Matt Botos R/C Helicopter Site

OS55HZ with Velocity Stack

Matt Botos — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:01:50 +0000

This is the new OS55HZ Limited Edition with Velocity Stack. I’ve been running this motor for a couple months now and I am very impressed with the improvement in performance. The transition from mid-range to high needle and back during 3D flight is virtually seamless. The recovery time after loading the motor has also been minimized likely due to the new velocity stack. Grab one of these for yourself here!

Hobbico® 2012 eFest™ Event Coverage Video

Matt Botos — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:50:08 +0000

E-Fest 2012 was a blast! See you there in 2013!

Wagga Wagga Heli Heatwave – Feb 24th – 26th

Matt Botos — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:09:05 +0000

Really looking forward to visiting Australia next month!

Priceless Tools – November

Matt Botos — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:33:13 +0000

Have you ever started soldering an R/C electrical component and found yourself wishing you had a second set of hands? For me, this happens all of the time. Either the wire is too hot to hold or you can’t seem to hold the component steady. There is a solution and better yet, its a cheap solution! This months tool of the month is the Helping Hands with Magnifier. Grab one of these at Radio Shack for $16.99.

Assistance when you need it.

When your soldering project needs an extra set of hands, RadioShack has the solution. The Helping Hands with Magnifier help you get the job done. The “hands” can hold items as small as jewelry and as large as a circuit board. In addition, it’s equipped with a cleaning sponge and soldering iron holder.

Steel construction with an iron base & ball and socket armatures; durable and resistant to tipping
Keeps your iron or similar tool within reach and safely out of the work area
Can hold objects as small as jewelry or as large as circuit boards

Synergy E7 Tourque Tube Testing Video

Matt Botos — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:36:34 +0000

Priceless Tools – October

Matt Botos — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:43:46 +0000

With Electric helicopters becoming more and more popular, soldering irons and soldering stations should be on everyone’s Christmas list this year. Don’t just go out and buy any old soldering iron, you need to take into consideration the correct soldering iron or station for the application.

Most of the wires we are soldering with big electric helicopters are 10 or 12 gauge. The bullet connectors can be as large as 6.5mm. With that in mind, you will need a soldering iron with enough power to heat those thick wires and large connectors. If you don’t have enough heat you will likely create a weak or “cold” solder joint. This can hurt the performance of your helicopter or potentially cause a failure if the cold solder joint decides to break. Most of the inexpensive irons are rated in watts while the higher end soldering stations are a little more accurate and give not only watts but a temperature range the tip can be operated within.

If you are just a weekend warrior that is just going to solder a few wires here and there and never try any new motor or ESC combos, I would recommend getting an inexpensive Weller 40 watt iron. These are available from pretty much any Lowes, Home Depot, or Ace Hardware for around $20 bucks. Get a few extra tips because you will eventually need them.

Now if you are a little more serious about the hobby and want something that heats up almost instantly, is rated for 80 watts, and reaches temps of around 850 degrees F…… You need a soldering station! Weller also makes an excellent soldering station which is the Weller WD1002. Just like any other high end product, they can be hard to come by in your general hardware store as they probably would not sell many of them. This is more of a specialty item that you would need to purchase online. The Weller WD1002 goes for around $300 bucks.

Which ever way you decide to go, be careful not to burn down your house!

Matt

Priceless Tools – September

Matt Botos — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:59:29 +0000

One of the most important things to remember while assembling or maintaining an R/C Helicopter is thread locking adhesive. Preventing threaded metal fasteners from loosening due to shock and vibration is critical on R/C Helicopters. Not all thread lockers are created equally and if used for the wrong purpose can cause catastrophic failures. I tend to stick with name brand adhesives such as Loctite which provide detailed information regarding strength, curing time, as well as compatibility with other chemicals such as oil. Low and medium strength can be removed with a hand tool. High strength may require heat and a hand tool. These adhesives can usually reach full strength in 24 hours with the absence of air. It is very important to clean threaded surfaces prior to assembling to remove any oil residue left over from the machining process. Cleaning can be done with a number of solvents such as acetone, Loctite Primer, or 90% rubbing alcohol. Note: Primers are recommended when working with aluminum, black-oxide finishes, cadmium, stainlesssteel, titanium, and zinc. See Loctite® 7649™ Primer N™. The other “lazy” option is using a Loctite that is resistant to oil, specifically Loctite Blue 243 and Loctite Red 262. These can be purchased at McMaster Carr –> http://www.mcmaster.com/#loctite/=dy6b15

