Originally Posted by cbxer55

Where do I find these John Salt settings? One person gave me a link, but you have to pay for them. Is that the case, you gotta buy them? If so I'll stumble through it myself. The guy at the LHS seems to have his set up pretty nice.

John Salt's MSR/SR120 e-guide is $8.95 and well worth it. There's a whole lot more info in there than just settings. I found out what the settings actually mean/do, plus there are lots of other tips and tricks that apply specifically to these two helis.

I downloaded the .pdf (that's the only way you can get it) from www.rchelicopterfun.com

Good flying!

Jon

Originally Posted by Saxguy1000

Guess where I spent the afternoon? In the emergency room due to a lipo blowout.

I use a Thunder Power 610C charger which has served me well for a year. I was charging a Tenergy 3.7V 500mAh 15C battery with a Tarantula Eight-in-One RC Charging Cable. I had noticed that this battery had quit early on me on a flight yesterday and, in testing with a volt meter, I saw that it was not fully charged. I thought that maybe I had accidentally missed charging it with my other 6 batteries, so I put it back on to be charged. I knew there was something strange about how it was acting. It was charging too long and the the charger was not shutting off, so I shut it down before it finished.

Not thinking about it again, I prepared to charge another battery, but got up to open the window. While I was up, I heard a "whoosssssh," turned around to see the battery blowing smoke like an Estes rocket engine on take off. I immediately knew that I had to get it outside the house before it burnt the place down. I always charge batteries in a safe place, but I feared this thing could shoot around or explode or something. Well, I picked up charger in all to quickly take it outside, but in the process, I flipped the burning battery on the wires onto my hand.

You can see in the photo that I have 2nd degree burns on my right hand. Not too bad, really, but I now have a burned hand and a burnt floor where the battery broke off the charger.

Here's the analysis:

o I knew that this battery was acting strange and I should have marked it and gave it special consideration when I charged it.
o I did everything right for most part--I did not leave the charger while charging, I monitored its charging and stopped it when I saw that it was over charging.
o The charging wires were burnt up all the way back on the 8-in-1. That indicates that there was a short circuit either in the battery or in the wire harness. I actually am suspecting that it could have been the wire shorting out first just because it looks very melted. I think it contributed to the charger not sensing the correct level of charge as it should have, and over-charged the battery.
o I immediately pulled the plug on the charger which may have saved a larger problem with the suspect wiring.
o I should not have picked up the battery, but let it finish burning--since it was on a safe surface.

Thanks to my wife who happens to know where the emergency room is from another mishap earlier this week (not me!) and calmly drove me there.

Sax, I'm very happy you and your family is ok. This is very serious Guys. As a retarded Firefighter, I've read more and more about lipo fires. Everyone here put out their best advise thus far. Extinguishers, lipo bags, charging on ceramic tiles, sand pots/pails. I too charge my batts, while I walk out to my back yard and fly. What is the best line of defense that has not yet been mentioned? Something that will protect and alert you and your family? Simple. A working smoke detector I have one right over my work area.

A smoke detector! Protect your family Guys...Please. Smoke detectors do save lives

PS: Never, ever, leave your lipo (NO MATTER WHAT SIZE!!!!) charge over night or without supervision.

https://sites.google.com/site/tjingu...arging-how-tos

Mike.

@BlackAnthem , ..Don't get me going again with the HP6DSM dip switches

I'm still a newbe flying my CX2 and MCX2. Looking forward to picking up a 120 in the fairly near future. Getting along with it on the sim hope I do as well with the real thing.

I charge my batteries in a Pyrex container and have been since I started with lipos.
As for smoke detectors, which I have, when I'm outside at least I know when my wife is cooking.

Originally Posted by Chap1012

As a retarded Firefighter, ..........

Umm OK.

I've changed my methods of charging since reading this too- frightening!

Originally Posted by north9degrees

I charge my batteries in a Pyrex container and have been since I started with lipos.
As for smoke detectors, which I have, when I'm outside at least I know when my wife is cooking.

Same here....and the smell is not much different Oh Honey, lipos again...how sweet

Mike.

@Mikey1 Yes, a "retarded Firefighter." Did you really think we were sane? People running out of a building on fire and we're running in

Mike.

Man. You should see what this burn looks like today... On 2nd thought, you don't want to see it. All I can say is that this will only change my charging methods--not stop me from flying!

