It's show time!
Greg Gimlick | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
- Quick of Japan QJ8 helicopter update
- NiMH cells are still viable
- Winged Shadow Systems "See How"
- Li-Polys on the Internet
- Brushless Motor RPM Sensor from Eagle Tree
- Corona on back-order
The Weak Signals' Toledo Show is a week later this year, so be sure you're not planning on it being the first weekend of the month as it has always been. I don't know the reasons behind the change, but the show will take place April 13–15.
This is the top show, and each year there are new items to be shown and released during the weekend. There are special deals all over the show floor, and you can talk to the vendors and manufacturers in person. I never miss it, so I hope to see you there.
It Flies!
I've teased you with tales of constructing the Quick QJ8 helicopter for a couple issues, and the review is in and waiting to be published. It may be by the time you read this.
I've had my first big crash with the model and was pleasantly surprised by its durability. Yes, I trashed a set of main and tail blades, bent a main shaft and tail-rotor shaft, bent the skids, broke a servo arm, and hurt my confidence, but given the nature of the crash I can't believe I didn't do more damage. The total cost for repair parts was $43.15 plus shipping, and I had the components the day after I ordered them via Priority Mail from Helicopter Hobbies. This is one of my best purchases. Oh yeah, I trashed it while doing a photo shoot and trying not to hit my poor wife as she took the pictures. Good women are harder to replace than helicopters.
Big Cells — and They're Not Li-Polys
I still hear from many people who don't want to get into the whole Li-Poly battery regime yet, and that's okay. There are many good reasons to still use NiMH cells, and there are some applications where there really isn't an advantage to using Li-Polys. Some modelers just don't want to give up the safety and ease of use of the older technology.
Many of my models are still outfitted with NiMH cells and will be for some time, so I was happy when reports about the Intellect IB 4200 mAh NiMH cells started coming in from fliers such as Steve Neu. The reviews were good. Since Red Scholefield is MA's battery columnist, I'll leave the major testing to him and write about what I found at the field.
I have a Giant Scale airplane that had 32 GP 3300 NiMH cells in it, and they had grown old and tired. The cells were set up in four Model Electronics Corporation Solderless Power Tubes with eight cells each, and each pack weighed 19.5 ounces. I replaced them with the new 4200 cells, and each pack gained 2 ounces. I know what you're probably thinking—that's a gain of 8 ounces—and you're right. The upside is that it's not noticeable on an airplane this size and the new cells are doing well. The voltage drop under load is much better than my 3300s, and they dropped right into the old Power Tubes.
If you're a modeler who is sticking with NiMH cells for whatever reason, I encourage you to give them a look at www.modelelectronicscorp.com or call (866) 507-9956.
Winged Shadow Systems' "See How"
A while back I mentioned the nifty little How High device from Winged Shadow Systems that easily drops into a model and lets you see how high it gets during your flight. The device is simplicity at its best, and with the wave of a finger you get a flashing LED that tells the max altitude.
The Winged Shadow Systems staff members haven't been resting; they have come up with the See How that gives you a digital readout of the data on the How High. Even better, the See How allows you to use your How High in many more ways than you dreamed was possible.
Did you ever wonder at what altitude you pulled the release on that sailplane? How about the altitude at various times during your flight and not just the max altitude? These questions can be answered by plugging the How High into a channel on your radio.
Every time you want a reading, flip the switch on for a few seconds and then flip it off; the reading is stored in memory to be downloaded when you land.
The See How stores 10 flights, recording the max altitude and any nine readings you decide on for each flight. When you land, use the device to download the data with its optical data port and get a digital readout. How can it be more simple?
Oh yeah, and the price is only $35. You can find the See How at www.wingshadow.com or call (630) 837-6553 (8 a.m.–4 p.m.).
Li-Polys on the Internet
When it comes to buying Li-Poly packs I've always treaded lightly and gone slowly, not just because of the dangers involved but because of the cost too. I've advocated buying from sources who can back their products and do so willingly—mostly large companies.
With the increasing number of vendors on the Web, it's becoming more and more tempting to buy from people we've never heard of. I maintain my line of "go slowly and cautiously."
When I did the review for the Quick QJ8 I needed some 5S packs to hook in series, and Helicopter Hobbies swore by its Hecell line distributed by Richard Edmonston. I bought the packs and have been extremely happy with them, so when I recently needed two 5S packs for a large airplane I contacted Richard.
He does business on eBay under the store name "MY-RC-BATTERIES" (http://stores.ebay.com/MY-RC-BATTERIES) and his eBay user name is "real157." Aside from that he sells his products through Helicopter Hobbies.
This was my first experience with such a business, and thanks to Harold Little's recommendation from Helicopter Hobbies I've found a good source for Li-Poly packs at a reasonable price. When I recently ordered two and had them in a few days, I was able to send them to Richard for diagnosis. He also had some innovative ideas he has shared with me, but it's too early to let the cat out of the bag.
It looks like I may have to ease up on my stance on eBay stores because Richard provides great packs and service for a price with which I can live.
RPM Data Without Hassle
I've written about my MicroPower data logger from Eagle Tree Systems (www.eagletreesystems.com) in the past, and I continue to use it on a regular basis. The company continues to look for ways to improve its products, and it has looked at the rpm-gathering methods again.
Eagle Tree Systems offers an optical rpm sensor I've had good luck with, but mounting it has been difficult with certain models. Now the company has the new Brushless Motor RPM Sensor that simply taps into one of the motor leads and reads the RPM electronically. No more magnets to mount and no big soldering jobs—just a simple tap.
You need to make sure you have the latest firmware that is easy to download and install. The units were available December 15 (as I'm writing this). I have an order in for a couple and will be reporting on them soon. By the time you read this I will have much experience with them. The price is only $15!
Lite Machines Corona — Unobtainium
After getting much interest from my brief mention of the Corona experiences I've had, I got the bad news; it seems you can't find one to buy.
I received many e-mail messages about how scarce these models were, so I called the factory. I was told that the Coronas are back-ordered, and the company doesn't expect to have any for roughly eight months. That's bad news for sure!
This great little trainer helicopter is more rugged than any I've seen for those who are trying to figure this whole rotary-wing thing out on their own. I'm sorry for passing this along to you, only to tell you that you can't get a Corona. Too bad the company didn't mention this when I bought two for articles a few months ago.
Final Approach
That's it for the time being. It's almost Christmas as I write this, and we're flat out in the Santa shop here. I can't wait to see what new things show up at the Toledo Show, and I hope to see many of you there.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
