Volt-spy

[iawnski]

hi been looking at these  voltspy for a while now anyone got one/ are they any good what do they actually  do ////i see they have the voltspy2 what would you guys recomend  cheers

[Bruce Richards]

When I started flying a year ago I put a voltspy on my trainer. It showed the level of charge on the Rx pack with green (go) yellow (caution) red (do not fly) LEDs. I was using the standard Futaba 600mah Rx pack and after a days flying it would start to get a bit low. I now use 2100mah Nm-HI packs which will last a full days flying (for me) no problem so I have given up using the voltspy.

The packs I use also hold their charge while on the self so I charge when I get home and am ready for the next flight

I am starting to move to LIPOs with a voltage regulator and a voltspy would be no good for this as it would only monitor the output of the voltage regulator not the charge of the battery.

If you want a voltspy PM me. 

[michael jones 2]

hi there i would like the voltspy if you still have it thanks regards

[Ralph Yeates]

use them all the time on the hellies running  Lithium Ion Battery {don't trust LiPo's after one caught fire} but the Lithium Ion Battery seem to run fine then drop off really quick when the voltage drops this is where the Volt spy comes in. Great device have them on the planes as well.  £13ish cheaper than a repair bill ;o)

[Former Member]

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[Adrian Smith 1]

I am a great believer in spending a few quid on voltspy battery checkers to save a few hundred spondules due to cell failure inflight. There have been a few times where I thought I had picked up the charged nicad/nimh before a flying session only to find at the field, upon installing the battery in the aircraft, the voltspy tells me the battery is not fit to use!  

Cell failure is another danger and despite charging a battery, said battery proves to have expired at the field. Another vote of confidence in the voltspy checker. Also don't forget to cycle nicads/nimh occasionally which invariably throws up dodgy cells.

[Former Member]

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[Doug Ireland]

I have a couple of the Irvine Voltspy2 units and although they are meant for Nicd I've been told they should work fine on NiMh.

[Snorbitz]

I fitted them to all my planes as a matter of corse....takes all the guess work out i find....i even did a bench test to find out what the excact voltage was as each led came on just so as i know and its written on the front of my tranny case. Comes in handy every now and again. Easily fitted and cost very little for peace of mind.

[Tim Mackey]

Well they are OK I guess, but the main problem with all these types of "volt spy" devices is twofold.

1) The characteristics of NiMhs is a rather flat discharge curve way along to the point where theres very little left, ending in a suddren drop or "knee" in the dischrge curve. This means that you could do a check, see that all is well ( perhaps on the last green or maybe first orange), and yet 5 minutes later it could be in the red, or even "flat".

2) Without a load on the battery, the dispalyed voltage means little. At the very least, give the sticks a good stir, and better still, hold a control surface such as rudder whilst stick twiddling, and then watch whether the indicator dips into the red.

 

Frankly, most of them, in most rigs, are little more than eye candy IMO and the best method is the simplest.

Charge fully before any new flying session .

[Former Member]

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