Paul C

sorry guys, the address should read http://www.southernmodelairshow.com - i missed an "n" Courty

Hi Guys,  For anyone even remotely interested , you can keep up with the Southern Model Airshow all next week and then over the show weekend online :- On the web at http://www.southermodelairshow.com  On Twitter Follow @SMASNews And on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=160038014010736 See you on the 18th and 19th ! :D Courty

Hi Guys, Just wanted to let you know that we have put a 'Your Comments' section on the site, feel free to keep an eye on the comments for feedback and also feel free to add your own ! http://www.southernmodelairshow.com Regards Paul

I'll be there both days (working there and camping over !) , weather is looking up and I've got the card warmed up and ready to roll - (don't tell the other half ) Should be a good one.. Paul

Almost time for The Southern Model Airshow on the 20th and 21st September at the Hop Farm, Kent  - who's going from here ? http://www.southernmodelairshow.com Paul

Hi Ernie, Using 35Mhz Ch 60 after it was reported in RCM&E that this was OK - not sure the agreement was actually signed but I have no problems - I am in the middle of nowhere though. Not been to the Bordeaux shop - also I hear a that there's a good shop in Perigueux but not managed / needed to go to ether as yet. I normally pick up bits as I need them from my local UK shop.. Paul

Bonjour mon amis, Add me to the list - I live part time in the SW near Perigueux (a little way inland from Bordeaux) Fly electric from the fields at the back of the house. Paul

Another possible is that the new pack had the JST lead on the wrong way round (Reverse Polarity), this would have caused the charger to not see it, and depending on the make up of the ESC, could have caused it to go short once connected.. With LiPo batteries, 'you gets what you pay for' - the quality of the LiPo and internal connections/plates in the packs in some of the cheap ones is very suspect (some of the bigger makes aren't great ether) and is normally seen by cells that puff or get hot - these are normally the ones that don't hold thier voltage in use as well (ever had that feeling the motor should be a bit more powerful that it actually is in use?!). A good LiPo should run fairly cool, (warm to the touch but not hot) and hold it's voltage under load when used with in it's limits. Even with the best packs, it's still good to be cautious, charge away from anything inflammable, charge at 1C or less and don't leave them alone while charging. Paul AGPower.co.uk

This would be ideal as a partner to my GWS Spitfire, bring it on !!! Paul

HI Timbo, Agreed, the title probably was a bit harsh   I like many people on here am a firm supporter of LiPo power but, as LiPo becomes more and more main stream it's good to be reminded that they do need care in handling. While I feel whole heartly for Joe and as someone who has taken the odd short cut from time to time, I consider this as a firm kick up the a$$ / wake up call. (note to self - a quick 'top up' in the back of the car while nattering is not a good idea    ) Paul

Hi Guys, The issues is not your clients, it's the server and system Magilica are using.. Because of the amount of mail and / or perceived spam Magilica are sending, the system has been blacklisted by 3 of the main spam databases (Just looked it up). ISP's such as BT, Hotmail and a few of the others look up the server that the mail comes from before delivering it, if it's on the list it gets binned before you get to see it. Magilica's systems do not correctly report the From address and have no SPF/Sender ID, this is why they have been blocked. (End of techie speak) I would suggest someone kicks the techs or employ someone who knows about the different technology's needed for genuine bulk mail - normal 'send mail' or microsoft systems just can't cope. Regards Paul P.S.before anyone jumps on me, this is a simplified version and Yes, I do this for a living!

Guys, For those of you who think "It will never happen to me", have a read of the enclosed link - http://www.camfc.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1102 Thank god no one was hurt but a striking lesson anyway ! Paul p.s. If anyone has any gear they don't need, I think Joe would appreciate any help..

I got sent to the stores (about the same time as my story above) for a 'double bladed hack saw'. I point blank refused to go and almost ended up in a fight with the guy about it until he took me to the stores and ordered it himself - they used it for cutting the correct size slots in the top of screws and bolts to fit a standard screw driver..  - guess what i did for the rest of the day... Paul

LOL, Picture of the hard disk made me laugh - I used to work with IBM Controllers (Not allowed to be called computer as they had a board of chips in place of a single CPU) Part of the service routine was to adjust the drive belts and drum break on the 18" 10mb hard disk and that was the mid to late 90's ! These kids today don't know how lucky they are Paul

My favorite story is of when I worked in an area producing parts for missiles and ordnance. As one of the 3 apprentices on that section, we all got the long wait and left-handed screwdriver treatment as well as getting shot at randomly with a device that fed 8BA nuts into a pipe connected to a 200psi air line. Revenge was agreed upon so over a week or so, when the senior guys went to the pub for lunch leaving the 'rookies' guarding the workshop, we wired up all the machines and work stations with very fine bore plastic pipe. A spell of lunchtime testing showed us that water just misted when shot through the tube, normal oil didn't run fast enough and anything alcohol based was too dangerous to shoot at guys working on and near grinding and cutting machines. Eventually, while raiding stores, we found a gallon of 'fireproof' fine oil used in some of the things we built - perfect ! So one fine and sunny day it was time - we carefully hooked the final pipes up to a tank and the 200psi air line and as 10 o'clock struck we opened the air cock. Nothing happened for what felt like an age, then from the workshop an ever increasing wall of shouts and swearing.... We took a swift exit out the back soon followed by a large number of angry oppos, all with neat wet stains at crutch level, it looked like a day out for the 'bladder control challenged', we did laugh (while running for our lives).. Until the boss appeared. Once back in the workshop, the network of pipes and the tank were discovered with the (now empty) gallon of oil and we were duly taken off to "The Office for a chat" The top man, while trying not to laugh too loudly asked us why and how. After an explanation of the 8BA nut gun and long wait, left handed screw drivers etc etc we described our tests and how we set it up. His replies were.. - Stupid workshop jokes are traditional - live with it for you one day will be the "Senior Guys".... - £800/gallon, military grade, light silicon damper oil is not to be used for anything other than what it was intended for. - As a punishment, you 3 will clean all the machines every night this week. - And, excellent work lads, showed good planning, teamwork and execution.. but don't do it again.. A while later a memo came round.. "Apprentices are not, under any circumstances, to be shot.." We had the last laugh though, light silicon oil doesn't wash out of heavy grade cotton overalls or jeans !

