Official RotorScale 470 Size Bell 206 Super Scale GPS Stabilized Helicopter Thread

[Cal Fire 205]

K
Got the helicopter out the other day and flipped the Cut/Run switch right after turning on radio.
Helicopter went through all sequences and spooled up when switch to Run. Good
My bad with sequence?
Made a call to Motion RC and was told the "470 guy" would call me back. (Last Friday afternoon)
No call yet, the email responses are a bot and their feedback pages do not allow comments.
Not Good!
Not real impressed with Motion RC customer service.
Probably not buying anything else from this company.

[Cal Fire 205]

Just had a "pleasant exchange " with Motion RC tech help.
Got some questions answered and good information.
Good to have someone to talk to with questions and issues.

[Cal Fire 205]

Took the helicopter out for its 3rd time out of the box this morning. Did 3 flghts. All 3 flights it flew as controlled (GPS Mode) from takeoff and then went into the RTF Mode on its own.
Manual says low voltage (fully charged battery?) or loss of GPS signal will activate RTF.
Kind of frustrating.
Any ideas?
Will call Motion RC tomorrow and see if this elusive "470 guy" is available.

[xviper]

1. You may have started with a fully charged battery, but if you use a poor quality batteries or abused batteries, you can easily get a voltage sage during the flight, which could initialize RTH due to low voltage.
2. It's possible to lose a couple of satellites during a flight depending on the surrounding atmospheric conditions. However, it it loses enough satellites, it won't be able to RTH because it won't know where it is.

[Cal Fire 205]

To Point #1:
I am using the battery that was delivered with the new heli (3rd flight) charged it full before this flight. It might have a fault.The charger displayed 15.1 before flying.
Point #2:
True. If it is using RTH it has satellite connection(s)
Summary:
I sure hope I do not need to purchase a new battery. Not Good.
I'll see what Motion has to say tomorrow.
Thanks for your reply.

[xviper]

15.1V is NOT a fully charged LiPo battery. It should read 16.8V. Are you using that little charger that comes with the kit? Try charging it with a "proper" charger before calling it a "dud" - one that you hook up the battery's power lead AND the balance lead. Those little chargers come with almost every RTF heli. I toss them in the garbage.

PS. 15.1V for a 4s LiPo is "storage" charge. That battery was NEVER even charged. The charger was either bad or you didn't hook it up correctly.
PPS. If you started flying that heli with the battery on storage charge, it would have sagged almost immediately and you may have damaged it to the point of no salvation. If it was below 3.5V/cell when it landed, that battery may be "gonzo" and may never work adequately again.

[Cal Fire 205]

K
On a learning curve here with these lipo battery's.
I had some years ago when flying older flybar/collective pitch helicopters but don't remember them being this technical.
All I have right now is the "box charger" that came with the helicopter.
Send me which is the proper charger and I will order one.
Questions:
I am currently charging with the box charger and the battery is appears to be receiving a charge.
Numbers on cells is increasing and the overall charger is coming up.
Does this mean the battery is OK or not?
And, if I ran the battery into the mode you mentioned would that damage the helicopter?
I'm hoping if I ran a low battery that the helicopter just went into the low battery RTH Mode and I can cure this with a quality charger.

[xviper]

You're not giving much detail on the charging of your battery. You say it "appears to be receiving a charge". How do you know? You're not telling me what it says and what it's doing.
"Numbers on cells increasing and overall charger is coming up". What does this even mean? What numbers? You have to say what the numbers are and what else is going on. Without further details, nobody can say if the battery is OK. What was the voltage reading after it came home and landed? Did you check? That's would tell you a lot. Maybe you toasted the battery if it ran too low.
If you run the battery too low, it won't damage the helicopter except when it crashes due to insufficient power to fly it. If the heli is too far when it goes into "low bat" mode, it won't actually get home before it drops out of the sky.
You can't cure any of this with a quality charger if you don't know how to use it and understand what it's telling you at the beginning, during and at the conclusion of charging.
There are many "proper" chargers. It depends how much you want to pay and whether or not you are going to continue to grow in the hobby. If all you're doing is fly this helicopter, then not go any further, there's no point in spending money for a good charger. Just learn how to use the one that it came with. It's probably fine. You just haven't figured out how to use it and understand what it's trying to tell you.

