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This
page is quite long and is divided in several sections for your convenience:
We also have a club trainer airplane for anyone that
wants to
have a real hands on experience to feel the excitement!
You don't have to be a member of the AMA or club member to fly the GTRCC trainer
Best of all IT'S FREE! Just contact our AMA
IP Instructor to set a time to meet
And you could be flying this plane tomorrow!
Two types of training:
1) you with your own airplane ( must be a AMA Member to receive this type
of training)
With this type of training, will come with 30 days to fly at GTRCC free of
charge before you must become a member in order to fly
2) With our GTRCC Trainer and GTRCC's Intro Pilot Instructor (No AMA
required)
With this type of training no club membership or AMA is required just a real
hands on experience
Both are absolutely free of charge
This page will attempt to offer those
new to the hobby, and those newly returning, recommendations on airplanes,
engines, and electronics to make their first choices much easier. There are
many, many options available to
the hobbyist on planes (ARF, RTF, Kits, etc.),
types of power sources (electric, gas, glow, etc.), motors/engines
(outrunners,
brushless, 2 stroke, 4 stroke, etc.), types of transmitters (channels, PPM, PCM,
etc.), and field
equipment (types of fuels, fuel pumps, chargers, batteries,
etc.). The following recommendations are not the only
good options available to
you, but they are excellent recommendations based on our trainer's experiences.
Again,
these recommendations are given to you to help reduce the stress from
trying to sort through the mind boggling
array of equipment choices.
All the
recommendations herein are very good ones.
Golden
Triangle radio control club is dedicated to the training of new
pilots!
GTRCC strongly advises new pilots to seek training from experienced
trainers!
Tips on maintenance, safety, and etiquette will significantly increase your success,
and therefore your enjoyment of this hobby.
GLOW vs. ELECTRIC
There
seems to be a war raging between diehard electric and glow pilots over which
is better. As one
who flies both glow and electric, I am puzzled by this war.
In my opinion, neither is inherently better.
However, one may better suit you.
This section will give you a very brief overview of these two
most popular
power choices.
Glow
fuel, most commonly known as "gas", is actually a blend of
alcohol, nitro, and caster oil (There
are engines that do run on gasoline, but
they have large displacements, are more expensive and as such
are used mainly
by the experienced pilot to power very large aircraft). Glow engines will more
easily
and cheaply power large planes than electrics currently can. Glow
trainers are approximately 4 - 6 lbs
in weight, have a 5 - 6 foot wing span
with a high wing designed for stability, and most are expectedly
somewhat
docile in performance (this does not mean that a trainer cannot do aerobatic
maneuvers).
Glow engines are reasonably reliable and require a moderate amount
of maintenance. However, at
times they can be touchy and a significant amount
of time may be used towards "tuning" the engines at
the field. The
castor oil does leave a residue on the plane which needs to be cleaned off
with a Windex
type cleaner. Militant electric flyers tend to think of their
glow compadres as noisy and slimy. In fact,
glow planes are often called
"slimers," even by glow pilots.
Electric
trainers are smaller than glow trainers -- about 15 - 32 oz with a 3 foot to 4
foot wing span --
and like their glow counterpart they are designed for
stability and forgiveness. Because they are lighter
than their glow
counterparts they tend to be more susceptible to windy conditions (especially
so for a
trainee), but are much less likely to sustain damage in moderate to
light crashes. Electrics are generally
easier to transport (most easily
fitting into an average trunk even with the wing attached), and can be as
responsive and effective as a glow plane. Since electric planes are generally
smaller and often slower
than glow planes, they can be flown in smaller spaces
than the larger glow trainers. Indeed, there are
numerous small, slow flying
electric trainers designed to be flown in a typical household yard, and there
is a type of electric plane known as "park flyers." Care should be
taken on choosing motor types,
gearing, and batteries as this will greatly
effect performance. Choosing an electric motor for someone
new to electric
flight (even an experienced glow pilot) can be much more complicated than
choosing a
glow engine. Hopefully, the recommendations in the engine/motor
section of this page will be clear
enough to make your electric motor choices
much easier. Electric motors produce no waste so there is
usually no need to
clean the plane after flight (grass clippings being the most common spoilage).
Militant glow fliers tend to think of electrics as toys and that is
simply not the truth..
