Newbie saying hello and a couple of questions

[FDS]

The IMAX B6 and clones, both the AC and DC ones are fine first chargers, dead simple.
I would still advise binning that motor, 2200kv is too fast for big props too, if you are building the simple series planes with 800-1m wingspans you will want a 1000kv and a 9 or 10” prop.
It’s not under powered it’s just too big for minis. It’s like hanging an iron block straight 8 off the front of a moped on smaller planes. That will not make your first flights easy or your plane docile. Personally I would rather spend $10 more and not crash my plane as much. Two or three broken props and you have spent the difference.

 

[Brianna81]

The IMAX B6 and clones, both the AC and DC ones are fine first chargers, dead simple.
I would still advise binning that motor, 2200kv is too fast for big props too, if you are building the simple series planes with 800-1m wingspans you will want a 1000kv and a 9 or 10” prop.
It’s not under powered it’s just too big for minis. It’s like hanging an iron block straight 8 off the front of a moped on smaller planes. That will not make your first flights easy or your plane docile. Personally I would rather spend $10 more and not crash my plane as much. Two or three broken props and you have spent the difference.

Do you think I could at least still use that ESC, or does the ESC have to match the motor exactly? Like, since that would be a 30 amp ESC for the 2200kv motor, would a 1000kv motor use more like a 12-15 amp ESC or something like that?

**edit** I actually found almost the exact same kit, except with different props and a 1000kv motor, and a slightly higher price. Looks like it uses the same 30 amp ESC, so I think I answered my own question.

 

[FDS]

Those ESC’s are not great, they work, that’s about all the good I can say about them. As noted above a bigger ESC is OK on a smaller draw motor.
Which plane is this going on?

 

[Brianna81]

Those ESC’s are not great, they work, that’s about all the good I can say about them. As noted above a bigger ESC is OK on a smaller draw motor.
Which plane is this going on?

LOL I don't even know yet. I was thinking one of the trainers. We have dollar trees all over the place here, so foam board shouldn't be an issue for a scratch build. The other motor is $14 for the whole setup (motor, esc, prop, etc) but that one isn't pre-soldered, which isn't that big of a deal. I just don't have any connectors yet. I think I'll get those from a local hobby shop. I may wait on the second motor and see what all they have as well, maybe get a better quality motor too.

Though, sitting here thinking about it, I may want to build a bigger plane that would fit the 2200 kv motor and still be slow. So maybe scale up a trainer or what not so that way I can have a plane that's more visible while I'm learning? Don't know if that's a good/bad idea though.

 

[FDS]

Hobbyking are fine, they don’t take long to ship either.
If you are building the Tiny Trainer then a 1000mah battery will be too big and it’s not large enough for the simple series.
Do not spend anymore until you decide which plane to build, as that will determine motor, prop and battery choice, all 3 of which are critical components for success.

 

[Brianna81]

Hobbyking are fine, they don’t take long to ship either.
If you are building the Tiny Trainer then a 1000mah battery will be too big and it’s not large enough for the simple series.
Do not spend anymore until you decide which plane to build, as that will determine motor, prop and battery choice, all 3 of which are critical components for success.

I was planning on buying a smaller battery and smaller motor as well. I just wanted to have some options. There are a couple of hobby shops here where I live, if their prices are too different from online, then I'll go back to ebay/hobbyking/flitetest, wherever. But it might be a good source for props or whatever I need that shouldn't vary too much from online and I can get one same day if needed. I just wanted to get something to start with that I could hook up to understand how the whole build process would work, even if it's not something I could take out and fly. I learn better visually, so to me, with those being fairly cheap, it's worth it for that small amount of money to learn how they work together.

 

[Brianna81]

Hobbyking are fine, they don’t take long to ship either.
If you are building the Tiny Trainer then a 1000mah battery will be too big and it’s not large enough for the simple series.
Do not spend anymore until you decide which plane to build, as that will determine motor, prop and battery choice, all 3 of which are critical components for success.

Another thing I noticed, is that the power configurations/recommendations are not quite matching up with math. For example, the power pack A recommended has an ESC that draws 12 amps. The discharge rate of the battery they recommend is around 63 amps. That battery is actually waaaay overkill for what it's being listed as. So it almost seems as if they went off weight, shape, and what they had on hand at the time. Or they were really trying to extend the flight time with a different discharge rate instead of actual power stored. Also, the difference in my battery is the one listed is only 150 mah. Considering many people have gone from the 500 mAh battery to the 650 mAh battery as an upgrade with just minor modifications (800 mAh with slightly more modifications), I can't imagine it would mean much of anything to this plane. So, I will admit that my motor is a bit overkill, but as someone previously mentioned, it's apparently overrated and not a true 2200 anyway, actually much less. Though since it is heavier, that would just mean, if I do use it on a tiny trainer (again, haven't quite decided on which plane I want to build yet), but based on everything I've seen, I would just need to correct the CG with weight in the back and be careful on the throttle. I guess I'm just thinking out loud here, but this is DIY, where you're supposed to be able to make changes on the fly and customize your plane how you want right? If you want to stick to exact specifications, then you should buy pre-made right?

