Trying to find carbon Perfect 2.4 conversion thread

[ClayH]

I know there have been several threads on converting carbon fuse Perfects over to 2.4. Can anyone remember the names of the threads / I'm particularly interested in the material(antenna wire) that is used to do the small extensions that lay next to your 2.4 wiskers.

Any recent success stories in adapting 2.4 receivers( such as the AR7000) in a carbon Perfect would be appreciated.

Clay

[jcstalls]

Excellent, I just went to search for just this very thing.

Found this one:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=825409

Jared

FWI: I am molding the carbon fiber canopy to make a personal back up copy canopy in fiberglass. I should make an extra one too, ya think? ;)

[ClayH]

Definitely Jared, what a Pal!

CH

[jcstalls]

Hi,
Well, the single mold did not work well, unless in a vac bag. Don't want that just for one small part, so am making a pos1/2 for compression molding. Also, 3 layers of 3oz is not enough, so going to 6.

I am going to use the AR7000. Have drilled two holes, acually 4 buy pluged, at about 4:30 and 7:30 so the RX sits vertical. Didn't work, so same holes but with RX horizontal w/ plugs forward. This will work fine. 2 layers of heat shrink, one longer and a second smaller to protect ant. through fuse. Will have switch harness and logger. Amazing on such a large ship, just how little room there is. But I am spoiled as to working on me Tragi.

Canopy will be glass, but will range check w/o holes. Put them in if needed.

Pics another day.

Jared

[ClayH]

Bob Breaux tells me that you can run one antenna out the fuse at 4 o'clock and put a remote in the canopy and it works great. I'm waiting to hear back if the canopy has to be fiberglass or if it's carbon, if the remote antenna must stick out too.

I picked up Tom Watson's full carbon Ceres and am trying to decide weather to get a 2.4 fuselage or put wiskers in on it. Kind of hate to do the wiskers on such a slippery ship.

Clay

[jcstalls]

Interesting,

We know this gentleman and have seen this plane fly many moons past. Do not see the main RX, but the remote only has one of two wire sticking out and not full length.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=940823

As far as the drag of a couple/few/quad small wires sticking out compared to the whole airframe is about how many decimal places of a percentage?

Yet, I too cannot get use to the wholes and wires sticking out on me newtome PP.

I did a basic range test with all gear and the carbon canopy at 35' for one minute. Fades and frame galore, but the many holds was not OK. And, the AR7000 does not offer near instant reconnect. Mine seems to take a few seconds.

So just like a game; No holds allowed!

Jared

*Note: The one he is selling/sold and not the one in the first pic!

[djklein21]

Look for Mike Lachowskis comments on his 2.4 installations in his Ceres and Tools. Both are carbon models. He just put a glass hatch on his ceres and called it good. Ping him for more info.

[gliding Oz]

Clay,
Shoot me your email address and I will send you a lot of pic's of my perfect with the 2.4 install.
Cheers,
Thomas

[Ronald Mong]

2.4 installation suggestions on the Samba site also.


Ron Mong

[ClayH]

There was a thread that included an example of one guy putting a remote in the vertical fin above the midpoint where the fin turns from CF to glass only. That seems like a realy good place for excellent reception. I believe he took the receiver out of the case to slim it down and had to cut a hole in the balsa post inside the rudder to do the install. May look at that.

I'm thinking 921 receiver with one remote in canopy with wires sticking out and one remote in tail completely enclosed. Only two wires on the outside and I won't have to make a fiberglass canopy.

[jcstalls]

Hi,

Checked th Samba site and it seems to me a little vague on the third installation type for carbon fuses.

FWI: I was told by the JR crew at Visalia not to exceed 36" on the remote, as I had mentioned just what you saying about the putting another remote in the tail.

Yet, it has been done, and successful! So, :confused: , go for it and use a logger I suppose.

Jared

[jojoen]

What do you think is vague? There is so many ways to install it and I have tested most of it... I would like it to be as clear as possible yet open for many ways to do the installation.

AR7000 is not as good as the AR9000. I would strongly suggest using the 9 channel or the best you can get at the time. The model deserve it! Seems common sense to use a few more dollar on such an expensive model.