Even
though GTRCC strongly advocates for the use of a training instructor there are
circumstances
that may lead a person to choose to learn to fly by themselves.
Fortunately for these folk, there are
some electric planes that can be used to
learn to fly without an instructor. New pilots should who
decide to take this
route should take time to carefully research RC flying safety and etiquette
procedures.
Either
glow or electric work well as trainers. Those with strong opinions on this
topic tend to support
the power choice they trained on. After reading the
following recommendations you should have a
better feel on which power choice
you may prefer. If this page does not help you, come to GTRCC
field (or a club near you) and talk to club members. Many of our members here
at GTRCC who fly
regularly fly electrics as well as their glow or gas planes.
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COSTS
As
with any dynamic hobby, your investment can have a direct impact on your
enjoyment. This is not to
say that if you spend huge amounts of money you are
guaranteed success or ecstatic joy. Rather, we caution you to consider buying
good, appropriate, reliable equipment vs. always getting the cheapest.
Fortunately, parts of this hobby are getting less expensive as time passes;
this is not to say it is cheap.
For those in the hobby, it is well worth the
money. Wild Bills gives GTRCC Members a 10% discount.
Generally,
a beginner can expect to pay about $450+ for a complete glow setup (plane,
engine,
transmitter, receiver, batteries, charger, fuel, starter, etc.). An
electric setup (plane, motor, gearbox, transmitter, receiver, speed
controller, servos, battery, charger, etc.) can be significantly cheaper (less
than half) but you do need to be concerned about the reusability of your
equipment when you move to your second plane. Reusability is much more a
concern with electric setups
(especially the ready-to-fly setups) than with
glow setups. We will discuss this later in this page.
FLIGHT
SIMULATORS
RC
flight simulators can do much to enhance the quality and speed of learning to
fly RC airplanes.
There are many to choose from, but for the beginner you do
not need to spend much or any money to
get a helpful and fun simulator. For
the newbie, getting a feel for the plane's orientation and a general
feel for
landings are the most important issues. There are many free simulators on the
internet and many
inexpensive one on the market. The following list are
recommendations of very cheap or free
simulators.
Pre-Flight:
$38 (as of Nov. '06) http://www.preflightsim.com/preflight001.htm
FMS: Free (as of Nov. '06) http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html
The
following are recommendations if high end simulators
AeroFly
Pro: w/ simulator "transmitter" $208; w/o "transmitter"
$180
Hanger 9 FS One: w/ Mode 2 controller $210; w/o Mode 2 controller $180
Real Flight by Great Planes is a great simulator to learn on. it's about
179.99 but well worth it's weight in gold. this is the one I recommend.
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ARF
verse RTF verse Building a KIT
OK,
ok! You want to know what to get. I am very close to giving you that
information.
First, some basic background information.
RTF.
Ready-To-Fly setups are nearly fully assembled airframes with all electronics
in place, a
transmitter, batteries, and charger. You will still need to supply
the fuel and glow igniter for glow
planes. Most RTF's are ready to fly when
the batteries are charged (overnight in some cases, a few
hours to a few
minutes in others). Advantages to RTFs is that all the equipment is packaged
and
chosen for you and, for those who do not like to build or do not have time
or space for building, your
construction time is nil to extremely minimal.
Negative: you have no flexibility in equipment choices,
color schemes, etc.
ARF
(or ARTF): Almost-Ready-to-Fly setups are approximately 90% pre-built
airframes only
(airplane only: no electronics, engine, etc). These plane are
framed and completely covered. You will
have to join some large parts (i.e.
wing halves, rudder and stabilizer), install the electronics (servos,
receiver, battery), and in many you will mount the engine. Most people, even
those with little building
experience, can complete the construction in a
weekend. If you have no building experience it is
recommended you visit your
local club or hobby store and seek some advice and tips. The
instructions are
generally clear and with careful attention to detail, these aircraft can be
very
successfully built by a novice. Advantages: fairly short construction
time, and you may choose
equipment for the plane. Disadvantages: building time
for those who do not like to build or do not
have time or space for building,
you have almost no flexibility in color schemes, and you have to
make
decisions about equipment.
If you choose this option any one at the field can give you pointers on
building these.
Kits:
Kits are totally unassembled airframes. They come with plans, wood,
instructions, and in most
cases, hardware (landing gear, pushrods, wheels,
etc). Kits can take from a few hours to several
months to compete depending on
the complexity of the airframe, experience of the builder and free
time for
building. Many RTF and ARF planes also come in kit form. A novice can expect
to spend
three or four weekends building a introductory kit. Access to
experienced builders can reduce building
time and frustrations significantly.
Advantages: you are in control of all aspects of your plane (building
care,
modifications, color schemes, equipment, etc.). Negative: building time for
those who do not like
to build or do not have time or space for building.
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OK! enough with the detail stuff
RECOMMENDED
GLOW TRAINERS
RTF:
Hobbico Avistar Select
Specifications:
Wingspan:
59 in
Wing Area: 602 sq in
Wing Loading: 19 oz/sq ft
Weight: 5 lb
Includes: O.S. .40 LA, Futaba 4VF radio
Features:
*
NO PAINTING, NO SANDING, NO GLUING and NO DRILLING
* O.S. .40 LA Engine & Futaba Radio Pre-installed
* 20 minute assembly time
* Fuselage: Pre-Covered in MonoKote & Pre-Assembled Sheeted Box Style.
* Wing: Pre-Covered in MonoKote w/Ribbed Balsa
* Semi-Symmetrical Airfoil That Joins Together with a Metal Dowel Rod and
Nylon Straps
* Tail Sections are Solid Balsa and are Pre-Covered in MonoKote.
* 90% Pre-Assembled, All Wood, Ready-To-Fly Kit.
Requires:
*
Field Equipment
* Misc. Items: Glow Fuel, Phillips Head Screwdriver, Pliers
* 5/64" allen wrench to tighten various screws
Price:
Almost
anywhere this set up can be purchased for $279.99 as of November 2007
ARF:
Hobbico Avistar 40 II
Specifications:
Wingspan:
59 in
Wing Area: 602 sq in
Weight: 5 lb
Wing loading: 19.1 oz/sq ft
Fuselage Length: 44.8 in
Features:
*
Sturdy, all wood, 90% pre-built and pre-covered wing, fuselage, and tail
assemblies
* Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instruction manual.
* Semi-symmetrical airfoil provides stability & aerobatics
capabilities
* Pre-Covered in Top Flite MonoKote Covering.
Includes:
*
Wing, Fuselage & Tail Assemblies
* 2-1/4" Spinner (White)
* 10-1/2 oz Fuel Tank
* Metal Engine Mount
* 1/8" diameter Wire Landing Gear
* 2-3/8" Rubber Treaded Wheels
* Dowel Pushrods
* Hardware
* Illustrated Instruction Book
Requires:
Engine:
.40-.46 (2-stroke)
Radio:
4 Channel
Misc. Items: Building and Field Equipment.
Price:
Almost
anywhere it can be found for $99.99 as of November 2006
KIT:
Sig LT-40
Wingspan:
70 in
Wing Area: 900 sq in
Weight: 5.5 lbs
Wing loading: 14.8 oz/sq ft
Fuselage Length: 56 in
Features:
*
Lazer-cut, die-cut and saw-cut wood parts
* Easy to follow plans and instructions
* Flat bottom wing
Includes:
*
All the Wood to build kit
* Dubro Treaded Wheels (2/34" & 3")
* Dubro 8oz. Fuel Tank
* Dubro 2" Spinner (black)
* Sig Easy Hinges
* Sig Nylon, Adjustable Engine Mount
* 1/8"Diameter Wire Landing Gear
* Decal Sheet
* Folded Plans & Building Instruction Book.
Requires:
*
.30-.40 2-stroke or .40-.50 4-stroke Engine
* 4 Channel Radio
* 3 Rolls of Covering Building
* Field Equipment
* #67 rubber bands
Price:
around 99.99
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RECOMMENDED
ELECTRIC TRAINERS
RTF
Hobbico's
SuperStar EP Select with Ailerons
Specifications
Wingspan:
48.75 in
Wing Area: 402 sq in
Weight: 3.1 lb ready to fly
Wing Loading: 18 oz/sq ft
Fuselage Length: 36.1 in
Channels: 4 (ailerons, throttle, rudder, elevator)
Motor: ElectriFly T-601
Battery: 7-cell 8.4V 2100mAh
Flight Time w/ Recommended Battery: 6 - 10 min.
Features:
*
Balsa and plywood construction
* Precovered in a durable plastic film.
* Ready to fly in just 3-5 hours.
* Easy installation of standard-sized onboard electronics
* One piece wing with ailerons and metal joiner rod
* Flat-bottom airfoil supplies excellent lift at slow speeds
* Two piece pre-bent wire landinggear
* Two 1-3/4" (45mm) diameter foam construction wheels
* 9x5.5 composite construction propeller
* Warranty: Ninety day limited
Includes:
*
Pushrods
* Instruction manual
* Futaba 4YF radio system
* 7-cell 8.4V 2100mAh (w/standard Tamiya connector) battery
* Electronic Speed Control with metal heat sink
* BEC (Battery Eliminator Circuitry) and Kyosho type connector
* ElectriFly T-601 motor preinstalled with leads
Requires:
*
Charger: Timed or peak for included battery
* Additional batteries recommended (7-cell 8.4V 2100mAh)
Price:
Prices
hung around the $234.95 - $249.99 range as of November 2007.
RTF
(Self Training Capable)
Multiplex
Easy Star RTF
Specifications:
Wingspan:
54 in
Wing Area: 390 sq in
Weight: 24 oz
Wing loading: 9 oz/sq ft
Fuselage Length: 36 in
Channels: 3 (rudder, elevator, throttle)
Motor: Speed 400
Battery: 7-8 cell 500-1050 mah NiCd or NiMh
Features:
*
Designed for first time pilots in mind
* Incredibly stable flight characteristics and durability
* Powered by a powerful Speed 400 motor
* Motor is mounted on the top so hard landings won’t break the prop or
hurt the motor.
* Made from Multiplex’s durable “Elapor” foam
* Easy Star will take a tremendous amount of abuse without breaking
* Easily repaired at the flying site with CA (super) glue
* Even after many crashes, the Easy Star will be ready for more
* This is a great plane to teach someone to fly where other trainers would
be ready for the trash can
* Motor, speed control are installed and wired, the receiver and servos
are installed and connected.
* All connectors are installed; control rods and control horns are
installed
Includes:
*
Hitec Focus 3 Radio
* (2) Tiny-S Servos
* X-08 Speed Control
* Motor
* Battery and charger
Requires:
*
Nothing
Price:
Prices
were most commonly between $159.99 - $199.99
ARF
(Self Training Capable)
Multiplex
Easy Star ARF
Specifications:
Wingspan:
54 in
Wing Area: 390 sq in
Weight: 24 oz
Wing loading: 9 oz/sq ft
Fuselage Length: 36 in
Channels: 3 (rudder, elevator, throttle)
Motor: Speed 400
Battery: 7-8 cell 500-1050 mah NiCd or NiMh
Features:
*
Designed for first time pilots in mind
* Incredibly stable flight characteristics and durability
* Powered by a powerful Speed 400 motor
* Motor is mounted on the top so hard landings won’t break the prop or
hurt the motor.
* Made from Multiplex’s durable “Elapor” foam
* Easy Star will take a tremendous amount of abuse without breaking
* Easily repaired at the flying site with CA (super) glue
* Even after many crashes, the Easy Star will be ready for more
* This is a great plane to teach someone to fly where other trainers would
be ready for the trash can
* No landing gear, model lands on its belly
* Ready to fly in two to six hours
Includes:
*
Foam fuselage, wings, and tail section
* 400 size motor (direct drive) with connector and lead (must be soldered
to motor)
* illustrated instructions.
* Pushrods and other hardware included
* 5" diameter pusher prop with black spinner
* Colorful Easy Star logo decals
Requires:
*
Minimum 3-channel radio (throttle, rudder, and elevator control)
* 2 micro servos
* 12 amp speed control and connector
* 6 or 7 cell battery from 500 to 1500mAh
* Charger for the battery with proper connector
* Miscellaneous building equipment
Price:
57.99 - 59.99
ARF
Modeltech
Fledgling EP ARF 4-Ch Trainer
Specifications:
Wing
Span: 55.5 inches
Wing Area: 495 sq. in.
Weight: 2.75-3.1 pounds
Wing Loading: 12.8 to 14.5 oz/sq.in.
