[NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries

Chad Northeast chad at f3acanada.org
Thu Mar 30 15:58:32 AKST 2006 

Gearbox...what the h&% is a gearbox ;-)

Robert Mairs wrote:

>300 flights your not gonna have a gear box left.  They're recommending 50 
>now.  Last one seemed a little dry at 50 to me, so I'm going 40 now.
>Bob
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Richard Strickland" <richard.s at allied-callaway.com>
>To: "'NSRCA Mailing List'" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 6:02 PM
>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>
>
>  
>
>>I would put the wings on and batteries in at the car, lug it, another set 
>>of
>>batts, and the transmitter out to the flightline, fly, remove that set, 
>>put
>>in the second, run the first set to the car to charge, fly, remove the
>>second set, put in the third, run the second set to the car, bitch that 
>>the
>>first set wasn't quite done, fly, take the third set out, run to the car,
>>exchange the first set for the second set, install the first again and 
>>fly,
>>take the airplane and trans back to the car, remove wings, load and go 
>>home.
>>Several times from the time I left work and the time I got home was right 
>>at
>>2 hours total and the field is roughly 20 mins away to and from.  4 flts 
>>in
>>about an hour and 15 mins. with 3 sets at 1C charge rate.  5 flts would
>>start to stretch things out.  I left the scene about the time balancing
>>started to hit stride.  At 1.5 C you could get 5-6 in 2hours or so.  No
>>field box, tools, fuel, starter, paper towels and Windex, extra trips to 
>>the
>>car to get going; no clean up and hauling it all back to the car.   Of
>>course, there were more social evenings that took more time-but if I was 
>>'on
>>a mission' to practice with limited time, the guys understood.  BTW, the
>>Hackers and Master controllers did just fine temperature wise.  Things
>>seemed so reliable in that department that I had asked Hacker how long b4 
>>I
>>have to do some service on the motor and gearbox-they said to send it back
>>about every 300 flts and they'd clean and regrease the gear-set, replace 
>>if
>>needed(15.00), and the motor would run almost indefinitely.  With the
>>exception of installing the wings, it's like flying foamies-you do the 
>>same
>>stuff-just a little bigger.  Speaking of Chip, I noticed he processed 5 
>>sets
>>at the Worlds'.  Man, that's livin'!   A small red Honda may be in my
>>future....
>>
>>Richard
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
>>[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org]  On Behalf Of J.Oddino
>>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 3:47 PM
>>To: NSRCA Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>
>>Richard, can you explain why you got so many more flights in a given 
>>amount
>>of field time.  Less tinkering or what?  I've heard Chip make similar
>>comments.
>>
>>Jim O
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Richard Strickland" <richard.s at allied-callaway.com>
>>To: "'NSRCA Mailing List'" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 10:17 AM
>>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>>>There is a World of difference between a sport flyer and a pattern guy.
>>>Again, once I got programmed in what it took to practice and the
>>>      
>>>
>>relatively
>>    
>>
>>>small amount of time it took, I was able to go out and get 35-50 flights 
>>>a
>>>week-I 'found' 1 1/2 to 2 hours more often as opposed to the 3-4 it used
>>>      
>>>
>>to
>>    
>>
>>>take and practiced more.  At that rate, when a guy gives you a 6 mo.
>>>guarantee-he'd better know the score-and what you expect in service
>>>turn-around.  Unlike a sport guy who flies 3-8 or so flights a weekend
>>>      
>>>
>>where
>>    
>>
>>>a 6 mo. guarantee would be reasonable.  I think many of the folks who are
>>>      
>>>
>>in
>>    
>>
>>>the battery business go from their experience as sport flyers and not
>>>      
>>>
>>fairly
>>    
>>
>>>serious pattern fiends where practice-practice-practice is such a large
>>>component of probable success.
>>>
>>>Richard
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
>>>[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org]  On Behalf Of Stuart
>>>      
>>>
>>Chale
>>    
>>
>>>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 11:27 AM
>>>To: 'NSRCA Mailing List'
>>>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>>
>>>George has been quick with email responses and very courteous, but it
>>>doesn't seem like he has the answers either.  I can't find his original
>>>email but he was unable to say that there are people with over 100 cycles
>>>      
>>>
>>on
>>    
>>
>>>a pack.  He is convinced that their technology is better than TP but will
>>>that translate into a longer life span?  It seems like we are being asked
>>>      
>>>
>>to
>>    
>>
>>>test batteries for the manufacturers instead of them testing their
>>>      
>>>
>>products
>>    
>>
>>>under our conditions.
>>>
>>>Stuart
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
>>>[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Earl Haury
>>>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 10:58 AM
>>>To: chad at f3acanada.org; NSRCA Mailing List
>>>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>>
>>>Chad
>>>
>>>Your questions are probably best answered by Falcon
>>>George at FalconBatteries.com . I think that you'll find George quite open
>>>      
>>>
>>with
>>    
>>
>>>info, and I'd like to see your assessment of his answers.
