Frequently Asked Questions
Bob Aberle | [email protected]
GPS locator for lost aircraft
Also included in this column:
- Ed Anderson’s electric-power e-book
- Parchment paper to protect plans
- Deans Ultra connectors again!
- Indoor airplane world electronic shop
- Watts-Up meter
Allan Arnold has come up with a model aircraft locator system using DealExtreme’s GPS device and a conventional cell phone to help locate lost model aircraft. The cellphone-size GPS tracker goes inside your aircraft.
PLEASE WRITE IN with your questions, since that is the only way we can keep this column format going. When referring to already published questions and answers (for follow-ups), provide the number as a reference.
Also note that references to addresses and websites are placed in a group, separate from the text, at the end of this column under “Sources.” An additional feature—“Tips”—is provided in addition to questions and answers. These hints will be numbered in the same sequence.
I am introducing a new item this month. Many of the referenced websites provided are quite lengthy and complicated. Transcription errors cause one to make many mistakes before locating a desired website.
To that end, I will occasionally be using this site in the future: http://bit.ly. Using this site will result in a much-reduced size URL. The bit.ly URL takes you directly to the longer site. Please let me know how you like this new feature.
Q518: “Has anyone applied GPS technology for the purpose of locating lost model aircraft?” A518: The time-honored means of tracking lost model aircraft for many years involved a tiny onboard radio transmitter that sent a signal to a receiving station. This receiver has a directional antenna that allows you to take a fix on the aircraft’s location. This device works well, but does have a radio-range limitation.
What caught my eye recently was the mention of a GPS tracker or locator system. I found a reference to this system in Mike Myers’ “Old Timer Topics” column that appeared in the March 2011 issue of Flying Models magazine on page 37.
Mike mentioned that Southern California modeler, Allan Arnold, had shown him a “homemade” retrieval system. The heart of this system is a GPS tracking device that is sold by DealExtreme.com. I’ve included the website in the “Sources” section. The cost is roughly $80 and the system requires the use of a cell phone.
The tracking device goes inside your aircraft. When your model flies out of sight, you dial the number of the tracking device on your cellphone. It then sends a text message back to your cellphone giving the coordinates of the aircraft’s exact location.
Enter the coordinates into a handheld GPS and go get your model. Because of the nature of this system, the range should be essentially unlimited. Of course, lack of local cellphone activity might be a limiting factor.
Another interesting aspect is that the tracker signal will continue to work even if the model is moved. So if someone finds your aircraft and takes it with him or her, you can still locate the aircraft at any given time. The tracker device is approximately the size of a small cellphone. If you remove the case, you can reduce the weight to roughly 1.25 ounces. That might limit you on the model size, but it should fit in most model aircraft.
Allan has prepared a detailed article on this system for publication in the SAM Speaks newsletter. He has been kind enough to allow me to mention his email address should you have any questions. This new technology is certainly worth pursuing.
T519: I wanted to make everyone aware of an excellent book, written by Long Island, New York, modeler Ed Anderson, titled Everything You Wanted to Know About Electric Powered Flight. Besides being one of the best books about electric power, it is free! Website references are listed in the “Sources” section. He has been writing articles for years and most of his offerings are free access for his fellow modelers.
Ed is the president of the Long Island Silent Flyers and newsletter editor of the Eastern Soaring League. I asked him if I could post his email address and received this interesting response.
“Bob, feel free to provide my email address, but please note to your readers that I prefer questions to be posted on the forums. If you don’t mind, please post links to the online versions of my book as well, since this will allow people to ask questions on the forum where I can answer them. Then the questions and answers are there for others to read too.
“The forum discussions are a living resource—essentially a living document. I maintain articles online to keep them current and relevant. From time to time I add new articles/chapters. This is something that doesn’t happen in print.”
Ed, thank you for this excellent contribution to our hobby. I hope you receive a lot of fan mail for this fantastic effort.
Q520: “I’m having a problem when using CA cement. It sticks to everything! When gluing over plans, I’ve tried wax paper and plastic wrap, but to no avail. How can I glue parts over plans without the parts, wax paper, plans, and building board all sticking together?”
A520: I’ve answered this before, but want to add an additional comment at this time. The best material to place on top of your plans while you’re building is parchment paper. It comes in rolls and can be found at any supermarket. A 24-foot roll (15 inches wide) averages $3.
To get the most out of my roll I generally cut the paper to accommodate my wing chord. That leaves enough for the fuselage construction without wasting the paper. In many cases I even reuse the paper for a second or third model.
Here is the real trick! Many modelers cut their wood directly over the plans. By doing this they not only cut the wood, but also the parchment paper and finally the plans. When the CA is applied, it runs through the cut marks and everything becomes stuck together. Not even parchment paper can eliminate this kind of problem.
The solution is simple: mark your cuts from the plans. Move off to the side of your building board to make the actual cuts. That way there are no cut marks on the plans and no place for the CA to run. When you do this your plans stay in perfect shape and your parchment paper will be reusable for many aircraft.
T521: In the past year or so I have described at least three different ways to help separate the popular Deans Ultra connectors. They are known for having a tight fit, which results often in the wire being severed from the connector pins when you separate the connector halves.
The latest suggestion came in from AMA member, Justin. Sorry but I did not get your last name. What Justin does is CA cement small pieces of #100 grit black emery paper to the body of the connector (see the photo). You do this on both halves of the connector. This way you can get a good grip on the connector, allowing you to separate the halves easily.
Don’t cement the sandpaper in place when the connector halves are joined. The CA cement might make a permanent connection, if you get my drift!
T522: My fellow club member, Ron Williams, recently pointed out a Japanese company’s interesting website. It is titled, “Indoor Airplane World” and contains loads of indoor aircraft items and accessories.
I’ve included a photo of a tailless trainer kit that this company offers. By the way, the original website for this company was three full lines in length, but thanks to the bit.ly website, I was able to reduce the URL to the few small characters listed in the “Sources” section.
Q523: “I heard a lot of good things about the Watt’s Up digital meter. But one thing I couldn’t determine, looking at the website, is whether this meter will work below 4.0 volts. Can you answer that for me?”
A523: According to the folks at RC Electronics, the standard Model WU100 digital meter works in the range of 4 to 60 volts. But if you add a four-cell pack (Ni-Cd or NiMH) to the auxiliary power connector, the meter will read down to zero volts. This makes it especially helpful when working with a single LiPo cell power system.
You might also want to check on the website listed in the “Sources” section for the RC Electronics PDF file that consists of a 28-page user’s manual for use with the WU100 digital meter. This is an excellent reference manual for the electric-power modeler. MA
Sources:
GPS locator http://bit.ly/aWzpP
Allan Arnold [email protected]
Everything You Wanted to Know About Electric Powered Flight www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7100376/tm.htm www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31071
Ed Anderson [email protected]
Indoor Airplane World http://bit.ly/k2GIGc
RC Electronics Watt’s-Up Meter (408) 705-1980 www.rc-electronics-usa.com/ammeters/dc-amp-meter.html
Bob Aberle [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