Originally Posted by A Rdnek

I bought an old crock pot from a Good Will store for a buck.
I charge my batteries in it, just set the lid on it over the charge wires.
I don't know if this is good or not, never had a battery go up on me.
Ron

Originally Posted by 1Pilgrim

So the battery is contained - what about the charger?

Charger outside, with leads going into pot. If I ever had to, I can just unplug the leads from the charger, grab the pot by the handles and run outside.
In these pictures I am charging 2 mSR, 1 SR120, and 1 mCPX batteries.
Ron

Anyone put a cam on this bird? I tried my little md80 taped to rx. It worked, a little sluggish but fun, battery only lasts about 3min.

i had posted a write up in the electric boat section on everything you need to know about lipos maby this will help . they made it a sticky there if you want i can make one here and maby it could get sticky status .

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1066588

Originally Posted by A Rdnek

Charger outside, with leads going into pot. If I ever had to, I can just unplug the leads from the charger, grab the pot by the handles and run outside.
In these pictures I am charging 2 mSR, 1 SR120, and 1 mCPX batteries.
Ron

How about a 10 gallon fish tank with some sand in it? I'd have to make an air tight fireproof cover but it'd hold batteries, charger and all.

Guys, all you'd have to do is set something up to remove one part of the fire triangle. Heat ,fuel and oxygen. You need all three components to start a fire:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_triangle

I charge my batts on a ceramic 6"X6" tile. In this case, I've removed the "fuel." Take the same scenario charging your batt on a wooden platform of any type. You now introduced "Fuel" BUT "Heat" is removed via ceramic tile. These lipo charging bags you see for sale!?!? Those are nice for removing "Fuel" and "Oxygen" but, lets not forget "Heat" if it gets to that point. You need "sufficient" heat to start a fire.

I sometimes wish I had the room to set up a charging station like Ron (A Rednek) and his crock pot. He eliminated Oxygen and fuel. The heat maybe there but nill/ non existent....it needs oxygen and fuel to get going. Most excellent Ron

Fire Fighting 101

Mike.

Originally Posted by 1Pilgrim

Problem: how do I attach red/green running lights and white landing lights to the canopy while mounting red and white strobes to the frame and tail boom? They're all on the same controller - I won't be able to separate the canopy from the heli.

My lateral-thinking son suggested I forget about attaching lights to the canopy.

I've already installed Dylwad's whiz bang custom battery mount; the upper surface could serve as a platform for the controller and landing lights (I'm only using the landing lights to illuminate the interior).

Then I could fabricate a pair of lightweight booms and attach them to the battery mount in order to extend the running lights forward through holes in the canopy nacelles.

How does this sound?

Look at post 7628 in this thread.

My nav lights are mounted on a plastic rod that extends acroos the main frame between the motor and main shaft. Lights on sections of the heli that are removable have simple connectors made from pieces of dip headers and ribbon cable connectors. The lights on the canopy and the lights on the tail have connectors. One header and one connector will make several sets. If you look at the upper right of the first picture in that post you can see one of these connectors. You can also see the post attached to the 5n1 cover that holds the upper strobe light.

Sticking out of the 5n1 cover you can also see the fiber optic piece that I put over the light status light for the main board. This allows the light to be seen from a much wider angle than the original configuration.

I did have to cut the wires from the light controller board to the LEDs. The wire for the LEDs is just enamel covered motor winding wire and is colored so keeping the polarity straight is easy. When you go to connect the wires again just scrape off the enamel with an Xacto blade. A dab of thick CA insulates the joint. Where additional wiring was needed I used 30 Ga wire wrap wire. The light controller board is attached above the battery holder with servo tape.

Originally Posted by og1974

Anyone put a cam on this bird? I tried my little md80 taped to rx. It worked, a little sluggish but fun, battery only lasts about 3min.

I put a 808 keychain camera on mine. I built a CF frame between the landing struts and attach the camera with rubber bands. The camera faces forward pointing downward a bit. When flying you don't see any part of the helicopter in the video.

Between the weight of the camera and the weight of the larger battery (1300mah) I use, the heli response is more sluggish. But the extra weight makes the heli more stable when shooting video (and better in a breeze). With the camera attached I can fly for 8-9 minutes.