104 MODEL AVIATION
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
It’s show time!
Electrics 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 Quick QJ8 returns from a mission with
Greg at the controls the same day he trashed
it, but he missed his wife/photographer and it
cost only $50 in parts.
Kangke USA WACO UPF-7 flies with IB 4200 cells but usually has 12S2P pack of
A123 cells weighing 70 ounces. It picked up 10 ounces in weight but flew nicely and
proved that NiMH cells still work well.
The new See How gathers information
from the How High wirelessly and lets you
log specific moments of a flight.
Intellect IB 4200 NiMH cells in an MEC Solderless Power Tube. They are heavier than the
3300s they replaced but are safe, reliable, and easy to use this way.
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 of Japan 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
The 5S 4000 mAh Li-Poly packs from “My RC Batteries” store on
eBay are well made, with good support and prices.
Eagle Tree Systems’ simple little Brushless Motor RPM Sensor
taps into a motor lead to give rpm data. Cost is only $15.
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 sometime,
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
the 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:
Awhile 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
you control with a switch.
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 give 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.wingedshadow
.com or call (630) 837-6553 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).
Li-Poly 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 3S 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
worried that I had ruined a pack, I was able
to send it to Richard for diagnosis. He also
has 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 off 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 (this week as I write 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 get 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 rotarywing
thing out on their own. I’m sorry for
raising your hopes, only to tell you 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
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 104,106,107
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 104,106,107
104 MODEL AVIATION
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
It’s show time!
Electrics 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 Quick QJ8 returns from a mission with
Greg at the controls the same day he trashed
it, but he missed his wife/photographer and it
cost only $50 in parts.
Kangke USA WACO UPF-7 flies with IB 4200 cells but usually has 12S2P pack of
A123 cells weighing 70 ounces. It picked up 10 ounces in weight but flew nicely and
proved that NiMH cells still work well.
The new See How gathers information
from the How High wirelessly and lets you
log specific moments of a flight.
Intellect IB 4200 NiMH cells in an MEC Solderless Power Tube. They are heavier than the
3300s they replaced but are safe, reliable, and easy to use this way.
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 of Japan 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
The 5S 4000 mAh Li-Poly packs from “My RC Batteries” store on
eBay are well made, with good support and prices.
Eagle Tree Systems’ simple little Brushless Motor RPM Sensor
taps into a motor lead to give rpm data. Cost is only $15.
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 sometime,
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
the 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:
Awhile 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
you control with a switch.
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 give 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.wingedshadow
.com or call (630) 837-6553 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).
Li-Poly 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 3S 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
worried that I had ruined a pack, I was able
to send it to Richard for diagnosis. He also
has 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 off 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 (this week as I write 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 get 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 rotarywing
thing out on their own. I’m sorry for
raising your hopes, only to tell you 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
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 104,106,107
104 MODEL AVIATION
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
It’s show time!
Electrics 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 Quick QJ8 returns from a mission with
Greg at the controls the same day he trashed
it, but he missed his wife/photographer and it
cost only $50 in parts.
Kangke USA WACO UPF-7 flies with IB 4200 cells but usually has 12S2P pack of
A123 cells weighing 70 ounces. It picked up 10 ounces in weight but flew nicely and
proved that NiMH cells still work well.
The new See How gathers information
from the How High wirelessly and lets you
log specific moments of a flight.
Intellect IB 4200 NiMH cells in an MEC Solderless Power Tube. They are heavier than the
3300s they replaced but are safe, reliable, and easy to use this way.
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 of Japan 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
The 5S 4000 mAh Li-Poly packs from “My RC Batteries” store on
eBay are well made, with good support and prices.
Eagle Tree Systems’ simple little Brushless Motor RPM Sensor
taps into a motor lead to give rpm data. Cost is only $15.
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 sometime,
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
the 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:
Awhile 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
you control with a switch.
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 give 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.wingedshadow
.com or call (630) 837-6553 (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).
Li-Poly 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 3S 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
worried that I had ruined a pack, I was able
to send it to Richard for diagnosis. He also
has 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 off 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 (this week as I write 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 get 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 rotarywing
thing out on their own. I’m sorry for
raising your hopes, only to tell you 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