Length: 41 inches
Cannels: 4 (Aileron, Elevator, Rudder, Throttle)
Motor: Speed 600
Battery: 7 cell 2400mah or greater NiMh or 2 cell 2000mah or
greater LiPo
Features:
*
Includes 600 size electric brushed motor
* Propeller designed for the Fledgling
* All-wood airframe
* 4 Channel Function for superior control
* Complete hardware included
* Finished with premium covering
Required:
*
4 channel radio system
* 4 channel (minimum) reciever
* 3 servos
* 35 amp motor ESC
* 7 cell 2400mah or greater sub-c battery pack (alternative: 2 cell
2000mah or greater li-po battery pack)
* Charger for battery
* Basic tools and finishing supplies
Price:
$90 - $100
KIT:
Stevens
AeroModel SQuiRT Trainer w/ Ailerons
Specifications
Wingspan:
38 in
Wing Area: 260 sq in
Weight: 15 oz
Wing loading: 8.3 oz/sq ft
Fuselage Length: 26 in
Channels: 4 (ailerons, rudder, elevator, throttle)
Motor: Speed 400
Battery: 1000mAh 7.4 volt (2 cell) LiPo
Features:
*
Innovative shock absorbing gear and wing mounting system
* Out performs any foamy in it's class in terms of flight performance and
ruggedness
* Laser cut tab and notch construction makes building a straight and true
wing and fuselage as easy as gluing your fingers together!
* 2 - 3 evening building time
Includes:
*
Stick mount for the GWS Speed 300/350 power system
* Full hardware pack loaded with high quality Du-Bro hardware
* Pre-Bent Landing gear and wheels
* Full-Size Plan Sheet
* Detailed step by step photo illustrated instruction manual
Requires:
*
GWS EDP400 6V direct drive motor system and mount
* 7x3.5 propellor
* 3 each sub-micro servos 8-10g (Hitec HS-55)
* One 4ch (minimum) receiver
* 4 Channel (minimum) transmitter
* 10 amp Speed controller with BEC
* 1000mAh 7.4 volt (2 cell) LiPo
Price:
$49.95 directly from
Stevens AeroModel
Batteries
Technology in the
area of electric flight changing very rapidly. Almost as soon as this was
written, some new technology will arise. I will endeavor to keep this and
all parts of this page pertinent. I will not try to update you on all the
newest gadgets, but rather to keep a baseline of information and
recommendations that represent the most common and useful equipment
currently in use.
Even though the
equipment and technology ios changing rapidly, the truth about electricity
and how it works stays the same. Here are some of the basics to get
you started and ameliorate a bit of the uncertainty behind electric flight
away.
From
talking to several of our club members and tons of people at local hobby
stores, I have found that many folk do not feel comfortable understanding
batteries (LiPo’s (Lithium Polymer) in particular), their supportive
electronics and their care. There are lots of urban legends out there and
while they are based largely on truth, most have grown in the telling.
What follows is some basic information as I have learned it.
Much will be
very elementary to some left field to others.
I have tried to break it down for you.
General
info:
The
three most basic units
in electricity
are voltage (V), current (I) and resistance (r).
Voltage is measured in volts, current is measured in amps
and resistance is measured in ohms.
The
best analogy I have found to explain this concept is to think of a typical
garden hose system. The voltage is the water pressure, the current is the
amount of water passing through the hose, and the resistance is the nossle.
Voltage:
Voltage
is the electromotive pressure that forces current through an electrical
conductor. A part of Ohm’s law states that if the voltage goes up, the
current flow will go up, and vice versa. So, more voltage = more
electrical pressure = more current = more power to the motor. (V = R*I)
Amperes
(amps):
Amperage
is a term used to describe the number of
electrons (not the pressure) moving past a fixed point in a conductor in
one second.
ma:
Milliamp:
1/1000 of an amp. (ma)
ah:
Amp
hours: refers to the amount of stored energy (or capacity) in a battery.
If you have a healthy 2ah battery you can draw 1 amp for 2 hours before
the battery is considered discharged (1amp*2hours = 2ah).
mah:
Milliamp
hours (1/1000 of an amp hour)
Resistance:
Resistance
is a measure of the degree to which an object opposes the passage of an electric
current. Wires, connectors and switches all resist the current to some
degree. (R = V/I)
Series:
Connecting
batteries in series: wire from negative to positive, negative to positive,
etc. This will multiply the voltage but keep the ah (amp hours) the same.
