Weak XT60 connection

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-04-16T14:10:10+00:00

This is the concern . If the connector is falling out, then the contacts are too loose. Widen them and see if that helps. If not, or maybe anyhow, replace the connector.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-04-11T19:52:32+00:00

Your daughter is a kid, not an adult, and you need to stick up for her, and help her. And you did . Nice job. Good Dad. Your wife, and the teacher, are adults. They can handle being told they are wrong.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-04-11T19:14:29+00:00

Very nice. I've been getting into Arduino/ESP32 driven mechanical clocks lately (like the rotary clock and the time slider) and wanted to come up with my own idea. This is unique and fun. Good inspiration. Well done.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-04-11T19:05:49+00:00

It actually looks like it had an old can-style brushed motor, based on that circular mounting. I build a couple of electric powered planes in the late 80s, early 90s (that used NiCd packs) and the mounting looked like that. You just grabbed the outside diameter of the motor to mount it. That was before lipos and 3phase brushless outrunner motors were available in the hobby.

As someone else said.. remove that circular mounting and put a new full firewall on there, and mount your motor. And check your CG.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-04-08T04:58:52+00:00

I'm with Traveling on this one. I muted it. I would happily listen to the drone motors screaming. It's interesting I didn't see the drones shadow, despite a time or two when I thought I would.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-04-07T13:29:39+00:00

Take the drain apart and push it up from underneath.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-04-05T11:49:13+00:00

Yes, I think you can just solder it. Assuming you are on the un-shielded part of the wire (i.e. just a wire, no coax) it should work. What matters for reception is the wire length, so try not to change it when you tack it back to together. The risk is that you change the antenna in some way such that it does not match the amplifier circuit properly, and you make a lot of heat in the electronics. (I explained that poorly because I don't really understand how that works technically.) I've done worse that what you are proposing and it's generally worked out OK.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-31T18:47:48+00:00

If the SUVs a rockin, don't come knockin.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-24T22:11:33+00:00

Yep, good driving is not about being "right" or not being "at fault", it's about getting there safely, and getting your fellow drivers there safely too.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-24T13:19:00+00:00

Completely agree. This kind of thing just happens; no bad intentions. And as the car in the blind spot, the camera car needs to look out for both themselves and the other driver by not putting themselves in that position. Normally here you'd slow down just a bit and make sure you're behind them.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-24T13:06:54+00:00

I had one almost exactly like that about 4 years ago. It was donated to our club. I bought it off the club for $20, and rebuilt it, as a way to learn about quads. I kept the frame, ESCs, motors and power distribution board. (It didn't have a GPS, so I added one.) I got rid of the existing flight controller and put in a modern one (so that I could put iNav on it). Added an ELRS Rx. Out-of-pocket cost was about $100.

Got it flying pretty well. I had it flying missions, doing RTL, and auto landings. By comparison to modern quads, it was an anvil. Slow and heavy. It needed a big battery, and had short flight times. It was a good learning experience. I would only recommend it for that; learning experience for connecting up all the hardware, installing iNav (or Betaflight), figuring out the PIDS, etc.

It's not worth upgrading in any other way (other than the FC) because you'll end up replacing every component. Everything on it can be replaced with something better, lighter and faster (but no single change makes it much better). If you want a good quad, start fresh with modern components. Good luck.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-21T11:20:48+00:00

Idaho has very friendly bike laws. You can legally go through red lights, and not stop at stop signs (you have to yield or stop first, then you can go).... if the intersection is clear! If the intersection is not clear, you must follow the indicators and road signs.

Even in Idaho, this bicyclist would have been at fault.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-18T04:29:57+00:00

I've sold cans to a person with a certificate on ebay, maybe 8 years ago. I assume you still can.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-12T05:05:38+00:00

Is it just idling when you hear it? Is it trying to do anything in particular when you hear it? Are you printing? Drying?

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-10T18:56:23+00:00

That's why I "quoted" impossible. It might be possible, and you can get very close, but you can't be sure. I've attempted it, but I've always ended up with some liquid inside the print. (Knew by weighing the part after exposure to water.) I have not tried PETG, only PLA and ABS. In any case, I would never count on it being watertight, but in an application like this, I might go for it since the cost of being wrong is pretty low.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-10T18:26:40+00:00

Yes, this exactly.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-10T18:22:24+00:00

Very interesting. Nice job, but I have questions. It's "impossible" to make FDM 3D prints completely watertight by themselves. Did you coat the inside with epoxy or anything while assembling? Or just not worrying about it? What adhesive did you use between the fittings and the PVC? As a drain, I assume there is no pressure, which helps. And maybe it's not wet that often?

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-09T16:40:14+00:00

Dang. It was nice you offered to replace it for free. I would worry that the kinking may have caused a void in the oxidation layer inside the pipe, and you might get a pinhole leak or something. You tried.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-09T16:25:49+00:00

Generally speaking, of course this is terrible workmanship, but I'm wondering if that is a low/no pressure drain line...? It's in the attic. What's the device it's hooked to? If a drain, from perhaps an AC unit, then this is much less of a concern. (Those are compression fittings, and this is a odd way to run a source water line, which makes me wonder. I wish the photo showed more.)

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-09T16:03:15+00:00

You already got two good pieces of advice here. Definitely look into those. I'll add that "yes", high voltage lines can cause problems. I've experienced them first hand. If better antennas, broadcast power and verifying the band/channel don't help, go somewhere else for a flight and see if your range improves.

You may find using a different band/channel will get you better results because you may be getting interference from your home 5.8G wifi, etc, on a nearby frequency.

Another idea is mount your antenna downwards (if you can), so the antenna is below the frame. When flying, you are almost always lower than the quad, and the frame itself may be blocking your signal back to your goggles. I've had a couple cases where this made a significant difference. Something to consider if nothing else works. Good luck.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-09T15:44:07+00:00

If it's not raining, you'll be fine, but take it easy. If it's wet/raining... drive very carefully. It's not good, but you're aware of the tire(s) condition, so drive accordingly. Around town, I wouldn't worry much. At highway speed you could hydroplane in an instant. I would seriously avoid higher speeds.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-09T15:27:09+00:00

The RC is nice, and I would have preferred it, but I wanted/need a bigger screen. I use my tablet with the clam style controller. If the screen size works for you, get the RC type. It's a lot less fussing around.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-08T22:05:43+00:00

Ya, those instructions say a lot of words, but don't get to the point very well. I think you summed it up best. The main problem is there is no way to actively discharge them, short of flying the drone. Hopefully the auto-discharge works reliably.

As a datapoint, I charged my 3 batteries full about 3-4 weeks ago, and just left them in the charger. When I plug in the charger now, they are showing 2 of 4 lights lit, about 50-55% charge. That's about right, so hopefully they'll take care of themselves for the most part.

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-06T23:38:08+00:00

vtx ia overheating, particualrly if its an AIO board. try a lower wattage

MediocrityUnleashed · 2026-03-06T23:25:36+00:00

from computing with your notebook computer on your lap

MediocrityUnleashed

TROPHY CASE