[NSRCA-discussion] Arming Plug/Receptacle Problem

Mon Feb 9 11:56:55 AKST 2009

No offense taken.  I have noticed several differences between the  
"care and feeding" of Glow vs Electric Pattern airplanes.  It is true  
that I don't need a LOT of support equipment for my Glow airplanes,  
but I do need to haul fuel, fuel pump, starter, glow igniter and  
cleaning rags that I don't need for my Electric airplanes.  However,  
I do need extra batteries or charging gear if I plan on a long  
session at the flying field with my Electric airplane and I spend  
more time charging batteries at home with an Electric airplane than a  
Glow airplane.  I do have to be more careful in Electric airplane  
operation, so that an airplane that's supposed to be safe won't bite  
me because I did something I shouldn't have done or didn't do  
something I should have done.

Ron

On Feb 9, 2009, at 2:39 PM, Jerry Voth wrote:

> I've been lurking for a long time and after reading all the things  
> that one needs to do to successfully fly electric, it makes one  
> wonder how things would be if electrics were the norm from the  
> beginning of powered R/C models. It might go like this;
>
> Hey guys, I just bought this little IC engine and I tried it on one  
> of my Pattern models and it works really well. "Look what it will do;
> 1. It has just as much power as our electric motors.
> 2. The only batteries you need are for the flight pack, glow  
> igniter and the electric starter if you don't like to flip by hand.
> 3. All you have to do is pump fuel into the tank, spin the engine  
> with the starter and fly.The tail gets a little oily, but what the  
> heck, it's fairly easy to clean up.(Switching the radio on first is  
> a given.)
> 4. You don't have to haul a generator or an extra car battery  
> around to charge motor batteries."
>
> Please don't take this the wrong way. It is tongue in cheek and  
> just an observation. I also have too much time on my hands these days.
>
> JJV
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jay Marshall"  
> <lightfoot at sc.rr.com>
> To: "'General pattern discussion'" <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 1:50 PM
> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Arming Plug/Receptacle Problem
>
>
>> A 100 ohm resistor may be enough to charge the caps and make the ESC
>> "active". Bad idea...
>>
>> Jay Marshall
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org
>> [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Ron  
>> Van Putte
>> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 1:14 PM
>> To: General pattern discussion
>> Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Arming Plug/Receptacle Problem
>>
>> Good.  I will try it.  What wattage 100 ohm resistor?  Let's see,
>> doesn't sustained power equal voltage squared, divided by the
>> resistance?  If so, 42 squared, divided by 100 is 17.64 watts.
>> That's probably overkill, since the current surge is transitory.  How
>> about a 100 ohm, 10 watt resistor?
>>
>> Just thought of something:  With the 100 ohm resistor across the
>> arming plug receptacle, won't the ESC be on whenever the batteries
>> are plugged into the circuit?
>>
>> BTW, what about Castle Creation's statement that the "spark is your
>> friend'?
>>
>> Ron
>>
>> On Feb 9, 2009, at 11:55 AM, James Oddino wrote:
>>
>>> Put a 100 ohm resistor across the arming plug receptacle.  Then the
>>> capacitors in the ESC will charge without a spark as you connect
>>> the batteries.  When you connect the arming plug, no spark.
>>>
>>> Jim
>>>
>>>
>>> On Feb 9, 2009, at 8:08 AM, Ron Van Putte wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have a problem which I am sure many other E-powered airplane
>>>> owners have that I'd like to solve.  I use an arming plug to
>>>> connect the two 5S Lipo packs to the ESC.  On initial contact of
>>>> the arming plug with the receptacle, there's a big spark thrown.
>>>> Eventually the contacts on the arming plug and receptacle get
>>>> burned to the point where the electrical contact is very bad.
>>>> Yesterday I had to land my airplane deadstick because (I think)
>>>> the ESC saw what it thought was low voltage out of the battery
>>>> that was actually due to the burned arming plug/receptacle
>>>> contacts.  BTW, I am using high-amp Anderson Power Pole
>>>> connectors, which are probably more susceptible to having the
>>>> contacts burned than would Deans Ultra connectors.
>>>>
>>>> I have thought about putting a BIG capacitor in parallel with the
>>>> arming plug, that would damp the initial current surge which
>>>> causes the spark.  The capacitor could be removed before flight.
>>>> However, I'm wondering if there's a more elegant solution.
>>>>
>>>> Ron Van Putte
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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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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