RC Power FAQ

1) Beginner issues

A101	Why fly electric?
A102	How do I get started?
A103	What kind of planes can I fly with electric power?
A104	How do I sign up for the AMA/MAAC?
A105	What Kind of equipment do I need?
A106	What special tools would I need?
A107	Can you suggest a few beginner setups?
A108	Are soldered or crimp joints better?
A109	What goes on which stick?

2) Safety

A201	What safety procedures should I follow when flying?
A202	What is an arming switch?
A203	When should I use an arming switch?
A204	How much power will I lose? How much weight will I gain?
A205	What is a fuse? Why use one?
A206	What type of fuse should I use?
A207	How do I choose the fuse rating?
A208	How and where do I install the fuse?
A209	Are there any safety precautions for the motor battery?
A210	How do I fuse a brushless motor?

3) Batteries

A300	Battery Basics
A301	What's Volt, Amps, "C" rating, etc....?
A302	What are milli-amp hours?
A303	How fast can I charge my batteries?
A304	What is Nicad memory?
A305	What is Cell reversal?
A306	Should I cycle my packs?
A307	Can I deep discharge an individual cell safely?
A308	What is the discharge of a Nicad like?
A309	Black Wire Syndrome
A310	Low Tech Cell Matching
A311	What are the effects of series and parallel?
A312	What are NiMH batteries like?
A313	Can I use Lithium batteries for electric flight?
A314	What do the battery codes like SCR, AE mean?
A315	Is it safe to solder directly to batteries?

4) Electric motors

A401	What does "breaking-in" a motor actually do?
A402	How do I break-in a motor?
A403	What does gearing do?
A404	How do I compare an electric motor to an IC engine?
A405	What are motor constants?
A406	What's the difference between Delta and Wye Brushless Motors?
A407	What is "timing"?
A408	How much should I advance a speed 400?
A409	How do I use the "speed 400 timing tool?"
A410	How much heat can our motors dissipate?
A411	How can I keep my motors clean?
A412	What is a sensorless motor/controller?
A413	How does a sensorless motor work?
A414	What do the motor names (Speed 400,600, 05, 25) mean?
A415	How do I do a "Water break-in" ?
A416	How do I measure motor constants ?
A417	Will this cheap Mabuchi 540/380 etc. be good for E-Flight ?
A418	How many capacitors do I need on my motor and what values ?
A419	Should I wire two motors in series or parallel?
A420	Where can I find some information on common brushed motor constants?

5) Speed controllers (ESC's)

A501	How does a speed control work?
A502	What is the advantage of a High Rate Control?
A503	What is the best switching rate for a hi rate ESC?
A504	How does a motor brake work?
A505	What is a BEC and how does it relate to the speed control?
A506	What are the disadvantages of a BEC?
A507	What is a Cutoff?
A508	How long can I fly once the cutoff takes place?
A509	What is opto-isolation and what does it do?
A510	How do I disable the BEC on my speed control?
A511	Where does my BEC speed control plug in ?
A512	Can I control 2 brushless motors with one controller ?

6) Propellers

A601	Why doesn't my Graupner folding prop extend all the way out?

7) Chargers

A701	How does charging current relate to capacity?
A702	How can I make certain my packs are fully charged?
A703	How does a peak (or delta peak) charger work?
A704	Will my charger work with Ni-MH batteries?
A705	Will a NiCad peak charger work with Lithium batteries?

8) Model info

A801	What are the differences between Indoor, Slow and Park flyers?
A802	What are EDF models?
A803	What exactly are EPS/EPP/Depron and other construction foams ?
A804	What is the watts/pound rule?
A805	What does the Watt-hours/pound rule tell me?
A806	How do I match an electric power system to a given airframe?
A807	How do I convert a gas powered plane to electric?
A808	Are there any proven electric setups listed anywhere?

9) Electrical formulas

A901	How do I calculate duration?
A902	How do I calculate Watts?
A903	How do I convert units of measure?
A904	What is Orme's Law?

Reference resources
Mailing lists
FTP sites
Web pages
Newsgroups
Non-electronic Resources
Magazines
Books

Contributor Credits

What is "black wire" on the negative leads of NiCad battery packs?

Q. What is "black wire" on the negative leads of NiCad battery packs?
A. Red Scholefield

I thought no one would ever ask!

The Black Wire Syndrome

The black wire syndrome is an occurrence in battery packs (Ni-Cads) where the negative wire becomes corroded (turns from shinny copper to blue-black). This is the result of either a shorted cell in the pack, the normal wear out failure mode of Ni-Cads, or cell reversal when a pack is left under load for an extended period. The sealing mechanism of a Ni-Cad cell depends to some degree on maintaining a potential across the seal interface. Once this potential goes to zero the cell undergoes what is called creep leakage. With other cells in a pack at some potential above zero, the leakage (electrolyte) is "driven" along the negative lead. It can travel for some distance making the wire impossible to solder and at the same time greatly reducing its ability to carry current and even worse, makes the wire somewhat brittle.

A switch left on in a plane or transmitter for several months can cause this creepage to go all the way to the switch itself, destroying the battery lead as well as the switch harness. There is no cure. The effected lead, connector, switch harness must be replaced. This leakage creep takes time so periodic inspection of the packs, making sure that there are no shorted cells insures against the problem.

The cells should also be inspected for any evidence of white powder (electrolyte mixed with carbon dioxide in the air to form potassium carbonate). In humid conditions this can revert back to mobile electrolyte free to creep along the negative lead. Some "salting" as this white powder is referred to, does not necessarily mean that the cell has leaked. There may have been some slight amount of residual electrolyte left on the cell during the manufacturing process. This can be removed with simple household vinegar and then washed with water after which it is dried by applying a little warmth from your heat gun.