Starting up

Bruthal · 24-02-2012 10:54pm

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Must order a few led strips from hobbyking and give a go.Do you use a seperate set of radian wings for the lights ?Where would I get the controller ?

The controller in the link was one i made myself a couple of weeks ago, so i can have flashing lights as well as steady, or any combination. The on/off ones can be got on sites like ebay or hobbyking. My one is an on/off one, but i can change its programming to suit, like the flashing option for example. It has both flashing and steady outputs, when the radio channel is switched on.

I just temporarily taped on the strip of lights i had. A seperate set of wings is not a bad idea. I would stick some along the fuselage also if intending flying at night. I will probably do that. Although its the sons radian, so i will see what he says:).

Its a cularis i fly mostly, or a nitro p51 mustang the odd time. Might try them on the smaller of the 2 t-rex`s i have also.

Miamiheat · 24-02-2012 11:22pm

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Miamiheat

Simulators are ok but tbh, they can mislead you into thinking they are exactly like flying in the real world. The sun shining in your eyes, the wind changing direction, kids messing about trying to distract you, dogs nipping at your heels, horses/cars passing by etc will affect how you fly. The best way to learn is through a buddy lead where the tutors transmitter (or tx) is the master controller and the students tx is the "slave". That way you can fly the plane but at the release of a switch, the tutor has full control and you are locked out. Very useful if the plane stalls or goes into a spin. It also helps you relax knowing that "safety net" is there.

Pity I don't work in Dublin anymore as we could have met up in the Phoenix Park and I could have hooked my old DX5 to my DX6i and let you fly my Radian. The thing about meeting up at weekends is that the flying club are around and they don't take kindly to non members using "their" park.

I have been in touch with the store and asked them to upgrade Tx to a DX6 (didnt realize there was the DX6i) so i wrote them again and hopefully we'll be on time to change it. Also got an extra battery.
I am pretty much available all weekends except when i go fishing so driving to Navan or any field is OK, I may drop by the Phoenix park tomorrow to check it out.

Bruthal · 24-02-2012 11:26pm

Miamiheat wrote: »

I have been in touch with the store and asked them to upgrade Tx to a DX6 (didnt realize there was the DX6i) so i wrote them again and hopefully we'll be on time to change it. Also got an extra battery.
I am pretty much available all weekends except when i go fishing so driving to Navan or any field is OK, I may drop by the Phoenix park tomorrow to check it out.

DX6 is a great radio for the price of them. I have the DX7 and the DX6 would easily do me. The Dx7 was out before the DX6i full range radio. Son has the dx6i.

I would of got a bigger battery for the second one. We fly the radian with a 2200 instead of the 1300. The extra weight makes them slightly faster and better in wind. But they fly well on the 1300.

I always liked aircraft just slightly nose heavy.

Miamiheat · 25-02-2012 3:05pm

Heading To kestrel to see some planes flying. Such a gorgeous day. Shop did upgrade me to Dx6i

Bruthal · 25-02-2012 4:18pm

Miamiheat wrote: »

Heading To kestrel to see some planes flying. Such a gorgeous day. Shop did upgrade me to Dx6i

It was a good move upgrading. Even if you didnt continue on flying, they are easy to sell. No more messing with radios is great though, any new planes you just add them onto the dx6. I got the son a lovely little case for his as well. Might be worth looking at.

Kashkai · 26-02-2012 9:57pm

Good move there Miami. While the DX5e is a good radio, the DX6i is a huge step up. I bought a case for my DX6i and its the biz. Safely protects the radio even when its in my car's boot getting thrown around. Plus I can store up to 10 batteries in it too. They are pretty reasonable about €25.

I was in the Phoenix Park yesterday with my kids and my nemesis were there too, i.e. the local flying club. They still are pretty unfriendly, ignoring comments/queries from passers by. There was another guy flying on his own about 300 metres away from them. Made me wish I'd brought one of my own planes with me.:(

Bruthal · 27-02-2012 3:56am

I dont know how i have that angry face in post #34:D. Bit of a typo/

Miamiheat · 27-02-2012 9:32am

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Good move there Miami. While the DX5e is a good radio, the DX6i is a huge step up. I bought a case for my DX6i and its the biz. Safely protects the radio even when its in my car's boot getting thrown around. Plus I can store up to 10 batteries in it too. They are pretty reasonable about €25.

