Added: 3 years ago
From: NightFlyyer
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  • Lipo's are the most dangerous battery in the world. and I hate to say it, but you weren't using a lithium polymer.. use were using a lithium ION.. as for the difference, volts.... drain a 12v battery at 12v faster then you would at 6v... if you drain them at the same amperage (go by general rule, volts times amps = capacity in watts) so its not what type of battery... its what voltage/capacity. Why I build my own battery packs for half the price (nimh only).  Hope this helps

  • incase you want to know what batt fits there perfect for me is the esky helicopter batt 11.1v ex1-o180 fits right in .. you mod the plug adapter .. i added a rubber band to make sure the window thing dont open ,, added tape like you said in your vids ,, id like for you to try it with this batt one day when you get a chance .. ..

  • lipo was your idea .. my commander 2 flies great with 11.1v il have a on board vid soon as china brings me my mini cam .. thanks for the idea man ..

  • i just added a lipo 11.1v 100 mah best flight time ive gotten .. goes really high and you can glide for hours i bet

  • @420choky 1000mah

  • i just got this for my first plane .. what you think about it? is a good learner plane

  • I know this is old, but I have to add my 2 cents worth. I have two 7.4 v 800 mah batteries from two diff helos. After seeing this video I made a wire harness to let me switch between the stock and the lipo batteries. I havent thrown the stopwatch on it, but I know it feels like twice the flight time. I know Im disappointed when I switch to the stock battery and it dies too soon. Maybe Ill run the stop watch tomorrow and time it up to the point the motor switches off.

  • Ok, I just did my test on the LiPo vs stock. The LiPo I used was a Nine Eagles- 2 cell, 7.4v, 800mAh, model NE B012. The stock battery, is the Ni-MH 8.4v, 300 mAh, model number HBZ 1014. The test was done WOT for the entire flight. Unlike Dave, I was able to make the battery fit. I modified the battery connections to use the standard red, two pin connectors. I wasnt going to use them, but after looking over the original power connections, the pin size about the same.

  • I had a bad rx from my first firebird so I used the original battery cable to make an adapter. So, its breezy outside, but not unmanageable. First up was the stock battery. My time was from the toss to the landing. I landed directly after the motor shut off. I got a little over 2 minutes. Next was the LiPo. I got 9.35 minutes!! If it wasnt for the breeze, I know that I would have gotten more than 2 minutes from the stock battery. But at WOT, in a head wind, The times still show clear results!

  • So Dave, do you thinks its worth a re-visit?

  • lower voltage = less RPMS's

    higher mAH = more run time

    your not the only one thats tried different battery styles

  • i just got a PZ super decathlon bl and i tryed the battery pack in my firebird and it blew the radio gear lol

    im not too worried as the firebird served me well and was pretty beat up and the motor was failing too so it would be time to purchase a new one anyways

    the parts cost a bit so its more sence just to buy a new one hehe

    well atleast ill have two good stock batterys when i do eventualy go buy a new one as i want to teach my son to fly using the phantom next summer :)

  • Great video, I just bought the firebird commander 2 and have 2 7.4 800 mh packs and wondered the same damn thing lol..... thx for the comparison

  • tanic hehe tietanic

  • NightFlyyer, why dosent the lipo battery make the left side of the phantom tip to the left.

  • since the Lipo didn't make much a difference in flight time, How bout a 8.4v NmH pack with 1000 or more mAh? The weight isn't a whole lot more than the 300mAh it comes with.

  • i have been flying for 40 years

  • dude lipo last longer

  • my brother, never flown rc will be flying it in the next couple of days; of course I'll be trying it out before then, make sure it is all trimmed up well and let him fly with the ACT on first.

  • I do not recommend the ACT. If your totally upside down, or too low or cloudy dark days, it does not give you enough control to be able to save it. That ACT is not a magic bullet, so don't depend on it.

  • how long does the battery take to charge? I'm thinking of buying two or three extra batteries (the original 7cell 8.4v nimh) so I can get much longer times flying. Also how high can you take this plane? How much range does the transmitter have? I've seen someone fly (joehandsome I think) with a flycamone 2 (stupid name lol) that weighs an ounce; the fpv system I have is only 28g. In that video he managed to do lots of aerobatics. Thanks very much for your videos helped me a lot in deciding.

    Ed

  • About 25 min charge time. Extra batteries are the best way to go. It can fly out of sight and range is about 3000 feet,but you cant see it that far, so by then it would be too late. Cant fly it if you cant see it. LOL. I have flown my Aiptek on many many planes and helis of mine including this one. It has a video screen and sound, where the Flycam does not.

  • The NiMh, because of the extra volt and weighed less

  • but which battery had the most power?

  • The batteries nimh neither exploit nor do fire. The lipo if they exploit and do fire.

    The lipo are very dangerous.

  • Not dangerous is you charge them and use them as they are designed for. Your cell and laptop has them too. Not that dangerous, or they would not be in those devices.

