The state of electric setups today.

[trillian]

I personally don't like Life packs as I like to keep a close eye on the capacity of all my power packs. Life doesn't allow you to do that very easily, it relies on you knowing the mah usage so far etc which doesn't compute for me. If you forget, or something goes wrong, you have a problem. But again, each to their own.

Yeah, this is the main shortcoming of LiFe. I am running them on one heli right now and I have such a large capacity pack that it's never anywhere near being drawn down, but I'm not saving any weight this way.

I have never had a regulator fail and I have used a lot of them, Duralite, Fromeco, Gryphon, SG Reactor, Flighttech. Conversely (before I switched to all Regs with LiPos) I had a NiMh pack fail causing a crash, so while simple is sometimes better it isn't always.

[electricsceadu]

here's a model that had a nimh pack fail
and a lipo fail in the hover
with luck it had enough to trigger the fail safe and the model just gentle landed without damage
apart from my underwear
it now runs on an opti lipo with a regulator

d3b.jpgD3a.jpgturbulence.jpgImage0026a.jpg

[pgkevet]

It wouldnt be straightforward to super-impose (multiplex) signal onto the +ve wire, as the electronics behind the multiplexing would need to be capable of high current draw, adding to weight, size and expense....

There isnt really any magic to the positive power feed or bus, its essentially just a load of connectors all joined together, by having a signal superimposed it would make this impossible.

I bow to greater wisdom..but if you can network over the ring main then strikes me a digital signal should go down a heli wire.... Another solution might be to have a receiver in each servo and the fbl unit transmits

As to concerns re a wire rubbing on the frame...can be just as devastating if that happens now.

[SGD]

Another solution might be to have a receiver in each servo and the fbl unit transmits

Still need to get power to the servos though so still need a pair of wires
Nice idea though

[pgkevet]

Still need to get power to the servos though so still need a pair of wires
Nice idea though

..once again the idea was single wire and -ve airframe. Of course with newer power-packed sulphur based batts on the horizon we could speculate about each servo having it's own power source too: just a cats cradle to recharge..

[jimmyhorns]

I bow to greater wisdom..but if you can network over the ring main then strikes me a digital signal should go down a heli wire.... Another solution might be to have a receiver in each servo and the fbl unit transmits

As to concerns re a wire rubbing on the frame...can be just as devastating if that happens now.

Sure, but how expensive do you want your servos to be?...

Each signal would need to be encoded with a specific code so the servo knew that it was supposed to react to it, and then each FBL unit or receiver would need to know the ID to send out to each servo.

Even if you ignore the cost, what is that going to do to latency?... I cant imagine its going to improve it

[SGD]

Each signal would need to be encoded with a specific code so the servo knew that it was supposed to react to it, and then each FBL unit or receiver would need to know the ID to send out to each servo.

Don't Futaba already do something along those line with their S-Bus system and servos? Hard wired of course, before I get shot down!

[jimmyhorns]

Don't Futaba already do something along those line with their S-Bus system and servos? Hard wired of course, before I get shot down!

They do indeed, but the power and signal is carried on a separate line.

and have you seen the prices

[pgkevet]

Sure, but how expensive do you want your servos to be?...

Each signal would need to be encoded with a specific code so the servo knew that it was supposed to react to it, and then each FBL unit or receiver would need to know the ID to send out to each servo.

Even if you ignore the cost, what is that going to do to latency?... I cant imagine its going to improve it

All new innovations get charged at silly prices until the likes of hobbyking turn them towards honesty :-) As has been pointed out sbus does something similar in coding. As to latency.. well not many of us can out-fly servo latency... The only one of my sugestions not to hit mainstream would be the -ve airframe... difficult to apply to most planks where the larger market is..

[jimmyhorns]

All new innovations get charged at silly prices until the likes of hobbyking turn them towards honesty :-) As has been pointed out sbus does something similar in coding. As to latency.. well not many of us can out-fly servo latency... The only one of my sugestions not to hit mainstream would be the -ve airframe... difficult to apply to most planks where the larger market is..

Its not the pilots ability to outfly the servo, it would be the flybarless units, which probably are getting reasonably close to that.... the Sbus system is as far as I am aware mostly being marketed at the large scale fixed wing flyers, where the latency is not going to be so much of an issue...

As for a -ve airframe, im not sure carbon fibre conducts to the level required (I think it has a pretty high resistance), and the plastic fantastic flyers would also have a hard time....

[pgkevet]

Its not the pilots ability to outfly the servo, it would be the flybarless units, which probably are getting reasonably close to that.... the Sbus system is as far as I am aware mostly being marketed at the large scale fixed wing flyers, where the latency is not going to be so much of an issue...

As for a -ve airframe, im not sure carbon fibre conducts to the level required (I think it has a pretty high resistance), and the plastic fantastic flyers would also have a hard time....

Fair comment re fbl unit speed. The airframe conducivity could caually be sorted easily enough with flat self-adhesive conducting tape or even cover he frame inside in a sheet..would still make wiring way tidier.

the thread was about innovation.

The coolest thing of late is those servos with sockets so one can make up correct length leads without joins easier and swap/service them without tracing wiring around the shop..