[NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries

Fri Mar 31 11:21:37 AKST 2006

I'm glad you commented on it.  The set-up has about 90 flights on it-I
happened to turn the prop the other day and thought 'Man, that seems kind of
loud-but they said 300 flights or so...'  I rebuilt engines on a too regular
basis-I figured it wasn't really that big a deal and their statements to
send it back were for those without the inclination or 'mechanical sympathy'
to accomplish it-but at the stated 300 flights, you could send them in once
a year.   Any idea what the grease is?

Thanks,

Richard

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
[mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org]  On Behalf Of Robert Mairs
Sent:	Friday, March 31, 2006 2:03 PM
To:	NSRCA Mailing List
Subject:	Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries

It's fairly easy to do.  Sending them in to be done was fairly tedious since
the amount of flying we do you'll be sending them in every 2-3 weeks.  I was
showed how to do it at one of our contests last year.  Had Hacker send me
some grease, loosen the set screw, twist off the gear box, clean, relube,
tighten the gear box, tighten the set screw.  Hacker states it nulls the
warranty.  I imagine if you have trouble resulting from this, you'll have
to pay for it.  After 40 flights I'd be thinking about getting it done
though.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Strickland" <richard.s at allied-callaway.com>
To: "'NSRCA Mailing List'" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries

> Are you doing it yourself? Big deal? No?
>
> Richard
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
> [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org]  On Behalf Of Robert
> Mairs
> Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 6:13 PM
> To: NSRCA Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries
>
> 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
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> _______________________________________________
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>>> >> >> NSRCA-discussion at lists.nsrca.org
>>> >> >> http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
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>>> >>
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