Stop Twitching
Electric aircraft are more susceptible to interference then your
average IC powered aircraft due to electronic speed controllers
and electric motors.
Here's a few tips for both IC and electric powered aircraft to help
reduce, if not eliminate 'glitches' altogether
- Don't run your aerial down the fuselage next to closed
loop wire.
- Always run your aerial outside the fuselage if the model
is covered in any form of silver covering or paint. Check the
covering on those ARTF's, they may not be silver on the outside
but may be backed in silver (as on the Ilsan Extra 300S).
- Use plastic clevises on the engine end of the throttle
connection. Click
here for a more detailed description
- Avoid 'meta- on-metal' joints and connections.
As these are a prime cause of interference.
Turn the receiver on in an aircraft at home (with the transmitter
off) grab a couple of metal tools and rub / knock them together
near your plane and watch it twitch to see what I mean.
- Separate the wires on all servo's, switch harnesses and
batteries, twist
them so that there is at least 2½ turns per inch. (Telephone
wires are always twisted to reduce interference). To hold them
in this position use your heat gun with attachment. Use just enough
heat to hold them in positions, be careful as too much heat will
melt either the wire or the connectors.
- Clean your transmitter aerial regularly with methylated
spirit, do NOT oil your aerial as
oil will cause a high resistance joint and attract dirt, there
are very few conductive oils about. A clean oil free aerial will
slide easily. If you have a multimeter check the resistance it
should be approx. 1 Ohm, if it is greater - then replace it. Would
you rather spend £10 on a new aerial or £200+ and
the inconvenience of building an new plane?
- If flying electric powered aircraft, position the receiver
and aerial as far away from the speed controller and electric
motor(s) as possible. If you still getting interference try wrapping
the speed controller and receiver in a couple of layers of tin
foil.
- On all electric motors, fit 3 suppression capacitors.
- 1 capacitor between the +ve terminal and the motor casing
- 1 capacitor between the -ve terminal and the motor casing
- The last one (the larger of the 3) should be connected
between the -ve and the +ve terminals.
- ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS range check
your model especially if it is new, has had a recent hard
landing or crash or if it has not been flown for a few months,
A couple of minutes taken range checking on the ground may save
you hours work repairing or building a new plane.
A friends electric ducted fan Kyosho F16 suffered terribly on its
first flight from glitches. It was taken apart and all the wires
were twisted and put back together again and hey presto, no more
glitches.
For those of you who have been in modelling for a few years, you
may remember that radio gear used to come with twisted leads, why
did they stop? What's the harm in belt 'n' braces? Will man ever
get to mars? Why all these questions? I really should stop sniffing
Solarlac when writing these articles :o)
Happy glitch
free flying!
|
|