RMRC Nano Skyhunter - Part 2

The RMRC Nano Skyhunter is basically the same bird as the Eachines Micro Skyhunter, and I've had a couple of those. Neither of the Eachine planes flew well and this was largely due to the plane's inherit nose heaviness, this was an issue when using a 1300 or 1400mah 3s battery. I reviewed the weight of smaller 1000mah 3s batteries and they are only about 10g lighter so I don't suppose using one of those will help much and I'd give up a significant amount of battery capacity.

The stock motor on the Eachine Micro Skyhunter is a 2204 2300kv unit that weighs in at 25g. I have a Cobra 2208 2000kv motor available ( 9 dollars on sale ) that weighs in at nearly twice the 2204's weight, at 47g. I had used a roll of several nickles as weight to balance my previous Micro Skyhunter so the extra 23g weight of the 2208 2000kv motor should be ok.

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I had some concern about the lower kv rating of the 2208 and how that would impact thrust. I don't have test charts for the stock 2204 2300kv available but reviewing the Cobra test charts for their 2204 2300kv, and the 2208 2000kv is insightful.

http://www.innov8tivedesigns.com/images/specs//Cobra_CM-2204-28_Specs.htm

http://www.innov8tivedesigns.com/images/specs/Cobra_CM-2208-20_Specs.htm

The APC 6x4 prop in the chart draws more than the rated 17A for the little 2204, not good. However the same APC 6x4 prop on the 2208 is very usable, produces nearly as much thrust, and draws approximately 3A less of current while doing so. Given this, I'll likely use the Cobra 2208 2000kv with the APC 6x4EP, or perhaps a APC 6x4.2x3 prop on the Nano Skyhunter build with a 30A ESC.

RMRC Nano Skyhunter - Part 1

A few weeks ago I received a Nano Skyhunter from Ready Made RC. One of the ailerons was misshapen, I believe it was manufactured incorrectly, and I couldn't get it to lay flat. I contacted Ready Made to ask about a new wing, and they sent out an entirely new bird. That is customer service to be excited about! I'm so pleased with them that I've already made another purchase for some props and adapters, and I'll pick out their new Recruit wing when it's released.

I know this isn't earth shattering news but in the days of continued shipping fails and terrible customer service from Banggood and their ilk, it's good to spend your greenbacks with a reputable US based firm.

Volantex Xpilot stabilization system - calibration and setup

A few months ago I picked up a couple of the Volantex Xpilot from Banggood with the intention of using them in my now defunct Micro Skyhunter. The units took about a month to arrive and as a result the Xpilot never got to meet the little foam Skyhunter.

Yesterday, I attempted to configure one of the units for the Volantex Ranger 1600 but the unit doesn't handle the rudder correctly. When you let go of the stick the rudder stays in almost the same position and doesn't return to center unless you give the control opposite stick input. ArxangelRC doesn't run into that issue in his video as the Micro Skyhunter uses only ailerons and elevator for control surfaces.

Dealing with Banggood customer service is less fun than a root canal so I suppose the Xpilots are mine to keep. Fortunately I'm working on a Ready Made RC Nano Skyhunter build and the Xpilot will do just fine there.

How Not To Fly Fixed Wing - Part 5

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A post shared by Fixed Wing RC (@flyingfixedwingrc) on Jan 2, 2019 at 1:32pm PST

I'm aware it's odd to start a series of posts at part 5, but that's just how I am. Anyone that really knows me won't be surprised by my lack of linearity as I often back into stories. This morning I lost my FOURTH PLANE in half as many months. I live near the Harpeth River in a small neighborhood of about 300 or so homes. There is a nice walking trail with a very handy parking lot in the development. I've been flying planes out of the lot and I realized today the very handy parking lot has quite a few plane eating trees and I should not attempt to land near them.

This time of year the lack of leaves combined with the flat overcast light makes depth perception a real issue. The depth perception challenge was a contributing factor but the crash was avoidable. I was trying to land my favorite plane, an E-flite UMX Timber, and I had to go around due to a wind gust. The little UMX Timber makes you feel like a rock star pilot, when you're not, and I should have never attempted to land on the pavement beside the trees to begin with. When I had to abort the landing and go around I climbed up right into the top of a tree.

There are a few lessons here.

1.  I should walk away from the comfort of the parking lot and the tailgate of my truck when flying. If I'm not going to keep the plane in front of me at all times then I need the area behind me to be clear of obstacles.

2.  I should have maintained at least a thumbs height above the trees until landing in an area clear of trees.

3. If the wind is blowing the wrong way for a safe approach in the desired landing area then don't fly.

4. And last but not least, I shouldn't fly or land the plane behind me, if I do, I really should keep the plane in front of me at all times.

The situation stinks. The UMX Timber has been my go to plane for a few weeks because it's so easy to fly and I find the super short take offs to be a stress free alternative to the throw and pray method of launching. The resulting loss leaves me 120 dollars lighter and I don't have another working fixed wing aircraft to fly at the moment. :( Oh well, time to get cracking on sorting out the CC3D controller I have and get my Bixler 1.1 flying.

Banggood - Gambling With Your Money

I received my Volantex Phoenix 2400 today and the box was smashed very similarly to the box my Nano Talon shipped in. Unlike the Nano Talon, the Phoenix 2400 received no damage due to the box being damaged on the side where the plastic fuselage rested. This was total luck, had the damage occurred to the other side of the box the wings would have been smashed.

Which brings up my Nano Talon, I received that plane as a gift and the giver had no idea the plane was damaged as they didn't know what to look for on the outside of the box. The wings were BADLY  warped and no matter how much hot water and bending was applied, one of the wings won't return to the original shape. As a result my Nano Talon won't fly. I've tried to get it into the air a number of times and all I have to show for it is a 100 dollar hunk of worthless damaged foam. Banggood as been mostly useless and unwilling to sort out the issue either financially or by replacing the damaged product. At this point I can't recommend dealing with Bangood when purchasing RC planes. The shipping methods are insufficient for protecting EPO and EPP foam planes and the customer service is abysmal.

5 Hard Lessons of Buying Eurorack Modules

I haven’t blogged about the Mother 32 in a long time, a very long time. That’s because I’ve sold it and moved on. People warned me, and they were right, the Moog Mother 32 is a gateway into full blown Eurorack addiction. My Mother 32  was replaced with two TipTop Mantis cases and a menagerie of Eurorack modules.

Like any proper addict, I dove in head first, buying and selling modules at a furious rate. At the same time, I was trying to learn how to navigate the modular workflow. This was a frustrating way to enter Eurorack, but to spite all of that, I’ve learned a LOT.

“ From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own. “ – Publilius Syrus

This isn’t a guide about what modules you need when starting out, which VCA to purchase, or how many HP you need in your first case. Those are all valid questions, and that’s another blog entry for another day. These are 5 of the philosophical questions I’d wrestled with as I went down the Eurorack rabbit hole, and the lessons I learned along the way.

1. Do I really want to dive through menus to use a module?

Sure, you can put Parasites and Bee's In The Trees firmware on Mutable Devices modules, or menu dive through a Disting MK4, but do you really want to? I hate having manuals, cheat sheets, etc laying around. I don't have a lot of free time and I just need to be able to sit down, learn modular, and hopefully be inspired. I’ve sold most all of my multipurpose software modules, including my Ornaments and Crime, and went with modules with a dedicated purpose.

OK, In all honesty I did keep my Warps and Disting MK4. The jury is still out on the Disting but Warps is pretty easy to use for a multi-function module. 

2. Do I really need the best bongo sounds?

You can run down a total rat hole trying to make bongo sounds on modular. Sure, the Rubicon is awesome but how bad do I want the most amazing FM to feed into a LPG? At this point I'd rather sample something and fire it out with a trigger using a sample module. Or better yet, I’d rather buy a Plonk and forget the whole Through Zero FM and Low Pass Gate scenario.

3. Do I really need the best LPG, or Low Pass Gate?

I've bought and sold a few LPGs and to be honest, I'd rather have a good 12db slope VCF and some good envelopes generators. I can dial the envelope in to be plucky, long, swell, or configure it as an LFO if the module supports that. Low Pass Gates tend to leak, and they all sound different so it can be a total crap shoot.

4. Do I need this module?

I know this sounds like a stupid question, but honestly, how many times have you convinced yourself you that you just HAD to have a Wogglebug, Braids, or Clouds? At times it’s seems it’s all but impossible to do Eurorack without those modules. There are reasons these modules are popular but the most important thing is that you’re able to sit down, be inspired, and hopefully make something creative. You don’t have to have all of the modules your Youtube Eurorack idols have to create an inspiring sonic pallete.

5. Do I really want a swiss army knife module?

Maths, this is another one of those “can’t live without it” or "swiss army knife" modules. But just like many of the Make Noise modules, it’s not exactly intuitive or self-explanatory. I know Maths has every function including the kitchen sink, but for envelopes I’d rather have a more conventional ADSR or ADR.

When Make Noise released their Contour envelope, I was sold. It’s very intuitive, but has some parameters that can be modulated with CV. At first, the lack of a cycle button was a letdown but I quickly learned you can patch that up and use it as an LFO. Contour gives you some of the rewards of a swiss army knife module without all of the frustration of learning something as deep as Maths, awesome!

So there you have it, 5 things you should consider when buying Eurorack modules. I hope this helps at least a few folks out there. If you have any Eurorack module buying lessons, please share them in the comments!

Meade Lightbridge 130 - Long Term Review - Part 1

Around October of 2016 I picked up a pair of Vanguard 8x42 binoculars to do some stargazing in Whittier NC at a cabin we rented. While the 8x42 binos were great for stargazing and meteor shower observation, a 7° FOV wasn’t enough to allow my lovely girlfriend and I to see anything super interesting. 

Fast forward about 9 months and I was thinking about visiting the mountains again in the fall. Knowing I wouldn’t see anything life changing with my binos I started researching telescopes. I considered the pros and cons of various scopes from small 90mm Maks on goto mounts to large 10” collapsible Dobs. I landed in the middle on a 5” reflector type telescope, aimed squarely at noobs, the Meade Lightbridge 130 .

Why did I choose the Meade Lightbridge 130mm over the vast array of other options?

First, I wanted a grab-n-go scope, something that I could plop behind the seat in my Tacoma and drive to a viewing site. I didn't want to fool with the alignment of a goto or equatorial mount when I decided to grab-n-go. The Dobsonian style Alt-Az mount is great for aligning a target and looking with no setup. Here is a basic formula that I wrote that explains the benefits of grab-n-go.

(Grab-N-Go) + (Wine and Cheese) + (Girl Friend) = Darn Good Night

The Lightbridge 130 cost around 200 bones on the street. The 130mm aperture of the scope combined with the fairly wide 650mm focal length results in a fairly bright scope for the money. More aperture means more light and more light means you see more stuff when you narrow the focus of the scope. 

Lastly, The optical tube assembly seemed to be of sufficient quality that it would benefit from other upgrades, new eyepieces, new finder, a nice 2x barlow, longer dovetail, and ultimately a better mount. All of the items displaced by upgrades are so cheap they're marginally serviceable. As a result, I won't feel bad replacing those parts with high quality components that I can carry forward or share with another scope.

I'll stop here and discuss my first impressions and basic use of the scope in the next post. Until then, may you have happy days and clear skies.