Parellel:
Connecting
batteries in parallel, you wire from positive to positive and negative to
negative. This will multiply the amp hours but keep the voltage the same.
C
rating:
I
have to admit that I don’t know exactly what the “C” stands for ,
but I call it a current rating or multiplier. C
is how long it takes to discharge or charge the battery in fractions of an
hour. For instance, 1C discharges the battery in 1/1 hours or 1 hour. 2C
discharges the battery in ½ hours. Also, by multiplying the C
rating by the ah (not mah) you get the safe maximum amp draw the cell can
handle. A 20C 2000 mah cell can handle a sustained 40 amp draw (C*ah =
safe amp draw: 20*2 = 40).
Cell:
Lipos
for airplane use are actually 3.6 volt cells (manufacturers claim 3.7, not
sure why). This number (3.6) is the mid point of the voltage extremes the
cell can safely handle: the lowest voltage these cells should ever get to
is 3 volts (under load) and the max is 4.22 volts during charging.
Most cells today are still 12C rated, but 20C cells are becoming the norm.
The higher the C rating the heavier the cell.
Nomenclature:
-
20C
3S 2000 mah. This pack is a 20 current rated, 3 cells in series, 2 ah
pack. It is 10.8 volts (manufacturers list at 11.1 volts), and can
safely handle a maximum draw of 40 amps.
-
20C
3S2P 2000 mah. This is 2, 20 Current rated, 3 cells in series, 2ah
packs in parallel. It is 10.83 volts (manufacturers list at 11.1
volts), 4000 mah, and can safely handle a maximum draw of 80 amps.
Care:
LiPo’s
want to be treated gently, with great care and sensitivity. The following
is a short list of things to help keep a LiPo functional as long as
possible.
Discharge:
Over
discharging can be broken down into discharging at too high of a rate
(over amping) or discharging to deeply (draining the capacity too far).
When figuring the safe amp draw it is recommended to use 70% of the
manufacturers suggested C rating for greatly extended battery life: a 20C
battery will last much longer (4 – 5 times the number of cycles) if you
treat it like a 14C cell. Discharging a cell to no lower than 3.2 (3.1
even makes a difference) volts and charging it no farther than 4 volts
will also significantly increase cell life.
Charging:
The
slower the better. Never charge over 1C. Preferable is .5C or less. Charge
at 0.3C or less when cells are heavily drained (resting voltage below 3.6
volts per cell). It is during charging when most LiPo accidents
happen. NEVER charge a Lipo in an area you can’t afford it to
catch fire in. Also, when LiPo’s burn they emit a lot of toxic gasses.
There are excellent bunkers you can purchase/make to reduce the risk: LiPo
Bags, ammo can, etc.
Balancing:
It
is important to keep the cell voltage in a pack balanced. Uneven cells can
get stressed and cause violent failures. For example, if you have just
fully charged an unbalanced 3S pack to a voltage of 12.6 volts and one
cell is at 4.2 volts and one is very low at 3.2 Volts, then the remaining
cell would have to charge to an explosively high 5.2 volts before your
charger would read 12.6 volts and stop charging. It’s all in the math! A
difference of .1 (1/10) volt can lead to stressed cells and therefore
battery failure.
Taps:
Packs
will now almost always come with taps. Taps allow you to charge each cell
individually and will keep them to a 0 - .01 V tolerance. A balancing
charger used in conjunction with taps can charge all the cells at once as
it monitors the individual cell voltage and will regulate the charge to
each cell accordingly. Charging cells very slowly (.05 amps) can help keep
pack balanced or help correct unbalanced packs if they are not too bad out
of balance to begin with.
Storage:
Store
at 3.6 volts per cell for extended periods (over one week). Store in cool
place such as a fridge. Never store at high temperatures.
Heat:
LiPo’s
like heat, but not too much. I try to keep mine under 150 degrees during
discharge. During the winter it is good to keep them at body temp before
you use them.
DO NOT PUT LIPOS IN YOUR POCKET WITH CHANGE, KEYS OR ANYTHING
METALIC!
Dropping, bending, folding, and puncturing LiPos is bad. Very bad.
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