eco piccolo - piccoboard on lypo's????

[belair]

Is it possible to run lypo batteries on the piccoboard? Also what motors would you use from the Ikarus range on the piccolo with lypo's?
Belair

[Bender]

you can run LiPo's on the module, you just wont have an appropriate voltage cut-off, meaning it will be possible to over-discharge the battery.
In practice this is not much of a problem as you will notice the drop in power when flying,only real way to check, is by measuring the voltage under a load equal to full throttle current draw and note how the heli feels when it gets down to 3v per cell.

[belair]

The over discharge will not be a problem I think. I'll try the L310 motor on a 11.1V 1500 Kokam lypo battery.
Thanks
Belair

[Bender]

just be carefull, if the voltage cut off is set for 8.4 volt and you run it down till cut out your 3s battery WILL be ruined

[belair]

How do I know on what voltage it is set?
Belair

[Bender]

Apologies Belair, its been so long since i fiddled with piccolos, I dont think it has any voltage cut off point, so just fly it till you see a reduction in headspeed then land take the blades and measure the voltage at full throttle,
this will give an indication of loaded voltage, if its above about 3.1 volts per cell its ok, just be carefull not to go lower.
once you can compare how the heli feels compared to a certain voltage level, you can tell by how it is flying when to stop, so this process only needs to be carried out once, then you just fly till its performance drops to that noted leve
sorry about the confusion on cut out settings

[belair]

Ok Bender I'll try it out. Lett you know how I get on.
Belair

[FrankS]

I've been flying my Piccolo Fun on a 3s 800mah lipo for quite a while now, performance above the NiCads and 700 mah 8 cell NiMh is significant, probably more due to reduced weight.

Np problem with the cells, but I never run them down to the cut off like I did with the NiMh's, just stopped flying once the performance dropped off.

Frank

[belair]

Hi Frank,
What motors do you use on your piccolo?
Belair

[FrankS]

Sorry for not getting back sooner, but I've been away.

Apart from the Lipo's everything else on my piccolo is standard (apart from the sticky tape on the canopy and string/cyano repairs to the undercarriage!).

Still on the original main motor, I've had to repalce a tail motor but that was before I started using LiPo's.

[belair]

Hi Frank,
Thanks for your reply.
My tailmotor burned out using a lypo batterie. I suppose that is normal. I'll have to look out for another one. What do you think about the GWS ones or the pro motor from Ikarus? The DD motor from GWS with the prop on the motor, do you have any comment on these?
Belair

[Jamez]

Tail motor

I would recommend a high aurthority tail motor as a must for lipo's, as I have burnt out 3 standard one (2 gws and 1 hummingbird) on my dragonfly with just the NIMH flight pack, I have invested in the century one. Just one more thing to add, they are quite a bit heavier than the standard motor and I had to weight the front to get flying again.

[FrankS]

Re the tail motor, I just bought another standard one, this one seems to be OK so far, maybe a heat sink would help.

[Jamez]

Yeah I would think a heat sink would be a damn good idea, think i will have to get one as well

[belair]

I think if we would have enough (hobby) money to spend that all of our troubles would be out of this world. We would all go to brushless and lypo's. But this is the way it is, untill we win the lottery.
Belair :lol: