Thoughts on SELEM 2014 pricing - need input

[Bradfo69]

The Quad arrived Got it a few inches off the floor and around the living room a little. I'm fully charging the battery tonight and then.... on to the ballroom tomorrow! I can see already a couple extra batteries would be worth having.

(And if we book Scuzz and his chicks, I'll throw a little extra in the kitty for SELEM. )

[buffo]

Note: They don't really like to fly in ground effect. Get the bird up off the floor and it will be easier to fly (at least 2-3 feet high).

Bring it to FLEM and we will have some fun. I'm bringing most of my stuff, plus my new smart charger.

Adam

[Bradfo69]

It lasted all of about 3 minutes. Had the battery fully charged. Got it up a couple times in the ballroom. Had a landing that certainly wasn't "hard" or a crash or anything and the rotors weren't still spinning when it sat down but now... nothing. Made sure the battery was fully charged up again but, I got nuthin'. The little LED's on the control board still light up when the battery is connected and the batteries in the controller are fine but, it's not doing a thing. No apparent loose wires.

So... these things are like lasers right? Get about 10 minutes out of 'em before weird shit starts happening.

[buffo]

Make sure you have the controller bound to the bird. Usually you need to turn on the transmitter first, then connect the battery on the bird (reasonably quickly), and then move the throttle from zero to 100% and back to zero on the controller. You should hear a beep, and then it should work.

If you can't get it going, bring it to FLEM and we'll check it out.

Adam

[Bradfo69]

Didn't do it. I'll bring it to FLEM.

[Stuka]

Brad -

Concerning "binding" your heli/quad to your transmitter -
There are a few variations in the procedure, depending on the radio combination in use.

For example, to bind my Spektrum radio to my Blade quads & helis, I start with the radio "off", plug in the battery on the quad, and wait for the proper LED signal on the aircraft; then, while holding "on" the "trainer" switch on the transmiiter, I turn the transmitter "on", then wait for the aircraft to signal it has "bound" to the transmitter, release the trainer switch, and go fly!

Your manual (paper or online) for your particular quad/radio combo should highlight the details for you. Also, get in the practice of always flying with the transmitter antenna fully extended, and when going through the "binding" procedure, make sure you have a decent battery charge in the aircraft AND transmitter. It's not unusual for an aircraft to "unbind" when sitting unused for extended periods, but if you have to repeat the procedure on back-to-back flights, you might have an equipment issue.

Pay attention to your quad's directions concerning battery charging and flight times -
The LiPo battery packs used in today's electric aircraft are very sensitive to OVER charging and OVER draining.
Use ONLY the charger SPECIFICALLY for your type of battery, don't make a habit of flying until the battery quits (4-5 minutes MAX flight per charge on a small quad/heli is the norm), and put at least a partial charge on batteries before storing them.

If the batteries get "puffy" or swollen, that's usually an indication the battery is over-charged or over-drained, and needs to be disposed of PROPERLY.
Don't just toss 'em in the trash -
Talk to your local hobby shop about proper disposal.
(The HobbyTown shop in Huntsville actually accepts used batteries, free of charge, which they will dispose for you...)

Another recommendation to go ahead and take the plunge & invest in a PC-based flight simulator. If you buy the Phoenix complete package (less than $200, with transmitter), it includes a basic Spektrum radio that could potentially be used to fly a lot of the actual smaller quads and helicopters, should you decide to expand the fleet (not that THAT would happen!!

Lots of good helicopter-related forums worth checking into.
A couple of ther better(IMHO):

HeliFreak
www.helifreak.com

RC Helicopter Fun
http://www.rchelicopterfun.com

Welcome to another money pit...

Randy

[Stuka]

PS -

Sorry for continuing the thread detour.
What was this thread about, anyway?

[VibrationsOfDoom]

...So forgive a noob for asking a stupid question, but where is SELEM held?? For 2014 anyway... Sounds like a fun event...

[JohnYayas]

...So forgive a noob for asking a stupid question, but where is SELEM held?? For 2014 anyway... Sounds like a fun event...

Newton, NC

Closest real city is Charlotte.

[buffo]

...So forgive a noob for asking a stupid question, but where is SELEM held??

Not a stupid question at all! As Gary mentioned above, it's held every year in Newton, North Carolina, at the Newton-Conover Auditorium. It's about 50 minutes north-west of Charlotte, NC.

This year will be our 8th year! It's always held over the third weekend in August. This year we have extended it to a 4 day event, so it will start on Thursday, August 14th and run through Sunday, August 17th. (Load-in and setup is on Wednesday, August 13th from noon until 5 PM.)

Sounds like a fun event...

You have no idea! Poke around some of the SELEM threads in this sub-forum and read up on past events. It's one hell of a great time. Hope to see you there this summer!

Adam