Regulator or BEC?

[docjoe]

I have been using a regulator on my Nitro machines but most of my electric helis have BECs which regulate the voltage to the electronics to 5 or 6V. I just wanted to know if anyone is using a BEC connected to their Nitro helis or is everyone using Regulators.

Is there any positives or negatives to use regulators vs. BECs. I have a TRex 600 (I know this is not the right forum) but it has an external BEC running off a 7.4V lipo.

Thanks.

PS - I have a Stratus and am in the rebuilding stage after a mild crash (upgrading the servos to 9451s)

[mx400]

Someone suggested to me to use the medusa bec on my nitro heli and you can get them on ebay for like $45.00.

[flyinfool]

A BEC and a Voltage Regulator are really just 2 different names for the same thing.

The real question is whether to use a linear or a switching, regulator or BEC.

There are pros and cons to each type.

Switching regulators are a lot more efficient so your battery will last longer on a charge, but they are able to cause radio interference if the internal filtering is not done right.

Linear Regulators are less efficient and require cooling air to get rid of excess heat but are less likely to cause radio interference.

[mudbogger2]

I have been using UBEC's on my nitro machines for almost 2 years without any issues.
I really liked using them with my small 3s lipo packs for an average flight using 150-170mah per flight. A 3s 1200 will last about 6-7 flights on a charge and weighs very little for the ammount of flight I can get on them.

[sookainian]

btw guys, any idea how long can a 4800mah lion batt last for a 90 size heli with all digitial servos ? ( 3D flying )

[DavidH]

For me a 4000 mah Duralite battery will last 10 to 12 flights of approx 12 mins each. That is 2 gallons of fuel since it is only about 6 flights per gallon. That is on a Stratus with 9252's on the cyclics/collective. 9251 on the tail and 9250 on the throttle. I prefer the regulators over the BEC. I personally don't see a reason to use a lipo receiver pack unless it is wired redundant. The Li-Ion cells wired redundant is my choice. Just another feature that adds a safety point.

David

[sookainian]

ic okay, i am kind of stupid, every 3 flights i charge the lion, i think soon i will just spoil the batt. :arggg:

[DavidH]

I just check the battery with a volt meter that supplies a 1 amp load before every flight. As long as the battery is 6.9 or above I fly the model.

I have flown my models down to 6.5 volts when checking with a 1 amp load. I do not personally recommend it. But the 6.9 volts with a 1 amp load is a high safety factor.

David

[sookainian]

lets say at 6.9volt with 1.5amp load, how long more can the batt take b4 it just die ?

[DavidH]

I would think it would be a while with 6.9 at 1.5 amp load.
If your only getting 3 flights with a 4800 mah Li-Ion pack and all digital servos. I would think some is binding seriously or something is wrong with battery pack.

The battery pack should be 8.2 -8.4 when fully charged with no load. With a 1 amp load it should be 7.4-7.6 volts when fully charged.

David

[sookainian]

Haha it's not about the binding. Always after 3 flights i check with out load it's like 7.8volt. but sometimes people like me are coward dont dare to take the risk haha. Coz in SG from what i know, no one flying heli using Lion mostly SubC/lipo.

By the way thanks for the tips, at lest now i know i can fly it until 6.9volt with a 1amp load, i feel safe. =)

[Alfred]

sookainian
You might want to look into buying the Fromerco load tester.
It tests your battery at 1st 1A and then 1.5A, while indicating the battery voltage to 0.01Vdc accuracy.
It will indicate the Voltage both, at load and no load, and will tell you if it is safe to fly.
It's designed for Lion batteries and tells you to stop flying if the voltage at 1.5 A should fall down to or below 7.00 Vdc.

[sookainian]

ic, acutally i got it, but i am not very sure about the 'stop flying' thing haha. Hmm ok thanks for the info too

Kenny

[lep1933]

I just ordered a Duralite 4300mah 4 cell li-ion 7.4V battery and a 5.3V voltage regulator with heavy duty switch to power my S9252 servos on cyclics/collective, S9256 on the tail with my GY611 Gyro and S9202 (throttle).

When using the Duralite Voltage Load Tester with a 1 amp load, should the reading be 7.4-7.6 volts when fully charged and 8.2 -8.4 when fully charged with no load?

Would I expect 10-12 flights of 12 minute durations as well?

Thanks for your help. I wanna get this baby in the air within the next month!

Lep

[DavidH]

Yes the voltage your seeing with load and without is normal for a fully charged pack.

Yes with the setup you have I would think 10-12 flights of 12 min durations is possible. At least that has been my experience.

David

[RealMcCoy]

Never thought about using a BEC as a regulator in a nitro machine...I'll look into that.

I have been very happy with my Duralight regulator in my Extreme and also when I converted it to a Stratus. I'm using a 2s2p 3600mah FlightPower LiPo in my Stratus and I can easily get 10 ea. 8 min. flights before the voltage falls below 6.9 volts with a 3 amp load.

I know that 3 amp load is a huge safety factor but a total of 10 flights usually gives me pleanty of opportunities to recharge the pack and I can always lower the load if I am down close to 6.9 and trying to strech a couple of flights in before leaving the field and charging.

[erniefritz]

Align makes a really nice BEC/Regulator that handles 6 Amps and it's output is 5.8 V , it also has LED's to show the realtime voltage and is only $16.99 , it should work good on a Nitro Machine...?? :wink: