Cuban8
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Posts posted by Cuban8
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43 minutes ago, Ron Gray said:
And we mere punters who have put thousands into their coffers (possibly only covering their costs or maybe not even that) are entitled to query the, on the face of it, very selfish attitude of taking the Laser name to the grave with them rather than allow an opportunity for others to step in to continue it (much as Neil did when he retired). Of course there may well be no takers but at least keep the door open.
I agree with you 100% Ron and feel sorry for those who are either waiting for engines or warranty work. Seems a terrible waste to simply chuck away a business just because the owner himself doesn't wish to continue and there's an obvious potential to expand in the right hands - maybe they did consider passing it on but even with a peppercorn payment there were, apparently, no takers. Wouldn't surprise me.
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On 27/03/2024 at 09:19, Ron Gray said:
Yep, Laser ran through his veins, shame his bosses didn’t give him the support he deserved, absolutely disgraceful.
In my note here to Jon wishing him the very best, I did also comment that I wasn't in the least bit surprised at what had happened.
My own personal feeliings and opinions are that it appeared that AGC's production and R&D of Laser engines was very much always a bit of a 'hobby' venture hanging on the coat tails of the main business, that was indeed very successful in its own way when model flying was booming. However, they never really seemed to want to expand their products, production and customer reach beyond what might be described as a bit of a niche audience, rather than appeal to those modellers who didn't crave larger and complex engines. The smaller Lasers were very good, but the default was always to go for OS, Enya, Saito etc and eventually the Chinese clones that offered a very good and cheaper option for the average modeller and gave the Japanese manufacturers themselves a run for their money.
Laser advertising was very minimal beyond a very small offering in the back of the mags as far as I know and recall, which always seemed odd to me. Anyway we are where we are.........Japanese fourstroke engines are crazily expensive now and the Chinese clones like ASP, SC and Thunder Tiger unavailable. An open goal for Laser Engines that they didn't appear to want to avail themselves of?
Just a few thoughts that may or may not have merit, but the fact of the matter is that the bosses of Laser are perfectly entitled to do as they please with the business as they see fit and suits them best.
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I know nothing about Vaping but I assume that what's been shown is a 'disposable Vape'? One shot and then mostly chucked on the floor with other smoking related detritus.
Presumably there's no incentive to recycle properly such as a returnable deposit? The larger instruments that I see people sucking on and producing vast clouds of vapour over everyone around them......... are they run on rechargeable batteries and refilled with goodness knows what concoction of chemicals?
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18 hours ago, Andy Stephenson said:
Having kept all my models in a centrally heated workshop over several decades, the problem never arises. I'm convinced it has something to do with moisture.
But I've seen it in one of my own batteries that was always stored indoors in a centrally heated spare bedroom used as my workshop, so I don't see how the cause can be pinned on damp conditions alone.
What about countries that have naturally very humid climates for most part of the year albeit somewhat warmer than blighty? One would assume a plague of BWC in places like that, but I've never heard reports of problems.
Just one observation and that's I'm fairly certain that I've only seen the issue on plain copper conductors - tinned copper wire I've not seen the problem. maybe it simply hidden by the tinning?
My guess is that the issue is more to do with the quality of the copper used (contaminants?) rather than some outside environmental cause, but who knows?
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Black wire certainly does exist - I've seen it on my own gear and found it in friends' models that have crashed due to power failure. One chaps tranny's 0V wiring was totally rotten from the battery to the main switch. I can only recall one of my RX packs showing initial signs of it at the connector, but this was many, many years ago on a Nicad that was never fast charged and only ever stored indoors. I remember having to scrap a full reel of new telephone cable at work because the copper conductors had turned black and crumbly. No batteries involved and stored in ideal conditions, so what was going on there?
Anyway........unless someone can say otherwise, i've not seen a concrete, 100% explanation as to why it occurs, and then why it should only happen to some packs and not others. I don't know of any experiment that has been able to recreate the problem under test conditions either. I remember a lengthy article in one of the mags years ago by David Boddington who looked into the problem, but even the great man himself couldn't pin down the culprit beyond a few possible smoking guns e.g overcharging, poor storage conditions in sheds, bad quality copper, even the carbon pigment in the black wire insulation was questioned AFAIR.
One thing's for sure, always check your battery packs for signs of trouble regularly - just flip out the wires from the battery plug and examine with a hand lens or similar for dulling of the connector plating or discolouration of the wiring at the crimp.
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Obvious truths?
I suggest that folks have the 'Daily Sceptic' sent to their inbox where many of those 'truths' are looked into and examined closely.
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On 14/03/2024 at 16:49, Tim Kearsley said:
"I have thought that many are just opposed to so called Big Oil, Big Pharma, without understanding the potential consequences of them not existing now or in the past."
More to the point, what are the consequences of them carrying on as they are now? It seems to me there are a huge number of people who are either not capable of, or unwilling to, realise that carrying on putting carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse bases into the atmosphere poses an existential threat to humanity, i.e. a threat to society existing at all. I think there's a global pandemic of ostrich-itis, i.e. head in the sand syndrome. Politicians have no interest in anything beyond the next election, big industry is only interested in profit. Western society is completely unsustainable but there's no appetite to make the massive changes that are necessary. After all, why have any concern for the world our grandchildren will inhabit when doing anything about it might entail inconvenience - one less foreign holiday a year or eating less meat?
All the above can be challenged as either incorrect, misleading, or simply scaremongering by those with other political or social agendas to push.
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The body has amazing powers of recuperation - I couldn't even dress myself for several weeks after they'd delved about inside me, but steadily and slowly, things get better as you'll find, Matty.
Can't say I'd be much good at knocking up concrete by hand any more, but I can manage most tasks providing I take my time and don't rush about as before.
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No access for around 30 mins this morning.
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Good news Matty, the physio and support where you are sounds to be excellent - very much a post code lottery as to what's available and when, is usually the case.
Lucky where I am in N.Essex, can't fault the treatment or aftercare when my old pump decided to play up a while back and needed a refurb.
A big problem is getting one's head around what's happened, especially if like myself one rarely ever went down with even a cold for years on end or in your case being young for such an ailment.
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Selecting the components for an electric setup is not difficult but does require a certain amount of electrical background know-how that some folks are either not interested in or find hard to grasp. Not suggesting that FB3 falls into that category of course.
A good alternative is to take a look at the comprehensive list of recomended setups for various models on the 4-Max website https://www.4-max.co.uk/recommended-setups.htm and find a similar model (or if you're lucky the same one) to that you wish to build or convert and go from there. You'll be well within the ballpark as regards power etc and perhaps only a slight change in prop size might be needed to match things up perfectly.
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Motorcycling and Aeromodelling share quite a lot in common IMHO and experience. Been into both continuously since my mid teens ( started with Yamaha 'Fizzy' and Graupner glider back in '73).
Entrenched views about makes and 'how to do it' - those that ride or fly in the very worst weather and like to wear their discomfort as some odd badge of honour. Synthetic or Castor based fuels in our model engines and the opinions surrounding E10 and E5 petrols for our bikes etc etc I think you get my drift.
HOWEVER.........both activities have some of the nicest people you'll find anywhere (always the odd misery here and there), eager to help a fellow flyer or rider in bother and eager to chew the fat.
Welcome to the hobby Gravel, I think you'll enjoy it.
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Still working fine for me.
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3 hours ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:
I think that as you say all the expense of helicopter servicing, multirotors will soon get the flying certificates and replace the smaller ones like the Robinson 22 and 44.
Maybe, but the market will be the decider. I don't think 'replace' is the correct term, perhaps 'alternative' in certain circumstances.
Modern helicopter technology and engineering are very well understood and reliable and have proved to be suitable in a wide variety of environments. If you've seen TV programmes about the Aussie ranchers that use helicopters for mustering huge herds of cattle or whatever, it's difficult to conceive where an electric version would have an advantage. Just one example, I'm sure they're many more.
