View Full Version : DIY Night blades
OK, so who'd like to make/sell a set for a 450? :) These blades sound awesome, but with 2 kids under 3, it's hard enough to find the time to fly let alone make these.
Anyone up for it?
Ecklund1
10-30-2008, 02:20 PM
You could always buy a set.
http://www.readyheli.com/HS1241_325_Carbon_Night_Blades_p/hs1241.htm
or
http://www.helidirect.com/product_info.php?products_id=2994
or
http://www.helidirect.com/product_info.php?cPath=402&products_id=1167
:thumbup:
Done that...but the ones created in this thread look SIGNIFICANTLY better and brighter. Can anyone attest to that?
Ecklund1
10-30-2008, 03:02 PM
Oh, sorry. I misunderstood. :o
jackheli
10-30-2008, 03:42 PM
Yes, they are better and much brighter, but more expensive. The customization could cost $$$ since the labour to do a 700mm or a 325mm blade is almost the same. Not sure if it would be worth it...
There is also the issue of how to charge the batteries since there is no matching charger.
so how do you charge them? Maybe this will be a dead of winter project for me :)
flyinfool
10-30-2008, 05:31 PM
Any LiPo charger that can handle a single cell of the size that you intend to use will charge them.
You could also make up a charge cable that will allow you to charge them as a 2 cell LiPo pack, with a balancer tap.
jackheli
10-31-2008, 12:36 PM
Depending on the size of the battery, charging could be a problem. Some chargers cannot provide charging currents lower than 250mA.
Also, consumption is in general different for each blade, so charging them in series could potentially be a problem for a balancer. The two batteries will most likely be always way out of balance.
flyinfool
11-01-2008, 08:24 AM
Depending on the size of the battery, charging could be a problem. Some chargers cannot provide charging currents lower than 250mA.
Also, consumption is in general different for each blade, so charging them in series could potentially be a problem for a balancer. The two batteries will most likely be always way out of balance.
Do you mean that charging in series WITHOUT a balancer could be a problem?
Balancing the two cells is what a balancer is designed to do, that is why I specified the use of a balance tap for series charging.
jackheli
11-01-2008, 01:08 PM
Mine get so out of balance (over 20mV) that the balancer simply cuts the charging off in order to protect what it thinks is a pack. Most of the time I have to charge each cell separately, which is no biggy.
ViperDaSnake
11-02-2008, 02:25 AM
Depending on the size of the battery, charging could be a problem. Some chargers cannot provide charging currents lower than 250mA.
Just reading through and wondered if you could use this..?
Night Blade AC-DC Charger with jumpers
http://pl.b5z.net/i/u/6082977/i/HNC001.jpg
Price:$10.95
http://pl.b5z.net/i/t/w/rnddot.gifhttp://pl.b5z.net/i/t/w/rnddot.gif
HNC001
Night Blades AC-DC Charger
Details:
Charging Procedure:
Hook the alligator clips to a 6-12 volt power source and attach to night blades charging port jumpers. Chargin process will stop when blades are at full charge.
Specs:
1) Input Range:6v-12v
2) Output Range:3.6v-4.2v
http://www.ka-planes.com/inc/sdetail/9510
The power supply is rated at 6.5v at 500ma...
I use this charger for these:
http://pl.b5z.net/i/u/6082977/i/HDU-2138.jpg
http://www.ka-planes.com/inc/sdetail/3107
With this setup it charges both blades at the same time...
flyinfool
11-02-2008, 11:31 AM
Mine get so out of balance (over 20mV) that the balancer simply cuts the charging off in order to protect what it thinks is a pack. Most of the time I have to charge each cell separately, which is no biggy.
I have not run into that situation with my set up. I will have to try some testing to see if I can duplicate that.
If that is true of all/most balancers then I could foresee problems for those with electric helies that are tapping light power off of the balance plug on the main pack.
jackheli
11-02-2008, 12:24 PM
Night Blade AC-DC Charger with jumpersI have this charger as well, for my Align 325s. So far I couldn't really test it with the DIYs since it takes and awfully long amount of time to charge. I lost my patience after several hours of wait and switched in a Li-Po charger instead.
Will try again and report.
I have not run into that situation with my set up. I will have to try some testing to see if I can duplicate that.
If that is true of all/most balancers then I could foresee problems for those with electric helies that are tapping light power off of the balance plug on the main pack.
What I do, which is not really practical at the field when you are dieing to fly, is to plug in the balancer so it discharges the higher voltage cell to the same level of the lower, and then start charging.
jackheli
11-04-2008, 09:00 PM
Well, it took 24 hours to charge my 400mA batteries with the charger shown above. And even then it stopped when the batteries weren't fully charged.
I guess it is more suitable for smaller batteries.
wareagle777
11-07-2008, 10:52 PM
jackheli on your set up with the switch to turn on your led's how do you connect the charging lead to it? Would you please post some pic's if possible?
jackheli
11-08-2008, 02:54 AM
Hi,
the charging connector and the dip switch are separate. Still experimenting: not sure if it is the best setup...
wareagle777
11-11-2008, 12:29 AM
I see thanks for the info!
micks70
12-27-2008, 09:55 AM
where can you buy shrink-wrap big enough to go around the blade & battery?
flyinfool
12-27-2008, 11:48 AM
I get mine at the LHS.