Your statement: "I am using the battery that was delivered with the new heli (3rd flight) charged it full before this flight. It might have a fault.The charger displayed 15.1 before flying."
This tells me you need to learn the basics about LiPo batteries. You thought it was fully charged at 15.1V. You now know this is not true. To fully charge a 5200mah, 4s LiPo on that little stock charger from storage voltage can take over an hour, maybe more. Taking off with a battery on storage charge is just asking for trouble.

Here is a huge list of chargers if you think you might go beyond just this model and grow in the hobby.

https://www.motionrc.com/collections/battery-chargers

[Cal Fire 205]

xviper,

I can see your passion for this hobby and understand your frustration. I am lucky to have someone like you, your help and knowledge are greatly appreciated.
Some of the numbers you requested:
Upon initial charge after flying the total voltage read 14.8
Readings from the charger (I assume each cell)
6-1 3.71
6-2 3.62
6-3 3.72
6-4 3.76

I have been charging the battery when I am able to attend it, some last night and some today.

The last readings I got were: 15.4 total
6-1 3.85
6-2 3.81
6-3 3.85
6-4 3.89

The charger seems to cycle through all cells, turn off and reset and continue charging.
I think I had 15.1 in my head from my smaller helicopter experience.
At this time I am satisfied with just this heli but have no problem getting the correct equipment to ensure safe and effective flights. I will look over the options you sent for upgraded charger units and if needed purchase a new battery also. Just want to make sure I get the correct plug type and voltage capabilities.
Thanks for your help.

[xviper]

Upon initial charge after flying the total voltage read 14.8
Readings from the charger (I assume each cell)
6-1 3.71
6-2 3.62
6-3 3.72
6-4 3.76

I have been charging the battery when I am able to attend it, some last night and some today.

The last readings I got were: 15.4 total
6-1 3.85
6-2 3.81
6-3 3.85
6-4 3.89

Your first numbers (after flying) is actually quite low (below storage) and that's why your heli is going into RTH mode. The battery is getting to unacceptable levels, almost to dangerous levels. Luckily for you, your heli is smart enough to come home when the battery falls below it's predetermined low level so as to not damage the battery. You are basically flying your heli on a very low battery - not a good thing.

Your 2nd set of numbers shows that your battery is barely above storage charge and is unacceptable for use in an RC model. Something is definitely WRONG! The battery is NOT getting charged to full at all. Each cell should read 4.2 (total of 16.8V) when fully charged and ready to use in the model.
It is possible that the stock charger is not working correctly. Make sure that the charger is connected properly and the battery is plugged into the correct port (ie, the one for 4s) and ensure the power cord from your wall plug to the charger is good and working.
How long are you letting it sit on the charger? From storage (about 50%), it should take upwards of an hour or much more. I suggest you find someone near you who has a proper charger and get your battery checked and fully charged. Contact one of the RC clubs near you. I'm sure one of their club members would be more than willing to help you out.

Finally, you don't need to talk to the "470" guy at Motion. This is not a helicopter problem. It's a battery or battery charging problem.

[Cal Fire 205]

Update: 1900 (my time)
Overall charge:15.8
The charger is getting pretty hot? Not sure if that's normal. I have it on a metal surface to prevent any ignition of any combustibles in contact.

[Cal Fire 205]

Copy that it's a battery problem.
I am going to let the battery charge for about 3 hours tonight and see what it reads. It is slowly charging up.
The manual says up to 5 hours may be needed to recharge. Im sure they are referring to using the charger that came in the box.

[xviper]

Just as an experiment, I put a 3s, 2200mah on the stock charger that came with my heli. From about 50% charge, it got up to full charge (4.2V/cell) in about 1.5 hrs. That's pitiful, but at least, it did it. It got only warm. In your case, you are dealing with a 4s, 5000mah LiPo, so the little charger has to work harder, so it will get hot BUT never so hot to hold it.
I can understand that it could take several hrs to fully charge that battery. 3 hrs may not be enough. I can charge a 4s, 5000mah LiPo on my 1000watt charger in about 30 minutes. It is likely that there is nothing wrong with your battery or charger. You simply aren't letting it charge long enough. This is the reason I don't use those little supplied stock chargers.
If you are not going to advance in this hobby and not planning on getting more batteries, consider something like the following:

https://www.motionrc.com/products/skyrc-b6ac-v2-50w-6-cell-6s-ac-dc-lipo-battery-charger-sk-100008-01

It's not too expensive and it will be much more efficient and faster at charging your battery. If you are going to get more models and more batteries, look for a more expensive, higher wattage charger that you can grow into.
You are wise to never have a battery charging unattended. I personally know of 2 houses catching fire as a result of malfunctioning battery chargers.

[Cal Fire 205]

Yes sir!
I will order the upgraded charger tomorrow.Some of the other RTF helicopters at Motion RC have caught my attention, but for now one thing at a time.
And yes, the lipo battery's in newer golf carts have burned down a few houses in my area.
So glad I got out of the fire service before an aggressive introduction of EVs onto the highways. A whole different animal.
Thanks again!

[xviper]

In the meantime, just keep the battery plugged in for as long as you're around to watch it till it reaches 4.2v/cell. I charge my batteries while I'm watching TV or on the computer (TV is the computer monitor). But don't charge it full and leave it for several days. Use it within a day or 2. It should be at storage voltage if you don't use it right away.

[Cal Fire 205]

Just ordered the charger you reccomended.
Should be here Friday.
I have 2 other RC models a, Blade 200 SRX and a Horizon AeroScout plane.
According to the support tech at Motion, this charger should be able to charge all different types of batteries. Might even check my golf cart batteries with (12V lead) it.
The current charger on my 470 battery is 16.7. I will let it fully charge.
Thanks again!

[xviper]

According to the support tech at Motion, this charger should be able to charge all different types of batteries. Might even check my golf cart batteries with (12V lead) it.
The current charger on my 470 battery is 16.7. I will let it fully charge.

You may be able to check your golf cart battery but it's different chemistry, so don't try to charge it with the new charger. It's actually easier to check golf cart voltage with a multimeter.

You're almost there with 16.7V. However if it doesn't make it to 16.8V in another 1/2 hr or so, that may be as good as it gets and you can consider that "fully charged". Your new charger should be able to do that same battery in about an hour or so. Set it for "1C" (not to be confused with the "C" rating on the battery). "1C" in charging terms means you set the charger to charge at the same amps as the capacity of the battery - in this case, 5A. "2C" would mean 10A, BUT it is not a good thing to charge a LiPo at more than "1C". (eg. A 2200mah LiPo should be charged at 2.2A.) All new LiPo will be healthier and last longer if you 3 cycles of charge and discharge before its first use. Your new charger may be able to these 3 cycles automatically if it has a setting for it.

[Cal Fire 205]

The battery is now 16.8. The charging indicator shows "Full", so I think I was able to salvage this battery for another day.
Thanks for the info on the new charger. The product description did specify that it will be able to cycle the batteries charge.

[Cal Fire 205]

Took the helicopter out for a flight this morning before rain came in.
Checked the battery for full charge before leaving. Flight and performance of helicopter was flawless and even got to do my first water drop. I flew for about 11 minutes then shut down.
Got home and did some bolt checks and lubricated main and tail shafts with a light weight modle railroad oil.
Connected for the first time to the new SkyRC charger. After a thorough review of the user manual and a very informative YT video, I was able to get the battery correctly charging. This charger is very nice, thanks for the reccomendation.

[xviper]

You're welcome! With this new charger, I think your owner experience with this model will be very much improved and enjoyable.
Just for kicks, I've been experimenting with the stock charger on a couple of my LiPos. Indeed, it is a very low end charger and does a barely adequate job. On the other hand, it's better than nothing and doesn't cost the manufacturer more than a few bucks to throw one in.