The flying monkeys got me...

Helis and fixed wing

AMA 957918
IRCHA 4345
AMA Intro Pilot Instructor

Pirate Kid Skeleton by RadDezigns.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

EXI 450 Project: 3S Batteries arrive, Mods needed

My trick of ordering a US based 3S battery to get my China ordered batteries to arrive worked... The Turnigy 3S 20C batteries arrived from Hobby King, about 3 weeks in transit. They came with a Hobby King connector called an XT60, which looks like a cross between a Dean's connector and and EC3 connector. My ESC had those ginormous red EC like connectors, of which I have none, don't know what they are called, and didn't feel like struggling to find, so I thought I would use EC3 connectors. I drove over to my LHS and bought up a bunch of them. Got home, and since I will be using these same batteries on my 600, decided to go with the larger EC5s I had purchased earlier (need to find a bulk order place...).

The wires were too large for my Burnzomatic butane soldering iron to heat, but I managed to avoid cold soldering the wires, and used the torch to liquify the solder in the pin cups. They went together very nicely, and when I accidently pushed the neg wire into the positive side of the plastic adapter (after carefully checking to make sure I wouldn't), I stress tested the joint trying to pull it apart and the littler mother held tight... Did manage to part the two and put them back where they belonged by forcing a pair of needle nose pliers back up the connector (took very little force, actually).

I also had to change the Sky Charger adapter from the big red ginormous one to EC5 so I can charge the batteries. Charged the first battery with the new connectors and it went fine. The second one was taking too long (about the same as the first, I was just too tired to wait), so I stopped it early to continue later so I could head to bed... I also changed the ginormous red connector in the ESC to the male EC3 (after a quick question on Helifreak was answered promptly), putting the female connector on the batteries as my HF buddies suggested. I found a small comment on a HorizonRC/Atlanta Hobby video that mentioned putting the pins in the male connector from the ESC and the tubes in the female battery connectors.

Once I had a charged battery, I set up the ESC prgramming card that I think is fried, and I think it's fried... Card connected to BEC reciever lead then battery to ESC, and the blue light came on steady, the beeping continued steady after the inital 3 notes, and the lights lit up normal on some lines, a couple on others where only one should be lit, and that beeping went on and on, the blue light never went out, and the card started to get warm. So I disconnected it, tried again, same thing. Its toast, so I tossed it, and will have to wait for the one I think I ordered from HobbyPartz to arrive. I say think because my PayPal went through, but I never got an order confirmation; waiting from an email response from sales.

It was tedious, but its done.

When I get the new programming card I can program the ESC. I took the motor pinion out, too difficult to get to the motor wires. Tomorrow the servo setup and install! I am off next week, so I hope to finish the build and get in my maiden flight then!

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