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FES throttle - proportional or on/off

General discussion on any topic which doesn't have a natural home on any of the other boards.
B Sharp

Re: FES throttle - proportional or on/off

Post by B Sharp »

I started flying electric powered gliders back in 1987 and did so competitively till I stopped competing in 2006. I only ever used a switch to activate the motor and rarely used a soft start on the ESC. There is no good reason for a throttle on a glider as you just want full power to get you to height as quickly as possible. Throttles are for pootling around the field at six feet with a fixed wing model aeroplane.
Brian. :o
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terry white
Posts: 508
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 21:08
Location: wareham,dorset.england

Re: FES throttle - proportional or on/off

Post by terry white »

So far that's 7-2 for proportion, which I think is about right. It must be remembered that we are not discussing competition flight here but scale models used as much at the slope as sustainers as on the flat for take off. Also we now enjoy radios sporting a number of prop channels, unlike the olden days when one was lucky to have just 4 in which to work. Also another advantage of using a prop channel is by sliding from off through slow to fast the motor has its automatic slow start and slow stop which is good for the motor and associated gear train.
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Ray Watts
Posts: 128
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 06:31
Location: Basingstoke

Re: FES throttle - proportional or on/off

Post by Ray Watts »

terry white wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 11:28 Also we now enjoy radios sporting a number of prop channels, unlike the olden days when one was lucky to have just 4 in which to work.
Don't stand for that Brian, whack him with your 10 foot ground based transmitter aerial, or even better, throw the batteries at him, if you can lift them :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ray
It's always calmer indoors :D
Tonyh
Posts: 53
Joined: 20 Mar 2015, 19:19

Re: FES throttle - proportional or on/off

Post by Tonyh »

I`m now, really looking forward to towing Brian again.....
T.
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Trevor
Posts: 161
Joined: 19 Jul 2016, 16:29
Location: Hampshire
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Re: FES throttle - proportional or on/off

Post by Trevor »

Tonyh wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 21:20 I`m now, really looking forward to towing Brian again.....
. . and no doubt you will have the tug's throttle on a switch :D
Barry_Cole

Re: FES throttle - proportional or on/off

Post by Barry_Cole »

Trevor wrote: 14 Apr 2021, 08:16
Tonyh wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 21:20 I`m now, really looking forward to towing Brian again.....
. . and no doubt you will have the tug's throttle on a switch :D
I thtink it always has been.....

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

BC
Phill Tadman
Posts: 329
Joined: 18 Aug 2015, 20:38
Location: South Cambs

Re: FES throttle - proportional or on/off

Post by Phill Tadman »

So after a while experimenting with both, I seem to have settled on proportional.

I like proportional control during take off so I can feed power in gradually and back off quickly if I need to abort without feeling around for a switch.

For the rest of the flight, the throttle is fully open or closed.

I’ve just added a stick top switch to change the left stick between throttle and air brakes and will see how that goes.

As a safety measure, I’ve used the extra safe interlocks described in Harry Curzons excellent videos to ensure that the stick has to be moved to a minimum before the motor is live.

Cheers

Phill
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