Attached the way I have flown most of the season with 3 carbon perfects with glassfiber canopy.
921 rx. one antenna out the bottom. One in the canopy area. Remote antenna in canopy area. Have had the left remote antenna out of the canopy also and that is better.
The real important thing is to have no holds...

Regards Jojo

http://www.workflow.as/jogrini/diary/1131/24ghz_fuse_all_carbon_perfect_2.jpg

[ClayH]

It seems the key is to come up with a fiberglass canopy. Maybe our dealers can start stocking them to ease these conversions. :D

Clay

[gliding Oz]

Clay,
Order one off Bob at Soaring USA, should not take to long to have one shipped. :D :D
Nice seeing you again today, look forward in catching up with you and Mark for a fly soon.
Cheers,
Thomas

[jcstalls]

Thanks JoJo,
Went with your rec and used the 921. Bigger and presented a nice challenge for switching batteries, but one extension of 32mm make this a little nicer.

Thought I would share some more pics.

I date: many fades, some frames lose and Zero Holds. :) Happy camper here as the extra week in the shop was well worth not paying nearly 4 bills that I do not have for a "Friendly" fuse.

Jared

[IBWALT]

Jared, I could not tell if you had a skeg on the nose of your Pike or not. But if you don't you might contact Ben Clerx. He makes a very nice molded skeg that would offer some additional protection for the antenna that you have coming out the bottom.

Walt

[jcstalls]

I have one I picked up at Visalia last year Walt, thank you.

Jared

[Keith Kindrick]

This is how I solved the problem with all Carbon. This has flown to 800 meters down wind with no issues.

[Jurgen]

...AR7000 is not as good as the AR9000. I would strongly suggest using the 9 channel ...I was not aware of that, seeing Spectrum Site it indeed mention a hardware difference:
AR9000: 2 internal RX + 1 external RX (or optional 1 more)
AR7000: 1 internal RX + 1 external RX
Being ready to jump into 2.4 this info is welcome.
Is the difference effectively noticeable in logger data?
Thx, Jurgen.

[jojoen]

I was not aware of that, seeing Spectrum Site it indeed mention a hardware difference:
AR9000: 2 internal RX + 1 external RX (or optional 1 more)
AR7000: 1 internal RX + 1 external RX
Being ready to jump into 2.4 this info is welcome.
Is the difference effectively noticeable in logger data?
Thx, Jurgen.
That is what they say (several I emailed with in the beginning of last year. all using loggers). I only did some small tests myself on the AR7000 and then went on to buying more AR9000 and R921 for the rest of my planes.

[mlachow]

That is what they say (several I emailed with in the beginning of last year. all using loggers). I only did some small tests myself on the AR7000 and then went on to buying more AR9000 and R921 for the rest of my planes.

The AR7000 shape and antenna positions just don't cooperate with a small sailplane fuselage very well. I wish it just had one antenna sticking out lengthwise away from the servo leads. Then it would be much nicer in a sailplane fuselage.

[jojoen]

The AR7000 shape and antenna positions just don't cooperate with a small sailplane fuselage very well. I wish it just had one antenna sticking out lengthwise away from the servo leads. Then it would be much nicer in a sailplane fuselage.
Hi Mike!

Partly agree on that for the F3B planes. I had to do some serious thinking on my skymax and freestyler to get it inside.. At the same time they are opposite of each other for a reason. On the AR7000 one is antenna and the other is virtual ground. On the AR9000 the virtual ground is in the middle so both are antennas sticking out.
If you open up a wlan whip you will find kind of the same.
Luckily the producers (atleast JR and Futaba) have reached so good quality stuff that no matter how we throw these things in they seem to work well as long as we get those small antennas kind of clear from the carbon and visible from the tx

[Jurgen]

Jojoen, thx for reply. Sort of stupid question, but the one antenna sticking out the bottom, isn't it damaged or even cut off due belly-landing?

AR9000 and R921 are 100% the same? Certainly looks like it, exept for price.

Regards, Jurgen.

[jojoen]

[QUOTE=Jurgen]Jojoen, thx for reply. Sort of stupid question, but the one antenna sticking out the bottom, isn't it damaged or even cut off due belly-landing?
..snipp
QUOTE]
Yes that can happen and was my first concern.
A couple of layers with heat shrinking tube fixed that ;)