What:

Barnyard Buzzards Builder’s Competition

Who:

All current members of the Barnyard Buzzards Club

When:

Starts October 14, 2003. Judging will be done during our club meeting on March 2, 2004 by the meeting attendees by “secret” ballot. The meeting will be at the Monroe Library.

Why:

Bob mentioned that the event was to help encourage building of models, build camaraderie, and recognize our skilled builders.   (Also, some of us need to restock the hangar).

WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)

Unbelievable prestige

and world wide recognition for modeling prowess. Large Model Corporate Sponsorship possible. Recruiters will be at the April meeting to observe the judging and award presentation.

As a surprise, there will be a special award presented by the Board of Directors for the most technically innovative model (will include CO2, rubber power, diesel, jet, canard, ornothopter, rotary wing, etc). If you bring it , we’ll judge it!

Entry Fee and Qualification Details:

So, you ask what’s this going to cost? Well, entry fee is $5.00 per modeler. Modelers can submit more than one model. Each entry (model) must be unstarted prior to submitting the entry fee (bring the plan, kit, etc. to any club meeting. Entries are accepted by the club secretary anytime between October 14 and March 2.

Other Questions:

Answers to questions covering any details not expressly covered by this document can be expressed during any club meeting or through mail/email to Bob.

Futaba Buddy Box Tech Tip…….Rick Hanners

 

             A long, long time ago in a place far, far away … namely Long Island, I was teaching someone to fly with a buddy box.  The entire first flight went very smoothly until the end.  I was bringing the plane in on its final approach and it then just mysteriously dived for the ground, burying itself into the ground as it was destroyed.  Yet, when the wreckage was gathered, the receiver and servos seemed to respond just fine to the transmitter.  I’ve never been able to figure out what could have happened till several months ago.

             Again a teaching situation in which suddenly the plane acted like it was out of control and getting no radio signal, then it came back on.  The plane wasn’t far out when this happened but I disconnected the buddy box and landed never the less.  Re-hooking up the buddy box I noted that the students transmitter LCD readout was showing 8.9 volts!!!  It would bounce up to 9.2 then back to 8.9v.  Not good.  When I unhooked the buddy box cord and looked at the student Tx again, it was now reading 10.1 volts!  So what was going on??

             What I suspected was that the master transmitter was powering BOTH transmitters, effectively cutting the transmitter battery capacity and useable flight time in HALF.  The readout was that of the master transmitter battery.  I was able to contact the Futaba service center and sure enough that is exactly what was happening.  Futaba in their infinite wisdom was doing something that I consider pretty dumb, powering both transmitters from a single battery.  The master transmitter had no LCD voltage readout and it was only due to the LCD readout on the student Tx that I discovered this situation.

             It turns out that Airtronics has also been using this powering scheme and that was what I was using in the situation back on Long Island.  The student had told me that he had tested out all the controls and had played with them for about 30 minutes or so before coming to the field.  I knew we were only going to do one flight so never gave it a thought.  So one 20-minute flight, with one partly discharged battery powering two transmitters and you get disaster at the end.  Unhook the transmitters, the voltage will bounce back up and everything would look to be fine.  I’ll never really know what happened back on Long Island but this makes a lot of sense based on what happened to that plane.

             So a note of caution for Futaba owners who hook up with a buddy box to train someone, WATCH THAT TRANSMITTER VOLTAGE.  A field charger and Expanded Scale Voltmeter are HIGHLY recommended, if the transmitters do not have a digital voltage readout.  

             One final note, out at the Buzzard field, JR is used by probably the majority of our members.  Do you have a problem?  NO!  In a buddy box situation, each transmitters’ circuitry is run by its own internal transmitter battery, so there is no compromise in capacity or normal flight time.  Of course, voltage monitoring is still always a good thing.

 

Safe Flying …. Rick H.