  • they are only dangerous if used improperly or as if not intended to be designed for such a porpouse or may catch fire and explode if the terminals are shorted because of the high amps and the materials inside the pack can explode in extreme cases but generaly lipos are very safe in normal use

  • NiMH are best to move a vehicle..my 2000 Ford Ranger EV NiMH is the car Ford wants to pretend they never made.

  • Yep. BTW, I drove a Nissan Altima Hybrid when I was in Northern Cal, last month and it has LiPos in it. That is the way they are all going now...Of course LiPos have been in cellphones and Laptops for years as the slow auto industry catches up. LOL.

  • do you get more run time with more volts or more milliamps? i am looking for an inexpensave batterie for my rc truck. please answer.

  • More Milliamps.

  • thank you:-)

  • hey dave have you got a tip for me im thinking on getting one.i have never flown a plane and im nervous about braking its tail off or what elves should i get?nice video and flying 5 star

  • Take your time and never lose site of it. It is best to get an instructor (a good one) and remember Crashing is an important (and necessary) part of the learning curve. Get a Slo Stik for nice slow flying,if you want to get something.

  • thanks a lot dave i really apreciate it.

  • Could it work with 3s lipo 400mAh? Will the electronic handle 11.1 V ?

  • Yes, but it is much easier and cheaper to just buy another NiMh battery, as I have found.

    Dave (AKA, Nightflyyer)

  • WHATS A LIPO AND WATS THE DIFFERENES

  • Lithium Polymer. They are lighter and longer lasting than Nicad rechargables or NiMh batteries, as we used to use. LiPos are also in Laptops, phones, and Ipods, etc.

  • hey. the batteries for the WORST HELICOPTER video work i think.i bout the battery on ebay and it worked

  • Haha. Yep the only good thing about that heli.

  • Great Flying Dave. And Just in case, tell jeff he was good too. 5/5

  • Thanks. I'll tell Jeff too.

  • What's the life range of lipo? I never had a NiMH having to be replaced on me yet, not touting just curious.

  • Ive been flying all my Lips for a couple of years and they still work. I dont know the answer yet, but if you charge and cool them correctly, years are not unobtainable.

  • Someone should give you your own show on cable! Super Great videos!!

  • Thanks kindly. Email the cable company or NBC or someone about it. I would love that. Then I could have you on as a guest.

  • you and jeff are both so talented.

  • Haha. Thanks for that.

  • Dave, First of all, I thank you for your service in the Armforce for protect this country and keep our Freedom a live. Further, I have an idea about extra fly time for this Firebird Phantom (or any mode). How about build 8.4v regular for 11.1v Lipo. You can use LM317T. This IC can handler upto 1500ma. I do not own any Lipo and charger yet until then I will build one and test it. I absolute, it will work and add your fly time close to triple or even longer with 11.1vdc 1000 ma -- 1500 ma.

  • Thanks kindly for your comments. Yes that should work. I may have to try that, but in the mean time, it was just easier to buy the second stock battery for $10, because I still had to buy $5 worth of connectors and do soldering so I could charge it through A lipo charger. That lipo charger would also be an extra purchase for this plane, which comes with NiMh chargers. But your idea would work well. This plane has to be balanced perfectly too. Also the Lipo I used wouldnt fit inside.

  • go lipo!

  • hey i have a phantom and i have been trying to use the electronics in it to make a totally new custom built homemade airplane...could you do me a favor and build one so i can see how you did it???

  • See my video on How to make your own RC airplane for more. The Phantom receiver and servo is all in one, so it may be a bit of a challenge because the radio is mixed with vtail mixing and it cannot be undone, so your plane must have the same tail as the Phantom.

  • Happy 4th Of July!

    I might get a phantom but I need to get an

    Dx6i first.

  • Thanks. Happy 4th to you too.

  • wow thats a lot better, i love r/c stuff!

  • hahaha i see that your esky charging is done

  • Ha ha.  Good eye!

  • Thanks Dave for answer my question. I purchased second Firebird and extra Battery plug 1 from previous Firebird so total 3. I brought fast charger and car start battery jump to the field. Hopefully it will keep me fly all day.

    Best Regards,

    James

  • Great. Enjoy. I have 2 new videos coming soon on the FB. Stay tuned.

  • I was just wondering if you could try the firebird phantom between a larger propeller, a propeller smaller than the stock then the stock itself to see which one works best for thrust and flight.

  • IT makes not much difference in the weather I fly in.  A larger prop gives slightly more power, not speed, and uses more battery. A smaller propeller makes it go faster, but not much power.

  • the nimh battery on the plane sounds alot like a stormlancher and the lipo i was amazed

    how well it ran and how long it performed

  • Thanks very kindly. I appreciate that.

  • Thanks Dave. I always read that Lipo is the way to go, and that it's always much lighter than other battery types. It may have lasted longer but it was heavier. I wonder how much MORE flight time you would've gotten over Jeff if you ship had been trimmed out right and had the battery (which wouldnt fit) in the nose and thus more aerodynamic. Not to mention that you'd already flown a little before the flyoff. Great video! Thanx

  • Thanks, but the lipo is a waste ON THIS PLANE. The Lipo is at a disadvantage from the start because, it starts out at a volt lower than the NiMh. So when the radio receiver cuts it off at 6 volts, it never gets to use the extra milliamps. That was what I was trying to show in the video. It is not worth the money to change anything on this plane, in my opinion. It works great stock. I got a little extra flight time, but its cheaper just to buy 3 extra $11 NiMh's.