I was in the Phoenix Park yesterday with my kids and my nemesis were there too, i.e. the local flying club. They still are pretty unfriendly, ignoring comments/queries from passers by. There was another guy flying on his own about 300 metres away from them. Made me wish I'd brought one of my own planes with me.:(

Dave do you have a link for the case? perhaps i'll get it as well.
Does that radio use rechargeable batteries or just common ones?

Miamiheat · 27-02-2012 9:37am

OH and I maybe joining that club that you love: I went to see them flying yesterday there were like 15 planes that flew i had a blast watching and taking photos. Did talk to some of the lads and although some did seem less "open to conversation" i did manage to speak to 3 or 4 of them who were nice enough.

Kashkai · 27-02-2012 1:05pm

I bought my case from rcpitstop.co.uk. He's great to deal with and ships orders straightaway. Check out his site and click on transmitters. There are two kinds of cases, a soft fabric one and a metal box one(which is the one I got) for around £20.

Good luck with that club if you join them. Flying with someone is preferable to flying alone all the time. Will they teach you to fly? The times I've seen them fly, they mostly had nitro models that were 3D capable and helis. Try an find an instructor who'll show you the basics instead of someone who will just try and show you how good they are. Some people forget that we all had to learn sometime.

Simon.d · 28-02-2012 12:07am

Got my radian about 3 weeks ago now with the aim of using it as an aerial photography platform... First flight out cracked the fuselage after at most 5 seconds of being airbourne.. Too eager!... Off to hardware shop for glue and tape and had her up and running a few hours later.. Next flight was much better, and got to grips with the controls...

A few weeks on, more glue, more tape, and feel quite comfortable with her now.. Got this shot from her on Saturday so seems to be working out as I'd hoped.. Really lovely plane to fly..

Miamiheat · 28-02-2012 12:44am

Nice pic!

Bruthal · 28-02-2012 10:59am

Miamiheat wrote: »

Dave do you have a link for the case? perhaps i'll get it as well.
Does that radio use rechargeable batteries or just common ones?

Here is the one i got for the son`s dx6. The aerial sticks about an inch too long to leave it straight out, but it easily folds and rotates toward the back of the case. Its very neat and tidy. I have the case designed for the dx7 itself, this case is a lot bigger, but id prefer the son`s one. I think i needed to slightly trim the foam for the metal handle of the radio.

Here it is, and its pictured below, along with my own bigger case.
The bigger case can be handy for carrying batteries too though, if required, but they will fit in the smaller one also.

Kashkai · 28-02-2012 11:19am

Miami, read Simon's post above. Trying to teach yourself can be a frustrating and expensive experience. Although I admire his "get back up on the horse" attitude.

Fitting a camera to the Radian is something most Rad pilots do at some point. Robbie and I have a fair few vids of flights with the camera attached to our Rads. It gives a whole new perspective to be able to see the flight from the plane's viewpoint.

If the weather plays ball this weekend, I'll be flying my Rad in the Curragh if anyone is interested in a get together. I think there are enough of us to form our own club at this point.

Miamiheat · 29-02-2012 6:43am

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Miami, read Simon's post above. Trying to teach yourself can be a frustrating and expensive experience. Although I admire his "get back up on the horse" attitude.

Fitting a camera to the Radian is something most Rad pilots do at some point. Robbie and I have a fair few vids of flights with the camera attached to our Rads. It gives a whole new perspective to be able to see the flight from the plane's viewpoint.

If the weather plays ball this weekend, I'll be flying my Rad in the Curragh if anyone is interested in a get together. I think there are enough of us to form our own club at this point.

OH it is crystal clear for me I am not trying to fly that thing on my own the first time. We'll see after that. Althought it should arrive thursday or friday and I will be eager to get started. So if weather is OK I will be harassing you and Robbie for lessons

:D:D. Do you have the Satnav coordinates for the Curragh place: i have no idea where that is. Also the club idea is not bad: I have a pretty decent fishing group which I have organized myself since last year and we now have 59 anglers: i will tell you all about it.
In any case I am planning to join the phoenix park club so I will be going to their AGM tonite.

Kashkai · 29-02-2012 1:18pm

The Curragh is very easy to find. Down the M7 and take the turnoff for the Curragh. At the top of the slip road, take the second exit off the roundabout signposted "Curragh Camp" and pull in to the right about a hundred metres from the roundabout where you'll see other cars parked. There is supposedly a club that flies here but I've never found them. Depending on the number of people around, I either fly near this spot or I walk further into the Curragh for some peace and quiet. Some people don't mind you flying your plane, some like to watch but some like to complain. The Curragh is commonage though so you can tell the moaners to go copulate with themselves.

