[NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries

Fri Mar 31 14:54:29 AKST 2006

It's that thing attached to the front of a Hacker that sets the power 
standard for all others to try and match.....   ;>)

Verne Koester

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chad Northeast" <chad at f3acanada.org>
To: "NSRCA Mailing List" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 7:58 PM
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Falcon F3A batteries

> 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
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>>http://lists.nsrca.org/mailman/listinfo/nsrca-discussion
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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