    Thanks for your kind comments.

  • You should be able to get almost all of your rated mAh before you hit the 6V cutoff. Also, the LiPo should also start at around ~8V when charged or 8.4V at max charge.

    The NiMH pack will also drop from 8.4V to 5.6V (the minimum safe voltage) under load as it's discharged.

    The easiest test is just to charge both (no handicapping by flying the LiPo first), restrain them side-by-side, and run full throttle until they quit. This has already been proven with the Losi Micro-T optional LiPo.

  • Yes, well in this case, the proof was in the flying.

    I did fly longer with the lipo, just not 3 times longer. And it worked which was the question, not if it worked longer or better. It worked.

  • oh and by the way, I have a 9.6V Nickel metal Hydride battery that is 3 1/2 years old and it still works great.

  • Yes, heavy and old, but they can still be used. I have a couple over 11 years old that still charge, but don't hold the charge too long. NiMh, and NiCads can be fast charged, but lose about 20% of their charge per week, where as LiPos stay charged a long time, but charge slowly.

  • It looks as though I need a little more practice with that new camera of yours. Other than my 'sub-par' camera work, great video! I also thought that the lipo battery would have weighed more than just 3 grams heavier than the NiMh battery.

  • Yes. No problem on the Camera. No real advantage (on this plane anyway) to switching, since the Milliamps are all wasted too.

  • Oh Dave I forgot to ask are those firebirds running brushed motors? I am pretty sure they are but had to ask. I wonder how thet would do with a brushless motor.

  • They are Brushed. It flies very well with the stock motor. Anything bigger may over stress the wings in loops etc and there is not enough room to put a brushless speed controller and a Lipo too.

    It is a pretty fine machine as is, and as I proved, it cuts off due to voltage being lower on the lipo, thus wasting all the extra Milliamps, so I am sticking with the NiMh batts too. They can be charged faster too.

  • You guys are lookin good in the air. Looked like a couple close calls. I need to figure out a way to get a plane packed in the bike and come up there.......Good Job 5+ stars.....

  • Thanks kindly. Yep, bring a plane and come on up.

  • That's an awesome idea. I'll bet that would make a really cool video having 3 firebird phantoms in the air. I'M ALL FOR IT! But I'll be busy the 2nd Tuesday of next week...LOL (jk)

    Come on up. You'd be more than welcome.

  • hey..thats the same way i mounted my hat cam. Im making a great video to help beginners,yes it took me the whole week and its less then 5 min. I did a lot of research and hopefully it will help some people out. Great vid 5 stars.

  • Thanks kindly. Ill look forward to you video.

  • looks like that you took good care of that battery real well. Awesome flying

  • Thanks kindly.

  • That also sounds like good epoxy because it is lighter

  • Nice flight. A tip that might be useful: I have lost previous Firebirds due to weakness in the tail at the point that the control wires come out. A 3 inch piece of clear plastic tubing glued on around that spot with 5 min. epoxy reinforces it so that it never breaks. You have to move the steering controls while setting up to keep from glueing the wires.

    Jeff

  • That is a good idea. I have really wringed mine out in heavy winds, but it never broke. But an ounce of prevention......

  • Can you change the crystals on these phantoms so they are not on the same channel or is there some digital trickery going on so that each plane knows what transmitter it should listen to?

  • You cannot change the crystals. They are on 27Mhz(FM band). HobbyZone has many channels to buy the Firebird on.

    I am on Channel 3 and Jeff just got one so he could fly with me and he is on CH 6. Just buy it with the channel you want.

  • That sounded pretty cool. 5/5. Just a thought, I figured out already that the lipo was going to last longer. Dave you could have added landing gear on yours for a different result. Just a thought.

  • It flips over on grass landings with the landing gear it came with. It is only for use on hard surfaces, and since it is removable, I never use it.

  • Dave have you ever tested a zagi. If so how fast do thay go?

  • Zagis are very fast flying wings and make great slope soarers too. They can do over 100 mph, I've heard.

  • It was slightly at all obvious that the lipo would last a bit longer because it had nearly 3 times the amps, but hardly at all lower voltage. Great Video though. Like always.

  • Not so obvious at all! Thats why that 1 volt is important in this test.

    LiPos will be ruined if they go below 3 volts per cell. So to counteract this, the Speed controller & radio manufactures set the cut off at 3 volts, so the battery wont go too low.

    In this case, the radio shuts off the motor at 6 volts. There's 1 volt less with the LiPo verses the Higher V NiMh, so it shuts off earlier.

    That cut-off does not let me use all the extra Milliamps, thus wasting them. Thanks for your comments.

  • Great vid.

  • Thanks very kindly.

  • I wish I lived near you guys! It'd be great to have some buddies to fly the phantom with. I really love that plane. So much fun!

  • Thanks. You can always visit.

  • great video!

  • Thanks kindly.

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