The weather forecast looks crap for the weekend, strong winds and rain. Hopefully they're wrong as usual

Miamiheat · 01-03-2012 8:41pm

OK!
The Radian is here with DX6i (pre-bound by shop).
1st observation is it come with a car charger, so i have no way to plug it at home

Any recomendations as to where I can get a good (speedy) charger that will eventually charge 2 batteries at the same time? (I bought a spare).
thanks

Kashkai · 01-03-2012 11:18pm

Hi Miami

The Rad has the standard Parkzone car charger which does the job but if you plan on staying in this hobby, money spent on a decent charger would be money well spent as a good charger will extend the life of your batteries by ensuring that they are well balanced each time you charge them. It can also show you if there is a problem with a battery, i.e. if it has a weak cell that isn't charging properly. Its better to find that out on the ground than in the air;), i.e. you don't want to suddenly lose power to your motor and possibly to the receiver as well.

Anyways, to answer your question, the cheap answer is to use one of these with your Parkzone car charger:-
http://rcpitstop.co.uk/hobbyzone-15amp-12v-power-supply-hbz1004uk-1449-p.asp
Its out of stock there but I just happen to have one that I never use. I got it with my second plane, the Supercub, many moons ago and its never been used. You just plug the Parkzone charger you now have into it and then plug it into any wall socket and hey presto, you can charge your battery at home. You can have it for a tenner if you want (cheaper than buying it online;)).

However I'd recommend you invest in a decent charger. This is the one I have which was recommended by a guy I know who's been flying rc planes for over 20 years and he swears by this charger:
http://http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-Peak-Sigma-II-Battery-Charger/dp/B004H0YBPY

Finally, you'll also need one of these leads to connect your battery to the charger above:
http://http://www.modelmaniacsonline.co.uk/products.php?ProductID=5882&CatID=464&SubCatID=474&Title=Charge+Lead+EC3+Type+Connector&ManCode=EC312

Option 1 above is the cheapest and quickest way to get you airborne but option 2, while more expense:rolleyes:, is the better long term solution. Its up to you which way you go.

Last piece of advice on lipo batteries - they are bloody dangerous!!! if charged incorrectly. That little green battery in your hand is like a mini incendiary device. It can suddenly burst into flames and produce acrid, toxic smoke if it is not charged properly (don't believe me?, then check out some youtube vids on "lipo fires"). Always keep an eye on your batteries when charging. Never leave them unattended. Try to charge them on a surface that could survive the battery bursting into flames like a stone floor, a hearth, oven dish etc. I've never had a battery go up on me before but a guy I know has and it caused serious fire damage to his home and he got first degree burns throwing the flaming battery out of the window.

There is a little dial on your Parkzone charger. Set it to '1' which will be a safe charging rate. It'll take about an hour to charge your battery to full. I'd also advise that if you do charge the battery in your car, don't leave it unattended or you might need a new car;).

Finally, lipos don't like being charged quickly. An hour is the standard charge time if you want to make your battery last, and of course, not to burst into flames! You're lucky that you picked the Radian as your first plane as she can fly from 20 to 60 minutes on the one battery. All other planes only last about 10 minutes on a battery.

Hope I haven't frightened you:D.

Kashkai · 01-03-2012 11:33pm

Miami

One more thing, while that shop might have bound the Rad to your tx, this doesn't mean that you are ready to fly. There are a number of checks to perform once the Rad is assembled and ready for flight, like:

- are the control surfaces moving in the right direction,
- are they centered,
- are all linkages secure,
- has the plane been assembled correctly and
- are all surfaces correctly aligned.

One thing to watch on the Rad is the rudder. On my first Rad, (and also on the spare Radian fuselage I bought) the rudder was coming away from the vertical stabiliser. If this had come off in flight, you wouldn't be able to steer the plane, although you might be able to land her if nothing got in the way (although Murphys Law would mean that the only tree within a mile would be directly in the Radian's path:rolleyes:). Some hinge tape along the rudder and the vertical stabiliser is a must.

Bruthal · 02-03-2012 11:04am

Cant open Dave`s links for some reason, but here are other options too.

I have this one as my second charger, the primary one being a thunder power 1010c. The 1010c was 200 dollars and the cell balancer was then seperate, but it is great, especially for over discharged cells and larger batteries such as the heli batteries i use at times.

But the accucel is only 22 dollars. And about 10 for a power supply, linked below.

The accucel one i find as good as any charger i have used without any doubt. Good enough for anyone charging with up to 50 watts, or a 3 cell 4000mah in an hour, or 6 cell 2000mah in an hour etc.

Ive charged rechargeable AA batteries and all with it.

And a power supply for it here.

Kashkai · 02-03-2012 1:15pm

Robbie, I'm a Hobbyking aficionado, thanks to you pointing me in their direction two years ago. However after over 30 successful orders with them, my latest order appeared to be taking a lot longer than normal. I found out why on Tuesday last when I received a letter from Customs & Excise to say they'd held my parcel pending proof of what I'd paid. I sent the invoice to them and got charged €23 VAT plus a €6 post office fee.

I don't know if I was just unlucky (I'd had over 30 orders up to now without getting caught for customs) or if they are cracking down on parcels from outside the EU in the ongoing efforts to screw every last cent out of us to pay banker's debts.

I'm going to hold off ordering anything else from Hobbyking for a while.

Bruthal · 02-03-2012 1:23pm

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Robbie, I'm a Hobbyking aficionado, thanks to you pointing me in their direction two years ago. However after over 30 successful orders with them, my latest order appeared to be taking a lot longer than normal. I found out why on Tuesday last when I received a letter from Customs & Excise to say they'd held my parcel pending proof of what I'd paid. I sent the invoice to them and got charged €23 VAT plus a €6 post office fee.

I don't know if I was just unlucky (I'd had over 30 orders up to now without getting caught for customs) or if they are cracking down on parcels from outside the EU in the ongoing efforts to screw every last cent out of us to pay banker's debts.

I'm going to hold off ordering anything else from Hobbyking for a while.

Im no more a fan of them than anyone else. Just that charger is a good one, and they (hobbyking) are good for the batteries. I had the odd delayed order before alright. I only usually only buy small items from them anyway.

The customs are like a lottery at times. I get the t-rex 600 in from the US, and other items, no problem. Then got caught for batteries that cost far less.

Miamiheat · 03-03-2012 12:08am

@Dave: I got the charger at the hobby ship on Capel Street. Ended up with the one you suggested. However I am furious as the guy told me to connect it a certain way and it does not work. It is just when i read your post again i noticed that lead is missing. I am fuming!
2 days and not a battery charged...
I still have to put the whole thing together, i guess it will be tomorrow.

Miamiheat · 03-03-2012 1:24am

Miamiheat wrote: »

@Dave: I got the charger at the hobby ship on Capel Street. Ended up with the one you suggested. However I am furious as the guy told me to connect it a certain way and it does not work. It is just when i read your post again i noticed that lead is missing. I am fuming!
2 days and not a battery charged...
I still have to put the whole thing together, i guess it will be tomorrow.

Found a solution by combining some other leads that came with charger. First battery charged quite fast and balanced (30 minutes +). charging second one now.

Kashkai · 03-03-2012 10:25am

I've had some good and bad experiences with that model shop in Capel Street. It usually depends on what sort of humour the guy who runs it is in:rolleyes:. While he has started branching out into electric models lately, he mainly caters for the nitro/petrol model side of the hobby.

When you charged your battery, did you set the charge rate a "1"? Any higher and you risk either damaging the battery and shortening its life or a fire if it overheats and goes pop.

As for the quick charging time you had last night, this is because these brand new batteries come from the factory with a "storage charge" in them, i.e. they are charged up to half their capacity. Therefore you only had to half charge the battery to bring it up to full. When you have your first flight and go to recharge, it will take longer to bring it back to full.

You're getting there though. Almost time for that first flight:). First time flying is an exciting and nerve wracking experience. Its great to see this big plane flying at your control, but (unless you are flush with money), it will make your heart pound too as you know that a mistake might write the plane off and there goes a sizable chunk of money. The wind is due to die down this evening and be light Monday and Tuesday too which would be good for your maiden flight.

Miamiheat · 03-03-2012 11:15am

Hi Dave,
The rate I used was 1.3 Amps, but I will adjust it at 1Amp for next time. I had seen a video where a lad was using exact same charger so I wasnt too lost with it. Bought the needed lead online as well as the one allowing to parallel load 2 batteries of the same kind and capacity, at least that will save me charging time for 2 batts.
I noticed very quickly that in this hobby it is a must for one to become some type of Mc Guyver (referring to the TV series

) as you run in a bunch a little problems and you have to be creative to solve them. As i was going to adjust the cable for the rudder, the little screw that tightens the cable broke but with the reciving piece stuck on the cable. Without being able to remove it I was facing cutting the cable (disaster as then needed to source one). Finally after 1 hour of soft attemps i used brute force in a smart way and removed the annoying piece. Was left with having to replace that part as i dont have this type of stuff lying around, so i made an adaptation with an electric domino, which seemed to work fine but after checking all controls and trims etc i noticed the brass cracked on that part, so I am off to a model shop and possibly Maplin to find some longer term solution...... I am exhausted just by writing all this

.
Weather tomorroe might be OK (wind down and sunny) except very cold. I will be out of town from monday to thursday so weather permiting i'd like to give it a go tomorrow either with you lads or somebody from the club.
I will keep you informed of my evolution here.
cheers

Kashkai · 03-03-2012 2:45pm

Welcome to the world of rc flying, where nothing goes as planned:D

That model shop on Capel Street sells "Clevis's" which are an alternative (and more widely used form) of attaching the control rod to the control horn on the rudder/elevator. I bought some from him a few weeks back as the supplied plastic ones on my planes were starting to crack from wear and tear. I bought metal ones from him that are a lot sturdier. The only thing to watch is that they are the correct size for your control rods, i.e. not too big or they won't screw on. Buy some fuel line too so you can slide it over the clevis and hold it together.

If you go for it tomorrow at your club, make sure that the guy teaching you has flown a glider before as they are a different beast to faster moving and aerobatic planes. Gliders need a gentle hand and their reaction times are slow but that will suit you while learning. The golden rules are:

1. Fly upwind of you at all times, i.e. the wind is in your face. If you let a glider get behind you with a following wind, it is hard to get her back to you.

2. Get the plane up high as altitude is your friend. If you make a mistake, then you will have time to recover. If you fly too low, you won't. I'd recommend a minimum of 100 feet up, or say two fully grown trees on top of one another. The higher the better though, but not so she's a speck in the sky;).

3. Stay well away from trees and powerlines.

4. The Radian needs a very long approach to land so allow for this.

5. Keep all control inputs slow and smooth. No need to jerk the sticks as she is not a responsive plane. Start with slow circles to get the feel of her and then extend into figures of 8.

6. If you get into trouble, do not use the motor as this will just speed you into more trouble. Let go of the sticks and she will right herself, providing she isn't too low of course - see '2' above!

7. If she starts roller coastering, i.e. pitching up and down, wait until she is on the "downward slope" and then put her nose down a little until she regains airspeed and then level her off.

Look it might seem like there's a lot to remember, but its like learning to drive a car. At first, its a lot to take in but before you know it, it'll be second nature.

Bruthal · 03-03-2012 4:04pm

Miamiheat wrote: »

Hi Dave,
The rate I used was 1.3 Amps, but I will adjust it at 1Amp for next time. I had seen a video where a lad was using exact same charger so I wasnt too lost with it.

Its 1 C you want if its a 1300 mah battery, which is one times the battery Capacity. Not 1 amp.

So a 1300 mah battery, which is 1.3 amps, means you charge it at 1.3 amps to charge it in about 1 hour. There is nothing to stop you charging at lower rates, but the ususal is 1 C.

I have charged batteries at 2 C a few times, for a half hour charge. But its almost always 1C i charge at.

A 2200 mah battery will be a charge rate of 2.2 amps for a 1 hour charge, and so on.

Miamiheat · 04-03-2012 1:55am

robbie7730 wrote: »

Its 1 C you want if its a 1300 mah battery, which is one times the battery Capacity. Not 1 amp.

So a 1300 mah battery, which is 1.3 amps, means you charge it at 1.3 amps to charge it in about 1 hour. There is nothing to stop you charging at lower rates, but the ususal is 1 C.

I have charged batteries at 2 C a few times, for a half hour charge. But its almost always 1C i charge at.

A 2200 mah battery will be a charge rate of 2.2 amps for a 1 hour charge, and so on.

So does this mean that the 1.3 figure i plugged in was correct for the 1300mah battery?

Miamiheat · 04-03-2012 1:57am

Radian is now fixed - got some parts from radiocontrolledshop.ie today and fixed it. All controls working as they should. Just need to perform a range check. Got the small case for the DX6i.
Also got the pheonix simulator.
Time to fly...

Starting up

Comments