Official Rail Blades Release at IRCHA 2011!!!

Matt Botos — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:44:14 +0000

Priceless Tools – July

Matt Botos — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:03:20 +0000

This month I would like to highlight one of my favorite tools the “Dubro Tru-Spin Balancer”.

What many modelers do not know is that none of your spinning assemblies on an RC Helicopter are balanced! Yes, you can generally get away with not balancing these assemblies but lets be real…. Vibration consumes power! The smoother your machine runs the longer it will last and the better it will perform! I use this tool to balance the following assemblies -

Auto Hub / Clutch Assembly – 16,000 – 18,000 rpm
Main Gear / Auto Hub Assembly – 1800 – 2150 rpm
Complete Tail Rotor Assembly – 9,000 – 10,000 rpm

If you are serious about R/C Helicopters, take it to the next level of modeling by balancing these assemblies!

The Dubro Tru-Spin can be purchased from just about any hobby shop for around $30.00

Synergy N5c Tips & Tricks

Matt Botos — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:11:18 +0000

I will be posting all of the Tips & Tricks for the N5c on the Synergy website. The first post is up, check it out here –> http://synergyrchelicopters.com/models/tips-tricks/n5c-tips-tricks/

Wolfie Learns Rolling Circles Video

Matt Botos — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:23:36 +0000

We’ve started training Wolfie, I think he has some potential! Check out the video….

Rail Blades

Matt Botos — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 04:31:51 +0000

I will be releasing my new rotor blade line “Rail Blades” very soon. My first release will be the 606mm flybarless rotor blade. I’ve been testing these blades on both electric and nitro 600 class helicopters with amazing results. I’ve put a lot of time and energy into developing Rail Blades so that everyone in the hobby can enjoy a better flying rotor blade. Shortly after the 606mm flybarless blades are released I will introduce the flybar version of the 606. Also in progress is a 696mm main rotor blade as well as 96mm and 106mm tail blades. I will keep everyone posted as to where these blades can be purchased and what sizes I will offer in the future.

Thanks!

Matt Botos

CGY750 Update Available

Matt Botos — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 05:04:46 +0000

This is the update all of you CGY750 owners have been waiting for! Click the image below to see the download page.

I will be in Detroit this weekend with my laptop ready to update anyone that doesn’t have a CIU-2 Interface of their own. Enjoy Futaba’s revolutionary rotational equalization!

Matt

Wolfie Attacks Smackdown of the South Event!

Matt Botos — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:48:07 +0000

Another encounter with the ever elusive Wolfie! I think this werewolf has an agenda. I let him fly my prototype Synergy N5c again and things didn’t turn out so well. I will do my best to tame this beast!

Futaba CGY750 Rotational Equalization aka Piro Comp Testing Video

Matt Botos — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:20:43 +0000

I’ve been testing Futaba’s version of Piro Compensation and I am simply amazed at the speed at which they produced this incredible new firmware update. With everything going on in Japan, Futaba still finds the time to produce an amazing update to the CGY750! I’ve been flying FBL Helicopters since 2006 and in my opinion Futaba’s version is unmatched by any other flight control system on the market. This puts the cherry on top for me as far as the CGY750 is concerned. I personally send my thanks from over seas as I am sure everyone else who owns a CGY750 will do the same. Here is a short video which shows some of the new menus as well as flight testing. I hope you enjoy!

Matt