I'm all for research and if companies wish to investigate new technology and as a side line create new jobs and provide training for young engineers etc that can only be a good thing for the future - I'm even in favour of government help in the form of tax breaks and grants. It might not be the final product that is the success, but if on the way it encourages people into engineering and other skills, then surely that must be a positive thing.
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Seems to be working fine now.
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2 hours ago, Peter Christy said:
I think these MPs need reminding who it was that invented drone technology. It wasn't British Aerospace, Airbus or Boeing. It was modellers, tinkering away in garden sheds, and boy, have we come to regret it!
Nothing wrong with Drone Technology in itself, it's simply that the expectations for that tech have run wild and unchecked into certain areas that are just not feasible, or will not become feasible, if at all, for many decades until/or after a total restructuring of day to day living as we know it now. Let's not be disingenuous.......film making, sports and news coverage has been revolutionised by drones.......survey work, security and sadly military uses, are just a few areas where drones have shown great advantages over traditional tech. Other areas such as widespread delivery of consumer goods by drone, or the drone/flying taxi idea can be demonstrated to work in tests and trials, but fall falt on their face in the real world. I don't see a shred of hard evidence of that changing any time soon IMHO.
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41 minutes ago, Brian Cooper said:
Yo-yo. . . Sometimes it's up and sometimes it's down.
It just seems bizarre that this website is the only one affected.
Yes, others I access are working OK - this site seems to be working correctly now.
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Yes, took ages to log onto the main site and a minute or so to navigate to here.
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24 minutes ago, Denis Watkins said:
Here we go again
Am watching with interest
Not going to bite🐟
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Apologies, just noticed that your question is not regarding the other DX6i issue that's currently under discussion.
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If this is connected to your DX6 display fault, I'd have a word with the service agent and get an estimate of their charges and whether they still support that particular model with spares before going any further. With postage costs and the possibility of labour charges for a 'no fault found' if you return the tranny in working order, you might consider the possibility of throwing good money after bad. Very little to actually 'service' on modern radio gear. Your decision of course.
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16 hours ago, Rob Manser said:
Yes, I noticed that on a You Tube video. It's like people that arrange their playing cards increasing in value from right to left 🙂
I'm pleased to report the transmitter is now working. I've probably done about 30-40 minutes of fiddling, trying to adjust the contrast blind, and then suddenly the screen came on. I wasn't in the contrast menu when it did though, which was weird; I was in the previous one. I'll keep things very conservative when I get my heli, testing on the ground etc, before I fully trust it!Sounds like another fault causing the screen to go blank 'if it just came back on'. Highly unlikely that the contrast had somehow adjusted itself down to blank, or the seller had helpfully sent it out to you like it. More likely the postal journey dislodged something and your manual handling of it has disturbed something again, albeit positively.
As long as the RF output works consistently I guess the unit is useable, but chances are you'll arrive at your flying site all ready to enjoy yourself, and the journey will have caused the fault to re-occur. Annoying.
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Unfortunately, the days of my youth back in the 60s and 70s where one could fly a small model aircraft just about anywhere, providing you behaved yourself, have long gone.
You can't just rock up to any old open area and fly models without someone having a point of view about it in 2024. Near airports and secure areas etc are also a no-go but they always were, it's just been made more official.
What model do you have? - is it more of a toy or is it a 'proper' R/C model? Depending on what it is will determine the best way forward for you.
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Shouldn't be a difficult job. I've replaced several busted aerials on DX7s for club mates and I suspect the DX8 will be similar with a press stud style of connector to the RF board. Don't forget to disconnect the TX battery before starting the repair.
First taste of the sky
in Beginners
Posted
Yes, pretty much agree with that. Accurate circuit flying and keeping the model positioned where YOU want it is so important at the moment. Mix and match - half a dozen RH circuits and then the same the other way. A couple of lower passes now and again to keep things interesting. Why not throw in a loop? Figure 8s superimposed over each other as best as you can are a good challenge even for experienced pilots. Develops your peripheral vision while keeping your main attention on the model.
Take it steady and don't rush things.
Safe solo standard when your mates don't all land when you say you're going to have a flight .......😁