35CC 3D Plane

[dth7]

Nice talking with you today [MENTION=2236]Abrams[/MENTION], let me know if I can help further. Good luck on whichever direction you decide to go!

It's always nice to post what you install and the performance you get from it. Good luck. I've asked [MENTION=443]ghoffman[/MENTION] to offer his 2 cents on the subject.

 

[ghoffman]

I really do not understand the separate battery, and Opto kill thing, the Tech Aero IBEC has been 100% reliable for literally 1000's of flights among us. It is filtered and optically coupled, with 2 large caps to handle the pulsing of the ignitions and it does not feedback any EMI or RFI back into the receiver. We have used them now on JR, Spectrum, Futaba, and Hitec radios, and DLE 20 to DLE-111, DA-50 to 170, and VVRC engines. The ignitions do not draw much current, about 600ma, so that is not an issue. One does not need to carry the weight of a separate battery, nor does a third battery need to be charged. Some dont even use a tx operated ignition kill, and as far as I am concerned, that is a total non starter from a safety standpoint. Some use the throttle to kill the engine, like a glow, and that is radically unsafe. Yesterday, 2 of my friends had throttle servo issues, and without the IBEC, there would be no way to stop the engine. I think the Tech Aero IBEC is a total no brainer for $40.

 

[Abrams]

I really do not understand the separate battery, and Opto kill thing, the Tech Aero IBEC has been 100% reliable for literally 1000's of flights among us...

It's functionally the same as an opto kill switch and a BEC together. It's just integrated into one unit. My flying buddy swears by the other setup. I have opto switch, the BEC and capacitors. I'm still debating what to do.

 

[ghoffman]

Normally I am "to each his own", but this separate battery thing is silly (trying hard to be polite).

 

[Abrams]

Normally I am "to each his own", but this separate battery thing is silly (trying hard to be polite).

Something to think about. If you place you ignition battery too close to your receiver (Horizon Hobby claim no closer that 12") the radio frequency from the battery will significantly shorten the range of your radio. I experienced this first hand on a build last year. I did a distance check without the engine running and the plane checked out perfect. It then dawned on me that the worst case scenario is with the engine running. Battery was too close and I got roughly 1/3 the distance with the engine running. In fact, I think it was responsible for blowing the opto switch.

Mind you, up to now I have ALWAYS run a single battery. But here is a sobering thought. Maybe the only thing keeping your and my plane in the air is a capacitor that is filtering out the RF from your ignition. And that capacitor was probably built in China.

A little known fact about capacitors. Back in the 50s when every car have point type ignition, the auto industry was having trouble with premature failure of capacitors (or condensers as they were called on an ignition). After a LOT of research, they found that the chemistry on women's finger while on their monthly cycle was causing the capacitors to fail. The introduction of latex gloves to the process solved the problem. I wonder if they know that in China.

 

[rcbirk21]

this argument is the exact same as bec vs rx pack. everyone is going to run what they like, and tell others to run what they have had success with.

 

[Ahblair4]

Something to think about. If you place you ignition battery too close to your receiver (Horizon Hobby claim no closer that 12") the radio frequency from the battery will significantly shorten the range of your radio. I experienced this first hand on a build last year. I did a distance check without the engine running and the plane checked out perfect. It then dawned on me that the worst case scenario is with the engine running. Battery was too close and I got roughly 1/3 the distance with the engine running. In fact, I think it was responsible for blowing the opto switch.

Mind you, up to now I have ALWAYS run a single battery. But here is a sobering thought. Maybe the only thing keeping your and my plane in the air is a capacitor that is filtering out the RF from your ignition. And that capacitor was probably built in China.

A little known fact about capacitors. Back in the 50s when every car have point type ignition, the auto industry was having trouble with premature failure of capacitors (or condensers as they were called on an ignition). After a LOT of research, they found that the chemistry on women's finger while on their monthly cycle was causing the capacitors to fail. The introduction of latex gloves to the process solved the problem. I wonder if they know that in China.

Wow! It's amazing what causes anything to fail, in this case it was something I doubt anyone would've guessed. I wonder if the early 2000's PC cap issue had something like that happen. That's why it's a big deal to have the "better" Japanese caps now.

 

[Abrams]

Wire gauge on Fromeco switches?

I went out and looked at the Badger switch. They want a hefty up charge for Deans connectors. Do you get the same gauge wire n the JR connectors as the Deans?

 

[SnowDog]

I went out and looked at the Badger switch. They want a hefty up charge for Deans connectors. Do you get the same gauge wire n the JR connectors as the Deans?

I'm pretty sure the Deans connectors use 14awg wire.

I believe JR connectors (because of their small size) can accommodate no more than 22awg wire.

I found this on the AirWild Pilot Shop web site which seems to confirm my understanding:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fromeco Badger Failsafe Switch[/FONT]
	Manufacturer:	Fromeco Scale Avionics
	Prodcut:	Fromeco Badger Fail Safe Switch
	Applications:	RX, Ignition On/Off Switch
	Connector Type:	Servo Connector or Deans Ultra
	Wire Gauge:	22 AWG or 14 AWG
	Contact:	Gold Plated
	Special Feature:	Built-in Charge Jack

Of course, with the smaller 22awg wires of the JR connector, the idea is that you would plug multiple leads into your RX to allow more amps to flow into the RX without issue.

 

[Abrams]

Check contact information on their web page. Don't count on is getting back to you in the same week... at least they're honest.