Love one - me too please..  Paul 

Guys, Manual for the panic can be found at http://shop.avicraft.co.uk/jp-panic-25th-anniversary-arf-version-p-1474.html Scroll down to the bottom of the page.. Regards Paul

if it's half as much fun as the Twin Jet, count me in ! My fav electric "stooge" for a sunny afternoon is my old Twin Star, these guys can do nothing wrong in my book ! Paul

Hi David, Sounds fair .. I would highly recommend it, normally a really good show with all the extras we have come to expect from a major event! Paul

Hi Guys, One question... Why no mention of the Southern Model Air Show anywhere in the mag ? It's the biggest show in the south these days yet not even a single line of editoral Paul   P.S Keep up the good work - overall it's a great publication !!

Danny, Have you thought of using 2 x 4 way connectors and then painting one red and one blue so you can't get them round the wrong way?! Just a thought.. Paul

Hi Guys, Just a heads up, I have a Himaxx HC2808-0980 Brushless motor on a GWS model. The motor has been superb, not missed a beat in what must be 50 hours flight time over a couple of years (so much time flown that the tail plane has faded in the sun). Flying it last week, I had a hard landing and broke off the bolt on stick mount from the top of the motor. The motor is fine, the plane is fine, I just need the aluminium stick mount part. Had a look on the net and the only place I can get the spare is from Maxx Products in the US. Mailed them and got a price for the part at $3.00 - now the punch line.. as I live in the UK, Maxx Products want to charge $33.00 for shipping and despite protests won’t budge ?!?!? Crying shame really…. these motors are at least on par with the AX types and I can’t fault them but the product has been totally ruined for me because of the utter stupidity of the manufacturer.. when will these people learn that you can’t treat people like that and expect locality ? </Rant over> Paul

I agree with John, the Phoenix sim is brilliant considering its half the price of the big boys - its certainly not missing anything the big guys have, there's really not a lot in it other then price. The latest version does Internet linking too so you can fly with other people.. great laugh.. http://www.phoenix-sim.com/pages/news.htm Paul

I agree with Chris, depends what your expecting - I have one of MG995's as the aileron servo on a Tutor 40 and, yes it makes a bit noise but its tough as old boots (metal gears) and quite fast considering it cost me £9. If 4 of them killed your battery I would be concerned about the capacity of the battery for that model or be looking at one of the units binding or hitting an end stop causing it to growl and use power - both issues are more about the installation than the quality of the servo ! You gets what you pay for... I'm sure my MG995 is at least as good as a S148 ! Paul

I think a lot of the comments here are typical of the "must be bad because its different" mentality and the "I heard it was rubbish" gossip, normally attached to the above.. I think a couple of comments may help clarity (apologies for the long post and please no flames for the tech details, i've tried to keep it simple). The original 2.4ghz sets were limited by European law to an output power of 10mw (10 thousandths of a watt), about the same as the transmitter in your car alarm key ring ! This was to conform with CE directives and with other devices using this band. These original sets were marketed as Park flier only as they obviously lacked range. Recently OFCOM (the UK governing body for Radio licensing) agreed to bring us (the UK) in line with newer thinking on 2.4ghz devices and allowed 100mw, 10x the power and about the same as your 35mhz Futaba/JR/Multiplex set your using today. Therefore only the Newer sets have full power transmitters.. (DX7 for one) As to the size of the antenna(s), this is totally dependant on the frequency of operation and requires some maths to resolve (I'll spare the details here) but a full length antenna (TX or RX) on 35mhz would be 8.57 meters long, 2.4ghz would be 12.5 Centimeters long, much shorter but not any less efficient. yes, 12.5cms at 2.4ghz in radio terms is the Same as 8.5m at 35mhz. Normally, wire antennas are cut at the 1/4 or 1/8 length for convenience while still offering a tuned length for best transmission or reception (this is why you should never cut your RX antenna wire !) A 1/8 length for 35mhz is 1.07 meters long which is about the length of the wires on most 35mhz receivers. The 1/8 length for a 2.4ghz antenna is 1.5cms, this is to get the same receive power to the receiver. On the Spektrum units I've seen the wires look about 3cm long so they must be working on 1/4 length so already much better for the receiver. The next method to collect a better radio signal to the receiver is to add a counterpoise. This is another antenna pointing in the opposite direction to the original and normally grounded, in radio/electronic terms this is a dipole. Again, without going in to the math, this gives a much better signal again. On the transmitters, the DX's have helical antennas which are the full length wound in a special coil, again just as good as your pull out metal job but without the dirty joints !. So purely mathematically, in radio terms, the Spektrum system is more efficient and this extra gain will more than counteract the fact that in a straight battle, 2.4gh will never travel quite as far a 35mhz.... except Spektrum went one better and added a whole extra receiver ! If you want me to write on packet networking (binding I think they call it here)and why in theory its better I'll gladly have a go.. ether that or tell me to bugger off :o)