The 'What did you do in your workshop tonight?' thread
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Jetpainter
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Much like David, @HRRC Flyer did the other day, last night I tricked a very old and completely dead pair of Duralite A123's into charging. They are at least 8 years old, and haven't been used in at least 3 years, but after some persuading they charged up. They are just going to be used to setup a friend's plane because he doesn't have his batteries yet.
These Duralite's have the balance board on them so you normally use a Duralite charger which is just a voltage source with no electronics. All the decisions are made by the attached balance board. There are three leads, a charge lead, a test lead, and the main output with a Deans connector. Using the Duralite charger I bypassed the balance board by hooking to the test lead. Once the voltage got close to 6 volts, my Hitec charger would recognize them as LiFe chemistry and charge them.
These Duralite's have the balance board on them so you normally use a Duralite charger which is just a voltage source with no electronics. All the decisions are made by the attached balance board. There are three leads, a charge lead, a test lead, and the main output with a Deans connector. Using the Duralite charger I bypassed the balance board by hooking to the test lead. Once the voltage got close to 6 volts, my Hitec charger would recognize them as LiFe chemistry and charge them.
Snoopy1
640cc Uber Pimp
Ok need some help and advice. In the picture is type of lock tite. But it is designed to be removed and reused several times before it needs to recoated. Read some good things about it been trying to buy around me but not successful. Have you gentleman used it and were did you get it at a reasonable price.
Jetpainter
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I spent the afternoon helping a friend setup the Smartfly EQ6 in an old 40% Aeroworks Extra 260. I have never done a Smartfly before so it was a learning experience. We installed new servo arms and I got all the servos setup and balanced with an amp meter and just need to make the Smartfy kill switch work and the radio setup will be done.
Tomorrow I'm planning to replumb the fuel system, check the balance, and maybe make the DA150 with tuned pipes run! He's trying to get back into flying after 6 years off. He bought this thing used and it's seen better days, but it was cheap and complete other than a receiver.
Tomorrow I'm planning to replumb the fuel system, check the balance, and maybe make the DA150 with tuned pipes run! He's trying to get back into flying after 6 years off. He bought this thing used and it's seen better days, but it was cheap and complete other than a receiver.
dhal22
GSN Sponsor Tier 1
No experience with this but wouldn't hurt to try it.
49dimes
Damn I'm hungry
I have also heard that you can "Zap" them with a short 2 or 3 minute charge on a NiCd setting and then they will charge normally on the appropriate setting. But my real curiosity is about these new HV (high voltage) LiPo's. I understand they need a new charge cycle different from the standard multi-chemistry chargers. I am wondering if they have a less significant voltage drop than standard LiPo's???
Snoopy1
640cc Uber Pimp
I agree with you I think we should try the stuff it’s made in US. But it does not seem to be available in Canada. I have had only one response on the stuff and that has been you and thanks for that. I would have thought with our hobby were everything is trying to disassemble it self that more of the guys would have responded or even been using it.
Jetpainter
640cc Uber Pimp
Today we finished up the programing of the SmartFly by getting the Optical kill switch going. after that I was planning on re-plumbing the fuel system for him, but the tank turned out to be a total pile of junk. So, what do you do when a guy wants to find out if the used DA150 that came in the plane will run, well, you make due with what you have on hand.
It took a while to get it to prime since it's been sitting for years judging by the rock hard Tygon. Just flipping it wasn't doing anything, so I used the pump handle method where you just work the prop back and forth like a pump handle to pulse the diaphram and after a few seconds of that you could see the fuel drawing up the line. Once I got fuel to the carb it popped after about three flips and the started three flips after turning off the choke. It runs and sounds really good! I don't know what brand of tuned pipes are on it, but they sound pretty nice.
He's getting pretty excited now. He still needs to do the tank and lines and get his batteries that he going to run, then we'll put it on the balancer and see where it's at. If I was a betting man I'd say it's going to be tail heavy. DA 150 with tuned pipes that go well behind the CG point, plus two rudder servos in the tail......... sounds like it will be tail heavy to me, but only the balancer will tell.
It took a while to get it to prime since it's been sitting for years judging by the rock hard Tygon. Just flipping it wasn't doing anything, so I used the pump handle method where you just work the prop back and forth like a pump handle to pulse the diaphram and after a few seconds of that you could see the fuel drawing up the line. Once I got fuel to the carb it popped after about three flips and the started three flips after turning off the choke. It runs and sounds really good! I don't know what brand of tuned pipes are on it, but they sound pretty nice.
He's getting pretty excited now. He still needs to do the tank and lines and get his batteries that he going to run, then we'll put it on the balancer and see where it's at. If I was a betting man I'd say it's going to be tail heavy. DA 150 with tuned pipes that go well behind the CG point, plus two rudder servos in the tail......... sounds like it will be tail heavy to me, but only the balancer will tell.
Snoopy1
640cc Uber Pimp
Do the cylinder heads look a little pinkish or am I mistaken.Today we finished up the programing of the SmartFly by getting the Optical kill switch going. after that I was planning on re-plumbing the fuel system for him, but the tank turned out to be a total pile of junk. So, what do you do when a guy wants to find out if the used DA150 that came in the plane will run, well, you make due with what you have on hand.
View attachment 105570
It took a while to get it to prime since it's been sitting for years judging by the rock hard Tygon. Just flipping it wasn't doing anything, so I used the pump handle method where you just work the prop back and forth like a pump handle to pulse the diaphram and after a few seconds of that you could see the fuel drawing up the line. Once I got fuel to the carb it popped after about three flips and the started three flips after turning off the choke. It runs and sounds really good! I don't know what brand of tuned pipes are on it, but they sound pretty nice.
He's getting pretty excited now. He still needs to do the tank and lines and get his batteries that he going to run, then we'll put it on the balancer and see where it's at. If I was a betting man I'd say it's going to be tail heavy. DA 150 with tuned pipes that go well behind the CG point, plus two rudder servos in the tail......... sounds like it will be tail heavy to me, but only the balancer will tell.