Who wants to join the on-board power club?

[rccardude04]

Where on earth are we mounting the electronics for these guys? lol.
I'm having trouble figuring out where to put the AC-DC converter as well as the regulator. Mainly the AC-DC converter though.
-Eric

[SeaHawk]

I've been using Durilite Lithium Ion batteries for a few years with my Bergen. Raja tells me that you can't use those with the Jewel and that the generator is more applicable to NiCd or Nimh. I asked Chris Bergen for size recommendation and Chris says 1100 mah will work fine. So, guess I'll be picking up a set of Nicd's again.

Just curious what some of you guys, flying big Bergen Gas Intrepid or EB are using. I would have thought 1100 was too small, but if the generator is providing primary power, I guess that's tons of juice and you just need them as a redundant backup.

The Duralites will have to go on another bird...now I have my excuse to buy another Bergen :D

[rbort]

You can use practically any 4 cell battery with the generator. I went through several "used" batteries with my gassers on the generator using JR 1400mah packs, Sanyo 1700, and a JR 1100mah pack. Finally all those used battery were throughly worn out (not holding a charge for a long time sitting in the basement) so I finally bought two 2200mah NiMH batteries at the WRAM show for my two birds.

Those seem to be doing really well as I haven't charged them since I put them in (I'm doing this as a personal test) and they still light one LED from the last on the voltwatch when I turn on the RX switch.

The generator makes ALL the power required to fly, so the battery is just there as a "UPS" battery backup. If the engine quits, then the battery takes over otherwise when you fly the battery is practically unused unless you are perhaps idling slow or duing an auto they may pitch in a little on power.

The duralites are way too much battery to sit idle and do nothing hence my point to move them to something else that doesn't have an on-board generator and can use them.

At the moment I am out of stock on Bergen mounts but some are on the way very soon and I hope to be able to fill orders again in about a week.

-=>Raja.

[rccardude04]

If your receiver pack is "flat" from sitting too long, or even partially charged, the generator should actually recharge it while you're flying also, right?
-Eric

[rbort]

Yes it will. Some people actually showed up to the field and found they left the RX switch on and the battery dead. They fired up, ran it on high idle for a 1/4 tank on the ground to charge up some, and took off. Flew the rest of the day and went home with some charge on the pack.

Not recommended, but to answer your question yes it will charge it. On the other side of things, I haven't charged my new 2200 NiMH batt that I bought at the WRAM show and put in my heli except for once overnight. I just fly and the generator keeps it up. I'm not recommending this either, as I'm doing as a test with my own equipment and haven't blessed it yet...!

I think the best answer is to charge your battery when you have to charge your TX overnight, and cycle it every so often to make sure its still good so it can take over in case something happens to the generator and you don't realize it right away.

-=>Raja.

[rccardude04]

Nice.
This thing is the best investmet I've made for this thing. And I haven't even flown it yet, lol.
It's sooooo close though....
-Eric