Τετάρτη 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008

HUDY universal Wheel Balancing Station


The wheel adapter come with a CNC-machined aluminum holder and one-piece super-strong and precise steel rod that rotates in the ball-bearings. The hex on the wheel adapter fits precisely into the wheel and a machined tightening nut is included for fast and comfortable wheel tightening. All alloy parts are CNC-machined from highest-quality aluminum with stylish black coating and laser engraving.
Wheel adapters are available optionally for different scale wheels: 1/10 touring cars, 1/10 off-road, 1/8 off-road, truggy and rally, and also for 1/5 on-road and 1/6 off-road.

Wheel adapter for 1/10 touring car wheels• CNC-machined lightweight alu wheel adapter with 1-piece super-strong and precision-finished steel rod• Perfectly smooth, free rotation• High-quality, high-precision ball-bearings degreased and lightly oiled for ultra-fine wheel rotation• Wheel adapter hex mount fits precisely into wheel• Precision-balanced tires improve car traction and stability, improve shock absorber action• Machined tightening nut for fast and comfortable wheel tightening.

Answer - RC clutch shoes


“Answer-RC 3 shoe High Bite Low Wear Clutch set w. 3 spring sets After many months of testing we are confident that no other shoe offers the same high level of bite and low wear ratio. The shoe is lighweight reducing rotating mass helping the engine spool quicker and reducing drive train mass. The shoes each have a built in stand off washer to lift the shoe from the flywheel. This reduces drag on the flywheel allowing you to tune the clutch perfectly with the included springs. No need for an additional washer making clutch assembly and maintainence a more straightforward task. [Click the read more link below for more info]
3 Sets of springs included0.9mm Gold1.0mm Silver1.1mm BlackA ligher spring allowds the clutch to engange earlier with more progeression. A thicker spring allows the engine to rev higher prior to engagement of the shoe coming in with more bite and more aggression.If driving on a low grip surface it is generally considered best to run a lighter spring making the car easier to drive out the corners. Suitable for pretty much all 3 shoe clutch systems available.

New NT1 Super - Light Solid Axle Set


For racers looking for smart weight savings and optimized rotating weight, XRAY offers this ultra-lightweight solid axle as a direct replacement for the standard diff or Multi-Diff™. This axle is 56% lighter than the standard Solid Axle, with a hollow axle for super-low rotating weight. The ultra-strong 1-piece solid axle is CNC-machined from world-renowned HUDY Spring Steel™, and includes lightweight aircraft aluminum pulley adapter.

Τρίτη 16 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008

Ρομποτικό ελικόπτερο μαθαίνει να πιλοτάρει τον εαυτό του


Ένα μικρό ελικόπτερο εξοπλισμένο με σύστημα τεχνητής νοημοσύνη μαθαίνει να πετά μόνο του στην πανεπιστημιούπολη του Στάνφορντ με την προοπτική να χρησιμοποιηθεί από το στρατό, από την αστυνομία ή από τις δασικές υπηρεσίες.
«Το ελικόπτερο αυτό μπορεί να κάνει μανούβρες στο όριο των δυνατοτήτων των ελικοπτέρων» υπερηφανεύτηκε ο διδακτορικός φοιτητής Ανταμ Κόοατς, μέλος της ερευνητικής ομάδας.
Όπως αναφέρει την Τρίτη το Reuters, το αυτόνομο ελικόπτερο κατευθύνεται από έναν υπολογιστή στο έδαφος ο οποίος μαθαίνει να πιλοτάρει παρακολουθώντας τις πτήσεις τηλεκατευθυνόμενων ελικοπτέρων μέσω δύο επίγειων καμερών
Το ίδιο το αεροσκάφος, κόστους περίπου 4.000 δολαρίων έκαστο, διαθέτει επιταχυνσιόμετρο, γυροσκόπιο και μαγνητόμετρο για να αντιλαμβάνεται τον προσανατολισμό του, καθώς και δέκτη GPS.
Ενδιαφέρον για τη νέα τεχνολογία έχουν εκδηλώσει εταιρείες που δραστηριοποιούνται σε εφαρμογές επιτήρησης και χαρτογράφησης, καθώς και επιστήμονες που σκοπεύουν να το χρησιμοποιήσουν για την παρακολούθηση πυρκαγιών σε δύσβατα δάση

Κυριακή 14 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008

The eLogger V3 from Eagle Tree Systems is an in-flight data logger which continuously records volts, amps, watts, and milliamp-hours to enable pilots to analyze the performance of their electric power systems. In addition, it supports a wide variety of optional sensors to record altitude, airspeed, component temperatures, RPM, and more.
Specifications
Dimensions :2.25" x 1" x 0.5"
Weight :0.7 ounces (20 grams)
Voltage:5 to 70V
Amperage :Up to 100 amps
Temperature :0 to 424F
RPM: 100 to 50,000
Street Price :$70 for the eLogger, $40 for the PowerPanel, $15 for the brushless RPM sensor, $10 each for either temperature sensor, $30 for the altimeter

The eLogger is a small device which continuously records these values to its internal memory. Once back on the ground, these log files can be downloaded to a computer for graphing and analysis. The device can also be used to display live values for all of its sensors, which means it doubles as a wattmeter on the bench.

FMA Direct CellPro 10s (189$)





The FMA Direct Cellpro 10s is a balancing lithium battery charger, capable of charging a single battery up to 10 cells, or two batteries simultaneously up to 5 cells, with power up to 10 amps. It can handle lithium polymer, lithium ion, and the M1 lithium cells from A123 Systems. Let's dig in and put it through its paces.






Specifications
Chemistry : Lithium polymer, lithium ion, lithium manganese, and A123 M1
Pack capacity:100 mAh to 65 Ah
Input voltage:10 to 16V DC, reverse polarity protected
Input current :Up to 25A, can be limited between 1A to 25A
Charge rate : Up to 10A (300 watts)
Dimensions : 6 5/8 x 3 3/8 x 1 5/8 inches
Street Price :$189 USD





FMA Direct was kind enough to provide a sample unit for review. The charger comes with 4mm bullet connectors on the power input leads, as well as alligator clips, which can be used to connect a car battery or other power source. Also included are two 5s-to-4s converters that let the 10s work with any generation of Cellpro batteries. Finally there is a plug blocker which can be installed across the main charging terminals, allowing charging through the balancing ports only (up to 4 amps). Five dollars extra buys two sets of 4mm charging leads without connectors, so you can solder Dean's ultra connectors, PowerPoles, or whatever you prefer for charging at above 4 amps.







It's hardly news that the state of balancing connectors in this hobby is a mess. It seems that every major manufacturer of batteries has its own balancing tap, and a few even share connectors but differ by polarity. Fortunately FMA has taken a comprehensive approach by offering optional adaptors for all the major connectors in use. I evaluated two adaptors: one board has both PolyQuest and ThunderPower connectors up to five cells, the other has Align/ElectriFly and Kokam up to four cells. Since beginning the review, FMA has introduced new adaptor boards which handle 2 to 6 cells each. There's a lot of flexibility to this system, and you'll have no trouble connecting up your collection of batteries.

The charger itself is smaller than I expected, given its power rating. The construction is very solid with metal heatsinks along the sides. The top has a large, backlit LCD display, and cooling holes for the fan, which only runs when needed. I found the manual clearly written and easy to understand, with a lot of detail about different connection possibilities and error codes.

Like FMA's Cellpro 4s, control is simple. There are two buttons on the right side which control all functions. The Mode button is used three ways: short presses cycle through the six presets from the main screen, or change values in the other screens. A long press enters the menu mode, where continuing to hold the button gives a choice of battery chemistry, charge rate, and exit to the main screen. Lastly, a quick double press on the Mode button changes the charge rate in whole amps, rather than tenths of an amp. The second button, labeled Start/Stop, does just that.
While this style of programming works, it is a little unintuitive, and I sometimes made mistakes. Given that the hardware only has two physical buttons, I would have preferred a more traditional arrangement, where Mode (button one) is only used to change between screens. Then the Start/Stop (button two) could be renamed to Set, and used to change values, changing them faster if held down. This is just a personal preference, and not a serious issue. I got used to the interface quickly and it's now second nature.

One thing I applaud is the user-upgradable firmware. Although the required USB interface is optional, new versions can be flashed at home, for free. The Windows-only software checks online for the latest versions, and describes the changes in each, another nice touch. The update takes a couple minutes and was reliable in my experience.
The PC application has a number of other functions, like displaying individual cell voltages live, and a graphing mode while charging which is very cool. You can also configure and name your presets, which is fast and easy using the keyboard. Lastly, there are a number of settings which are not available from the charger front panel. In particular, the ability to limit the amp draw on the power supply is very useful and could prevent damaging your power source. I wish this setting could be set on the charger itself, or that the $20 USB interface was included in the purchase price.


I tried a variety of LiPo packs with the charger, from 2S 300 mAh packs up to the biggest I had on hand, 3S 2100 mAh. Because these packs are relatively small, I installed the plug blocker across the main terminals and charged entirely through the balance connectors. I find this very convenient as there's less to connect and fewer wires in the way. You can either set the amps manually or select 1C, 2C, or 3C charging (if your batteries can handle these higher rates). Since the Cellpro 10s detects the number of cells automatically, using 1C mode is dead-simple - it just does the right thing with no fiddling.
If you need to charge at 4 to 10 amps, connect both the main leads and balancing taps for each cell. As a safety feature, the Cellpro 10s will not charge without the balancing connectors hooked up. Although that makes perfect sense for LiPo packs, it is a drawback for A123 users who either use solderless end-to-end packs or didn't bother to add a balancing tap to their brick packs. There are mixed opinions on whether M1 cells require balancing, and FMA has taken the cautious route here.
Initially I tried the Cellpro 10s using a computer power supply with banana plugs added to the 12V rails. However it was not able to maintain 12 volts during a charging cycle, and when the charger detected the insufficient voltage it halted the charge. I don't think the Cellpro is particularly picky about power supplies, but a switching unit between 12 and 15 volts is best.

To work around this problem, FMA sent me their top-of-the-line power supply. This serious looking piece of hardware delivers up to 28 amps at 13.8 volts on its main terminals, and can simultaneously supply 7 amps to a cigarette lighter jack and a pair of clips for bare wires on the rear panel. It has a quiet fan which runs all the time, and in all my testing it never even got warm. I'm very impressed with its quality of this unit. FMA offers this power supply separately or in a bundle with the 10s if you don't own a suitable source of DC power.

They also sell a 5 amp supply which would be adequate if you only use small park flyer packs. In my testing, I was able to charge two 3s 1500 mAh packs at the same time, drawing 4 amps from the power supply. Consider this a way to squeeze by on a budget though, as you won't be able to really let the 10s shine. Any larger than 1500 mAh and I recommend a more powerful 12V source.
As I mentioned, the 10s can handle all three popular lithium variants. It does this by changing the cutoff voltage appropriately: 4.2V per cell for LiPo, 4.1V per cell for LiIon, and 3.6V per cell for A123. If you charge two packs at once they must be of the same chemistry. The 10s does not charge NiCD or NiMH batteries, which doesn't bother me a bit, since I haven't used either in a couple years. In fact, I planned to try a safety check to make sure the 10s wouldn't start a charge when connected to a NiMH pack, and couldn't even find one in my workshop.
The 10s is essentially two chargers in one when used with packs up to five cells. I found it convenient to put a couple 3s 2100 mAh packs through my T-Rex and charge them together in under an hour. You need to start and stop both packs at the same time, but I didn't find this to be an issue. The only possible drawback involves charging two batteries of very different capacities, whether they are of different sizes, or the same size packs depleted to different levels. Once one battery is done, the charger will slow down to 1A to complete the other.
Pictured are the various information screens the 10s offers during a charge. When charging a total of more than four cells, the display alternates automatically within the individual cell voltages screen.
One question that's come up on the forums is whether to buy the 10s or two Cellpro 4s chargers. This is largely a matter of personal preference. If you can't see ever going beyond 4s packs, the two independent chargers are a bit cheaper. On the other hand, the 10s has more features and more room to grow. Helicopter pilots in particular often want to step up from their 450 sized models into something bigger, and that typically means at least 5s or 6s LiPos, or up to 10 cell A123 batteries.
After three months of use I'm impressed and satisfied with the Cellpro 10s. It doesn't have every feature under the sun (like temperature probes), but it is a great value for a 10 cell, or up to 10 amp charger. In particular the support for different lithium chemistries, the variety of balance tap adaptors available, and the user upgradeable firmware ensure you'll be using this charger for a long time. You can visit the
FMA web site to learn more or to order.

