Dennis,
The CC Phoenix ESC's use what is know as a linear BEC for powering the servos. What this means is that to get the voltage down in a range so that it doesn't fry the receiver, servos, and in our case the timer, the battery voltage is dropped across some type of transistor like object. The implication of this is that this transistor is "eating" the power of the higher votage, specifically this power equals just the current out of the BEC into the receiver/servos * the voltage drop.
For a 3 cell lipo the voltage drop is about 7 Volts or so (12V-4.8V). I believe typical current requirements for  rc setups is somewhere in the range of 0.3 to 0.5 Amps (40 sized 4 channel ship). So this would say the BEC would have to "eat" 7V*0,5A=3.5 watts of power. This is a hefty amount of heat to dissipate, which is also why they tell you how many servo's you can attach. If you had a 4 cell lipo, the voltage drop would be ~16V-4.8V) or 11V and now the heat to dissipate 5.5 watts. They are telling you the BEC can't handle this much heat.
Now we just need enough current for our timer (very tiny) so I doubt that we would hurt the BEC, even with 4 cells, but I would certainly contact Castle Creations first----but on the other hand, almost everyone I think is doing it.

By the way, I just posted a review of the JMP-2 and Ztron CLT3 timers in the review section, for those who may be interested. I mention this mainly because I often forget to look down that far on the Forum Topics.

""Ron said

PS - I had a very enjoyable chat with your Dad at Huntersville. Sure brought back some great memories."


HI Ron

Right you are  it was  good  to see  Big Art at the meet, we had a few conversations too!
It was  also great to see you again Ron!

And  Dennis  , I asked Art about the V-tailed stuntship mold from a few years back, told him it maybe time  to break it back out 

Regards
Randy

Dennis,
   If this was the airplane published in FM (I think) it was a good read! I came across the article not to long ago.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for remembering the article.  The Gemini Mk1 was published in FM August 1991 which was a built up wood predecessor to the Gemini III which used the fiberglass fuselage/plug-in wings.  (See thumbnail!!)  The Gemini mk1 can be built from the glass fuselage (mold is still in great shape according to dad) because it uses the same numbers & wing.  Both original airplanes still exsist.  See the FCM contest report to see pictures of the Mk1.

The article was written when I was 16 years old and it was proof read by my Grandma Betty.  The Gemini mk1 was built new for the 1989 Tri-Cities Nats.  This would be a great airframe for an electric conversion because of it's clean lines and low drag planform.

Archie Adamisin
Muncie, Indiana

Eric
The U/Tronics Single channel unit only pulls about 10 mamps so it can be powered by a small battery of 4.8 to 6 volts.  You might try a "PX28A" 6 volt battery that is available for blood glucose meters at the drugstore.  It has 4 each 1.5 volt carbon - zinc button batteries inside.

One advantage of using a separate battery, you can then use the U/Tronics unit as originally intended with the slide pot at the handle and two insulated lines.

It sounds like they have coppied JR's color code.  If so, then the output from the U/Tronics unit would hook up U/T black to ESC brown and U/T yellow to ESC orange.
Do not connect the U/T red wire to the ESC but cover it with tape.

Check with the manufacturer before connecting it up.  I do not want to be blamed for the smoke if they are wired differently.

Clancy

Corrected reference to JR servos..  I originally said Futaba, Sorry.

Ron,
I guess they didn't figure on me plugging my JMP-2 timer offset by one pin! That smoked the poor timer!    I may attach a servo extension-like lead to my timer so that the ESC plug will fit into a housing. Once things settle down with rpm's and times, I could remove the extension but during the chaos I usually generate during trimming times, I need all the safeguards I can get!

Ron,
I guess they didn't figure on me plugging my JMP-2 timer offset by one pin! That smoked the poor timer! 

Alan,

OUCH! I'm sorry to hear about that. I guess the CPSC hasn't gotten into RC - yet. 

You smoked a timer - I splashed my Shocker at Huntersville. Sounds like you and I had a bad weekend. 

(The Shocker is undergoing repairs as we speak.)

Take care,

Ron

Ron
Thanks for the correction.  I should have walked down to the garage and verified the brands I was referring to.

Clancy

Clancy,

No problem. That's what these forums are for anyway. Your hook up info was correct, I just provided a little more detail.

Besides, If I walked downstairs to my basement to verify anything, I would forget it before I got back upstairs to the computer.   

Take care,

Ron