 

[Brianna81]

I won the fs-i6 with 2 receivers for the price mentioned above, yay! So now just planning the first plane to figure out what motor/esc setup I need

 

[Brianna81]

Hobbyking are fine, they don’t take long to ship either.
If you are building the Tiny Trainer then a 1000mah battery will be too big and it’s not large enough for the simple series.
Do not spend anymore until you decide which plane to build, as that will determine motor, prop and battery choice, all 3 of which are critical components for success.

So, I just looked at the DIY scratch build plans for the tiny trainer and found this:

Recommended electronics:
2200kv 250 size motor
12 amp ESC minimum
500-1000 mAH 3s

So, based on those specifications, everything I purchased is correct? I will say that this does not match with the FT power pack A that is recommended in the store, but, this information is in the official FT scratch build tile plans. Based on what I've seen in the YouTube videos, these plans are thoroughly tested before release. So I would say that perhaps the 1000kv motor of the power pack A makes the plane more docile, but, obviously many somebodies at some point tested it with the same config I bought?

 

[Gold Max]

hi I just got into the hobby and started with a power pack a and Kijiji items I got a charger for $40 AND A SPECTRUM DXE FOR $40 OFF KIJIJI a battery and receiver of Amazon all in all it cost me about $300

 

[Brianna81]

So, I got my charger in the mail today. It was supposedly "new - open box" not "new - missing some items". Also, when plugging the power cable in, you can feel the internal components moving around loosely inside, apparently held only in place by the power port as they jiggle very easily by moving the plug. So I'm guessing someone either plugged it in too hard, or it fell and broke all the attachment points to the plastic body loose. So what did the person do? Kept all of the leads they wanted, and returned it to the seller, who then resold it as "new - open box". All it has is the dean plugs, not any of the xt-60, xt-30, etc plugs they had pictured :/. I'm not against opening the case and trying to re-secure the internal parts, and trying to make my own leads. But, I would have expected the price to reflect that and it be mentioned in the auction :/

 

[Vimana89]

Yeah, I saw that the one I'm watching on eBay is mode 2, or left throttle, which is what I saw on a FT video before. Very good tip to make sure my first build is like my 949 and doesn't confuse me with the backwards controls lol.

I attached the no-name motor kit thing ($13.99 for all of it) I was thinking of getting for my first DIY build. It says it's 2200 KV which I think is actually a little much for most of the smaller planes I'd want to build. Though I think a previous reply may have been more accurate in that I'd probably want a big but slow "real" plane, as I'd want to make sure I can see it better, as I've seen way too many fail videos of newbies getting confused as to which way is which and end up turning their twisty loop into a nose dive straight to the ground. Hopefully a bigger plane would help with that. Thankfully I have a pretty massive field within walking distance (but who walks with this stuff these days) to where I live, so that would be a huge help I think in that I wouldn't have to drive long distances just to partake in my hobby. Though I could swear I remember hearing a long time ago that someone took an old abandoned airfield in the Oklahoma City area and turned it into strictly RC use. Haven't really tried looking or joined any local clubs yet. I want to practice by my house and get at least to where I'm not crashing every 5 seconds so the boys don't try to use it against me lol

If you have zero flying experience and want to have a better shot at successful maidens and cut down on the learning-through-crashing thing, use a free simulator. look for one called Multiflight, it is free, downloads fast, and has a pretty accurate feel for RC planes. It gives you many types of planes with different control setups, and crashing them all over and over until you have a better feel for fixed wing RC and how different types of planes and control setups will handle will cost little time, no money, and give you a huge edge in your real-life RC flying ventures.

 

[FDS]

I would return that charger as not accurately described. If you paid by PayPal your money will be returned in no time.

 

[FDS]

You should be able to push for a full refund, Paypal just refund you if you can’t agree with the seller, it’s plainly crap. Better to wait and not set your house on fire. Chargers are a key safety component, don’t scrimp on one.
I wouldn’t buy one second hand unless I knew the seller personally or could get it properly tested before use. The B6 is under $20 new, that’s about as cheap as I would go.

 

[sprzout]

So, I got my charger in the mail today. It was supposedly "new - open box" not "new - missing some items". Also, when plugging the power cable in, you can feel the internal components moving around loosely inside, apparently held only in place by the power port as they jiggle very easily by moving the plug. So I'm guessing someone either plugged it in too hard, or it fell and broke all the attachment points to the plastic body loose. So what did the person do? Kept all of the leads they wanted, and returned it to the seller, who then resold it as "new - open box". All it has is the dean plugs, not any of the xt-60, xt-30, etc plugs they had pictured :/. I'm not against opening the case and trying to re-secure the internal parts, and trying to make my own leads. But, I would have expected the price to reflect that and it be mentioned in the auction :/

Unfortunately, this is why I don't like shopping eBay (or as my wife refers to it, "FleaBay"). Many times, what you see in the picture vs. what you receive are two different things, and it's a "buyer beware" market. I've been burned before by buying electronics from eBay - I think I'm getting everything, but I get almost everything, or I get the electronics, but it doesn't work.

