4g3 fliers

[heli--freak]

So how many Walkera 4g3/Novus CP fliers are left?? I love mine, Just picked up another with some hop ups from tower should be here tomorrow... I've been in a battery building mood here lately and built me a 3s 2100mah 20c lipo for my 2801 pro and built me a couple 1s 800mah 10c batts for the 4g3.

[Dusty1000]

Originally Posted by heli--freak

So how many Walkera 4g3/Novus CP fliers are left??

Not many. Most seem to have moved onto the heavyweight 4G6

Dusty

[codfish124]

I have one but its not working to hot right now

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[rcgtsport]

have novus cp same thing for year now still haven't been able to fly it. winters here so took it off shelf again for another shot.confused on start up 4g3 says turn on transmitter then connect batt,helimax is reverse does it make differance?

[n.faustdoty]

Originally Posted by rcgtsport

have novus cp same thing for year now still haven't been able to fly it. winters here so took it off shelf again for another shot.confused on start up 4g3 says turn on transmitter then connect batt,helimax is reverse does it make differance?

when connecting a battery to the heli back in the day it was a big deal to turn on the tx first as you needed a strong signal to connect the heli up so it did not go out of control from other frequencies in the air. With 2.4 this is not as much of an issue but i would suggest you always turn on the tx first then plug the heli battery in just to be safe.

So in short, it does not make a difference. Just a good practice to turn the tx on first.

[xp190]

I have been flying mine for a year now, but I have some issues with it, I think the motors and bearings are gone again, it only seems to have power for a minute, then power drops down too far to stay in the air. Anyone else experience this? I'll try a new set of batteries but I think it's the tail motor again.

heli--freak How do you build those 800mAh batteries for it? I'd love some more juice in this thing.

Cheers

xp

[Dusty1000]

Originally Posted by xp190

I have been flying mine for a year now, but I have some issues with it, I think the motors and bearings are gone again, it only seems to have power for a minute, then power drops down too far to stay in the air. Anyone else experience this?

Yes. Check the lead going to the lipo. Do you have a brushless or brushed main motor?

If the power leads have too many strands of wire broken, they will overheat quickly causing exactly the problem you describe. Mine started to snap at the circuit board when I was using a brushed motor.

If the tail holds ok and it's just that there is not enough power to fly, the problem is unlikely to be with the tail motor.

Dusty

[xp190]

Hey Dusty
I haven't thought of what you are suggesting, but I really hope you are right. My tail started going all over the place in the last few flights, I was thinking it was the motor, I know they have a very short life, but after a year of flying, I'm only on my second one so far.

I am using a brushless main motor, the tail is brushed and I was advised to keep it that way.

Any other tips to have this beauty fly like new?

I get maybe 2-3 minutes of decent flight, then it's all hopping and skidding due to lack of power, yet the batteries seem to take back 300mAh every charge... I stop flying as soon as I see the head speed drop.

Cheers and appreciate the input, first thing I will do when I get home is check those wires.

xp

[Beckler]

Yup mine's still flying, even tho I have the 4G6s now too. The G3 is just lighter, with better power and duration, and I don't care much at all when I crash it More agile and harder to fly makes it more fun too. I've learned flips/rolls/inverted circuits on this so it's all possible, except for real 3d, for which it simply isn't powerful enuf...

xp190, yes low power problems have been very common for me. Here were some of the causes: definitely worn wires (orig. walkera wire is junk & doesn't last), v. worn motor pinion, tight gear mesh, improper pitch curve, damaged blades, ESC problem. The last one is my current issue; after a crash, it suddenly has no power. I have replaced the ESC 2 or 3 times now and each time full power is restored, with nothing else changed (and then I've even switched back to old one to confirm). Anyway I guess it's fragile, and I've got an xp7a esc coming to test out...

[xp190]

This is very interesting, I had no idea that the wires could be such a big problem on this heli, but it makes a lot of sense. I had problems with new batteries working for a few flights and then a sudden decrease in power, I thought I was killing the batteries, but I think they are fine since I can put 300mAh back in each one. This could be the ESC, or the wiring.

Is there a way to test the wires to know for sure that they are bad?

Also, Beckeler, do you think you could let me know how the xp7a works? If it cures your problems, I might consider it too.

Another question, how can I tell if my BL main motor is shot? It spins fine, gets a bit hot, but that's normal as far as I can tell. I hope it's just the wires. I'll solder something else in and see how the bird does.

My 4g3 needs a bypass... who knew?

xp

[xp190]

I think the motors are gone too, I'll pick up some replacements next time I'm at the LHS.

Replacing the wires fixed the pulsing behavior, but the batteries still don't last more than a minute or two.

How can you tell if a BL motor is toast?

Cheers

xp

[Beckler]

I'll update here about the xp7a. I don't know of any easy way to test the motor. I just replace with a new one and check for difference But the motor has never been the issue for me, other than a replacing worn pinion or lubricating bearings--both of which made a noticeable difference, but something else is wrong if you only get 1-2 min. Which batteries? The stock walkera ones don't work btw, you need 15 or 20c rated ones.

[xp190]

That's what I've been using, the stock walkeras, I had a feeling they were crap, but I had good luck with them for a while, I guess it ran out, I have a few others coming in, the oversky I think they are called, 600mAh 20C, I think that will solve all my issues now that the wiring is replaced. I'll give everyone an update once they arrive.

This lil heli is nice for indoor winter flying, but I wish I could ditch it for anything else sometimes....

cheers!

xp