Σάββατο 13 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008


"Σκοταδι σε όλο τον πλανήτη: Στις 17 Σεπ του 2008 απο 21:50 εως 22:00[central european time]ας σβήσουμε όλα τα φώτα, ολες τις ηλεκτρικές συσκευές, ας δώσουμε την ευκαιρία στον πλανήτη µας να µπορέσει να «αναπνεύσει».Εάν η συμμετοχή ειναι µαζική, η εξοικονόμηση ενέργειας µπορεί να ειναι τεράστια.Μόνο 10 λεπτά, για να δούμε τι θα μπορούσε να συμβεί... Ναι, θα είμαστε για λίγα λεπτά στο σκοτάδι μόνο με το φως ενός κεριού να μας φωτίζει μόνο με την αναπνοή μας και την ανάσα που δίνουμε στον πλανήτη μας.Θυμηθείτε ότι η δύναμη είναι στην ενότητα και ίσως με την συνδρομή του Internet να μπορέσουμε να το κάνουμε ακόμα πιο μεγάλο!"

Τετάρτη 10 Σεπτεμβρίου 2008

ΠΙΣΤΑ ARENA νεες τιμές,νέο χρονοδιάγραμμα (απο το radiocontrol.gr)

Arena Νέες Τιμές Νέο Χρονοδιάγραμμα και Αγώνας το Σάββατο
Τιμοκατάλογος: Οι Τιμές Συμπεριλαμβάνουν 19% ΦΠΑ1 Off Road Προπόνηση 18 Euro1 On Road Προπόνηση 15 Euro1 On και Off Road Προπόνηση Ιδια Μέρα 18 Euro.


"Αγαπητοί ΜοντελιστέςΚαταρχήν καλό φθινόπωρο. Για το τελευταίο τρίμηνο του 2008 η ARENA σας καλωσορίζει και σας παρουσιάζει ακόμα μια από τις αλλαγές της. Το νέο τρόπο διεξαγωγής αγώνα. Περιληπτικά η έγκαιρη γνωστοποίηση του χρονοδιαγράμματος του αγώνα και πιστή εφαρμογή του θα είναι κύριο μέλημα του Αrena Club. Αναλυτικότερα, θα ανακοινώνεται κάποιες μέρες πριν από τον αγώνα το χρονοδιάγραμμα του γεγονότος και σειρά διεξαγωγής των προκριματικών και των τελικών αλλά και το Group που θα ξετουμπαρει.Τι σημαίνει αυτό?Η πρώτη προσπάθεια προκριματικού της πρώτης σειράς θα ξεκινήσει την προκαθορισμένη ώρα την οποία εσείς γνωρίζετε μέρες πριν. Κατά συνέπεια ο Αλυτάρχης Γραμματεία του αγώνα θα ξεκινήσει ακριβώς την ώρα που αναφέρεται στο πρόγραμμα. Εσείς εκείνη την ώρα θα πρέπει να είστε μέσα στην πίστα και έτοιμοι. Ο χρόνος που δίνεται ανάμεσα στις σειρές είναι αρκετός. Επίσης κάτι που πρέπει να τηρηθεί είναι ότι τελειώνοντας την προσπάθεια σας πρέπει πριν από όλα να πάτε στην θέση σας για το ξετουμπαρισμα της επόμενης σειράς. (Παρακαλώ ελέγξτε στο συνημμένο χρονοδιάγραμμα του αγώνα τον χρόνο διαλείμματος ανάμεσα στις προσπάθειες.) Η αλλαγή αυτή πραγματοποιείται επειδή εσείς μας το ζητήσατε και εμείς σαν σύγχρονο και ευέλικτο Club το υλοποιήσαμε σε μια προσπάθεια αναβάθμισης του Μοντελισμού."


www.radiocontrol.gr

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