The flying monkeys got me...
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Ultrastick Wiring: RCEXL Opto Kill Switch is NOT an BEC
Spent some time in a conversation with Google Gemini (their AI) and learned a lot I hope I knew and forgot about how the opto kill switch is not an IBEC.
The diagrams for the RCExl Opto Kill Switch look like this:
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
This build has been no fun at all...
Seriously. This is my third build of the Ultrastick 10cc and this one has been one pain in the ass after another. It has been three days of total immersion: I get started and hours go by before I realize it. Today was build final, but I have, yes, some issues to resolve before its a wrap.
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Wow... John Hayes rebulids the Alpha Sport 450 wing
This was the state of my Apha Sport 450 wing after my controlled flight into a line of trees that proved closer than advertised. The right wing leading edge had a fractured as martial loss not as impressive but seious as well. Repairing this requires skills far beyond mine, yet I was loath to abandon what is my first true rc aircraft.
On a whim I approached John Hayes, a friend from SNHRCC. I knew he is a master builder, and I felt if there was any hope,i t would be him. He agreed, and a couple of days ago I dropped it off (and experienced the wonderland that is his workshop for the first and I hope not last time). Two. Days. Ago.
He sent me these pics today:
This is the repaired left wing. Are you kidding me? Its literally new. This is a rare level of skill.
He will cote them and let me know when to come-back it up. I just can't wrap my head around how well this repair has come out. I am just so impressed by John's skills as a builder, just so please with the outcome here.
Thank you, John. You are giving me my baby back.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
MX2 and Cubby are up
I described the debacle that was "simple repairs" to my Hacker MX2 in last night's post. I had to replace the bad aileron servos, and it required a lot more than it should have. The new servos required new servo arm extensions, which I had to manufacture. Overnight the CA did bond, and I easily put a single screw into each to further secure them. Once I got that done, the rest was simple. A little time to make sure the ailerons were level and zeroed, and everything is grand. No more jiggy shit. Returned the gyro after having to make a better bed to secure it in after mining the foam to get the servo wire extensions in place. That rectangle under the fuse is where I had to cut to gain access to pass the wires.Staying in the spirit of the theme, the Cubby decided that there was no adventure in simple. It easily bound, that wasn't the problem. The problem was the connector was a massive EC5, which in my ignorance I used when I first started in the hobby (the Cub is one of my first planes, over a dozen years old). I have since changed to EC3 on my 4S and smaller batteries and aircraft.
Friday, April 17, 2026
Prior planning prevents piss poor performance...
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Introducing my RC Sailboat (and tug) fleet!
Last year I plunged into a new RC hobby I had yearned for years about doing, RC Sailing. I have always loved sailing, but found the scale hobby too expensive and time consuming to get into, though I have had sailing lessons. Like flying, actually, I moved into RC and flight sim because real flying is expensive and I would never be able to afford the flight hours I would want to remain current. So RC has been my weakness and I have indulged deeply. I have been blogging my sailing adventures on Facebook, for some reason not moving to this blog for sailing, but I am remedying that today!
These boats are essentially "plug-n-play", in that you need only supply a radio receiver (you only need 2 channels, but the smallest commonly are 6-channel). One is for the rudder and the other is for the sheet (one servo controls both the jib and mainsail). I use standard Spektrum/generic receivers and my Spektrum iX12 transmitter. Since you can't reef the sails, they come in 3 basic sets: A- Set for normal conditions, the smaller B set and for some C set for higher winds. Standard is A-set. They are fun, easy to maintain, and easy to sail! When not racing (which I have yet to do), its a lot like I imagine fishing is... standing calmly, quietly and just being there.
Here are the boats in my fleet:


























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