the set up a snap too. You just have to read and follow the instructions as there are some warnings about what Ryan just talking about and also not plugging anything directly into the receiver except certain kill switches. I like mine.

[Flyfalcons]

That's it as far as I know. My EQ6T has been working fine.

[wingwall]

John,

Don does have a giant scale plane. He flies a 40% Carden Extra. If you are an AMA member and get the AMA magazine, you may have noticed that Don has recently written a couple of safety articles in the mag. The latest was in the October issue, titled "The Rest of the Crash Story". He advocates using redundancy a lot, and says that GS models should have two receivers, one for each side of the plane. At the beginning of his article there is a picture of him with his Carden. The caption reads "Would your model survive a receiver failure? The author's did." The author being Don.

Now, I am not saying he is right or wrong. I have heard two sides of the argument. And, yes a receiver can go bad, I am sure. You probably know that I fly Futaba transmitters and receivers. I have never had a problem with a Futaba receiver as long as adequate voltage is supplied to it. One opinion that I have heard is that with two recievers there is twice as many chances that a receiver will go bad, and if one receiver goes bad on one side of a plane you are just as likely to loose control and crash as you are to land it safely. So there may not be any benefit to using two receivers.

I have used Smart Fly Power Expanders in all my GS planes for some years now, the longest time being in my Radiocraft. Each of my planes with the Power Expander has had only one receiver. I have had no problems with them.

Originally, the Radiocraft did not have the Power Expander, but flew on two receivers, one for each side of the plane, with the servos connected through the receivers. The power supply was one NIMH battery for each receiver. At any rate, there was one contest where I did lose one side of the plane when it was inverted. The cause was an intermittent connection with the one battery on one of the receivers. It was not the receiver. I saved it, I believe, because my instinct was to roll it upright, where the connection was made again, and it was back to having both receivers operating.

There were a number of different opinions at the time about batteries, switches, and receivers. The issues that I had most of the time were batteries going bad, or battery connections coming loose. There were many stories of switches going bad at the time, although I never had a problem with them.

I like the Power Expander concept because it regulates a constant 5.0 volts to the reveiver and keeps the receiver happy (i.e. within its comfortable voltage range). And, to make sure it gets that, I use 7.4 volt LiIon batteries regulated to 6.0 volts going into the Power Expander. That way I get higher voltage, 6 volts, to the servos for higher torque. Additionally, the high amperage that the servos might otherwise draw through the bus of the receiver is now going through a separate bus in the Power Expander.

A battery analyser will show that the 7.4 volts of a LiIon battery quickly drops down from the charged 8.4 volts into the range of 7.2 to 6.6 volts. As the battery gets older that plateau where it establishes a more constant voltage gets lower. Many of the batteries I have tested lately fall into the 6.8 to 6.4 range in that plateau, even new ones.

I have read, and tend to believe, that some people have lost planes due to low voltage to the receiver, particularly in smaller planes where many use 4.8 volt batteries. The voltage can drop to something marginal, then a high amperage draw to servos from a high energy maneauver can drop the voltage further, taking it below where the receiver can still operate. Been there.

[sscamaro69]

That sounds like the perfect situation to have 2 receivers... battery came loose, and had the backup receiver so you could roll back upright and then both started working again! ...sounds like I'll be running 2! ...and I believe the best way to set up a 2 rx system is to have opposite sides of the planes on each instead of the entire side of the plane on each rx... meaning, set up right aileron and left elevator and vise versa... then if 1 rx does go out, then you still have 1 control surface on each side of the plane to help land safely. Same with engine controls... 1 rx has a kill switch and the other has the throttle, so you can shut off the engine with either rx working. ...and Yes, this is part of Don's set up tips for GS planes too.

Hey Skagitrat... I hear you on the extra work to swap the DLE from side carb to rear, but I think it's worth the work... easy mod to change the carb, and just make a bigger hole in the firewall (though I suggest a venturi on the carb...Tower Hobbies has a cheap plastic one that works great and only $3... is for a Zenoah and fits the 30cc and 55cc carbs perfectly on the DLE's), and then change the throttle linkage. Well worth the couple hours work... it will run great and smooth, and the best thing is you can fly with a lot less stress wondering if/when it will deadstick (deadstick at the wrong time could mean A LOT MORE work rebuilding). ...just my 2 cents. If you need help, let me know and if there's anything I can do I'll be glad to. Have fun no matter what you decide though!!!

[Dan767]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Major_Smackdown
	anyone heard of issues lately with power expanders - such as smartfly. Aron and I were planning to use the smartfly eq10 with the built in matching and such - but Aron talked to Don at Don's hobby shop and Don said airplanes were dropping like crazy and they all had power expanders - and made Aron nervous and talked him out of it. I still want to use an eq10 but not in order to cause any sort of crash - I'm in a bit of dis-belief - but maybe a show of hands with any real known issues rather than speculation would be better than just what I know. ????? Don also had nice things to say about us here in NW IMAC.

No issues with mine. Using an EQ10 and Power Expander Pro for four years. Always greeat support from Rob Richie. I'm not seeing any one complain here on FG or elsewhere.

[wingwall]

I am a believer in dual batteries. Two batteries, each with a switch, are on my Power Expanders. The Smart Fly PowerSystem Eq6 Turbo in my Slick has two 7.4 volt LiIon batteries plugged directly into the PowerSystem. Still regulated, and filtered, 5.0 volts to the receiver. The Slick has High Voltage servos, so the voltage to the servos is set at 6.5 volts.

[Major_Smackdown]

Warren thanks for the write up - I think we're on the same page for the most part. I know a lot of people (including myself) that get to thinking their way or the highway - I try to stay a little more open minded but there are a few things in rc power systems that I've learned to avoid and have reasons for doing such. I know Don didn't like power expanders and I can't justify that myself - I really don't have any qualms with 2 receivers - but I'm going to use one myself. I've had almost 4 years of flying spektrum with airplanes and helis and never an inflight receiver failure except one park flyer with a cheapie park flyer receiver. I do think that it's super important to do a good job of wiring and keep an eye out for chafing (and trying to prevent it from happening in the first place). And of course - keep batteries in good working order. I'm going to use the eq10, that I've decided.

[borealnw]

Jon

I have an EQ10 in the Yak that Bill purchased a few years ago. Never any problems and servo matching is simple and easy to do. I also have one for the Carden and will run HV no regs to it. The only problem I've had with a Smartfly product was a EQ3-D not matching well with a SPectrum RX. For some odd reason the RX would loose its bind and go to fail safe. But again that was the EQ3-D Smartfly's version of the match box. Like you this is one item I will never run for reasons of my own. I can and have trusted the EQ-10 and it is the most versitle and easy to use EQ on the market. Power box makes one in the Royal line up that is pretty nice but for all the bells and whistles they do have, they do not provide a charge jack to the outside of the plane. Not sure if that was intended or missed LOL. Also wanted to thank you for purchasing the shirts at Regionals. Problem is I didn't recieve it LOL. No worries I have a few already.