>>>
>>>Earl
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Chad Northeast" <chadnortheast at shaw.ca>
>>>To: "NSRCA Mailing List" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>>>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:42 AM
>>>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Earl
>>>>
>>>>Does the Falcon warranty cover simply manufacturers defects...or will
>>>>        
>>>>
>>they
>>    
>>
>>>>replace any abuse/over charged/overdischarge/cycled out pack?
>>>>
>>>>I can't honestly believe that a manufacturer will replace every pack
>>>>        
>>>>
>>that
>>    
>>
>>>>fails, or they will be out of business in a short period of time :)  If
>>>>that is the case I can buy 4 sets of packs and never again purchase
>>>>another battery for as long as they will supply them regardless of
>>>>        
>>>>
>>usage.
>>    
>>
>>>>Just looking for some clarification on their warranty statement.
>>>>
>>>>Do you know who is making the cells?  Their other packs are APL I
>>>>believe...wondering if they went to Enerland (like Apogee/Tanic/Flight
>>>>Power) did for the higher C cells.
>>>>
>>>>Chad
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: Grow Pattern <pattern4u at comcast.net>
>>>>Date: Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:26 am
>>>>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>Earl,
>>>>>        You raise a very interesting point, What is sponsored?
>>>>>
>>>>>I used to think it was either that you got paid to fly by a
>>>>>manufacturer/supplier/business, or that you got your equipment
>>>>>free. But
>>>>>what if, for example, you got a discount on your OS 1.40 EFI ,or
>>>>>free fuel
>>>>>etc. Or another would be that you bought and built a plane but
>>>>>your
>>>>>batteries were post gratis.
>>>>>
>>>>>This could be harder to define than a pattern snap-roll. Hmmmm?
>>>>>
>>>>>To be clear to the potentially-paranoid-pattern-people",  I am
>>>>>interested
>>>>>for my own edification. (No hidden agenda). I do get asked my
>>>>>opinion on
>>>>>certain subjects and when I am not sure, I ask for my opinion :-)
>>>>>
>>>>>I would also add that many of the responses to the electric issues
>>>>>that I
>>>>>have raised have given me a much better and more balanced view
>>>>>than the one
>>>>>I had a few months ago.
>>>>>
>>>>>So, thanks in advance,
>>>>>
>>>>>Eric.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>From: "Earl Haury" <ehaury at houston.rr.com>
>>>>>To: "NSRCA Mailing List" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>>>>>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 8:04 AM
>>>>>Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>Stuart
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I'm using the first 4 packs sold. I've 48 cycles on one set 18
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>on the
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>other.
>>>>>>So far they've been fine, very little (if any) balancing
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>activity. Don't
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>have any idea what the cycle life will be - only time will tell.
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>As the
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>weather improves, opportunity for more flying will accelerate cycle
>>>>>>accumulation a bunch. I hope that there's no need to exercise their
>>>>>>warranty, but it's a nice feature.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Just so there's no misunderstanding - I gathered flight data to
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>help
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>Falcon
>>>>>>define the pack parameters and received a bit of a discount
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>(that local
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>sales tax mitigated) for that work. Don't know if that's considered
>>>>>>"sponsored", but I'm using them because they work and Falcon
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>provides> excellent service. (I understand that they had some
>>>>>website problems
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>recently, if anyone has problems with it - a phone call will work.)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Earl
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>From: "Stuart Chale" <schale at optonline.net>
>>>>>>To: "'NSRCA Mailing List'" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
>>>>>>Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 6:32 AM
>>>>>>Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Is anyone using the Falcon F3A cells advertised in the K-
>>>>>>>              
>>>>>>>
>>>>>Factor?  Is
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>>there
>>>>>>>any track record behind them?
>>>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>>>Stuart
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>>NSRCA-discussion mailing list
>>>>>>>NSRCA-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
>>>>>>>http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>              
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>NSRCA-discussion mailing list
>>>>>NSRCA-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
>>>>>http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
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>>>      
>>>
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>>    
>>
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