<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2912" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY id=MailContainerBody
style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; PADDING-TOP: 15px; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Lucida Sans; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; TEXT-DECORATION: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"
bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 rightMargin=7
name="Compose message area" CanvasTabStop="true" acc_role="text">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hi Rex et al</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Yep sadly this has happen to me as well. Hard lesson
when you have a World Class, multi- FAI Canadian Champion on the sticks trying
out your plane and you inadvertently load up a set of used packs. ARGHHH! (Lets
just say it wasn't one of my best weeks of RC memories and leave it at
that.) Totally preventable.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>You need a system that provides checks & balances to
ensure that you don't find yourself in this situation as it's hard on
batteries, planes and nerves :-). For a time I was using a method (from Chad
Northeast) that had the leads wrapped together to indicate a charged set. Once
unwrapped for use in the plane they are left that way until they are
recharged. This method works well for 10S setups and those running
separate 5S packs that had both leads at the same end. It did work well for me
but I have since gone to the new FP F3A pack's that, through weight
reduction design, has the leads at opposite ends of the pack. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I agree with Don A. that the voltage check is the only
real assured way to confirm pack state. You have to come up with a routine
that confirms the voltage prior to flight. I wrote a K-Factor article
years ago on the CATT process I use before takeoff.
<STRONG>C</STRONG>ontrols, <STRONG>A</STRONG>ntenna, <STRONG>T</STRONG>rims,
<STRONG>T</STRONG>imer helps me negate any "issues" with these items once
airborne. So I now need to come up with something that includes the battery
state.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>As my canopy is the last thing to go on (switch is inside
for that ultra clean look :-) maybe something simple like ABC
for <STRONG>A</STRONG>ircraft - (wing attachment bolts?),
<STRONG>B</STRONG>atteries (both the RX and main pack voltage check) before
<STRONG>C</STRONG>anopy... I don't know for sure but something like that as we
humans need all the help we can get. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Food for thought,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Dave</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> </FONT>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=trexlesh@msn.com href="mailto:trexlesh@msn.com">Rex LESHER</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org
href="mailto:nsrca-discussion@lists.nsrca.org">NSRCA Mailing List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, April 17, 2007 8:02
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NSRCA-discussion]
E-power</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><!--[gte IE 5]><?xml:namespace prefix="v" /><?xml:namespace prefix="o" /><![endif]-->
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<DIV>Been there, done that... Most of us have, and won't admit it..
lol</DIV>
<DIV>I finally got two colors of bands to place around the packs...
Green and Red. When I get done charging, I place a Green</DIV>
<DIV>band on the battery. After I fly, I place a Red band around the
pack... I was thinking about how clever I was... Right up</DIV>
<DIV>until I flew a pack the other day that didn't seem to have much
power. It had a Green band on it!!! Green means go, right?</DIV>
<DIV>Some dumby got lazy and didn't follow procedure.... New
Rule!!! "ALWAYS CHECK VOLTAGE BEFORE FLIGHT, NO MATTER
WHAT."</DIV>
<DIV>I still use the color bands, but now the voltage gets checked
anyway! With multiple packs, it's easy to get confused which pack
is</DIV>
<DIV>which. Especially when you are preheating the packs in cold
weather! I got out of the habit of checking the pack voltage because I'm
using</DIV>
<DIV>the TP1010 charger, which displays voltage... Bad habit, if
you're not taking it off the charger and putting it in the plane.</DIV>
<DIV>Just for you Don, MINE DEFINITELY TOOK MORE THAN 5200+. All I will
say is that the 5300's have more than 5300!</DIV>
<DIV>I'm just wondering which pack you did that to? lmao</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Rex</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>