subcaptian

Hey guys, do you know of anyone that makes a selectable-voltage tether station for begginers? Like, if it plugged into the wall, converted 120v down to 11.1 or lower, maybe even higher for a 500-600 size copter.

cbr900rrderrick

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Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

No, what he really wants to do is fly a helicopter indefinitely, only limited by the cramps on his hands and the radio battery.

Rafael

kfrisbee

Is that a bad thing? lmao

Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

Why don't you try it, and report back. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CAMERA WITH YOU AND POST THE RESULTS HERE. In addition ot the camera, you might want to have a fire extinguisher with you too.


Those of us that have been around for a while are not surprised at some of the ideas thrown around. We've seen them before. Heck, some of us may have thought about it at some point in time. Before Lipos came around, you had to use nicd and nimh batteries. Have you felt the weight of a 22v nicd pack? Yeah, a DC tether is nothing hew, but there is a reason why they are not commercially available.

A friend of mine that moderates a kitplane forum has a phrase that goes like this: "Do you want to experiment, or do you want to fly?" "The wheel is invented, you just have to learn to use it."

Rafael

subcaptian

OK, so I'll just make one then. Any ideas on how to regulate the voltage?

kfrisbee

So, let me get this straight...

A new pilot (or 2) come to this forum asking questions, maybe not very good question and in some cases quite dangerous. Instead of just saying something like "Hey noob, DC tethering isn't such a great idea, you could overcharge your batteries and possibly even start a fire. I highly recommend a charger that is designed for the type of batteries you have. Check out the ACME charger for dummies, you can find one at rc-store.com".

We know that you have WAY more knowledge of batteries and helicopters than us stupid new guys. We come here for advice, sometimes on things we don't understand. We do not come here to get flamed for asking a stupid question! In my opinion the only stupid question is one that doesn't get asked. If the OP didn't ask this question and just went out and tried "to reinvent the wheel", we could have been reading an article in the newspaper about someone who burned his house down unsafely charging RC batteries

drobin

I don't think anyone got flamed. OK, it's a bad idea to tether a helicopter. Now it's said. I'll also say I have a 3" scar on my arm from a trex 450. And I also have a 500 size. I make sure everyone is 30 or 40 feet away from them when running up. I also have something between me and the main blades when I plug in the battery ( or power up). If you tether it to a wall plug, you have the wire to watch out for and the wall when you try to fly it.
Any questions or commits?? Think safety!!

subcaptian

Woah Woah Woah Woah... I leave for a day and this happens? I'm not a noob pilot, I have at least twenty stable hovers on a blade CP under my belt. I recently built a HK450GT Pro with full Align 35A ESC and 430L motor, hxt900 cyclics and a 9257 clone servo on the tail with a 401 Futaba gyro (Not a clone) to top it off. I didn't want to charge the batteries midflight, but rather only have the batteries on for weight balancing purposes. Just have the tether plugged straight into the ESC, so no overcharging. I said to have it at 11.1v so the tether would act like a fully charged lipo, not charging the battery while in the air. Sorry for any misunderstandings, I just wanted to see if you guys thought it is already available or makeable.

madmorgan

My Feedback: (2)

i would have to say if your looking into this  to start with a computer power supply i know there are all sorts of differant voltages coming out from them things i have even made powersupplies from old laptop charger cordes to power  some of my chargers that dont require high amps and that is where your probably going to run into problems you will be able to provide the volts but the high amps the esc and motor request is going to be the challenge. google diy power stations and it will give you some schematics and reading material then  run from there im sure it can be done but there again what happens if the bird starts to get out of control or anything happens and you get the bird wound up in that tether? sparks are most likely going to fly someone could possibly get electrocuted etc etc i see murphies law taking effect here but there again if you can make it and encorperate alot of safeties in it so it doesnt burn the house down or kill someone or something etc etc you may be able to make millions best of luck . for me i will stick with the tried and true method of 6 batteries 1 is used up i put it on charge then start using up the second etc etc.

Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

I think you have a thin skin. If you read my reply carefully, all the necessary information is there, and the OP understood that. I am well know for not sugar-coating my replies, I have been insulted on these forums for that reason. I was debating the fact that I needed to make sure he was not going to try to re-charge batteries in flight. That is the fastest way to make your batteries catch fire. Given your reply here, I should have mentioned, but I don't regret what I said.

Now, I understand that we all started at some point, and I was not born with this knowledge. believe me I do. Most everytihg I know, is self taught at a very high price. I went thru 3 helicopters before I was able to do the stuff I do now. And I did it in the nitro era, there were no mini electrics to learn back then. So I know the price of learning. I also strongly suggest the help of a local person in the training. Forums are great, but a local person can provide information that a forum can't.

As far as recommending an alternative idea, there isn't any. Well documented in my closing line on my reply. "the wheel is already invented......" sorry if that is not clear enough. There are more knowledgeable people in this forum that explain things in far less words, if the question is not direct enough.

Rafael

subcaptian

Well, I would ask a local person; but unfortunately, I live in Alaska, a state where RC just isn't as popular as in other states. I do have a local flying club, but they're all older guys, set in the ways of fixed-wing, not rotorcraft. You guys are my only good source of info. For the record, though, hovering came pretty easy to me. Something about playing COD:BO online and working up my hand-eye coordination and reflexes...

Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

In your case, you have no option other than self teach, but I would still look hard for events and other pilots close by. They can provide information that is very hard to transmit thru a forum. Being able to talk about something while physically looking at the object is way better than any PHD write-up that can be typed here.

When I moved here to Central Kansas 15 years ago, I was the only helicopter pilot in about 50-100 mile radius. Then soon after, helicopters started gaining popularity. Now at our small club, helicopters outnumber airplanes almost every weekend. Yesterday, there were 6 helicopters on the tables while all the airplane pilots stayed home.

Rafael

subcaptian

Well, the only heli pilots close by are in Anchorage, a three-hour drive from where I live. Even then, I don't see that as being worth the drive, just to ask little questions like that, especially when I'm still in school, weekends are my only option. But, thanks for the support. I appreciate it.

Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

You are right, Not worth the drive for a single question. But well worth the drive for a bigger event. I frequently drive 4+ hours to participate at events in my region. 2 years ago, a friend and I drove 8+ hours to go to IRCHA, the largest RC Helicopter event in the nation. There is much to learn at a bigger event.

Good luck, and Keep us informed on your progress.

Rafael

subcaptian

Well, I wasn't going to pursue it if there isn't one on the market. But, thank you for being understanding and being supportive of this new pilot. I love my helicopters much more than my fixed-wings!