These polybands help folding the prop closed when the motor is off. Many times the prop will hang while flying. Also when storing and transporting your sailplane the props get snagged on things.

Folding Prop holding them closed with polybands from Goody (2 min 55 sec)

fas7a1 (12 min 34 sec)

Some really nice weather these past few weeks to get some maidens in at our club.

This photo was probably taken around 1978-1980. Back in the day that banner was towed by someone named Fay Peoples. I'm probably spelling his first name wrong. He was from PA and was always known for machine tooling his own helicopters. He made some incredible machines back then. Horace Hagen is in this photo who passed this past year. Tom Unger is also here and along with a lot of guys who I can't remember their names any longer.

The photo was taken at Thompson Park in Lincroft, NJ.

From left to right
Top Row: Ed Theilman, Harry L, Bob, Tom Unger, Gary Sherer, Horace Hagen, Gary Quiring, George
Bottom: Fay, Bill, ?, Lenny, ?, Gil

GliderCG Scale (11 min 40 sec)

Using OpenTX this will show how to setup a voice announcement for throttle position (9 min 17 sec)

This is change of pace for me. I normally fly sailplanes. Last fall I decided to order this Hawk from FMS. This is the 80mm version with metal retracts.

I got the sad news earlier today that Horace passed away. I met Horace in the mid 70's when I was struggling to get a DuBro Tristar helicopter to fly. Back then there was no internet or much information on RC helicopters. Horace was the guru who knew how they worked. He was an amazing teacher to me. I learned a lot. Hopefully the AMA magazine will do an article about him, he did a lot for them.

I have a photo of the last time I met with Horace before I moved out of NJ. This photo was taken July 2012.

2nd day with my new Pulsar sailplane. This is the by far the most impressive sailplane I have ever built. It should be too because it ain't cheap! It's fitted with KST servos, GliderDrive and YEP ESC. I use a Horus X10 and G-RX8 FRsky receiver which has integrated vario/alt. I used a 4s 2200 Lipo with a 12x8 prop.

Getting old is hard, I got a new cooler with wheels. I dusted off my vinyl cutter and made some new stickers.

I have been flying RC since the mid 70's. We all know its inevitable that eventually we will lose a flying site. I have been through this a number of times now. With the hobby being a lot less popular these days losing a field is really hard. There are not that many left.

I moved to SC about 10 years ago for a number of reasons. I had assumed flying fields down here would be easier to keep. That assumption was wrong. Many of the fields in NJ were county run and a tad harder to lose. Down here the farmers are selling properties like hotcakes for new home construction. I have lost 2 local fields since I moved here. This one was especially difficult because the field was HUGE and open space. We had electricity, a run down manufactured home that had 2 bathrooms, kitchen with a working fridge and microwave! Talk about a good field, this was it. The owner sold the land and poof it's gone. The new owner wants nothing to do with RC.

I submitted my group photo to RC Soaring Digest and they used it in a recent article and also mentioned the club I am part of. It's a nice read.

https://medium.com/rc-soaring-digest...r-7d2751db328d

Really nice weekend for flying and I finally got a group shot of our sailplane members.

Left is a YellowJacket 3.5, Center is a Pulsar 3.2 and right is a K3600

I needed a case for my RadioMaster TX16S, this case is ideal for any standard size TX.

Husky transmitter case for RadioMaster TX16S, great deal for $20 bucks (14 min 11 sec)

I replaced my Horus X10S battery today without removing any cables. It's not easy as it seems but with this video you should be able to avoid the mistakes I made.

FRSky Horus X10S radio RTC watch battery replacement howto (26 min 47 sec)

I made a quick video explaining how to use the 9th channel on the Graupner S1019 receiver as a telemetry port. Most of us don't use 9 channels and might want to monitor your Lipo battery while flying using a Graupner voltage sensor.

Graupner Hott Receiver S1019 telemetry setup with voltage sensor 33631 (8 min 4 sec)

I recently bought a RadioMaster TX16s and upgraded this old foamie to use a FRSky receiver. I had towed the flag many years ago. This was an old EPP plane that Hobby Lobby imported. It's a 40" wing span and uses a 480 Eflite motor.

I finally got around to finishing up this video that I started about 6 months ago. Long story but I don't like FRSky's options for monitoring your onboard voltage using a balance port sensor. I prefer an 'inline' connection that is permanently wired to your ESC. There's nothing to forget or plug in wrong when you go to fly your airplane/sailplane. A few years ago someone made an after market sensor but it was discontinued.

This project will explain how to make that discontinued sensor using an Arduino micro-processor board. You can make these sensors for about $10 each after the upfront cost of buying a programmer and some wires which will run you a one time cost of about $20.

I had to make this video to help simplify the entire process of programming and soldering up that board. When I was reading some threads on RCG I found out there was no good howto. Many of us (including myself) have never used / programmed an Arduino board and probably most have no interest in it.

This video will explain downloading the software, programming the card and how to configure OpenTX to use a voltage sensor.

A big thank you to Mike Blanford for writing that code and making it available for us to use.

All the parts you need are in Youtube description area.

How to make a Smart Port Voltage sensor for your FRSky receivers (29 min 0 sec)

iSDT discharge your Lithium batteries easily with the FD-100 (8 min 37 sec)

My flying buddy Gene who is 84 years old was given this kit. He built a Top Model Prelude for a fellow club member, that club member asked me what should he get for Gene's effort and I recommended the Sapphire.

Well it was not great, Gene called me on a regular basis to complain about the kit. Gene was complaining about the documentation, the plans and the fact that all the wooden laser cut pieces fell out of the wood and the part numbers are on the parts you discard making it a huge jigsaw puzzle.

We were able to find some photos online at different discussion groups and eventually Gene contacted Peter and had some missing parts mailed to him.

The maiden it flew, but barely. The recommended EDF is so under-powered it could not get much higher than 75'. We used the 4s setup. I have a feeling the slope is the best place for this type of sailplane. We don't have slopes in SC and do not have anyone with a plane to act as a tow.

Gene opened up some of the areas to help get more air on the EDF, we will try again soon to see if that helps.