If you can get your money back, I'd shop through Amazon or even Hobbyking (much as I personally detest them - it's a long story) and buy a charger there. For $60, you can get a HiTec AC/DC charger that'll do 1s-6s batteries, and it'll be new in box. If there's a problem where you don't get the right item, or the box is opened, Amazon will either take a return at no charge to you, issue you a refund, or re-send you the product.

I know there are cheaper battery chargers out there, but honestly, this is where I think you shouldn't try to buy the cheapest you can, especially If you think you'll be doing this for a while. Try to buy what you can afford for some of these things. Chargers and transmitters are, in my opinion, the two things that you should budget more for, only because those things will be constantly used for multiple planes and multiple batteries. I've seen too many people buy the cheapest things they could, only to find out that there were features they wanted or a better build quality with less chance of starting a fire in the one that cost just a little more.

Chargers, really, are not things to be as cheap as possible on. If you've seen the TV show "This Is Us" and heard about the Crock Pot with the faulty switch that caused a fire? That's what can happen with the one you have now. I wouldn't trust it.

 

[buzzbomb]

I've been using an Imax B3 Pro. No frills, no nothing. It just charges batteries. Plug stuff up and it charges. I think I paid maybe seven dollars for it. To discharge, I've been using an EOS Sentry 4. That one ran me $25 on amazon. Plug in the battery, hold the button and it discharges. Keep an eye on it, and when it reaches 40% unplug the battery. Done.

Full disclosure. Those are no frills. It takes hours for each battery. Going to the field with four batteries, I start charging days ahead and if I don't get to fly it's takes a few nights of discharging to get my batts at storage capacity. However, it is inexpensive and it works.

 

[sprzout]

Full disclosure. Those are no frills. It takes hours for each battery. Going to the field with four batteries, I start charging days ahead and if I don't get to fly it's takes a few nights of discharging to get my batts at storage capacity. However, it is inexpensive and it works.

That was something that turned me off of the imax line - spending hours on end monitoring it. That gets to a lesson, regardless of which charger you use - NEVER, EVER, CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES UNATTENDED!!!

I know at least 2 people in my club that have had fires in their homes from runaway lipo battery charges, and another at my dad’s club. One lost his home.

It’s no joke - this is why you learn to replace your batteries if they puff up, or if they’ve shown damage from a crash.

 

[Brianna81]

That was something that turned me off of the imax line - spending hours on end monitoring it. That gets to a lesson, regardless of which charger you use - NEVER, EVER, CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES UNATTENDED!!!

I know at least 2 people in my club that have had fires in their homes from runaway lipo battery charges, and another at my dad’s club. One lost his home.

It’s no joke - this is why you learn to replace your batteries if they puff up, or if they’ve shown damage from a crash.

Thankfully I've been vaping for many many years, so I'm familiar with charging the 18650s they use, and what a bad battery looks like. At least with those though, the only covering is a thin film and any bulges are easily recognizable. I would think that in some of these 3 and 4 cells, unless it's an obvious bulge, you may not be able to see it due to the tight and thick outer coating these seem to have. I will be buying a charging bag for sure. Thanks for the heads up though.

 

[Brianna81]

I'm 3 out 4 batteries into my maiden (and my F949's maiden) and it's going well. Had a few crashes up front until I realized I was adjusting the trim on my throttle and not the elevators lol. Once I got that worked out, and a little left trim, I was doing great. Probably changed out the first battery too quick, but I thought better safe than sorry. Learned the plane a lot better on the next 2 batteries. Halfway through the second battery I was off the "learning" mode and climbing high enough to dive to get enough speed to do a flip. Though they were mostly wing-overs (I think?) especially once the battery started dying a little. By the third battery I was confident enough to start doing low speed limit altitude fly bys. I tried to take a video with my phone since I can pretty much fly one stick once I get the throttle where I wanted it, but I found that my view and the phone's view were quite different and I only got the plane in the frame like once every 10 seconds lol. Anyway, no broken parts, same prop, so I guess I'm doing good. Perhaps what I mentioned earlier about learning from mistakes, and maybe using an Xbox for other things like driving helped me learn not to yank hard every time I moved the stick. Can't say I haven't crashed, but I've saved more crashes and kept going than I have actual crashing. And the times I did crash, obviously weren't too bad since I'm still going anyway, still one battery left, so I'm going to get back to it!!

**edit** was able to get one short badly recorded clip lol

 

[buzzbomb]

Great flight @Brianna81! It sounds to me like your doing great!